"Hello,

     I was reading on The Grand Tapestry blog that you were working on an Encounter Critical/Urutsk game. As someone who enjoys creation and customization of material, will there be tools or tables to create some of what I've read about in the posts, such as ships, planets, alien races, creatures, pan-dimensional demons, cultures, etc.?

Kind Regards,

James"

I receive these questions regularly enough that I suppose i should address them here.  :)

Tools: There will be tools allowing the GM to create virtually anything, ranging from life forms to star systems to technology.  Players can create custom PC Human ethnicities and Other species as well as playing any of the 20 'races'.  Custom Classes can easily be accomplished by modifying or combining the 30 player classes.  Vehicle (including Starships) construction and Combat are included.

Tables: Most of the above Tools are Table-based, not only creating a high degree of variability in PC 'races' even between individuals of the same group; when combined with classes, the number of variation is too many for me to easily compute.  The GM can, in short order, determine the entire outline of a star system, its major life forms (including sentients), and determine culture, government, and technology.  Furthermore, character generation (procedural, to boot) creates the star system (or generational ship) -origin point for the character, as well as a sketch of 3 important NPCs in each character's background.  Weirdness and off-the-cuff gaming tables help the GM improvise in a way that adds content, not just some throw-away reference.

System: Encounter Critical is a d% system, which means it can be divided by 5 to turn it into a d20 based system with very little effort.  My alternate char-gen procedure speeds up play while adding optional complexity.  I've included combat elabourations, interpretations of more opaque sections of EC text, and have provided counters and terrain pieces for tactical miniatures combat -- as well as an entire mass combat section which integrates with existing EC combat rules.  Weapons expanded.  Many more mutations and other variations.

Format: I cannot give you a date of publication, but I can say that every day gets me closer to finishing the game in a releasable format with at least 45 colour PC-'race' illos and 20 colour PC class illos, among others.

That's all I can say about what actually exists so far.  I don't know about the Lulu PoD edition or the specifics about OneBookshelf pdf and PoD versions, but as I have more to say about them, I will announce them here.

Thank you for your continued interest.

Please address all game related correspondence here or to me on G+

-Kyrinn

First Session of Space Age Urutsk Using Encounter Critical UWoM

We have:

* Yirinn Diplomat/Officer
* Western Isles Vrun Astrogator/Warlock
* Yaesh Athletics & Recreation Instructor/Doctor
* Vrun Fighter Pilot/Survival Instructor
* Khem Psilock (Psi Witch)/Scout Services

The mission is border patrol of a hostile species sphere, complicated by a second species they share the space with, and orders to attempt diplomatic relations.  The draw is advanced technology of the primary species, who happen to be aquatic.

First scene is the Fighter Pilot operating a combat shuttle with advanced electronic package.  The Scout accompanied, as did an NPC Communications, Data, and Sensors officer, and a tail-gunner Ship's Weapons.  Quick pass over a gas giant's moon captures data of a subsurface hangar and a sensor station.  Also noted a floating island in the upper layers of the gas giant's atmosphere, but they didn't investigate because fighters scrambled from the moon.  Cool flying resulted in safe return, no shots fired in anger, and a nice hangar bay landing with five percent more than needed.

Diplomatic mission resulted from the Astrogator/Warlock having contacted the guardian of the gas giant who showed interest in them.  The ammonia atmosphere cleared over the skyland and the party shuttled over and were welcomed despite the fighter pilots' displeasure.  The 'Arkay' are the Rer Koop, who have very sensitive olfactory organs like coral clusters protruding from their skulls; some exhibit glider membranes.  The voice of 'Snowcloud', the gas giant guardian entity, gifted the pilot with a creature like a cross between a scorpion and a dragonfly in amber for her fancy flying.

Not much else before the store closed.

This is not your daddy's Encounter Critical.

June 5th '16: Thursday and Sunday Gaming Updates

After a fun, highly abstract (card-based) game of W40k on Saturday night, Sunday's Encounter Critical UWoM game was fun of a different sort.

The PCs, having found that independent aimlessness wasn't as fun as they thought it could be, have found structure and drive in acting as a space exploration team for an Imperial-era AI.  Additionally, they are representatives of the Greater Yirinn Sphere / Dryvv, expanding both groups' influence as they travel.

A lot of the things that had happened in the (year?) of gaming had been undone, and now are being re-introduced to their current timeline.  The massive war against the Q'Lish and the loose federation of species that couldn't happen in the Humanosphere and Species Empires section of the former galaxy was possible in the galactic offshoot (cloud, etc.) -- but that all collapsed as that timeline was undone from the PCs' perspective when a critical character disappeared from time.

Now, the same group, and the replacement PC (and new addition), are finding that probabilities are clustering around the same lines and similar events are occurring, as well as 'memories' of the other timeline returning to them.

Presently, they are on a planet most of them had previously visited once or twice before, where the Imperial descendants were in a global prison state run by a minority of Hierophantic Church, Psionic College, and Imperial Nobles, suppressing a population of psionics.  I'll skip the previous encounters with these people, but, let's just say that it isn't a happy place.  Additionally, the planet itself is less than hospitable, but livable.

Psionic technology and Tauron the quasi-40k, Haelbean-Other Human character is playing a major role, while I'm trying to keep the other characters engaged.  I think magic will have a few things to add to the mix, but my main concern is integrating Sam Crow (former Guild Combine assassin) into the higher powered storyline.  Sam has pretty neat teleport capabilities, but without combat, he doesn't have a lot of face-time.

