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.

...

Seriously!

I'm wondering when Ken St. Andre's recognition in the earliest days of the RPG hobby will be better known, as his version of The Game was already being sold while what would become known as D&D LBB were still relatively obscure, if actually in LBB format at that time.

In an e-mail on a computer a decade gone by now, I spoke with Ken, who related that he was selling copies of T&T in comb-bound format while Gary still hadn't gotten his game rules out (at least on the West Coast). In this account, Gary was a bit peeved that Ken was already capitalising (*laff*) on T&T before D&D was hitting the Arizona gaming scene. No one at the stores had even heard of polyhedral dice, so we can use that to date the event.

If RQ2 praised Ken for 'having done it again' or some such, in the intro (as well as digging on the Saving Roll mechanism which would see light in RQ as the Opposed Roll mechanism), his importance in the field is clearly understated. Ken and I aren't even that close any longer, and I'm still steamed that his contributions are relegated to a cutsie/satirical treatment of D&D. Hogwash.

Where are the Andreas Davours, the Tori Bernquists, etc., to give Ken St. Andre his due in the RPG field's historical significance?

:: crickets ::

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.

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...

Brief Aside: The Mule's take on Thieves-

I dig it. :)

LINK

DnD Hit Points as Consciousness, Pt. 3: The Field Adept-

In this realm of auras which grow outwards as they increase in power, certainly there is someone who profits from this mechanism. The Field Adept is one such Class...

FIELD ADEPT-

Con 15, Cha 13
HD: d8 through 10th Level
Special: Receives the Fighter Con Bonus if score merits
Advances As: Cleric
Fights As: Cleric

The Field Adept manipulates C-Fields (HPs) to produce effects upon, in the favour of, and against others and themselves, as the Field and time permits.

These Field Manipulations may register as Necromantic/Healing under certain circumstances, but the dweomer in such cases is very slight, and only detectable at the moment of occurrence, and only if specifically sought. In any case, they are non-Magical, cannot be suppressed by Anti-magic, and represent an aspect of multiversal underpinnings across the Planes of Existence.

The Field Adept can always manipulate their own C-Field, and can voluntarily reduce their HP to precisely 0 whenever they choose, even if otherwise Charmed/Dominated, etc. To voluntarily reduce their Field strength below 0, the Adept must succeed at a Difficult Charisma Task (EDSVAN, Roll Under on d20, etc.), and then, can only voluntarily reduce into the Negative Zone by an amount equal to their Class Level.

At 5th Level of experience, a Field Adept must choose between Arcane or Divine Effects, although sub-Class Spell Lists within each (Arcane: M-U, Illusionist, Divine: Cleric, Druid) are still available.

Each point of Field Strength consumed through their Manipulations allows the Adept to affect local reality in some fashion:

Level-
0 th ... 01 HP = 01 Cantrip or Orison Effect
01st ... 04 HP = 01 1st Level Effect
02nd -- Cantrip/Orison Charm Creation
03rd ... 08 HP = 01 2nd Level, Borrowing
04th -- 1st Level Charm, Fixed Field Generation
05th ... 12 HP = 01 3rd Level, Stealing
06th -- 2nd Level Charm, Mobile Field Generation
07th ... 16 HP = 01 4th Level, Lending
08th -- 3rd Level Charm, Energy Simulacrum
09th ... 20 HP = 01 5th Level, Healing
10th -- 4th Level Charm, Energy Clone

NOTES-
* nth Level Effect: As per Spells of that Level (later, regulated by 'type' -- Arcane/Divine)
* Borrowing: Allies may donate HP to the Adept to weave, and count as normal HP losses by those donating.
* Stealing: At the 5th Level of experience, the Adept can make a Touch-attack (at +2) against a corporeal, living target, and if successful, steals 1d4+1 HP from the target. This increases to 2d4+2 at 10th Level of experience, and is at +4 to hit. These stolen points are as per normal HP damage, and not Life Draining, etc. returning at the normal rate, and affected by magical healing, etc.
* Lending: At the 7th Level of experience, the Adept has learned how to imbue others with the Field, and may lend any number of available HP to recipients as desired. This takes 1 Turn per recipient. Points lent in this fashion are considered expended by the Adept, and are regained as per normal for the Adept. The recipient has, in effect, an energy bandage which adheres to the individual until the (morning, etc.) of the new day, at which point the lent HP dissipate. Lent HP may be stacked atop existing, full-value HP, as temporary Hit Points which are lost first in any expenditure.
* Healing: At the 9th Level of experience, the gains in understanding the Universal Consciousness Field permit the free gain of HP in themselves or others, as well as the disruption of Negative Energy creatures. Use the Clerical Turning table with the Adept as a Cleric of the same Level, and 'T' results as +3d8+9 HP, and 'D' results as complete recovery of lost HP, including those recently (9 Turns or less) deceased. Multiple Healings may be performed up to the normal Turning Limits. If the Turning Table is not employed in your version of The Game, make each Adept level worth 1d6+3 HP, to a maximum of 10d6+30 at 10th Level of experience.

