tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7941115480311764002024-03-19T07:35:20.552+01:00Ynas Midgard's RPG BlogA place to post my ramblings on gaming, house rules, setting and adventure ideas, etc.Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.comBlogger165125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-30696491184801365402024-03-18T22:20:00.002+01:002024-03-18T22:42:18.964+01:00Lindenbaum 2021/22: The Eldritch Key (by Tiago Filipe Costa)<p>
<i>This is part of a series where I briefly talk about the Lindenbaum Prize winners and runners-up. This is a friendly gamebook writing competition, organised yearly by Stuart Lloyd. The entry discussed below was submitted for the 2021/2022 competition and won a Commendation Award. You can find the details of the competition <a href="http://www.lloydofgamebooks.com/p/the-lindenbaum-prize-for-short-gamebook.html">here</a>, links to all entries <a href="https://www.lloydofgamebooks.com/p/voting-is-now-open-for-20212022.html">here</a>, and the announcement of the winners <a href="http://www.lloydofgamebooks.com/2022/04/winner-announcement-for-20212022.html">here</a>. Needless to say, all of these are available for free in PDF.</i></p>
<p>
In this gamebook you play a master thief who must steal a dangerous artefact known as the Eldritch Key. Although there are multiple routes to get there, the end game plays pretty much the same, and there's only one "good ending".</p>
<p>
The game is set in the lawless city of Makivel, located on Anarlan, the Prison-Island. There's magic and weird creatures, and the game has explicit Cthulhu mythos influences.</p>
<p>
The combat mechanics are fairly involved: 2d6 + Dexterity vs. 2d6 + Dexterity, greater wins. Then the loser rolls 2d6 + Avoidance vs. the winner's attack score. If the defender succeeds, they avoid damage. Otherwise, the weapon's damage is deducted from the defender's HP. The character's basic stats are fairly decent, but to reliably defeat the stronger foes (especially towards the end), a handful of items are needed to boost the character's stats. I very much enjoyed the item-hunting aspect, but the endless rolling without any decision-making definitely felt tiresome.</p>
<p>
At the beginning, the player chooses three abilities from a list of six (things like <i>lockpicking</i>, <i>dark vision</i>, or <i>clean kill</i>). These abilities can be used when explicitly offered as an option, and they are largely responsible for facilitating multiple ways to get to the finish line.</p>
<p>
The writing is all right. It's simple, apart from a few embellishments here and there, much like an adventure game; the emphasis is definitely on solving the game like a puzzle.</p>
<p>
The game features 100 sections, and the whole document has about 13,300 words, including the rules and background info. Apart from the fights, there are only a handful of game-ending choices (they can be avoided by gathering info or having luckier dice).</p>
<p>
Things to improve upon:</p>
<ul>
<li>the combat system involves too many rolls (this is especially true near the end)</li>
<li>the inventory system is nice; if expanded upon, I definitely want more of this</li>
<li>it's unclear whether damage from wielding multiple weapons stack (I assume the answer is yes)</li>
<li>a few of the "save or die" paragraphs felt too punishing <span class="spoiler">particularly the loose stone block</span>, but to be fair, some of these can be ignored with the right abilities and/or items <br /></li></ul>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-3053013704627016402024-03-01T14:52:00.002+01:002024-03-02T17:26:00.250+01:00The Underappreciated Combat Table of Barbarian Prince<p><b>Barbarian Prince</b> is a great little game from 1981. James Maliszewski over at <i>Grognardia</i> posted a short <a href="http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2011/10/retrospective-barbarian-prince.html">retrospective</a> in 2011, and in 2020 Anne from <i>DIY and Dragons</i> wrote an excellent three-part analysis (<a href="https://diyanddragons.blogspot.com/2020/08/lets-read-barbarian-prince-1-map-and.html">Map and Layout</a>; <a href="https://diyanddragons.blogspot.com/2020/09/lets-read-barbarian-prince-2-main-menu.html">Main Menu</a>; <a href="https://diyanddragons.blogspot.com/2020/10/lets-read-barbarian-prince-part-3.html">Characters, Followers, Encounters, and Combat</a>). It has been recently on my mind partly because of the Drifter series (see my review of the first game here) and a four-part actual play series by the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_JQ74hDBHA">Lone Adventurer</a>.</p><p>Today I only want to look at one specific aspect of <b>Barbarian Prince</b>: the combat result table.</p><p>The gist of it is this: roll 2d6, add your Combat score, subtract the enemy's Combat score, apply modifiers if any, and consult the chart below to see how many wounds the attack inflicts.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIXBGr4jeljUgehVo8Tv0Jy0EQinKZPNe_l-W4Xd2WEl8-4Q4vj7FDJMC8WT85jb0Dj4VCDx3fPKb76aI4NCUOmVKc0_20rWrjBsj86JBB9_tLaVFujPEOogGzunumvBs_3hnfJn4inm34rP0xBdDye2ZBJdzIJDZokT8ulDqajUznEg45GvsMGFdN0nq/s470/Barbarian%20Prince%20Combat%20Table.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="124" data-original-width="470" height="84" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIXBGr4jeljUgehVo8Tv0Jy0EQinKZPNe_l-W4Xd2WEl8-4Q4vj7FDJMC8WT85jb0Dj4VCDx3fPKb76aI4NCUOmVKc0_20rWrjBsj86JBB9_tLaVFujPEOogGzunumvBs_3hnfJn4inm34rP0xBdDye2ZBJdzIJDZokT8ulDqajUznEg45GvsMGFdN0nq/w320-h84/Barbarian%20Prince%20Combat%20Table.png" title="Barbarian Prince CRT" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">taken directly from Anne's part 3 post linked above</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Anne points out how the wording in the original rules is confusing and how the table above makes no logical sense. The Lone Adventurer criticises the rule for a similar reason. I didn't go looking, but I imagine other people being baffled by the above table.</p><p>However, this table is actually pretty ingenious. Let me show you a table of the average expected damage results arranged by final modifier to the 2d6 roll.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6vhJO3omKy-s4Sjrq80DJLz1MwYnc-GBu0SMqR-dSltC4rmw5q7pjCnlg6uj2-tvg57g4puSelxFl7MHzVF4PI9_L_v4cHcw82h5AfzV1NaNm9pxjZ7mN-hpiOt2HKuEBrI2030KWzE11nY1k-c1dh-F5grbvVo6JmgqaO-DaPdNC9V_1MKOl5DvPJqY/s1437/Barbarian%20Prince%20Damage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="1437" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6vhJO3omKy-s4Sjrq80DJLz1MwYnc-GBu0SMqR-dSltC4rmw5q7pjCnlg6uj2-tvg57g4puSelxFl7MHzVF4PI9_L_v4cHcw82h5AfzV1NaNm9pxjZ7mN-hpiOt2HKuEBrI2030KWzE11nY1k-c1dh-F5grbvVo6JmgqaO-DaPdNC9V_1MKOl5DvPJqY/s320/Barbarian%20Prince%20Damage.png" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>The first column shows the final result; next to it you can see how many wounds that roll inflicts upon an enemy. The columns after that alternate between showing the percentage chance of a result (given the final modifier noted on the first line) and the expected damage. The bottom two lines show the average expected damage per attack based on the final dice modifier as well as the percentage chance of inflicting at least 1 wound (i.e. the chance of hitting).</p><p>As you can see, the average chance to hit steadily increases (up until it plateaus at 83.34%, while also retaining the increase in average damage). The way the table is set up allows the chance to hit<br />
(basically) to follow a gradual progression whereas if it was a standard 2d6 roll (something like 2d6+mods vs a target number), the progression would be much steeper.</p><p>Of course, whether the added granularity and hard-capped accuracy is worth having a chart is something we may disagree with; I can at least point out how deliberate the numbers are, and the fact that such granularity can be achieved on a 2d6 roll is just interesting to me in and of itself.<br /></p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-5097181896786924782024-02-21T14:00:00.000+01:002024-02-21T14:00:09.905+01:00RPGaDay 2023<div style="text-align: left;">I usually don't participate in any sort of community blog event for several reasons, but last year's <a href="https://www.autocratik.com/2023/07/this-august-10th-rpgaday.html">RPGaDay</a> questions seemed interesting enough to tackle. However, I quite dislike releasing a bunch of small posts so I combined all the questions and answers into this one.</div><p><b>Day 1: FIRST RPG played (in 2023)</b></p>
<p>
It was early January that we started a new campaign of <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/1716/Werewolf-The-Forsaken?affiliate_id=64760">Werewolf: the Forsaken</a> (1st edition). Although my love for the Storytelling System has waned considerably (compared to the late 00s when it was our most played system), the animistic nature of Werewolf and the particular implementation of the Shadow Realm (especially the way it was elaborated on in the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/27863/World-of-Darkness-Book-of-Spirits?affiliate_id=64760">Book of Spirits</a>) still makes it one of my favourite settings conceptually. If I were to redesign the rules, though, I'd probably go for something close to <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/417715/Rivers-of-London-The-Roleplaying-Game?affiliate_id=64760">Rivers of London</a> and <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/305328/Warhammer-40000-Roleplay-Imperium-Maledictum-Core-Rulebook?affiliate_id=64760">Imperium Maledictum</a>, although the whole spirit rank system just cries for a level-based approach. I would have to make sure that either combat is quick (like, OD&D quick) or actually interesting (with the caveat that making it into a power-based tactical game would be pretty cool <i>and</i> a disservice to the setting at the same time).<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 2: First RPG GAMEMASTER</b></p>
<p>
I actually don't remember the first GM I met (probably someone in my first group, possibly Szabolcs running <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/3568/7th-sea-players-guide?affiliate_id=64760">7th Sea</a> or Viktor running <a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.A.G.U.S.">MAGUS</a> that one time), so I'm going to interpret this as the first RPG <b>I</b> GMed, which was <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/1893/Shadowrun-Third-Edition?affiliate_id=64760">Shadowrun 3rd edition</a>. Despite its many flaws, I would still be down to run the game. It might not come to pass, though, as <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/agonarchartist/sinless/">Sinless, a retro-clone of old-school Shadowrun</a>, will soon be released.</p>
<p>
<b>Day 3: First RPG BOUGHT (in 2023)</b></p>
<p>
The first PDFs I bought were <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/304840/The-Sword-of-Cepheus?affiliate_id=64760">The Sword of Cepheus</a> and <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/419700/Superpowered?affiliate_id=64760">Superpowered</a>. The only physical gaming products I picked up in 2023 are a few gamebooks (the first batch was all by <a href="https://www.victoriahancox.com/">Victoria Hancox</a>) and a wargame (<a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/294112/western-front-ace-great-war-air-1916-1918">Western Front Ace</a>).</p>
<p>
<b>Day 4: Most RECENT game bought</b></p>
<p>
The one I bought most recently is <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/377082/Super-Action-RolePlay?affiliate_id=64760">Super Action Role-Play</a>. The most recently published one I picked up is <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/305328/Warhammer-40000-Roleplay-Imperium-Maledictum-Core-Rulebook?affiliate_id=64760">Imperium Maledictum</a>.</p>
<p>
<b>Day 5: OLDEST game you've played</b></p>
<p>
It has to be <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/28306/ODD-Dungeons--Dragons-Original-Edition-0e?affiliate_id=64760">OD&D</a>, right?</p>
<p>
<b>Day 6: Favourite game you NEVER get to play</b></p>
<p>
That's a tricky one, because I enjoy "running" RPGs way more than "playing" them. Nevertheless, if we talk strictly about "playing" RPGs, I wish I had more opportunities to play <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/28306/ODD-Dungeons--Dragons-Original-Edition-0e?affiliate_id=64760">OD&D</a> (I'm not elitist, though; <a href="https://www.immersiveink.com/?page_id=20">Delving Deeper</a>, <a href="https://grey-elf.com/">Age of Conan</a>, or <b>Champions of ZED</b> would also suffice). I want it fast and loose, with large skirmishes and each player (sooner rather than later) having henchmen and hirelings and mercenaries. Kinda like a large narrative skirmish game, actually. If we're talking about games I'd like to run but seemingly never can, well, that's a big list, but here's a few things on my mind at the moment: (1) a cross between OD&D and the narrative campaign in the Realm of Chaos books; (2) a Braunstein-like game of <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/240118/Boot-Hill-Wild-West-RolePlaying-Game-2nd-Edition?affiliate_id=64760">Boot Hill</a>, with miniatures and asymmetric player forces (I would love to run something similar with <a href="https://www.wargamevault.com/product/113552/BattleTroll?affiliate_id=64760">Battle Troll</a>, too); (3) a wuxia sandbox, either using <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/339100/righteous-blood-ruthless-blades-wuxia-roleplaying?affiliate_id=64760">Righteous Blood, Ruthless Blade</a> or <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/191631/wandering-heroes-of-ogre-gate?affiliate_id=64760">Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate</a>.</p>
<p>
<b>Day 7: SMARTEST RPG you've played</b></p>
<p><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/448193/torchbearer-2e-core-set-pdf-bundle?affiliate_id=64760">Torchbearer</a> is weirdly good (the ways its subsystems interact with each other is like a well-oiled machine), even though it didn't scratch the right itch for me. <a href="https://massif-press.itch.io/corebook-pdf-free">Lancer</a>, although probably not the <i>smartest</i> overall, is also well-designed (if you're into 4E-style tactical combat and mechas), both in terms of player abilities (and their interactions) and enemy design (although there's really not enough GM tools in the core book to set up fights). <a href="https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/2020/02/mini-review-mazes-minotaurs.html">Mazes & Minotaurs</a>, maybe? It's so incredibly slick and robust, but is it <i>smart</i>?</p><p>It almost feels to me like the smartest one has to be the most versatile one.... something like <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/224830/GURPS-Basic-Set-Characters?affiliate_id=64760">GURPS</a>, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/19008/Hero-System-5th-Edition-Revised?affiliate_id=64760">HERO</a>, or <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/114516/EABA-v201-augmented-pdf?affiliate_id=64760">EABA</a>.<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 8: Favourite CHARACTER</b></p>
<p>I am rarely a player, and I don't find my own characters particularly memorable... But there was a halfling warrior in <a href="http://kockakeskoboldok.blogspot.com/search/label/Landar">Narmor's Dungeon World campaign</a>, Finnegan, that I really enjoyed playing. I generally remember the games, not my characters.</p><p>If characters that played in <i>my</i> campaigns are allowed, then I have quite a few favourites:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Scott the hacker and John the cop from my first nWoD campaign back in secondary school</li><li>Csillámcsóró Csongor (Premier suggested <a href="https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/2013/03/twelve-peculiar-npcs.html">Gilbert Glassglad</a>, but it's impossible to translate accurately), a cleric of the Order of Glassbreakers; all because the character's random starting item from a d100 table was a piece of broken glass</li><li>Zöldfogú Harald (Harald Greentooth), a warrior in my <a href="https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/search/label/Vikings%20and%20Valkyries">Vikings & Valkyries</a> campaign, the least successful member in a family of womanisers <br /></li></ul>
<p>
<b>Day 9: Favourite DICE</b></p><p></p><p>I was gifted a set of D&D-branded metal dice some time ago; I have underrated the incredibly satisfying tactility the heft of metal dice have for too long!</p><p>Still, my absolutely favourite dice are a set of plastic purple dice. They have been with me for ages, in sickness and in health.</p><p>Also, d12s are underrated.</p><p>
<b>Day 10: Favourite tie-in FICTION</b></p>
<p>
I don't really read RPG-related fiction (although I copy edited a few short stories and novellas of the kind). In fact, most of the fiction I read is categorised as "classic literature" (my top three probably being <i>The Count of Monte Cristo</i>, <i>Brave New World</i>, and <i>Előre, gonoszok!</i>), although by now I have read some pulp fantasy and sci-fi as well.</p>
<p>
<b>Day 11: WEIRDEST game you've played</b></p>
<p>
Either <a href="https://johntynes.com/revland2000/rl_puppetland.html">Puppetland</a> or <a href="http://www.halfmeme.com/master.html">My Life with Master</a>. While the former fell pretty flat for me, the latter I remember as one of my favourite games of all time (just to be clear, I used <i>game</i> as shorthand for "not quite one session but not really a campaign... two sessions, to be exact").</p>
<p>
<b>Day 12: Old game you STILL play</b></p>
<p>My taste in gaming has changed considerably over the years. Basically, I don't really play any of the games I started out with any more. I'm also largely over my "old-school only" period in gaming — now I'm into narrative skirmish games :P</p>
<p>
<b>Day 13: Most memorable character DEMISE</b></p>
<p>I'm not a particularly cruel referee, but there certainly have been a number of PC deaths over the years. Still, my favourite is probably the one which led to the birth of another: Kron literally rose from the ashes of the player's previous character (thanks to the quick chargen of <a href="https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/search/label/K%C3%A9K">Kazamaták és Kompániák</a>).<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 14: Favourite CONVENTION purchase</b></p>
<p>I don't have any. The local conventions I attended weren't usually selling stuff.<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 15: Favourite Con MODULE / ONE-SHOT</b></p>
<p>
My absolute favourite convention module, due to its sheer weirdness, was Urban's <a href="https://veletlentalalkozasok.tumblr.com/search/dekomoran">Dekomoran</a> scenario (which is a tongue-in-cheek play on Boccaccio's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Decameron">Decameron</a> and the Hungarian word "komor", E. sombre). It was run with the <b>real</b> first edition of <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4192/warhammer-mass-combat-fantasy-roleplaying-game-1st">Warhammer</a>, but the true sauce was the highly absurdist setting. My memories are quite vague, but an oneiric recollection fits the scenario perfectly!</p>
<p>
<b>Day 16: Game you WISH you owned</b></p>
<p>
That's a tricky question, because most games that interest me can be acquired at least in digital form, and I rarely purchase physical products (I do print out a lot of reference material, though, often of my own design). The first edition of Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea (now just <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/381205/HYPERBOREA-Players-Manual?affiliate_id=64760">Hyperborea</a>) is something I wouldn't mind getting my hands on. Even though I like 2nd edition the most in terms of rules and layout, I find the first edition's unified visual style more appealing. Another one is <a href="https://thefantasytrip.game/products/core-games/the-fantasy-trip-legacy-edition/">The Fantasy Trip: Legacy Edition</a>, which comes with all sorts of maps and counters and whatnot. Unfortunately, shipping costs make it a very unfeasible purchase for me, especially because most of our games are played online these days.<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 17: FUNNIEST game you've played</b></p>
<p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">Humour is a big component in virtually all of my games (it's inevitable and even desirable when you play with your close friends), so there's a bunch of weird little emergent events that we look back on fondly... Let me pick one at random.<br /></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">The
party fought some ghouls in a dungeon; some members have been
paralysed, including the berserker (remember, it lasts for quite a while
in older editions). The player made it explicit that he intends to
start raging immediately when the effect ends (the characters were able
to deduce his state of mind by looking deep into his crazy eyes; but
honestly, this wouldn't have been the most meta moment anyways). The
party moved the berserker to a cleared room a couple corridors away and
locked themselves up in a different room (including a local NPC from the
village above). Y'know, for good measure.</p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">Paralysis
ends, rage ensues. We're counting rounds. Open doors check succeeds.
