"Sire! He's returned." the page boy panted, bursting through the engraved double doors.
"Who, lad?" the startled lord said with a jolt.
"He...him...the One!" stammered the breathless page.
"No...it
cannot be." The lord beamed, leaping from his gilded seat. "Send for my
scribes at once! After so long away, He must have quite the tale to
tell."
Thus is this bard's return from a few months of hiatus. Minimal fanfare, please. Hold your applause until the conclusion.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
Attributes Simplified
It should come as no surprise based on my previous post and very novice standing as a gamer (almost to the 1 year mark and still a floundering newb) that I love me some simplicity in games. Thus I have further modified and simplified my own earlier stats sheet.
The new version has only 5 core attributes of STR, INT, FORT, DEX, and CHARM.
STR is Strength and is added to your attack roll + weapon bonus.
INT is both Intelligence and Intuition and is used in instances like translating runes or detecting traps. It's a trap! Sorry I couldn't resist.
FORT is Fortitude which combines Constitution and Will, basically lumping your ability to withstand physical, mental, and/or magical attacks. It's either hurts you or it doesn't.
DEX is Dexterity, obviously, and is used in instances of picking locks, picking pockets, and sneaking. It is used in the place of STR for ranged/projectile attacks, be they with a bow or a spell.
CHARM is essentially the same as Charisma. I thought of implying that good-looking characters automatically get a bonus to this stat, whereas unsightly characters suffer a penalty. But I have decided to do away with such because that would allow for a player to choose a snobby, beautiful elf that won't give the time of day to anyone and wouldn't even think of haggling with a mere shopkeeper. Or someone could be a lovable, yet ugly and disfigured dwarf. Because who doesn't have a soft spot for Tyrion Lannister?
Some outliers are Speed and Luck. At first I thought of making SPEED its own attribute that characters would roll up, or perhaps it would be assigned based on race. But that assumes that one would have to level up entirely to get any faster. Why not make speed a skill that can be increased with training? And why would a character in heavy armor have the same racial speed as a character in light armor? To me it makes better sense to have it separate and unequal for reasons of player choice. Let's say you choose to be a fleet-of-foot elf rogue with high SPEED and DEX, but low STR and FORT. You just better hope no one catches you with your hand in their pocket or you're in serious trouble. Maybe someone wants to be a fat, clumsy gnome who can really take a punch. I think the ability to modify and customize characters - if not for strategically better gaming, but just as more fun to play - is key to doing what we do.
LUCK is a conundrum in and of itself because it introduces a very different style of play. Perhaps a rogue/thief character is attempting to pick a lock above their skill level. They could either roll for LUCK, or already have an established LUCK score of plus or minus, which would add to DEX as the skill/attribute they're using.
In the beginning I thought that a player would roll a white die against a black die and use the difference as a LUCK modifier. But what dice to use? Because I tend to think and operate as a generous DM, I thought using a higher white die and a lower black would give an advantage towards good luck for the players. As an experiment I had my wife roll the following:
Obviously the dice are going to have quite the variation, but I think I'm most satisfied with the way the numbers came out on the d8 and d10 rolls. Where I remain torn is just how much of a bonus or penalty to I want to allow for players? You could end up exceedingly lucky (+9) by rolling a 10 against a 1, or you could be so unlucky (-9) as to get struck by lightning from a clear blue sky. If the system is d10 based, should I use d10s for LUCK rolls? Or should I keep it lower with a d6, or even go as low as a d4? I'll really have to think on that.
The new version has only 5 core attributes of STR, INT, FORT, DEX, and CHARM.
STR is Strength and is added to your attack roll + weapon bonus.
INT is both Intelligence and Intuition and is used in instances like translating runes or detecting traps. It's a trap! Sorry I couldn't resist.
FORT is Fortitude which combines Constitution and Will, basically lumping your ability to withstand physical, mental, and/or magical attacks. It's either hurts you or it doesn't.
DEX is Dexterity, obviously, and is used in instances of picking locks, picking pockets, and sneaking. It is used in the place of STR for ranged/projectile attacks, be they with a bow or a spell.
CHARM is essentially the same as Charisma. I thought of implying that good-looking characters automatically get a bonus to this stat, whereas unsightly characters suffer a penalty. But I have decided to do away with such because that would allow for a player to choose a snobby, beautiful elf that won't give the time of day to anyone and wouldn't even think of haggling with a mere shopkeeper. Or someone could be a lovable, yet ugly and disfigured dwarf. Because who doesn't have a soft spot for Tyrion Lannister?
Some outliers are Speed and Luck. At first I thought of making SPEED its own attribute that characters would roll up, or perhaps it would be assigned based on race. But that assumes that one would have to level up entirely to get any faster. Why not make speed a skill that can be increased with training? And why would a character in heavy armor have the same racial speed as a character in light armor? To me it makes better sense to have it separate and unequal for reasons of player choice. Let's say you choose to be a fleet-of-foot elf rogue with high SPEED and DEX, but low STR and FORT. You just better hope no one catches you with your hand in their pocket or you're in serious trouble. Maybe someone wants to be a fat, clumsy gnome who can really take a punch. I think the ability to modify and customize characters - if not for strategically better gaming, but just as more fun to play - is key to doing what we do.
LUCK is a conundrum in and of itself because it introduces a very different style of play. Perhaps a rogue/thief character is attempting to pick a lock above their skill level. They could either roll for LUCK, or already have an established LUCK score of plus or minus, which would add to DEX as the skill/attribute they're using.
In the beginning I thought that a player would roll a white die against a black die and use the difference as a LUCK modifier. But what dice to use? Because I tend to think and operate as a generous DM, I thought using a higher white die and a lower black would give an advantage towards good luck for the players. As an experiment I had my wife roll the following:
| White | Black | LUCK |
| d6 | d4 | |
| 1 | 2 | -1 |
| 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | 1 | +1 |
| 2 | 2 | 0 |
| d10 | d6 | |
| 6 | 4 | +2 |
| 6 | 3 | +3 |
| 3 | 4 | -1 |
| 10 | 6 | +4 |
| 5 | 4 | +1 |
| d8 | d8 | |
| 4 | 1 | +3 |
| 7 | 4 | +3 |
| 7 | 8 | -1 |
| 8 | 6 | +2 |
| 4 | 8 | -4 |
| d10 | d10 | |
| 7 | 3 | +4 |
| 1 | 3 | -2 |
| 8 | 4 | +4 |
| 5 | 10 | -5 |
| 2 | 10 | -8 |
Obviously the dice are going to have quite the variation, but I think I'm most satisfied with the way the numbers came out on the d8 and d10 rolls. Where I remain torn is just how much of a bonus or penalty to I want to allow for players? You could end up exceedingly lucky (+9) by rolling a 10 against a 1, or you could be so unlucky (-9) as to get struck by lightning from a clear blue sky. If the system is d10 based, should I use d10s for LUCK rolls? Or should I keep it lower with a d6, or even go as low as a d4? I'll really have to think on that.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Simple Mechanic for Skill Checks
Regardless of what the skill check is for - athletics, acrobatics, persuasion, etc - the DM will roll 1d10. The player will roll the same, plus their attribute.This way it's about the random will of the dice, but also incorporates who the character was designed to be. Your lucky gnome charmer is better at bartering than your grumbling dwarf hammerer.
If you want to make it more varied, you can use negative attribute scores, aka penalties, but ultimately I think that detracts from the fun and progression of play. Would you want to be the sourpuss with a negative charisma ATT? Or how about the scrawny, weakling with a negative STR that couldn't even climb a tree to snag an apple for lunch?
Let's say you're playing with a younger/newb audience and you as the DM don't want to decimate and discourage the fun by pwning them again and again. Sure a challenge is fun to overcome, but if dice/odds aren't weighted to favor advancing gameplay, I would daresay the players' interest will wane. I know mine would. As such, the DM could roll a d8 against the player's d10, or d6 against the player's d8, giving a slight advantage to the player's odds of success.
If you want to go with d20 rolls, and to give the oft neglected d12 a chance to get in on the action, the DM could roll a d12 against the players d20. In terms of favored odds, this would grant the players the highest advantage, which equals happy players and keeps the game moving.
Going back to a d10 system and for even odds, both the DM and player roll d10. If the DM gets a lousy roll and the players agree that it's too simple given the situation, then the DM will roll again (the higher of 2 rolls remains).
If you want to make it more varied, you can use negative attribute scores, aka penalties, but ultimately I think that detracts from the fun and progression of play. Would you want to be the sourpuss with a negative charisma ATT? Or how about the scrawny, weakling with a negative STR that couldn't even climb a tree to snag an apple for lunch?
Let's say you're playing with a younger/newb audience and you as the DM don't want to decimate and discourage the fun by pwning them again and again. Sure a challenge is fun to overcome, but if dice/odds aren't weighted to favor advancing gameplay, I would daresay the players' interest will wane. I know mine would. As such, the DM could roll a d8 against the player's d10, or d6 against the player's d8, giving a slight advantage to the player's odds of success.
If you want to go with d20 rolls, and to give the oft neglected d12 a chance to get in on the action, the DM could roll a d12 against the players d20. In terms of favored odds, this would grant the players the highest advantage, which equals happy players and keeps the game moving.
Going back to a d10 system and for even odds, both the DM and player roll d10. If the DM gets a lousy roll and the players agree that it's too simple given the situation, then the DM will roll again (the higher of 2 rolls remains).
