I am working on the island, fortress, and hidden sectors maps, descriptions, and general module-ness for The Isle of Slavers.
--When the adventure is played-out, I intend to reveal it here as a .pdf for your enjoyment. If it meets with your approval, I may submit it to Fight On!
My second edition Gamma World boxed set from an eBay purchase arrived today, as advertised, minus the map, but no sweat, as I still had my map. It also included 7 transparent green Gamescience dice (minus the 10's-die, plus a second d6), that I have Crayola'd white.
--Although 2e has less of an OS-feel than 1e, it is a fine and solid game-platform, and I especially like a lot of the changes and expansions to Mutations.
If I receive enough interest, I would like to run an Urutsk play-by-post game.
--I am most familiar with www.playbyweb.com, but would be open to other venues if heartily suggested.
---If interested, please leave a comment on this post to that effect.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
[Playtest Campaign] The Isle of Slavers Pt. 1-
Tybalt/Darius' player was back; Delver/CiCi's no-show two weeks in a row, suspect something amiss; new player made a 2-Handed Sword melee guy --he'll be leaving each week around 8PM to run a game elsewhere; Ashta/Mela; Ymyk the Archer.
Ship escaped island inhabited by Qetswn family >> Sighted another island >> Almost ran aground >> PCs took ship's boat to shore >> Mountain cleft in two with fresh water channel bisecting the sandy & scrub island >> fairly busy pier >> only smallcraft able to reach pier due to shallows >> press gang combat avoided >> Notice Vrun and other non-'primitives' shackled, etc. >> extortionist fees to remain free (125 count per person so long as writ in possession) >> PCs enter tavern >> Strong (grog + ale) >> Uneasy >> Tybalt inquires after securing an educated, martially-proficient, orange-skinned (a Dokirin skin colouration possibility: range from Amber to Violet) individual >> Told that, if present on island, 1800+ count cost >> Hear shouting out in the courtyard >> Identify some of the voices as those from their ship >> Combat begins >> 4 Rounds, little damage to PCs, although there is plenty of action, and weapons accidentally discarded; NPC weapon snapped by Ymyk; Delver depletes most of his lightning-ring charges frying several 2FD fighter-types >> 5th Round I am about to Crit Darius when I am recalled to home base: Father has fallen for 2nd time >> I zip back home (20+ miles) >> 2nd try gets Pops into Mom's chair in living room.
Provided next week is on, I intend on resuming combat from that point.
Ship escaped island inhabited by Qetswn family >> Sighted another island >> Almost ran aground >> PCs took ship's boat to shore >> Mountain cleft in two with fresh water channel bisecting the sandy & scrub island >> fairly busy pier >> only smallcraft able to reach pier due to shallows >> press gang combat avoided >> Notice Vrun and other non-'primitives' shackled, etc. >> extortionist fees to remain free (125 count per person so long as writ in possession) >> PCs enter tavern >> Strong (grog + ale) >> Uneasy >> Tybalt inquires after securing an educated, martially-proficient, orange-skinned (a Dokirin skin colouration possibility: range from Amber to Violet) individual >> Told that, if present on island, 1800+ count cost >> Hear shouting out in the courtyard >> Identify some of the voices as those from their ship >> Combat begins >> 4 Rounds, little damage to PCs, although there is plenty of action, and weapons accidentally discarded; NPC weapon snapped by Ymyk; Delver depletes most of his lightning-ring charges frying several 2FD fighter-types >> 5th Round I am about to Crit Darius when I am recalled to home base: Father has fallen for 2nd time >> I zip back home (20+ miles) >> 2nd try gets Pops into Mom's chair in living room.
Provided next week is on, I intend on resuming combat from that point.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
[RPG] UPDATED Critical Strikes & Attack Bonus ][-
As of now, I have settled on (AB / 5) incremental increase on the Critical Threshold.
Since I allow characters to purchase Levelled-capabilities, like Attack Bonus, at one-higher than their current Character-Level, I've pushed the value back to +5 AB, which is purchasable at Character-Level 4.
Crit- | Attack Bonus-
20. | AB +1 -- +4
19+ | AB +5 -- +9
18+ | AB +10-- +14
17+ | AB +15-- +19
16+ | AB +20 <
So far, I have two very strong votes for a Critical Hit determination Chart-thingie.
--Looking at my Arduin book, I ... > sigh <
---What can I say, guys? This stuff is not attack-type specific; ranges from low-power 'paper cut' to 'body shredded: instant death'. I'd rather give weapons/attacks the power they deserve and have it pretty clear that getting shot by a Mk. VII Blaster is just absolutely going to ruin your day from the game-maths, rather than even Rolemasterean Effect Type Charts, as silly-fun as those are.