The player gives an equal chance to all directions. The berserker's
heading straight towards the party's location. Decides he'll try forcing
a door open no longer than 3 rounds. Fortunately, the party's holding
up successfully.</p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">Next door opens
on the first try. In a pit, there's a girl — a werewolf (not in control
of her transformation). She sees the berserker open up the pit. She
starts transforming. Rage stops, berserker falls to the ground
exhausted. Party members come out and investigate. They manage to grab
the berserker and pull him in the same room they were hiding in, but the
werewolf follows them.</p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM">They know
they can't hold the door long enough, so they move into the crypt
whence the ghouls originally attacked. Meanwhile, it turns out the boy
knows the girl (in fact, they are in love, and freeing her from this
dungeon was his secret motivation all along). People suspect the crypt
door won't hold long either — they need to sacrifice something. Or
someone. The berserker throws the boy at the rampaging werewolf and
closes the crypt door. The girl, upon realising what she's done, wanders
off into the dungeon — they never saw her again.</p><p></p>
<p>
<b>Day 18: Favourite game SYSTEM</b></p>
<p>That's a tough one. I obviously really like <a href="https://kek.lfg.hu/">Kazamaták és Kompániák</a> (you can find a few English posts <a href="https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/search/label/K%C3%A9K">here</a>), but I'm also partial to <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/284501/The-Fantasy-Trip-In-the-Labyrinth?affiliate_id=64760">The Fantasy Trip</a>, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/56586/Traveller-Main-Rulebook?affiliate_id=64760">Mongoose Traveller</a>, and <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150997/Call-of-Cthulhu-7th-Edition--Keepers-Rulebook?affiliate_id=64760">Call of Cthulhu</a> / <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/431991/Basic-Roleplaying-Universal-Game-Engine?affiliate_id=64760">BRP</a>.<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 19: Favourite PUBLISHED adventure</b></p>
<p>One of my favourite adventure modules (one that I both played at a <a href="https://veletlentalalkozasok.tumblr.com/post/1374854921/a-princ%C3%ADpium-nev%C3%A9ben">convention</a> and later ran for my own group as well) is Melan's <a href="http://beyondfomalhaut.blogspot.com/2016/12/stuff-in-name-of-principle.html">In the Name of the Principle</a>. It's the perfect campaign starter: the players are tasked with a difficult mission of eliminating key figures in a city. It's an open-ended scenario with a clear initial goal — my favourite structure.<br /></p><p>It might be cheating, but I'd like to nominate another favourite (campaign) module: <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/245820/Masks-of-Nyarlathotep--7th-Edition?affiliate_id=64760">Masks of Nyarlathotep</a>. We haven't finished it yet with my group (although we're getting close), but I can already say it absolutely deserves being called the best published campaign module.<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 20: Will still play in TWENTY years time...</b></p>
<p>I cannot really say. Twenty years is a long time... I will still probably run some form of OSR game (whether OD&D, Kazamaták és Kompániák, AS&SH, or something close to those). Aside from that, I have no idea.<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 21: Favourite LICENSED RPG</b></p>
<p>I rarely play licensed RPGs. Does <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/65872/Dark-Heresy-Core-Rulebook?affiliate_id=64760">Dark Heresy</a> count (as FFG licensed it from GW)? Or <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/248284/Warhammer-Fantasy-Roleplay-Fourth-Edition-Rulebook?affiliate_id=64760">WFRP 4E</a>?<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 22: Best SECONDHAND RPG purchase</b></p>
<p>My very first RPG purchase was a used copy of a Hungarian game called <a href="https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/163580/codex">Codex</a>. Later I acquired a better quality copy of both the core rules and the magic supplement (<a href="https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/163581/codex-grimoire">Grimoire</a>), and I haven't bought any secondhand books since (well, at least not RPG books).<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 23: COOLEST-looking RPG product / book</b></p>
<p>The then-boyfriend of the older sister of a friend of mine had a <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/637/Werewolf-The-Apocalypse-Revised-Edition?affiliate_id=64760">Werewolf: the Apocalypse</a> book with the claw marks cut into the cover. It really impressed me as a teenager.<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 24: COMPLEX / SIMPLE RPG you play</b></p>
<p>I had a fairly extensive minimalist era with regards to rules, but I actually prefer crunchy games. One of my current favourites is <a href="https://massif-press.itch.io/corebook-pdf-free">Lancer</a> (even though it's far from perfect), and I have also been impressed with <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/248284/Warhammer-Fantasy-Roleplay-Fourth-Edition-Rulebook?affiliate_id=64760">WFRP 4E</a> so far.<br /></p><p>My favourite simple game is probably <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/212633/MAZES--MINOTAURS-Core-Books-BUNDLE?affiliate_id=64760">Mazes & Minotaurs</a> (well, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/408303/Vikings--Valkyries-Mazes--Minotaurs?affiliate_id=64760">Vikings & Valkyries</a>) followed closely by <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/205466/Ghastly-Affair-Players-Manual?affiliate_id=64760">Ghastly Affair</a>. Also <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/150997/Call-of-Cthulhu-7th-Edition--Keepers-Rulebook?affiliate_id=64760">Call of Cthulhu</a>.<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 25: UNPLAYED RPG you own</b></p>
<p>I have quite a few of those... The ones I really want to try at some point include <a href="https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/45499/kult-1st-edition">Kult</a> (1st edition), <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/304503/Modern-War?affiliate_id=64760">Modern War</a>, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/165085/King-Arthur-Pendragon-Edition-52?affiliate_id=64760">Pendragon</a>, and <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/339100/Righteous-Blood-Ruthless-Blades-Wuxia-Roleplaying?affiliate_id=64760">Righteous Blood, Ruthless Blade</a>.<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 26: Favourite CHARACTER SHEET</b></p>
<p>For a long while, my favourite character sheets have been those made by <a href="https://mrgone.rocksolidshells.com/index.html">MrGone</a> for the (old and new) World of Darkness. I'm also partial to the various d100 character sheets (Call of Cthulhu, BRP, WFRP, Against the Darkmaster, etc.).<br /></p>
<p>Nowadays, I usually make my own character sheets in GoogleSheets, where I can semi-automate and share them with my players. It's definitely a function-over-form matter for me.<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 27: Game you'd like a new EDITION of...</b></p>
<p>Hm, let me see...</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/48774/behind-enemy-lines">Behind Enemy Lines</a> (new layout and more examples of play; new and more maps)</li><li><a href="https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/foresight-that-obscure-sf-rpg-that-i-keep-mentioning.7679/">ForeSight</a> (an improvement and modernisation following the groundwork laid down in the previous editions and the James Bond RPG to become a generic system for modern and futuristic action-adventure games with a simulationist bend)</li><li><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/128323/magic-world?affiliate_id=64760">Magic World</a> (along with supplements and proper support from Chaosium)</li><li>Mutant Chronicles (an improvement upon 2nd edition instead of the 2d20 system)</li><li><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/181928/RiftsR-Ultimate-Edition-RPG?affiliate_id=64760">Rifts</a> (with a cleaned up but familiar system with much better organisation; gun & robot porn should stay, but the various options need to be mechanically significant)</li></ul>
<p>
<b>Day 28: SCARIEST game you've played</b></p>
<p>I'm not sure I was ever "scared" while playing, and I don't think I ever really inflicted terror on my players. Some of my earlier World of Darkness games were pretty freaky, although usually more <i>surreal</i> than <i>terrifying</i>.<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 29: Most memorable ENCOUNTER</b></p><p>My players really liked the dung monster in <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/112605/2012-Rappan-Athuk-Swords-and-Wizardry?affiliate_id=64760">Rappan Athuk</a>. We've also had some good fights in <a href="https://massif-press.itch.io/corebook-pdf-free">Lancer</a> so far.</p><p>However, most of the memorable events in my games aren't really encounters but rather my players' responses to certain situations that often spiral out of control. The tale with the werewolf I shared above... The time when they used a <strike>Trojan Horse</strike> <a href="https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/2013/06/vikings-valkyries-session-4.html">Beornian Goat</a> to get into a village... When they accidentally killed (and then replaced in My Fair Lady fashion) the bride of a noble whose precious stone they were after... The list goes on.<br /></p><p></p>
<p>
<b>Day 30: OBSCURE RPG you've played</b></p>
<p>The three most obscure games I played in the last 20 years, I reckon, are <a href="http://www.halfmeme.com/master.html">My Life with Master</a>, <a href="https://johntynes.com/revland2000/rl_puppetland.html">Puppetland</a>, and <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/4192/warhammer-mass-combat-fantasy-roleplaying-game-1st">Warhammer: The Mass Combat Fantasy Roleplaying Game</a>.<br /></p>
<p>
<b>Day 31: FAVOURITE RPG of all time</b></p>
<p>It has to be a tie between <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/408303/Vikings--Valkyries-Mazes--Minotaurs?affiliate_id=64760">Vikings & Valkyries</a> and AS&SH (now <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/381205/HYPERBOREA-Players-Manual?affiliate_id=64760">Hyperborea</a>). I generally like their mechanics, their settings, and all the memories we have generated playing them.<br /></p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-52286343362626933722024-02-19T13:59:00.000+01:002024-02-19T13:59:05.102+01:00Lindenbaum 2021/22: Archer (by Morten Gottschalck)<p>
<i>This is part of a series where I briefly talk about the Lindenbaum Prize winners and runners-up. This is a friendly gamebook-writing competition, organised yearly by Stuart Lloyd. The entry discussed below was submitted for the 2021/2022 competition and won a Commendation Award. You can find the details of the competition <a href="http://www.lloydofgamebooks.com/p/the-lindenbaum-prize-for-short-gamebook.html">here</a>, links to all entries <a href="https://www.lloydofgamebooks.com/p/voting-is-now-open-for-20212022.html">here</a>, and the announcement of the winners <a href="http://www.lloydofgamebooks.com/2022/04/winner-announcement-for-20212022.html">here</a>. Needless to say, all of these are available for free in PDF.</i></p>
<p>
In this one you play a young hunter. You need to gather the funds to enter an archery competition and be ranked among the best three to have enough money to support your family (and perhaps allow you to take some time off adventuring and travelling). In this sense, some outcomes are better than others, but you don't need to win the competition to get a "good ending".</p>
<p>
Mechanically, it's very straightforward. You need to keep track of your money (you need ten crowns to enter the competition) and your single stat, Concentration. Tests are rolled on 2d6, and you succeed on an equal or lower result. Concentration begins at 8, but it may be modified depending on your actions. Difficult tasks are usually represented by adding a number to your roll, or sometimes having you roll twice or with a different number of dice.</p>
<p>
The author writes in a competent manner, using fairly descriptive and evocative prose. Word choices are mostly fine, and the details mentioned indicate a clear vision in the author's mind. However, the text is full of typos and grammatical errors. It's not worse than what an average internet user may encounter in any international space, but it still felt distracting.</p>
<p>
The whole game consists of only 83 sections (numbered from 1 to 93, with a handful of missing numbers, and one unreachable paragraph), in circa 20k words. There are 20 bad endings and 5 good endings. It seems pretty rough, and luck obviously plays an important role, but overall I'd say it's pretty fair. Maybe a few of the bad endings could have had a few more steps, but I'm much more tolerant of harsh consequences in a short gamebook. Plus, if you could wander about too much, it would lose focus and stop being a short gamebook in the first place.</p>
<p>
Things to improve upon:</p>
<ul>
<li>spelling and grammar (the prose would otherwise be pretty good)</li>
<li>making sure all sections are reachable</li>
<li>a few times the wording on modifiers was ambiguous (although the intent is trivial to work out)</li>
<li>the game didn't really need both silver and gold coins; one of them should have sufficed</li>
<li>I missed one particular outcome <span class="spoiler">winning 1st prize in the competition</span> but it's also sorta humbling not having it in the game</li>
<li>the deal with the <i>pouch of dust</i> felt disconnected; maybe because of the length constraints? I thought it was a little random, to be frank</li></ul>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-85320406405343299862023-08-25T23:17:00.000+02:002023-08-25T23:17:14.657+02:00Review: Four Against Darkness<p>
<i>Disclaimer: Note that some of the links below are affiliate links (meaning I get a small percentage of the sale without extra cost to you or the publisher).</i></p>
<p>
In 2023, we are truly spoiled when it comes to dungeon crawling. A plethora of games focus on or have a robust system dedicated to delving the deeps, from computer games to board games and RPGs. There have been many solo options, but the pandemic really helped developers new and old to find a market starved for the strange alchemy of killing monsters, avoiding traps, and finding treasure — like the subject of today's review, <b>Four Against Darkness</b>.</p>
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<p>
<b>Four Against Darkness </b> (or <b>4AD</b>) is a solitaire pen-and-paper dungeon crawler. Some people charmingly refer to their 4AD campaigns as solo RPGing, and while you can embellish your games with details that would almost push it into role-playing territory, it is first and foremost a board game (but do note that the barrier can be pretty fuzzy, see <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/28306/ODD-Dungeons--Dragons-Original-Edition-0e?affiliate_id=64760">OD&D</a>, <a href="https://www.wargamevault.com/product/240118/Boot-Hill-Wild-West-RolePlaying-Game-2nd-Edition?affiliate_id=64760">Boot Hill</a>, or <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/229441/Car-Wars-Classic?affiliate_id=64760">Car Wars</a>).</p>
<p>
The basic premise of 4AD is very straightforward. You are playing a group of four adventurers (duh) delving into dungeons and trying to gain levels and loot. The dungeons themselves are procedurally generated as you explore them, so both the layout and the contents are largely at the mercy of the dice.</p>
<p>
The available character types are lifted straight from classic D&D: warrior, cleric, rogue, wizard (with memorisation!), dwarf, elf (warrior-wizard hybrid), halfling, and barbarian. The characters themselves are mechanically simple (warriors can wield any weapon and wear any armour and add their level to attack rolls, and that's all), but you need to manage four of them, and the enemies, so it's actually not a bad thing. Solitaire games, in general, benefit more from being light on complexity simply because it all falls on one person at the table, whereas rules knowledge is naturally distributed in group play.</p>
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<p>
Once you determine the layout of the the next room or set of corridors, you roll for its contents. While for the layout you roll a d66, which gives you 36 possibilities, the content table needs 2d6, and the sub-tables are all 1d6 tables. The entries are of the very generic fantasy variety without any fluff, such as the following:</p>
<blockquote><b>d6 hobgoblins</b>. Level 4, Treasure +1. Reactions (d6): 1 flee if outnumbered, 2–3 bribe (10 gp per hobgoblin), 4–5 fight, 6 fight to the death.</blockquote>
<blockquote><b>Medusa</b>. Level 4, 4 life points, treasure +1. All characters at the beginning of the battle must save versus a level 4 gaze attack or be turned to stone. Petrified characters are out of the game until a Blessing spell is cast on them. Rogues add half their level to this save. Reactions (d6): 1 bribe (6d6 gp), 2 quest, 3–5 fight, 6 fight to the death.
</blockquote>
<p>
When you encounter something, you may either attack them and have the first strike or wait for their reaction (which is a d6 roll calibrated for each creature type, as seen above). Creatures have a level, which is their primary (and sometimes only) stat. When you attack, you roll 1d6 and add any modifiers the character has (usually from their class/level and items) and compare it to the creature's level. Equal or better scores hit. 1s always miss, and 6s explode. Your attack deals one wound if you score equal to or greater than the creature's level. If you score multiple times the target number, you deal multiple wounds (e.g. an attack score of 8 to 11 deals two wounds to hobgoblins). Each wound kills a vermin or minion (like hobgoblins), and each wound deals 1 life damage to bosses and weird monsters (like medusae).</p>
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<p>
Creatures attacking the characters don't make rolls. Instead, the characters need to make defence rolls. The procedure is virtually the same as for attacks: d6 + bonuses vs. level, but you need to roll greater than the creature's level (a detail that even the official QRS above gets wrong). 1s always fail, and 6s always succeed. If you're hit, you lose 1 life (or see the creature's description). In RPGs I don't quite like these super player-facing solutions, but for a solitaire game, it really doesn't matter whom you roll for.</p>
<p>
Sometimes there are abilities, traps, or other obstacles that call for a saving throw. In these cases, difficulty is noted as a level, which you must roll equal to or higher on d6 + modifiers (all noted in the description of the roll, if any).</p>
<p>
All in all, this is another thematic dice rolling game. The player has no control over the contents of the dungeon, and there is virtually no foreshadowing in the game. However, you still get to distribute hits among your party (although you have to try to do it as evenly as possible), and you may decide when to use spells and when to push your luck. When I restricted myself to material printed out and handwritten character sheets, playing the game also had a sort of soothing effect. It was almost meditative; the game presents just enough choices and structure to keep my attention on the process, which I quite liked.</p>
<p>
I'm only properly reviewing the core game here, but at the very least I must mention that the game line has a literal fuckton of expansions, and it doesn't seem like the well of inspiration has dried up. The <b>Twisted (something)</b> supplements add or alter <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/301423/Twisted-Minions?affiliate_id=64760">monsters</a>, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/380489/Twisted-Final-Fights?affiliate_id=64760">final bosses</a>, and <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/330824/Twisted-Dungeons?affiliate_id=64760">dungeon-specific rules</a> in the game. Various supplements detail adventuring in fairy-infested forests, craggy mountains, the underworld, and even stranger places. There are premade adventures with story and cohesion and specific rules. There are way more classes than anyone would need (everything from druids and wandering alchemists through green trolls and dark elves to satyrs and flamingo creatures). Various supplements detail outside-the-dungeon activities and adventures (guilds, factions, patrons, and missions), and the long-awaited supplement, <b>Treacheries of the Troublesome Towns</b>, is to be released shortly in two parts. There are even references to mechanics and concepts to be introduced in forthcoming supplements, in a way future-proofing what is currently available. And there are spinoff games as well, taking the engine and changing the game into <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/311774/Four-Against-Mars?affiliate_id=64760">atomic age Martians invading Earth</a>, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/261350/Four-Against-the-Titans?affiliate_id=64760">divine Greek heroes questing</a>, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/298516/Four-Against-Ragnarok?affiliate_id=64760">vikings fighting at Ragnarök</a>, and even <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/324016/Four-Against-the-Great-Old-Ones?affiliate_id=64760">investigators against the Mythos</a> — these should probably get their own dedicated reviews.</p>
<p>
I must also add that as the game line grew, first the silly and later the lewd elements of the game took over. Most of the publications, especially those by Erick N. Bouchard, feature weird sexual content. It's quite easy to ignore this aspect in the early supplements, like the highly recommended <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/259512/The-Crucible-of-Classic-Critters?affiliate_id=64760">The Crucible of Classic Critters</a> and <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/320870/More-Mountainous-Mayhem?affiliate_id=64760">More Mountainous Mayhem</a>, but it became more and more entrenched in the world-building and the mechanics with each new supplement.</p>
<p>
With these in mind, it's time to rate the game (the rating scheme is virtually the same as seen on <a href="https://www.littlewarstv.com/">Little Wars TV</a>, but for a quick summary, the five categories are weighted, contributing the noted percentage to the final score):</p>
<ul>
<li><b>Presentation</b> (10%) I don't care much for the cover, but the interior illustrations are nicely done black-and-white pieces, some definitely better than the others. The writing is casual and generally pretty clear. However, the organisation of the book is just horrible. A good number of specific and important rules are scattered throughout the 90-page rulebook. Of course, it doesn't have an index. It's especially disheartening because the publisher, Ganesha Games, is chiefly known for their miniature games, particularly <a href="https://www.wargamevault.com/product/58230/Song-of-Blades-and-Heroes?affiliate_id=64760">Song of Blades & Heroes</a> and <a href="https://www.wargamevault.com/product/231567/Sellswords-and-Spellslingers-Solo-and-Cooperative-fantasy-Miniature-Rules?affiliate_id=64760">Sellswords & Spellslingers</a>, so I expected a lot more rigour from their books. 3 out of 10.</li>
<li><b>Playability</b> (30%) Once you grok the system, it's super easy to run and extrapolate from to use custom content. However, getting there can be a little challenging, both because of the poorly edited book and the large number of supplements that evangelists of the game deem essential. Beside the cheap rulebook, you only need pen, paper, and dice. I give it 4 out of 10.</li>
<li><b>Mechanics</b> (30%) The rules, if you catch them all, are really simple and easy to adjust to your liking. Simple, true, but the exception-based design allows for great variety, something that is explored thoroughly in the supplements. I give it 7 out of 10.</li>
<li><b>Flavour</b> (20%) Standard fantasy stuff. EDO, if you will. The limited types of monsters and obstacles and loot just don't really grab my imagination, even though the supplements greatly expand upon these essentials. The core set alone, however? Only 4 out of 10.</li>
<li><b>Support</b> (10%) This is entirely what saves this game. The amount of supplementary material, both official and fanmade, is just staggering. Mountainous dungeons, forest dungeons, guilds, the underworld; new monsters, classes, items, spells; premade adventures; spinoffs that take the system to strange new places... Everything is there and even more is on the way. At this point, the game is a toolkit that you can customise to your heart's content. I must warn you, though, that some of the books contain pretty explicit material. If you don't want it in your game, you can easily exclude it, but if you don't even want to have it, it's better to ask around which supplement is NSFW, either on BGG or the official Facebook group. Anyway, I cannot imagine anything more that a small indie publisher could do for their product. Well, except a better core product... which is hopefully on its way, as a new edition is in the works! As a sign of trust, I'm not gonna ding them for it, so 10 out of 10.</li>
</ul>
<p>
That gives <b>Four Against Darkness</b> a weighted score of <b>54</b>, which is okay — it could be so much better with a well-organised rulebook... Either way, when I tried it last year, it didn't really grab me at first, and I moved on to <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/244214/D100-Dungeon-Book-1?affiliate_id=64760">D100 Dungeon</a> (review forthcoming). When I played this year, though, I approached it as a low-effort print-and-play project: I printed out the reference tables (some from the book, some from fanmade files on BGG), cut out character sheets, and put everything down on paper by hand. Using this setup, I have so far played four-and-a-half hours like this spread around eight sittings, and it's been great.</p>
<p>
<b>Four Against Darkness</b> is available on <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/180588/Four-Against-Darkness?affiliate_id=64760">DriveThruRPG</a>, <a href="https://www.pnparcade.com/products/four-against-darkness">PNP Arcade</a>, and the <a href="https://www.ganeshagames.net/product_info.php?cPath=1_55&products_id=295">publisher's website</a> in PDF and <a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/andrea-sfiligoi/four-against-darkness/paperback/product-16yy66e4.html?page=1&pageSize=4">Lulu</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Four-Against-Darkness-pen-paper/dp/1976371457/ref=nosim?tag=ynasmidgard-20">Amazon</a> in paperback format.</p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-39513912880251586562023-08-11T14:55:00.001+02:002023-08-11T14:57:55.779+02:00Review: The Drifter<p>
<i>Disclaimer: Note that some of the links below are affiliate links (meaning I get a small percentage of the sale without extra cost to you or the publisher).</i></p>
<p>
Last year I only played a handful of RPG sessions overall (about 10, according to my notes). However, in addition to picking up solo wargames and painting miniatures as a new hobby, I also played a fair amount of solitaire board games. Some of these were rules-light thematic games (mostly of the roll-and-write variety), while others were of the more involved, almost RPG-lite kind. I slowly intend to write about a few of these games, starting with <b><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/295206/The-Drifter?affiliate_id=64760">The Drifter</a></b>, an interesting paragraph-based hexcrawling game in the vein of <b><a href="https://dwarfstar.brainiac.com/ds_barbarianprince.html">Barbarian Prince</a></b>.</p>
<a name='more'></a>
<p>
<b>The Drifter</b>, designed and written by Ken Kennedy, is a procedural hexcrawling game set in a fictionalised Wild West. The player character is a gunslinger who's determined to acquire $300 in order to leave behind his outlaw life, buy a ranch, and settle down. The game was initially criticised for its layout, but a remastered digital version was designed by Melissa Muhlenkamp Vahalik, now fully credited in the official version (and also brought onboard from the get-go to design the layout for the next two titles in the Drifter series).</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzve1_L7f4u3tMgqBLStEDRfnEezk274ta58qt36oz3vGn6wZqsCRW12HrZMNurky_fwIm9CifgPwsBEJRRtukoYldoqQ0RXYDH3xSYv-iUnd8r0QJJbCyHzp6mj-WjRFCB324meB3XMVRWZSrxJbu-1RRTmLebqrzkkFORsHwXdiXXbf-kGGNHpqNA/s796/driftermap.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="513" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzve1_L7f4u3tMgqBLStEDRfnEezk274ta58qt36oz3vGn6wZqsCRW12HrZMNurky_fwIm9CifgPwsBEJRRtukoYldoqQ0RXYDH3xSYv-iUnd8r0QJJbCyHzp6mj-WjRFCB324meB3XMVRWZSrxJbu-1RRTmLebqrzkkFORsHwXdiXXbf-kGGNHpqNA/w206-h320/driftermap.png" width="206" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A simple but sufficient hexmap</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>
The first 10 or so pages (out of 200) describe character generation and the rules. The character is made up of a few stats: Finesse (used in physical skill checks and combat; reduced as Wounds are accumulated), Hunch (used in mental and social skill checks), Karma (spent for re-rolls), Bounty Suit (none → clubs → diamonds → hearts → spades; determines encounter difficulty), money ($), and weapons (effectiveness measured in card suits, similar to Bounty Suit). Hunch, starting funds, and starting Bounty Suit are determined randomly (although it's trivial to pick by hand to establish a suitable difficulty).</p>
<p>
The game is centred around a hex map with various terrain types, a railroad, and a few towns. Once a starting location is determined, gameplay follows a strict procedure:</p>
<ol>
<li>pick an action (move, heal, enter town, interact with point of interest, etc.)</li>
<li>resolve action</li>
<li>roll on the Event table (under the column matching your current Bounty Suit), although this might be skipped for certain actions</li>
</ol>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZaIN_N2inGskYOU1G6ovekRqNzgrJxp63430pasBlfL4vayFLJB6pGCaSeac_FMTDBdFDOZKlGabAiGnoRC_V12N6gw4PsE9yMFZo7sK4HkryFtd8T8KmUZaBb5QIlYLzdJgECWQOM-d3Yl2TId2ixv8rfxQn7kj9lSoL38gzFeTsrepKwwZYtokI0In/s568/spirited_horse.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="94" data-original-width="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZaIN_N2inGskYOU1G6ovekRqNzgrJxp63430pasBlfL4vayFLJB6pGCaSeac_FMTDBdFDOZKlGabAiGnoRC_V12N6gw4PsE9yMFZo7sK4HkryFtd8T8KmUZaBb5QIlYLzdJgECWQOM-d3Yl2TId2ixv8rfxQn7kj9lSoL38gzFeTsrepKwwZYtokI0In/s320/spirited_horse.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">One of the simpler entries in the book<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>
Sometimes, more than a single event will take place on a given turn, and a lot of the events are tied to specific terrain types (you can only encounter the Mexican army on a desert hex, for instance, or an albino crocodile on a marshland hex). The rules themselves are explained succintly over 10 pages (including town-specific rules, which lead to various random events themselves). The variety of encounters is mind-boggling. The index lists 245 numbered events — some of these are pretty simple, while others are fairly involved and varied.</p>
<p>
The rules, aside from how to resolve actions, cover skill tests and combat. When you are required to make a skill test, you roll 1d10 and add your Finesse or Hunch (depending on the event entry, sometimes with modifiers) and cross reference it with the difficulty on Table C — the entry tells you what happens based on the result. When you enter combat, initiative is determined on a Hunch skill test. Attacks are rolled on 1d10 + attacker's Finesse − opponent's Finesse and cross-referenced with the weapon's suit on Table B to determine the severity of the wound inflicted (if any). Wounds reduce one's Finesse (never below 0), and they are cumulative. You can use karma to re-roll any skill test or combat roll. It's very bare-bones (a little too much for my taste), but it's explained clearly, and examples are provided where necessary.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1Yw-lJsIwjzWp2sFn8pcoscyGtPuyBwwIkI3g3M5o8kO8d93zgE6GTpTXbHV1FH6G2-KFTmrsXpvlgfwr20KLjFZB9WeSDSEnmxFoty6Lp1Wtj5H2X3JuOlwy0k0R8WC-W7oZjyNgh2C6sDpzwmCndFC6nIA_QLNaagJdyjXErcDxMQCeTNl55z9C-Td/s527/combat.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="527" data-original-width="385" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1Yw-lJsIwjzWp2sFn8pcoscyGtPuyBwwIkI3g3M5o8kO8d93zgE6GTpTXbHV1FH6G2-KFTmrsXpvlgfwr20KLjFZB9WeSDSEnmxFoty6Lp1Wtj5H2X3JuOlwy0k0R8WC-W7oZjyNgh2C6sDpzwmCndFC6nIA_QLNaagJdyjXErcDxMQCeTNl55z9C-Td/s320/combat.png" width="234" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">You can find these right next to the event table on the reference sheet<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p>