Friday, August 23, 2013
Random Rolls
It's been a while since I last posted because most of my non-work
time has been devoted towards the tabletop RPG some friends and I are
designing. And even that has been hit or miss because real life keeps
getting in the way of our fantasy/worldbuilding/gaming escapism.
But tonight I was bored and my mental gears felt the need to grind out something...anything!
Thus I give you this
For random rolling NPCs or quick, who-cares characters with a d4
You could also use a d6 if you want a higher percentage of the population to be of a particular race. Say dwarves and humans are the most common race. You could add 5 = dwarf and 6 = human, thus increasing the likelihood towards those as 2 in 6, instead of 1 in 4.
Or if you want to go with more options, use a d8. Again even = female, odd = male.
If you're concerned with the levels of NPCs you could roll 2d10 and add them together, but this might skew towards very high or low, which may not fit your wants.
Then I devised these tables for random d10 geography...
And d8 locations.
1 Camp - population consists of <10-15 campers. It's only defenses are natural terrain formations, such as thorny bushes, a creek, or cliff wall to deter approach. Defenders are equipped with whatever they have packed for their travels.
2 Outpost/Fort/Tower - population consists of <20-30 guards. It's defenses might be spikes, trenches, and barricades to slow attackers. The weapons and armor of the guard depends on what they are being supplier by their employer. The more guards with better equipment indicates better stuff worth protecting.
3 Hamlet - population of 50-100. It has no walls or defenses other than cleared ground to prevent ambush from the surrounding area. It may have a central watchtower with a single lookout. Defenders are an ill prepared militia with improvised weapons, longbows, and farm tools.
4 Village - population of 100-500. Like the hamlet it has no defensive structures expect perhaps an encircling moat/trench. It may have a warning bell to be sounded in case of emergency. Defenders are unarmored militiamen with spears, clubs, and assorted small blades. Depending on its proximity to a larger town, the village may have a semi-permanent force of armored guards with poleaxes and swords. Typically it is 1 guard per 50-75 civilians.
5 Town - population of 500-1,000. Defense is limited to a motte and bailey, wooden palisade with an elevated walkway connecting a few watchtowers. Patrols are infrequent, typically only after dark. Defenders are lightly armored, full time guards armed with crossbows, swords, and shields. Guards number 1 per 40 residents.
6 City - population of 1,000-10,000. Defense is stone walls with evenly spaced watchtowers. Every other watchtower is equipped with a beacon and ballistae. There are limited points of ingress with iron-banded, wooden gates and perhaps a moat and drawbridge. The walls and gates are under constant watch by the city guard who patrol in regular shifts.
7 Grand City - population of 10,000+. This is a monument of civilization, boasting a fortified castle/palace, bustling marketplace, and even an academy/university. The city guard numbers in the hundreds with conscripts and thanes at the ready. Defense is made up of high, thick stone walls. A moat, portcullises, and catapults are essential to keep attackers at bay. These burgs are built to repel invaders, but most could not outlast a prolonged siege.
8 Ruins - these ragged, tumbledown relics bear the signs of battles long past. Most are now weathered stones, reclaimed by nature. These haunted husks are now inhabited by brigands, beasts, or worse. But where the risk is high, there can also be great reward.
But tonight I was bored and my mental gears felt the need to grind out something...anything!
Thus I give you this
For random rolling NPCs or quick, who-cares characters with a d4
| Gender | Race | Class | |||
| 1 | male | 1 | Gnome | 1 | Rogue |
| 2 | female | 2 | Elf | 2 | Mage |
| 3 | male | 3 | Human | 3 | Ranger |
| 4 | female | 4 | Dwarf | 4 | Warrior |
You could also use a d6 if you want a higher percentage of the population to be of a particular race. Say dwarves and humans are the most common race. You could add 5 = dwarf and 6 = human, thus increasing the likelihood towards those as 2 in 6, instead of 1 in 4.
Or if you want to go with more options, use a d8. Again even = female, odd = male.
| Race | Class | ||
| 1 | Gnome | 1 | Warrior |
| 2 | Elf | 2 | Battlemage |
| 3 | Human | 3 | Mage |
| 4 | Dwarf | 4 | Druid |
| 5 | Half-Elf | 5 | Ranger |
| 6 | Half-Orc | 6 | Thief |
| 7 | Goblin | 7 | Rogue |
| 8 | Orc | 8 | Assassin |
If you're concerned with the levels of NPCs you could roll 2d10 and add them together, but this might skew towards very high or low, which may not fit your wants.
Then I devised these tables for random d10 geography...
| Geography | |
| 1 | Tavern |
| 2 | Forest |
| 3 | Swamp |
| 4 | Mountains |
| 5 | Jungle |
| 6 | Desert |
| 7 | Plains |
| 8 | Ocean |
| 9 | Wastelands |
| 10 | Dungeon |
And d8 locations.
1 Camp - population consists of <10-15 campers. It's only defenses are natural terrain formations, such as thorny bushes, a creek, or cliff wall to deter approach. Defenders are equipped with whatever they have packed for their travels.
2 Outpost/Fort/Tower - population consists of <20-30 guards. It's defenses might be spikes, trenches, and barricades to slow attackers. The weapons and armor of the guard depends on what they are being supplier by their employer. The more guards with better equipment indicates better stuff worth protecting.
3 Hamlet - population of 50-100. It has no walls or defenses other than cleared ground to prevent ambush from the surrounding area. It may have a central watchtower with a single lookout. Defenders are an ill prepared militia with improvised weapons, longbows, and farm tools.
4 Village - population of 100-500. Like the hamlet it has no defensive structures expect perhaps an encircling moat/trench. It may have a warning bell to be sounded in case of emergency. Defenders are unarmored militiamen with spears, clubs, and assorted small blades. Depending on its proximity to a larger town, the village may have a semi-permanent force of armored guards with poleaxes and swords. Typically it is 1 guard per 50-75 civilians.
5 Town - population of 500-1,000. Defense is limited to a motte and bailey, wooden palisade with an elevated walkway connecting a few watchtowers. Patrols are infrequent, typically only after dark. Defenders are lightly armored, full time guards armed with crossbows, swords, and shields. Guards number 1 per 40 residents.
6 City - population of 1,000-10,000. Defense is stone walls with evenly spaced watchtowers. Every other watchtower is equipped with a beacon and ballistae. There are limited points of ingress with iron-banded, wooden gates and perhaps a moat and drawbridge. The walls and gates are under constant watch by the city guard who patrol in regular shifts.
7 Grand City - population of 10,000+. This is a monument of civilization, boasting a fortified castle/palace, bustling marketplace, and even an academy/university. The city guard numbers in the hundreds with conscripts and thanes at the ready. Defense is made up of high, thick stone walls. A moat, portcullises, and catapults are essential to keep attackers at bay. These burgs are built to repel invaders, but most could not outlast a prolonged siege.
8 Ruins - these ragged, tumbledown relics bear the signs of battles long past. Most are now weathered stones, reclaimed by nature. These haunted husks are now inhabited by brigands, beasts, or worse. But where the risk is high, there can also be great reward.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Stick'em With the Pointy End
Arya Stark said it best. There is no simpler explanation for how to use a sword.
Weapons and shields a la www.heromachine.com
They are: dagger, short sword, longsword, axe, mace, morning star, flail, hammer, battleaxe, greatsword.
They are: spear, halberd, crossbow, sling, greatbow, longbow, (standard) bow, shortbow.
For further explanation of the bows (keeping in mind I am not an archery wizard), certain kinds of bows have a pull strength or poundage - it is the force applied to draw it and the force that is thereby transferred into the projectile. I'm fudging this a bit for simplicity's sake.
The shortbow's smaller size allows it to be carried and fired easily by a rider on horseback, but you don't want to sacrifice power for it. So most shortbows are made from horn or some kind of composite that is lighter, but as strong or stronger, than wood. Their recurve shape also delivers for oomph from a shorter bow stave. Let us say that the shortbow has the same power/pull as a standard wood bow. 40-50 lbs.
A longbow is made entirely from wood, and it's (surprise) longer, to deliver more power. It's poundage is around 75.
The greatbow is monstrous in size, recurve, and strength compared to all others. It is about as heavy as a longbow, but packs much more of a wallop, around 100 lbs!
They are: hide, wood, bronze (with the dwarf face), iron, steel (center), large, and tall.
Hide is very light, boiled leather. Not a heck of a lot of stopping power. Same goes for wood. It's a little thicker, heavier, more solid, but it too will break after a few uses/blows. These first two would be favored by rangers that travel fast and light and don't get into a lot of direct scrapes, instead preferring hit and run guerrilla tactics.
Bronze is lighter and softer than iron, but it will stop attacks that hide and wood couldn't hope to.
Iron is getting a bit on the heavy side to lug around all the time, but offers acceptable protection when a dude is trying to mace your face.
Steel is tiring to carry for all but strong characters, but it's unmatched for it's durability.
A large shield can be made of anything metallic, perhaps even wood. But what's the point of having this huge shield that's still going to eventually break? It's just bigger to accommodate larger characters (half-orcs), so they don't feel like they're wielding some piddly buckler.
