Thursday, January 29, 2009

Another Savage Worlds Fantasy Introduction Adventure

So my father-in-law wants to play an RPG with me. I don't think he nows about the narrative part of it and imagines it more as a tactical board game, but I can give him a nice dungeon crawl for sure.
At first I was wandering if I should give him a system that is more statistically solid and uses less extra features than Savage Worlds (for a beginner strangely formed dice plus Wild Die plus Initiative Cards plus Bennies are for sure a lot), but in the end, it is the system I know best and the rule book is a nice compromise between lots of feature (how do I build characters?) and a simple basic system (roll 4).

Anyways: I built a dungeon with my Wizards of the Coast Dungeon Tiles and while doing that I came up with a simple story. I also want to have something going on, before entering the dungeon. I call it:

Dungeon Temple the Death God (Horok)

(Combat) Encounter 1:
The lonely player character is ambushed by 2 orcs while traveling from one village to another. You could let the PC roll notice to see if he really notices them.

Orcs, Minor
Minor orcs are about the size of humans, but walk squatted. [Basically LotR movie orcs.]

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d8, Notice d4, Shooting d6, Stealth d4, Throwing d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (5 w/o armour)
Gear:
Leather armor (+1), short sword (Str+d6)



(Non Combat) Encounter 2:
The PC notices that the orcs had a hostage. When talking to this woman (Jonovia), we find out, that the population of the village has been taken as prisoners to an underground temple by Horok, the evil priest of the Death God. Jonovia gives the hero Warrior Seeds (3) and a healing potion, in case he is willing to free the villagers.

Warrior Seed
Put the seed in the earth. After 1 round a full grown warrior in plate armor digs his way out of the earth. After a few minutes, or if wounded warrior and armor crumble to dust. Dispel magic has the same effect. Seed Warriors don't speak, if not asked straight questions. They are soldiers from a long collapsed empire and lost their memory over the millenia.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d8, Notice d4
Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (5 w/o armour)
Gear:
Plate Armor (+3), long sword (Str+d8)



Encounter 3:
The hero enters the nearby dungeon and could be able to sneak by the 2 sleeping orc guards. The problem: the door only opens when the gong is used, or you need the key one of the guards carries on his body. Optionally the treasures of 2 more guardians sleeping in their beds can be ramsacked. (Those to guards hurry nearby anyways if they hear any noise of battle.) Treasure: 1 healing potion (if necessary) or a magic weapon or armor.

Orcs, Minor
Minor orcs are about the size of humans, but walk squatted. [Basically LotR movie orcs.]

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d8, Notice d4, Shooting d6, Stealth d4, Throwing d6
Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (5 w/o armour)
Gear:
Leather armor (+1), short sword (Str+d6)



(Non Combat) Encounter 4:
Fire trap. The hero has to sneak by with Agility rolls or find a way to activate the lever on the other end of the trap. (Puzzle) The flames also stop for 2 minutes if the gong is used, but this warns all creatures in the temple.

(Combat) Encounter 5:
The big temple hall where the villagers a held prisoners and there is a blood altar.
2 orc assassins and the Wild Card dark priest Horok await the hero. Should it be to easy, the priest summons 2 giant spiders. 2 cauldrons with magic liquids create extra possibilities. (Priest tries to push hero in?) Extra feature: bottomless pit.
At the end there are 2 treasure chests and the freed village people.

Orc Assassins
Bigger orcs, but without armor. Instead they wear black ninja outfits. :)

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d8, Notice d4, Shooting d6, Stealth d4, Throwing d8
Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
Gear:
Short sword (Str+d6), 1 throwing axe (Str+d6;3/6/12)
Special:Size +1


Death Priest Horok (WildCard)
Your classical dark priest. Likes to talk that way too.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Faith d8, Fighting d6, Guts d8, Notice d6, Stealth d6,
Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (5 w/o armour)
Gear:
Leather Armor (+1), Ceremonial Dagger (Str+d4)
Powers: Burst, Dispel, Beast Friend
Power Points: 15



I hope this contains a lot of the clichés that drew me into RPGs when I was starting out 20 years ago. :)

My RPG Calendar 2009

January
13th Luftenwelter 13: Dinner & Breakfast - 2,5 hours
15th Nyrondria 8: The Blazing City - 2,5 hours
22nd Luftenwelter 14: The Rocs of Area X - 3 hours
27th Bloodbath 5: The Awakening - 2,5 hours
29th Luftenwelter 15: The Amplifier Artifact - 2,5 hours

February
3rd Nyrondria 9: Sophilis' impertinence
10th Nyrondria 10: The nightmare and the book
26th Luftenwelter 16: Air battle for the Artifact