<p>
I really have to talk about the index, because it's what made this an entirely seamless experience for me. I don't generally mind page flipping when it comes to gamebooks, but a handful of other randomness-heavy games rely on interconnected tables that ultimately send you across the book so many times that I just lose my patience. Well, not here. The page numbers on the bottom of every page are all hyperlinks to the index, which itself is just a giant table with links to all the rules and event entries in the book (an important step up from even the <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/74612/bp2-rulesevent-books">reworked Barbarian Prince</a>). You might still want to print out the map and the reference sheet, unless you completely want to turn it into a digital experience, but unless you're a purist, you'll probably enjoy the convenience of rolling physical dice, moving tokens, and noting down new locations on the map <i>without</i> the burden of constantly flipping between events in a 200-page book.</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEW-MIJle0IpbBVtij0VkBHiLwHGa2iGUdQuS5Jh15ngL1soqbqxNNYNm8gASqv2P2f_Xl5TR4kE4RgyR7TjvKkN9DZkMxnQhzCXRMESqkgSdhA_xrXs4wtKIDgp0Lko6BqT6HR1q9rYeOcBAw1TJdXIk2n6ETr_yx0O0sLWZS9P9f_TXvThm4z6Jd4Nf2/s735/night_in_the_marshland.png" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="559" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEW-MIJle0IpbBVtij0VkBHiLwHGa2iGUdQuS5Jh15ngL1soqbqxNNYNm8gASqv2P2f_Xl5TR4kE4RgyR7TjvKkN9DZkMxnQhzCXRMESqkgSdhA_xrXs4wtKIDgp0Lko6BqT6HR1q9rYeOcBAw1TJdXIk2n6ETr_yx0O0sLWZS9P9f_TXvThm4z6Jd4Nf2/s320/night_in_the_marshland.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A good chunk of the entries are this involved</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p>
The prose is rather minimal and to-the-point. The encounters are described only in the barest of detail, which helps with identifying all the relevant mechanical information, but it also takes away from the atmosphere. The encounters are very topical and certainly evocative of the Wild West, but because there are only a few choices in the game (chiefly, which terrain to explore and which points of interest, if any, to visit), the player is mostly just there for the ride. You can certainly construct a suitable narrative after the fact, but it's about as pointless as weaving a story out of a night of Catan. It's an entertaining game, mind you, but it's a dice game with a strong theme.</p>
<p>
The game plays fairly quickly once you get a good routine. I played about six times so far with an average play time of 50 minutes (that includes taking notes, navigating the book, updating the map, rolling dice, etc.) — I play solitaire games in general at a very leisurely pace, for what it's worth. I think I won two times. Since the game is very much luck-based, it's pretty swingy. My shortest session took only 15 minutes as I lucked out and almost immediately acquired a ranch. My longest session of 80 minutes, on the other hand, ended with my ignominious death about $200 short of my goal.</p>
<p>
With these in mind, it's time to rate the game (the rating scheme is virtually the same as seen on <a href="https://www.littlewarstv.com/">Little Wars TV</a>, but for a quick summary, the five categories are weighted, contributing the noted percentage to the final score):</p>
<ul>
<li><b>Presentation</b> (10%) Aside from the cover piece, there are no illustrations at all. The map is easy to read, but it's not especially pretty. I had no problem with the fonts used. It's the opposite of inspiring, but it's still better than being cluttered just because designers think the market wants eye candy. The index is phenomenal. I give it 7 out of 10.</li>
<li><b>Playability</b> (30%) The rules are clearly explained, and the reference sheet (although not optional) is easy to use during play. The game, at its minimum, requires you to open the map in Paint to draw icons on it, some pen and paper or a text editor for record keeping, some dice or a dice roller app, and the book itself — extremely low requirements. The game is also very cheap. With this many hyperlinks and that blessed index, I give it 9 out of 10.</li>
<li><b>Mechanics</b> (30%) As I said, the mechanics are explained well, and there aren't many anyway. The rules do their job, but because of the game's low complexity and high randomness, there are very few decision points. It's a dice game, in essence, which you may or may not like. I personally would've liked to see a little more mechanical differentiation (even though I applaud not leaning into the wilderness survival aspect of hexcrawling). Of course there are card suits in a western game, no matter how tiresome that trope is... I give it 4 out of 10.</li>
<li><b>Flavour</b> (20%) The lack of illustrations and the bare prose take away a lot of potential flavour, though the sheer variety of encounters (stage coach, lawmen, bandits, medicine man, various animals, travelling circus, campfire, bank robbery, train station, hanging, poker, prospecting, bar fight, preacher, and more) is staggering. I don't want to be too harsh on a true indie game like this, so I'm giving it a 6 out of 10.</li>
<li><b>Support</b> (10%) There isn't much buzz about the game, and the author isn't doing much to change that. He seems responsive on BGG at least. I give it 5 out of 10, although, honestly, the game doesn't actually need any support as it's entirely self-contained.</li>
</ul>
<p>
That gives <b>The Drifter</b> a weighted score of <b>63</b>, which is pretty good. I would recommend it if you enjoy light western games, thematic dice rolling games, or Barbarian Prince. The author, Ken, was fairly surprised when he realised that despite all the positive coverage Barbarian Prince received in the past years in the solitaire board game community (huh!), there wasn't really anything like it (except for its sister game, <a href="https://dwarfstar.brainiac.com/ds_starsmuggler.html">Star Smuggler</a>), so he made one (well, two by now). I think that's a commendable attitude.</p>
<p>
<b>The Drifter</b> is available on <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/295206/The-Drifter?affiliate_id=64760">OBS</a> both in PDF and POD. It is also sold in a <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/433677/Drifter-BUNDLE?affiliate_id=64760">digital bundle</a> along with its recent sister game, <b>Star Drifter</b> (review forthcoming).</p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-15521760265125775872023-03-10T01:58:00.001+01:002023-03-10T01:58:56.508+01:00Benighted Betrothal on Kickstarter<p>
I swear I'm not doing any more KS news for a while (although I do decided to be more conscious about promoting projects I'm involved in). However, this one's really close to my heart.</p>
<p>
Not long after I started blogging in 2013, I started a new campaign — one that turned out to be one of my most significant campaigns. It was great fun, and it led to long-lasting friendships around and away from the gaming table. To this day, that particular campaign is one my favourites, so it was only natural for me to try and write up the quintessential parts and massage them into a coherent module for others to enjoy and pull apart for their own use. The manuscript was largely finished in 2017, I believe, and it already went through some editing in 2018, but every turn it was delayed more and more. I can hardly believe it's this close to release...</p>
<p>
In short, <b><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/melsonia/benighted-betrothal/">Benighted Betrothal</a></b> is a viking soap opera. It has romance, tragedy, and (in most likelihood) lots of violence. It's statted for B/X D&D as a sort of lingua franca, but it could easily be used with <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/347827/OpenQuest-3rd-Edition?affiliate_id=64760">OpenQuest</a> or <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/243681/Vikingr?affiliate_id=64760">Vikingr</a> (personally, I really want to try it with <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/284501/The-Fantasy-Trip-In-the-Labyrinth?affiliate_id=64760">The Fantasy Trip</a> once).</p>
<p>
Enough rambling, though. Check out the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/melsonia/benighted-betrothal/">Kickstarter</a> if you're intrigued.</p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-48912556844116957982023-02-26T19:32:00.000+01:002023-02-26T19:32:53.574+01:00I'm Back and Kickstarter: Sinless<p>
<i>Disclaimer: Note that some of the links below are affiliate links (meaning I get a small percentage of the sale without extra cost to you or the publisher).</i></p>
<p>
Wow, it's been a hot minute since I last posted here. I didn't run or play that many RPGs last year, to be honest. I played a lot of boardgames (simple stuff with my family, like <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/13/catan">Catan</a>, <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/178900/codenames">Codenames</a>, and <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/181304/mysterium">Mysterium</a>, and a few interesting solo games, like <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/350736/voyages">Voyages</a>, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/244214/D100-Dungeon-Book-1?affiliate_id=64760">D100 Dungeon</a>, and <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/295206/The-Drifter?affiliate_id=64760">The Drifter</a>) and a handful of miniature games (<a href="https://www.wargamevault.com/product/358938/Five-Parsecs-From-Home--Solo-Adventure-Wargaming?affiliate_id=64760">Five Parsecs from Home</a>, a little bit of <a href="https://www.wargamevault.com/product/400610/Lion-Rampant-Second-Edition?affiliate_id=64760">Lion Rampant</a>, and even a fairly long session of <a href="https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/332075/warhammer-quest-cursed-city">Cursed City</a>).</p>
<p>
RPG-wise we moved our <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/245820/Masks-of-Nyarlathotep--7th-Edition?affiliate_id=64760">Masks of Nyarlathotep</a> campaign to Discord voice chat. Before this, we only played about twice a year when all eight of us could get together for some marathon sessions. With this move we <i>might</i> be able to finish the campaign before Christmas! We also started another <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/1716/Werewolf-The-Forsaken?affiliate_id=64760">Werewolf: the Forsaken</a> campaign with a new player joining our group, so that's been fun (even though I'm not as happy with the "new" World of Darkness (now Chronicles of Darkness 1st edition) system as I used to be). We also made characters for <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/248284/Warhammer-Fantasy-Roleplay-Fourth-Edition-Rulebook?affiliate_id=64760">Warhammer Fantasy 4th edition</a>, but with all the other things going on, we have yet to begin the campaign.</p>
<p>
I kept one eye on <del>all</del> some things OSR, but truth be told, I have mostly been interested in tactical combat games (whether gamey or simulationist), historical games, and military games. I've mostly scratched that itch through collecting and painting miniatures and playing solo wargames, but I'm sure it'll bleed into my next few RPG campaigns as well.</p>
<p>
Which neatly brings me to the other thing I wanted to say a few words about. Courtney Campbell (of <a href="https://hackslashmaster.blogspot.com/">Hack & Slash</a> fame) is Kickstarting his new game, a heavily Shadowrun-inspired fantasy-cyberpunk game called <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/agonarchartist/sinless/">Sinless</a>. It's crunchy and tactical and has all sorts of guns and weapon upgrades and GM advice and procedures... I was contemplating running <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/1893/Shadowrun-Third-Edition">Shadowrun 3rd edition</a> a few months ago (after reminiscing about old times with my brother), so this is weirdly providential to me. I need to confess that I have a working relationship with Courtney — on this project, too — but the game's already funded, my rate is a set number regardless of the project's performance, and you can check out an early version if you pledge at least a buck (which you can then cancel if you really don't like what you see).</p>
<p>
I'll be back shortly with further good news, and hopefully some new reviews and whatnot.</p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-7412299741990362052022-06-03T18:06:00.000+02:002022-06-03T18:06:51.358+02:00Review: Maelstrom<p>
<i>Disclaimer: Note that some of the links below are affiliate links (meaning I get a small percentage of the sale without extra cost to you or the publisher).</i></p>
<p>
<b>Maelstrom</b> is a British old-school game written by Alexander Scott and published in 1984. The subject of this review is based on the current edition published by Arion Games.</p>
<a name='more'></a>
<strong>System Summary</strong>
<ul>
<li style="color:blue;">A lot of the more fiddly or detailed mechanics are presented in the Advanced Rules chapter. To differentiate these from the "normal" rules, I will use blue text.</li>
<li>There are 9 percentile attributes (the average score is about 35-40). The attributes are Attack Skill, Defence Skill, Knowledge, Will, Endurance, Persuasion, Perception, Speed, and Agility. Characters begin with 30 in each, then 50 further points are allocated in total.</li>
<li style="color:blue;">There is a separate Arrowskill introduced in the advanced Rules to handle missile attacks.</li>
<li>The maximum value for attributes is 95 minus age over 30.</li>
<li style="color:blue;">The maximum value for Will is 90 minus 1 per 5 years over 20. For Knowledge, it's 40 plus age over 20 (up to 95).</li>
<li>The core resolution system uses saving throws (d100 roll equal or under an attribute). Rolls of 01-05 critically succeed, while those of 96-00 critically fail.</li>
<li style="color:blue;">If a die roll comes up maximum, instead of using the max result, you re-roll two dice of the same size (e.g. if you get 3 and 6 on 2d6, you re-roll the 6 twice, say, 4 and 5, and then you get 3+4+5=12). This rule is recursive but isn't applied to d100 rolls.</li>
<li>Temporary reduction in attributes is commonly featured in the game; lost points return at a rate of 1 per 10 minutes.</li>
<li>Background and profession are combined into Livings, of which several are detailed in the book: Noble, Professional (clerk, doctor, architect, scrivener), Craftsman/Artisan (armourer, blacksmith, bladesmith, engraver, mason, painter, tailor, tanner, wood-carver), Trader (butcher, fishmonger, fruiterer, grocer, mercer, vintner), Labourer, Mercenary, Rogue (beggar, thief, assassin, trickster, burglar), Priest/Nun, Travelling Player (musician, minstrel, actor), Mage, and Herbalist.</li>
<li>Livings determine how old the character begins (chance is involved, but in general Mages and Priests are older than Rogues or Nobles), what equipment and how much money they start with, and what kind of skills they have learnt.</li>
<li style="color:blue;">The Advanced Rules detail the possibilities of having two (or more) Livings, the restrictions and benefits thereof. There are also more detailed rules for some of the Livings.</li>
<li style="color:blue;">Livings also have an impact on attributes: each Living increases one or more attributes by 1d6 each (subject to the dice convention explained above) and decreases a like number of attributes by 1d6 each in turn. For example, armourers increase their Endurance and decrease their Knowledge, whereas thieves increase their Agility and Speed but decrease their Knowledge and Attack Skill.</li>
<li style="color:blue;">Items are given an Encumbrance rating, the total of which is simply called he character's Encumbrance. When making a physical saving throw and the roll is below this value, the character temporarily loses 1d6 points of Endurance due to tiredness. Furthermore, when a tired character succeeds at a physical saving throw, they must make another roll against their Endurance — if it fails, they actually fail their original roll as they are exhausted. This also affects attack rolls in combat. If Encumbrance exceeds Endurance, the character loses a number of Endurance poitns equal to the difference every ten minutes while carrying all that weight.</li>
<li>There is no set spell list. Instead, the GM decides on a grade of difficulty (from 1 to 5) based on the spell's effects (1 for simple magic tricks, 2 for unlikely minor accidents, 3 for highly unlikely accidents, 4 for wildly improbable things, and 5 for things that would normally be impossible).</li>
<li>To cast a spell, the mage must roll Knowledge (minus 10 per grade) to remember the incantation. Then they need [grade] number of successful Will rolls to cast it. Lastly, their Will is drained by 1d10 points per grade of the spell.</li>
<li>If the initial Knowledge roll fails, the spell cannot be cast at all. However, if the Will rolls required to cast the spell fail, the mage loses 1d6 points of Will per failed roll.</li>
<li>Critical successes and failures on the Will rolls to cast affect the outcome, too, but these effects are up to the GM.</li>
<li>Combat is handled in 5-second long rounds. Participants act in descending Speed order.</li>
<li>Attacking requires a successful Attack Skill roll, after which the target may roll Defence Skill - if it fails, the attack connects and deals damage (called <i>wounds</i>). Incoming damage may be reduced due to armour.</li>
<li style="color:blue;">When fighting multiple opponents, Defence Skill is reduced by 10 for each enemy beyond the first (but the modifiers apply against all).</li>
<li style="color:blue;">Blunt weapons deal damage to Endurance and only cause wounds above damage 10 (e.g. a damage roll of 13 with a mace reduces the opponent's Endurance by 10 and deals a 3-point wound).</li>
<li style="color:blue;">For each hit received in combat, make an Endurance saving throw. On a failure, skip your next attack. Also, reduce Endurance by half the amount of damage ablated by armour (the rationale is that it's tiring).</li>
<li style="color:blue;">Bleeding is handled twofold in the Advanced Rules. First, any physical action (except defending oneself) results in the loss of one-tenth of total wounds from Endurance. Furthermore, all wounds above 10 points are increased by 1 point. Bandaging the wounds avoids these complications (but physically strenuous activities may re-open them).</li>
<li>A critical success on Attack Skill results in an automatic hit (i.e. no Defence Skill roll), while on a critical failure the attacker drops their weapon (and it takes their next turn to recover it). A critical success on Defence Skill would mean that the defender knocks the weapon out of the attacker's hand, whereas on a critical failure the converse happens.</li>
<li style="color:blue;">Critical results in the Advanced Rules are handled differently, involving d100 tables for fumbles ("bodges") and separate edged and blunt critical hits.</li>
<li>Wounds are recorded separately, but if their total exceeds the character's Endurance, they fall unconscious. If the total exceeds 100, the character dies.</li>
<li>Attacks against unconscious characters always hit (except on a critical failure) and they obviously cannot use their Defence Skill. A regular failure results in normal damage, whereas a success deals normal damage and may instakill the character (they have [total wounds] % of dying).</li>
<li>Retreating characters cannot use their Defence Skill to block incoming attacks, but the enemy still only gets a single attack (and it takes up their turn as it normaly would).</li>
<li>Wounds heal separately at a rate of 1 point per week of bedrest or 1 point per month of regular activity.</li>
<li>Weapons are given in broad categories (e.g. sword, pole-arm, club), but multiple damage values (and prices) are given within each category (e.g. a club may deal either 1d10, 2d6, or 3d6 damage). Armours are similarly given varying prices and protective values.</li>
<li style="color:blue;">The Advanced Rules assign various modifiers to Attack Skill and Defence Skill depending on the weapon.</li>
<li style="color:blue;">Weapons with an edge have a Sharpness rating that begins at 5. It decreases by 1 after each combat. At Sharpness 5, the weapon deals +1 damage. At negative values, the weapon's damage is modified by Sharpness. Anyone can sharpen a weapon up to Sharpness 0 on a whetstone, but professionals are required to make it Sharpness 5 again.</li>
<li>Advancement is handled by <i>experience rolls</i>: if a d100 roll is over the attribute value, it increases by 1 point. When a character becomes eligible for these rolls is mostly up to the GM, but a handful of cases are outlined: for taking part in a fight, per person killed, every time a wound of 6 or higher is taken, for every spell successfully cast.</li>
<li style="color:blue;">On a critical success on an experience roll, improve the rolled attribute by 1 point, then roll again. Conversely, on a critical failure, reduce the attribute by 1 point.</li>
<li style="color:blue;">For each week of training gain two experience rolls with the trained attribute, but also reduce another attribute by 1 point.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Things I Liked</strong>
<ul>
<li>I have grown to really appreciate percentile systems for their transparency.</li>
<li>Nobles, by default, start with a loyal retainer (either a PC or an NPC).</li>
<li>There are plenty of examples illustrating how the rules work (and even a 4-page example of play). However, the examples are usually hard to identify by just looking at the page as they are embedded in the paragraphs.</li>
<li>A little wall-of-texty by today's standards, but the advice on how to approach playing your character or GMing a game of <b>Maelstrom</b> is generally good.</li>
<li>Each Living is given a fairly detailed treatise in the GM chapter, discussing not only mechanical bits but also their place in the setting and their strengths and weaknesses as player characters.</li>
<li>An appendix detailing 61 herbs includes all relevant mechanics <i>and</i> an illustration for each herb.</li>
<li>There's a sample solo adventure (sructured like a gamebook) after the players' section. I haven't played it through, only because my first attempt ended after two entries: First "<i>Are you an assassin? If you are not, go directly to paragraph <b>44</b> without reading on. If you are, you may continue reading.</i>" Then "<i>You reach home safely, without incident. This adventure is meant
for an assassin, and no other type of character may partake of its mysteries. Generate an assassin and try again.</i>" Hilarious (almost spilt my coffee) but also a little frustrating.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Things I Disliked</strong>
<ul>
<li>A handful of minor typos and inconsistencies (such as the text saying wound totals exceeding Endurance result in unconsciousness, while the example saying "greater or equal").</li>
<li>I am not terribly fond of the visual design of many modern games (I don't necessarily not like them, but I am fine with text-heavy older games as long as the sections are easy to identify), but here the paragraphs often flow into each other, and the examples (of which fortunately are plenty) are indistinguishable from the explanatory text by a glance. I know it's an old game, but the text could've been tidied up just a little. Fortunately, the latest variants of the Maelstrom system (to be reviewed later) have fixed these issues.</li>
<li>The example saving throw combines Endurance and Speed (first rolling for Endurance to move a log, and then Speed to see if it was done fast enough), which makes sense at face value - but combined tests greatly decrease the probability of success (even Endurance 40 and Speed 40 only results in a 16% success rate at combined tests). It's not a dealbreaker, but GMs need to be wary of overusing this mechanic.</li>
<li>Casting spells uses a fairly large number of rolls, rendering magic a very unreliable solution to most things. On the one hand, I like the atmosphere it creates in the setting; on the other hand, I know many players who aren't willing to take gambles more favourable than this to begin with.</li>
<li>I didn't expect a detailed guide on 16th century England, but the three pages dedicated to the setting only touch on the basics (granted, all the details mentioned are important for adventurers, and there's a bibliography at the end of the book for those seeking further information).</li>
<li>The encumbrance rules look too punishing to me, especially given the rather high encumbrance rating of many items compared to the average Endurance score. It's arguably realistic, which I appreciate, and I'm not sure if it actually is as severe in extended play as it reads (granted, it greatly depends on how often the GM calls for a roll).</li>
</ul>
<p>
Overall, I don't think I would run Maelstrom as is, but it's valuable both as a historical artefact and as a framework to build simple d100 systems comparable to but also distinct from <b>Worlds of Wonder</b> (1982, Chaosium) or <b>WFRP 1st edition</b> (1986, Games Workshop). The presentation didn't age well (I personally prefer a textbook style writing where rules, examples, and fluff are clearly separated), but the rules themselves are all right if a little punishing (and it might actually appeal to those <i>really</i> into low-level D&D).</p>
<p>
The currently available version — a facsimile edition of the original — is published by <b>Arion Games</b> (<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/186396/AFF-Advanced-Fighting-Fantasy-2nd-Ed?affiliate_id=64760">Advanced Fighting Fantasy 2E</a>, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/148520/Sorcerers-of-UrTuruk?affiliate_id=64760">Sorcerers of Ur-Turuk</a>, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/243681/Vikingr?affiliate_id=64760">Vikingr</a>, among others), and available through <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/54233/Maelstrom?affiliate_id=64760">DriveThrurpg</a> in both PDF and softcover; it's also on their <a href="https://store.arion-games.com/Maelstrom/p2182564_9849073.aspx">website</a>.</p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-85170956584445274172022-05-09T17:33:00.002+02:002022-05-09T17:33:19.343+02:00Kazamaták és Kompániák - Spells for MUs and Elves<p>As promised way back, here are the spells in KéK available for Magic-Users and Elves (albeit in an abbreviated form).<br />
<br>
<a name='more'></a>
1st level Elf and MU spells<br />
<ol><li><b>Burning Hands</b>: caster's hands burn in a 120-degree arc up to 5 ft away, deals 2 hp/level damage, no save</li>
<li><b>Charm Person</b>: 30 ft, permanent, save vs spells or target humanoid falls under control of the caster, upon first request that is suicidal or goes completely against target's principles another save is permitted (but only once)</li>
<li><b>Detect Magic</b>: 60 ft, 2 turns, reveals whether a person, object, or location is enchanted/cursed (but not its nature)</li>
<li><b>Hold Portal</b>: 10 ft, 2d6 turns, keeps doors, gates, and other portals closed, <i>Dispel Magic</i> and <i>Knock</i> opens it instantly</li>
<li><b>Floating Disc</b>: 60 ft, 6 turns, summons invisible magical shield-sized platform that can carry up to 5000 coin-weight, follows the caster at their own speed (as soon as they move beyond 5 ft of it)</li>
<li><b>Identify</b>: 1 turn, reveals properties of magical items, but they must be worn or wielded (and thus potentially enacting curses)</li>
<li><b>Light</b>: 120 ft, 6+level turns, conjures light in a 30 ft radius, can be cast on an object or creature (save vs spells or blinded for duration)</li>
<li><b>Magic Missile</b>: 150 ft, shoots a magical dart for each odd level of the caster, always hits the target, deals 1d6+1 damage, each dart may have its own target</li>
<li><b>Protection from Evil</b>: 6 turns, keeps magical creatures at bay, provides +1 save against "evil" creatures and -1 on their attacks against the caster ("evil" means everyone with a different alignment)</li>
<li><b>Read Languages</b>: 2 turns, allows the caster to understand any text, symbol, coded message, etc. texts read this way can be freely read by the caster again in the future </li>
<li><b>Read Magic</b>: 1 turn, allows caster to read magical scriptures, scrolls, grimoires, etc. texts read this way can be freely read by the caster again in the future</li>
<li><b>Repair</b>: 30 ft, restores object to original state (worn clothes to new, dull blade to sharp, broken chain to whole, etc.), doesn't affect magical items</li>
<li><b>Shield</b>: 6 turns, summons an invisible shield between caster and opponents, provides AC 2 against ranged and AC 4 against melee attacks (neither armour nor Dexterity apply), blocks <i>Magic Missile</i> as well</li>
<li><b>Sleep</b>: 240 ft, 4d4 turns, 2d8 HD opponents (none having more than 4+1 HD) falls asleep, from lowest to highest, no save, must affect all rolled HD, but never the caster</li>
<li><b>Unseen Servant</b>: 30 ft, 6+level turns, summons invisible servant that can open doors, lift objects (up to 200 coin-weight), pull levers, etc. must stay within 30 ft of caster, can wield weapon (as a commoner) but a single hit dispels it</li>
<li><b>Ventriloquism</b>: 60 ft, 2 turns, caster's voice emanates from target place within range (adjacent room, statue, animal, etc.)</li>
</ol>
2nd level Elf and MU spells<br />
<ol><li><b>Arcane Lock</b>: 10 ft, permanent, keeps doors, gates, and other portals locked, <i>Knock</i> counters it but only temporarily</li>
<li><b>Continual Light</b>: 120 ft, permanent, conjures light in a 60 ft radius, can be cast on an object or creature (save vs spells or blinded while the spell lasts)</li>
<li><b>Detect Evil</b>: 60 ft, 2 turns, sense evil intentions and items (note that poison itself is neither good nor evil)</li>
<li><b>Extrasensory Perception</b>: 60 ft, 12 turns, hear the thoughts of nearby creatures (penetrates up to 2 ft of stone, but lead blocks it)</li>
<li><b>Fool's Gold</b>: 10 ft, 3d6+level turns, bronze, brass, and copper items and coins seemingly turn to gold (1000 coin-weight per level), save vs spells to see through the sham</li>
<li><b>Invisibility</b>: 240 ft, caster or target creature or target object turns invisible (a light source can be turned invisible, but the light it emits remains visible), lasts until dispelled or the target attacks</li>
<li><b>Knock</b>: 60 ft, permanent, open locked doors, gates, chests, and discovered secret doors, counters <i>Hold Portal</i>, disables <i>Arcane Lock</i> (but only for 1d6 turns)</li>
<li><b>Levitate</b>: self, level+6 turns, allows floating but only vertically at 20 ft per round</li>
<li><b>Locate Object</b>: level × 10 + 60 ft, 2 turns, if sought object is within range direction is provided (but not distance), specific objects can only be found if their nature is known (i.e. if the caster can visualise it)</li>
<li><b>Magic Mouth</b>: 30 ft, target object stores a short message (up to 25 words) whose delivery can be programmed (e.g. when approached within 10 ft or when a Lawful creature enters the room, etc.), message is told through a mouth appearing on the surface (or its own mouth in case of statues and portraits)</li>
<li><b>Mirror Image</b>: 6 turns, creates 1d4 mirror images of the caster, no extra attakc or spells are gained this way, image dissipates upon one hit</li>
<li><b>Phantasmal Force</b>: 240 ft, creates vivid visual illusions as long as the caster concentrates, unless disbelieved it deals real damage, touching in disbelief dispels it</li>
<li><b>See Invisibility</b>: 10 ft per level, 6 turns, reveals invisible items and creatures</li>
<li><b>Stinking Cloud</b>: 30 ft, 1+level rounds, everyone within the cube (20 ft edges, placed anywhere within a range) feel ill and start vomiting (no actions, half movement rate), effects persist for 1 round after leaving the area</li>
<li><b>Pyrotechnics</b>: 240 ft, 6 turns, source of fire (such as a torch, fireplace, or bonfire) either produces flashing colourful lights that blind everyone within 120 ft or an inordinate amount of smoke (at least 20 ft × 20 ft × 20 ft), source goes out at the end of duration</li>
<li><b>Web</b>: 10 ft, 48 turns, creates a 10 ft × 10 ft × 10 ft spider web that is especially sticky, burns through in 2 rounds (but deals 1d6 damage per round to everyone within), escape takes time: 2 rounds for giants and such, 4 rounds with <i>Gautnlets of Ogre Power</i>, and 2d4 turns for average people</li>
</ol>
3rd level Elf and MU spells<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Breathe Water</b>: 30 ft, 1 day, grants ability to breathe under water</li>
<li><b>Dispel Magic</b>: 120 ft, dispel spells or magical effects (does not affect magic items!)</li>
<li><b>Enhanced Hearing</b>: 12 turns, caster is able to hear everything within 60 ft (penetrates stone up to 2 ft, but any lead stops it)</li>
<li><b>Explosive Runes</b>: caster places magical runes on surface (scroll, book, wall, map, etc.) which explode when read (6d4+6 damage in 10-ft radius, save vs spells for half, except reader)</li>
<li><b>Fireball</b>: 240 ft, shoot fireball that explodes in 20-ft radius for caster's level d6 (save vs spells for half damage)</li>
