OSR Types May Like This-

Chaotic Shiny Terrain Idea Thingie

A Fleshed Out Version of the Fill-in the Blanks Adventure-

Six Vrun ex-Scouts turned bandits.
--Operating out of Turnem's Redoubt on the Soumel isthmus, they control travel along the land-bridge as well as the crossroads to Mellornem Tal, the largest population centre in the sedgy and reedy lakelands area atop a great heath moor. The aerospaceport site is entirely heedless of this, and would have to be persuaded $ to care $.

Holograph Projectors and Light-bending Cloaks allow the four men and two women to appear in greater numbers than actually present. The six are armed with rifles of various grades and tech levels, but each is capable of multiple shots before the former Scouts resort to short swords. Each wears a back and breast vest, and three possess dark-vision goggles.

BANDITS-(M)[3mv]
Menace Rating: 05-25 | 01-03FD+n | 47-81DP | +0Def | -3H ARM | ATK: By Weapon | ATK: Brawling @ V
* Special Abilities: possible, but rare

Old Dill is the blinded 7th member of the rogue Scout group, and alone possesses the knowledge of how to overcome the trials facing would-be thieves of the hoard. He will need to be brought along, or Powers will have to be used to gain the information otherwise.

* RIDDLE: In actuality it is a keypad entry sequence that activates a blast door to open. After the door has been open for 5 Rounds, it begins to close with (BDY 25) strength.

* SEA CAVE: A partially collapsed submarine facility that is now flooded with 1/2 Msnk (less than 3'). The only portions above the waves are the loading piers of flooded and partially collapsed dry dock bays. It is atop the furthest and driest of these piers that the Hag makes her domicile in a heap of boxes and industrial containers, decorated with enticing tools and machine parts, with hints of holographic crystalline computer tech scattered about.

* HAG: The centuries old thing is mad with bitter loneliness and envy. A former lover of the Manthyqir, Tshared, he banished her from his presence but out of pitty, allowed her to guard the entrance to his lair, to receive his scraps, and to listen to Tshared's poetry and singing.

B.YXELNM/'Women Whose Faces Cause Terror', 'Hag'-(M)[4mv]
Menace Rating: 54 | 4FD+4 | 102DP | +1Def | -3 ARM | ATK: Sword | ATK: Bite @ G | ATK: Fists @ B
* Special Abilities: Genius, Native Spells (15 Pt. Effects/3rd Level Spells)
Description: Hags come in a variety of loathsome forms, although early life appears normal. Once the Hag Beetle matures within the host-daughter, the resultant sybiote of the two creatures comes into existence. In time, beetles eat their way out of the host daughter. Once complete, only her Undead skeleton and connective tissues remain, animated by the outer covering of the beetles. Invariably evil towards humanity and other human-framed creatures (Humanoids and such Monstrous Beings as well), they take perverse delight in generating fear, the Hag is a hungry predator. The Native Spells of the Hag Clans are hereditary, although darker secrets of blood alchemy can bypass this.

If slain, her treasures include the tools and parts before mentioned (3d6^2 [9-324] Count-worth), 3 complete sets of Late Summer Era Field Plate in the Guild Combine style of the period (800 Ct each), and a dozen polearms, swords, and shields from that period until the last century (totalling 3d6x36 Ct).

Once the airlock door is found and opened, a ladder down opens into a maintenance corridor with heavy pipes painted red and showing no wear over the unknown centuries. In general, the underwater facility is in remarkably well-preserved condition, and largely devoid of any scattered treasures.

In an open area with four partial walls of lockers and a circle of benches in the centre, opposition to the Party's advance is met in the form of additional toughs in Tshared's employ.
A few will sport minor cybernetic gear, but these are merely replacement parts, and not much better (if at all) than the meat part lost.
These fighters (Human and Humanoid, male and female) are rather taken with their leader and don't take kindly to intruders. They are hard and merciless, but are not robots of Tshared, and can possibly be convinced or tempted away with the right offer well presented, as well as an immediate gear upgrade (better weapons and armour, etc.)