I've looked at the Avalon Hill RuneQuest Deluxe box; I've even broken out AFTERMATH!, and neither of them goes anywhere into that kind of detail.
--I'm afraid that if folks want that kind of detail, they'll have to write up their own charts or what-have-you.
Since I allow characters to purchase Levelled-capabilities, like Attack Bonus, at one-higher than their current Character-Level, I've pushed the value back to +5 AB, which is purchasable at Character-Level 4.
Crit- | Attack Bonus-
20. | AB +1 -- +4
19+ | AB +5 -- +9
18+ | AB +10-- +14
17+ | AB +15-- +19
16+ | AB +20 <
So far, I have two very strong votes for a Critical Hit determination Chart-thingie.
--Looking at my Arduin book, I ... > sigh <
---What can I say, guys? This stuff is not attack-type specific; ranges from low-power 'paper cut' to 'body shredded: instant death'. I'd rather give weapons/attacks the power they deserve and have it pretty clear that getting shot by a Mk. VII Blaster is just absolutely going to ruin your day from the game-maths, rather than even Rolemasterean Effect Type Charts, as silly-fun as those are.
I've looked at the Avalon Hill RuneQuest Deluxe box; I've even broken out AFTERMATH!, and neither of them goes anywhere into that kind of detail.
--I'm afraid that if folks want that kind of detail, they'll have to write up their own charts or what-have-you.
[RPG] 'Give them charts!' (Location Redux)-
I am struggling with a TMJ-induced headache as I write this.
It has become fairly apparent that the 100 Archetypal Locations isn't going to work in the format I had originally intended, and that several charts would be the better solution.
--As it stands, including a four or five paragraph explanation, I am already up to 5k words. I know you folks don't want to read huge blocks of data only to swap-out particulars.
"Give them charts to roll on!"
You got it, or, at least, will get them.
--Fortunately, extracting the data into the new format won't be an epic undertaking.
It has become fairly apparent that the 100 Archetypal Locations isn't going to work in the format I had originally intended, and that several charts would be the better solution.
--As it stands, including a four or five paragraph explanation, I am already up to 5k words. I know you folks don't want to read huge blocks of data only to swap-out particulars.
"Give them charts to roll on!"
You got it, or, at least, will get them.
--Fortunately, extracting the data into the new format won't be an epic undertaking.
[RPG] Distribution of Urutskan Climatic Zones-
(c) Copyright 2009 Kyrinn S. Eis
Here is a sample of the current sub-project:
The range to the left is both the percentile-die roll for random determination on the 'big map' scale of overland travel, as well as the actual percentage distribution of the various climatic zones found on Urutsk.
Here is a sample of the current sub-project:
Main Entries by Urutskan Climate-
01-10 -
11-27 - Tundra : is a vast, stark, frozen landscape for much of the year, making it impossible for trees to grow. The bare rocky land can generally only support heath, lichen, and moss.
28-48 - Subarctic : generally consist of peat bogs, rough herbs, grasses, and sedges. Characteristic large land mammals include Utdayk (moose), Ushko (bears), Kyn (reindeer), and Shaleske (wolves).
49-65 - Taiga : defined by both ‘lichen woodlands’ bordering the Subarctic and consisting of tree spreads with lichen ground cover, and ‘closed forests’ bordering the Temperate Cool composed of densely-spaced trees with mossy ground cover. This zone is the single largest percentage of forest on the planet.
66-76 - Temperate Cool : are humid with a forest canopy composed tall mature trees, a shade tolerant understory, a sub-canopy of smaller mature trees, saplings, and suppressed juvenile trees awaiting an opening in the canopy. Below the sub-canopy is a shrub layer of low growing woody plants, and diverse ground cover.
77-84 - Continental : typically, winter temperatures are cold enough to support snow cover each year, while summer produces moderate precipitation. These regions are a mixture of forest, tall-grass prairie, and very productive farmlands.
85-86 - Temperate Warm : typified by rains throughout the year, hot and very wet summers, and mild winters with occasional cold spells. These regions are ideally suited to agriculture, especially that of citruses, grapes, melons, and olives.
87-91 - Subtropical : characteristically cool winters and hot, humid summers, with significant amounts of precipitation throughout the year in most areas. Winter rainfall is derived from large storms that westerly winds steer eastward, while summer rainfall occurs during thunderstorms, occasional tropical storms, and hurricanes/typhoons.
