The Great RPG Swindle

My RPG Calendar 2012

2012-01-20T00:25:00.004Z

January
19th The Dark Eye 1: Drei Schwüre (Hel; Jor, Jen, ??, ??)

My RPG Calendar 2011
My RPG Calendar 2010
My RPG Calendar 2009
My RPG Calendar 2008

Gamma World Vehicle Rules

2011-03-21T23:07:00.004Z

Wizards of the Coast finally released the rules for vehicles for the new edition of Gamma World. They are available as free pdf. I was waiting for this a long time!

Finally porkers can ride motor bikes in battle. :)

Follow this link to find the Gamma World vehicle rules. 8 pages of fun! :)

There are stats for motorcycles, cars, pick up trucks, RVs, dump trucks and helicopters included. You will also find vehicle augmentations like sidecars and hover kits as well as turrets and mounted weapons. Not to forget stunts, as well as stunt catastrophes.

Everyone should print these 8 pages and put it in their Gamma World box!

And if you still need paper miniatures for the vehicles how about this? Flat paper miniature vehicles. Those are not for free though, you can also check my articles on free paper minis for other options...

Gamma World: The Church of the Minute

2011-01-14T01:16:00.000Z

Flamer, telekinetic pyrokinetic, Smush, Giant Yeti, and Obsat, telekinetic engineered human, are chased all independently by cannibal biker tribes and run off in the Glowing Desert of the North. There they nearly die of thurst, but are safed by a yellow blob farmer named Bryant.

He takes them to his farm and gets them back to health. He has three mutant brother farmhands and her sister, a maid called Annabella, there. After they wake up, he asks them what they can do to pay back their debts. Flamer hands over 2 of his 3 horses, while the other 2 want to help fixing stuff at the farm.

Bryant is not really convinced about that latter two offers and tells them, they should better look for the priest of the Church of the Minute down south beyond the Rovin mountain range. Normally the priest would always come and bless the fields with the sacred cogs. But he did not appear this year.

The groups agrees that they are willing to do that and Annabella is especially in love with Smush. Bryant tells Obsat, that actually she should marry him, because he is a true inbred human, while they have a party at night and stuff is going on behind the barn between Annabella and Smush. He his actually created a bracelet out of a tent hering for her. The farmhands are not to happy about the romance, but the next morning, the three strangers travel South anyways to find the priest.

On the way through the Rovin mountain range, they encounter a tower, as Bryant has told them. The blob gave them a present for Old Zed, the keeper of the tower. In front of the tower they are suprised by a Porker. Smush asks the pig creature, if he is Zed, and the creature pretends inconvincingly that he is.

When the porker wants to open the gate to play the role, a badder, a mutant badger, appears from behind a rock, aims at the characters and tells the porker not to open.

A second porker wakes up behind another rock and a fight engulfs, in which the porkers are roasted to death by Flamer, Smush falls into a radioactive crater and nearly drowns there and Obsat throws radioactive goo at the badder. In the end the badger gives up and admits that they are from the Bazooka gang and haven raided the tower.

My RPG Calendar 2011

2011-01-13T00:03:00.010Z

January
13th Gamma World 1: The Church of the Minute (Jor; Jea, Hel, Mic)

February
8th Gamma World 2: The Chosen Ones (Jor; Jea, Hel, Dan)
24th Gamma World 3: Horse Eating Beetle River (Jor; Jea, Hel, Dan)

March
1st Gamma World 4: The Mall in the Forest (Jor; Jea, Hel, Dan, Mic)
8th Gamma World 5: Princess Peach and the Piper (Jor; Jea, Hel, Dan, Mic)

---

December
29th DungeonSlayers: Der Zauberer von Lom-Tranar (Flanf; Jor, Ann, Chris, Chris)

My RPG Calendar 2012
My RPG Calendar 2010
My RPG Calendar 2009
My RPG Calendar 2008

Gamma World Random Character Generators

2010-10-20T16:43:00.006+01:00

I had lots of fun with the new D&D Gamma World last night, just creating random mutant characters. Today I found a Gamma World online character generator.

Give it a try. Those characters rock!

For even more options (20 additional origins from Famine in Far-Go and 8 from Legion of Gold) check out the official Gamma World Random Character generator on the Wizards of the Coast website. They call it an Interactive Character Sheet.

And finally a third one: it does not seem to include Famine in Far-Go, but has the Origin Powers listed. That was missing from the other two character generators: Gamma World Random Characters with Power Cards.

I printed loads of random Interactive Character Sheet characters and keep them in my Gamma World box. If a player needs a new character, he or she just pulls out one of them and decides if he wants to keep it. (I also photocopied all the origins, so that players don't have to look up their powers in the rule books during the game.)

Update, May 2011: I found out about another JavaScript character generator for Gamma World 7th edition, or D&D 4E Gamma World, as you can call it as well.

Random adventure generators

2010-08-27T13:40:00.000+01:00

Random created adventures seem to solve many of the problems people have with GMing. They are created superfast and instead of preparing stuff that maybe never come up for hours you can fill in the details really needed during the session.

With the only versions you don't even need to roll on a lot of tables.

I found this nifty adventure generators recently. Give them a try!

Random dark future adventures.

Random fantasy adventures.

Bonus: a random Viking generator.

Luftenwelter - A look back

2010-08-17T00:07:00.002+01:00

I used to have the following text in my signature on tanelorn.net

Luftenwelter - Savage Worlds Luftpiraten-Fantasy ohne Gebrochene Himmel, aber mit fakedeutschem Namen...

Last Tuesday we finally finished the campaign with its 40th session. While we were playing weekly the first year, the second year we had lost some steam.

Still it was the longest campaign that I participated from the beginning to the end and actually my character Brulus, an alchemist hunchback, was the only one who made it through all 40 sessions.

I have to add though that most sessions were "only" 3 to 4 hours long, while the 50 Fathoms campaign had often 7 hour sessions.

We only used battlemaps and miniatures in the beginning and very end. One player said she could not imagine the scenes in her head, when she was seeing stuff on the table. I luckily don't have that problem so much, but I guess a little bit of it is still there - subconsciously.

What was a little bit annoying was that the GM did not real know the rules and showed no intention in learning them. Therefore he obviously was not able to balance encounters properly or look out for interesting special abilities for the foes. In my opionion D&D4 would have helped him with that.

Nevertheless I had much fun with us being able to mess with the setting. There were many opportunities for character play, the GM was very flexible and I never had the feeling of any railroading going on. Some of the sessions I enjoyed most actually developed seemingly out of the blue. For example a stay in a dwarven city. That actally was very sandboxy and where we only had the one line mission statement to get a certain hammer. It proved that no plot is necessary as long as the GM is fast enough to make stuff up in realtime. :) This kind of sessions seem to give even more space for character based developement of the story.

