My friend, Jeff Berry, (co-)author of the Qadardalikoi Tekumel wargame rules set, sent me a copy of those rules, and a printed scan of mimeographed, pre-TSR Empire.
Jeff also painted a paler version of my N'luss character; her 'sister' appears in his game.
--I hope to have scans and photos to post next day or three.
[Beyond beaming,] all I can say to folks who suggest that Old School was 'simple' or 'rules-light', clearly were kept in very small (and strange) circles.
--Details on true settings make the play more tangible, and the game-reality more concrete and 'alive.' Tekumel, Glorantha, and (the Silver-, or Bronze-age) Jorune, being those that leap readily to mind.
...more cowbell!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
[RPG] Competing with Space Opera... ;) -
I've been looking for sections of the revamped CharGen to post here, but all the 'sexy' parts are formatted in such a way as to be mangled by blogger's column width.
--I'll see about posting a .pdf
So far everything on the character sheet is accounted for, apart from actual combat/weapons rules, and the Aberrations.
--Those still reside in their own sections (completed or unfinished).
Here are a few excerpts:
------------------------------------------
BACKGROUND DETERMINATION-
These tables are used to provide depth of character which integrates directly with the game system so that the Character Control Record is essentially all the information a Player needs.
Should another method of more rapidly preparing a character be to your liking, merely roll up the Ability Scores as above, and roll for starting Count for purchases in the Amour, Arms & Gear section, and the PC is ready to go. If this method is chosen, all charactrs must be generated in this manner. Likewise, bits and pieces that appeal to the Referee and gaming group may be retained or excepted.
If play is desired immediately, existing characters for most versions of The World's Most Popular Roleplaying Game, from editions O to X, as well as many other 3d6-scaled RPGs of the earlier age of gaming are highly compatible with UWoM, 'right out of the box'. I would be delighted to hear that some hybridisation has taken place in your local games, as that spirit of inventiveness and creativity is the one in which the entire milieu and RPG have been fashioned.
Sex-
(Choose or Roll 1d10)
6+ - Female
2-5 - Male
1 - Special
=---= Special-
(Choose or Roll 1d10)
04+ - Male, as above
03 - Female: Bxhr 'Amazon' +2 Ability Points, 1-Point Regeneration
02 - Male: Avemn 'Highblood' +3 Ability Points
01 - Other - see
=---= Other-
(Choose or Roll 1d10)
03+ - Odd = Male, Even = Female, as standard, above
02 - Neuter
01 - Hermaphrodite
Age-
(Choose or roll 2d6)
11+: 16 Years
10 : 18
09 : 20
08 : 22
07 : 23 Years
06 : 21
05 : 19
04 : 17
03-: 15 Years
+01 Year per Primary Field, and +01 Year per two full Secondary Fields.
Ethnicity-
(Choose or Roll 2d12)
24-22 - Durn: +16 - Frame mod.: -02 - Scholars & Scientists
21-20 - Khem: +03 - Frame mod.: -01 - Carousers & Card-readers
19-17 - Western Isles Vrun: +08 - Frame mod.: +02 - Empire-Bringers
16-15 - Yirinn: +0 - Frame mod.: +0 - Warrior-Bards
14-12 - Vrun: +10 - Frame mod.: +01 - Dominators & Innovators
11-09 - Dokirin: +06 - Frame mod.: -01 - Farmers, Nomads, & Nations
08-05 - Yaesh: 3d6+06 - Frame mod.: +0 - Chaotic Cogs in an Empire Machine
02-04 - Khark: 1d4+19 - Frame mod.: -03 - Nihilists & Shaman
--I'll see about posting a .pdf
So far everything on the character sheet is accounted for, apart from actual combat/weapons rules, and the Aberrations.
--Those still reside in their own sections (completed or unfinished).
Here are a few excerpts:
------------------------------------------
BACKGROUND DETERMINATION-
These tables are used to provide depth of character which integrates directly with the game system so that the Character Control Record is essentially all the information a Player needs.
Should another method of more rapidly preparing a character be to your liking, merely roll up the Ability Scores as above, and roll for starting Count for purchases in the Amour, Arms & Gear section, and the PC is ready to go. If this method is chosen, all charactrs must be generated in this manner. Likewise, bits and pieces that appeal to the Referee and gaming group may be retained or excepted.
If play is desired immediately, existing characters for most versions of The World's Most Popular Roleplaying Game, from editions O to X, as well as many other 3d6-scaled RPGs of the earlier age of gaming are highly compatible with UWoM, 'right out of the box'. I would be delighted to hear that some hybridisation has taken place in your local games, as that spirit of inventiveness and creativity is the one in which the entire milieu and RPG have been fashioned.
Sex-
(Choose or Roll 1d10)
6+ - Female
2-5 - Male
1 - Special
=---= Special-
(Choose or Roll 1d10)
04+ - Male, as above
03 - Female: Bxhr 'Amazon' +2 Ability Points, 1-Point Regeneration
02 - Male: Avemn 'Highblood' +3 Ability Points
01 - Other - see
=---= Other-
(Choose or Roll 1d10)
03+ - Odd = Male, Even = Female, as standard, above
02 - Neuter
01 - Hermaphrodite
Age-
(Choose or roll 2d6)
11+: 16 Years
10 : 18
09 : 20
08 : 22
07 : 23 Years
06 : 21
05 : 19
04 : 17
03-: 15 Years
+01 Year per Primary Field, and +01 Year per two full Secondary Fields.