===

My Thursday night Hangouts game is continuing to draw thew PCs into the exploration of my version of Ben Djarum's Yngarr setting.  The area the PCs are in now is like tribal Afghanistan if set in Iceland and populated by folks from the Beastmaster setting.  I'm taking some inspiration from Talislanta, and HPL's Dreamlands as depicted by Chaosium.

Updates and Signs of Life

I have 'three' Encounter Critical edition Urutsk: World of Mystery games during the week:

Thursday Night (G+ Hangouts): Folks are stuck in a large star system with at least three earthlike worlds in the Goldilocks zone, and an alien-inhabited asteroid belt.  After flying through a hurricane's eye-wall on an air/raft, the party returned to the very much Space: 1999 Eagle Lander craft they have, and almost immediately are fired upon by a ship almost 4x their size.  The weapon to size differential was pretty brutal, inflicting hits past armour on Aux. Power, Cargo (crew module), Interstitial (yay, free hits) and something else memory escapes me at present.  The Security Officer (and Crook) provided a sensor scan of the enemy craft, worth a bonus of +11 to strike, and the Martial Arts Warrior manning the mega laser scored high enough with Initiative bonus and the scanner bonus, to inflict a critical hit against the larger ship (Main Weapon, Aux. Power, Lifesupport).  The smaller and more manoeuvrable lander escaped and headed to the largest human city, Bay City, located upon and in a crescent shaped atoll.  Well treated, the cautious humans explain that they do not yet possess FTL capabilities, but possess old Imperial Jump Drive plans, needing to build them from materials out in the asteroid belt.  The party volunteered to fetch the goods and provide advanced engineering skill in exchange for a jump ship.  Friends were made.

Sunday (FLGS): Alternating weeks: 2). Gamma World informed, P-A crawling and so forth, waiting for a surviving Imperial Paladin to arrive in roughly 2 years in game time aboard a Jump ship from the other side of the former galaxy.  PCs include a Skyger air pirate, a humanoid bug girl, a super capable merchant, and a primitive explorer.  1). High level characters, timeline and space veterans, aboard a newly commissioned Guild Combine scout ship, vanguard leading the way for evaluation and contact ships in their wake.  Crew now at each others' throats, because two of the players are trouble makers who want to cause trouble for the game.  Among the crew are alpha shift and beta shift captains (both PCs), an Astrogator (an ostensibly occult-trained profession) staffed by a Dryvv - Yirinn woman who used to be someone else in a different timeline, and a Pswordlock (Jedi with the serial numbers filed off) capable of massive amounts of PK damage 2x per Round.

More About the Encounter Critical edition of Urutsk: World of Mystery

Folks [1] have been asking for more information regarding the new version of UWoM.

1). Streamlined chargen, and I mean chargen, not design.  From random determination of personal details to procedural career dicing, one can whip up a PC in a fraction of the time by the book EC characters are generated.

2). It is a major expansion of the EC rules, while still retaining backwards compatibility.

3). It includes vehicle construction rules and combat, specifically space- and starcraft.

4). Has many tables for quickly making the setting you want to adventure in.

5). Includes roughly 20 Player Character Ethnicities / Species, with the possible inclusion of at least another six if the GM grant them.

6). Mass Combat guidelines, to be integrated with the Starblade, and Vanguard rules sets I have play tested for some number of years.

7).  A space-centric Urutsk setting, concentrating on getting characters into the Era the group most wants to game, and covering the possibility that Urutsk is not the greatest part of your interest in the massive setting.  Elemental Blood and the Patrons are still there, to be certain, but the entire 'Galaxy that Was' is available to groups to customise.

I don't want to give away anything else right now.  :D



Thanks for your continued interest,
-Kyrinn



[1] Venger, John Christman, and others

One Thousand 03 to 18 Attribute Scores Table

In the process of writing the Encounter Critical edition of the Urutsk: World of Mystery game setting book and rules mod, I thought to create an aid to generating characters that would have almost universal applicability.

This link takes you to a Google Docs file with the table which has 100 entries indexed with 10 columns, providing 1,000 Attribute Scores for use in any 03-18 system.

I used anydice.com to generate a string of 10 numbers generated on 1d8+1d6+1d4, which is what I am using for the EC book, sample PCs, and any NPC scores.  There are more 10's here than any other number I searched for, roughly 11% of all rolls.

I hope that you find this useful.

LINK

Healing and Recovery Woes

One of the things that hadn't worked to anyone's satisfaction in this Encounter Critical edition of UWoM was healing.

Now, EC's roll hit dice method, and receive a bonus if luxuriating, was not to my liking, mainly because it is too chaotic, with the disappointment of low rolls, or too speedy recovery, etc.

I had been using a variant of Mercenaries, Spies & Private Eyes recovery rules until I realised that it actually took longer to recover the fewer points needed to be healed.  I ran a lot of analysis, and couldn't believe that I hadn't spotted that before.  That was out, especially when players complained it required too much in-game downtime (yeah, I know, whiners).

I briefly toyed with the thought that tougher characters should heal faster, but it turned out that that approach simply made everyone heal completely in 10 days.  That wasn't it either.

Now, I have a method which is still proportional, but where folk with more hit points recover faster from lesser injuries, but still take longer to fully heal than characters who have fewer and lost all of them and mend faster.  I'm still not happy with this.  Something charty looks like it will have to be done, which also doesn't thrill me.

Thoughts or suggestions to fulfill my design criteria?