What was kind of a pity was that many of the strong or important NPCs did not reappear until the 10 minutes epilogue. So it felt there were still some lose ends.

Doctor Who Online Character Generator (and Messageboard)

2010-08-09T03:48:00.002+01:00

I just found this amazing Flash online character generator for the Doctor Who RPG AITAS.
I got the link from the as amazing Doctor Who RPG Messageboard.

I also found a handy player handout pdf online.

Time travel galore!

Doctor Who Character: Alternative Time Lord, First Draft

2010-08-06T23:40:00.002+01:00

So we created the Time Lord of the coming Doctor Who campaign.

Everything noted down here could change, but we could a good first concept. That pretty much started with the Gadget Card: Sonic Lipstick. That way we started discussing a Robert Smith (Cure singer) like Time Lord.

Here are the stats:

Awareness: 3
Coordination: 3
Ingenuity: 6 (incl. +2 from being a Time Lord)
Presence: 4
Resolve: 4
Strength: 2
[=20 Character Points overall]

Good Traits:
Time Lord (2) includes: Feel the Turn of the Universe, Vortex
Boffin (2)
Photographic Memory (2)
Screamer (1)

Bad Traits:
Code of Conduct (1)
Distinctive (1)
Eccentric (1) (manic-depressive)
[=4 Character Points overall]

Skills:
Fighting: 1
Convince: 3
Subterfudge: 4
Technology: 4
Science: 3
Athletics: 2

[=17 Skill Points; 1 STILL MISSING!]

Gadget: Sonic Lipstick

He was stuck for 20 years in the 1980ies in a time loop.

Personal Goal: Explore and find other Time Lords

We wanted him to have the TARDIS, so we decided to have him swap time machine with the Doctor, as the Doctor needed to have one with working Chameleon Circuits for some time.

(We discussed, but forgot to add Owes Favour and Tecnically Adept as Traits)

Doctor Who Adventure: Using Mythic for adventure creation - an example

2010-08-04T09:00:00.001+01:00

I just created another adventure. It involves the PCs coming to a primitive world, where the PCs find a mind controling device that they can use freely. But the device turns those who where mindcontrolled mad after some time...)

Q: Scifi World?
A: Primitive Insanity, You

Q: You=PCs?
A: An Incorrect Assumption about Authority

Q: PCs think they are mind controled?
A: The Exact Opposite of Violence, A Random Passerby

Q: So PC find mind control device?
A: Horrifying Hilarity

Q: The PCs discover a mind control device that turns the victims batshit insane after use for some time.
A: NO

Q: The PCs discover a mind control device that mutates the victims. Maybe mind control only side effect?
A: YES

Q: WHo is the PCs opponent?
A: A Rough Likeness of Grotesqueness, Finding something to do

Q: The villain is a mutated PC?
A: YES

Q: Does the tech look like magic? YES

E: Progress on 'Finding something to do': the Movement of the Physical

Q: The villains looks for a mission? YES

Q: He asks the PCs for a mission? NO

Q: Someone tells him to move huge objects? YES

Q: Does the villains mission giver have bad intentions? YES

Q: Does he want to harm the PCs? EXCEPTIONAL YES

Q: Does he hate them? YES

Q: Does he know them from before? EXCEPTIONAL NO

Q: Has he lost his memory? YES

Q: Is he also time traveller? NO

Q: Is he an important political figure? YES

E: Positive for You: the Oppression of Elements

Q: Are the huge objects ancient pillars of tech? NO

Q: Living pillars? YES

Q: Are the pillars intelligent? NO

Q: Are the pillars intelligent? NO

Q: Does the task giver/ the villain's boss dream of the PCs? NO

Q: Did someone else tell him about them? EXCEPTIONAL NO

Q: So he just hates them when he sees them the first time? YES

Q: Does he show his hate? EXCEPTIONAL NO

Q: Is he a women? NO

The Mythic Gamemaster Emulator

2010-08-04T00:57:00.003+01:00

I own the Mythic RPG already for a few years. It is a great way to play solo without a GM. The Gamemaster Emulator takes over the decisions. Most of the time you get a Yes/No answer, but every few rolls, a random event happens, that gives much more detail and new inspiration.

Originally this was a table in a pdf, but recently I found a flash version of the GM Emulator online.

An amazing thread at rpg.net details how to use the GM emulator for world building.

It's especially cool for settings, where you regularly need new worlds - like the Doctor Who RPG.

I just tested it and we created a world, where less than 10 gods exist, but those are banned into weapons and heavily interfere with the life of all mortals. Those gods are now weapons of mass destruction and seemingly can be used by a few chosen (but generally by everyone). These godweapons seem to be missilelike. I imagine them as talking weapon silos. Seems to be a great start!

Roundbased Conflict Resolution

2010-06-21T08:27:00.000+01:00

I was reading some 90ies Thunderbolts comics yesterday and issue #2 (the fight with the Wrecking Crew and the sudden final twist, to be exact) gave me the following idea.

Comic books don't have unlimited space for their fight scenes. They need to be resolved in a few pages. So wouldn't the same be handy for fast RPG conflict resolution?

The conflict would have a certain number of rounds that you would decide before hand, depending on the importance of the conflict. Let's say 2 for fighting some minions or 5 for the dramatic final battle.

Each round is resolved either group based - if it is suppossed to be fast, e.g. against minions, or character based, if you want more detail.

So in every round everyone does their action and each round has its outcome. Something along the lines of.

Victory and
Victory
Victory, but
Loss, but
Loss
Loss and

You see where I am going here, especially if you know the new Doctor Who RPG...

The "but" gives an advantage to the losing side? I have to think about that...

Rifts Rant

2010-06-21T08:08:00.002+01:00

In this thread someone complained that the early Rifts stuff was serious and the game later on became ridiculous with every crazy comic drawing becoming part of the world, I replied that this is exactly what I am looking for.

And while some early Rifts players moved on to play being elves but seriously, others like me embraced the Heavy Metal cover style and went straight to Synnibarr. :D

The core of roleplaying for me is cooperatively coming up with crazy stuff like our characters' amazon minions merging into a 20' Megazon. Now I would like to have a picture of that. :)

Off the rail: that is my direction. :P

Free RPG Dungeons: Every Day

2010-06-21T08:03:00.000+01:00

Ôkay, Free RPG day is over, but there is still much more great free RPG stuff out there on the web than anyone will ever be able to play. Especially free short adventures, dungeons and modules seem to be very handy. Next to the One Page Dungeons, especially useful with D&D and the Savage Worlds One Sheet Adventures, I especially like the 5 Room Dungeons.

They offer a topological drama structure that inspired my own FAWS7 adventure sketching technique. The most interesting of the 5 Room Dungeons really offer a dungeon and organize the rooms in an interesting way. Honestly we were never able to play more than 5 rooms in an average session anyways. Some see the 5

Anyways: Here you find the link to the dozens of 5 Room Dungeons usable for D&D, Savage Worlds or whatever fantasy system you enjoy.