92-99 - Tropical : marked by high temperatures, very humid and cloudy conditions, and heavy rainfall. While winds are usually light, powerful tropical storms can be problematic. The sun is nearly overhead in these regions so it is evenly hot all year. No where else in the world are conditions as ideal for sprawling, lush warm-climate rainforests.
00 - Arid/Hyperarid : any area characterised by a net moisture deficit, and receives less than 10" annual rainfall. These climates include arid areas in temperate regions, and often appear devoid of life, but the flora and fauna have adapted to survive extremely hot days and cold nights when the temperature plummets.
The range to the left is both the percentile-die roll for random determination on the 'big map' scale of overland travel, as well as the actual percentage distribution of the various climatic zones found on Urutsk.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
[RPG] Critical Strikes & Attack Bonus-
Another of the issues that the LGS owner discovered when creating his character was that the cost of Attack Bonus is higher over the entire run than the much more flexible, Focus Points.
--He didn't feel that the One Round switch-out to re-allocate Focus was enough of a balancing factor to reflect the cheaper cost, especially given the fact that AB and Fo can be used in conjunction.
He and his wargaming buddy then offered slightly more complicated ideas to make Focus more finicky, such as requiring a roll to Maintain Focus, and so forth.
--While I think that is a cool idea, I'm pretty certain that the same net effect can be achieved without adding a recurring mechanism, let alone one that requires an additional roll.
Prior to his noting that mathematical error on my part, I had been contemplating the nature of Critical Strikes, and how I wanted character skill/ability/prowess to reflect more on their frequency than the simple 'dumb luck' of rolling a 20 on the die.
--I am currently thinking of the following, or something like it:
* (AB / 2) lowers the Critical Threshold
This simply means that more proficient fighters would benefit from more frequent Critical Strikes.
AB +2: 19-20
AB +4: 18-20
AB +6: 17-20
etc.
I still plan on revising the cost of both AB and Focus, but I am asking for your input on the matter of removing pure luck from the Critical Strike.
Thoughts?
--He didn't feel that the One Round switch-out to re-allocate Focus was enough of a balancing factor to reflect the cheaper cost, especially given the fact that AB and Fo can be used in conjunction.
He and his wargaming buddy then offered slightly more complicated ideas to make Focus more finicky, such as requiring a roll to Maintain Focus, and so forth.
--While I think that is a cool idea, I'm pretty certain that the same net effect can be achieved without adding a recurring mechanism, let alone one that requires an additional roll.
Prior to his noting that mathematical error on my part, I had been contemplating the nature of Critical Strikes, and how I wanted character skill/ability/prowess to reflect more on their frequency than the simple 'dumb luck' of rolling a 20 on the die.
--I am currently thinking of the following, or something like it:
* (AB / 2) lowers the Critical Threshold
This simply means that more proficient fighters would benefit from more frequent Critical Strikes.
AB +2: 19-20
AB +4: 18-20
AB +6: 17-20
etc.
I still plan on revising the cost of both AB and Focus, but I am asking for your input on the matter of removing pure luck from the Critical Strike.
Thoughts?
Saturday, August 22, 2009
[Playtest Campaign] Latitude Adjustment-
Delver/CiCi was a no-show, with no phone service.
LGS owner made a 3rd-Level Yaesh Archer (Mutant).
Ashta and Mela Mela were the early focus and as they and the rest of the party made their way across the Ocean of Storms, the galleon-style craft encountered 30' swells.
--The seas of the eastern-most Windswept Straits required shallow-draught vessels particular to these waters to transport the party one one vessel, and their new furnishings and other bulky cargo (food stores) on a second. The party had three weeks to acclimatise to the humid (sub-)tropics.
Ashta, still possessing the Ring of Scorpion Control from the Lost Island adventure, took the opportunity to call five of the largest scorps she could, and received lobster-sized buggers. With them in tow, and one on her shoulder, she and Mela left the jungles and encountered an old woman, her pupil, and three young boys along the trail back into the town proper.
--The women bowed, facing the ground, and the boys couldn't help but stare at the tall and muscular, pale, platinum-blonde warrior woman who had arrived on a floating island blown there by clouds --clearly a goddess of Life and Death, with her sizeable scorpion retinue and Mela cohort. The older woman reached out and lightly grasped the hem of Ashta's cloak, which the other noticed.
---Fast Forward: Mela the alchemist/apothecary/healer diagnosed her condition as parasitic-induced liver-distress exacerbated by malnourishment. Sixteen other kinfolk of the woman came to understand that the goddess would heal them all.