The tall shield is exactly as it sounds. It's not something your going to dance and parry with, it's something you hide behind when the enemy is throwing everything he's got at you, including gnomes, but don't worry they bounce right off. Think Roman legionnaires marching in a phalanx formation. The enemy launches a volley against them, they set their shields on the ground while the second row stacks theirs above against the rain of quarrels. They pick them up and advance. Repeat as needed. You're not going to advance quickly, but methodically "turtling up" when the need presents itself. Other than that, they're very slow, heavy, and unwieldy in a fight. No small characters can use a tall shield.
**In addition**
A recent thought/realization about tall shields: In the beginning battle in the movie Gladiator, Roman soldiers are shown performing exactly the "turtle" maneuver as described above. However, because their shields are convex rectangles, when they stack the second row over the first it leaves a rather sizable half-circle through which an arrow could plausibly find its way into your eye socket. Bad news bears for legionnaires. Thus, subconsciously I created the above tall shield with a curved bottom which ought to fill in that bothersome arrow-in-the-eye allowance. I hope it's appreciated. Also, having a curved bottom means that you can rock the shield side to side for wider coverage, rather than just standing stock still.
Weapons and shields a la www.heromachine.com
 |
| 1 & 2 handed |
 |
| Polearms & Ranged |
For further explanation of the bows (keeping in mind I am not an archery wizard), certain kinds of bows have a pull strength or poundage - it is the force applied to draw it and the force that is thereby transferred into the projectile. I'm fudging this a bit for simplicity's sake.
The shortbow's smaller size allows it to be carried and fired easily by a rider on horseback, but you don't want to sacrifice power for it. So most shortbows are made from horn or some kind of composite that is lighter, but as strong or stronger, than wood. Their recurve shape also delivers for oomph from a shorter bow stave. Let us say that the shortbow has the same power/pull as a standard wood bow. 40-50 lbs.
The greatbow is monstrous in size, recurve, and strength compared to all others. It is about as heavy as a longbow, but packs much more of a wallop, around 100 lbs!
 | |
| simple shields |
Hide is very light, boiled leather. Not a heck of a lot of stopping power. Same goes for wood. It's a little thicker, heavier, more solid, but it too will break after a few uses/blows. These first two would be favored by rangers that travel fast and light and don't get into a lot of direct scrapes, instead preferring hit and run guerrilla tactics.
Bronze is lighter and softer than iron, but it will stop attacks that hide and wood couldn't hope to.
Iron is getting a bit on the heavy side to lug around all the time, but offers acceptable protection when a dude is trying to mace your face.
Steel is tiring to carry for all but strong characters, but it's unmatched for it's durability.
A large shield can be made of anything metallic, perhaps even wood. But what's the point of having this huge shield that's still going to eventually break? It's just bigger to accommodate larger characters (half-orcs), so they don't feel like they're wielding some piddly buckler.
The tall shield is exactly as it sounds. It's not something your going to dance and parry with, it's something you hide behind when the enemy is throwing everything he's got at you, including gnomes, but don't worry they bounce right off. Think Roman legionnaires marching in a phalanx formation. The enemy launches a volley against them, they set their shields on the ground while the second row stacks theirs above against the rain of quarrels. They pick them up and advance. Repeat as needed. You're not going to advance quickly, but methodically "turtling up" when the need presents itself. Other than that, they're very slow, heavy, and unwieldy in a fight. No small characters can use a tall shield.
**In addition**
A recent thought/realization about tall shields: In the beginning battle in the movie Gladiator, Roman soldiers are shown performing exactly the "turtle" maneuver as described above. However, because their shields are convex rectangles, when they stack the second row over the first it leaves a rather sizable half-circle through which an arrow could plausibly find its way into your eye socket. Bad news bears for legionnaires. Thus, subconsciously I created the above tall shield with a curved bottom which ought to fill in that bothersome arrow-in-the-eye allowance. I hope it's appreciated. Also, having a curved bottom means that you can rock the shield side to side for wider coverage, rather than just standing stock still.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Ain't Got No Class
As I was struggling to develop a Skills web - made increasingly more difficult by not having complete Skill categories and subcategories - I happened to concoct these
I don't know how/if this will work with tracking skill progression. My brain automatically wants to cover skills per class and I can't seem to make it not do that, try as I might.
The upper left figure breaks it down into 3 classes or life-paths of Warrior, Rogue, and Mage, which would in turn require choosing which element you're naturally talented in.
The center figure was part of my original idea for Skills radiating outward into different categories. 12 gives plenty of options, but too many choices makes for a harder decision and might lead to "level grinding" to achieve multiple perks.
Then the lower right figure is something I tried by halving the options to only 6. It might make for easier tracking, but sadly, although I created this web, I can hardly explain it to myself.
So for simplicity's sake I changed from hexes to diamonds. Apparently fewer corners = less irritation.
Again, my instinct is to classify classes first, with suited skills following. While 4 classes covers the bare bones, it seems a little too boiler plate. So in a stroke of what I would hope to call genius, I expanded from 4 to 8, with the "in between" classes encompassing features of the bookend classes.
So you tell me; does it work?
 | |||
| Web |
The upper left figure breaks it down into 3 classes or life-paths of Warrior, Rogue, and Mage, which would in turn require choosing which element you're naturally talented in.
The center figure was part of my original idea for Skills radiating outward into different categories. 12 gives plenty of options, but too many choices makes for a harder decision and might lead to "level grinding" to achieve multiple perks.
Then the lower right figure is something I tried by halving the options to only 6. It might make for easier tracking, but sadly, although I created this web, I can hardly explain it to myself.
So for simplicity's sake I changed from hexes to diamonds. Apparently fewer corners = less irritation.
So you tell me; does it work?
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Packed with Expansions
Last night some of the guys and I got together to chat more about our homebrew RPG. Most of our time was devoted to the wonderful map provided by Sporkchop. We discussed races and lore and pantheons of gods. But the unanswered question was scale and climate. How big? What are the degrees of latitude and temperature for that matter.
From what you can see here, the far north is pushing polar latitudes of above 70. Most of the story takes place in the temperate climes of 45-55 degrees latitude. The southern ocean has always been Mediterranean in my mind.
This expanded world map shows the "New World" of the Westlands, although I'm not yet decided on how far west they will be. The red wastes of the Skarr'd Lands in the east and the crater where Nemesis, the hateful lord of destruction and chaos, was imprisoned by Lukus, the god of light and order. To the southeast is the broad desert and dunes of the Grimalkin catfolk. And in the tropical jungles of the south reside the honor-obsessed Draken and their wild lizardling cousins.
From what you can see here, the far north is pushing polar latitudes of above 70. Most of the story takes place in the temperate climes of 45-55 degrees latitude. The southern ocean has always been Mediterranean in my mind.
 | |
| To give an idea of scale and climate |
The guys wanted to know what else I had in store as far as an expanded world. I have thought about this far ahead.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Armor Bits & Pieces
Building on the sheets previously posted, I've come up with more details to how the various bits and pieces give characters an advantage or penalty.
The 3 main pieces of armor worn are Helmet, (Body) Armor, and Leggings (tasset, fauld, cuisse). This really only comes into play if using a targeting system, like with the body part die. You of course don't have to go into that much detail. You can simply say a player takes a hit, damaging their armor, but reducing actual injury to their person.
If you want to go into further, you can add more protection to the "exposed" areas by adding individual pieces of armor: pauldron/torque, bracers, guantlets, and greaves. If a player takes a targeted hit to Arm, it is anything above the elbow. A hit to Hand is anything below the elbow. A hit to Leg strikes above the knee. A hit to Foot is anything below the knee. Doing specific hits like this means players must discard, repair, or replace damaged armor. Of course this is a lot of extra tracking and spending that can be tossed aside if you're just wanting a bare bones style of combat and armor class.
As for the pros and cons of additional armor, allow me to explain. Let's say you're a dwarf "tank" fighter, clad head to toe in heavy armor. You carry no shield because you wield a two-handed battleaxe or warhammer. You routinely take hits because you don't have a way to block. You could say that you deflect blows with the haft of your weapon, but likely you'd still take a hit to your hands doing so. So there you are, scrapping and brawling in your tunnels against goblins, orcs, duergar, etc.
Bad news first. You're super slow because your armor and large weapon weigh you down. You take a penalty of -3 or -4 to your Speed. Good news: you get a bonus to Constitution/Fortitude/AC equal to the penalty you endure for Speed. If you're just going to stand there while your enemy whacks at you with his sword, you've got to be able to take a licking and keep on ticking. After all, you are a dwarf.
You're a human fighter in medium/normal (non-plate) armor. You use a sword and shield. You protect your hands with gauntlets, but you don't have pauldrons. On the off chance that you take an Arm hit, it deals +2 damage because you were struck directly with no armor to reduce the hit. Because you're a "standard" race with "standard" overall armor, you don't take any penalty to your speed. Let's say you get a +2 bonus to unarmed attacks if your sword is dropped or knocked away. Bashing an opponent in the teeth with a metal glove is going to hurt considerably more than being punched with a bare fist. You can shield bash opponents to stagger them backwards one square. If your shield is damaged/broken and discarded, you can switch to a hand-and-a-half grip on your sword dealing +1 damage.
A final example: you're a lightly armored ranger primarily using your bow for distance attacks. You wear leather bracers to steady your aim/draw, dealing +2 damage to projectile attacks. Speaking literally and historically, that is why archers wear a stiffened leather bracer on their forearm. Because you're lightly armored, you're fast on your feet, gaining +2 to your Speed. However, because you don't wear metal armor, if you get into close combat, hits are going to do +1 damage. Technically, in the illustration above, the ranger character is wearing leather pauldrons and a leather skirt, but that is purely for aesthetics - they don't give any protection. In my mind a ranger is going to accept minimal armor coverings because it would encumber them as they stalk the woods. The light suede covering on arms and legs is just to protect against scratches and scrapes from thorns and twigs as they move through the underbrush.