And a short rant to finish this post:
When I was young I assumed a good module or scenario needed to have been written out in at least 64 pages. I hated hook, line and sinker adventure sketches for examples. But later on I realized: only the short stuff is flexible enough to keep all options open for the players and a GM will rarely be able to remember all the details in long adventures anyways. So what write the details for? For the GM to learn it by heart?Or for him to read it to the players? Ough. That always seems super pretentious.
Anyways: in our good session the adventure is only a simple framework that hopefully does not interfere with our characters' motivations and interactions. The characters should be in the spotlight, not the "plot".

Roll Right Under System Alpha Version 0.2

2010-06-10T06:18:00.003+01:00

I changed some details of the stuff I have so far. New stuff is bold. Designer notes are in italics.

Stats and Checks

We have the following stats between 5 and 15:

Fighting/Close Combat (=base for Parry (better call it Evasion?)
Courage/Willpower
Smarts
Charisma/Social
Agility Used for Shooting and Throwing
Strength/Body (= base for resistance and cap for maximum melee damage and maxium carried weight)

Designer note: While I started with the stats from The Dark Eye 1, I realized I would need to weighten them in another way instead, because there is no space for stats in RRUS.

~~You create them by spending 50 points. 10 is an average human and default.~~

Skill checks are done by rolling a d20. If you roll higher than your stat, your character fails.

The difficulty of a check is decided by a Difficulty Number. If you roll below that number you fail as well. (An example for that is the Defense score of an opponent.)

If you roll 10 or above, but still not higher than your stat, you achieve a great success.

If you roll 15 or above, but still not higher than your stat, you achieve an amazing success.

If you roll 20 and you have a stat of 20, you achieve a legendary success.

~~Traits~~ Character Focus
Each character starts with one Trait: a Talent Trait, an Origin Trait or an Supernatural Trait. If a Checks falls under a Trait, the player can roll 2 dice (d20) and choose a result her prefers. Traits are not cumulative. You never roll more than 2 dice in a Check. (Only important characters have Traits??)
Supernatural Traits are the exception, because you can not roll without the Trait and with Trait, you can roll only 1 die.

Talent Traits:
Fighting
Shooting
Athletics (Climbing, Swimming, etc.)
Social
Tech

Origin Traits:
Nature
City
Sea/Coast
Nobility/Elite
Caves/Mines

Supernatural Trait:
Magic
Blood Magic
Psionics
Nature Religion
etc

Designer note: The traits are superpowerful, nearly doubling your effectivity (as far as I can calculate), so the game needs a weaker category as well. I renamed Traits in Character Focus, as you will have only one and make Traits something different: little rule modifications. E.g. Ninja: your Damage Roll caps with Dextery, not Strength.
Another option would be to make Traits less general. E.g. not Fighting, but Backstab etc. Generally the second d20 should be granted by lots of dramatic and cooperative situational modifiers.

Attacks

A great success means 2 dice for Damage (and take the better), or hitting d4 additional opponents near you (all with the same Damage).

An amazing success means 3 dice for Damage (and take the best), or hitting all additional opponents near you (all with the same Damage).

Damage

If someone gets potentially hurt, you also roll a d20. Each source of Damage has Damage Rating between 1 and 20. If the result of the roll is higher than this stat, no damage is done, but the enemy is Shaken.

If the result is the same or below (but not the same or below the Resistance, see next paragraph), it causes a wound. If the result is 10 or above, but still not higher than the Damage Rating, it causes 2 wounds. If the result is 15 or above, but still not higher than the Damage Rating, it causes 3 wounds. If the result is 20, but still not higher than the Damage Roll, it causes an instant kill.

The Resistance of the victim is used as Difficulty Number for the Damage Roll. That means that Damage Rolls that do not top the Resistance are just shrugged off and cause no effect.
(Armor is part of Resistance.)

Abel Wellington - Primetime Adventures Character from Rockheart

2010-06-06T20:55:00.000+01:00

Trait: Excentric artist

Contact: Creepy big city wife Agnes

Contact: Local family renown

Issue: Wasting money like there is no tomorrow

Private Set: Putting up his film/photo equipment/ canvas/ installation equipment and taking over a place with it.

Nemesis: Local cousin Warren Walker who was like a son to Abel's father Richard and helped run the Heartrock while Abel was doing nothing of value in the Big City

Abel is a tall, slim man in his mid-30ies. His hair - kept in a short ponytail - already turns grey, but his short cut beard is still all dark brown. He looks really young for a guy turning grey, especially because he hides his eyes behind dark glasses most of the time.

Abel wears a new and expensive looking suit.

Paad Ulhof - Female Human Warlord from Karrnath

2010-06-06T20:49:00.000+01:00

Backstory

Paad comes from a family out of the lower nobility in Karrnath. She studied at the famous Rekkenmark Academy from a young ago to join the ranks of what she was told to be the finest warriors of the Khorvaire. During the later years of the Last War the academy had to close. (I don't have a year for that event I hope it goes okay.) Paad, who was still a teenager, had to continue her training to become a warlord at the damaged and wartorn castle of her parents.

When the War finally ended, she was 17 years old and still to young to go to war. At least her parents did not let her sign up. While she somehow understands that fact - her older brother died on the battle field in the Mourning, she blames her parents for being selfish. Wouldn't real patriots be willing to sacrifice their child for the greater good and the glory of Karrnath?

When she was finally old enough to fight the war was over and her education seemed to be worth little in the bled white kingdom. Sure, Paad could have taken a position on her parents' land as marshall or leader of the guards, but she prefered to leave Karrnath as mercenary.

She hopes to find the reason how it was possible for the Karrnath not to win the Last War. She is still very convinced that there must have been a hidden act of treachery within the kingdom - a theory that is pretty wide spread among Karrn nobles and soldiers. She is for example split between cheering for King Kaius III. as righteous leader and seeing him as the one that sold Karrnath under its value by the peace treaty.

Personality

While Paad is for sure still somewhat chauvinistic and naive, the last 2 years have opened her mind for different cultures and ways of life. She is convinced that the Karrns have the highest culture in Khorvaire, but only by understanding and sometimes adopting to the mentality of other people, she can hope to solve the ultimate mystery how Karrnath could loose the war.

Still it's hard for her to hide her pride and her natural talent for leading. She appears quite stubborn sometimes, until she has a moment to cool off and to decide to use what she calls diplomacy.

Physical Characteristics:

Paad is an athletic woman with light brown hair. She normally wears impressive Screaming Scale Armor, covered in ornate patterns of screaming faces, but under most circumstances does not show Karrn insignias while working as mercenary.

Roll Right Under System Alpha Version 0.1

2010-06-04T20:13:00.007+01:00

This is a follow up from the last blogpost. In the meantime, I created an alpha version from the sketch for a simple not experimental RPG system.