Ashta served as the rally for Mela's regimen which included purchasing them several goats and the receiving chickens (or, more precisely Urutsken analogues) in reverence, and the hope that his family, too, would received the goddess' blessing.
--After four days of concoction, using scorp venom to aid in the anti-parasite meds, Mela began the treatment of 24 individuals. Three days later, she emerged from the large hovel, to find the entire village outside awaiting her. The crowd garnered the attention of a civil servant of the Imperial (WICE) Governor, who chastened her and Ashta for wasting their time on primitive lessers too foolish to learn from their superiors, and that if word spread of these 'miracles' riots would surely ensue, and the bloodshed would be upon Ashta's head (the uncouth Highlands barbarian that she is). His revulsion as a scorp crawled up onto her shoulder and began aggression-posturing was not well hidden, but he maintained his composure as he skidaddled out of the village.
---The two built a rain-collector and filtration system, and instructed the folk to use better hygiene (not letting the children drink from the animals' troughs, etc.) but the instructions were not entirely understood, and instead became a ritual procedure. The girls left after telling the villagers to spread the good news, just to spite the civserve, not really grasping the far-reaching repercussions of their decision.
Off on the two large Dhows, one day into the trip, the winds bestilled for three additional days, then a tropical storm (00 on the wind-strength table) rolled through, sinking the cargo ship, although the crew made it over to the passenger craft. The next five days were little to no wind, and the three-day food stores, now strained, failed.
--I concocted an on the spot 4d6 test where each character had to roll higher on their 4d6 to not succumb to faintness and lethargy. At first, it was Mela who was not doing well, but as Ashta began sharing her meal with the other, Ashta finally fell unconscious. Mela used her skills to cultivate quick algae and distil fresh water for the crew. Finally, a Norwester wind blew them close enough to an island for the crew and passengers to disembark. One crewman had died.
I then brought the Hun-like Yaesh Archer to the island via a fae-curse after he tried to rope a horse-woman in a placid mossy hollow in the granite hills of the pasture lands. In a flash of lightning, he was transported to a similar spot on, yes, you guessed it, that island, a world away.
--Great accented speech and acting on his part brought the ridiculous fiat back in line with the rest of the game, and his character (as yet, unnamed) began to observe the group on the beach. He observed them netting hares and began to hunt them himself. His Chameleon Powers and high Secret and Silence percentages aided him in securing three hares, the island literally coursing with them.
---He discovered a strange clearing with a cluster of odd fungus around which several large hares were circling, all in the same direction. He also found three trails made, apparently, by a crippled human. He followed one and found a shack composed of shipwreck and island materials. Eventually, the Yaesh joined the group on the beach, communicated the shack's location. They investigated.
Combat ensued when a Qetswn => KetSoon <= dashed up to Ashta and barely bit her for 1 DP through her Amazonian armour. Furious series of really good rolls failed to hit the creature's ridiculously high Defence, and then, when Ashta landed a blow, it had no effect due to needing a magic or high-energy source. The archer's mutation, however, allowed him to damage it and the relatively frail thing went down with an arrow through the soft pallet driven under its chin. It was quickly determined that the humanoid Monstrous Being was a male of the species, and its human-hair belt with golden buckle, and its bone dagger were absconded with as Ashta retreated.
--Cries of, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" from the kits in the shack led the archer to foolishly think it safe enough to retrieve a few arrows, when he saw a humanoid shadow fall across his. "I don't turn, I just run." Jumping onto a palm frond reduced his falling rate and he only sustained 9 DP upon rolling down the sloped incline of the hill before landing in a sea-grape leaf tree which snared several of his minor bits of equipment.
---The entire group grabbed what food and supplies they could and DD's back to the ship whereupon they caught that last few hours of wind --enough to carry them from the island. Two additional days of becallmed winds, and then finally enough to make it to the next inhabited and well-visited island.
We held it there.
LGS owner made a 3rd-Level Yaesh Archer (Mutant).
Ashta and Mela Mela were the early focus and as they and the rest of the party made their way across the Ocean of Storms, the galleon-style craft encountered 30' swells.
--The seas of the eastern-most Windswept Straits required shallow-draught vessels particular to these waters to transport the party one one vessel, and their new furnishings and other bulky cargo (food stores) on a second. The party had three weeks to acclimatise to the humid (sub-)tropics.
Ashta, still possessing the Ring of Scorpion Control from the Lost Island adventure, took the opportunity to call five of the largest scorps she could, and received lobster-sized buggers. With them in tow, and one on her shoulder, she and Mela left the jungles and encountered an old woman, her pupil, and three young boys along the trail back into the town proper.