Charm Creation, Field Generation, and Energy creations: detailed next post.

DnD Hit Points as Consciousness: Pt 2-

Use of the Consciousness Field-

With the basic framework of the concept and operation of the C-Field, we now move on to its practical application.

To use one's C-Field to better 'sense' their environment, the base chance to 'get a feeling' is:

* Current HP or less on d%


The focused and directed use of the PC's C-Field to 'read' their opponent and gain a +1 per Success to Damage in that single combat with all of that sort of foe. Attempting this takes one Round per 4 Levels/3 HD of opponent, of Defence Only Combat as per the rules.

* Roll HD, counting only individual die results which roll equal to the opponents' Level (or 1/2 a Monster's HD) as a Success. The 'reader' always receives at least a +1 bonus after the attempt.


C-Field Effects upon Hiding and Sneaking-

The idea of one's Power being too great to go unnoticed comes from Runequest. My implementation is for AD&D.

* 100% - (Current HP) = Maximum Hide in Shadows, and Move Silently percentage

This applies equally to Monsters being tracked by the PCs, as it does the reverse.


More if you feel this merits greater coverage.

DnD Hit Points as Consciousness-

In my youff I mocked the D&D 'HP as wounds' camp, because it was obvious that it wasn't the case, as Jason Vey's post today [LINK] illustrates.

We used to jokingly refer to them as the Consciousness Field that surrounded a PC, where, once depleted exactly, the figure would promptly fall asleep until the re-charge rate provided them with 01 HP and they could set off under a normal strain of adventuring.
--Everyone knew that one only had 10 real Hit Points (-10), the ones where you were bleeding, your eye was on the floor, and you were dragging your entrails about, calling, 'Cleric! We need a Cleric here!!!'. 2nd Edition AD&D only made things weirder with Endurance rolls and so forth.

As Gamma World had always really been more my cup o' tea, I'd seen the advantage of the high, but relatively unchanging total that system generated for PCs. In short (Con # d6), with an average of 36.75. It allowed for deadly tech and mutational attacks, while retaining the 'heroic' aspects of melee combat from its sibling, D&D. A mix of Blood and Bone plus Luck and Skill.
--In game designs after my reading GW, I almost always used a higher total, and usually around 35 points on average. This has persisted, with most average Humans in UWoM possessing around that total (while the considerably larger, more massive, and tougher Vrun have more on the order of 40-60).

But, let's bring this back to the D&Ds.

If we work from the point of a Consciousness Field, more experienced, larger (and presumably older, or arcane) creatures have a greater field strength and -- continuing this hypothesis -- greater awareness of their immediate environment, even if only semi-conscious.
--The AD&D Fighter then(again) becomes the undisputed master of the battlefield, aware of the number of foes entering his/her C-Field as well as their general position. Conversely, the acute senses of the Magic-User have been honed in on the extra-planar energies of their spells, and this has retarded their C-Field on the Prime Material. Without sufficient forewarning, the M-U is frequently caught defenceless.

Predicated upon that last bit, I have advocated the D&D Thief/Rogue/Assassin HD to be upgraded to at least 1d6, if not 1d8 -- for what is a Ranger but a confident Thief with a bow in the woods? :D

More on this...

Combined Shield Antics (DnD)-

Shield Roll-

Shields are groovy. Not always as groovy as one would like, but when they save your nihilistic/ picaresque/heroic/paladine PC, they are worth more than their weight in Coins.

The idea of Shattering Shields is someone else's, and someone else may have already reached this point of compromise between a 'mere +1' to 'sheer awesomeness'. Dunno.

The Shield still provides its listed bonus for whichever version of The Game you are playing ('ceptin' mine, dat is), but, in addition, you get this wonderful Shield Roll to demonstrate just how groovy your shield proves to be.

Metal shields require a fixin' after a number of Successful Stops equal to their Die-Type.
--I'll leave the costs for you to determine.