Stats and Checks

We have 5 stats between 5 and 15:

Courage
Smarts
Charisma
Agility
Strength

You create them by spending 50 points. 10 is an average human and default.

Skill checks are done by rolling a d20. If you roll higher than your stat, your character fails.

The difficulty of a check is decided by a Difficulty Number. If you roll below that number you fail as well. (An example for that is the Defense score of an opponent.)

If you roll 10 or above, but still not higher than your stat, you achieve a great success.

If you roll 15 or above, but still not higher than your stat, you achieve an amazing success.

If you roll 20 and you have a stat of 20, you achieve a legendary success.

Traits

Each character starts with one Traits: a Talent Trait, an Origin Trait or an Supernatural Trait. If a Checks falls under a Trait, the player can roll 2 dice (d20) and choose a result her prefers. Traits are not cumulative. You never roll more than 2 dice in a Check. (Only important characters have Traits??)
Supernatural Traits are the exception, because you can not roll without the Trait and with Trait, you can roll only 1 die.

Talent Traits:
Fighting
Shooting
Athletics (Climbing, Swimming, etc.)
Social
Tech

Origin Traits:
Nature
City
Sea/Coast
Nobility/Elite
Caves/Mines

Supernatural Trait:
Magic
Blood Magic
Psionics
Nature Religion
etc

Attacks

A great success means 2 dice for Damage (and take the better), or hitting d4 additional opponents near you (all with the same Damage).

An amazing success means 3 dice for Damage (and take the best), or hitting all additional opponents near you (all with the same Damage).

Damage

If someone gets potentially hurt, you also roll a d20. Each source of Damage has Damage Rating between 1 and 20. If the result of the roll is higher than this stat, no damage is done, but the enemy is Shaken.

If the result is the same or below (but not the same or below the Resistance, see next paragraph), it causes a wound. If the result is 10 or above, but still not higher than the Damage Rating, it causes 2 wounds. If the result is 15 or above, but still not higher than the Damage Rating, it causes 3 wounds. If the result is 20, but still not higher than the Damage Roll, it causes an instant kill.

The Resistance of the victim is used as Difficulty Number for the Damage Roll. That means that Damage Rolls that do not top the Resistance are just shrugged off and cause no effect.
(Armor is part of Resistance.)

A simple RPG system - Another Sketch: Roll Right Under System

2010-05-19T08:24:00.001+01:00

I was thinking about using a simple RPG system for a potential game of Nightspawn/Nightbane. Generally you could use it for everything anyways.

So the game would be based on 1st edition The Dark Eye/DSA (a simple d20 roll under system with 5 stats), but there would be one big difference:

Instead of an active parry or modifiers to make ability rolls harder, difficulty would be expressed, by a a value that you are not allowed to roll under.

So if an opponent has a Parry of 4 in this system, you only hit him if you roll above 4, but below your attack value (e.g. 10).

But to make things more interesting, the higher you roll (but not above your value!), the better the result is. Therefore someone with a really high ability can get special successes. (This aspect could be similar to the the Dragon Age system, but I did not read this one yet.)

If you know Unkown Armies, you will notice certain similarities.

The system would also include Tricks (based on any stat/ability), like Savage World does. This could also be influenced by page 42 of the D&D4 DM Guide.

(Something else I like a lot are aspects from FATE, but I am not sure, if they fit this system or make it too complex.)

Talislanta is free! What could we play?

2010-05-18T22:27:00.001+01:00

I was looking for an old fashioned and simple system recently and stumbled upon Talislanta.
I own the 2nd Edition of thie classic non-EDO fantasy setting, but my books are a few 1000 kilometres away.

So I was happy to be able to download most of the pdfs for the system.

Here you find the free RPG books for Talislanta.

What means "non-EDO"? EDO=Elves,Dwarves,Orcs? Talislanta breaks out of the Lord of the Rings mold and is not influenced by old nothern European myths, but much more by Jack Vance and H.P. Lovecraft's Dreamlands.

But what adventure should you play in such a huge setting?

I would let the players only chose between archetypes from the Seven Kingdoms and maybe the Wilderlands. That is enough choices. And I would set the adventures as well in this region.

Probably I would start in the near the realm of the Gnomekin, as some of the Seven Kingdoms are a little bit too cute. And for exactly that reason I would create an adventure where someone wants to create a Civil War in this nice union of races. An intrique that should split this bright corner of Talislanta apart.

Some interesting seeds:

The Muses don't have a real ruler, but one is assigned randomly every month. What if a player character Muse becomes ruler, or if an "evil" (or blackmailed) Muse takes reign.

The bird people (blue and green) seem to be quite split, it is a good point to start a war.

The Cymril people seem to quite arrogant. It would also be easy to seed suspicion among the other races.

Now combine this 3 ideas through one villain and let the players run wild and create even more of a mess. Then villain should even empower the PCs to behave like PCs do. What a fun mess.

Synnibarr Volcano Island One Shot as FAWS7 Write Up

2010-02-14T17:18:00.000Z

Here is another FAWS7 write up:

Village of Winterhaven: INTERACTION: Fishermen say a hooded stranger named Dusk hung out with mayor and tell that the mayor disappeared
"The Lazermead" (Village Bar): INTERACTION: Simera, the Talking Racoon hunter, hangs out here tells that her children are missing
Mayor's mansion: ACTION: find piece from Dusk (he was a robot!) and fight with Poltergeist => fight smashes secret entrance to casino
Secret Casino: ACTION: the lazer roulette forces them in a game and tells about the mayor and that he was hanging out with the Gremlin and having debts. Access to volcano tunnels.
Volcano Tunnels: ACTION: rising lava and Batmen
Pirate Harbor: ACTION: Tenjohussen in whale, too many too confront diretly, have mayor as prisoner with them
Jungle: ACTION: flying deer and Rock Weird (that catapults PCs up to Gremlin Cloud if they are late) (WANDERING OFF SPACE, random encounters)
Vulcano Tip: INTERACTION: hard to spot volcano tunnels from inside funnel, but dissappearing flying deer gives hint
Gremlins Cloud: ACTION: Gremling attacks anyone entering his cloud on sight

TWIST 1: the contact person can't be found
TWIST 2: there is a secret entrance to volcano from Mayor's house
TWIST 3: the Tenjohussen pirates prepare to attack the village for slaves

Villain: Gremlin: he is behind the mayor's betrayal of his people, because he wants to get payed back his gaming debts

McGuffin: find their contact person Dusk in village

PPP Hospital as FAWS7 write up

2010-02-13T23:15:00.001Z

This is my Plüsch, Power & Plunder one shot Hospital redone in Fast Adventure Writing Structure.