Ethnicity-
(Choose or Roll 2d12)
24-22 - Durn: +16 - Frame mod.: -02 - Scholars & Scientists
21-20 - Khem: +03 - Frame mod.: -01 - Carousers & Card-readers
19-17 - Western Isles Vrun: +08 - Frame mod.: +02 - Empire-Bringers
16-15 - Yirinn: +0 - Frame mod.: +0 - Warrior-Bards
14-12 - Vrun: +10 - Frame mod.: +01 - Dominators & Innovators
11-09 - Dokirin: +06 - Frame mod.: -01 - Farmers, Nomads, & Nations
08-05 - Yaesh: 3d6+06 - Frame mod.: +0 - Chaotic Cogs in an Empire Machine
02-04 - Khark: 1d4+19 - Frame mod.: -03 - Nihilists & Shaman
Monday, November 30, 2009
[Gaming] Thanksgiving Sandbox with the Intoxicated Newbies-
On Thanksgiving night I ran a game of Basic Fantasy RPG that I gave, along with a copy of The Crusader mag., and a full set of polys with 4d6 to a guy who hadn't gamed in over 20 years.
--He and Delver's player were the first two PCs in the game and died twice in a row with six goblin archers firing from darkness at their two 2nd-Level characters with max. HP at first, rolled for 2nd.
---Said guy was a few sheets to the wind which made everyone's enjoyment a bit less, but then we re-started for the third time, now with the characters at 3rd-Level, and soon had two additional intoxicated players --both of whom took the game more seriously and were really thinking for their characters.
The host's character was a 'Sorcerer', so I allowed him access to both MU and Cleric spell lists, but in the III re-vamp, we forgot to give him a second 1st level spell, but he did well enough with MM and Pro/Evil, which is essentially a more EPT version, insomuch that any hostiles are the 'evil'.
--His wife's character, Aradia (pretty cool), was a 'Priestess', and I gave her the same dual-list casting capability, but she chose Pro/Evil and Cure Light. --Both had d8 HD.
---The other guy was just a fighter-type w. d10 HD, and 'Delver' was thiefy, with d6 HD.
Version III's flowchart consisted of:
||= Cave Mounth leading to:
||= Gremlins
||= Hostile Elf on a Chain
||= Chest with Gems
||= Witch, L3 (cut down before she could cast)
||= Chute to 2nd-Level room with water enough for 0 damage
||= Hatch
||= Jail Cells & Office
||= Other PCs
||= Secret Door in Office
||= Chest, Trapped and not opened
||= Stairs down to slightly flooded chamber with one obvious door
||= Door is opened, further flooding chamber
||= Secret door found which opens to stairwell-up covered in fine pale sand
||= Aradia finds a topaz-headed metal-hafted spear in the water before taking the stairwell
||= Stairwell-up leads to a vast room covered in desert sands and dunes at least 30' high, a silvery star-like light shining down upon the scene, two palm trees, and wall carvings similar to Egyptian Hieroglyphics, which Aradia decided she could read (so I let her).
She determined that the area was inhabited by jackal-headed creatures, guardians of a great treasure, and terrible monsters besides. With their 'cue', the PCs geared-up for combat and absconding, and were pleased when the Jackal-headed baddie brought a pedestal up from the ground, adorned, naturally, with a fist-sized pale-blue diamond.
As the host was slashing away and taking damage, Aradia dodged the creature's strike and grasped the diamond to find herself teleported back to the door of the local tavern in her home town, now holding a 100 gp pearl.
--The same occurred for the fighter-guy.
---The host's character, however, killed the guardian, and he was rewarded with a 700 gp. diamond. 'Delver's PC didn't survive.
New Tweak: I had everyone roll-off to see who would get struck with arrows, etc.
--It seemed to making things edgier and more competitive.
The folks were pleased as punch at the gift, once they realised it was for them, and I was asked back ASAP.
Hmm...
What are your thoughts?
--He and Delver's player were the first two PCs in the game and died twice in a row with six goblin archers firing from darkness at their two 2nd-Level characters with max. HP at first, rolled for 2nd.
---Said guy was a few sheets to the wind which made everyone's enjoyment a bit less, but then we re-started for the third time, now with the characters at 3rd-Level, and soon had two additional intoxicated players --both of whom took the game more seriously and were really thinking for their characters.
The host's character was a 'Sorcerer', so I allowed him access to both MU and Cleric spell lists, but in the III re-vamp, we forgot to give him a second 1st level spell, but he did well enough with MM and Pro/Evil, which is essentially a more EPT version, insomuch that any hostiles are the 'evil'.
--His wife's character, Aradia (pretty cool), was a 'Priestess', and I gave her the same dual-list casting capability, but she chose Pro/Evil and Cure Light. --Both had d8 HD.