1). Tougher creatures recover more quickly
2). Having fewer HP and losing most or all of them should take longer to recover from than a creature with lots of HP who lost a lot, but proportionately fewer than the low HP creature
3). Simple method; easy to explain; etc.

Return to the Planet of the Mind Masters-

I know it has been a long time since my last post here.
I'm just busy finishing up the Encounter Critical edition of Urutsk: World of Mystery.

My Sunday game has former Humanosphere (and a couple of Western Isles Haelbean) crew mates running around in space at or beyond the edge of the former galaxy.

Since their dismissal (Captain had warned two ships crews that it would be illegal, but morally right action, and it was only the fact that she has/is an Imperial Bloodline that she wasn't executed in a court marshal, and by marrying her fellow rogue captain, saved his life as well), the PCs have been puttering around inside the Supersystem (5 stars, super planets, and lots of moons) keeping up the mischief which has defined their careers (and why the captain loves them so).

Lately they have been stealing ships, helping overthrow governments, and training a new generation of psychics and warlocks.

The Numeneurians are a matriarchal species of psychics, and had been part of the anti-insectoid war effort along with other alien species as well as Imperial descendants stranded on a giant desert world for over 6k standard years.  In tonight's game, the Numeneurians waited for the opportunity to take over a world of hostile psychics, and through the PC's actions, lucked upon the decisive feature which allowed the oppressive government fall to the long-suffering rebel factions.  The Humanosphere's hopes for a friendlier disposition of the world has now been lost, and any hope of introducing the world into the HSphere will likely be decades away.

Answers to the Cimmerian's UWoM QnA-

Cimmerian said:

I have questions!

1). Is there an active forum for discussion, QnA, and play experiences from users yet?

<= Not yet. It is in the works.

2). I noticed you have a non-traditional philosophy in regards to adventure creation using basic setting descriptions and running through tables as you go, if I understand correctly. Would I need to digest the full setting background before daring to referee a game?

<= I would say that the free version of Kelzsyn's Bluff is representative of the essentials of my method of informed improvisation.
<= Would you run a combined Into the Unknown + Keep on the Borderlands game without reading through the material first?
<= Imagine the World of Greyhawk game someone would run simply looking at the box and the interior artwork. It would likely be much more Earth of Chivalry as a quasi-historical game, wit a few monsters of myth/legend, and would even go so far as to suggest that without explicit orders to do so, the DM would tone magic down a few notches to fit more closely with the Chivalric tales.
<= Is that a bad version of Greyhawk? Certainly not, but it isn't taking advantage of others' work in fleshing out important/interesting locations, persons, and gods, right?
<= In the same way, if one were to buy an UWoM adventure locale product and hope to simply transpose it onto their home-brew fantasy world, they'd find it an odd match, as (beyond Vrun names) it is a Sci-Fi setting with a lot of folks running around in low-tech arms and armour because a 2H sword doesn't need batteries.
<= Bringing Metamorphosis Alpha/Gamma World (any edition except possibly the Alternity thing) or MF characters to a place called Kelzsyn's Bluff would be much easier a shift, as they are much closer a fit. As are any version of Tekumel, Jorune, Star Wars, The Morrow Project, Encounter Critical, or even Palladium's RECON.
<= Can one take Prime Directive characters through the Tomb of Horrors? Certainly, but if each session were simply another of the old TSR AD&D modules, the Prime Directive flavour would be altered, and the game would become something...else.

3). I've run games totally free-form down to deciding on an appropriate mechanic check to use in the instant one is needed. This works fine but in regards to adventure creation I find that I provide a better play experience hands down with what amounts to adding in some of the small highlights that only preparation might allow. This is not to be confused with a three page background before play starts! ;)

<= I am puzzled by the last line in relation to the rest of the statement (not a question)
<= That said, I will address what I * think * you are asking: 'Do I need to know a lot about Urutsk to use any of your adventures/supplements?'

<= I think it would aid a GM to own a copy of the upcoming VRUN Players' Module (the basics of the game with complete char gen, equipping, skills, background, combat, and advancement guidelines), but if the GM can simply adapt the Location and Tables to their Tunnels & Trolls or Champions game, well and fine.

4). Everyone has their own experience of course, but I still would ask if there is not an example adventure containing the content typical of a UWoM game?

<= There is currently nothing more than Kelzsyn's Bluff, as that is my chosen intro site. Contained within the full product will be more than a few fully sketched-out (boolean if/then type) scenarios illustrating how random rolls on the table provide all the prompts for a GM to loosely construct a direction and circumstance, with the Player Characters determining much of how things go from there are a result of the environment reacting to the characters' actions.
<= However, freebie Adventure Seeds or what have you are not beyond the scope of what I'd like to post n a dedicated web site.

<= In my opinion, settings should be self-sustaining and portray a fairly steady thrum of daily life, only punctuated in specific areas (where the PCs are, or were, usually) with a disruption of the norm: Adventurers enter a flooded ruin in the 'middle of nowhere' and as a result of their inadvertent actions, release horrible monsters upon the local area. Those creatures, then, must logically be accounted for in the ongoing circumstances of the game, even if new PCs were generated each session, and each were only isolated adventures.
<= Rumours are the High Order motivator as they are purely optional (even if cunningly constructed to appeal to certain PC/Player interests), and allow the Players to remain in control of their destinies.
<= The background of KB and its Tables guide the unscripted circumstance; the Referee remains impartial; and the Players remain at the wheel, and cannot blame anyone for their miseries or need thank anyone for their successes.