Mini locations:

Hospital room of PC's kid: ACTION: minions attack; Plush robot Dusk and Smurfette as victims
Hallway: ACTION: nurses (stompers) can spot them, random encounter table
Other kids' rooms: INTERACTION: mini stompers who can't leave bed, other victim plushes and their addiction
Toy room: INTERACTION: cat in cage
Nurse kitchen: ACTION: Weapons without getting caught by nurses; also KEY for laundry
Above the steerages: ACTION: Thing plush with KEY for laundry elevator
Laundry elevator: ACTION: Monster spider plush Shelob
Laundry room/basement: INTERACTION: addict Dusk and Smurfette reappear; Plush gamepad The Brain creates drugs
Operating room: INTERACTION: Prophet plush and more equipment
Boiler room: ACTION: evil nerd plush: Pin and his 3 Martial Arts Plush Pandas
Garden: ACTION: super dangerous cats in garden/woods (WANDER OFF AREA)

TWIST 1: kids die one after the other
TWIST 2: victim plushs are drug addicted traitors
TWIST 3: minions unleash the cat
TWIST evil plush want to kill kid of PCs to keep them in hospital forever

VILLAIN: The Pin controls minions and victims by being in charge of drug cartel. Wants new kids regularly to have more people to control.

McGuffin: Survival. Getting out of this Plush hell.

The Wails of Planet Norr

2010-02-13T22:28:00.001Z

A created this adventure following my guidelines in Fast Adventure Writing Structure. Actually if you read the document, you will see it is the example there.

Just to remember here are the steps again:

1. Have a one line idea or title
2. Create 6 to 8 mini locations with hooks
3. Decide if the single locations are about ACTION or INTERACTION, or something else
4. Adding a TWIST or three
5. A villain
6. The McGuffin
7. Spaces for wandering off

Don't forget that the notes are only for yourself. So no need to be self explaining!

Mini locations:

1. Only village of human settlers: INTERACTION: The PCs land here. They meet a drunk mechanics woman who wants to start a fight and talks something about her lover killing himself in the icy fjord. She has it on video. 300 inhabitants
2. The administrators house: INTERACTION: The administrator personally introduces them to job. Tells them how boring it is here and plays the decadent, incompetent guy.
3. The bar: ACTION: Central hang out place for all the dirty miners. PCs meet some people with symbiont/ alien here. Idiots want to bully the PCs.
4. Cliff in icy fjord: ACTION: After some wandering, willpower tests near cliff. Weak ones jump off.
5. Underwater village of "aliens": INTERACTION: Symbiontes all on their own. Look like bat like coats. Give psionic powers. The suicidal player character hang themselves up as well. Different layers of cocoons.
6. The cold oceans: ACTION: storm, tentacle whale monsters (WANDERING OFF AREA)
7. The "oil" plattform: ACTION: a crazy scientist, tells the PCs that the oil won here is not worth anything, that he lost all his money in speculation here. Then they are attacked by "malfunctioning" mining robots. (WANDERING OFF AREAD)

TWIST 1: The aliens are actually the suicidal humans.
TWIST 2: The administrator knows about Twist 1, but does not tell anyone.
TWIST 3: Actually the aliens are the resource the administration is really interested in. The mining is only an excuse to attract people and turn them into aliens.

VILLAIN: The administrator. He wants cover up any evidence and uses miners and robots to get the PCs out of the way.

McGuffin: Superpaid job and psionic symbiontes.

Fast Adventure Writing Structure

2010-02-13T21:38:00.006Z

I came up with a new simple way of writing adventures in a few minutes. I have to admit, I did not test it yet, but it seems that this way has a lot of potential. I am only GMing sporadically, but one of my biggest problems is to guess how much or how little the players will have time to explore in a session.

This blogpost is not about writing campaigns, but preferably adventures that can be run in one session.

I have to admit I never run an too short adventure. Normally I am so euphoric that I don't stop in time. Anyways: this is the concept I came up with:

1. Have a one line idea or title

Obviously you need to have something to start with. If you don't now anything, a random article from Wikipedia can be really inspiring.

Example: For a scifi game I need a new adventure. I pick a random wikipedia article and get the county of Norrland, some 17th century Swedish place.

2. Create 6 to 8 mini locations with hooks

The next step is to imagine a handfull sceneries that could be cool for the player characters to have something happen at. Obviously there will be happen more, if certain people or creature are there as well. Don't worry about what the characters will do and the consequences, just imagine what cool things anyone could do there.

Example: Somehow the county lets me think of meadows, seas and - sorry for the cliché - Vikings. But this is a Science Fiction game, so I have to twist things a little bit. I come up with the following:

Icy fjord on frozen planet. It's the ultra short summer. Atmosphere of loneliness. I ask myself: what can characters interact here with? Interact with loneliness? How about a some whispering that turns people suicidal?

Village near the seaside with human settlers. Ok, humans alone are a little bit cliché as well. So how about them having a symbiotic relationship to some strange aliens? So they coexist in the city.

This makes me think of trolls and vulcanos. Maybe I will boost the Icelandic vibe, because it seems mysterious. If the aliens play a role, they should also have a location: I give them their own pack village near a geysir.

But why did the humans land here and live by the water? Probably there is something like an oil platform to access some superspecial underwater resource.

(I make the example a little bit shorter, because this blogpost should be mainly about the structure.)

3. Decide if the single locations are about ACTION or INTERACTION, or something else

Sure, you don't want to force your players to deal with any situation in a certain way, but you can think beforehand what outcome is most likely. For a normal party you want a good mix of action scenes and "roleplaying" opportunities.

You also want to think about a potential way the characters could solve the problem. Obviously if the come up with another solution, that is even better. Remember to never say "No!", but "Yes, but..." later on in the game. I mark probable follow up scenes with "=>".

And it is great if what happens connects one location to another.

Example: I go through the locations sketched out before and think what will be going on.

The whispering of suicide is a life threatening situation. So it will probably be an ACTION scene. But how to deal with such an abstract problem? I guess it takes willpower to resist and because I don't want a total party wipe out, if probably is about making some skill checks until only 1 or 2 characters are up. At that moment something you can touch should appear. Probably the local aliens. They take the characters to their village. I think about it again and realize that it makes sense to make the suicides "go somewhere", because we want the impact of the situation without killing the characters. How about a cliff near the sea, where they jump down?
How about making the village of the aliens exactly there? It could be that jumping down there does not kill, but instead takes you to the aliens place. Maybe you are transformed in the process? What if the aliens are not real aliens, but transformed humans? Sounds pretty cool. I will adjust the other locations to follow up this idea?

The human village is about INTERACTION. That seems pretty clear. Sure, you could make it action, just to be unconventional, but this time, we decide against it. Still: we don't know whom to interact with exactly. Who is the person the players will meet? It should carry the atmosphere of the location. So how about a pretty ordinary fishergirl? We want to connect that to the suicide cliff location. So maybe she is drunk on the street, because she just lost a loved one?
Obviously the village has more to offer, so we split off another location: the house of the local administration. Also about INTERACTION and the player characters will encounter the local administrator, a guy who does not want to stay too long on this backwood planet. He is not too important so we are happy with a cliché bureaucrat. What does he want? He wants the player characters to leave.