<li><b>Fly</b>: caster or target touched gains ability to fly (120 ft per round or 360 ft per turn) for 1d6 + caster's level turns</li>
<li><b>Haste</b>: 240 ft, 3 turns, max 24 creatures in a 30-ft radius improve their movement rate as if one category less encumbered and attack twice (both with melee and ranged weapons)</li>
<li><b>Hold Person</b>: 120 ft, paralyse up to 4 people for caster's level + 6 turns (save vs spells), -2 to save if only a single target, affects all humanoids up to and including ogre size (but not the undead)</li>
<li><b>Infravision</b>: self, 1 day, see in complete darkness up to 60 ft away</li>
<li><b>Invisibility, 10-ft radius</b>: 120 ft, renders target and everyone within 10 ft of them invisible until dispelled or one of them attacks</li>
<li><b>Know Languages</b>: self, 1 turn, grants ability to understand and produce all languages whether spoken or written</li>
<li><b>Lightning Bolt</b>: 180 ft, shoots stroke of lightning 60-ft long and 7.5-ft wide, bouncing off hard surfaces until maximum distance is reached, deals caster's level d6 (save vs spells for half damage) each time it passes through a target</li>
<li><b>Protection from Evil, 10-ft radius</b>: same as <b>Protection from Evil</b> but it affects everyone within 10 ft of the caster and lasts for 12 turns</li>
<li><b>Summon Monster</b>: 10 ft, 1 turn, summons 2d4 creatures of 1 HD that obey the caster and fight until defeated</li>
<li><b>Protection from Missiles</b>: 30 ft, target is immune to normal and magical missiles of all kind for 12 turns</li>
<li><b>Through Their Eyes</b>: caster can see through another creature's eyes within 60 ft, can change target creature once every turn, lasts for 12 turns, target may be behind up to 2 ft of stone, but no lead</li>
</ol>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-29829403233631508612022-04-19T15:22:00.002+02:002022-04-19T15:22:35.797+02:00Project Edgerunner: First Glance<p>
An old friend of mine and I have been slowly working on a cyberpunk game engine (tentatively called Edgerunner) following our initial disappointment with <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/333585/Cyberpunk-RED?affiliate_id=64760">Cyberpunk Red</a> (which, in our estimation, oversimplified rather than improved an otherwise good combat system). It began as a house rules document, fixing CPRED in ways aligning with our preferences and priorities, but as we thought more and more about the various subsystems, it became clear that a complete overhaul would be necessary.</p>
<p>
The goal of the system is straightforward: a fairly realistic, simulation-first approach to combat and technology; traditional GM and player responsibilities; no fate points or bennies; reasonably realistic outcomes (whether in or out of combat); a fairly accurate representation of character capabilities (i.e. a separation of raw talent, knowledge, and practical expertise). Ideally, the system should be able to handle most modern eras of history and speculative sci-fi. As for the default setting, we have a couple of assumptions that are a mixture of genre conventions (corporations overshadowing the state, the economical divide between the rich/corpos and the poor/punks) and our own estimations regarding a possible future.</p>
<p>
Here are some of the features of the system as it stands now:</p>
<ul>
<li>2d10 + modifiers vs. Target Number as general resolution mechanic for that sweet bell curve</li>
<li>2-second combat rounds; this makes combat rounds long enough for several things to occur but also short enough to allow quick reactions</li>
<li>stance is something that must be tracked (standing, crouching, and prone) with appropriate modifiers to movement, attacks, and defence</li>
<li>after much deliberation, we opted not to use hit location tables (as the chances of hitting a particular body part are subject to many factors, and we didn't want to go the silhouette route like <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/336/Kenzer--Company/subcategory/557_3879/Aces--Eights?affiliate_id=64760">Aces & Eights</a>)
<li>melee combat is almost entirely maneouvre-based and handled by opposed rolls</li>
<li>grabbing is handled like all other maneouvres, and it makes it harder for the grabbed target to do anything other than melee maneouvres specifically against the grabber</li>
<li>rules for choking, shoving, tackling, disarming, and dragging</li>
<li>ranged attacks are against a distance-based TN usually modified by cover (none, partial, or full), stance, and running</li>
<li>a single attack roll and the recursive application of the weapon's recoil stat determines the number of bullets hitting in case of autofire</li>
<li>actions can be prepared to a specific trigger (<i>"I'm gonna shoot the first bloke who exits through that door over there"</i> or <i>"I'll start running as soon as I hear Jim drawing the corpos' fire")</i>; a prepared action can be changed only in case of being attacked</li>
<li>damage die type is weapon-based; two dice are rolled on a normal success (+1 die per each 5 above TN)</li>
<li>armour reduces damage by its current Defense; the amount of damage <i>absorbed</i> reduces current Defense (subject to the armour's Durability)</li>
<li>hit points are a factor of Physique (a primary stat); taking 5+ or 10+ damage from one source cause bleeding or heavy bleeding</li>
</ul>
<p>
It's a pretty lethal system that encourages smart tactics and teamwork. It's pretty crunchy, which means it starts fairly slow but picks up nicely as the players get accustomed to the rules. Our latest internal playtest scenario involved 3 player characters versus 13 gang members in and around an abandoned warehouse (on a 48 by 48 grid) — in 4 hours and 45 minutes of riveting firefighting, two player characters fell (and were promptly replaced by backup characters) in a blaze of glory (or foolishness, depending on whom you're talking to), three gang members escaped, and the boss was apprehended for further questioning — the rest were killed viciously. All in all, a night of fun cyberpunk skirmishing.</p>
<p>
We have only begun working on a skill system proper (after much, much headache and discussion) and the cyberware subsystem, and there's even more to do. Expect sporadic updates on the process with more details on both the system and the default setting.</p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-78156396192154281442021-12-22T22:12:00.001+01:002021-12-22T22:12:46.809+01:00Review: Ballad of the Longbow<p>
<i>For future reference: the following review is based on the 1.01 version of the book.</i></p>
<p>
I first became aware of Ivan Sorensen and his imprint Nordic Weasel Games through MeWe, where his posts I found quite entertaining and inspiring. I think I first checked out <a href="https://www.wargamevault.com/product/280863/Five-Leagues-from-the-Borderlands-2E?affiliate_id=64760">Five Leagues from the Borderlands</a> (whose glorious third edition will soon be released through Modiphius, much like its sci-fi counterpart, <a href="https://www.wargamevault.com/product/358938/Five-Parsecs-From-Home--Solo-Adventure-Wargaming?affiliate_id=64760">Five Parsecs from Home</a>). Upon joining his Discord server, I quickly learnt that a rules-light RPG was in the works. This review is about that game.</p>
<p>
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/341094/Ballad-of-the-Longbow?affiliate_id=64760">Ballad of the Longbow</a> is a medieval fantasy role-playing game inspired by Robin Hood, Wilhelm Tell, Arthurian mythology, and various adventure novels. It's a game about outlaws and heroes fighting a central villain (the main cause of injustice around); it's fairly down-to-earth but never really grim or gritty.</p>
<p>
The game first provides a basic outline of its assumptions: d20 roll under or equal skill, explicitly no fail forward or fail with consequence mechanic (as a very traditional GM, I heartily approve of this choice), medieval setting (although it's fairly easy to adapt the system for other adventurous settings), and no magic system of any kind.</p>
<p>
Player characters each belong to a character type (Knight, Outlaw, Noble, Yeoman, Clergy, Veteran, Retainer, Scholar, Forester, Entertainer, or Beggar), and each type provides a list of starting equipment and a choice between three Abilities (although more may be gained during play).</p>
<p>
Abilities can be used once per session each. They usually work without rolling (although a few of them turn specific failed rolls into successes). Examples include the Knight's Challenge (issue a challenge to another knight or noble; backing down is certain humiliation), the Yeoman's Common fighting (turn a failed attack/defence roll into a success with a quarterstaff), or the Clergy's Long-winded speech (hold up a person for 15 minutes by expounding theological doctrine).</p>
<p>
Skills are rated from 2 to 18. There are fifteen of them in total (ranging from Agility and Deception to Religion and Stealth). Their starting values are determined by arranging 15 given scores in any order (keeping in mind character type and background).</p>
<p>
Aside from success/failure, the game recognises Finesse and Perfection (rolling a success with a 10+ or 15+ die roll, respectively). Fumbles are explicitly missing.</p>
<p>
Applying modifiers, helping each other, and opposed rolls are described succintly. A really neat idea is the handling of "weak link tests" where everyone has to succeed in order to avoid failure (like group sneak attempts) — in these cases the GM randomly determines which character has to make the test (with regular modifiers if applicable). I like it because it invisibly factors in each and every participant's score without having to compute an average skill value (whereas using only a "best" or "worst" value would disregard every other participant).</p>
<p>
A few activities are specifically called out and described in detail (on account of being likely events in a game): picking locks, social interactions, doing physical things, building things, knowing things, searches, and languages.</p>
<p>
Nordic Weasel Games is a miniatures wargame publisher first and foremost, so it's no surprise that the combat system is very miniature friendly.</p>
<p>
A combat round represents 5-10 seconds of activity. A round consists of five phases: (1) Quick Action Phase, (2) Enemy Action Phase, (3) Slow Action Phase, (4) Ally Action Phase, and (5) Morale Test Phase.</p>
<p>
Player characters must make a skill check (Agility if within 10 metres of an enemy, Alertness otherwise) — on a success they decide whether to act in the Quick or the Slow Action Phase; those who fail automatically act in the Slow Action Phase. Enemies and allied non-player characters simply act in the Enemy and Ally Action Phases, respectively.</p>
<p>
Succeeding at the initiative roll with Finesse or a Perfect roll grants an immediate half-speed movement bonus (even if engaged in melee!) — a pretty neat reward in an otherwise simple initiative system.</p>
<p>
Characters may move and take an action on their turn; the order can vary, but movement cannot be split (i.e. you cannot move-act-move). Characters can also attempt to defend themselves against attacks any number of times — up until they succeed once.</p>
<p>
Attacking is a simple Fighting or Archery skill roll. Defending against an attack is either an Agility (evasion) or Fighting (parry) check — the defender must get at least an equal level of success as the attacker. A successful evasion must be represented by 1 metre of movement; a successful parry may be followed by backing down 1 metre. I like this kind of detail a lot; it creates a naturally flowing melee without relying on GM fiat.</p>
<p>
Successful attacks are followed by a damage roll — a skill check using the regular attack skill modified by weapon and armour (although non-villain NPCs use a reduced skill value for dealing damage vs. player characters). On a success the attack inflicts a Wound. Grunts are out of action after 1 Wound; Expert characters can take 2 Wounds; player characters and villains may take up to 3.</p>
<p>
Non-combat damage is handled very similarly, but instead of the enemy combatant's skill, a Hazard Factor is determined (e.g. 6 for falling from a horse); sometimes even more than one so multiple Wounds may be sustained (e.g. 14/10 for falling off a roof). A successful Agility or Alertness skill check is usually allowed to avoid risking damage in the first place, though.</p>
<p>
The rules cover a lot of other action types — from interacting with the environment to giving first aid — but the one I most like is the Bravado action, which covers all sorts of swashbuckling and other dramatic activities (a neat little list of possible effects are provided).</p>
<p>
Morale, of course, plays an important role in combat. Unless led by a villain, NPCs must roll against their Morale if they are ambushed and outnumbered, their leader falls, or a quarter of their forces are lost in a single round of combat.</p>
<p>
Inventory management doesn't play a big role in the game, and the equipment section is mostly concerned with weaponry and simple goods and services. It's largely okay, and as the text says, suitable price lists are easy to find in other games, like <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/224855/GURPS-LowTech?affiliate_id=64760">GURPS Low Tech</a>. I personally would've preferred a little more detail here.</p>
<p>
Advancement is fairly simple. After each game session, increase a single skill by 1 point (up to 18). After 3 Good Deeds, gain a new Ability (this may be off-type if it makes sense, but only twice). Good Deeds are basically the goals of scenarios: rescuing folks from unjust imprisonment, saving the villagers from bandits, and in general foiling the villain's plans. The game assumes a medium-length campaign, suggesting that a few sessions after acquiring the third Ability is a pretty good time to wrap things up.</p>
<p>
Stats (Attack, Defence, Skill, Morale) are provided for a number of NPCs and animals, including a few villain and ally abilities as well. Then guidelines ("The commandments") are laid out in the spirit of the game (e.g. surrenders are always accepted, villager NPCs are rarely traitorous, avoid gotchas, and never assume a fixed solution).</p>
<p>
There's some minimal GM advice regarding impersonating NPCs (including a nifty reaction system), handling travel, adjudicating ally actions, considering loyalty, and setting up satisfying combat encounter (with regards to numbers and such). A few pages of optional rules and the obligatory design notes (the coolest recurring feature of NWG publications) end the book.</p>
<p>
Overall, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/341094/Ballad-of-the-Longbow?affiliate_id=64760">Ballad of the Longbow</a> is a neat little game of dashing heroics. The combat system — while simple — shows just enough depth to remain interesting for the duration of a campaign, and the character Abilities help reinforce the genre in a satisfying way. At this stage the book has a bunch of typos, and it lacks a compelling starting setting/adventure. With a robust scenario generator and/or a reasonably detailed mini-setting and its bespoke villains that would facilitate quickly getting it to the table (much like how the character types accomplish the same from the players' side), it could be <i>really</i> good. As it stands, it's <i>just</i> good.</p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-7817315644608438612021-07-27T14:12:00.001+02:002021-07-27T14:12:01.285+02:00Forgotten GemsThis is gonna be a low-effort post: a discussion on Reddit reminded me of all the forgotten little games of the OSR. They aren't necessary revolutionary, but at the time of their release/annoucnement, they offered something cool and/or fresh, and it's weird that they are so rarely - if ever - mentioned nowadays.
<ul>
<li><b>Adventure Fantasy Game</b> (a simple but robust d6-based D&D-variant by none other than Paolo Greco; most notable for the 5MORE and EXPERT systems)</li>
<li><b>Avatars & Annihilation</b> (I don't think it's ever got released, but I always thought the bits and pieces found on the <a href="https://dungeonsddx.blogspot.com/">author's blog</a> heralded something extraordinary)</li>
<li><b>Cascade Failure</b> and <b>Errant</b> (beautiful full colour D&D variants for sci-fi and fantasy, respectively; you can still find <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/96589/Cascade-Failure?affiliate_id=64760">Cascade Failure</a> on DTRPG, although Errant I believe was succeeded by <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/97358/Novarium?affiliate_id=64760">Novarium</a>)</li>
<li><b>Champions of ZED</b> (I believe it was plagued by a late Kickstarter; still, best to read the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/280000504/champions-of-zed-zero-edition-dungeoneering">KS page</a> for a good summary; available on <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/160660/Champions-of-ZED-Zero-Edition-Dungeoneering?affiliate_id=64760">DTRPG</a>)</li>
<li><b>Chanbara</b> (a complete Japanese-themed fantasy B/X variant; I'm especially fond of the social interaction rules; available on <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/232335/Chanbara?affiliate_id=64760">DTRPG</a>)</li>
<li><b>Epées & Sorcellerie</b> (a French D&D-variant; first edition available in English for free; it's nothing extraordinary, aside from using d6s only, but it's still good craftsmanship)</li>
<li><b>Faerie Tales & Folklore</b> (a re-imagination of D&D based on myths and Chainmail; a preliminary version is freely <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/244822/Faerie-Tales--Folklore-A-Roleplayers-Guide-to-the-Mythological-Earth?affiliate_id=64760">available</a> along with lots of <a href="https://faerietalesandfolklore.com/">notes from the author</a>; the finished product would be Kickstarted and incorporate my extensive editorial notes; alas, I haven't heard from Morgan in a long time)</li>
<li><b>Five Ancient Kingdoms</b> (already <a href="https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/2018/01/review-five-ancient-kingdoms.html">reviewed</a> it here)</li>
<li><b>Humanspace Empires</b> (an EPT-based sci-fi game; sadly incomplete; lots of stuff on the <a href="https://ixians.blogspot.com/">author's blog</a>, though)</li>
<li><b>Mazes & Minotaurs</b> (although there's lately been some chatter regarding M&M, it's still relatively rarely discussed, even though it's <i>obviously</i> the best and most hilarious old-school game that isn't a clone of D&D; and it's completely free)</li>
<li><b>Platemail</b> (a re-imagination of D&D based on Chainmail)</li>
<li><b>Renegade</b> and <b>Corruption</b> (probably the most complete S&W-variants; available on <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/97783/Renegade--Corruption?affiliate_id=64760">DTRPG</a>)</li>
<li><b>The Big Brown Book</b> (another d6-based re-imagination of OD&D)</li></ul>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-28240292917315050522021-06-16T19:05:00.001+02:002021-08-24T12:19:44.147+02:00Review: Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate<p><i>"Welcome to </i>Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate<i>, a game of gravity defying Martial Heroes. Characters start as lowly members of the martial world and roam the land perfecting their Kung Fu. Some uphold justice in the lawless shadow of a corrupt empire, while others seek only to further their own glory. Whatever path they take, to improve their martial arts they must learn from and defeat more powerful masters. Only then will their Kung Fu grow profound."</i> - Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate, p23</p>
<p><b>Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate</b> is a <i>wuxia</i> game (although heavily featuring <i>xianxia</i> elements as well) set in a fictional world (Qi Xien) inspired by ancient Chinese history, mythology, and literature. The system it uses (called the Network System) is fairly simple, and most of the crunchy bits come from the dozens of techniques and rituals characters can master. It also falls more on the trad/simulationist end of the spectrum (no metacurrencies or shared authorship) and promotes an open-ended approach (with the characters acting as wandering free agents collecting rare manuals and learning secret techniques, for example).</p>
<a name='more'></a>
<strong>System Summary</strong>
<ul>
<li>The core resolution mechanic is the Skill Roll. The player rolls as many d10s as their Ranks in the relevant Skill (ranging from 0 to 3), then compares the highest result against the Target Number. At 0 ranks, roll 2d10 and take the lower result.</li>
<li>Target Numbers are normally determined by the GM (3 simple, 5 challenging, 7 hard, 9 extremely difficult). Certain Skills are resisted by a Defense Skill (plus a static bonus) acting as a Target Number (e.g. Command is rolled against the target's Resolve +6, while ranged attacks are compared to the target's Evade Skill +3).</li>
<li>Situational modifiers and abilities may impose a penalty or grant a bonus either to a Skill roll or Defense Rating. However, there is a soft cap of 6d10 for most Skill rolls (and even if certain circumstances allow exceeding that, there is an absolute hard cap of 10d10).</li>
<li>Rolling a 10 counts as a Total Success, and it often results in a mechanical advantage (or the very least a spectecular success). Multiple 10s result in multiple Total Successes, the number of which is significant in some cases.</li>
<li>At character creation two skill groups (out of Defenses, Combat, Specialist, Physical, Knowledge, and Mental) are declared to be Primary (allowing more points to be spent in these categories). Skills cost progressively more points to increase.</li>
<li>With these skill points (or XP during the game), Expertise may be bought. They cover a specialty within a skill (such as <i>Recover Health</i> for Meditation, <i>Hearing</i> for Detect, or <i>Guan Dao</i> for Heavy Melee). When applicable, they provide +1d10 on the skill roll.</li>
<li>Starting character may pick up to two Flaws (granting 1 or 2 skill points each), such as <i>Cowardly</i>, <i>Hedonist</i>, or <i>White Hair</i>. Beyond flavour and roleplaying opportunities, each comes with mechanical baggage, too (e.g. <i>Lazy</i> characters have -1d10 Speed and Detect, whereas if you have an <i>Enemy</i>, they permanently take up a slot in the Grudge Encountr Table).</li>
<li>Each character also starts with a Combat Technique. These are similar to feats in D20 games (e.g. <i>Drunken Fighter</i> eliminates Combat and Physical penalties for being drunk, <i>Deflect</i> grants +1 Parry, and <i>Accurate</i> provides +1d10 on attacks against targets in cover).</li>
<li>Combat is resolved in 10-second rounds, where Turn Order is determined by a Speed Skill roll (as usual, only the highest die counts, although Total Successes beyond the first increase initiative by +1). Combatants act in decreasing order based on the result.</li>
<li>Each participant may perform a Move and an Action (usually a Skill roll), although there are other options (such as double moves or exchanging one option for a slight bonus).</li>
<li>Attack rolls are made with a Skill corresponding to the weapon or Technique used, made against Parry (melee attack) or Evade (ranged attack).</li>
<li>After a successful attack, the weapon's Damage (usually Speed or Muscle modified by weapon, +1 for each Total Success on the attack) is rolled against the target's Hardiness. They suffer 1 Wound on a success (plus 1 more Wound for each Total Success). This is called Closed Damage.</li>
<li>Some attacks, however, deal Open Damage. The difference is that in this case each die that meets or exceeds the target's Hardiness deals 1 Wound.</li>
<li>Martial Heroes, such as the player characters, have 1 Max Wound plus 2 per Rank of Qi (so PCs normally start with 3 Max Wounds). All other NPCs have only 1 Max Wound.</li>
<li>When someone takes as many Wounds as their Max Wounds, they become Incapacitated (conscious but unable to do anything save stumbling around). If an Incapacitated character takes a Wound, they start dying - they perish after a number of rounds equal to their Hardiness (although any further Wounds they sustain during that time kills them instantly).</li>
<li>Wounds heal at a rate of 1 Wound per Rank of Qi per day. Those without Qi heal 1 Wound per week.</li>
<li>Kung Fu Techniques are divided into four disciplines (called Martial Disciplines): Waijia (External Kung Fu), Qinggong (Lightness Kung Fu), Neigong (Internal Kung Fu), and Dianxue (Pressure Point Kung Fu).</li>
<li>At character creation players can spend 4 points among these disciplines. They can only learn Techniques from a discipline if they have at least 1 Rank in it. Note that these points cannot be changed later in the game (or rather, not without the aid of specific abilities).</li>
<li>One's Imbalance Rating is equal to their highest Martial Discipline. When a Technique is used Cathartically (meaning an extra amount of Qi is used to produce more spectacular effects, but it also brings great risk to the user), Imbalance Points are gained (that can only be removed by meditation); the higher the Imbalance Rating, the more points per Cathartic use.</li>
<li>If 12 + Qi Ranks points are accrued, a Qi spirit possesses the character, and each day a Skill roll determines who is in control. The spirit must be purged, otherwise the character will slowly transform into a demonic creature (and become an NPC).</li>
<li>XP is awarded for defeating powerful foes, growing one's reputation, and performing great deeds (resulting in 0 to 3 XP per session). Special bonus XP may be awarded for exceptional deeds (2 XP) and finding secret manuals (3 XP).</li>
<li>To advance in Qi Ranks (basically "levels"), a certain threshold of total XP earned must be met or exceeded. Furthermore, a foe of higher Qi Rank must be defeated in one-on-one combat (or someone 2 Ranks higher as a group).</li>
<li>Qi normally ranges between 1 and 6 for Martial Heroes. Once it reaches 7, the character becomes a Profound Master, and when it reaches 13, they become Immortal. Techniques and abilities available to Profound Masters and Immortals are barely described in the book (but will be detailed in the upcoming "Profound Masters of Ogre Gate").</li>
<li>XP can be spent to increase Skills, learn new Techniques, etc. Learning Techniques also requires a master (Sifu) or a Kung Fu manual.</li>
<li>Kung Fu Techniques are divided into three types: Counters (usable off-turn in response to an attack), Normal Techniques, and Stances. Each Technique further belongs to a Martial Discipline and has a Qi Rank requirement to learn in the first place.</li>
<li>Each individual ritual (whether a simple Rite or Magic) is its own instance of the Ritual Skill. Each has its own mechanics and Target Number to use. Some are rather simple (you can use talismans with <i>Activation</i> or bring about good fortunes for the family via <i>Ancestor Veneration</i>), while some are quite fantastical (with <i>Draw Out the Demons</i> you can force demons hiding nearby to appear in the open, you can swap places with a Gui spirit using the <i>Ritual of the Boundless Perfection</i>, or you can kill anyone with the words "Demon King" you inscribed with the <i>Tattoo of the Demon King</i>).</li>
</ul>
<p>
That's 189 pages so far (63 of which are just Kung Fu Techniques). The next 300 pages are dedicated to advice regarding the genre, descriptions of the setting with particular attention to the Jianghu (sects, cults, important NPCs), cultural details (religions, calendar, customs, social structure), maps and a gazetteer, adventure locations, monsters, and coveted objects of power. In short, it's doing similar things to the excellent <a href="https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/2018/05/review-ghastly-affair.html">Ghastly Affair</a>, except it also provides a worked example (the Banyan Region) along with detailed adventure material (a sect headquarters, a tomb, and a mystery) and <i>lots</i> of NPCs (37 pages of descriptions and stats!).</p>
<strong>What I Liked</strong>
<ul>
<li>The PDF is extensively bookmarked (no hyperlinks in the text, but in my experience that's the less important one).</li>
<li>There are many sources of inspiration mentioned in the book, both historical and fictional.</li>
<li>Relatively simple rules for various maneouvres in combat (preparing an attack, aiming for a round, charging, etc.) and hazards (falling, drowning, catching on fire, etc.), all in one place.</li>
<li>Reputation is handled with a pair of adjectives, describing how one's allies and foes view the character (e.g. one might be viewed as Loyal by their friends and Reckless by their enemies).</li>
<li>There are rules for Qi Duels, where the loser gets blasted by the accumulated Qi energies that build up during the duel.</li>
<li>The players must find new masters or manuals to learn new Techniques (especially the most elusive ones), which reinforces the sandbox nature of the game.</li>
<li>There's a cool list of poisons, diseases, remedies, and other special substances.</li>
<li>Lots of useful advice and random tables to prepare adventures and maintaining campaigns.</li>
<li>Chapter III describing Kung Fu Techniques (exluding art) is released into the Public Domain!</li>
<li>You can assess another's Kung Fu using the Medicine skill (basically you can gauge their Qi Level and/or Martial Disciplines).</li>
<li>Meditation is not only used for staving off the effects of Qi Spirit Possession, but also to stabilise oneself while dying.</li>
<li>Knowledge skills are explicitly only tested if the information sought might be beyond the level of mastery the character possesses. Otherwise, they automatically know it.</li>
<li>An extensive equipment section with illustrations for weapons and details regarding cultural items (drinks, instruments, everyday objects, etc.).</li>
<li>Rules for travelling, regional encounter tables, random events, and also procedures to make past interactions relevant through Grudge Encounters.</li>
<li>The appendices are top notch. The first one collects all Kung Fu Techniques in alphabetical order (also listing which sects and NPCs know them). The second is a glossary of titles and offices. The third is the shortest: the current rulers of the various regions in the setting. The fourth provides guidelines to use the game along with <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/134779/Sertorius?affiliate_id=64760">Sertorius</a> (a high fantasy game by the same author). The fifth is just a page of ideas regarding other realms of existence (such as the Hanging Valley of the Dead or the Infinite Sky Realm).</li>
<li>There is an incredible <a href="https://bedrockcompanion.github.io/">app</a> to look up Kung Fu Techniques from <b>Ogre Gate</b> and spells for <b>Sertorius</b> as well as to create characters for both games.</li>
<li>The author's <a href="https://thebedrockblog.blogspot.com/">blog</a> provides incredible support in the form of ready-made adventures, NPCs, random talbes, and extensive campaign journals to steal ideas from (just look at that sidebar!).</li>
<li>Did I mention the PDF is PWYW?</li>
</ul>
<strong>What I Disliked</strong>
<ul>
<li>The book is 492 pages long, yet there is no index. As a consolation prize, the table of contents is 16 pages long (sadly, it's not hyperlinked in the PDF; but then again, it's extensively bookmarked).</li>
<li>Some sections are unnecessarily wordy, especially when it comes to descriptive text.</li>
<li>No Oxford comma. In general, a lot of commas are missing (although it rarely obscures the intent).</li>
<li>Some terms are a little inconsistent (cf. Skill Rank vs. Skill Point or Qi Rank vs. Qi Level).</li>
<li>A few times a single paragraph or a few lines flow to another page, or more annoyingly, a section's first few lines fall on the bottom of the previous page. It's not dealbreaking, except that the recommended media list's last four entries are on the top of the page where hidden truths and secrets of the setting are discussed.</li>
<li>It's a little disappointing that so few higher level powers and techniques are included (but then again, Profound Masters and Immortals constitute and entirely different tier of power anyway).</li>
<li>There is a Karma score secretly tracked by the GM, but the current implementation does almost nothing. Only a few guidelines are given about when to increase or decrease it, and it doesn't really interface with the rules for Martial Heroes (it will only become important in the Profound and Immortal tiers).</li>
<li>The character sheets in the back have a faint image in the background, making it a little too busy for me (and slightly more costly in ink).</li>
</ul>
<p>
It is quite a crunchy game, although not more so than D&D 5E, because most of the complexity arises from the wealth of options (and not page-long tables of modifiers or complicated dice mechanics). In fact, the majority of the author's other games based on the Network system (<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/134812/Terror-Network?affiliate_id=64760">Terror Network</a>, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/135146/Servants-of-Gaius?affiliate_id=64760">Servants of Gaia</a>, and <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/300445/Strange-Tales-of-Songling?affiliate_id=64760">Strange Tales of Songling</a> in particular) are fairly simple.</p>