<= In each Adventure Locale, I would include a good overview of rivalries, alliances, and upstarts that would affect the way that the social environment reacts to the PCs' actions. Some mayors may be convivial, some constables out to get the PCs on a crime, and a bar maid may in fact be a foreign spy. These dynamic social webs would translate to any setting or game, if tweaked (Not the Marnharnnan Defence Agency, but the Restorationists in GW, or the Rebel Alliance in SW, for instance), and are perhaps the thing I most clearly was influenced by from Flying Buffalo, Inc.'s City Books series. If you are familiar with any of the earlier titles, that's how the whole thing cohered: the interactive social webs of the NPCs and the PCs. That is my inspiration as regards Adventure Design.

Did that help at all?
--If not, please let me know what to re-focus on.

Thanks for your questions! :D

Urutsk Space Age hack of Encounter Critical

Sunday Evening Game-

The crew of the HSS Arden formally sides with the first group of Arkay against the Dsato who refuse to acknowledge their existence and have incurred 40% of their sphere. Some portion of the Dsato (sided with a cantankerous group of [more] belligerent Arkay) fire a missile at the HSS Arden. The Arden's captain tells the PCs to 'F' them up.' The PCs proceed to do so, and using my mass combat rules, they take over the Dsato ship crewed by 80 with a force of 15. Taking control of the bridge and shutting off life support helped that. The Humanosphere now have a Dsato ship and have agreed with the Dsato, that this means war. The majority of Arkay have aligned/allied with the Humanosphere.

The percentage Ability Score bonuses I have in the playtest document are too high, and it was good to confirm that in play. I'm working on that and speeding up chargen a lot through easy techniques.

Other good stuff going on in the development.

Chaos Corrupted Dragons Across Three Games

Sunday 1: 'Old Characters': After having blown themselves up out of mortal existence while fighting the chaos corrupted dragons, the PCs have ascended to Immortal status.  Helping the inhabitants of one of the many Shard Worlds recover from a magical crystal tech computer virus which, together with a planet-wide seismic event, had killed roughly 20% of the 4 million population, the world watched as one of the Immortals raised thousands of dead over the course of the first week, with the possibility of bringing back some of the fallen heroes of the last great war, roughly eighty years prior.  Each of the Immortals now has built centres around which to develop their cult, with roughly [16] thousand each.  In Godbound RPG terms, they have 01.5 points of Dominion.  Since we are using both Godbound and the Immortals Companion in conjunction with my Encounter Critical edition of Urutsk: World of Mystery, while the PCs have very little to fear from mortal threats, other Immortal scale dangers (including each other) still hold their concern.  Plans to begin operating separately in their own fleets, pursuing their Elemental Patrons' agendas in the former galaxy and beyond are taking shape.

Sunday 2: 'New Characters': Although a motley assortment of Humans and Non-Humans, these PCs have become co-labourers with Chapter Commander Lhorsk (Experience Level 68 Pswordlock) on Randev, Planet on the Edge of the Galaxy.  Faced with war initiated by starfaring chaos corrupted dragons and their servitor races, the PCs have brought the fight to the dragons, having struck a serious blow to the forces in the star system, and were captured for their efforts.  This session saw them infused with Dragonbone, and receiving their Hornung, making them immune to non-attack temperatures as well as allowing them to operate in a vacuum.  The bone transplant and hide grafts have begun to corrupt them, but it is presently 'manageable'.  Their first assignment was to man a perimeter defence network asteroid, looking out for incoming craft.  Learning of a self destruct mechanism in the base, the PCs began to disable it, making it with one roll to spare before it detonated due to their tampering.  While this was happening, the asteroid was being terraformed by  the Summer Court of Vael'Kyn.  A robotic repair ship was dispatched and promptly damaged by the Summer Court Naiads after the craft's probed attacked their garden.  The PCs escaped on the craft only to be 'rescued' by the draconics on a craft roughly 5x the volume of the Empire State Building.  Lucky turns of events provided unexpected allies, allowed the PCs to avoid being found out as the traitors they are, and to be reassigned to their homeworld.  On Randev, in the coastal city of Pearl, the PCs were able to join up with surviving freedom fighters drawn from several groups (including other at least one other universe).  Securing and repairing a shuttle, the group manage to scare off a fighter-bomber on patrol as they neared their home city.  City reinforcements provided cover and the PCs are reunited with the Commander.  My Forty Kay Sister of Battle / Rogue Trader PC and the NPC Pswordlock agree that it doesn't much matter which Emperor they are speaking of when he is answering them in battle against their chaos foes.

Thursday Hangout: Having fought off an attack by Chaos Marines, the PCs are now in the era of the Sphere of Stars, warning the Numeneurians of that period of the impending Starshock.  A distant telepathic message is received urging the PCs to find their way into the presence of the Emperor to avoid the Starshock, because the event will cause great damage across the Metacosmos.  One of the PCs learns that their species is nothing but the psychic projections of more powerful extradimensional creatures, and upon recoiling to its origin Person, learns that it is in league with the dread Shorrannin and has found a way into the Sphere of Stars.