March
3rd Nyrondria 11: Father Abbot's monastery
5th Luftenwelter 17: Captain Beligor and the city in the desert
10th Nyrondria 12: Sopilis' faith
12th Luftenwelter 18: Ghosts of the lost city
19th One Shot: Castles&Crusades: Dwarven Glory II aka. Brokeback Dungeon (Ser;Dan,Jor)
30th Nyrondria 13: Goblin massacre in the Blazing City

April
2nd Luftenwelter 19: The palace's fountains (of the Silver Princess)
6th RPtools D&D4 0 test session: Kobolds and the White Dragon (Flan;Astr,Joer,Jor,Guen)
7th Nyrondria 14: Where is the Green Gem?
16th Luftenwelter 20: Rats: Theladios' treachery (Ser;Dan,Jor)
20th RPtools D&D4 1: Kobold Hall (1) (Flan;Astr,Joer,Jor,Guen,Erwin)
21st Primetime Adventures: Hell Pilot (Jor;Tom,Ser,Jea,Dan)
23rd Luftenwelter 21: Dragons, scorpions and Desini (Ser;Dan,Jor)
27th RPtools D&D4 2: Death in Kobold Hall (2) (Flan;Astr,Joer,Jor,Erwin)
30th Luftenwelter 22: Thulio's funeral, recruitment and the burning inn (Ser;Dan,Jor)

May
4th RPtools D&D4 3: The hobgoblin raid (Scales of War 1) (Flan;Astr,Joer,Jor,x2)
13th RPtools D&D4 4: Ripped apart by a drake swarm (Scales of War 2) (Flan;Astr,Joer,Jor,x2)
14th Luftenwelter 23: Flying pirates falling (Ser;Dan,Jor)
19th Nyrondria 15: Return to Father Abbot's monastery (Tom;Dan,Jor,Man,Ser)
20th Scales of War 5 (renumbered): The Drake Pit
21st Luftenwelter 24: Visit at the Bravebeards' (Ser;Dan,Jor)
25th Scales of War 6: Lava Hands & Spider Creatures
26th Nyrondria 16: The Unknown Road (Tom;Dan,Jor,Man,Ser)
28th Luftenwelter 25: Demons on Captain Croc's (Ser;Dan,Jor)
30th Agon 1 (Double Shot): Sacrificing the Mare (Vla;Ser,Jea,Jor) - 3,5 hours

June
2nd Agon 2 (Double Shot): Capturing King Menester (Vla;Ser,Jea,Jor) - 2 hours
[China]
23rd Nyrondria 17: Fighting Giants in the Past (Tom;Dan,Jor,Man,Ser)
29th Scales of War 7: The Hobgoblin Leader and the Floor of the Undead

July
7th Scales of War 8: The Last Two Hostages [End of Campaign]
21st Nyrondria 18: Ethic & the Scorpion Aberration (Tom;Dan,Jor,Man,Ser)
24th Luftenwelter 26: Captain Croc's Fear and the Zombie Bears (Ser;Dan,Jor)
28th Nyrondria 19: To the Elven Island Mydor (Tom;Dan,Jor,Man,Ser)
31st Luftenwelter 27: Grounders vs. Undead (Ser;Dan,Jor)

August
4th Nyrondria 20: The Elven ritual potion for the green gem (Tom;Dan,Jor,Man,Ser)

September
3rd Luftenwelter 28: Battle in the temple (Ser;Dan,Jor)
15th Nyrondria 21: In the drow caverns (Tom;Dan,Jor,Man,Ser)
18th Luftenwelter 29: Heart of Ice: Boots and Daggers (Ser;Dan,Jor)
22nd Nyrondria 22: The wrong Sophilis (Tom;Dan,Jor,Man,Ser)

Oct
1st Luftenwelter 30: The Ice Dragon (Ser;Dan,Jor)
4th The Mountain Witch 1: Through the Woods (Vla;Jor,Mic,Ser,Jea)
5th Luftenwelter 31: The White Wolves (Ser;Dan,Jor)
15th Luftenwelter 32: Inn the City (Ser;Dan,Jor)
27th Nyrondria 23: Nailo's mother (Tom;Dan,Jor,Man,Ser)

Nov
-

Dec
14th Luftenwelter 33: Theladios' Death in the Tower (Ser;Dan,Jor)

My RPG Calendar 2008
My RPG Calendar 2010

Monday, January 5, 2009

The Dark Eye - Das Schwarze Auge 1 - Open Rules

The rules for the first edition of The Dark Eye (Realms of Arcadia) can be found online in an English language alternative write up (similar to OSRIC). The German title would be Das Schwarze Auge, 1. Auflage. It's called the All-Seeing Eye.

The rules were originally published in 1984 and it was the first RPG I ever played around 1988. It's still a pretty handy rule light system. The only thing I am missing are some tactical and/or cinematic combat manoeuvres.

Hopefully I will present some in this blog soon.