The pack village near the geysir has changed already to an underwater place under the cliff. For whatever reason, I imagine them in there like bats hanging from a cave - just upside down and under water. ACTION or INTERACTION? That should be pretty flexible. Still: if the players get that the aliens are actually the suicide humans, they maybe won't kill them right away. ;) So a hint would be good. And why aren't they transformed themselves? Probably it takes some time.

4. Adding a TWIST or three

Everyone likes surprises, so things should always turn out different than they look in the beginning. Probably you already got a few just by thinking about locations and interactions. It is good to have a second or even third twist, just in case the player characters see through it very fast and the game turns out too short. Most of the time you won't need the third twist. Just remember that we plan one session adventure here.

Example: That is so obivious here.

TWIST 1: The aliens are actually suicidal humans.
TWIST 2: (We also want to base it on something we established already. So we look trough our notes.) The administrator knows about Twist 1, but does not tell anyone.
TWIST 3: (We go even further with the idea from Twist 2.) Actually the aliens are the resource the government/corporation is really interested in. The mining is only an excuse to attract people and turn them into aliens.

5. A villain

By this time it will often be clear, who is the opponent of the player characters. You don't need to twist it even further. But maybe you make someone not too important yet, the real villain, by giving him the agenda.

Example: The administrator would be a great villain here. Makes sense. He is some evil mastermind after all. But because we have seen this so often already, we decide that actually the nature of the planet is much bigger and more dangerous than his cookie cutter plan. But how to make a cool showdown with a planet? We want to blow things up in the end! After all the we want a great final. A Cthulhu like entity would be boring as well. An earthquake would be a fun end, we remember that, but the administrator is still the best villain. After all we want to INTERACT with him - or at least kill him.

6. The McGuffin

We still need a reason why the player characters go through all of this. There has to be a reason for them - something to win. This is especially important in a location based adventure, because you can't just push them along the plot. Often it makes sense to use the motivations of specific charcters as reason, but never underestimate the motivational power of filthy lucre or powerful items. Working since 1974. :)

Example: The administration looks for workforce, so it seems pretty simple to get them here. No reason not to offer the player characters a huge ammount of money and point to the cool stuff they will be able to afford with it. The administration is pretty sure, it does not need to pay anyways in the end. And because PCs are rarely miners, it would make sense to offer them a contractor's job in security. A good reason to send them to the suicide plains. Maybe hook them up with a NPC they like from earlier adventures: the NPC gets a job there and because of a favor he is owing them, he gets them this excuse of a well paid job. It's only 1 week anyways...

7. Space for wandering off

It is good to give the players some freedom. A place, that is not directly connected to the bigger scheme. If any locations are left over, just use those. And if you have the feeling that you could improve the atmosphere of the whole adventures by adding a place or two, add them now. Remember: something should happen everywhere! But whatever is going on here should be simple and work on itself.

Example: The ocean and the "oil" platform are not really important to the plot, but they are great to add to the feeling of solitude. Still we want something to happen there. So how about an attack of sea monsters and a rowdy bar with suicidal sailor man on the plattform?

You see: just by going through a few basic ideas in a structured manner a couple of times, I have a lot of stuff to run with. Just look at same ideas over and over and connect them. Because you think the scenes in locations and not in plot, the players have a lot of freedom. And best: you only need the write down a few lines and everything should work from there.

The have a look at the whole write up, read this post: The Wails of Planet Norr

And to keep it extrasimple, just copy and paste the 7 steps in your document:
1. Have a one line idea or title
2. Create 6 to 8 mini locations with hooks
3. Decide if the single locations are about ACTION or INTERACTION, or something else
4. Adding a TWIST or three
5. A villain
6. The McGuffin
7. Spaces for wandering off

Savage Worlds RPG Dice Roller Software

2010-02-13T18:56:00.001Z

You want to use all the funky dice in Savage Worlds like d4, d6, d8, d10 and d12? And obviously the Wild Die should be included?

My Viennese GM Flanf has an amazing program on his homepage. He did it himself.

All your stated characters from Savage Worlds can finally be played much faster. But obviously the program also rolls d20 and d100. And there is even card support. So the program can simulate a Poker Deck.

Here you find Flanf's Dice Roller!

You will find a more detailed description on his page.

The Autumn Silence

2010-02-11T02:26:00.002Z

November and December I did not post a lot. This had mainly to do with the fact, that I got involved in 2 Google Wave RPGs:

an English language D&D4 Ebberon adventure where I participate as a player
and a
German language Primetime Adventures pilot called "Spacemarines!". I am directing the latter.

Both games are still running at the moment at a comfortable pace, although they slowed down a little bit.

So I have more time for the blog again. :)

In case you want to participate or just want a Wave invitation, just leave a comment here.

Doctor Who RPG: Adventures in Time and Space - Campaign Planning

2010-02-07T22:37:00.003Z

Actually I spent the last month collecting ideas for a Doctor Who campaign for Cubicle 7's new game. For whatever reason I mad notes mostly in my iPod touch or on Evernote on my Android phone.
I guess this has to do with the fact that I think about it before going to bed or when waking up. Maybe it is also about the fact that I have much better portable devices for notes nowadays.
Anyways: my notes are pretty incoherent at the moment and in a mix of German and English.

Still I created a new way of sketching adventures and I hope that it works out fine.
I will soon post a first sample adventure.

The basic idea for the campaign is the following:
The player characters are from all over time and space (there has been no character creation yet). The find their way into a broken TARDIS. Inside the dark time capsule they meet the other PCs and a seemingly dead old woman in a techno coffin. The old woman sometimes talks a little bit and explains that the TARDIS was nearly destroyed and its pilot, the Doctor Who, has been thrown out in the Vortex by an unknown opponent and is lost in time and space.

The only way to repair the TARDIS and make her route controllable again is by letting her drift along the Doctor's fall and collect the parts he has lost. This cosmic hint hunt can only be done by free moving people and as soon as the TARDIS has landed somewhere, the PCs have to leave the time capsule with a provided cronon measuring device, and get 3 readings from different points at least 400 meters apart from each other and with 15 minutes between them. With this readings it is possible to measure the source of the cronons - most probably one of the items the Doctor lost - and retrieve them. The item will allow the TARDIS to travel to the next spacetime location, until the Doctor has been found.

Obviously each of the places is "interesting" and there will be an adventure before the item is returned to the TARDIS.

I have a millions of ideas for adventures. Basically you can go through your whole RPG collection and turn every scenario you ever wanted to play in an episode, but it will also depend on what characters the players choose.