(no emotions or complaints) New AnchorFM Game Log: Captain's Knight 2B & ARGUS/Auldgory Update

 New AnchorFM Game Log reading >>> LINK <<<

---

o I'm trying to bring the travel, foraging, herbalism, hunting, crafting, carousing rules together in their respective and corresponding portions and make it feel whole.

o Trying to limit my Ability descriptions to Encounter:Critical spare genius, but largely just presenting possibilities as the template for GM rulings.

o Novel dice mechanism (to the best of my knowledge) where two different dice are rolled in addition to the Resolution dice, and the player decides whether to add one or both of these special dice.  Each of the two require something of the PC equal to the number they generate; multiple dice may be invoked by the player with the GM's approval.

o Thinking of adopting a newer and smarter Weapon Profile, but not yet certain.

o Armour received a specific change which easily adapts to an Ascending AC if folks prefer, but in ARGUS2 results in Endurance and Stun damage to the wearer on a failed pen. -- Being battered wears one down.

Divorced

I was always prepared to split from the Encounter Critical system if things looked like troubles would interfere with the publication of this edition, I have made the preemptive split, which has required a fair amount of Find/Replace operations as Attributes and Abilities were renamed.  The number and names of Attributes has changed, but now there are fewer Abilities per Attribute, and things were shifted around.

I had been using 1d4+1d6+1d8 as the official rolling method, but after looking at more options, I have (so far) settled on 2d4+1d10, using d12s with 1-4 3x for better rolling.  This has a very strong 09-12 average, and now bonuses begin at 13, and penalties at 08, so more normalised scores should result.  I have, however, instituted an experimental TARA (Triples Add, and Roll Again), but out of 4 NPCs generated yesterday, not one TARA occurred.

To allay your fears, [System Name] is highly backwards compatible with EC, and, of course, other very popular 03-18 Attribute Score range RPGs.  I've aimed for the sweet spot between D&D, BRP, and Kevin S's PFRPG Revised 1st Edition,  with XP tables for each Class, but a BRP-style 'skill' system (Abilities) including improving them through use at the end of each session, and the more dedicated aspects of martial interest from KSPFRPG, namely weapon proficiencies and styles.

Another goal has been bringing the game into closer conformity with Porphyry: World of The Burn, as Porphyry is actually an earlier World Age of the planet now known as Urutsk.

I'm not as far along as I would like on Starships and other Vehicles, having two or three different methods which don't fully integrate, but I think nods from old WEG D6 SW will be the hammer that whacks everything into shape.

Everything is so much more fully done than this post may suggest, but since this isn't a failing Kickstart, I don't need to feel like I'm KenW.'ing or GSkarkaing anyone with my slow pace of production, likewise, uninspired SW movies don't need to be the release metric, so, as usual, it'll be released when it is finished.

Urutsk: Worlds of Mystery Combat Notes

Hit Points as Regenerating Armour did not work well enough to merit its inclusion as an Optional Rule because it required more recordkeeping than it was worth.  When used with Hit Location Body Points, it performed the same function as normal Hit points: to ablate with incoming damage, preventing bodily harm (or structural damage).  Projecting its effects, HPaRA would have made the optional Condition-Levels method of tracking Body Points in a slow 'death-spiral' a much longer, drawn-out affair which also would not have provided enough good with the bad of additional recordkeeping.

As it stands, Playgroups which prefer a kinder, more cinematic accumulation of wounds should choose the Condition-Levels method, while goreghouls should chose the Hit Location Body Points method; the OSR will simply use Hit Points and Shields Will Be Sundered anyway, so that resolves itself.

Being a goreghoul, nitpicker, bean-counter, I feel as though that portion of the entire expanded Combat section has worked so well at its design purpose: to model non-cinematic, mundane body trauma in a quick fashion while still incorporating Hit Points' intended function (essentially 'extra lives'), and Encounter Critical's Armour Saving Throw system (Save for Half/Save for None).  My addition of 1/10th AST as Damage Reduction makes wearing any applicable Safeguard (Armour, Screen, Shield, etc.) useful even without a successful save.

The Survival Roll at 0 HP now applies to 0 Body Points, or other, catastrophic injury (terminal Head or Heart shot, etc.), and, as written in EC, reduces the PC's future good luck across the board.

After years of running Saving Throw as after AST, I have begun to run it first, which makes the Mass Combat section easier by simply stating that only Hero, or exceptional figures receive the personal Saving Throw (PST).  Now, so-called Skirmish, and Mass Combat can be treated with the more Armour Class-like roll by the Attacker rather than the owning player's AST.

Action Points have changed EC's: Move, Melee, Missile routine to a Player determined sequence, but coupled with the Initiative Advantage mechanism makes this a dynamic sequence where going first doesn't mean that combats become one-sided affairs.  You'l have to see how this works in your games, but I think it will be remembered as an innovation.

Meat Healing and Stun Recovery and Fatigue and all of that is another topic.

Later,

Regarding ECUWoM v.9

On internal version 0.9 (which is more like 0.95)

By hybridising ethnicities/races/species, and by combining classes (or classless), there are so many possibilities I can't easily count them.  Since I have gone with a Stat modifier system, filling in the Ability Scores (skills) is much faster than in BtB Encounter Critical.

Certain rules are still being revised, simplified, but expect a fairly granular wounding system with a moderately complex combat system: It isn't GURPS as far as strike and defence options, but it isn't Phoenix Command regarding damage, either.  Figures are always capable of being killed, but PCs don't have to drop like flies if that isn't desirable.  It is possible to die in chargen, if that box is checked off.

It is a d% resolution system, but there are other, non-d% subsystems, and polyhedral dice of all sorts are going to be used at the table.

That's about all I can share at this time.