At last we come to leggings and greaves. To me, leggings are there as a "just in case" against Leg/Foot hits. I think these would primarily come into play if you're a mounted fighter. If you're sitting higher on a horse, it's likely that an enemy with an axe or sword is only going to be able to reach your lower half. To work this into gameplay, you could change any Hand/Arm targeted hits into Foot/Leg hits. The opponent certainly cannot reach your head, so any Head rolls hit your body instead. Strikes to your torso remain possible and deal normal damage to your (body) armor. However, if your enemy has a ranged weapon or pole-arm, the strikes remain as rolled. If your opponent is mounted as well, there are no hits at all to lower body - everything goes against Head, Body, Arm, and Hand.
I'll have to work out whether fully armored knights are wandering about. I rather doubt it because to do so would be slow, awkward, and exhausting. Sure, a hardy dwarf can trump around in armor that would totally tucker out a mere human. You can modify this by having a character with really high Strength or Fortitude, but they would be lessened in other attributes like Dexterity and Speed.
The 3 main pieces of armor worn are Helmet, (Body) Armor, and Leggings (tasset, fauld, cuisse). This really only comes into play if using a targeting system, like with the body part die. You of course don't have to go into that much detail. You can simply say a player takes a hit, damaging their armor, but reducing actual injury to their person.
If you want to go into further, you can add more protection to the "exposed" areas by adding individual pieces of armor: pauldron/torque, bracers, guantlets, and greaves. If a player takes a targeted hit to Arm, it is anything above the elbow. A hit to Hand is anything below the elbow. A hit to Leg strikes above the knee. A hit to Foot is anything below the knee. Doing specific hits like this means players must discard, repair, or replace damaged armor. Of course this is a lot of extra tracking and spending that can be tossed aside if you're just wanting a bare bones style of combat and armor class.
 |
| Pauldrons with heavy breastplate |
 |
| Gauntlet with medium scalemail or chainmail |
 |
| Bracers with light/leather armor |
 |
| Greave or standard boot and upper leg armor |
 |
| Greave 2 or complete leg (heavy) armor |
As for the pros and cons of additional armor, allow me to explain. Let's say you're a dwarf "tank" fighter, clad head to toe in heavy armor. You carry no shield because you wield a two-handed battleaxe or warhammer. You routinely take hits because you don't have a way to block. You could say that you deflect blows with the haft of your weapon, but likely you'd still take a hit to your hands doing so. So there you are, scrapping and brawling in your tunnels against goblins, orcs, duergar, etc.
Bad news first. You're super slow because your armor and large weapon weigh you down. You take a penalty of -3 or -4 to your Speed. Good news: you get a bonus to Constitution/Fortitude/AC equal to the penalty you endure for Speed. If you're just going to stand there while your enemy whacks at you with his sword, you've got to be able to take a licking and keep on ticking. After all, you are a dwarf.
You're a human fighter in medium/normal (non-plate) armor. You use a sword and shield. You protect your hands with gauntlets, but you don't have pauldrons. On the off chance that you take an Arm hit, it deals +2 damage because you were struck directly with no armor to reduce the hit. Because you're a "standard" race with "standard" overall armor, you don't take any penalty to your speed. Let's say you get a +2 bonus to unarmed attacks if your sword is dropped or knocked away. Bashing an opponent in the teeth with a metal glove is going to hurt considerably more than being punched with a bare fist. You can shield bash opponents to stagger them backwards one square. If your shield is damaged/broken and discarded, you can switch to a hand-and-a-half grip on your sword dealing +1 damage.
A final example: you're a lightly armored ranger primarily using your bow for distance attacks. You wear leather bracers to steady your aim/draw, dealing +2 damage to projectile attacks. Speaking literally and historically, that is why archers wear a stiffened leather bracer on their forearm. Because you're lightly armored, you're fast on your feet, gaining +2 to your Speed. However, because you don't wear metal armor, if you get into close combat, hits are going to do +1 damage. Technically, in the illustration above, the ranger character is wearing leather pauldrons and a leather skirt, but that is purely for aesthetics - they don't give any protection. In my mind a ranger is going to accept minimal armor coverings because it would encumber them as they stalk the woods. The light suede covering on arms and legs is just to protect against scratches and scrapes from thorns and twigs as they move through the underbrush.
At last we come to leggings and greaves. To me, leggings are there as a "just in case" against Leg/Foot hits. I think these would primarily come into play if you're a mounted fighter. If you're sitting higher on a horse, it's likely that an enemy with an axe or sword is only going to be able to reach your lower half. To work this into gameplay, you could change any Hand/Arm targeted hits into Foot/Leg hits. The opponent certainly cannot reach your head, so any Head rolls hit your body instead. Strikes to your torso remain possible and deal normal damage to your (body) armor. However, if your enemy has a ranged weapon or pole-arm, the strikes remain as rolled. If your opponent is mounted as well, there are no hits at all to lower body - everything goes against Head, Body, Arm, and Hand.
I'll have to work out whether fully armored knights are wandering about. I rather doubt it because to do so would be slow, awkward, and exhausting. Sure, a hardy dwarf can trump around in armor that would totally tucker out a mere human. You can modify this by having a character with really high Strength or Fortitude, but they would be lessened in other attributes like Dexterity and Speed.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Character Armor Sheets
I like the idea of having a visual reference for armor, equipment, weapons, etc. For me it just really helps the immersion factor if you have a basic visual queue.
I was shooting for something like this from Grant Gould's Blade Raiders.
This is what I came up with.
These are the quick and dirty versions of armor sheets. As you can see, there are spaces for jewelry as well.
I may need to space things out a bit more so there is room for a brief description of the item. At the time I drafted these I was thinking more along the lines of a name for the item and its bonus - like a Ring of Wielding that does +2 attack damage, or a Helmet of Fortitude that adds to AC or Will checks/saves.
Because these were ridiculously easy to whip up, and they're very basic and adaptable, I don't mind in the least if people want to take and use them. Credit or a mention would be nice to increase blog traffic, but I'm not going to beg : )
Next up, I may take a stab at crafting a basic weapons sheet and possibly magic - although it's not really my realm of expertise.
I was shooting for something like this from Grant Gould's Blade Raiders.
This is what I came up with.
These are the quick and dirty versions of armor sheets. As you can see, there are spaces for jewelry as well.
I may need to space things out a bit more so there is room for a brief description of the item. At the time I drafted these I was thinking more along the lines of a name for the item and its bonus - like a Ring of Wielding that does +2 attack damage, or a Helmet of Fortitude that adds to AC or Will checks/saves.
Because these were ridiculously easy to whip up, and they're very basic and adaptable, I don't mind in the least if people want to take and use them. Credit or a mention would be nice to increase blog traffic, but I'm not going to beg : )
Next up, I may take a stab at crafting a basic weapons sheet and possibly magic - although it's not really my realm of expertise.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Character Skill Ranks
Originally written for my main blog, Realmwright, I figured this draught would probably go down smoother on this, my gaming blog.
*BTW, I found my body part d12 under the couch today. I should have figured the cat would have something to do with its disappearance.
I get email updates from the Hack & Slash blog and this one in particular had a great idea: a class called Artifex (Latin for specialist) instead of "Thief". It got me thinking, what if instead of numeric level [+ class], you went in named ranks?
Just off the top of my head I put together this ranking:
Level 1 = Beginner - you have no particular skill (or business) doing something, you just feel like it on a hunch. You couldn't possibly sell what you've crafted because it will likely break from your own personal use.
Level 2 = Amateur/Newling - you have managed a "successful" go at it without seriously injuring yourself. You might get a hot meal and a roof over your head as payment, but it still won't put any coin in your pocket.
Level 3 = Novice - you won't get laughed at declaring yourself one, but you may not get a lot of takers either. If you can find someone to tutor you, you are an Apprentice.
Level 4 = Moderate/Mediocre/Middling - other people recognize you for this ability, but you're still nothing special. Save enough coin and in a year's time you might be able to build a forge, shop, etc. so you don't have to work at the kitchen table.
Level 5 = Average/Ordinary - you can get it done and collect some decent coin for doing so. You spend some wages to hang out a shingle (an "open" sign) and hope that people come to do business.
Level 6 = Experienced/Craftsman - you are the guy in town that people come to when they need something done. You don't have to advertise, word-of-mouth gets you referrals. At this level you can apply to guilds/unions. Successful entry usually requires completion of a task, for which payment is acceptance and you level up to Guild Professional. This means that you can generally find work anywhere and if the town has a guild house you can stay there instead of paying for commercial lodging. It can be anywhere from significantly less (30-50%) or completely free.
Level 7 = Professional - someone somewhere else whom you've never met is aware of your handiwork and seeks you out. Maybe they send you a missive to come work for them. If you belong to a guild you are referred to as a Guild Professional. If you are not in a guild, but under the employ of a Master, you are a Journeyman. Guild Professionals and Journeymen cannot hire Apprentices, but an unaffiliated Professional can.