SHIELD ROLLS-

Buckler (d4) : '4'

Small Wooden (d6) : '5-6'*
Small Metal (d8) : '6-8' [8]

Medium Wooden (d8) : '5-8'*
Medium Metal (d10) : '7-10' [10]

Large Wooden (d10) : '6-10'*
Large Metal (d12) : '5-12' [12]

:: After a Hit is indicated, the choice to make the Shield Roll is made prior to the damage roll. If the Shield Roll falls within the indicated range, the attack is stopped without damage.
:: If the range has an '*', then the Shield shatters (no longer offers any protection) after stopping the Attack.
:: A shattered shield yields 1d4 dagger-like splinters, each of which is good for only one attack (hit or miss), and does 1-3 points of Piercing Damage (BtB Clerics may not use these 'blood-letting' weapons), while others treat them as Daggers for Proficiency purposes.

:)

A Quick Roll-Low DAC To-Hit Formula-

Alternate D&D To-Hit Formula-

(Target AC + All Bonuses) or lower on 1d20

All Bonuses include:

+3 + Fighter Lvl
+2 + Thief "
+1 + Cleric "
+0 + M-U Lvl

and Strength or Dexterity Adj.

and Magic to-hit adjustment.

[RPG] Updates Notification: 9th, December-

I am busy describing life in all of the Imperial Castes based upon the ancestral traditions of former starship crew positions (Astrogator, Medical, Survival Instructor, etc.), and their applicability to contemporary Urutskan life.
--Mechanically, this works with both the Spectral Index, and traditional d100 rolls equally well, so both camps are accommodated without diluting the system.

Likewise, the micromanagement of Skill % has been eliminated through the introduction of the Spectral Index, which itself, eliminates the use of d100 while still maintaining as great a range through the addition of PC bonuses for Ethnicity, etc.

I have also updated the Dynamic Pool rules to align more precisely with Gamma World's (nd6) HP, where n is equal to the figure's Constitution score. Although, Urutskans are generally of a lighter build overall than inhabitants of a full G world, rather than .95 G or so of that smaller, watery world.
--Now, commoners and non-Fight-die gaining persons are still as durable as an average GW character, and any gained DP from Fight Dice are simply added to the total.
---The effect this has upon the Combat System is that Critical Strikes will conform more closely to the established 'Double Damage' sort of operation than my, 'straight into the negatives' method. Concurrent with that, however is a 'Wound Level' mechanism which emulates similar effects I find desirable in my games; namely that folks really ought to go unconscious before kicking the bucket more often than not.

Also Combat-related, Critical Strikes now occur only on iterative '5+ what was needed' results, and taken off of the raw die (dice) results of a '20', etc.

With all of the talk of Mass Combat and the Deendee End Game in the blogs, I brushed-off my work from earlier in the year and combined it with the Spectral Index to provide a standard wargamey matrix with the added granularity of a subjective, colour-logic system.
--I'm letting all of that simmer, but have taken efforts to support a seamless integration with the PCs so that 'on-the-fly' change of focus 'zoom' can be used to affect both the Strategic and PC scales of action.
---The results of 'heroes' are then stepped-down one level for the aligned warriors around them, but also, poor troop rolls can drag-down the heroes' efforts. It is the most synergistic and compact mechanism that I have seen in a system tailored to such high degree of integration with an RPG, so I hope I succeed in my lofty goal.

My entirely random character, Eresenkh Elik, using the CharGen tables, and before expending any 'PC' currency, is pretty interesting and serves to illustrate the sorts of folks who surround and support/undermine the PCs in their efforts/exploits, and from whence PCs are derived.
--This makes UWoM PCs somewhere on the order of magnitude between D&D and GW starting characters, which is where I intended.
---This ought to further facilitate the use of GW and UWoM materials back and forth between the two games, and a few of the tables are based on concepts put forth by James M. Ward in early Dragon articles for Metamorphosis Alpha.

I'm certain other bits are escaping me at present, but that's the gist of the changes.

[General][RPG] Fiddly D&D Magic Idea-

Hi,

Although I am on vacation through the weekend, I couldn't help but post this half-baked variation on Spell Use.

This is not for UWoM, just an idea:

Caster
Level- | Percent Chance to Retain Loaded Spell-
01-04: (2x Intelligence) as %
05-08: (3x Intelligence) "
09-12: (4x Intelligence) "
13-16: (5x Intelligence) "
17-20: (6x Intelligence) "

:: Above percentage is divided by the Spell Level to determine chance to re-cast the spell. Failure results in the standard Vancian 'use' of the powered spell matrix.

Thoughts?