June 4 2015 Update

The Thursday group are talking about becoming land holders and the bigger game.  They are returning from the crashed ship with cryonic gear and a medical officer who they think is an android.  Slunk the formerly-Elf Warlock has mutated a bit, helped Merope to convert from Frostism (Lady Arctise) to Siltism (Lord Worm).

My Weekend crew keep going with a D&D 5e game and the Encounter Critical UWoM game I am writing.  The writing is going along nicely.  I'm working on vehicles right now.  It'll have OS conversion built in, and a much faster CharGen than EC does, even with more stuff added.

I'd like to go into more detail about ECUWoM, but I don't want to jinx or overshare: show, don't tell.

I have plans to release material for Goblinoid Games Starships & Spacemen 2e, and also use GORE for another version.

[RPG] & [MISC.] UWoM and Old School-

(c) Copyright 2009 Kyrinn S. Eis All Rights Reserved

In today's post on the Worshop thread, I describe last night's thrilling adventure.

One item of character creation that had completely slipped my mind whilst working on the Point-Design system was a method employed in Basic Fantasy RPG's 2008 Almanack for variant classes, such as the Barbarian's 'double Str mod to hit and damage' and 'double Dex mod to AC while unburdened with armor'.
Fortunately, in UWoM, this is easily rectified through the use of dedicated Focus points, purchased at a 25% discount, to accomplish the same effect. Likewise the Ranger's 'double Dex mod to hit with a Longbow.', etc.

Ironically, I find myself using an unorthodox method of determining an encounter's severity: rolling 1d12. Why a d12? I imagine it is a clock-based meme, and I also use it to determine more precise direction, as was used in last night's adventure when Tybalt made a leaping attack onto a giant flightless bird.
I told his player that on an 11-1, he would be facing it head on, and that it would get an 'attack of opportunity' > shudder at the TETSNBN reference <. The player, Mike, looked at me in puzzlement, "On an 11 through 1? That means only on a 12 I'll get by without an attack?" I laughed and clarified, and all was laughs until he rolled a 12 on the die. Fortunately, the thing rolled a 1 on its d20, and Tybalt rolled a critical on his 3x Stealth Attack. Snap!
So, for all of my standardisation in getting rid of the quirky n in d6 mechanics, I use clock-memed d12s to determine both intensiy and direction. Along similar lines, I think a limited d6 mechanic may show-up in the system. One keyed to the Blood/Nature of the character, as is present in its sister (non-OS) system.
I realise folks like James Maliszewski of Grognardia may not feel that UWoM is mechanically Old School, if only for the Point-Design system, but I think that is perhaps misplaced pre-judgment not talking everything else into account -- and for good reason, given how little has been unveiled. I do wonder, though, if he extends Old School appelation to Skyrealms of Jorune. My guess is, 'no.' If that is the case, I can certainly understand 'grogs' not feeling that UWoM is OS.

I am saddened to think that World of Thool, with its marsupial gnomes, may be on an extended, or dare I write, permanent hiatus. That is one blog I would really lament the death of.
Please come back! The linguo-spores need a voice!

In other, semi-Old School news, I purchased Dennis 'Chariot of the' Sustare's SWORDBEARER for the third-time (the other two having been lost to time), but only got the two books (better them than nothing, although the box art was pretty cool, too).
There is just something about that game that I am mystified by and attracted to...

Mutants of Marnharnna: Pt. 13 ('you took it too seriously...')-

Raylyss, potential Lizard King and Sire of a resurgent Reptilmalian Empire, after finding wonderful magic items, decided to once again torment a drinks girl on the paddlewheel craft, and was spotted by at least two of the crew, one of whom was able to hit Raylyss (with a poisoned blade). Raylyss dove overboard and resurfaced to the rear of the craft, whereupon I rolled to see if security were on the ball, and rolled my 2d12+1d4 for the nearest guard, and scored a double-12 (essentially a critical success) +2 on the d4. This beat Raylyss' (Cloak + Covert) roll, and he was caught by surprise. As in, no action, but I'll let you say something --surprise. Instead, the player indicated Raylyss was moving, and he was fired upon at Point-Blank Range with a pump-action slug-gun. The shot struck Raylyss' abdomen for 45 points, taking him to -20+ instantly. Raylyss' last words (previously spoken as he got away from the mob) were, 'You took it too seriously.'
--Raylyss saw his probability lines toward becoming the messianic sire collapse into silt, while the two spires of his 'children' achieving some lasting importance toward that (or his son achieving it in full with the aid of his sisters) increase. As he expired, Lord Worm, his Elemental Patron, reach out his hand and Raylyss accepted and found himself in the muddy grave of the Silt Court, filled with half-rotted zombies and writhing worm-monsters.
--- The group took his stuff and carted his body to their room, where the the eldest of the girls heard the bad news and sought revenge. She later informed the party that Raylyss' things were their inheritance, and she looked very serious about defending that claim.

The area the party was now travelling through is a series of mangrove stands and islets, cut with channels and coves (much like the area they had just departed), and the soundings were too shallow to proceed after dark, and they anchored as a storm rolled in. In the morning, Kitsune spotted the shredded sails of another craft draped across the mangrove canopy some ways off, and the ship frothed on through the shallows. This wrecked ship was apparently attacked in the early part of the storm by Humanoid sea-raiders (including serpent people), and their floating bodies clogged the way for ship. Gaff-hooking the corpses aboard for scientific study by the Sleeper Scientists resulted in the discovery of strange alchemical gear (explosive-filled distraction weapons like shuriken) and wrist dispensers of an alchemical fuze. Eventually the survivors of the shipwreck (astronomers, botanists, chemists, etc.) were glad to board the pleasure ship and immediately began to drink up and game.