Level 8 = Masterful/Master - maidens swoon at your feet, kings clamor for you to be their court whateverer. It's a cushy gig where you sit back and let the money roll in so you can roll in it. You can have 2 Apprentices at this level, or 1 Professional who shares a percentage of their profit with you. If you don't yet belong to a guild, they try to get you to join to bolster each others' reputation. If you join a guild, you instantly lose any Apprentices/Professional in your employ. A Master holds a high place in their respective guild, but this leads to competition with others of the same rank. If you're brought into a guild, you have lower seniority than existing Masters - hence why they recruited you, bumping them one step closer to the leadership and wealth of being the Guildmaster.
*A note: Guilds can have no more than 3-5 Masters. Generally at the count of 4, 1 will leave to found a new chapter of the guild in another town.
Level 9 = Exceptional/Extraordinary - you get oohs and aahs and mostly name your own price. You are paid handsomely for doing what you excel at. If you belong to a guild the equivalent is Guildmaster.
Level 10 = Phenomenal - it's questioned whether or not you're a mortal because you are near divine in your abilities. Surely this power cannot be wielded by a mere human...orc, elf, whatever. A bonus and/or drawback to this is that if there is a particular god of this realm/skill - let's say smithcraft - they can either bless you as Chosen, or seek to hurt you because they're jealous of the attention you are drawing away from them, i.e. you're Cursed.
Coming on the heels of the above post, Hack & Slack followed up with another awesome addition: Prestige Classes
*BTW, I found my body part d12 under the couch today. I should have figured the cat would have something to do with its disappearance.
I get email updates from the Hack & Slash blog and this one in particular had a great idea: a class called Artifex (Latin for specialist) instead of "Thief". It got me thinking, what if instead of numeric level [+ class], you went in named ranks?
Just off the top of my head I put together this ranking:
Level 1 = Beginner - you have no particular skill (or business) doing something, you just feel like it on a hunch. You couldn't possibly sell what you've crafted because it will likely break from your own personal use.
Level 2 = Amateur/Newling - you have managed a "successful" go at it without seriously injuring yourself. You might get a hot meal and a roof over your head as payment, but it still won't put any coin in your pocket.
Level 3 = Novice - you won't get laughed at declaring yourself one, but you may not get a lot of takers either. If you can find someone to tutor you, you are an Apprentice.
Level 4 = Moderate/Mediocre/Middling - other people recognize you for this ability, but you're still nothing special. Save enough coin and in a year's time you might be able to build a forge, shop, etc. so you don't have to work at the kitchen table.
Level 5 = Average/Ordinary - you can get it done and collect some decent coin for doing so. You spend some wages to hang out a shingle (an "open" sign) and hope that people come to do business.
Level 6 = Experienced/Craftsman - you are the guy in town that people come to when they need something done. You don't have to advertise, word-of-mouth gets you referrals. At this level you can apply to guilds/unions. Successful entry usually requires completion of a task, for which payment is acceptance and you level up to Guild Professional. This means that you can generally find work anywhere and if the town has a guild house you can stay there instead of paying for commercial lodging. It can be anywhere from significantly less (30-50%) or completely free.
Level 7 = Professional - someone somewhere else whom you've never met is aware of your handiwork and seeks you out. Maybe they send you a missive to come work for them. If you belong to a guild you are referred to as a Guild Professional. If you are not in a guild, but under the employ of a Master, you are a Journeyman. Guild Professionals and Journeymen cannot hire Apprentices, but an unaffiliated Professional can.
Level 8 = Masterful/Master - maidens swoon at your feet, kings clamor for you to be their court whateverer. It's a cushy gig where you sit back and let the money roll in so you can roll in it. You can have 2 Apprentices at this level, or 1 Professional who shares a percentage of their profit with you. If you don't yet belong to a guild, they try to get you to join to bolster each others' reputation. If you join a guild, you instantly lose any Apprentices/Professional in your employ. A Master holds a high place in their respective guild, but this leads to competition with others of the same rank. If you're brought into a guild, you have lower seniority than existing Masters - hence why they recruited you, bumping them one step closer to the leadership and wealth of being the Guildmaster.
*A note: Guilds can have no more than 3-5 Masters. Generally at the count of 4, 1 will leave to found a new chapter of the guild in another town.
Level 9 = Exceptional/Extraordinary - you get oohs and aahs and mostly name your own price. You are paid handsomely for doing what you excel at. If you belong to a guild the equivalent is Guildmaster.
Level 10 = Phenomenal - it's questioned whether or not you're a mortal because you are near divine in your abilities. Surely this power cannot be wielded by a mere human...orc, elf, whatever. A bonus and/or drawback to this is that if there is a particular god of this realm/skill - let's say smithcraft - they can either bless you as Chosen, or seek to hurt you because they're jealous of the attention you are drawing away from them, i.e. you're Cursed.
Coming on the heels of the above post, Hack & Slack followed up with another awesome addition: Prestige Classes
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Doing Shots
Friday night I found that I appear to have lost my body part d12. I don't know if it's officially "lost" because I haven't scoured the mess of paper that is my drawing table, which serves as an almost daily reminder that I really need to get organized and back into doodling.
Until I find it I'll have to make do with making new. As such I have drafted a few quick tables of how to turn a plain old die into anatomical damage.
d10 or d12
1. Head - your noggin is the primary don't-get-hit-here.
2. Right arm - you'll notice the right side is all even numbers.
3. Left arm - hence the left side is all odd numbers.
4. Right hand
5. Left hand
6. Right leg
7. Left leg
8. Right foot
9. Left foot
10. Torso - your torso is the largest target, therefore the largest number.
This covers everything. Since we're thinking our game will be based on a d10 system (thereby making it easier for beginners/young'uns), I cut it down to 10 instead of 12. But if we/you want to keep it d12, 10 could be chest, 11 is stomach, and 12 is full body, as is the case on my currently unaccounted for die.
I don't exactly like the idea of full body damage because it means one bad roll could kill your character flat out. Either that or they're seriously crispified by dragon fire and unrecognizable to even their own mother. As such, figuring in a little extra danger and plain likelihood, 11 can be another head shot and 12 is another torso hit.
Along the same lines I decided to make a facial scars table. After all, what adventurer is going to live that lifestyle and get away entirely unscathed? This table can be broken down to a simple d6 or detailed up to a d10.
d6
1. Cranium - a scar anywhere else on the head other than the face.
2. Right side of face - very general: cheek, jawline, near the eye, etc.
3. Left side of face
4. Forehead - get it, fourhead?
5. Nose - maybe the barmaids like a guy with a bent beak.
6. Chin - in truth you cut yourself shaving, but the story sounds much better that an assassin was trying to cut your throat, but keen reflexes saved you.
d8
7. Missing left eye
8. Missing right eye
d10
9. Missing all or part of left ear
10. Missing all or part of right ear.
If your dude is a grizzled veteran with decades of battles under his belt, or say he's a barbarian half-orc that thinks helmets are for sissies, roll a 2d6/8/10 and see how ugly things get. S'okay. Chicks dig scars, right?
Until I find it I'll have to make do with making new. As such I have drafted a few quick tables of how to turn a plain old die into anatomical damage.
d10 or d12
1. Head - your noggin is the primary don't-get-hit-here.
2. Right arm - you'll notice the right side is all even numbers.
3. Left arm - hence the left side is all odd numbers.
4. Right hand
5. Left hand
6. Right leg
7. Left leg
8. Right foot
9. Left foot
10. Torso - your torso is the largest target, therefore the largest number.
This covers everything. Since we're thinking our game will be based on a d10 system (thereby making it easier for beginners/young'uns), I cut it down to 10 instead of 12. But if we/you want to keep it d12, 10 could be chest, 11 is stomach, and 12 is full body, as is the case on my currently unaccounted for die.
I don't exactly like the idea of full body damage because it means one bad roll could kill your character flat out. Either that or they're seriously crispified by dragon fire and unrecognizable to even their own mother. As such, figuring in a little extra danger and plain likelihood, 11 can be another head shot and 12 is another torso hit.
Along the same lines I decided to make a facial scars table. After all, what adventurer is going to live that lifestyle and get away entirely unscathed? This table can be broken down to a simple d6 or detailed up to a d10.
d6
1. Cranium - a scar anywhere else on the head other than the face.
2. Right side of face - very general: cheek, jawline, near the eye, etc.
3. Left side of face
4. Forehead - get it, fourhead?
5. Nose - maybe the barmaids like a guy with a bent beak.
6. Chin - in truth you cut yourself shaving, but the story sounds much better that an assassin was trying to cut your throat, but keen reflexes saved you.
d8
7. Missing left eye
8. Missing right eye
d10
9. Missing all or part of left ear
10. Missing all or part of right ear.
If your dude is a grizzled veteran with decades of battles under his belt, or say he's a barbarian half-orc that thinks helmets are for sissies, roll a 2d6/8/10 and see how ugly things get. S'okay. Chicks dig scars, right?
Saturday, May 11, 2013
How to Think As/Like a Player/DM
Hack & Slash is a constant font of gaming knowledge. This is yet another treatise on how to think as/like a player and just as important how to think as/like a DM.
Some gaming buds and myself get together maybe one Friday a month to throw dice and nerd out. Several weeks ago it was mentioned that maybe we ought to do a Kickstarter of our own. Last night we spent about 2 hours chatting and beginning to figure the bones of it. I hope it remains a lasting interest because it was my want to design a game - inspired by Blade Raiders - that got me gaming with them in the first place.