BANDITS-(M)[3mv]
Menace Rating: 05-25 | 01-03FD+n | 47-81DP | +0Def | -3ARM | ATK: By Weapon | ATK: Brawling @ V
* Special Abilities: possible, but rare

If things begin to go badly for them, Tshared will literally fly into combat with the chiefest of offenders and kill them as quickly as possible, for he cares for his wards.

Tshared the Manthyqir-(VL)[5mv Ground, 15mv Air]
Menace Rating: 117 | 9FD+9 | 300DP | +1Def | -3ARM | ATK: Bite @ G | ATK: Rake @ B | ATK: Quill @ V
* Special Abilities: Flight, Genius, Ranged Attack (Quills as Coil Pistol), Tech Savvy
Description: A wagon-sized leonine figure with a humanish face, obvious bat-like wings, and a great fleshy pod at the end of its python-like tail. It is from this bio-factory that the glassy quills are launched in its air skirmishes. Wise enough after these many decades to avoid Close Combat, Tshared is nevertheless a powerful fighter willing to finish the fight once started. His exceptional reasoning, senses, and memory should all play towards a trap-laden encounter where rushing to attack him will only bring about the doom of the fools. Tshared will attempt to parley with his attackers and offer them his protection in exchange for loyalty. He is honourable.

If given the opportunity to show his hospitality, he will treat those he senses are truthful in their allegiance to him to the best he has, as his army enjoy. Those, however who play him false, Tshared will kill and devour before the others as a lesson.

It is unlikely the adventure will end with the PCs joining up, so, in the eventuality that combat ensues anew, and Tsared is either slain or more likely, driven off, the hoard of treasure includes:

* A green-gilt sword
:: Legend Lore: A century or more ago, was held by knight with lady fair. The knight fell in battle with a pinioned, quilled beast not well depicted in the flashbacks, and lost in battle, the sword came to rest within the cave beneath.

* five small sacks, and two more large of gold
* copper there is plenty
* silver coins whose mint, unknown, shows the figure of a winged thing with scorpion tail in the foreground, and a rocket in the background.

You Fill in the Stats Micro Adventure-

You Fill in the Stats-

A misty valley of cool nights, and Lair of fell villains
unknown save their ensign: a banner of Black with Blood Red Rook 'neath a 'horned moon
On the misty moor roads-- Bandits, Striking even at noonday hour, unchallenged
Three thorps held at bay, and signs of a greater hand in all this

A dozen men some say, but none for certain 'seen more than six at a time
Cloaked and armed with better kit than the local folk can muster
Last man that tried to bring justice was found with blue foxes and gore birds covering him

A collective hoard, And one man left to guard it:
* A riddle, * a sea cave, * a powerful hag within
Then, beyond: the manticore, Ancient and powerful, The last of the high bloods
Negotiator with subterfuge, Cunningly played, he can be a lasting foe

Among the treasures:
* A green-gilt sword :: Legend Lore: A century or more ago, was held by knight with lady fair,
the knight fell in battle with a pinioned, quilled beast, and sword did rest within the cave

Amid the fortunes: five small sacks, and two more large of gold,
while platinum there are none, but copper there be plenty
and silver coins whose mint, unknown, shows the figure
of a winged thing with scorpion tail

Vanguard Friday-

Logistics aside, both C. and BB added three Operators to their Squad Control Records, forming an 8-person Fortified Squad/Mobile Platoon.

* C.'s Squad are primarily Elite, Mobile Infantry, Grenadier, Mounted figures.

* BB's are Elite, Combat Engineers, Mixed Specialists, Aquatic figures.

Last night's scenario was a water-based infiltration by my forces, repelled by the Players' fortified squads operating in tandem. A Papa Bravo Romeo was the infiltrators' vehicle, while BB had kayaks in the water. C.'s squad took and returned grenades and there were many casualties.