It was upon this ship that the new character was unveiled. He is a heavy spacer-framed Imperial Manifestation with Radiant blood, and lots of it. He was shipwrecked after fleeing the Vrun Continent as a wanted criminal, accused of gross negligence resulting in the loss of 35 lives. He advances as an Aberrant, but is exceptionally robust in his capabilities, and should be a lot of fun in the game.

The next encounter was that of a large boat/small-ship-sized cephalomalian in his river-bisected lagoon, and the living, human contents of three or four lifeboats entwined in his primary tentacles. "Pay tribute or they die." His bellowing, bubbling voice erupted from the frothing water. Everyone was ready to attack it, but the captain, for the sake of those in the boats, capitulated, sending over (as the new character suggested) 300+ pounds of salt-water taffy (most of it conjured fabrications) to the Monstrous Being (along with champagne and other goods) on the backs of rays sent to receive the tribute.
--Devouring the rays and the tribute, the Being was well pleased and released the boats and the humans unharmed. It was later realised that ink from the creature seemed to act as the water-life control agent, as schools of different fish moved in stunning and colourful displays as the ship reversed engines and headed out for deeper waters in the bid to still make it the tidal lake by high tide, full moon in two days.

I believe that we held it there.

A Look Inside: Combat in 'The Game' and UWoM-

INTEROPERABILITY: UWoM and The Game
:: Close Combat-
(c) 2011 Kyrinn S. Eis

Player Characters are Hero Figures by default, and as such, can command those of their Fight/Hit Dice or lower rating, including other 0-Die figures (Commoners).

All of the following d20 roll Special Results only apply if the Attack is successful.

At melee scale, this would mean that the PC-led attack (with accompanying fighters) succeeds, and all figures roll their dice of damage against the receiving forces. If the PC is in singular combat (other friendly figures are not 'engaged' with the same foes as the PC), then these d20 Special Results would apply on that PC's successful To-Hit roll. If your chosen game system rolls percentile dice instead of a d20 (BRP, etc.), multiply the (##) by 5 to arrive at the trained percentage score.


(6) V - Minimal Casualties :: Attaches an Auto-Dodge to a figure
:: (20) The figure gains a bonus of 4 to AC for the remainder of the Round and all of the next

(5) B - Co-ordinated Strike :: Attaches an Auto-Strike to an enemy figure
:: (17) Grants a second 'hit' at normal rolled damage (but a second Hit Location roll if used), or 1 Critical, &c.

(4) G - Vanguard Action :: Attaches to a friendly figure to grant them Auto-Surprise on next encounter of their choosing (stealth is possible to infiltrate further, etc.)
:: (13) As regards Tracking and Surprise, the figure acts as a Ranger of the same level until next combat

(3) Y - Free Move :: Provides the figure with an additional 4" of movement, before/after attack
:: (10) as above

(2) O - Focus :: Grants the designated figures with either: a number of visual/alerness focal point (a doorway, a computer bank, a facial expression), or a numerical bonus +1 per, Focus point.
:: (07) ""

(1) R - Weapon Check :: Forces the Operator to determine if the melee weapon is retained (rolling anything but another fumble), or how far away the weapon is discarded on a second 'red'. Unarmed attacks gauge disadvantage
:: (01) ""

For groups interested in opening up these options in The Game, combatants roll 1d6 per Hit Die, and group the results by number. Simple comparisons between the corresponding pools, in Initiative order, whittle-away at each other, making each reduction that much more likely to result in an injury in subsequent fights with others in that Round. Each Round refreshes the Hit Die pool, but each n of HP lost by the figure indicates the loss of one Hit Die for combat-pool purposes only (or not if you prefer). When the figure is reduced to 0 or fewer Hit Dice, the next successful attack results in the figure's (force's) defeat. This is true at the personal, tactical, operational, or strategic level.

...

[Playtest Campaign] Down, down, down, and the flames grew higher...-

(c) Copyright Kyrinn S. Eis All Rights Reserved

After surviving the tentacular horror that erupted from the Qerzyk sewers; the fire-storm from the docks; and the run-in with the Hierophantic Church wizard, the parties have decided to stay together in their Kherstic League assigned exploration of the Undercity. Some of the party went to ask for the improved armour and weapons for their larger force, and had a funny series of vignettes with the K-League personnel: From the ore-cart 'train' operator and their crash at the end of the line; the snobbish subterranean terrarium 'Druids'; the distracted Armoury clerk who was reading a colour comic book; the shipping and fulfilment workers in the shop; and the interaction with the less than delicate war veteran NPC, Byllys. The hydraulic freight elevator was operated by tiny green humanoids clearly well-integrated to Kherstic League.

A continuation of events in previous sessions involving human Spacers encountering difficulty upon reaching Urutsk was had just as the characters emerged with their gear being loaded onto wagons and carriages.
My fiction and games tend to be rather bitter-sweet and in this scene, three survivors were aloft in some sort of sail-'chute gondola, and through the use of Clairvoyance, and then Clairaudience, one of the party members came to understand that of the three occupants, one had died of his wounds, a second felt he was too badly injured to make the attempt to 'ditch' the craft, and he suggested to the woman, that she take the entire potion, rather than the two of them likely not receiving the benefit at all. She imbibed the entire potion, bade him farewell, mentioned 'to the 909th', and made her leap. The woman glided, and used a sash to brake and finally landed not far from where the party ran to meet her. She was then asked a few questions, before being picked up by a Kherstic envoy.