It seems the general concensus of our first discussion is that we want it to be quite simple, and hopefully by that same respect, rather customizable. The idea is that the target age group, about 12-16 or so, can do "choose your own adventure" style single-player adventures, or get together with a DM as usual. We don't want a bunch of thick, clunky, convoluted rulebooks with table after table of numbers. I can't say it's a shared viewpoint of all gamers, but for me personally I want to get down to playing through a story, not consulting the book at every turn. I think if you need a "rules lawyer" you can't see the forest for the trees. Am I right?
Some gaming buds and myself get together maybe one Friday a month to throw dice and nerd out. Several weeks ago it was mentioned that maybe we ought to do a Kickstarter of our own. Last night we spent about 2 hours chatting and beginning to figure the bones of it. I hope it remains a lasting interest because it was my want to design a game - inspired by Blade Raiders - that got me gaming with them in the first place.
It seems the general concensus of our first discussion is that we want it to be quite simple, and hopefully by that same respect, rather customizable. The idea is that the target age group, about 12-16 or so, can do "choose your own adventure" style single-player adventures, or get together with a DM as usual. We don't want a bunch of thick, clunky, convoluted rulebooks with table after table of numbers. I can't say it's a shared viewpoint of all gamers, but for me personally I want to get down to playing through a story, not consulting the book at every turn. I think if you need a "rules lawyer" you can't see the forest for the trees. Am I right?
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Other Homebrew 3
I always like to wander other homebrews for ideas and inspiration.
Here's another I've found.
Kingdom of Shendenflar
Here's another I've found.
Kingdom of Shendenflar
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Other Homebrew 2
I always like to wander other homebrews for ideas and inspiration.
Here's another I've found.
The World of Farland
Here's another I've found.
The World of Farland
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
West of Westerlands
A big part of worldbuilding for me is being able to see/visualize the setting. Fortunately there are very talented and generous artists like Geoff Nunn and Feanaaro who churn out amazing maps, and graciously allow me to use them. The members of cartographers guild really are great people.
The Westerlands are the main setting of my Realmwalkers campaign because of Geoff's amazing map. But the more I fleshed out the world and it's history, the more world I realized I needed. Ironically there is land west of the Westerlands. It is this map.
If I leave it in its original form the southeast island could be the tip of the archipelago in the southwest of the Westerlands, but that means the two are very close. Or maybe I'll flip it so the coastlines look like they match up (happy accident!) I can't really decide. I like the way it looks reversed, but I don't know how close together to place the landmasses. I figure the sea between them will be like the Atlantic Ocean dividing the Old World from the New World. It stands to reason that eventually that great unknown will be explored.
It will be added into my homebrew later as an "expansion" of sorts. I know in the frozen north of the Westerlands there are barbarians and giants, the south is the jungle home of the Draken, the desert dwelling Grimalkin live in the southeast, and the Red Wastes in the east spawn Orcs and necromancers. But the primary humans of the Westerlands are the last remnants of the once great Atilaen seafaring people who moved inland when the oceans rose and drowned most of their culture. They have no idea that more of them survived and fled west across the waters. I just need to ponder it some more to figure out how different they are from their eastern cousins. Definitely something to think about.
The other issue is what to call it. The artist asked I not use the name he gave it, which is completely fair.
I think maybe I'll call it/them the Sunset Kingdoms. The largest island is the real seat of power, and each of the other islands is governed by a duke/count. They are constantly vying for more power and thus always in conflict. Their religion still worships the sea and some worship stones - this causes its own internal strife. When they come into contact with the sun worshipping, generally peaceful Westerlanders (I think they'll call them Dawners) war is practically inevitable. When some Westerlanders learn that there are people practicing the ancient religion of the sea, they too want to go back to their roots and leave, causing a rift within their own lands.
The Westerlands are the main setting of my Realmwalkers campaign because of Geoff's amazing map. But the more I fleshed out the world and it's history, the more world I realized I needed. Ironically there is land west of the Westerlands. It is this map.
It will be added into my homebrew later as an "expansion" of sorts. I know in the frozen north of the Westerlands there are barbarians and giants, the south is the jungle home of the Draken, the desert dwelling Grimalkin live in the southeast, and the Red Wastes in the east spawn Orcs and necromancers. But the primary humans of the Westerlands are the last remnants of the once great Atilaen seafaring people who moved inland when the oceans rose and drowned most of their culture. They have no idea that more of them survived and fled west across the waters. I just need to ponder it some more to figure out how different they are from their eastern cousins. Definitely something to think about.
The other issue is what to call it. The artist asked I not use the name he gave it, which is completely fair.
I think maybe I'll call it/them the Sunset Kingdoms. The largest island is the real seat of power, and each of the other islands is governed by a duke/count. They are constantly vying for more power and thus always in conflict. Their religion still worships the sea and some worship stones - this causes its own internal strife. When they come into contact with the sun worshipping, generally peaceful Westerlanders (I think they'll call them Dawners) war is practically inevitable. When some Westerlanders learn that there are people practicing the ancient religion of the sea, they too want to go back to their roots and leave, causing a rift within their own lands.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
The Age of Man
As was covered earlier, there are various core races to the Westerlands (aka Realmwalkers). But just how do the lifespans of these fantasy denizens compare to humans? Well I'm glad you asked. Arranged from eldest to youngest they are:
*An update: I recently came up with a possible age progression of elves compared to humans. Elves mature and grow at the same rate as humans until their late teens. From then on an elf only ages physically about 1 year for every 3-5 human years. Thus when a human reaches very old age of 85-100 an elf of the same age will only look in their late 20s or early 30s.
Elves: 500-800, although they still refer to the Eldar who would be thousands of years old had they remained in humanoid form.
Gnomes: 300-400, considered to be very old and gifted if they live beyond 350.
Dwarves: 250-350, being a people of action and productivity, once a dwarf passes age 300 they consider themselves too old and infirm to keep up with the younguns.
Half-Elves: 200-250, barely half the lifespan of a full blood elf, these hybrids are still more than double the average human life expectancy.
Humans: 80-100, actual life expectancy in the Late Middle Ages for the average commoner was about 40-50 tops, but because we don't want players/NPCs keeling over too soon I've stretched it to a full century if they're very healthy or if they have some magical talent that keeps them kicking.
Half-Orcs: 80-100, they might live as long as humans, but because they're a warrior society they seek a "good death" in battle preferably before 75. So if you're ever invited to a Hork's 80th birthday party, respectfully decline.
Grimalkin: They're catfolk. So do they actually have 9 lives? I was thinking more along the lines of reincarnation of the soul. Their physical bodies age and die at about the same rate as humans, but based on their karma and conscience they come back again and again in various forms. Mayhap their nirvana is being reborn as a star with full recollection of all previous lives. The brightest stars could be the best souls in the heavens, constant reminders to be as good as you can to achieve immortality.
Draken: I want them to be very old as well. I think 350-500 would give them a respectable run with much time to hone their skills and wisdom. Maybe they too get reborn -symbolic of shedding old scales - but they don't retain memory of complete life, just important lessons learned. Priests are literally more learned than warriors. Fighters are "young souls" who haven't yet settled down and embraced higher learning.
Vampires: well obviously they're immortal
Lycans: They maintain the normal lifespan of their original race, minus a bit because of their highly active hunter lifestyle.
Think of what this all means in terms of remembering and recounting events as we know them. In the last State of the Union address, an elderly woman was spotlighted for her devotion to civic duty - voting. She waited in line for hours and hours to cast her ballot.. She was 102! That means she was born during William Howard Taft's Presidency and would have been eligible to vote for Calvin Coolidge. She would have been just a few years older than me when Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed. She was 55 when JFK was assassinated, and 58 when Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot.
The Land of Nod posted an interesting timeline back in April. It goes a little something like this Core Race Memories
*An update: I recently came up with a possible age progression of elves compared to humans. Elves mature and grow at the same rate as humans until their late teens. From then on an elf only ages physically about 1 year for every 3-5 human years. Thus when a human reaches very old age of 85-100 an elf of the same age will only look in their late 20s or early 30s.
Elves: 500-800, although they still refer to the Eldar who would be thousands of years old had they remained in humanoid form.
Gnomes: 300-400, considered to be very old and gifted if they live beyond 350.
Dwarves: 250-350, being a people of action and productivity, once a dwarf passes age 300 they consider themselves too old and infirm to keep up with the younguns.
Half-Elves: 200-250, barely half the lifespan of a full blood elf, these hybrids are still more than double the average human life expectancy.
Humans: 80-100, actual life expectancy in the Late Middle Ages for the average commoner was about 40-50 tops, but because we don't want players/NPCs keeling over too soon I've stretched it to a full century if they're very healthy or if they have some magical talent that keeps them kicking.
Half-Orcs: 80-100, they might live as long as humans, but because they're a warrior society they seek a "good death" in battle preferably before 75. So if you're ever invited to a Hork's 80th birthday party, respectfully decline.
Grimalkin: They're catfolk. So do they actually have 9 lives? I was thinking more along the lines of reincarnation of the soul. Their physical bodies age and die at about the same rate as humans, but based on their karma and conscience they come back again and again in various forms. Mayhap their nirvana is being reborn as a star with full recollection of all previous lives. The brightest stars could be the best souls in the heavens, constant reminders to be as good as you can to achieve immortality.