No clear winner, as we had to vacate the shop before it finished.

Pun-

There were three Indian women.

One slept on a deer skin, one slept on an elk skin, and the third slept on a hippopotamus skin.

All three became pregnant.

The first two each had a baby boy.

The one who slept on the hippopotamus skin had twin boys.

This just goes to prove that... the sum of the squaw of the hippopotamus is equal to the sons of the squaws of the other two hides.

Wormhole Post: Out of the Past...NTRPGC3-

I thought that I had posted this earlier, but it seems that I hadn't (looked in the right places in blogger, and all that). So, to remedy the situation:

Cimmerian at eponymous Chronicles report of the Thursday night game: HERE

Alternate Realities-

For those that remember the era, THIS may be a sort of retro-blast.
Via Sea of Stars

Friday-

(TL;DR at the end)

The session was minus Brazilian Buddha who was AWOP (...without phone), so C. and I set up on a blasted terrain bed on the gaming table (like a sand table, but with pre-fab square plastic terrain pieces).

We had discussed the scenario in the car: One Side are the defenders, the other Side are trying to take control of the town's well. The attackers have an armed aircar, but are outnumbered by 3 defenders. C. chose to play the attackers, and started off with a strafing run, killing one exposed figure outright, and collapsing two different structures, injuring two and pinning one of three figures. Content with that mayhem, she had the all-female crew dismount from the open aircar and spread out near the well.

My defenders began filing out of their respective holes, and the fighting commenced. My leader was soon to expire, but the battle was fairly evenly divided between dead piles, until my pinned bloke finally got himself free and grenade-blasted the attackers' (current?) leader.

Next time, I think I'll go for the Attacker role, and have BB and C. play the defenders.

TL;DR = Grenades and Rocket Launchers FTW

DnD: A /Limited Risk/ Check-Method-

Unlike the Roll Under on Multiple Dice, which test against the fixed score of the Ability in question (not knocking it at all), this method gives a fixed Target Number (and I provide both Roll High and Roll Low versions) based on the number of dice rolled.

Roll|---|Roll
Low |#d6|High
----|---|----
02- |1d6| 05+
----|---|----
04- |2d6| 10+
----|---|----
06- |3d6| 15+
----|---|----
08- |4d6| 20+
----|---|----
10- |5d6| 25+
----|---|----
12- |6d6| 30+

* 3d6 is still the 'Average' Task

* Level and Ability Score and other Mods ('+2 because you're a Ranger', etc.) could be added/subtracted from the roll, as appropriate for the method one were using.

* Contested rolls would still measure the degree by which each contestant succeeded, with less 'swing' the greater number (4d or more) of dice rolled.

URUTSK: World of Mystery Boxed Set: Preview-

Featured Artwork

Six Turns with three Phases each are played to advance the calendar one Month. Each Turn is to be understood as Simultaneous and Concurrent with the others, and the sum is the total activity of the Community or Group in that span.

Each Player operating a Group or Community decides which Turns they will field their Workforce in the hopes of producing Yield in the respective spheres of activity each Turn governs. Each Workforce so employed taxes resources (initially strong as supplies brought over from the Vrun Continent), and unless it is an exceptionally well-funded undertaking, will require at least foraging/hunting to supplement the needs of the workers.
--Only 3:5 of the population of a proposed colony are Workers. The rest represent young children, women with child, or the elderly/injured. All require sustenance, but workers more so for their efforts.

Turn 1: If no catastrophe at sea has quashed the hopes of the expedition, the first task is to disembark and make preparations. Since the area has hopefully already been scouted (or more likely, selected on the 'chart'), one hopefully has a reasonable chance of being prepared for the sort of terrain encountered, and that no hostiles ruin the moving-in party.



Turn 2: If hostilities are initiated by the Player or by circumstance, then that is played out, with each Phase representing one-(8-day-)week, and the Workforce, the fighters. If no hostilities occur on a Player's Turn, no expenditures are accrued.