---The other guy was just a fighter-type w. d10 HD, and 'Delver' was thiefy, with d6 HD.
Version III's flowchart consisted of:
||= Cave Mounth leading to:
||= Gremlins
||= Hostile Elf on a Chain
||= Chest with Gems
||= Witch, L3 (cut down before she could cast)
||= Chute to 2nd-Level room with water enough for 0 damage
||= Hatch
||= Jail Cells & Office
||= Other PCs
||= Secret Door in Office
||= Chest, Trapped and not opened
||= Stairs down to slightly flooded chamber with one obvious door
||= Door is opened, further flooding chamber
||= Secret door found which opens to stairwell-up covered in fine pale sand
||= Aradia finds a topaz-headed metal-hafted spear in the water before taking the stairwell
||= Stairwell-up leads to a vast room covered in desert sands and dunes at least 30' high, a silvery star-like light shining down upon the scene, two palm trees, and wall carvings similar to Egyptian Hieroglyphics, which Aradia decided she could read (so I let her).
She determined that the area was inhabited by jackal-headed creatures, guardians of a great treasure, and terrible monsters besides. With their 'cue', the PCs geared-up for combat and absconding, and were pleased when the Jackal-headed baddie brought a pedestal up from the ground, adorned, naturally, with a fist-sized pale-blue diamond.
As the host was slashing away and taking damage, Aradia dodged the creature's strike and grasped the diamond to find herself teleported back to the door of the local tavern in her home town, now holding a 100 gp pearl.
--The same occurred for the fighter-guy.
---The host's character, however, killed the guardian, and he was rewarded with a 700 gp. diamond. 'Delver's PC didn't survive.
New Tweak: I had everyone roll-off to see who would get struck with arrows, etc.
--It seemed to making things edgier and more competitive.
The folks were pleased as punch at the gift, once they realised it was for them, and I was asked back ASAP.
Hmm...
What are your thoughts?
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
[RPG] Character Generation, Urutsk-style pt. I -
I've taken to heart those of you who asked that the rules set reflect the Urutskan feel the background depicts.
The previous week and this are dedicated to the Chargen. mini-game/game within a game with various rolls well beyond the initial Ability Scores.
--I hope to have something to show you by Thursday.
The previous week and this are dedicated to the Chargen. mini-game/game within a game with various rolls well beyond the initial Ability Scores.
--I hope to have something to show you by Thursday.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Gary, Aristotle, Theosophy, Platonism, and ADnD-
LINK
Too cool. :D
Quote:
| Originally posted by fusangite Now that I've slobbered all over you in another thread, Gary, here's a series of questions that have been bugging me for about a year: 1. D&D appears to be inspired from Aristotelian physics, judging by the four-element system and non-exponential falling damage. (a) What are the implications to this system of of replacing the celestial spheres with the Great Wheel? (b) What are the implications to this system of having elemental planes instead of confining the elements to Earth? (c) Am I correct in using Aristotelian physics for questions of physical science when the rules aren't directly on point -- ie. relative speed of falling objects, object trajectories, how electricity interacts with water, etc.? 2. The popularization of polyhedral dice suggests that D&D is in some way paying homage to Platonism; is there any aspect of Platonism in the way the rules or world have been structured? |
Heh
don't read the complex into what is pretty simple. The four elements are indeed drwwn from Aristotelian physics, but then leaped ahead some centuries to Paracelsius (sp?) and later Spiritualist writers. In all it is meant as a game system of workable sort and nothing more.
As for the non-exponential falling speed question, I corrected that later on--much to the dissatisfaction of many players.
The elemental planes had to be expanded beyond the material in order to exist in other parallel worlds, and to have existence in terms of Theosophy, such as the empyreal plane. By being so it also offers new realms in which to explore and adventure, places for elemental creatures. For example, without the elemental plane of fire being outside the mundane, where would the efreet dwell?
The use of platonic solids is coincidental to the generation of a wide variety of random numbers
Cheers,
Gary
Too cool. :D
[RPG] 2d12 and Snorri's Instant Sandbox-
I knew which opponents I was going to spring on the party, the Tsherosehn (lightning creatures described in the previous post), but hadn't prepared their environment.
--A few rolls on Snorri's One-page Sandbox Campaign Maker (Sean Wills pointed us to it) tables gave me the terrain, etc., although the 'Celtic' bit I rolled hasn't yet found an analogue.
Also last night, I had the players start using the 2d12 replacement for the d100 Technical Skills I have been working on, and in general, the curve it provides grants a bit more mercy than the flat rolls. The players seemed fine with it.
--Once I upload the 2d12 Density chart, I'll post a link to it here.
--A few rolls on Snorri's One-page Sandbox Campaign Maker (Sean Wills pointed us to it) tables gave me the terrain, etc., although the 'Celtic' bit I rolled hasn't yet found an analogue.
Also last night, I had the players start using the 2d12 replacement for the d100 Technical Skills I have been working on, and in general, the curve it provides grants a bit more mercy than the flat rolls. The players seemed fine with it.
--Once I upload the 2d12 Density chart, I'll post a link to it here.
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