Draken: I want them to be very old as well. I think 350-500 would give them a respectable run with much time to hone their skills and wisdom. Maybe they too get reborn -symbolic of shedding old scales - but they don't retain memory of complete life, just important lessons learned. Priests are literally more learned than warriors. Fighters are "young souls" who haven't yet settled down and embraced higher learning.
Vampires: well obviously they're immortal
Lycans: They maintain the normal lifespan of their original race, minus a bit because of their highly active hunter lifestyle.
Think of what this all means in terms of remembering and recounting events as we know them. In the last State of the Union address, an elderly woman was spotlighted for her devotion to civic duty - voting. She waited in line for hours and hours to cast her ballot.. She was 102! That means she was born during William Howard Taft's Presidency and would have been eligible to vote for Calvin Coolidge. She would have been just a few years older than me when Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed. She was 55 when JFK was assassinated, and 58 when Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot.
The Land of Nod posted an interesting timeline back in April. It goes a little something like this Core Race Memories
Friday, February 8, 2013
[Un]natural Magic & Elf Legend
If you're interested in what Brandon Sanderson has to say about magic systems, check this out
Realmwright: Nullus Deus Ex Machina
The magic of the Westerlands is definitely a soft system. It's nature based in the 5 elements of earth, water, air, fire, and spirit/energy. I thank Robert Jordan for planting that seed years and years ago. I chose this specifically so people would be awed by nature, but able to manipulate it as well. People (or in the gaming case, players) either have a natural aptitude for magic or they don't. Some have very little spark and must fan it into flame through years of careful study and practice. Others have dangerous, raging torrents of magical ability and strive to control it so it doesn't kill them.
The realm of Spirit is entirely unexplained/unexplainable. A very rare few are gifted towards this "element" and it allows them unpredictable powers like telepathy or an ability to see the dead. If they practice practice practice they can eventually commune with the dead via their thought process. This is never entirely clear; however, as the conversing with spirits leads to flashes of premonition either waking or in a dream state. These "dreamers", if noticed at all, are generally identified as very young children who have "over-active" imaginations, talk to "imaginary friends", or flat out tell people the converse with the dead or bluntly and unexpectedly tell people what they are thinking. As is understandable, this freaks a lot of people out to have a little kid say aloud what you're thinking as you think it. One character/player [Laurie's] in particular must meditate long and hard, which is both physically and mentally draining, to reach the necessary trans-trance.
Such practices are revered by some and absolutely forbidden by others. Almost everyone is curious to know more about death and the other side, but lots think you shouldn't go monkeying around with it either. The spirit world knows no sense of time or physicality, but recently passed spirits remember more of their living lives. Ancestral spirits recall less an less as they "age" (while not actually aging) on the other side. This meshing of the incorporeal spirit realm and the tangible physical reality is very mysterious even to one who has devoted their life to its workings.
When I first knew that I'd be using an elemental system of magic I wasn't sure if wood would be one of the schools/talents. As I thought about it more and more I decided that growing things would be a combination of every other magic. Trees grow from the earth, drink up water and sunlight (fire), and breathe air. There is no doubt that they are alive: therefore, contain an unexplained spirit. Trees are basically thought of as ancestors to the elves. In fact, the legend is that the Eldar (near ageless elves from the beginning of time, and the greatest mages ever known) implanted (pun kinda intended) themselves into trees when they felt their time in the emerging order of the world was at an end. They were so in love with the earth and their time upon it that they transmogrified their wise and eternal souls into trees. Had they not done so, life as it's now known could not have arisen because the trees wouldn't exist to produce the air all life breathes. Wind in the trees is eerily called the Breath of Death, when it is in fact the breath of life. Elves judge that those made afraid by a forest wind are evil and/or ignorant of life's magic. Those that revel in the clean smell of earth and leaves are good/pure souls.
Today exceedingly fewer and fewer of the Eldar Trees remain. The elves are of course fiercely protective of them in particular, and consider it a heinous crime against nature to cut down/harm a living tree. A tree that has died naturally is okay to be used for firewood. To cut down a living tree for shelter or tools is less offensive because it is giving its life to improve another's. But to truly avoid offense the cutter must ask the tree's permission to use it, give it a clean and respectful death, and they must plant a seedling (preferably from that very tree) to replace the life taken.
Autumn is a very sad time for elves because the falling leaves (especially red ones) remind the elves of the Eldar blood that was shed to settle the world. The skeletal trees of winter are stark reminders of the death and bygone glory days of the first elves.
Realmwright: Nullus Deus Ex Machina
The magic of the Westerlands is definitely a soft system. It's nature based in the 5 elements of earth, water, air, fire, and spirit/energy. I thank Robert Jordan for planting that seed years and years ago. I chose this specifically so people would be awed by nature, but able to manipulate it as well. People (or in the gaming case, players) either have a natural aptitude for magic or they don't. Some have very little spark and must fan it into flame through years of careful study and practice. Others have dangerous, raging torrents of magical ability and strive to control it so it doesn't kill them.
The realm of Spirit is entirely unexplained/unexplainable. A very rare few are gifted towards this "element" and it allows them unpredictable powers like telepathy or an ability to see the dead. If they practice practice practice they can eventually commune with the dead via their thought process. This is never entirely clear; however, as the conversing with spirits leads to flashes of premonition either waking or in a dream state. These "dreamers", if noticed at all, are generally identified as very young children who have "over-active" imaginations, talk to "imaginary friends", or flat out tell people the converse with the dead or bluntly and unexpectedly tell people what they are thinking. As is understandable, this freaks a lot of people out to have a little kid say aloud what you're thinking as you think it. One character/player [Laurie's] in particular must meditate long and hard, which is both physically and mentally draining, to reach the necessary trans-trance.
Such practices are revered by some and absolutely forbidden by others. Almost everyone is curious to know more about death and the other side, but lots think you shouldn't go monkeying around with it either. The spirit world knows no sense of time or physicality, but recently passed spirits remember more of their living lives. Ancestral spirits recall less an less as they "age" (while not actually aging) on the other side. This meshing of the incorporeal spirit realm and the tangible physical reality is very mysterious even to one who has devoted their life to its workings.
When I first knew that I'd be using an elemental system of magic I wasn't sure if wood would be one of the schools/talents. As I thought about it more and more I decided that growing things would be a combination of every other magic. Trees grow from the earth, drink up water and sunlight (fire), and breathe air. There is no doubt that they are alive: therefore, contain an unexplained spirit. Trees are basically thought of as ancestors to the elves. In fact, the legend is that the Eldar (near ageless elves from the beginning of time, and the greatest mages ever known) implanted (pun kinda intended) themselves into trees when they felt their time in the emerging order of the world was at an end. They were so in love with the earth and their time upon it that they transmogrified their wise and eternal souls into trees. Had they not done so, life as it's now known could not have arisen because the trees wouldn't exist to produce the air all life breathes. Wind in the trees is eerily called the Breath of Death, when it is in fact the breath of life. Elves judge that those made afraid by a forest wind are evil and/or ignorant of life's magic. Those that revel in the clean smell of earth and leaves are good/pure souls.
Today exceedingly fewer and fewer of the Eldar Trees remain. The elves are of course fiercely protective of them in particular, and consider it a heinous crime against nature to cut down/harm a living tree. A tree that has died naturally is okay to be used for firewood. To cut down a living tree for shelter or tools is less offensive because it is giving its life to improve another's. But to truly avoid offense the cutter must ask the tree's permission to use it, give it a clean and respectful death, and they must plant a seedling (preferably from that very tree) to replace the life taken.
Autumn is a very sad time for elves because the falling leaves (especially red ones) remind the elves of the Eldar blood that was shed to settle the world. The skeletal trees of winter are stark reminders of the death and bygone glory days of the first elves.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Let's Make Some Magic
So our session planned for 1/26 did not in fact occur. Kinda sucks, but I think it's for the best - that was not a particularly good day. We can always go shopping next time. The free mule, Kix, that I was going to gift to the players will just have to wait in the stable.
Anyway, in the meantime I have further developed the magic system in use in the Westerlands. I now know what it is, where it comes from, how it works, who can use it, and a list of spells for varying levels. The actual dicing mechanics of it have yet to be tried, but I'm pretty confident that their ability to work on paper will translate to game play.
Thank you to Tyler for requesting the magic rules, his interest gave me the motivation to create it. Thank you to Laurie, Megan, Jo, and Melissa for being various versions of spell slingers because they give me a direction/characters to write for. And a big thanks to Nils for sending me the free Tunnels & Trolls PDF that really got my gears turning as to how to create a simple, yet varied magic system.
Much more to come as I get the finishing touches concocted and typed up.
Anyway, in the meantime I have further developed the magic system in use in the Westerlands. I now know what it is, where it comes from, how it works, who can use it, and a list of spells for varying levels. The actual dicing mechanics of it have yet to be tried, but I'm pretty confident that their ability to work on paper will translate to game play.
Thank you to Tyler for requesting the magic rules, his interest gave me the motivation to create it. Thank you to Laurie, Megan, Jo, and Melissa for being various versions of spell slingers because they give me a direction/characters to write for. And a big thanks to Nils for sending me the free Tunnels & Trolls PDF that really got my gears turning as to how to create a simple, yet varied magic system.
Much more to come as I get the finishing touches concocted and typed up.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Let's Go Shopping
Our next proposed game session will be 1/26. And, as was suggested last time, I have worked out Armor Class. While I was at it, I did weapons too.