<p>
There is a lot I love about this game. Most wuxia games to me feel a little gimmicky in terms of mechanics (e.g. <a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/ben-wright/shop/ben-wright/rivers-and-lakes/ebook/product-1dnwdv4j.html">Rivers & Lakes</a> or <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/97637/Legends-of-the-Wulin--presales-edition?affiliate_id=64760">Legends of the Wulin</a>) or include too many storygame elements for my taste (e.g. <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/126883/Tianxia-Blood-Silk--Jade?affiliate_id=64760">Tianxia</a> or <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/365014/Hearts-of-Wulin?affiliate_id=64760">Hearts of Wulin</a>), whereas <b>Ogre Gate</b> sits firmly in the traditionalist camp: simulation through wuxia physics (rather than wuxia story beats), GM as referee, and great support for sandbox play in the form of advice and mechanics. The book is a little unwieldy at times, and another round of editing would have helped, but all that juicy content packed inside far outweighs its shortcomings.</p>
<p>
<b>Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate</b> was designed by <a href="https://thebedrockblog.blogspot.com/">Brendan Davis</a>, William Butler, and Dan Orcutt and published by Bedrock Games in 2016. The PDF is available on <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/191631/Wandering-Heroes-of-Ogre-Gate?affiliate_id=64760">DriveThruRPG</a>, or you can get the <a href="https://studio2publishing.com/products/wandering-heroes-of-ogre-gate">softcover</a> or <a href="https://studio2publishing.com/products/wandering-heroes-of-ogre-gate-hardcover">hardcover</a> version from Studio2.</p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-13117335179328007382021-06-08T17:23:00.002+02:002021-06-08T17:23:41.485+02:00Review: Warlock!<p><i>Disclaimer: Note that some of the links below are affiliate links (meaning I get a small percentage of the sale without extra cost to you or the publisher).</i></p>
<p><b>Warlock!</b> is a rules-light traditional fantasy game, conceptually sitting firmly within the British old-school tradition (the revival of which is sometimes charmingly called the <a href="https://uncaringcosmos.com/new-game/">B-OSR</a>). The terms Stamina and Luck and the way combat works conjure images of the Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, but the sort of freeform career system with Agitators, Footpads, and Rat Catchers make it look like a WFRP-light game played with a d20.</p>
<a name='more'></a>
<strong>System Summary</strong>
<ul>
<li>Each character comes from a Community (human, elf, dwarf, halfling), which has no direct mechanical impact on the character, only in-world relevance (although elves and dwarves can see perfectly in moonlight).</li>
<li>There are 32 skills in total (from <i>Appraise</i> and <i>Incantation</i> to <i>Small blade</i> and <i>Streetwise</i>), ten of which start at 6, further ten at 5, and the rest at 4 (before choosing a career).</li>
<li>Stamina (i.e. hit points) starts at 2d6+12, while Luck starts at 1d6+7.</li>
<li>There are 24 basic careers; the starter choice is semi-random.</li>
<li>Each basic career provides starting equipment and defines five skills that can be improved by adventuring while within the career (and also sets a maximum score for each). Starting characters can allocate 10 points between these career-skills. For example, Agitator has Small blade (max 10), Intimidate (max 10), Dodge (max 12), Persuasion (max 12), and Streetwise (max 12).</li>
<li>Furthermore, the average of these five skills (rounded up) provides a skill matching the career's name to represent any other area of knowledge and expertise that a member of said career would have and isn't already covered by the existing skill list.</li>
<li>If success and failure are both possible and interesting, a skill test is made, and success is achieved if 20 or more is scored on 1d20 + skill level. In an opposed test, all participants make the roll and the highest result wins. Difficulty may be represented by a penalty of −2 or −4 at the GM's discretion.</li>
<li>Whenever a roll is made to avoid something bad, the player may choose to use their current Luck in lieu of a skill. Whether they succeed or fail, their Luck goes down by 1 for the remainder of the adventure.</li>
<li>Combat is handled in tentatively 30-second-long rounds.</li>
<li>Initiative is determiend by GM fiat or rolling 1d6 per side. Then, individuals on the opposing sides take turns alternately (i.e. one combatant on side A, then one from side B, then another one from side A, etc.), in such a manner that actors can pick which opponent succeeds them in their activation, until everyone has acted.</li>
<li>Movement of roughly 10 feet (or crossing a room) can be freely performed either before or after taking an action. Alternatively, movement can be taken as an action, in which case the character moves from one abstract band of distance to another (close, nearby, faraway, distant).</li>
<li>Attacking is an opposed skill roll (with +5 bonus given to the initiatior), the winner of which gets to deal damage to the other. Ranged attacks are also opposed rolls (ranged weapon skill vs. dodge + shield bonus), but only the attacker may deal damage.</li>
<li>Damage dice are all six-siders and depend on the weapon (e.g. dagger is 1d6+2, arming sword is 2d6, crossbow is 2d6+2). If the attack roll was three times the result of the defender's roll, the attack deals double damage. Armour reduces incoming damage by a random amount (light armour 1d3, modest armour 1d6, heavy armour 2d6), but never below 1 point. Whatever remains is deducted from the target's Stamina.</li>
<li>When one's Stamina goes below 0, they suffer a critical hit, rolled on a random table corresponding to the weapon's damage type (slashing, piercing, crushing, or blast).</li>
<li>Half of lost Stamina returns after 30 minutes of idleness. The remainder returns after a night's rest.</li>
<li>Spellcasting requries the expenditure of Stamina and a successful Incantation skill roll. On a natural 1, a second Incantation roll is made. On a success, the spellcasting was a regular failure. On a failure, however, the a roll is made on the miscast table (with results such as the caster's hair falling out, their skin becoming translucent for 2d6 days, or their body being frozen in place for 1d3 days).</li>
<li>1 gold = 10 silvers = 100 pennies. The item list doesn't have set prices; instead, available goods are declared to be commoners' items, middle class items, or upper class items, costing 1d6 pennies, 1d6 silvers, or 1d6 golds, respectively. Quality and rarity may add another 1d6 or 2d6 to the cost or change the category.</li>
<li>Characters earn 1 to 3 advances after each adventure. These advances can be spent to increase skills 1 for 1 (only those associated with the current career and only up to the maximum it prescribes). The career skill (average of associated skills) also increases as a result of that, and for each such increase the character gains 1 point of max Stamina. Changing careers costs 5 advances.</li>
<li>Spells themselves are stored on scrolls and in books, and anyone capable of reading them can attempt to cast them. A total of 36 spells are described in the book, shared by divine and arcane practitioners.</li>
<li>Monsters are described using a simplified stat block compared to PCs. They have their signature weapon's skill and damage values, an armour value if any, a generic Skill value, a Stamina score, and some special abilities. 24 classic creatures are described in the book.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Things I Liked</strong>
<ul>
<li>The careers are concisely described and come with two d6 tables to spur the imagination of the player (e.g. the Agitator has a table answering who they've worked for and who's hunting them now). Even if one disregards the tables, the questions themselves may lead to ample amount of characterisation.</li>
<li>There's a large list of adjectives to describe characters, whether PCs or NPCs. It's not as comprehensive as the one in <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/115917/On-the-Nonplayer-Character?affiliate_id=64760">On the Non-player Character</a>, but it's still decent.</li>
<li>Leaving melee engagement is not penalised at all. Although I like having <i>some</i> form of check or condition to it, too many systems lock down combatants from the moment they engage until one of them falls, which doesn't really represent the chaotic, swirling nature of melee combat.</li>
<li>Unlike WFRP, which has separate critical hit tables for each hit location, <b>Warlock!</b> separates the result by damage type instead. Ideally, it would be a combination of both, but I believe it's a step in the right direction.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Things I Disliked</strong>
<ul>
<li>Although I like the idea of semi-randomly determining the starter career, the way it works really bugs me. Basically, 4d6 are rolled and each die corresponds to one career (so that you cannot roll the same career twice). However, the groupings are merely alphabetical. I would've been much happier with different categories (like the career classes of WFRP) or just a plain d24 rolled four times.</li>
<li>On the one hand, the random prices may well capture the fluctuation of prices, but I am increasingly in favour of fairly detailed item lists with set prices that allow a lot of granularity.</li>
<li>I generally dislike abstract distances.</li>
<li>Although the game mentions that most intelligent opponents would consider surrendering or fleeing when their Stamina gets close to 0, I would have liked a proper morale subsystem implemented.</li>
<li>No guidelines for recovering from critical injuries (it is explicitly the GM's job to come up with something).</li>
<li>The critical hit tables are usable but completely devoid of flavour (compared to WFRP at least).</li>
<li>No Oxford commas.</li>
</ul>
<p>It's a decent rules-light game that will most likely appeal to folks looking for their Fighting Fantasy and/or Warhammer Fantasy fix (provided they won't just keep playing those instead). The game explains the basics of how to GM but falls short on providing actionable advice, which is IMHO a missed opportunity (it kind of reminds me of the GM sections in the "new" World of Darkness line). I would have liked it very much if <b>Warlock!</b> came with its own procedures and detailed techniques (similar to <a href="https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/2018/05/review-ghastly-affair.html">Ghastly Affair</a>, for instance). Perhaps the supplements released so far remedy the situation somewhat; I have yet to check them.</p>
<p><b>Warlock!</b> was designed by Greg Saunders (<i>Esoterica</i>, <i>Golgotha</i>, <i>Summerland</i>) and published by Fire Ruby Designs in 2020. It is currently available in PDF and/or hardcover version through <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/312204/Warlock?affiliate_id=64760">DriveThruRPG</a>, along with quite a few supplements as well as a science fantasy variant, called <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/330123/Warpstar?affiliate_id=64760">Warpstar!</a>.Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-17937875986568143182021-04-06T16:47:00.000+02:002021-04-06T16:47:07.325+02:002021 RPG Anniversaries<p>Just a fun little list of some of the games that have a jubilee this year:</p>
10th Anniversary
<ul>
<li>Advanced Fighting Fantasy 2nd edition</li>
<li>HackMaster 5th edition</li>
<li>Lamentations of the Flame Princess (Grindhouse edition)</li>
<li>Legends of the Wulin</li>
</ul>
15th Anniversary
<ul>
<li>Basic Fantasy RPG</li>
<li>Deadlands: Reloaded</li>
<li>Exalted 2nd edition</li>
<li>Mazes & Minotaurs</li>
</ul>
20th Anniversary
<ul>
<li>Big Eyes, Small Mouths 2nd edition</li>
<li>Earthdawn 2nd edition</li>
<li>Exalted 1st edition</li>
<li>Fading Suns</li>
<li>HackMaster</li>
<li>The Riddle of Steel</li>
</ul>
25th Anniversary
<ul>
<li>Ars Magica 4th edition</li>
<li>Deadlands</li>
<li>Palladium Fantasy 2nd edition</li>
</ul>
30th Anniversary
<ul>
<li>D&D Rules Cyclopedia</li>
<li>Kult</li>
<li>Millenium's End</li>
</ul>
40th Anniversary
<ul>
<li>Bushido</li>
<li>Call of Cthulhu</li>
<li>Champions</li>
<li>D&D Basic/Expert (Moldvay/Cook)</li>
<li>Merc</li>
</ul>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-31798296006077126392021-03-18T16:08:00.003+01:002021-03-18T16:17:15.814+01:00Character Sheet: Dragon Warriors<p>I have been putting together semi-automated character sheets for our own campaigns for quite some time (inspired by Skipper, a great player and friend of mine), and I feel like it's time I started sharing them. Since I just reviewed <a href="https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/2021/03/review-dragon-warriors.html">Dragon Warriors</a>, here's one for that on <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1q65VIoILCqDRQh7I4k1ufVPxDeREGUR4nFTnJGrym7Y/edit?usp=sharing">Google Drive</a>.</p>
<p>A few notes:</p>
<ul>
<li>You need to go <i>File</i> --> <i>Make a copy</i> to get your own sheet you can edit.</li>
<li>Cells with a white background either contain labels or auto-calculated values. You normally ought to fill the yellow cells (the ones already filled are just placeholders so you don't see a lot of N/A in other cells). Feel free to add whatever else you need in the large grey area.</li>
<li>Base refers to the starting values of attributes; Mod represents temporary modifiers and such.</li>
<li>Weapons, armour, and profession use a drop-down menu, but the accepted values are unsorted, so feel free to start typing in whatever you want to pick.</li>
<li>Further weapons and armour can be added in the Data_Weapons sheet (check the notes).</li>
<li>Magic Points and Psychic Fatigue Check are missing (and so is a dedicated spell record table) at the moment. They will be added later.</li>
<li>If you have any feature you'd like to see, feel free to comment.</li>
</ul>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-19488187384229109242021-03-05T15:22:00.000+01:002021-03-05T15:22:20.749+01:00Review: Dragon Warriors<p>
<b>Dragon Warriors</b> labels itself as "The Classic British Fantasy Roleplaying Game", and with good reason. It is the quintessential "British D&D", systemically and in scope very close to B/X D&D. Although its popularity has waned, it is experiencing a sort of rediscovery (see <a href="https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/the-british-old-school-revival-b-osr.3307/">this thread</a> on the RPGPub, for example).</p>
<a name='more'></a>
<strong>System Summary</strong>
<ul>
<li>There are five characteristics (Strength, Reflexes, Intelligence, Psychic Talent, and Looks), determined by 3d6 in order. Characters with more than two scores below 9 can be re-rolled with GM permission. These values are often used for roll under d20 checks, but - similarly to D&D - they also confer various minor bonuses and penalties to derived attributes.</li>
<li>Characters belong to one of seven Professions: <i>Knight</i> (equivalent to fighting-men, despite the name), <i>Barbarian</i> (warriors from Thuland or the Eastern Steppes), <i>Assassin</i> (specialists of stealth and trickery and murder), <i>Sorcerer</i> (well-rounded casters and creators of magic items), <i>Mystic</i> (psionicists), <i>Elementalist</i> (casters specialising in three of the five elements: Fire, Air, Water, Earth, and Darkness), or <i>Warlock</i> (masters of sword and sorcery). Profession determines starting and progressive values for Attack, Defence, Magical Defence (and Magical Attack for spellcasting Professions), Evasion, Stealth, Perception, and Health Points as well as starting equipment and abilities.</li>
<li>Not universal amongst British games but noticeably more important than in American games is character background in terms of social class. The book provides detailed tables to randomly determine background based on Profession. Literacy is also dependent on background.</li>
<li>Forcing open locked doors requires a Strength check (d20 roll under Strength score), unless the character has 16+ Strength or 18+ in case of very sturdy doors. Each attempt costs 1 HP.</li>
<li>Stealth rolls are made with 2d10. If the result is equal to or less than the sneaking character's Stealth minus the lookout's Perception (after modifiers for lighting, movement, armour, etc.). Each sneaking character must make their own roll, but only against the highest Perception score in the opposing group.</li>
<li>Tracking is a Perception roll (d20 roll equal or under), but for each day past the third add 1d4 to the total and 1d6 for each snowfall or heavy storm.</li>
<li>Climbing uses Reflexes (d20 roll equal or under), unless the character's Reflexes score meets or exceeds the "difficulty factor" of the climb (e.g. 6 for dangling rope or 13 for a cliff).</li>
<li>In fact, this can be thought of as the non-specific resolution mechanic of the game: determine which characteristic (or average of multiple characteristics) is relevant, assign a difficulty factor, and make a d20 roll (equal or under for success) if the difficulty factor isn't met.</li>
<li>Surprise chance is 1-in-6, but if the characters are carrying light sources in a dungeon, they have no chance of surprising the monsters. Conversely, when they pass through a door, each group has 1-in-6 chance of surprising the other.</li>
<li>Battle formation is handled similarly to OD&D: most fighters with one-handed melee weapons take up 1.5 metres of space, while those armed with two-handed weapons take up 2 metres. Spearmen, archers, crossbowmen, and spellcasters, however, only take up 1 metre.</li>
<li>Combat is made up of 6-second Combat Rounds. Characters act in descending Reflexes order, performing a single action (such as closing in and attacking, shooting an arrow, drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or moving).</li>
<li>Attacks are d20 rolls. If the result is equal to or lower than the attacker's Attack minus the target's Defence, they hit. Then an Armour Bypass Roll is made (weapon-specific, modified by high Strength) against the target's Armour Factor (e.g. 0 for unarmoured, 3 for mail hauberk, 5 for plate armour, etc.). If the ABR <i>exceeds</i> AF, then the weapon's (static) damage is subtracted from the enemy's Health Points. A roll of 1 on the attack roll is a critical hit and automatically bypasses armour. However, if the opponent is wearing a shield, they have a 1-in-6 chance of deflecting the blow (even critical hits).</li>
<li>Defence is naturally not applicable against missile attacks (so the attacker's Attack score is only modified for movement and range).</li>
<li>However, the character may still dodge certain attacks and hazards (such as a dragon's breath, a javelin, or a rolling boulder). These attacks have a Speed rating (e.g. 11 for a boulder and 18 for an incoming javelin). The attack procedure is 2d10 against Speed minus the victim's Evasion score (equal or lower results hit). This roll is only necessary if dodging is physically possible, naturally.</li>
<li>Retreating takes a full Combat Round to move out of melee range (the enemy can, of course, simply follow and attack), while routing allows a free attack (with 0 Defence) against the fleeing party.</li>
<li>Reaching 0 Health Points renders the character unconscious (1-in-6 chance of waking up with 1 HP per minute). Reaching -3 HP means death. Natural healing kicks in after 4 days, after which a number of HP equal to the character's rank is restored per day.</li>
<li>Each spellcasting Profession has their own spell list (the Elementalist has one for each element). Spells have levels, and casters cannot use spells of higher level than their own rank.</li>
<li>Sorcerers, Elementalist, and Warlocks have a pool of Magic Points (based solely on rank), and casting a spell costs MPs equal to its level. Elementalist actually have separate MP pools for each of their elements. Mystics, on the other hand, can cast any number of spells - as long as they don't fail the subsequent Psychic Fatigue Check (a d20 roll vs. 13 + their rank - spell's level).</li>
<li>The ability to cast spells (whether by regaining MPs or removing fatigue) returns at a different time for each caster type: Sorcerers regain MPs at precisely midnight, while Warlocks do the same at sunset. Elementalists must enact a short ritual at a time specific to the element in question (and MPs are only returned for that particular element), while Mystics recover from fatigue at the break of dawn.</li>
<li>Direct-attack spells and abilities (such as the <i>Fossilize</i> spell or the touch of a wight) require a 2d10 roll - if equal to or under the caster's Magical Attack minus the target's Magical Defence, the spell takes effect. Indirect-attack spells (such as <i>Dragonbreath</i>) usually follow a similar procedure using the spell's Speed vs. the target's Evasion.</li>
<li>Spells without a specific duration require a Spell Expiry roll after every Combat Round. For Sorcerers, Elementalists, and Mystics it's a 2d6 roll, where the spell expires on a 12. For Warlocks, it's a d20 roll, and the spell expires on a 20.</li>
<li>Warlocks are trained in the use of armour, and Mystics need only use their mind, but Elementalists and Sorcerers have a chance to miscast while wearing armour (percent chance based on armour type). If so, they use twice as many MPs, and a random spell of the same level is cast instead.</li>
<li>There are a total of 60 spells for Sorcerers (6 per level), 36 for Mystics (4 per level), 50 for Elementalists (1 for each element per level), and 45 for Warlocks (5 per level).</li>
<li>Against poison, you roll a number of six-siders (results equal to or below Strength mean the poison doesn't take effect).</li>
<li>Morale is rolled as (rank + Strength + Intelligence) minus enemy's Attack score - a roll higher than this value is a failure. Once failed against a particular enemy type, their Attack is considered twice as high for purposes of the morale check.</li>
<li>Experience is attained for surviving the adventure and defeating opponents. Renown normally corresponds to rank.</li>
<li>1 gold crown = 10 silver florins = 100 copper pennies. Encumbrance is slot-based (the maximum is set between 6 and 14 items, depending on Strength).</li>
</ul>
<strong>Things I Liked</strong>
<ul>
<li>The way characteristics affect derived attributes (such as Attack and Stealth) is superb - their impact is noticeable but never overly so. I especially like the overlap among characteristics (Attack, for instance, is affected to various degree by Strength, Reflexes, <i>and</i> Intelligence).</li>
<li>All Sorcerers are left-handed.</li>
<li>Sorcerers begin the game with two potions (chosen from a list of five).</li>
<li>Elementalists choose one major and two subsidiary elements, but the latter two cannot be opposed to their major element (cf. Air-Earth and Fire-Water), and Darkness can only be one's major element.</li>
<li>Assassins have a large number of abilities to choose from, explicitly aimed at suppoting non-evil thief-like characters.</li>
<li>Literate characters automatically have a chance of knowing some ancient languages.</li>
<li>Simple guidelines for illumination, surprise, formations, etc. (similar in scope to <b>OD&D</b>), covering all the bases for dungeoneering.</li>
<li>I <i>really</i> like how multiple attackers are handled: Defence can be divided between up to three attacks (announced before any roll is made).</li>
<li>Thankfully, the authors provide a simpler Spell Expiry Roll to be made after every minute: for Sorcerers, Mystics, and Elementalists, there's a 75% chance that the spell is still in effect, while for Warlocks it's 60%.</li>
<li>Hireling availability chart based on settlement size (similar to the one in <b>Kazamaták és Kompániák</b>).</li>
<li>Typical stats are provided for all Professions of ranks 1 through 12. If equipment were also part of their description, this would be perfect.</li>
<li>Random treasure tables (Scant, Meagre, Poor, Moderate, Average, Good, Bountiful, Grand, Fabulous), including coins, gems, jewellery, and magic items.</li>
<li>The availability of items is given as a percentage, separate for castle, town, and village environments (e.g. a bow is given as 95%/50%/90%, whereas mail hauberk is 100%/70%/10%).</li>
<li>I'm a little disappointed that the monster descriptions don't include their treasure hoard, but they are all collected right after the hoard descriptions in the treasure chapter, which is still a great move.</li>
<li>Crime and punishment (including potential number of witnesses and their inclinations), jousting, and ransoms are given special treatment.</li>
<li>A number of variant rules are detailed: variable weapon damage, reduced HP inflation, long-term injuries, mooks, and fate points, among others.</li>
<li>Rules for undermanned ships (I can't tell how many times I wished other rulesets say something about the matter).</li>
<li>A reasonably generic fantasy setting, Legend, is described to accomodate all the options, treasures, and monsters in the book. The map, right before the table of contents, is charming, and quite a lot of legendary items and such are detailed beyond the usual region descriptions.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Things I Disliked</strong>
<ul>
<li>Although I like a lot of the abilities (especially the Knight's combat techniques), most of them are only available for higher rank characters (in the Knight's case, they "only" know how to use plate armour without penalties, ride warhorses, and track enemies, while their combat techniques are only unlocked at rank 8).</li>
<li>A minor quibble, but the Barbarian's description specifically mentions Thuland and the Eastern Steppes as places of origin, but the Barbarian Origins table actually has the Mercanian Coast as the most likely outcome.</li>
<li>Even though forcing doors open uses the same "roll only if your characteristic is below a benchmark" mechanic, it's never called properly a difficulty factor - even though it clearly is. I'm also not enitrely convinced about using 1d20 for everything but 2d10 for Stealth and Speed (although it certainly makes having a high Stealth/Perception/Evasion score more impactful).</li>
<li>On the one hand, I really like the idea of difficulty factors (it's something I, and I assume many other GMs, have been using to simplify gameplay or just avoid awkward situations); on the other hand, I can't help but be annoyed about the probabilities not following suit - what I'm saying is that the difference between the difficulty factor and the characteristic in question doesn't affect the chance of success (e.g. with a score of 12, the probability of success is 60% whether the DF was 13 or 18).</li>
<li>The spell lists are sometimes confusing as some of the spell names take up two lines.</li>
<li>There's a table for determining the magical items carried by high rank NPCs (not unlike in OD&D), but the table only provides details for Barbarians, Knights, Sorcerers, and Mystics.</li>
<li>The PDF is neither bookmarked, nor hyperlinked.</li>
<li>A few times, notably in the setting descriptions, the headings are placed at the bottom of the page and the corresponding paragraphs are to be found on the following page.</li>
<li>No random encounter tables (but fortunately they are included in the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/92332/Dragon-Warriors-Bestiary?affiliate_id=64760">Bestiary</a>).</li>
</ul>
<p>
<b>Dragon Warriors</b> features a particular flavour of fantasy that is "dark, spooky and magical", in contrast with "the medieval Disneyland of <i>Dungeons & Dragons</i>" - a distinction which is characteristic of virtually all British old-school fantasy games (most notably Fighting Fantasy and Warhammer). At the same time, it stays close enough to the adventure fantasy of D&D (particularly if we disregard the epic tier) that the same lessons learnt in running B/X and AD&D can be reasonably applied.</p>
<p>
The revised edition was originally published in 2008 by Magnum Opus Press, but it is currently owned by Serpent King Games. It is available in PDF/POD on <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/90926/Dragon-Warriors?affiliate_id=64760">DriveThruRPG</a>, and the PDF is, at least at the moment, PWYW!</p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-77651731896033288972020-09-07T22:29:00.002+02:002020-09-07T22:29:54.953+02:00Review: Skaldic Sagas<p><i>Disclaimer: Note that some of the links below are affiliate links (meaning I get a small percentage of the sale without extra cost to you or the publisher).</i></p><p>James M. Spahn's Whitebox Viking game was a-coming well before the demise of Google+ - and now it's here! Powered by the same engine as <a href="https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/2020/05/review-heros-journey-2nd-edition.html">The Hero's Journey 2nd edition</a>, <b>Skaldic Sagas</b> is a tight little fantasy game focussing on community and kinship and viking shenanigans.</p><a name='more'></a><br />
<strong>System Summary</strong>
<ul>
<li>The classic six attributes are given new names and are slightly rearranged: Might (strength), Finesse (dexterity), Resolve (constitution and willpower), Insight (intelligence and awareness), Bearing (charisma), and Weal (luck). Attribute scores range from 3 and 18, while modifiers are between -1 and +1 (only 3 and 18 grants -2 and +2, respectively).</li>
<li>Weal doesn't actually modify any roll directly. However, a character can declare Advantage on a number of rolls equal to their Weal modifier per session if positive - or the Narrator (GM) can declare Disadvantage a like number of times if it's negative.</li>
<li>One of the attributes is declared Primary and roll on 2d6+6. Another one is Diminished and rolled on 2d6+1. The rest are 3d6.</li>
<li>Each character has a random trade they perform in their community between adventures (e.g. beekeeper, sailmaker, or smith). It is assumed that characters are competent in their trades and have all the necessary tools and equipment in their homestead.</li>
<li>Characters also have a random Family Legacy, such as <i>Blood of the Gods</i> (+2 to a chosen attribute) or <i>Foreigner</i> (speak +3 languages).</li>
<li>Every character gets an Urðr, an immutable destiny, based on one of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kylver_Stone">24 runes</a>. Each comes with a distinct mechanical advantage as well as a more narrative description hinting at possible disadvantages. For example, the description of Uruz (health) reads: "You are hale and hearty, and few illnesses or ailments can touch you. Those you hold dear may not be so gifted and you could be fated to watch your loved ones wither and die."</li>
<li>There are four Archetypes described: Dregnr (warrior), Lendr (leader), Skald (storyteller/poet), and Vitki (sorcerer/shaman). They have their own Glory requirement (for advancement), Key Attribute, attack bonus, Endurance per level, and Saving Throw (unified as in S&W). Starting equipment is also somewhat based on Archetype.</li>
<li>Encumbrance uses the significant item rule: any item larger than a knife counts as 1 significant item. Characters can carry a number of significant items up to their Might score without becoming encumbered; they are lightly encumbered up 1.5 times that number, and heavily encumbered up to twice their Might (so for Might 10, the thresholds would be 10/15/20). Armor is an exception by default: it counts as many significant items as its Reduction Value.</li>
<li>Instead of money, the worth of items is measured in Trade Cost.</li>
<li>Exploration turns aren't used. There are 10 combat rounds in a minute. There's normally a fixed 1-in-6 chance of a random event while travelling (rolled on a 2d6 table). Seafaring is handled similarly.</li>
<li>Dungeoneering rules are present: doors, listening, traps, secret doors, illumination - all largely similar to S&W.</li>
<li>Initiative is rolled on 1d12 + Finesse modifier per player character and adversary group, re-rolled every round. Surprise occurs on 1-3 on the first round of combat. Non-surprised combatants may swap their own initiative with an ally's.</li>
<li>Endurance (basically hp) is generally lower than in S&W: first level you get the maximum for your "hit die", then 2nd and 3rd level you receive another die (so far modified by Resolve as usual), but after that only 1 to 3 points are gained each level (which isn't modified by Resolve).</li>
<li>Defense ("AC") is generally 10 + Finesse modifier + shield (+4) + helm (+1). Attack rolls (d20 + modifiers) that meet or exceed this value hit and deal damage. Damage values follow the variable damage pattern (d4 dagger, d6 dlub, d8 longsword, d10 two-handed sword); however, armour provides Reduction Value (fur 1, leather 2, mail 4). Even then, a successful hit delivers at least 1 point of damage.</li>
<li>Natural 20 attack rolls inflict a critical hit: maximum damage that ignores Reduction Value (it was merely an optional rule in <b>The Hero's Journey 2E</b>).