With the 20 veteran Men-at-Arms now wearing cold-cast platemail, and bearing polearms and longswords, the party re-entered the formerly hidden surface entrance. They quickly re-searched the areas they had previously fought a (troll) and six (ghouls). They failed to spot a secret door. BTW, I am using Christopher B.'s Cold Mountain dungeon map, and the players so totally screwed up their mapping so as to make it pointless for them to continue.
Things were weird for them as they encountered nothing but guard posts and torture chambers, clearly hundreds, if not thousands, of years old. However, by the time the entered the second troop barracks, I had successfully lulled them into complacency. Animated corpses, superficially akin to Sons of Kyuss began to appear from the overturned cots and tables. Ceanek (Cici) throw an alchemical fire-bomb, and once the worms began to take damage, their shrill cries subjected the party (including Kitty, the bear) to a Control (Spells) Critical Test and all but two of the characters failed it -- including the cursing M-a-A's. As the affected ran back up[ the stairs, into the first barrack, the cries alerted the critters in that room. At first sight of them, the affected fled down the side corridor, and ran into the Armoury. Once behind the thick door which dulled the sound, the party present were freed of the effect. I am using the three dots on Chris' map as murder holes (it doesn't need to make much sense), and with one good strike, Ashta smashed through the thin stone with a mattock, revealing the 20x20 room that cuts into the Armoury. I placed a psychic Lift Shaft there, and soon that lot began fiddling about with its operation and made an initial reconnoitre of the next higher level (which they realised 'ought' to be at street level).

Cici and the psychic (sounds like '70's sit-com) briefly did what they thought would help, but it was to no avail. Cici was separated between the two barracks, in the parallel corridor. She tried to use her Turning ability, but the fear did not permit that. She settled on throwing a bomb on either side of her down the corridor, and settled in for meditation. Her mace allows her to 'power-up' the +1 to Hit/+2 to Damage weapon by +1/+1 for every full five of her Dodge Points invested in the weapon. We had already discussed that if all of her points were invested, though her body die, her spirit would remain in the weapon. Cici did so, and found herself at the hilltop monastery, on the perpetually mist-shrouded stone bridge. She saw herself as a scared little girl, and eventually took her hand and guided her through the mist. Cici came out of meditation clear of the effect, and immune to it for the remainder of the encounter, and all but 5 DPs still invested in the mace.
Renewed, she was able to turn the lot of critters pounding on the armoury door (I gave her that boost), and she was able to enter the Armoury and join the others.

They discover that while Kitty was cowering at the base of the stairs that lead to the kennel, that it was occupied by Worg who exhibited at least human-level intelligence when contacted by the psychic. The beasts were trying to tunnel to their food source, but the stone was too thick.
Up a level, the characters proceed down a corridor until Ashta realises that it is made of ship metal (the weapons had been identified as full metal (as opposed to alloys or metalloids), now rare on Urutsk), and that something 'odd' was up ahead. The psychic decided to reach out and was contacted by an organic AI which instantly identified him as being other than fully Human, and fired at him but missed --the mechanism being so old and all... ;) Delver, the Western Isles Vrun lesser noble who had continued to change more toward his Aelbaan ancestry after using several doses of Mummy Dust from their first group adventure, was the next to be attacked. His Energy Reflection aberration manifest, and the LASER was disabled by its own beam.

Further down the same corridor they came to a heavy sliding door with no obvious controls. Tybalt cast his Jaunt spell and hopped to the other side of the door.
The Men-at-Arms got bored and started taunting the undead to fall into the shaft, while others tinkered with the hatch the LASER had lowered from. Mela Mela, the apothecary, clambered up once the Grogs had spent four hours dismantling it from its lowered base. Thousands of spiders (the player shivered in disgust) fled from her torch light and allowed her to creep along the conduit until she could see into a room in which Tybalt, three other Humans,an Aelbaan (they'd not yet met one), and a bipedal insectoid with tech gear on its harness were frozen in a shimmering electrical stasis field in what looked like a brig.
Mela reported this to the party and they then fiddled with the door frame until a stream of the liquid-like energy could be seen. When Cici cut the stream with a dagger, she exploded and coated the party with her tiny chunks of gore. But-- the psychic paid his points and we instead wound back the tape to that moment. I gave him and her an Initiative roll, and he won, saving her life.

They then retreated down the other side of the corridor, past the Lift Shaft, and they decided to fire an arrow into it instead. 10d6, and 36 points of electrical damage later, half of the M-a-A's were at 0, the others dead, and the party badly wounded (3/4 made their save for 18). Byllys was one of the hardier ones and was still up, and began resuscitating those of his brothers he could while the party downed 1d6+3 healing potions and with remnants, tried to revive as many of the fighters as possible.

Meanwhile, the field had dropped, and the insectoid began to attack one of the humans. The Aelbaan began trying to tear the bug's head off, and was assisted in attacking the creature by one of the others. Tybalt seemed stunned (his player, actually) and didn't participate in time before the Aelbaan had accomplished his mission. The other human was dead, having been fed upon.
The Aelbaan began speaking in its language, then using its psychic powers to boss folks around as they forced the partially open door.

The party reunited, bolstered by the other humans (an Yirinn, and a Kaukara, both male), and all were bossed about by the Aelbaan who recognised that both Delver and Ashta have diluted kindred blood.

We held it there at 1:40 AM.