The 1 items are:
1. Psychic Paper
2. Coat
3. Sonic Screwdriver
4. Converse Shoes

(As you can see it is about the 10th Doctor.)

Free dungeon map

2010-01-20T18:14:00.000Z

Here you can find a free dungeon map.
It is a pity that the description is in German.

Thanks to the LARP dungeon masters Nik and Claudia!

My RPG Calendar 2010

2010-01-17T17:08:00.040Z

January
21st Luftenwelter 34: Valandir the Great (Ser;Dan,Jor,Jea)
26th Nyrondria 24: Ethic wants the Stone! (Tom;Dan,Jor,Man,Ser)

February
7th Luftenwelter 35: Hertie's Awakening and Mutter's Demise (Ser;Dan,Jor,Jea)
16th Luftenwelter 36: Return of the Aegis at the jelly lake (Ser;Dan,Jor,Jea)

March
-

April
15th Luftenwelter 37: Cave of the Gem / Vankaut Falling? (Ser;Dan,Jor,Jea)

May
-

June
16th Nyrondria 25: The Final Battle against Sophilis (Tom;Dan,Jor,Man,Ser)
21st Luftenwelter 38: Memories of Destiny in the Gem Sanctum (Ser;Dan,Jor,Jea)
28th Luftenwelter 39: Out of the box: Versus Croc and Beligor (Ser;Dan,Jor,Jea)

July
-

August
10th Luftenwelter 40: The Final Battle against Theladios and Baal (Ser;Dan,Jor,Jea)
24th Doctor Who 1: Starlight Casino (Jor;Dan,Hel,Jea)
30th Doctor Who 2: In the Realm of the Gardener (Jor;Dan,Hel,Jea)

September
7th Doctor Who 3: The Experiments of the Gardener (Jor;Dan,Hel,Jea)
14th Doctor Who 4: The Time Flower (Jor;Dan,Hel,Jea)
21st Doctor Who 5: Maggots without Master (Jor;Dan,Hel,Jea)
27th Doctor Who 6: Oblivion Station (Jor;Dan,Hel,Jea)

October
19th Doctor Who 7: The captive lizard (Jor;Dan,Hel)
28th Doctor Who 8: At the end of the Doctor (Jor;Dan,Hel)

November
26th Doctor Who 9: 10.000 Time Lord Souls (Jor;Dan,Hel,Jea)

December
2nd Doctor Who 10: Facing the Looper (Jor;Dan,Hel,Jea)

My RPG Calendar 2011
My RPG Calendar 2009
My RPG Calendar 2008

Savage Worlds Plush Power & Plunder: Pregenerated Characters

2010-01-17T15:55:00.003Z

In case that we finally play the Hospital adventure I posted in this blog, I wanted to create some pregens. The players want stuffed animals as characters, that's clear. What is not clear is what specializations or niches the characters are going to have. So I came up with the following ideas - and will stat them up here:

Big Teddy - Strongmen with little Dexterity. Defender.
Skillmonkey - Has lots of non combat ability. Kind of a nerd. Healer as well?
Faceman - specialized in Charisma and persuasion.
Flitzer - Not much of a fighter, but very mobile. Less combat focus.
Woom Uahrtist - A martial artist. Striker.
Superteddy - A charcter specialized in the skills that are unusal, like bouncing, detachable eye, bouncing etc.
Trenchcoat Teddy - A weapon specialist.

I think a wizard would be too much for a one shot. Spells in the original system are not very combat focused and so it would be a bad fit for Savage Worlds anyways.
A beastmaster character would be an option, but could short circuit the big challenge of the one shot: the cat, so I won't make one either.

Savage Worlds Tricks Fast Fix

2009-11-28T11:13:00.000Z

While I talked about fixing Savage Worlds Tricks a lot in this blog, I realized that maybe it is not even necessary, if the GM gives out a bennie for every well described trick. My problem with tricks: while they are a great first step to promote unusual combat actions by players - much better than in all older RPGs I know - they still have the problem, that I normal attack can explode ad infinitum and tricks can't.
If the GM gave out a bennie for every well described trick, maybe even if it failed, that would beat the exploding damage of normal attacks.
As a player that would be a great incentive for me. Most of my Savage Worlds GMs weren't that generous though.

Kill'em and take their theory!

2009-11-28T10:18:00.000Z

Last week (Saturday, the 21st of November) I held a lecture on RPGs and RPG theory in Vienna in the MQ in the Quartier für digitale Kultur.

I chose the name Kill'em and take their theory! - RPG-Theorie zwischen Schwert und Method Acting
I had a lot of fun doing it, and in the end the 90 to 120 minutes seemed to be nearly too short.

I also showed some videos. Here are the links:

The Gamers - Clip I showed

D&D 80ies Commercial

Dark Dungeons

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) RPG & Other Strangeness! Do you remember?

2009-11-06T17:45:00.001Z

I just stumbled upon the Terror Bears in the internet. If you ever player the old Palladium Books Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness RPG you will be amazed to find the great old art by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird all up on the internet. This is an amazing place for TMNT art!

Hertie: Toadling Sidekick Sorcerer

2009-10-14T08:39:00.008+01:00

Hertie before being before turned into a toadling

Attributes
Agility d4

Smarts d8
Spirit d4
Strength d4
Vigor d10

Secondary
Charisma -2
Pace 4"+d4
Parry 4
Toughness 7

Skills
Fighting (ag) d4
Guts (sp) d4

Healing (sm) d4

Investigation (sm) d4
Notice (sm) d4
Persuasion (sp) d4

Spellcasting (sm) d8
Stealth (ag) d4

Survival (sm) d4

Swimming (ag) d4
Taunt (sm) d4
Throwing (ag) d4
Tracking (sm) d4

Edges
Arcane Background: Magic (Alchemy)
(+ twice New Power)

Hindrances
Ugly (min)

Lame (maj)? too thin legs -Jumping??

Obese (min)

Powers
Bolt (Trapping: Transformation Curse: turns enemies into pigs)
Boost/Lower Trait (Trapping: Curse)
Armor OR Deflection? (Trapping: Air Warts) OR Burrow (Trapping: Jump)

Succor (From Fantasy Companion)

Wall Walker (From Fantasy Companion)

Equipment

Cauldron and giant spoon

Note: Toadlings have the same racial features as humans.

Primordaea - The Beginning of Time

2009-10-12T21:32:00.000+01:00

It has been quite quiet here lately. The reason for this is that I concentrated to work on my German language Savage Worlds setting "Primordäa - Anbeginn der Zeit". I hope to translate it to English as soon as the first German version is ready to be published.

Actually one version is already available as can see if you follow the link above. It is a 15 page document plus a map - obviously in German. I took part in a German language Savage Setting contest, but did not win anything. Still I got a lot of good reactions and want to go on workingon the setting.

What it is about?

