Five Kung-Fu Styles

I have been slowly (and I mean very slowly) working on a wuxia-inspired setting and OSR compatible rules. Below I present to you five kung-fu styles, one for each of the five different colours of chi. Also, some notes on the rules.

Berserker Class Idea

What I present below is the result of my recent toying with class mechanics. It is obviously unfinished (and contains a lot of Pathfinder-isms), but I believe it still communicates the concept I had in mind well. I have some ideas for the cleric class, as well, basing their abilities on domains and channeling power (a resource similar to the berserker's rage).

Campaign Pitch: Gothic Megadungeon

Instead of prepping for my upcoming game or finishing my articles for Kazamata, I thought about megadungeons and came up with a couple of different - and at this stage, very vague - ideas, that I am going to present. The first one is:

The Sempiternal Citadel of Maleficence

Social Combat in AS&SH

The following is a summary and conversion of the social combat rules found in Courtney Campbell's On the Non-player Character.

Characters may substitute one of their attacks (regardless of whether melee or missile) to make one of the following special attacks to deal non-lethal damage. Non-lethal damage is not deducted from one's current hit points but is totalled separately; once it exceeds 1/4 or 1/2 of the creature's current hit points, a Minor or Major effect takes place, respectively, depending on the attack type.

Attacks are resolved as follows:

• 1d20 - 4 (base penalty) + Intelligence modifier + Charisma modifier
• target AC equals either (10 - Wisdom score) or (10 - Morale) - 1 per 2 HD; creatures with animal intelligence have +4 AC bonus
• the attacker's Fighting Ability is a key factor; use your character's regular attack matrix to determine success
• successful attacks deal 1d8 points of non-lethal damage, plus the better of your Intelligence or Charisma modifier

N.B.: For the purposes of social combat, Intelligence modifier equals the number of extra languages, while Charisma modifier equals reaction bonus.

AS&SH - Session 12

Session 12 (October 18, 2014)

(Back to Session 1)

In which the party inquires about a way of getting home, sets sail toward the west, and suffers a great tragedy.

This time the party consisted of the following characters:

• Harald Greentooth (Viking Fighter 4), the last of the original cast
• Esja Waldensdottir (Viking Ranger 2)
• Phlianos (Ixian Legerdemainist 2)
• Laoise (Ixian Druid 2), a non-hater Ixian, who grew up among the Kelts
• Styrr (Viking Fighter 2), a member of the crew promoted to PC status

Upcoming OSR Games and Supplements, Part 2

Although none of the works mentioned in Part 1 have been published in their final form, I am here to speak about a couple of other projects that have got my attention.

AS&SH - Session 11

Session 11 (September 20, 2014)

(Back to Session 1)

In which the party seeks a great healer but find only his hand on an island in another world, conduct the perfect heist, and blow up because of a cursed scroll.

The party members present were the following:

• Esja (Ranger 2)
• Freydís (Priest 3)
• Gylfi Flogasson (Legerdemainist 1)
• Harald Greentooth (Fighter 3)
• Ingegeirr Lynetsinner (Anti-Paladin 1)
• Jormund (Magician 3)

Referee's note: The player of Gottfried decided that, since there were already enough combat-oriented characters in the party, he would try one of the more interesting classes: he chose the Legerdemainist, a thief with ample magical skills to be really different. Obviously, he went for illusionist magic, as well. Also, a new player joined the party (actually, a first time table-top role-player), who really liked the idea of an evil paladin. Although the rulebook doesn't include that option, for now, we went ahead with simply reversing every ability of the paladin (e.g. his touch caused damage and disease instead of curing it; he would control undead instead of turning them; he would use necromancer spells, etc.)

Review: Grandpappy Cromdar's Whizbang Zoo!

Grandpappy Cromdar's Whizbang Zoo! is a well-done and imaginative funhouse dungeon. It comes with its own little bestiary of completely new and interesting creatures, all lavishly illustrated by the author, David Lewis Johnson.

(I made sure that the review below contains only a minimal amount of spoilers regarding the adventure.)

Vikings & Valkyries - Session Ten

Session 10 (August 23, 2014)

(Back to Session 1)

Lately, I have become quite enamoured of AS&SH (see my review); I discussed it with the party and we decided to convert our campaign to AS&SH. Thus, this post both reports about the events of our last session and thoughts about the conversion and whether we appreciate the changes the new system brings to the campaign.

For continuity's sake, further reports of this campaign will still  be tagged Vikings & Valkyries, although I will, of course, add the ASSH tag, as well.

Vikings & Valkyries - Session Nine

Session 9 (July 26, 2014)

(Back to Session 1)

In which our intrepid heroes gathered information about the mysterious sorcerer who attacked their village, travelled north to personally investigate a possibly related matter, and saved a damsel in distress.

The party included the following characters:

• Esja Waldensdottir (Hunter 2)
• Freydís (Priestess of Freya 2)
• Gottfried Flogasson (Prince 3)
• Harald Greentooth (Viking 3)
• Jormund (Sorcerer 3)

Glimpse of an Auspicious Horizon - Upcoming OSR Games and Supplements

The following are complete games or supplements that are in the works (some of them on the verge of release, some still being playtested, and some still being written). This is in no way a complete list of what people in the OSR are doing; it merely includes the stuff I am personally aware of and interested in. However, if you think I left out something important, don't hesitate to put it in the comments.

Vikings & Valkyries - Session Eight

Session 8 (March 22, 2014)

(Back to Session 1)

In which our troublemakers found the location of the legendary Sommarsverd, fought undead warriors, had a wedding, and win a spectacular battle against the forces of an unknown wizard. The player of Esya (the Huntress) was still abroad, so the party roster was the following:

• Harald Greentooth (Viking 2), javelin-thrower and spear-wielder with an unlikely high Defense Class
• Jormund (Sorcerer 2), cunning sorcerer
• Möjmöj (Half-Giant 1), amazingly and gamebreakingly powerful warrior
• Gottfried Flogasson (Prince 2), tank of the party and fiancé of Ingrid Olafsdottir
• Freydís (Priestess of Freya 1), plotting archer-priestess