<li>At 0 Endurance, the character falls unconscious for 1d6 minutes (and then wakes up with 1 Endurance). At negative values, make a Saving Throw (penalised by current Endurance). They are merely knocked unconscious on a success; however, a failure leads to a roll on the Grievous Wounds table (1d6, penalised by current Endurance, and possibly modified by Weal): 1 or lower means instant death, 2-4 some sort of injury, and 5+ a grazing blow (unconscious for 1d6 minutes, as above).</li>
<li>After battle, medicinal herbs may be used to bind wounds for 1d4 Endurance; otherwise, restore 2 points per day (if properly rested).</li>
<li>Despair (fighting a powerful evil foe or seeing a comrade fall in battle) requires a Saving Throw. Failure imposes Disadvantage on all attack rolls and Saving Throws as long as the source of Despair is present. Every creature in the book comes with a Despair Rating (if higher than character level by 5 or more, it counts as an overwhelming foe).</li>
<li>Frith measures a character's bond with their community. It starts at 1 + Bearing modifier (at least 0). It is increased by helping the community (assisting the Althing, donations, hunting down outlaws, and acts of heroism), while hindering them reduces it (whether by needing constant help from others, not marrying and having kids, stealing, or murdering).</li>
<li>The basic assumption is that there is a single adventure every year, with an Althing held between adventures. </li>
<li>For each Althing an Annual Event is rolled (such as Mild Winter or Unsolved Murder) that affects Frith, Income, and other aspects of the characters. Then, players roll their Income (based on their trade) and pay their expenses. After mandatory events (Recounting of Deeds, Community Council, and Community Trading), the players get to take one action each.</li>
<li>Instead of XP, characters earn Glory through heroic deeds. After adventures, characters recount their deeds at an Althing, and they earn Glory equal to their current level + their Key Attribute modifier (but at least 1 Glory). Then, the players and the Narrator vote in secret for their favourite recounting: the winner gets +1 Glory. Alternatively, Skalds can tell the party's tale as a single saga, further granting Glory to all party members equal to their Storyteller ability rating. There's an option to hire a skald, too.</li>
<li>Either the players bring up an issue that the community needs to address, or the Narrator may randomly determine one (such as a petition, criminal accusation, or a challenge).</li>
<li>Trading also takes place during the Althing.</li>
<li>Individual actions include assisting the community (to gain Frith), binding a runic item (to gain its rune-based advantages), petitioning the jarl, or courting someone. Skalds can also compose a ballad, Dregnr can craft weapons, and Vitki can enchant items.</li>
<li>36 creatures (including 6 human opponents and 12 normal animals) and 16 treasures (powerful magical items, such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Br%C3%ADsingamen">Brísingamen</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hringhorni">Hringhorni</a>, or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalinn">Svalinn</a>) are described.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Things I Liked</strong>
<ul>
<li>I like the comeback of dungeoneering rules - they were weirdly missing in <b>The Hero's Journey 2E -, even if the turn structure is missing.</b>.</li>
<li>Nautical combat rules (pretty simple stuff).</li>
<li>The Althing rules were a little hard to follow at first (partly because the heading hierarchy was ambiguous), but the rules are fairly simple overall.</li>
<li>Frith is a great concept and ties in well with the focus on community.</li>
<li>Oxford commas.</li>
</ul>
<strong>Things I Disliked</strong>
<ul>
<li>A few more typos and other small errors than I expected.</li>
<li>No explicit rules for morale (there is a codified option to intimidate foes, but it's to impose Disadvantage on their attacks rather than forcing a retreat).</li>
<li>I like the thematics of regaling tales of adventure to advance (and the added benefit of having a Skald do the heavy lifting), but I'm generally in favour of group advancement (i.e. dividing XP amongst characters equally, whether from combat or treasure or accomplishing goals).</li>
<li>I wish a little more material was presented regarding the culture. I didn't expect <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/99304/Vikings-of-Legend?affiliate_id=64760">Vikings of Legend</a> level of detail, but since the game seems to be more grounded in reality than <a href="http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/VIK.html">Vikings & Valkyries</a>, I think it needs a little more meat.</li>
<li>No bookmarks, hyperlinks, or index (but <i>at least</i> we get a page and a half about how this game doesn't endorse nazis).</li>
</ul>
<p>I was really looking forward to James's treatment of viking adventures, especially because the intentionally pulpy and romanticised <b>Vikings & Valkyries</b> is one of my favourite games (see some old session reports <a href="https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/search/label/Vikings%20and%20Valkyries">here</a>). <b>Skaldic Sagas</b>, on the other hand, aims for the realistic - not necessarily historic, because of jötnar and magical creatures and runic items, but definitely low fantasy. Spellcasting, in the traditional sense, isn't even covered in the book anywhere.</p>
<p>However, the game falls too short for me. The rules are okay, I guess, simple and straightforward. The cycle of adventure-Althing-adventure-Althing reminds me of <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/165085/King-Arthur-Pendragon-Edition-52?affiliate_id=64760">Pendragon</a> (in the sense that it enforces the advancement of time and thinking in the long term), and the Frith and Althing rules facilitate the same sort of community building you can find in <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/103952/Mythic-Iceland?affiliate_id=64760">Mythic Iceland</a>. The GM advice section is nonexistent - basically a page of "advice" that boils down to (1) make up rulings on the spot, (2) map the local area, (3) you can set the game in someone else's Norse-themed fantasy word, (4) you can allow advancement past level 10 at your own peril. Procedural generation and heavy use of random tables seem antithetical to the ethos of the game, so maybe the inclusion of a sample settlement and its surroundings, small adventure locations, and a handful of NPCs would've improved my overall view of the product. As it stands, I'll only adapt bits and pieces of it to other games.</p>
<p><b>Skaldic Sagas</b> was written by James M. Spahn and published by <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/10267/Gallant-Knight-Games?affiliate_id=64760">Gallant Knight Games</a>. It is available on <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/314285/Skaldic-Sagas-Heroic-Journeys-in-the-Viking-Age?affiliate_id=64760">DriveThruRPG</a> in PDF format.</p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-72448379781639473872020-08-24T19:01:00.000+02:002020-08-24T19:01:52.792+02:00Review - The Hero's Journey 2nd edition<p><i>Disclaimer: Note that some of the links below are affiliate links (meaning I get a small percentage of the sale without extra cost to you or the publisher).</i></p><p>When it comes to Whitebox-based materials, James M. Spahn is definitely the first name that comes to mind. After all, he's penned <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/222119/White-Star-Galaxy-Edition-Swords--Wizardry?affiliate_id=64760">White Star</a>, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/200572/White-Box-Compendium-Swords--Wizardry?affiliate_id=64760">White Box Compendium</a>, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/146506/White-Box-Omnibus-Swords--Wizardry?affiliate_id=64760">White Box Omnibus</a>, and <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/248821/Untold-Adventures-Deluxe-Edition-Swords--Wizardry?affiliate_id=64760">Untold Adventures</a> - among other things.</p><p><b>The Hero's Journey</b> is a game unsurprisingly also based on Swords & Wizardry Whitebox - but note that even though the base is clearly recognisable, the end result isn't readily compatible with it (as such, it's in similar shoes to <b>Helvéczia</b> and <b>Exemplars & Eidelons</b>). </p><p>Note that this review is concerned about the 2nd edition of the game (although I have written a shorter piece about the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/177622/The-Heros-Journey-Fantasy-Roleplaying-First-Edition?affiliate_id=64760">original</a> (released in 2016) on <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/explore-mystic-worlds-with-the-heros-journey.664374/">EN World</a>).</p><a name='more'></a><br />
<strong>System Summary</strong><br />
<ul><li>The classic six attributes are slightly rearranged: Might (strength), Finesse (dexterity), Resolve (constitution and willpower), Insight (intelligence and awareness), Bearing (charisma), and Weal (luck). Attribute scores range from 3 to 18, while modifiers are generally between -1 and +1 (only 3 and 18 grant -2 and +2, respectively).</li>
<li>Weal doesn't actually modify any roll directly. However, a character can declare Advantage on a number of rolls equal to their Weal modifier per session if positive - or the Narrator (GM) can declare Disadvantage a like number of times if it's negative.</li>
<li>Characers have a randomly determined Profession (such as Cartographer, Trapper, or Urchin). Each grants a few items, possibly a starting weapon (and proficiency with it), and some gold.</li>
<li>There are six Lineages to choose from: changeling, dwarf, elf, half-elf, halfling, and human. Lineage determines what dice you roll for which attribute (3d6, 2d6+6, or 2d6+1), standard level limits, and some starting abilities (the usual fare, really, although evocatively presented).</li>
<li>There are eight Archetypes described in the book: Bard, Burglar, Knight, Ranger, Swordsman, Warrior, Wizard, and Yeoman. Your Archetype determines your base Saving Throw (unified as in S&W), Endurance ("hit points"), XP requirements, and abilities (some of which, called prerequisite abilities, require a certain attribute score or higher to possess).</li>
<li>Exploration is handled in (tentatively 10-minute long) turns. There are 10 combat rounds in 1 turn. Distances aren't abstracted (i.e. they are given in feet).</li>
<li>Encumbrance uses the significant item rule: any item larger than a knife counts as 1 significant item. Characters can carry a number of items up to their Might score without becoming encumbered; they are lightly encumbered up 1.5 times that number, and heavily encumbered up to twice their Might (so for Might 10, the thresholds would be 10/15/20). Armor is an exception by default: it counts as many items as its Reduction Value.</li>
<li>Initiative is rolled on 1d12 per player character and adversary group, re-rolled every round. Surprise occurs on 1-3 on the first round of combat. Non-surprised combatants may swap their own initiative with an ally's.</li>
<li>Endurance is generally lower than in S&W: first level you get the maximum for your "hit die", then 2nd and 3rd level you receive another die (so far modified by Resolve as usual), but after that only 1 to 3 points are gained each level (which isn't modified by Resolve).</li>
<li>Defense ("AC") is generally 10 + Finesse modifier + shield (+2 buckler, +4 small, +8 large). Attack rolls (d20 + modifiers) that meet or exceed this value hit and deal damage. Damage values follow the variable damage pattern (d4 dagger, d6 dlub, d8 longsword, d10 two-handed sword); however, armour provides Reduction Value (between 1 and 5). Even then, a successful hit delivers at least 1 point of damage.</li>
<li>At 0 Endurance, the character falls unconscious for 1d6 minutes (and then wake up with 1 Endurance). At negative values, make a Saving Throw (penalised by current Endurance). They are merely knocked unconscious on a success; however, a failure leads to a roll on the Grievous Wounds table (1d6, penalised by current Endurance, and possibly modified by Weal): 1 or lower means instant death, 2-4 some sort of injury, and 5+ a grazing blow (unconscious for 1d6 minutes, as above).</li>
<li>After battle, a healing kit may be used to bind wounds for 1d4 Endurance; otherwise, restore 2 points per day (if properly rested).</li>
<li>Despair (fighting a powerful evil foe, seeing a comrade fall in battle, or merely crossing blighted lands) requires a Saving Throw. Failure imposes Disadvantage on all attack rolls and Saving Throws until the source of Despair is present. Every creature in the book comes with a Despair Rating (if higher than character level by 5 or more, it counts as an overwhelming foe).</li>
<li>Spells need not be memorised, but a Wizard knows only as many spells as their level (plus Insight modifier). Spells come in three "spell levels": Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master. The Wizard can only cast a certain number of each "spell level" (although they can use a stronger slot for a weaker spell).</li>
<li>Only 7 spells are described per tier, but note that each individual spell can be cast in three different ways. For instance, the Apprentice spell <i>Simple and Goodly Blessings</i> can be cast to use either <i>A Hearty Meal to Heal the Heart</i> (cleanse food and drinks and gain +1 vs Despair), <i>Blessing of a Stout Heart</i> (very short protection from evil on one target), or <i>Unwelcome Guest Upon the Mat</i> (instantly know if someone enters the designated area).</li>
<li>Characters earn a Myth Point for each level gained (and another one if they acted heroically). These Myth Points can then be used to enchant magical items (technically, the items gain their power through heroism, i.e. a hero's sword is magical because it was wielded by a hero). Weapons, armour, and shields gain Aspects (such as Blessed, Renowned, or Winter-Kissed), while miscellaneous magical items are Herilooms and can only be created by members of a specific Lineage. There 14 Aspects and 36 Heirlooms in total.</li>
</ul><br />
<strong>Things I Liked</strong><br />
<ul><li>I'm usually not a fan of renaming terms unless their mechanical impact is also changed, but I can totally accept the vocabulary THJ2E uses instead of the standard D&D-isms (Insight vs Intelligence, Lineage vs Race, Endurance vs HP, etc.). Except for Narrator instead of GM.</li>
<li>An animal trap (described in the equipment section) has a 1-in-12 chance per hour of catching something. Simple and easy to keep track of.</li>
<li>The large shield (+8 Defense) seems really overpowered, until you realise it adds Disadvantage on your attack rolls, making it best for the defensive types. In general, making shields powerful is a good direction, anyway.</li>
<li>The frequency of wilderness random events (hazards, monsters, travellers) is 1-in-6 per hex away from civilisation (but never higher than 5-in-6).</li>
<li>Relaxing around a campfire, if role-played or described sufficiently, grants party members a chance to gain Advantage on one Saving Throw the next day (if they succeed at a Saving Throw modified by Bearing).</li>
<li>A good number of monsters (80, to be specific) are described - and grouped according to their nature (e.g. Common Folk, Equines, Wild Beasts, or Undead).</li>
<li>The Myth Point system makes sense in the heroic framework the game is based on.</li>
<li>Bookmarks in the PDF.</li>
<li>Two pages listing films, music, literature, and games that inspired the game - and might inspire the players.</li>
</ul><br />
<strong>Things I Disliked</strong><br />
<ul><li>Although Narrator doesn't rub me as much the wrong way, I'm still going to call the GM simply just GM (or maybe Referee). It's not like their job is any different to actually warrant a new term.</li>
<li>I don't really like level limit, unless it's only a soft limit (e.g. receive only 50% XP beyond the limit).</li>
<li>The prerequisite abilities are nice, but their existence puts too much emphasis on attributes.</li>
<li>"Skill rolls" (such as a Burglar's Thievery or a Ranger's Forestry) are by default rolled by the Narrator. I think I understand the intention, but I just plain don't like it.</li>
<li>Although I appreciate the tactical nature of swapping initiative, I generally dislike individual initiative if it is re-rolled each round. The same kind of "chaining actions together in the most optimal way" can be accomplished with side-based initiative without bogging the game down by collecting and ordering individual scores.</li>
<li>The text makes it clear that this is not a game of random encounters (and thus provides no random encounter tables), yet the wilderness section clearly sets a random chance for setbacks happening (hazards, monsters, or travellers).</li>
<li>No reference sheet of creatures listed in increasing Despair Rating is provided.</li>
<li>While the characters have lower amounts of HP compared to S&W or B/X D&D, the monsters have fairly high Endurance (and often 2-3 points of Reduction as well). Granted, they generally have a worse AC-equivalent, but that still means that enemy combatants are fairly hard to fell.</li>
<li>No explicit rules for morale (there is a codified option to intimidate foes, but it's to impose Disadvantage on their attacks).</li>
<li>While Warriors (especially at level 4 and onwards) feel very satisfying in combat, the other characters deal significantly lower damage against armoured foes.</li>
<li>I really like the idea of bungling similar spells together (thus increasing the adaptability of the Wizard), but the Apprentice tier spells feel a lot weaker compared to traditional D&D spells (e.g. charm person only lasts for 1 hour/level, protection from evil for 1 round/level, etc.).</li>
<li>No index (although the book is "only" about 73k words spread over roughly 220 pages).</li>
<li>No Oxford commas.</li>
</ul>
<p><b>The Hero's Journey 2nd edition</b> is a coherent game (much more so than the first edition, which felt like a bag of - interesting - ideas). Instead of pulp fantasy, it "emulates" heroic stories like the Lord of the Rings, Stardust, and The Princess Bride - notably much more successfully than B/X or AD&D. I am not entirely convinced about the changes to the combat mechanics, but violence ought to feature less frequently than in standard D&D anyways, and other facets of the system appear well-constructed, so it might not be an issue after all. The magic system specifically is very good (although I do think the individual spell effects are a little too weak). The spell and monster descriptions ooze with flavour, and of course the devil's in the details, so even equivalents may differ on important specifics. Ultimately, it's not <i>my</i> kind of fantasy, but it fills an interesting niche that I can respect.</p>
<p>The Hero's Journey was written by James M. Spahn and published by <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/10267/Gallant-Knight-Games?affiliate_id=64760">Gallant Knight Games</a> in 2019. It is available on <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/295279/The-Heros-Journey-Second-Edition?affiliate_id=64760">DriveThruRPG</a> in PDF, softcover, and hardcover formats.</p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-4494780592719258612020-04-27T03:53:00.000+02:002020-04-27T03:53:00.933+02:00Review - Best Left Buried<p><i>Disclaimer: Note that some of the links below are affiliate links (meaning I get a small percentage of the sale without extra cost to you or the publisher).</i></p><p><b>Best Left Buried</b> is a fantasy horror game, where the protagonists are poor schmucks exploring dungeons or dungeon-like environments (called Crypts). It advertises itself as an OSR game (according to the system category on OneBookShelf), but it should be noted that the game isn't strictly D&D-esque.</p><a name='more'></a><br />
<strong>System Summary</strong><br />
<ul><li>Characters have three Stats: Brawn (strength and endurance), Wit (agility, elegance, and eloquence), and Will (intellect and willpower). These are set to +2, +1, and +0 during character creation.</li>
<li>Vigour is basically hit points; the maximum is 5 + Brawn + number of Advancements (i.e. level). If it reaches zero, you have 50% chance of survival. Lost points return following a rest.</li>
<li>Grip is stamina, mana, and sanity rolled into one. Aside from fuelling Exertion and certain Advancements, horrific encounters also drain one or more points. The maximum is 4 + Will. The standard rule is that once it runs out, the character is lost (they die of shock or a heart attack, commit suicide, become irrevocably insane, or join the monsters of the Crypt). Lost points recover only by developing Consequences.</li>
<li>Every character has an Archetype. The <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/254584/Best-Left-Buried-Cryptdiggers-Guide-To-Survival?affiliate_id=64760">Crypdigger's Guide to Survival</a> describes the following Archetypes: Believer, Cabalist, Cutthroat, Dastard, Everyman, Freeblade, Outcast, Scholar, Protagonist, and Veteran. The <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/278848/Best-Left-Buried-Expanded-Character-Options?affiliate_id=64760">Expanded Character Options</a> also adds Dwarves, Elves, and Small Folk.</li>
<li>Every Archetype comes with a short description of their core concept, three or four abilities/drawbacks, and a number of suggested Advancements. For instance, Cabalists can ignore the first Grip loss/expenditure per day, have the Upper Hand when making Grip Checks triggered by monsters and environments, and they start with a random Affliction.</li>
<li>Except Initiative, every roll in the game is a Stat Check: 2d6 + Stat, successful if equal to or greater than 9 (but there are a few special cases, namely Observation Checks, Grip Checks, and Attacks).</li>
<li>When you have the Upper Hand, you roll an extra die and discard the lowest. When you are Against the Odd, you roll an extra die and discard the highest. Multiple instances don't stack but opposite instances cancel each other out. Three or more instances of the same type make the roll either Trivial or Impossible.</li>
<li>Observation Checks aren't modified by any Stat (i.e. 2d6 vs. 9). They are used to discover hidden objects, intricate details, and against surprise.</li>
<li>Combat is handled in 10-second Rounds, every participant having their own Turn.</li>
<li>Initiative is determined by 1d3 + Wit, rolled only once. Combatants take their Turns in descending order.</li>
<li>Movement and reach in combat is handled via Zones, abstracted spaces that a person can easily cover during their Turn. Melee attacks must target someone in the same Zone, short ranged weapons target people in the adjacent Zone, and long range weapons may target anyone within five Zones.</li>
<li>During their Turn, characters can move to an adjacent Zone and take an action (Attack, pass another Zone, escape from melee, use an Advancement, finish off an unconscious character, or something else).</li>
<li>Attacks are rolled on 3d6 (plus Brawn or Wit) against a target number depending on the enemy (usually between 7 and 11). If a combination of two dice plus Stat hits the target number, the third die is dealt as damage to the enemy's Vigour.</li>
<li>Upper Hand and Against the Odds add another die and the lowest or highest is discarded before determining whether a hit occurs. Impossible Attacks deal no damage, while Trivial Attacks deal the greater die of 2d6.</li>
<li>If the damage die is 6, that's a Critical Hit, and a random Injury is sustained.</li>
<li>If multiple creatures of the same type are Ganging Up on the same target, roll only once but with one instance of Upper Hand for each creature beyond the first.</li>
<li>When you move away from a Zone with an enemy still there, you must either use the Escape action or roll a Wit Check; on a failure they either stay put or an enemy gets a free Attack against them.</li>
<li>When a monster or NPC loses all their Vigour, they die. When a PC loses all their Vigour, flip a coin. Tails, they die. Heads, they fall unconscious (and the enemy may use the Finish Him action to kill them). If they survive, they wake up 1d6 hours later with a random Injury and a random Affliction and a single point of Vigour.</li>
<li>The Finish Him action can be countered by the Heroic Rescue action, but it takes up an entire Turn of someone, and leaving the Zone with enemies procs the usual Wit Check to escape safely.</li>
<li>Characters start with a single Advancement chosen from the Journeyman list. For every 8 Experience they accumulate they get to pick another Advancement (and gain an extra point of Vigour and Grip).</li>
<li>Any character may pick any Advancement off the Journeyman list. Some are marked as Martial, Devious, Holy, and Arcane. If you have at least two of the same type and at least four in total, you get to pick from an advanced list (presented only in <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/278848/Best-Left-Buried-Expanded-Character-Options?affiliate_id=64760">Expanded Character Options</a>).</li>
<li>Advancements are generally not too powerful (or require many points of Grip), and a lot of them grant the Upper Hand is various situations, increase a Stat, grant extra Vigour or Grip, etc.</li>
<li>Grip may be spent to fuel Exertion: for each Grip spent, re-roll one die. A single die may only be re-rolled once this way. You can influence any roll you make as well as attack targeting you.</li>
<li>When confronted with the horrific, you must make a Grip Check. It's a Will Check (against the usual target number 9). If you success, you gain 1 Experience. If you fail, you lose 1 (or more) Grip.</li>
<li>In the standard rules you can only recover Grip by spending 8 Experience for an Advancement (+1 Grip), by taking the Extra Grip Advancement (+3 Grip), or by willingly embracing a Consequence (set Grip to 5 for an Injury or 10 for an Affliction).</li>
<li>A Consequence is either a random Injury (mostly described in terms of mechanics, such as "lost a point of Brawn" or "lose an eye; Against the Odds on Observation Checks that rely on sight") or a random Affliction (such as Hoardlust or Brittle Minded).</li>
<li>Suffering Afflictions or Injuries as a consequence of other rules (such as a Critical Hit or a monster's special ability) does not reset Grip.</li>
<li>Experience is earned for succeeding at Grip Checks, seeing great sights and overcoming challenges (GM fiat), and recovering treasure. The latter is calculated as follows: every valuable item is worth +1 Experience for every neutral/positive word in its description and -1 for each negative one (for instance, a "rare Atlantean scroll" is worth 3 Experience, while a "dirty Elven mirror" is worth but 1 Experience).</li>
<li>Magical items aren't worth any Experience. Broadly speaking, they can be potions, scrolls, mortal treasures, and monstrous treasures. Potions grant a monstrous Adaptation for about 5 minutes to the imbiber in exchange for 3 Grip (due to chemical fuckery). Scrolls require at least +1 Will and the expenditure of 2 Grip to mimic an arcane Advancement. Mortal treasures are magical items that have some very situational uses (such as a marble that rolls uphill or a pencil that can never be sharpened); a total pf 36 such items are described. Monstrous treasures mimic monstrous Adaptations, but they usually come with a drawback (such as an Affliction), kind of like Trinkets in Darkest Dungeon.</li>
</ul><br />
<strong>What I Liked</strong><br />
<ul><li>The core of the system is very simple to grasp. The way advantage/disadvantage works feels (to me) much better with 2d6 than 1d20.</li>
<li>I like the sort of free-form advancement process where any character can pick any talent - hardly a new concept, but it's still nice for variety (as I'm usually way too much into class-based games).</li>
<li>The game feels a lot like Torchbearer or Darkest Dungeon in the sense that the characters only get marginally better and they are virtually always at a disadvantage, fighting for treasure and survival in an uphill battle. A sort of <a href="https://bellenmred.blogspot.com/2020/04/esoteric-enterprises-advancement-scope.html">permanent low level experience</a> done fairly well. That doesn't even change even with the advanced abilities (unless Grip recovers by other means than Consequences - then it's just fantasy superheroes all over again).</li>
<li>The way attacks and damage are handled skews the expected damage output in such a way that it's more likely that easy-to-hit targets suffer more damage, whereas tougher opponents likely suffer less damage from a single attack.</li>
<li>Gunpowder weapons are treated like another range weapon, except that they ALWAYS have the Upper Hand; however, it takes a minute to reload one, so they are likely only to be used once per combat. It makes them feel special, but not overpowered compared to other, more consistent weapons.</li>