Movement and Exploration are the stuff of Turn 3, and where the map board and scale ruler are used to plot a course for the scouts to explore through. Each Terrain type depicted upon the map is a general type, and as explorers move into the terrain, individual features are determined (randomly, via a written Scenario, or a combination of the two). These features are reported by the scouts, and upon these findings, possible future sites are demarcated.



An extensive Innovation and Invention system is presented, allowing Communities to build upon existing technologies and create new applications or even uses for by-products. Subterfuge, too, takes place in Turn 4.



Turn 5 is Commerce, and allows for the buying, selling, and trading of Production Yields in Turns 1 and 4. Paying workers from affiliated communities/groups, also takes place in the 5th Turn.



Turn 6 is the most random, and the effects a Player can generate, least present. The changes in social customs, issues regarding marriages and inheritances, and the inclusion of newcomers are all matters dealt with, as are increases or decreases in population (thus affecting Workforce).

DnD Hit Points as Consciousness, Pt. 6: Energy Doubles-

FIELD ADEPT
Level-
08th -- Energy Simulacrum
10th -- Energy Clone

NOTES-
At 8th Level, the Field Adept is able to create an energy duplicate of her/himself, which has 50% of the Adept's HP, and is entirely motivated by the concentration of the Adept. This costs 32 THP.

Using the Energy Simulacrum allows the Adept to travel into dangerous situations and interact, albeit in a limited fashion, with the locale at range, effecting healings remotely, as the source node of a generated field, etc. Once the HP are depleted, whether through hits in combat, damaging effects, or through C-Field manipulations, the Energy Simulacrum winks out of existence. Out of combat, the ES lasts 01 Turn per Class Level.

At 10th Level, the Field Adept is able to create and indefinitely maintain an Energy Clone of her/himself, with 75% of the HP. This costs 40 THP.

The Energy Clone is, in essence, a projection of the Adept in a remote location, while her/his body is at rest elsewhere on the same Plane, and may travel an unlimited distance on the same Plane. As long as the Adept is in good health and safe from harm, their roaming psyche may continue to operate in the Clone. In all other fashions, the Energy Clone is identical to the ES, save those differences listed here.

Both are similar to, but not equivalent to the 7th and 8th level AD&D M-U spells.


Do you folks want to see other classes or what have you?

DnD Hit Points as Consciousness, Pt. 5: The Field Adept...-

Field Generation

Level-
04th : Fixed Field Generation
06th : Mobile Field Generation

NOTES-
Field Generation is the focused expenditure of C-Field energies stored in the closest aura of the Adept, and this strain requires full concentration, as per Spell Casters. Disruption of the field can only occur as it is being unfurled, but not after it is deployed. In combat, an Adept can maintain a field until they die from wounds, etc., but the practical limit is 1 Turn per Class Level, plus a number of Rounds equal to the points of ([Int + Wis + Cha] - 36).

The strength of the field is determined by the Adept, but requires a base of 04 THP for a base AC of 09 (treat as Shield Only if appropriate). For each 04 THP beyond this, the AC may be improved (lowered) by 01. The field also reduces damage that penetrates by -1 point per die per 04 Class Levels (-1 at 4th, and -2 at 8th). The field affects all incoming damage equally, but only screens damage effects, such as Fireball or Lightning, or Creeping Doom, but not versus Sleep, Cloudkill, or Finger of Death effects.

C-Fields are proof versus Undead of equal or lesser Hit Dice than the Adept's Class Level

The volume of the field is centred upon the Adept, and is 5' Radius per Class Level (20' at 4th), and 10' high.


Mobile Fields are precisely like fixed fields, except the following:

* 06 THP for base AC 09, and 06 THP per adjustment.
* Maximum distance may be projected is 5' per Class Level (30' at 6th)
* Volume is a Radius of 2.5' per Class Level (18' at 6th), and 10' high.
* Moves with Adept, or, if the Adept remains stationary, at Adept's speed across the ground
* If the Adept is a Flyer or Swimmer, etc., the field can be moved as per the Adept as above

Energy creations: detailed next post.