**Update**
I've decided to add adamantine weapons and armor. Adamantite is basically the mithril of the world. The armor is nigh indestructible, the shields never break or dent, and the weapons never lose their edge. I have to figure out the pricing for it. I was thinking of +500 GP to the base price of the item, but even that might not be enough given how rare the material is.
**Update**
I've decided to add adamantine weapons and armor. Adamantite is basically the mithril of the world. The armor is nigh indestructible, the shields never break or dent, and the weapons never lose their edge. I have to figure out the pricing for it. I was thinking of +500 GP to the base price of the item, but even that might not be enough given how rare the material is.
| Currency | |||||||||
| Copper (pennies) | 100 | = 1 GP | |||||||
| Silver (dimes) | 10 | = 1 GP | |||||||
| Gold (dollars) | 1 | ||||||||
| Gold Bar | 1 | = 500 GP | |||||||
| Shields | AC | Cost | |||||||
| Hide buckler | +1 | 5 GP | |||||||
| Wood | +2 | 10 GP | |||||||
| Iron | +3 | 20 GP | |||||||
| Bronze | +3 | 30 GP | |||||||
| Steel | +4 | 50 GP | |||||||
| Large shield | +5 | +25 GP to base cost | |||||||
| (metal only) | |||||||||
| Tall shield | +7 | 125 GP | |||||||
| (steel only) | |||||||||
| *large shields act as tall shields to small characters | |||||||||
| Armor | AC | Cost | |||||||
| Leather | +2 | 10 GP | |||||||
| Hide (boiled) | +3 | 20 GP | |||||||
| Studded | +3 | 25 GP | |||||||
| Scale Mail | +4 | 50 GP | |||||||
| Chain Mail | +4 | 75 GP | |||||||
| (long shirt) | |||||||||
| Iron Plate | +5 | 100 GP | |||||||
| Bronze Plate | +5 | 150 GP | |||||||
| Full Chain Mail | +5 | 175 GP | |||||||
| Steel Breastplate | +6 | 200 GP | |||||||
| Full Steel Plate | +8 | 500 GP | |||||||
| (shoulders, arms, legs) | |||||||||
| Melee Weapons | Damage | Cost | |||||||
| For melee attacks the player must be directly next to the target (next square) | |||||||||
| 1 handed | |||||||||
| Unarmed | base | -- | |||||||
| Blunt | +1 | 2 GP | |||||||
| Dagger/Small blade | +2 | 3 GP | |||||||
| Sword | +3 | 10 GP | |||||||
| Axe | +4 | 15 GP | |||||||
| Mace/Flail | +5 | 30 GP | |||||||
| 2 handed | |||||||||
| Hammer | +6 | 25 GP | |||||||
| Double Axe | +6 | 30 GP | |||||||
| Large Flail | +6 | 40 GP | |||||||
| Greatsword | +7 | 50 GP | |||||||
| Long Weapons | reach of 1 square between player and target | ||||||||
| 2 handed | |||||||||
| Spear | +3 | 10 GP | |||||||
| Halberd/Trident | +4 | 20 GP | |||||||
| Polearms | +5 | 25 GP | |||||||
| Long weapons are used to unhorse without damaging the mount | |||||||||
| They can be set against a charge to deal 50% damage to a mount and unhorse the rider (will roll for fall damage) | |||||||||
| the following attack must be used to kill the damaged mount before an attack can be made against the grounded rider | |||||||||
| If a rider is unhorsed without dealing damage to the mount, the player can attempt to capture the mount | |||||||||
| with a successful roll (16 or higher on d20) after the battle | |||||||||
| Ranged Weapons | Range | Damage | Cost | ||||||
| Sling | 3 sq | +1 | 2 GP | ||||||
| Crossbow | 5 sq | +3 | 10 GP | ||||||
| (cannot be fired | |||||||||
| from mount) | |||||||||
| Shortbow | 6 sq | +4 | 10 GP | ||||||
| (can be fired | |||||||||
| from mount) | |||||||||
| Bow | 7 sq | +4 | 20 GP | ||||||
| Longbow | 8 sq | +5 | 30 GP | ||||||
| Greatbow/Composite | 10 sq | +6 | 50 GP | ||||||
| Projectiles | Count | Cost | |||||||
| Bullets/Bolts | 30 | 15 GP | |||||||
| Arrows | 20 | 20 GP | |||||||
| Quiver/Pouch | 5 GP | ||||||||
| (holds 60 max) | |||||||||
| In the beginning players have a 50/50 chance of a successful strike with ranged attacks | |||||||||
| (roll a d10 to determine success) | |||||||||
| As they progress in levels/skill they have 60/40, 70/30, 80/20, and 90/10 | |||||||||
| After reaching level 10 they have 100% accuracy, but enemy shields/cover are considered | |||||||||
| Levels 10-12 get additional 1d4 damage | |||||||||
| Levels 12-15 get additional 2d4 damage | |||||||||
| Levels 15+ get additional 3d4 damage | |||||||||
Friday, January 11, 2013
Get Up, Come On Get Down With the Sickness
After much deliberation and conversation with my players, it has been decided that where you have werewolves you must also have vampires. Thank you Twilight and Underworld for the modern intertwining of age old legend.
It's not so simple, however, to just say "ok there's vamps and lycans". You have to establish where they come from. Is it magical or (super)natural? Is it considered a gift or a curse? And if there are monsters, it stands to reason there are also going to be monster slayers. After all, what is an RPG campaign without monsters....I'll tell you what it is, BORING!
So I'll be working into the world/story the introduction of both races. Each race has it pros and cons that come with "the blood". Each race has its prejudice and outright opposition toward each other, as well as, the stigma from the rest of the world. Whether players want to consider it a blessing or a curse to be bitten is up to them.
The logistics I've worked out so far are that a player is weakened when bitten (obviously) because they have been drained of blood/HP/Stamina. If bitten by a werewolf, they will uncontrollably turn with the next phase of the moon. I haven't decided yet if that will be the next full moon, or if it's sooner. The next moon phase would occur about once a week. I'm talking from new, to half, to full, to half again - I'm not figuring in all the various degrees and quarters. They player can either accept this change and the new stats that come along with it, or they must seek to heal themselves. If they cannot be healed, the change is inevitable. At that point they can keep player the character as a lycan, or they can say the lycan runs off, leaving the party for the pack, and they begin a new character.
If bitten by a vampire the character doesn't automatically change, like they do with a lycan bite. If the player wants to become a vampire and get the new stats, they must in turn feed off the blood of a vampire. If a player does not suckle from a vampire, they cannot fully turn. But they will still crave blood and be weakened by sunlight. This means that they will become night stalkers, drawn to attacking NPCs (or perhaps other party members) to feed their thirst. If the player cannot handle this monstrous, corrupt lifestyle, they must be healed. An obvious drawback of being a vampire is that they cannot be exposed to sunlight, and they must sleep in the dirt of their native territory. An easy solution to this is that a roaming vampire can carry a jar of their native dirt with them and sprinkle it over themselves when they bed down. However, there is a finite supply of this dirt, so they must go home to get more, or carry more for longer periods away.
Both races, as nocturnal predators, are fervently hated by sun priests/paladins and are exterminated at every opportunity. If their is such a player within the group already, they cannot coexist with a lycan or vampire unless the DM specifically allows for it.
It's not so simple, however, to just say "ok there's vamps and lycans". You have to establish where they come from. Is it magical or (super)natural? Is it considered a gift or a curse? And if there are monsters, it stands to reason there are also going to be monster slayers. After all, what is an RPG campaign without monsters....I'll tell you what it is, BORING!
So I'll be working into the world/story the introduction of both races. Each race has it pros and cons that come with "the blood". Each race has its prejudice and outright opposition toward each other, as well as, the stigma from the rest of the world. Whether players want to consider it a blessing or a curse to be bitten is up to them.
The logistics I've worked out so far are that a player is weakened when bitten (obviously) because they have been drained of blood/HP/Stamina. If bitten by a werewolf, they will uncontrollably turn with the next phase of the moon. I haven't decided yet if that will be the next full moon, or if it's sooner. The next moon phase would occur about once a week. I'm talking from new, to half, to full, to half again - I'm not figuring in all the various degrees and quarters. They player can either accept this change and the new stats that come along with it, or they must seek to heal themselves. If they cannot be healed, the change is inevitable. At that point they can keep player the character as a lycan, or they can say the lycan runs off, leaving the party for the pack, and they begin a new character.
If bitten by a vampire the character doesn't automatically change, like they do with a lycan bite. If the player wants to become a vampire and get the new stats, they must in turn feed off the blood of a vampire. If a player does not suckle from a vampire, they cannot fully turn. But they will still crave blood and be weakened by sunlight. This means that they will become night stalkers, drawn to attacking NPCs (or perhaps other party members) to feed their thirst. If the player cannot handle this monstrous, corrupt lifestyle, they must be healed. An obvious drawback of being a vampire is that they cannot be exposed to sunlight, and they must sleep in the dirt of their native territory. An easy solution to this is that a roaming vampire can carry a jar of their native dirt with them and sprinkle it over themselves when they bed down. However, there is a finite supply of this dirt, so they must go home to get more, or carry more for longer periods away.
Both races, as nocturnal predators, are fervently hated by sun priests/paladins and are exterminated at every opportunity. If their is such a player within the group already, they cannot coexist with a lycan or vampire unless the DM specifically allows for it.
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