<li>Random character generation rules outlined in <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/278848/Best-Left-Buried-Expanded-Character-Options?affiliate_id=64760">Extra Character Options</a>.</li>
<li>Troika-inspired monster moods arranged by type: general, abomination, great beast, critter, tribal, construct, cultist, guard, otherworlder, brigant, and civilian. For instance, when meeting a group of acolytes (cultist category), they are either (1) enraptured, (2) suspicious, (3) paranoid, (4) deceptive, (5) ensorcelled, or (6) violent. Of course, like reaction rolls in old-school D&D, these are meant to be tools for the GM to spice things up and help them improvise, not a replacement for common sense.</li>
<li>The game comes with a short setting (The Thirteen Duchies of Lendal), a map, a few ideas for Crypts that fit the milieu, a handful of NPCs, and a short treatise of religion (all in 19 pages). Nothing revolutionary, but it's always nice to have a map as a springboard for adventures.</li>
<li>There's a sample Crypt of two levels described over 6 pages (plus 3 pages for 4 monsters).</li>
<li>In the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/278440/Best-Left-Buried-Doomsayers-Guide-to-Horror?affiliate_id=64760">Doomsayer's Guide</a> there's an optional rule for resting. A six-sider is rolled and recovery based on the quality of the camp (shocking, poor, basic, good, special). Carousing requries the expenditure of 1 to 3 Experience, and that many extra dice are rolled, and the highest result is applied. However, there's a chance of a mishap occurring (again, based on quality, from 3-in-6 to 1-in-6), and those results are added up when carousing. There are separate mishap tables for urban environs, camping in the wilderness, and resting in the Crypt, which is pretty cool.</li>
<li>Compatibility with <b>Best Left Buried</b> can be declared freely as long as it's clear that the product has no affiliation with SoulMuppet Publishing. The mechanics are expressly free to reuse as well.</li>
</ul><br />
<strong>What I Disliked</strong><br />
<ul><li>No Oxford comma.</li>
<li>A large number of typos, despite crediting eight (!) editors (they probably did more content editing than copy-editing or proofreading).</li>
<li>The Scholar Archetype feels rather weak on paper. One of their abilities is that taking Afflictions resets their Grip to 11 instead of 10; however, they also lose +1 Grip the first time each day, so that's pretty much cancelled out, and they're only left with a single ability (ask questions of the GM about secrets and esoteric knowledge in exchange for Grip)</li>
<li>No price list for equipment, despite treasure being central to the game (the reader is kindly recommended to take a look at <a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/product/209113/WH-Traders--Merchants-Inventories-for-28-different-types-of-merchant-indexed-by-quality?affiliate_id=64760">Traders & Merchants</a> or a different online source).</li>
<li>I don't really like how the player-facing rules are set up. The <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/254584/Best-Left-Buried-Cryptdiggers-Guide-To-Survival?affiliate_id=64760">Cryptdigger's Guide</a> explains the character creation process, Advancements (only Journeyman Advances, though), the basic rules of the game, and general monster stats (presumably because potions often mimic monster abilities, here called Adaptations). <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/278848/Best-Left-Buried-Expanded-Character-Options?affiliate_id=64760">Expanded Character Options</a>, on the other hand, includes character creation (including demi-human Archetypes), Advancements (Journeyman and the rest), and an optional random character creation process - literally only half of the book (31 pages out of 62).</li>
<li>I'm getting tired of every game having a new term for the GM (here called Doomsayer).</li>
<li>I'm also tired of reading about how these neo-old-school games compare themselves to modern games. It's the reverse of many heartbreaking fantasy games that describe themselves as "unlike in D&D...". So annoying.</li>
<li>Having a list of monster abilities is fine, but there are no sample monsters (except those 4 in the sample adventure in the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/278440/Best-Left-Buried-Doomsayers-Guide-to-Horror?affiliate_id=64760">Doomsayer's Guide</a>).</li>
<li>One of those monsters has a special Advancement (Paltry: the monster is Against the Odds on Attack rolls), and I'm not sure why it wasn't included in the standard monster Adaptations list.</li>
<li>Despite being a game about looting dungeons, the rules only say the following about encumbrance: "Characters can carry as much stuff as a regular human can. If they are carrying too much, their movement may be slowed or they may find themselves Against The Odds for some checks."</li>
<li>The "rules" for falling are even more laughable: "If a character falls off something, they will take some damage to their Vigour depending on how far they fall. If they fall a long way, they will probably die."</li>
<li>I get that such a meatgrinder of a game needs a constant stream of schmucks, err, player characters, but I'm not too convinced about having a Company of up to 50 dungeoneers camping outside the dungeon, err, Crypt and making well-planned assaults into the unknown. Even though it virtually works out the same as in old-school D&D (with a nearly constant supply of hirelings, planned forays into the dungeon, strategising and whatnot), for me it cheapens the horror of the whole (compare that with <a href="https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/2018/03/review-nightmares-underneath.html">The Nightmares Underneath</a> where PCs are privileged in the sense that they are resistant to Nightmare Curses to some degree, thus occupying their own social stratum).</li>
<li>Despite the talk of all the horror, the book just doesn't feel horrific enough (maybe <a href="https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/2020/03/review-esoteric-enterprises.html">Esoteric Enterprises</a> spoiled me with its bestiary section). It's the kind of game that talks more about safety at the table than actually describing terrible things (which means there are about as many terrifying things in the book as in any edition of D&D).</li>
</ul><p>The <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/254584/Best-Left-Buried-Cryptdiggers-Guide-To-Survival?affiliate_id=64760">Cryptdigger's Guide</a> and the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/278440/Best-Left-Buried-Doomsayers-Guide-to-Horror?affiliate_id=64760">Doomsayer's Guide</a> together have about 39k words over 144 pages (for comparison, <a href="http://snw.smolderingwizard.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=4">S&W Whitebox 1st printing</a> has 33k words over 72 pages, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/125513/Adventure-Fantasy-Game?affiliate_id=64760">Adventure Fantasy Game</a> has 35k words over 108 pages, and <a href="https://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/2018/09/review-dark-places-demogorgons.html">Dark Places & Demogorgons</a> has 41k words over 203 pages).</p><p><b>Best Left Buried</b> is a nice little rules-light game; alas, I'm clearly not the target audience. Dungeon crawling (Cryptdigging?) is central to its premise, yet it feels like the mechanics do not really support it. There are procedures lacking for too many things (encumbrance, chases, dungeon stocking), and the advice section feels too general. It's like the poor man's <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/145536/Into-the-Odd?affiliate_id=64760">Into the Odd</a> (albeit with a naturally superior roll-high system) with more built-in abilities and drawbacks (whereas <b>Into the Odd</b> is very much gear-based when it comes to "special" things). A handful of larger adventure modules were dropped, so those could be fun, but the base game feels incomplete to me.</p><p><b>Best Left Buried</b> was written by Zachary Cox and published in 2018 by SoulMuppet Publishing. The rulebooks are available on OBS (<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/254584/Best-Left-Buried-Cryptdiggers-Guide-To-Survival?affiliate_id=64760">Cryptdigger's Guide</a> and <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/278440/Best-Left-Buried-Doomsayers-Guide-to-Horror?affiliate_id=64760">Doomsayer's Guide</a>), but if you want the extra options, you should get the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/278853/Best-Left-Buried-The-Deluxe-Edition-BUNDLE?affiliate_id=64760">Deluxe Bundle</a>. In print they are usually available through Melsonia or Exalted Funeral (see the <a href="https://www.soulmuppet.co.uk/products">publisher's page</a>).<br />
</p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-54971452415972614002020-03-18T16:40:00.001+01:002020-03-22T19:43:26.503+01:00Review - Esoteric Enterprises<p><i>Disclaimer: Note that some of the links below are affiliate links (meaning I get a small percentage of the sale without extra cost to you or the publisher).</i></p><p><b>Esoteric Enterprises</b> is a modern occult horror dungeon crawling sandbox RPG. It is a synthesis of the premise of World of Darkness and the structured gameplay of old-school D&D, where outcasts and/or adventurous souls venture below the city and become involved in all sorts of illegal things, rub shoulders with the underbelly of society, ally themselves with vampires, and get in the crossfire of various gangs, cults, and supernatural big baddies.</p><p>The author, in an <a href="https://refereeingandreflection.wordpress.com/2020/02/25/interview-emmy-allen-on-engineering-esoteric-enterprises/">interview</a>, describes the game as follows:<br />
<ul><i>This is a world basically like our own, except magic is real, and dangerous, and wildly illegal. Of course, plenty of things are dangerous and illegal – such as drugs and organ-legging and bank robberies – so the worlds of organised crime and the supernatural have become inexorably linked. Things are only like our familiar world on the surface; beneath every city there is a literal underworld, where strange things hide from scrutiny, and the reckless or desperate traffic in things humans really shouldn’t be meddling with.</i></ul></p><p>The mechanics are chiefly based on <b>Lamentations of the Flame Princess</b> with a few twists here and there. The game also comes with a robust system to generate various underground factions and undercity locations to facilitate the sort of free-spirited dungeon crawling and conspiracy the game is built for.</p><a name='more'></a><br />
<strong>Rules Summary</strong><br />
<ul><li>We have the six classic attributes (Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Cha; although Wisdom is relegated to represent awareness, while willpower is absorbed by Charisma). They are determined with 3d6 in order. Modifiers follow the B/X tradition.</li>
<li>Classes: <i>Bodyguard</i> (the LotFP Dwarf: increased encumbrance limit, good fighting abilities, great saves, improved Con modifier, although with an increasing Perception skill instead of Architecture), <i>Criminal</i> (the LotFP Specialist; skill monkey), <i>Doctor</i> (high Medicine skill, can heal Flesh, plus they can do "medical experiments"), <i>Explorer</i> (great saves, high Athletics skill, increasing Stealth skill, and improved Dex modifier, but less damage with weapons), <i>Mercenary</i> (the LotFP Fighter equivalent), <i>Mystic</i> (knows spells granted by a supernatural patron, uses Charm skill to cast), <i>Occultist</i> (keeps a spellbook, uses Vancian memorisation), and <i>Spook</i> (represents all non-human characters, slowest advancement, gains a Monstrous Power each level).</li>
<li>The Doctor's special ability to do "medical experiments" is outlined over two pages (well into the book), bringing up a large number of examples to judge whether something is "trivial" (resolved with a Medicine roll) or "risky" (Save vs. Machines and worse outcome on a failure) - basically, the Doctor could easily be called Mad Scientist.</li>
<li>The Spook class is a catch-all term for everything supernatural. As such, it comes with a bunch of different "origins" (human variant, construct, fairy, ghostly, living, mineral, plant, or undead) that comes with a few advantages and disadvantages, as well as a d10 table of starting powers. Every Monstrous Power has a number of "themes" (Breathe Fire, for example, has Violent, Fire, and Arcane, while Hypnotism has Hidden and Social). A Spook gains a new Monstrous Power every level, and the only restriction they have is that a new power must share at least one theme with one of their previous powers.</li>
<li>The skill system follows the X-in-6 chance notation from LotFP. The following skills are in the game: Athletics, Charm, Contacts, Driving, Forensics, Medicine, Perception, Stealth, Technology, Translation, and Vandalism. Each starts at 1-in-6, plus they are modified by attributes.</li>
<li>Saves are based on the traditional five: Stunning, Poison, Hazards, Machines, and Magic. They are based on class and level as usual, but they are also modified by attributes.</li>
<li>If an action is neither resolved by an attack roll, a skill check, or a saving throw, a "d20 roll under attribute score" type of roll can be used if needed.</li>
<li>HP is divided into Flesh and Grit (the former representing actual injuries). Both are based on class and modified by Constitution (although only a single point of Flesh is gained per level, while Grit is the usual "class-based die + Con modifier per level").</li>
<li>AC is ascending, base 10. Natural 20s are criticals, dealing damage directly to Flesh.</li>
<li>Encumbrance level is calculated by number of items carried. It affects certain saves and skills, as well as movement rate.</li>
<li>XP is awarded for treasure only (i.e. works of art, cultural or religious artefacts, items with occult powers, gems, jewellery, and cash - but not magical reagents or bank transfers), and only if they have something to do with the occult underground.</li>
<li>Time is generally measured in 6-second combat rounds or 10-minute exploration turns (plus hours and days and weeks for longer activities, as usual).</li>
<li>When surprise is a possibility, it's decided with a Perception skill roll on both sides. The surprising party gets a free round to act as usual.</li>
<li>When the reaction of the other group isn't obvious, a reaction roll is used: 1d6 + Charisma modifier of leader (2 or less hostile, 3-4 neutral, 5 or more friendly). If the party leader is making a good impression, the result of a successful Charm roll is added to the reaction roll as well.</li>
<li>Initiative is 1d6 + leader's Dexterity per side.</li>
<li>Attack rolls are 1d20 + Strength or Dexterity vs. target's AC. To-hit bonuses aren't gained by all characters, but other situational bonuses may apply based on tactics (such as defensive or reckless fighting and environmental circumstances).</li>
<li>Damage is first subtracted from Grit. When there's no more Grit, damage reduces Flesh. Surprise attacks also deal damage directly to Flesh.</li>
<li>When reaching 0 Flesh, instead of going into negatives, you take a horrible wound looked up in a table based on the amount of damage taken and its type, such as ballistic, ripping, bludgeoning, burn, shock, or toxin.</li>
<li>If a side loses more than half of its member (or Grit/Flesh in case of a solitary opponent) or witnesses terrifying magic, they need to make a morale check: 1d6 + leader's Charisma (2 or less panicked, 3-4 rattled, 5 or more confident - the table in the book is inverted, but I assume it's a mistake).</li>
<li>Between adventures, characters may live their daily lives and also gather information, find buyers to sell their loot, and hunt down contacts to purchase weapons, drugs, and occult gear. Finding sellers, buyers, or other specialists is handled by a Contacts skill roll - whereas actual payment is a d10 roll against the character's Resources score (usually equal to their level).</li>
<li>Spells are arranged by rank (from 1 to 8, corresponding to spell levels in other D&D-esque games). There is a single spell list shared by both Occultists and Mystics (a total of 128 spells).</li>
<li>Occultists have a spellbook. They learn a single spell per level automatically, but they can also copy spells into their spellbook from scrolls and other Occultists' spellbooks. They can cast any spell any number of times per day if they perform a ritual (taking 1 turn). In addition, they may memorise spells (limited by their level), casting which takes only a single round. They may even memorise a spell in a lower rank slot (but they must make a Save vs. Magic or roll on The Fragility of Mortal Minds table). By using reagents, they can even make scrolls of known spells (casting which also takes but one round).</li>
<li>Mystics know a specific number of spells given by their patron. They cannot scribe scrolls or learn extra spells from spellbooks - but their casting attempts always take just a single round. To cast a spell successfully, they must brandish their holy symbol and make a Charm roll (and on a failure they roll on The Fickle Whims of the Divine table). They can also bless someone (essentially granting them a single-use spell that largely follows the rules of casting specific to Mystics).</li>
<li>The party's relationship with each faction of the underworld is measured separately using a Reputaion score (-20 to +20). The baseline Reputation starts at 0, but when they come into contact, the party's level and attitude determines a new baseline (e.g. a 5th level party generally showing hostility towards a gang would start at -5). Violent acts towards the faction and general untrustworthiness lowers this score, while acts of goodwill and completing jobs for them improve it.</li>
<li>Similarly, a Legal Attention score describes the party's relationship with the above ground authorities. Generally speaking, crimes increase this score, while laying low descrease it - however, it can <i>never</i> go lower than half of the highest score attained. Unnoticed crimes (witnesses silenced, surveillance footage destroyed, prints and DNA scrubbed, etc.) do not increase this score, however. This score also sets the maximum result on Law Enforcement Encounter rolls (the higher end of which involves the spooky Men In Black)</li>
<li>Wandering monsters are checked once every third turn, whenver the party causes a commotion, and whenever they enter a populated area. Wandering monsters are encounter 1-in-6 by default, 2-in-6 if the party is noisy or otherwise reckless, or 3-in-6 if they are purposely drawing attention.</li>
</ul><br />
<strong>Content by the Numbers</strong><br />
<ul><li>8 classes, 128 spells, 66 monstrous powers</li>
<li>57 charts (such as class advancement, attribute modifiers, equipment, monster stats per HD, die-type reference charts for underworld generation, etc.) and 119 random tables (such as random spell per rank, underworld locations, random encounter tables, magical mishaps, etc.)</li>
<li>198 monsters (with random tables for further variations)</li>
<li>5 gasses, 3 spores, 5 slimes, 16 diseases, and 11 curses</li>
<li>39 non-standard magic items</li>
</ul><br />
<strong>Things I Liked</strong><br />
<ul><li>The classic 3d6-in-order might sound too hardcore for some folks, so there are two alternatives: (1) you can use an array of inverse values (calculated as 21 minus the original value, so if you rolled 4, 11, 18, 6, 8, 5, you could instead take 17, 10, 3, 15, 13, 16), or (2) you can take 18 d6s so that each value from 1 to 6 appears thrice, and assign 3 such dice to each attribute.</li>
<li>No minimum attribute requirements for classes. Even though attribute modifiers partially contribute towards a character's effectiveness, "niche protection" is largely still achieved through class abilities alone.</li>
<li>Very clean rules of recuperation. Grit returns after a short rest (1 turn). Flesh returns at a rate of 1 point per night, +1 point if slept indoors, +1 point if slept in a bed.</li>
<li>Well-written "when to roll" paragraph that boils down to the following: (1) if the action is dangerous, (2) if the action is likely to fail but there's still some chance, (3) in combat, (4) if the action relies less on techniques that players can describe and more on actual knowledge or innate strengths of a character.</li>
<li>The X-in-6 skill chance thing is nice and all, but what really elevates it is that the number rolled on a success often matters.</li>
<li>The description of the Technology skill reminds the reader that "most people" are probably way less nerdy (which means only experts are allowed to roll on a bunch of things).</li>
<li>A page of advice for (new) players ("You control your character. The GM adjudicates everything else. The world is not fair. You ned to play ruthless. The GM is not your enemy. You can't really win, but you absolutely can lose. Your character is not you. The rules are a tool, not the point of the game.").</li>
<li>There is an incredibly useful "How do I play as a..." section that goes over a bunch of character types and archetypes (from cop and necromancer to femme fatale and the wandering soul of a coma patient), providing useful advice how to represent those characters in game terms (which class to pick, which attributes to prioritise, etc.), often providing multiple similar approaches.</li>
<li>Dying is rarely instantaneous, because 1st level characters have practically 2 Hit Dice (one die of Flesh and one of Grit), but at the same time characters still feel pretty fragile. It's just a nice spot overall.</li>
<li>A few pages of simple rules deal with various topics: aging, attribute damage and loss, bleeding to death, breaking equipment, cave-ins and collapsing buildings, climbing, digging, disguises, opening locked doors, electrocution, escaping bonds, falling, fire, being left in the dark, hacking computers, mental damage, metamorphosis, narcotics, poison, sickness, sleep deprivation, swimming and drowning, torture, and handling traps and alarms. These rules bits can be easily replaced or expanded upon if found lacking. It also helps communicating what sort of hazards and obstacles the characters are expected to face.</li>
<li>If plausible in a given situation, Stealth or Charm can be used to gain a surprise attack during combat (either by disappearing in the shadows to strike again later or by distracting an opponent so another may deliver a deadly blow). A few other fighting options, like defensive fighting (+AC, -attack), reckless fighting (+attack, -AC), or going for the kill (+damage, -AC, -attack) and suppressing fire round out the options in combat.</li>
<li>Both Mystics and Occultists can cast spells experimentally, meaning that they can change certain parameters of the spell ad hoc (not making it stronger but different, mostly) - but they must make a Save vs. Magic or roll on the What Has Your Hubris Brought table. Occultists might even transcribe these experiments into their spellbook, and step-by-step research entirely new spells.</li>
<li>A short section goes into detail about the dos and don'ts of running games. Nothing groundbreaking for veteran gamers (or those active in the OSR segment of the blogosphere), but it's nice to see these thoughts collected as it might come handy for newcomers. It touches on various things from preparation and character death to running combat, exploration, and heists.</li>
<li>If the type of wandering monster rolled has been encountered before, there's a 1-in-6 chance it's the same group. A simple but elegant way to introduce continuity. Will probably steal this bit for other OSR games I run.</li>
<li>Simple rules for handling squeezing through tight spaces and chases in active subway tunnels.</li>
<li>Treasure tables, including "I search the body", random magic item, random grimoire, and random narcotics, and random encounter tables.</li>
<li>An appendix N, compatibility notes with other OSR games, an index (!), and a list of tables - all at the back of the book.</li>
</ul><br />
<strong>Things I Disliked</strong><br />
<ul><li>There are a handful of typos and numerous issues with punctuation and consistency. Better editing and more thorough proofreading would have made the product "cleaner" and easier to digest.</li>
<li>Higher attributes are a little more important than in other OSR games, as they affect skills and saves on top of the usual things, like to-hit rolls, HP, AC, etc. They may even be used in action resolution (d20 roll under)!</li>
<li>Awareness would be a cooler and more descriptive name for the Perception skill (it gives the wrong impression, IMHO).</li>
<li>The possibility of +3 Charisma is often criticised when used with 2d6 reaction rolls - but here Charisma is even more powerful as it's a 1d6 roll. Same for morale.</li>
<li>For XP purposes, the exact value of the loot is needed (in USD/EUR), whereas for gearing up an abstract Resources score is used. I do like that Resources is only rolled when it comes to illegal things (for "normal" things, every Resource level comes with a spending limit), but in general I don't like the dissonance between the coin-based and abstract approaches. Might turn out to be just fine at the table, though.</li>
</ul><p>Suffice to say, I'm very much intrigued by this game. I really like the premise, and I'm just about to put together an undercity for my players to explore. However, it isn't without flaws. The change from 2d6 to 1d6 in case of reaction and morale doesn't seem justified, and the entire book - while oozing with flavour - feels a little unpolished (inconsistent terms, missing punctuation, typos, that sort of thing). Nothing that will stop me from running it, mind you.</p><p><b>Esoteric Enterprises</b> is designed and written by Emmy Allen (aka <a href="https://cavegirlgames.blogspot.com/">Cavegirl</a>) and published through <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/9864/Dying-Stylishly-Games?affiliate_id=64760">Dying Stylishly Games</a>. It is available on <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/297833/Esoteric-Enterprises--Complete?affiliate_id=64760">DriveThruRPG</a> as a PDF (and it comes with an art-free version, too) or as a hardback+PDF combo through <a href="https://www.exaltedfuneral.com/products/esoteric-enterprises">Exalted Funeral</a>.</p><p>EDIT: I believe the print edition is actually published by <a href="https://www.soulmuppet.co.uk/">SoulMuppet Publishing</a>, and Exalted Funeral is merely the distributor in the US (and apparently <a href="https://www.melsonia.com/esoteric-enterprises-89-p.asp">Melsonia</a> in the UK).</p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-52537189389511139192020-02-09T23:37:00.000+01:002020-02-09T23:37:52.506+01:00Mini-Review: Mazes & Minotaurs<p><i>This one is, I believe, the last mini-review I originally wrote for EN World but never got around to publish, slightly edited.</i></p><p><i>Disclaimer: The article includes affiliate links.</i></p><p>Back in 2002, Pault Elliot wrote an <a href="https://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/columns/tempus12nov02.html">article</a> about how different <b>D&D</b> (and the whole TTRPG scene) could have been if its inspirations were different; say, <b>Jason and the Argonauts</b> and the <b>Odyssey</b> instead of <b>Conan</b> and the <b>Lord of the Rings</b>. Olivier Legrand became fascinated with the concept and soon began working on such a game that could have existed back in the 70s, first on his own, and then collaborating with Paul himself. Eventually, the fruit of their collaboration was the design of <b>Mazes & Minotaurs</b>.</p><p><b>Mazes & Minotaurs</b> was not just a design experiment, however. It was minimalistic, amateurish, and even parodistic, but it was a game to be played, nonetheless. Soon the <a href="http://storygame.free.fr/OLDMAZES.htm">original version</a> received numerous supplements, and then a major revision, bringing us the <a href="http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/revised.html">advanced versioní</a> of the game, which is now available on <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/11095/Legrand-Games-Studio?affiliate_id=64760">DriveThruRPG</a>.</p><p>A shtick of M&M is that every product is written as if it were a re-release of something from the 70s or 80s, and a whole fake history of role-playing games is constantly referenced (like MAZECON and the Griffin magazine), which makes it a hilarious read on its own. As noted above, however, M&M is not merely a parody; it is a fully functional game with a simple but powerful core.</p><p>M&M has a slightly tweaked list of Attributes (Might, Skill, Wits, Luck, Will, Grace), whose modifiers are used extensively to calculate various secondary statistics (such as melee and missile attack bonuses, and saving rolls like Danger Sense and Mystic Fortitude). There is no standard resolution mechanic per se, even though every test is made using the familiar mechanic of "d20 + modifiers vs. target number". There is no skill system either (just like in the early editions of D&D), but there are various Background Talents detailed in the <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/205080/Mazes--Minotaurs-Companion?affiliate_id=64760">Companion</a>.</p><p>The <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/204635/Mazes--Minotaurs-Players-Manual?affiliate_id=64760">Players Manual</a> describes twelve classes (such as Centaur, Lyrist, Spearman, and Thief). They differ in their starting Hits (the equivalent of hit points), primary attributes, and special abilities (everyone gets two or three of these, except for casters who only have their spells). Combat is very straightforward, but the supplements detail a fair amount of special maneuvers. Magic uses spell points (called Power Points), and every caster class has access to six unique spells.</p><p>The <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/204636/Mazes--Minotaurs-Maze-Masters-Guide?affiliate_id=64760">Maze Masters Guide</a> provides information regarding the setting (called Mythika), whose bare-bones descriptions are further detailed in a series of articles (cf. <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?keywords=atlas+of+mythika&x=0&y=0&author=&artist=&pfrom=&pto=&affiliate_id=64760">Atlas of Mythika</a>). It also has a handful of random generators (adventure plots, city states, temples, mysterious islands), and an easy-to-use monster creation system (the actual monsters are presented in the <a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/204637/Mazes--Minotaurs-Creature-Compendium?affiliate_id=64760">Creature Compendium</a>; circa 200 opponents of various types and power levels).</p><p><b><a href="http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/11095/Legrand-Games-Studio?affiliate_id=64760">Mazes & Minotaurs</a></b> is an amazing work of love. It retains the simplicity and familiarity of old-school D&D, while improving upon it at the same time. There are a lot of supplements covering a wild range of topics (new monsters, mythic items, classes, and adventures), yet the game remains simple and elegant. And the best part is that the entire product line is completely <b>free</b>.</p>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-78225418148596063852019-12-09T12:44:00.001+01:002019-12-09T12:44:38.302+01:00Kazamaták és Kompániák - Advanced Classes<p>The second edition of <i>the</i> Hungarian retro-clone, <b>Kamazaták és Kompániák</b> is imminent, and even though it won't be available in English, I've decided to make certain key elements of it available for an international audience - partially because if I ever decide to run something B/X-like in English, I'll most certainly pick KéK over OSE (after years of extensive playtesting and fine-tuning, I just prefer it to B/X).</p><p>Below you will find the six "advanced" classes for <i>the</i> Hungarian retro-clone, <b>Kamazaták és Kompániák</b> (abbreviated, for it is but a reference work) - next time we look at the spell lists for magic-using classes (and as before, the devil's in the details).</p><a name='more'></a><br />