DnD Hit Points as Consciousness, Pt. 4: The Field Adept, Continued-

Field Adept continued

Level-
02nd -- Cantrip/Orison Charm Creation

NOTES-
Charm Creation: The requisites for the creation of a Charm Item are, firstly, knowledge of the spell with which it is to be imbued. Secondly, 60 gp. of supplies per Effect (Spell) Level. And lastly, the day's complete infusion of the Caster's full HP total as a one-time process.
* This creates an item that draws upon C-Field use from the sentient user, so long as they currently possess at least 0 HP, and are Living as opposed to Undead. Inanimate objects, however clever, cannot tap the full potential of the C-Field, and the Undead are operating upon a different (, usually, Negative,) Energy spectrum. The object requires that a number of Temporary HP be drawn from the user of the charm. If the THP are available, the Charm activates. If the Spell which best describes the Charm's effect requires Caster specifics (volume, height, area, etc.), those are determined by the Charm's user, upto and including the maxima for the Effect Level.
:: Cantrip/Orison Charms cost only 01 THP of the user

Effect
Level
9th : 36 THP
8th : 32
7th : 28
6th : 24
5th : 20
4th : 16
3rd : 12
2nd : 08
1st : 04 THP

More in store...

VANGUARD: Recent Gameplay-

Arriving later to the southern store later than we had anticipated (the rains helped with Friday rush-hour), the three of us: Brazilian Buddha, C., and I, entered the gaming area beset with Magic: TG players.

We grabbed the sketchy table in the front corner, hammered out the Point-buy Squads [1], and used the McDonald's Cup Holder as a bunker.

The scenario was decidedly simple:

1). Figures start within 6" of the bunker
2). The distance is so short that grenade launchers only need a 14+ on d24 (or 2d12) to be considered a 'driftable' hit -- d12 was then rolled for clock-face orientation of the actual point of impact
3). Entry into the bunker interior required a full Round of inactivity by the figure in question
4). Movement from one 'hold' to one adjacent required moving into the abstracted centre of the structure
5). Diagonal movement through the centre from far 'hold' to 'hold' was not possible
6). The Player with at least one remaining figure within the bunker was the winner

Round 1 was movement.

By Round 2, Buddha had a few figures move to Line of Sight of C.'s figures, and started shooting, just about the same time (Simultaneous Activation) C.'s grenadiers launched a few errant grenades. Figures on C.'s side reached the bunker and the ineffective gren launches were pesky, but her Commander began to enter as Buddha's Operators began to fire at her.

Round 3 turned bloody, and Kills were scored on both sides, although Buddha scored 3:1 Kills on C.'s. However, the troopers were 1 Fight Die (with the Commanders being 2FD), and they wouldn't be eliminated from the fight before taking a second Kill. The Disruption Points C.'s figures were scoring on Buddha's forces were enough to drop his Condition Levels, but his rolls were often better, which evened things out again.

Round 4 moved into the bunker and Close Combat ensued. C. was rolling 5 Colour Dice versus Buddha's 2Cd on a two-on-one fight resulting in a Kill. Even the 4 v. 5 roll went pretty decisively in her favour the first time, but when Buddha's Commander joined the fight, C.'s Commander was taken captive.

We went with a 1 Kill game just to see how quickly it could play through, while still making the figures better trained and equipped than 0FD commoners.

Next week, we plan on using one of the gaming-scapes the store has built onto minis gaming tables. One, in particular, looks like a Quake or Unreal mod, and should prove challenging.

I am particularly happy that the rules are simple enough that virtually no chart lookup is needed in-game, and that I can simply Referee in the observer/arbitrator/clarifier-role, rather than as a Game Master. At least one Round was conducted in my absence while I was indisposed.