--The women bowed, facing the ground, and the boys couldn't help but stare at the tall and muscular, pale, platinum-blonde warrior woman who had arrived on a floating island blown there by clouds --clearly a goddess of Life and Death, with her sizeable scorpion retinue and Mela cohort. The older woman reached out and lightly grasped the hem of Ashta's cloak, which the other noticed.
---Fast Forward: Mela the alchemist/apothecary/healer diagnosed her condition as parasitic-induced liver-distress exacerbated by malnourishment. Sixteen other kinfolk of the woman came to understand that the goddess would heal them all.
Ashta served as the rally for Mela's regimen which included purchasing them several goats and the receiving chickens (or, more precisely Urutsken analogues) in reverence, and the hope that his family, too, would received the goddess' blessing.
--After four days of concoction, using scorp venom to aid in the anti-parasite meds, Mela began the treatment of 24 individuals. Three days later, she emerged from the large hovel, to find the entire village outside awaiting her. The crowd garnered the attention of a civil servant of the Imperial (WICE) Governor, who chastened her and Ashta for wasting their time on primitive lessers too foolish to learn from their superiors, and that if word spread of these 'miracles' riots would surely ensue, and the bloodshed would be upon Ashta's head (the uncouth Highlands barbarian that she is). His revulsion as a scorp crawled up onto her shoulder and began aggression-posturing was not well hidden, but he maintained his composure as he skidaddled out of the village.
---The two built a rain-collector and filtration system, and instructed the folk to use better hygiene (not letting the children drink from the animals' troughs, etc.) but the instructions were not entirely understood, and instead became a ritual procedure. The girls left after telling the villagers to spread the good news, just to spite the civserve, not really grasping the far-reaching repercussions of their decision.
Off on the two large Dhows, one day into the trip, the winds bestilled for three additional days, then a tropical storm (00 on the wind-strength table) rolled through, sinking the cargo ship, although the crew made it over to the passenger craft. The next five days were little to no wind, and the three-day food stores, now strained, failed.
--I concocted an on the spot 4d6 test where each character had to roll higher on their 4d6 to not succumb to faintness and lethargy. At first, it was Mela who was not doing well, but as Ashta began sharing her meal with the other, Ashta finally fell unconscious. Mela used her skills to cultivate quick algae and distil fresh water for the crew. Finally, a Norwester wind blew them close enough to an island for the crew and passengers to disembark. One crewman had died.
I then brought the Hun-like Yaesh Archer to the island via a fae-curse after he tried to rope a horse-woman in a placid mossy hollow in the granite hills of the pasture lands. In a flash of lightning, he was transported to a similar spot on, yes, you guessed it, that island, a world away.
--Great accented speech and acting on his part brought the ridiculous fiat back in line with the rest of the game, and his character (as yet, unnamed) began to observe the group on the beach. He observed them netting hares and began to hunt them himself. His Chameleon Powers and high Secret and Silence percentages aided him in securing three hares, the island literally coursing with them.
---He discovered a strange clearing with a cluster of odd fungus around which several large hares were circling, all in the same direction. He also found three trails made, apparently, by a crippled human. He followed one and found a shack composed of shipwreck and island materials. Eventually, the Yaesh joined the group on the beach, communicated the shack's location. They investigated.
Combat ensued when a Qetswn => KetSoon <= dashed up to Ashta and barely bit her for 1 DP through her Amazonian armour. Furious series of really good rolls failed to hit the creature's ridiculously high Defence, and then, when Ashta landed a blow, it had no effect due to needing a magic or high-energy source. The archer's mutation, however, allowed him to damage it and the relatively frail thing went down with an arrow through the soft pallet driven under its chin. It was quickly determined that the humanoid Monstrous Being was a male of the species, and its human-hair belt with golden buckle, and its bone dagger were absconded with as Ashta retreated.
--Cries of, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" from the kits in the shack led the archer to foolishly think it safe enough to retrieve a few arrows, when he saw a humanoid shadow fall across his. "I don't turn, I just run." Jumping onto a palm frond reduced his falling rate and he only sustained 9 DP upon rolling down the sloped incline of the hill before landing in a sea-grape leaf tree which snared several of his minor bits of equipment.
---The entire group grabbed what food and supplies they could and DD's back to the ship whereupon they caught that last few hours of wind --enough to carry them from the island. Two additional days of becallmed winds, and then finally enough to make it to the next inhabited and well-visited island.
We held it there.
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