<style>th {text-align: left;}</style><p><b>DRUID</b></p><ul><li>Requirement 9+ Wisdom</li>
<li>Primary Attribute: Wisdom and Charisma</li>
<li>Cannot use metal weapons, shields, or armour.</li>
<li>May only be of Neutral alignment.</li>
<li>No more than one druid may join the company at any time.</li>
<li>May dominate or pacify animals (see table below). Attempts are rolled with 1d6, targeting a single animal. On a success the target animal is dominated, or (if limit is already reached or animal is violent towards the druid) pacified for 2d6 turns. Special results include (N) no attempt is possible and (S) automatic success. The druid may control as many HD of animals as their henchman allowance based on Charisma.</li>
<table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>1 HD</th> <th>1 HD</th> <th>3 HD</th> <th>4 HD</th> <th>5 HD</th> <th>6 HD</th> <th>7 HD</th> <th>8 HD</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>S</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>S</td> <td>S</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>N</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>S</td> <td>S</td> <td>S</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>6</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>XP</th> <th>To-hit</th> <th>HD</th> <th>Spells</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>+1</td> <td>1d6</td> <td>-</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>1500</td> <td>+1</td> <td>2d6</td> <td>1</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>3000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>3d6</td> <td>2</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>6000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>4d6</td> <td>3/1</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>12000</td> <td>+3</td> <td>5d6</td> <td>4/2</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>25000</td> <td>+3</td> <td>6d6</td> <td>4/3/1</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Death</th> <th>Wand</th> <th>Stone</th> <th>Breath</th> <th>Spells/Rods</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1-3</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> <td>14</td> <td>16</td> <td>15</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4-6</td> <td>9</td> <td>10</td> <td>12</td> <td>14</td> <td>13</td> </tr>
</table></ul><p><b>ILLUSIONIST</b></p><ul><li>Requirement 9+ Charisma</li>
<li>Primary Attribute: Intelligence and Charisma</li>
<li>May only use daggers, staves, and slings.</li>
<li>Start with <i>Read Magic</i> and 1 + INT modifier spells. Learn 1 + INT modifier further spells each level. Spells are stored in a spellbook.</li>
<table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>XP</th> <th>To-hit</th> <th>HD</th> <th>Spells</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>+1</td> <td>1d4</td> <td>1</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>2500</td> <td>+1</td> <td>2d4</td> <td>2</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>5000</td> <td>+1</td> <td>3d4</td> <td>3/1</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>10000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>4d4</td> <td>4/2</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>20000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>5d4</td> <td>4/3/1</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>40000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>6d4</td> <td>4/4/2</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Death</th> <th>Wand</th> <th>Stone</th> <th>Breath</th> <th>Spells/Rods</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1-3</td> <td>13</td> <td>14</td> <td>13</td> <td>16</td> <td>14</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4-6</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> <td>11</td> <td>14</td> <td>12</td> </tr>
</table></ul><p><b>RANGER</b></p><ul><li>Requirement 9+ Constitution</li>
<li>Primary Attribute: Strength and Constitution</li>
<li>May use any type of weapon, shield, and leather armour.</li>
<li>Only surprised 1/d6</li>
<li>Surprise attacks gain +4 to-hit</li>
<li>Rangers have a number of special skills (tested with 1d6):</li>
<ul><li>Move Silently (grants surprise)</li>
<li>Listen</li>
<li>Climb (without equipment)</li>
<li>Track (−2 per week and −1 per day of rain)</li>
<li>Navigate (precedes the "getting lost" roll)</li>
<li>Hide in Wilderness (among trees and shrubs)</li>
</ul><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Sneak</th> <th>Listen</th> <th>Climb</th> <th>Track</th> <th>Navigate</th> <th>Hide</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>3-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>3-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>1-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>2-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>1-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>2-6</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>XP</th> <th>To-hit</th> <th>HD</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>+1</td> <td>1d6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>2200</td> <td>+1</td> <td>2d6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>4400</td> <td>+2</td> <td>3d6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>8800</td> <td>+2</td> <td>4d6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>17000</td> <td>+3</td> <td>5d6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>35000</td> <td>+3</td> <td>6d6</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Death</th> <th>Wand</th> <th>Stone</th> <th>Breath</th> <th>Spells/Rods</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1-3</td> <td>12</td> <td>13</td> <td>14</td> <td>15</td> <td>16</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4-6</td> <td>10</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> <td>13</td> <td>14</td> </tr>
</table></ul><p><b>ASSASSIN</b></p><ul><li>Requirement 9+ Strength</li>
<li>Primary Attribute: Intelligence and Dexterity</li>
<li>Cannot use shields or armour heavier than leather, but proficient with all weapons.</li>
<li>Surprise attacks gain +4 to-hit and deal ×2/×3/×4 damage (levels 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6).</li>
<li>Deal 1d4 damage even with improvised weapons of all sorts</li>
<li>Know all alignment tongues</li>
<li>Assassins have a number of special skills (tested with 1d6):</li>
<ul><li>Acrobatics (balancing, parkouring, etc.)</li>
<li>Disguise</li>
<li>Move Silently (grants surprise)</li>
<li>Listen</li>
<li>Concoct Poison (soporific, hallucinogenic, paralytic, or lethal)</li>
<li>Open Locks</li>
</ul><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Acrobatics</th> <th>Disguise</th> <th>Sneak</th> <th>Listen</th> <th>Poison</th> <th>Locks</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>5-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>5-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>4-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>4-6</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>XP</th> <th>To-hit</th> <th>HD</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>+1</td> <td>1d6</td> <td>-</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>1500</td> <td>+1</td> <td>2d6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>3000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>3d6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>6000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>4d6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>12000</td> <td>+3</td> <td>5d6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>25000</td> <td>+3</td> <td>6d6</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Death</th> <th>Wand</th> <th>Stone</th> <th>Breath</th> <th>Spells/Rods</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1-3</td> <td>13</td> <td>14</td> <td>13</td> <td>16</td> <td>15</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4-6</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> <td>11</td> <td>14</td> <td>13</td> </tr>
</table></ul><b>PALADIN</b></p><ul><li>Requirement 9+ Wisdom and Charisma</li>
<li>Primary Attribute: Strength and Wisdom</li>
<li>May use every type of weapon, shield, and armour</li>
<li>May only be of Lawful alignment</li>
<li>Once a day heal twice their level hit points or <i>cure disease</i> by touch</li>
<li>May deal extra damage equal to their level against a Chaotic enemy (once per day per odd level)</li>
<li>Immune to disease</li>
<table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>XP</th> <th>To-hit</th> <th>HD</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>+1</td> <td>1d8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>2000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>2d8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>4000</td> <td>+3</td> <td>3d8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>8000</td> <td>+4</td> <td>4d8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>16000</td> <td>+5</td> <td>5d8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>32000</td> <td>+6</td> <td>6d8</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Death</th> <th>Wand</th> <th>Stone</th> <th>Breath</th> <th>Spells/Rods</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1-3</td> <td>12</td> <td>13</td> <td>14</td> <td>15</td> <td>16</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4-6</td> <td>10</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> <td>13</td> <td>14</td> </tr>
</table></ul><p><b>MONK</b></p><ul><li>Requirement 9+ Strength and Dexterity</li>
<li>Primary Attribute: Wisdom</li>
<li>May not use weapons, shields, or armour.</li>
<li>Unarmed damage and unarmoured AC improves by level (see table below).</li>
<li>Base movement rate is 150'</li>
<li>Only surprised on 1/d6</li>
<li>May fall 20' without suffering damage</li>
<li>Monks have a number of special skills (tested with 1d6):</li>
<ul><li>Acrobatics (balancing, parkouring, etc.)</li>
<li>Hide in Shadows (no need for cover)</li>
<li>Move Silently (grants suprise)</li>
<li>Listen</li>
<li>Climb (without equipment)</li>
</ul><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Acrobatics</th> <th>Hide</th> <th>Sneak</th> <th>Listen</th> <th>Climb</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>3-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>2-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>2-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>2-6</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>XP</th> <th>To-hit</th> <th>HD</th> <th>Dmg</th> <th>AC</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>+1</td> <td>1d6</td> <td>1d4</td> <td>8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>2200</td> <td>+2</td> <td>2d6</td> <td>1d4</td> <td>7</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>4400</td> <td>+2</td> <td>3d6</td> <td>1d6</td> <td>6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>8800</td> <td>+3</td> <td>4d6</td> <td>1d6</td> <td>5</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>17000</td> <td>+4</td> <td>5d6</td> <td>1d8</td> <td>4</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>35000</td> <td>+4</td> <td>6d6</td> <td>1d8</td> <td>3</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Death</th> <th>Wand</th> <th>Stone</th> <th>Breath</th> <th>Spells/Rods</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1-3</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> <td>14</td> <td>16</td> <td>15</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4-6</td> <td>9</td> <td>10</td> <td>12</td> <td>14</td> <td>13</td> </tr>
</table></ul>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-794111548031176400.post-27236547876903851102019-12-03T08:20:00.002+01:002019-12-03T08:21:25.235+01:00Kazamaták és Kompániák - Basic Classes<p>The second edition of <i>the</i> Hungarian retro-clone, <b>Kamazaták és Kompániák</b> (Dungeons & Companies) is imminent, and even though it won't be published in English (as there are already enough B/X-like games), I've decided to make certain key elements of it available for an international audience - partially because if I ever decide to run something B/X-like in English, I'll most certainly pick KéK over OSE (after years of extensive playtesting and fine-tuning, I just prefer it to B/X).</p><p>Below you will find the seven basic classes (abbreviated, for it is but a reference work) - next time we look at the "advanced" classes (described as "classes for wilderness and city campaigns" in KéK), and finally, spell lists for both "basic" and "advanced" classes (and as before, the devil's in the details).</p><p>A few notes:</p><ul><li>Level limit is 6 by default (for player characters at least).</li>
<li>Attack rolls are 1d20 + attacker's to-hit bonuses + defenders's AC vs. 20.</li>
<li>Morale and hireling rules are roughly as in B/X (see either <a href="https://emdt.bigcartel.com/product/echoes-from-fomalhaut-01-beware-the-beekeeper">Echoes from Fomalhaut #01</a> or <a href="https://emdt.bigcartel.com/product/castle-xyntillan">Castle Xyntillan</a> for details).</li>
<li>On D6 rolls (such as class abilities or random encounter rolls) it is assumed that high rolls favour the party, while low rolls hinder them.</li>
<li>XP is awareded for defeating enemies (based on HD and special abilities), recovering teasure (1 XP per 1 gp), and carousing (1 XP per 1 gp).</li>
<li>Spellcasting requires memorisation.</li>
<li>The default mode of play is dungeon exploration, and hit points are rerolled at the beginning of each expedition.</li>
<li>Small weapons deal 1d4 damage, one-handed weapons 1d6, and two-handed weapons 1d8.</li>
<li>Helmets may be sacrificed to negate a mortal blow (a variant of <a href="https://trollsmyth.blogspot.com/2008/05/shields-shall-be-splintered.html">shields shall be splintered</a>).</li>
</ul><a name='more'></a><br />
<style>th {text-align: left;}</style><p><b>FIGHTING-MAN</b></p><ul><li>Primary Attribute: Strength</li>
<li>May use every type of weapon, shield, and armour.</li>
<li>They may attack multiple opponents, provided their combined HD doesn't exceed the fighting-man's own (e.g. a level 4 fighting-man may attack four 1 HD goblins, two 2 HD wolves, or a 3 HD crystal statue and a 1 HD cultist).</li>
<table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>XP</th> <th>To-hit</th> <th>HD</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>+1</td> <td>1d8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>2000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>2d8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>4000</td> <td>+3</td> <td>3d8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>8000</td> <td>+4</td> <td>4d8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>16000</td> <td>+5</td> <td>5d8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>32000</td> <td>+6</td> <td>6d8</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Death</th> <th>Wand</th> <th>Stone</th> <th>Breath</th> <th>Spells/Rods</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1-3</td> <td>12</td> <td>13</td> <td>14</td> <td>15</td> <td>16</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4-6</td> <td>10</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> <td>13</td> <td>14</td> </tr>
</table></ul><p><b>CLERIC</b></p><ul><li>Primary Attribute: Wisdom</li>
<li>May only use blunt weapons. Proficient with shields and armour.</li>
<li>Lawful clerics may turn undead; chaotic clerics may control them (see table below). Attempts are rolled with 1d6. On a success 2d6 undead are affected (for 2d6 turns). During a single encounter no more attempts may be made after the first failed one (the undead sense the cleric's weakness). Special results include (N) no attempt is possible, (T) automatic success, and (D) destruction instead of turning (extended control for chaotic clerics).</li>
<table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>1 HD</th> <th>1 HD</th> <th>3 HD</th> <th>4 HD</th> <th>5 HD</th> <th>6 HD</th> <th>7 HD</th> <th>8 HD</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>T</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>N</td> <td>N</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>D</td> <td>T</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>N</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>D</td> <td>D</td> <td>T</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>6</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>XP</th> <th>To-hit</th> <th>HD</th> <th>Spells</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>+1</td> <td>1d6</td> <td>-</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>1500</td> <td>+1</td> <td>2d6</td> <td>1</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>3000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>3d6</td> <td>2</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>6000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>4d6</td> <td>3/1</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>12000</td> <td>+3</td> <td>5d6</td> <td>4/2</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>25000</td> <td>+3</td> <td>6d6</td> <td>4/3/1</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Death</th> <th>Wand</th> <th>Stone</th> <th>Breath</th> <th>Spells/Rods</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1-3</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> <td>14</td> <td>16</td> <td>15</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4-6</td> <td>9</td> <td>10</td> <td>12</td> <td>14</td> <td>13</td> </tr>
</table></ul><p><b>THIEF</b></p><ul><li>Primary Attribute: Dexterity</li>
<li>Cannot use shields or armour heavier than leather, but proficient with all weapons.</li>
<li>Surprise attacks gain +4 to-hit and deal ×2/×3/×4 damage (levels 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6).</li>
<li>Thieves have a number of special skills (tested with 1d6):</li>
<ul><li>Hide in Shadows (no need for cover)</li>
<li>Disarm Traps (noticing them requires player skill)</li>
<li>Move Silently (grants surprise)</li>
<li>Listen</li>
<li>Climb (without equipment)</li>
<li>Read Languages (decipher messages, codes, scripts)</li>
<li>Open Locks</li>
<li>Pick Pockets</li>
</ul><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Hide</th> <th>Disarm</th> <th>Sneak</th> <th>Listen</th> <th>Climb</th> <th>Read</th> <th>Locks</th> <th>Pockets</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>5-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>6</td> <td>5-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>5-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>5-6</td> <td>4-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>4-6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>2-6</td> <td>3-6</td> <td>4-6</td> <td>4-6</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>XP</th> <th>To-hit</th> <th>HD</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>+1</td> <td>1d4</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>1200</td> <td>+1</td> <td>2d4</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>2400</td> <td>+2</td> <td>3d4</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>4800</td> <td>+2</td> <td>4d4</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>9600</td> <td>+3</td> <td>5d4</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>20000</td> <td>+3</td> <td>6d4</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Death</th> <th>Wand</th> <th>Stone</th> <th>Breath</th> <th>Spells/Rods</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1-3</td> <td>13</td> <td>14</td> <td>13</td> <td>16</td> <td>15</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4-6</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> <td>11</td> <td>14</td> <td>13</td> </tr>
</table></ul><p><b>MAGIC-USER</b></p><ul><li>Primary Attribute: Intelligence</li>
<li>May only use daggers, staves, and slings.</li>
<li>Start with <i>Read Magic</i> and 1 + INT modifier spells. Learn 1 + INT modifier further spells each level. Spells are stored in a spellbook.</li>
<table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>XP</th> <th>To-hit</th> <th>HD</th> <th>Spells</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>+1</td> <td>1d4</td> <td>1</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>2500</td> <td>+1</td> <td>2d4</td> <td>2</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>5000</td> <td>+1</td> <td>3d4</td> <td>3/1</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>10000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>4d4</td> <td>4/2</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>20000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>5d4</td> <td>4/3/1</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>40000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>6d4</td> <td>4/4/2</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Death</th> <th>Wand</th> <th>Stone</th> <th>Breath</th> <th>Spells/Rods</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1-3</td> <td>13</td> <td>14</td> <td>13</td> <td>16</td> <td>14</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4-6</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> <td>11</td> <td>14</td> <td>12</td> </tr>
</table></ul><p><b>ELF</b></p><ul><li>Requirement 9+ Intelligence</li>
<li>Primary Attribute: Strength and Intelligence</li>
<li>May use every type of weapon, shield, and armour.</li>
<li>No more than one elf may join the company at any given time.</li>
<li>Find secret doors 3-6/d6</li>
<li>Listen 4-6/d6</li>
<li>They are immune to ghoul paralysis.</li>
<li>Start with <i>Read Magic</i> and 1 + INT modifier spells. Learn 1 + INT modifier further spells each level. Spells are stored in a spellbook.</li>
<table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>XP</th> <th>To-hit</th> <th>HD</th> <th>Spells</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>+1</td> <td>1d6</td> <td>1</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>4000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>2d6</td> <td>2</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>8000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>3d6</td> <td>3/1</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>16000</td> <td>+3</td> <td>4d6</td> <td>4/2</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>32000</td> <td>+4</td> <td>5d6</td> <td>4/3/1</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>64000</td> <td>+4</td> <td>6d6</td> <td>4/4/2</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Death</th> <th>Wand</th> <th>Stone</th> <th>Breath</th> <th>Spells/Rods</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1-3</td> <td>13</td> <td>14</td> <td>13</td> <td>16</td> <td>14</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4-6</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> <td>11</td> <td>14</td> <td>12</td> </tr>
</table></ul><p><b>HALFLING</b></p><ul><li>Requirement 9+ Dexterity and Constitution</li>
<li>Primary Attribute: Strength and Dexterity</li>
<li>May use every type of weapon, shield, and armour, except two-handed melee weapons and longbows.</li>
<li>Multiple halflings may join the company, assuming they are friends. If any one of them dies, no further halflings may join the company until their friends leave or die, too.</li>
<li>+1 to-hit with ranged weapons, and −2 AC against large opponents</li>
<li>Listen 4-6/d6</li>
<li>Hide among trees and shrubs 2-6/d6</li>
<li>Hide in dungeons 5-6/d6</li>
<table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>XP</th> <th>To-hit</th> <th>HD</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>+1</td> <td>1d6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>2000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>2d6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>4000</td> <td>+2</td> <td>3d6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>8000</td> <td>+3</td> <td>4d6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>16000</td> <td>+4</td> <td>5d6</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>32000</td> <td>+4</td> <td>6d6</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Death</th> <th>Wand</th> <th>Stone</th> <th>Breath</th> <th>Spells/Rods</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1-3</td> <td>10</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> <td>13</td> <td>14</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4-6</td> <td>8</td> <td>9</td> <td>10</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> </tr>
</table></ul><p><b>DWARF</b></p><ul><li>Requirement 9+ Constitution</li>
<li>Primary Attribute: Strength</li>
<li>May use every type of weapon, shield, and armour, except two-handed swords and longbows.</li>
<li>No more than one dwarf may join the company at any given time.</li>
<li>Listen 4-6/d6</li>
<li>Detect slopes, new constructions, sliding walls etc. 5-6/d6</li>
<table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>XP</th> <th>To-hit</th> <th>HD</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1</td> <td>0</td> <td>+1</td> <td>1d8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>2</td> <td>2200</td> <td>+2</td> <td>2d8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>3</td> <td>4400</td> <td>+2</td> <td>3d8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4</td> <td>8800</td> <td>+3</td> <td>4d8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>5</td> <td>17000</td> <td>+4</td> <td>5d8</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>6</td> <td>35000</td> <td>+4</td> <td>6d8</td> </tr>
</table><table style="width:100%"><tr> <th>Level</th> <th>Death</th> <th>Wand</th> <th>Stone</th> <th>Breath</th> <th>Spells/Rods</th> </tr>
<tr> <td>1-3</td> <td>10</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> <td>13</td> <td>14</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>4-6</td> <td>8</td> <td>9</td> <td>10</td> <td>11</td> <td>12</td> </tr>
</table></ul>Ynas Midgardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972628887096890642noreply@blogger.com12