The player characters are the first humanoid beings on a world that slowly cools down from pure magma and starts to carry life. They and their NPC siblings were created by accident by the elemental hearts, forces of nature. By the power of the WORD the PCs and the other children of the elementals can create life. Soon they will lead their tribes and fight with their sisters and brother for the virgin continent Primordaea. But there is also this mysterious force called life that spreads around the world in the form of algae and worms. Who will decide now on the fate of Primordaea for the eons to come?

Savage Worlds Tricks Deluxe

2009-10-04T13:16:00.001+01:00

I talked about Spirit Tricks (and Strength Tricks) in an earlier post. The plan was to get rid of the Taunt and Intimidate skills and allow Spirit Tricks instead. (I would also get rid of Tracking by the way...)

The player could choose of the effect of a Trick should be that of a Trick according to the rulebook or that of a Test of Wills. I would also add the 3rd option to move the opponent 1" in a desired direction (and shake him at the same time on a raise).

One additional option is was considering to give the Trick an area effect on additional raises. At the moment if you go for a simple damage roll, you can always explode your dice and have extreme success. If you go for a trick that is not possible and this stops players from tricks sometimes.
So if you have 2 raises on your Trick roll from the opponents, you give a nonraise trick result to any opponent on a medium burst template centered on the original enemy. 3 raises make this a large burst template and 4 raises finally give a result with a raise in a large burst template.
Obviously this rules have to worked on a little. Otherwise it would make sense to always attack the weakest opponent to trick the strong guy standing next to him.
I assume it would make most sense for the character doing a secons Trick roll and have all opponents in that area roll against this result to see how well they fared. (Comparable to how Sweep is handled.)

Dragonborn in humancentric campaigns

2009-09-12T10:25:00.004+01:00

While I love dragonlike humanoids like the Draconians, I never liked the Dragonborn that much. They are just not snakelike enough for me. I like me dragonmen to feel wriggling and Dragonborn are just too brawny for that (and missing the tail...).
That went so far that I reskinned a potential Warlord character I wanted to play from Dragonborn to apeman - basically the same stats, but he would be a big gorilla creature that probably would have used volley of attacks or a magical helmet instead of a breath weapon.

Another thing with dragonborn is that is hard to retrofit them in campaing settings, that try to feature everyday low fantasy life. But I finally found a way to integrate them in a setting like this and provide some campaign hooks at the same time.

Dragonborn are used by humans as warbeasts and in arena fighting. Who would even come up with the idea that such a creature could be intelligent? There are loved (and treated) like dogs and well respected.
"How come they never talk?", you ask? Every kid knows that you have to cut out a Dragonborns tongue right after birth, otherwise it would hurt itself with its breath weapon - or there could even a demon get inside its head and make it speak in tongues. Only heartless people would let that happen to those noble animals. So better cut out the tongue right away! You also have to keep Dragonborns seperated from each other when they are young, otherwise they will get stubborn and are no use.
For a Dragonborn to develop well take it away from its mother right after birth! (Or you could say that they crawl out of eggs, but that would make their mothers' breast kind of silly ;))
Obviously when someone is raised as an animal, that person also does not turn out very bright. So the intelligence of Dragonborn is a selfullfilling prophecy. And even the very bright are hard to be seen as humanlike, because they don't talk.

In such a setting a dragonborn player character could be someone who was raised by someone who would not cut off its tongue and adopt it as a real person - raising it with affection. That person would probably not be a dragonborn though. Maybe a highway man who hides in the wild or a nobel lady in a far off barony who does not like the presence of 'real' people.
For players who like a roleplaying challenge, a character who got his tongue cut out would be an option as well. You don't talk, but have to show in a different way that you understand. Maybe a tongueless dragonborn could be really played like a very bright dog. Definitely worth a try!

Monster Manual Plot Hooks 2

2009-08-26T21:58:00.004+01:00

I continue here ideas for low level monster encounters. You can also go to my original Monster Manual Plot Hooks.

Bullywug (MM2: p.28)
In a small village inn the player characters encounter a pretty, dressed up girl that is flirting with them. She tries really hard to pick them up and maybe even breaks down if not having success. She was sent by the elders of a starving fishing hamlet near a swamp to "buy" some heroes. The inhabitants have no money at all and not even food since bullywugs moved in the swamp and make the animals turn away.
The elders are willing to give the girl to the heroes "as present" and are quite open about it, if they are able to slay the bullywugs. (The local knight was sent off to fight in the civil war (see under Orcs in the post)).
The swamp screams from the strange aura of the bullywug and fish for example jumped on land and died there. The bullywugs established this small settlement, when they had to flee the pirate ship of Charyptoroth (Aventuria demon) they were serving on.
Maybe the tell of their former captain (not a bullywug, maybe a Warlock) who could become a reoccuring character.
The girl begs the heroes to marry her and take her along, as she would have no future in the hamlet even now that it is saved.

Goblins (MM: p.135; MM2: p.130)
Goblins are also inhabitants of the Feywild (see Manual of the Planes, p.40). They use fey crossings to enter the human world and sneak straight into buildings, stealing food and abducting animals and children. Imagine them more like the kobolds from the German folklore: sneaky bastards, that love to laugh about mischief and pranks they do. Some of them probably even are servants of bored Eladrin that don't feel compasion for humans.

Human (MM: p.162; MM2:144)
Especially Human Rabble, Bandits and Guards are the standard enemies in all campaigns. There are different human factions and they are fighting each other most of the time. Whereever the PCs go, they have to decide which side they are on and every of this decisions makes them enemies.
Human Mages (MM: p.163) are also a common thread, as they love to settle in dungeons and use Humunculi (MM2: P.143).
Human Nobles (MM2: P.148) are known for their arrogance and while they are just a tad too dangerous for Level 1 PCs, it is really hard not want to attack them sometimes...
Especially the civil war gives many reasons to fight humans.

Infernal Armor Animus (Minion Devil) (MM2: p.66)
Another fantasy classic, especially in European youth books. Their powers help other demons but for a low level party they are mostly impressive opponents without too much power.

Rat (MM: p.219)
Giant Rats, Rat Swarms and even Dire Rats are annoying critters that live in the sewers. Wererats and goblins sometimes send them in battle. And we did not even talk yet about rat kings and fairy tale rat catchers...

Free Dungeon Tiles RPG Tabletop Maps

2009-08-25T13:37:00.001+01:00

Here you will soon find a list of free dungeon tiles and RPG and tabletop war game maps for games like D&D and Savage Worlds.

Dungeons & Dragons Boardgame to 4th Edition

2009-08-09T18:34:00.004+01:00

Over the weekend I have the chance playing D&D with my brothers. I use the stuff contained in Hasbro's 2003 D&D boardgame.
I did not bring any of my books, but with the quick start rules and internet access to the Compedium that is no problem.
I created the player characters with the character builder program.
There are plenty of miniatures of monsters as well. I list them here to create tactical interesting monster groups covering all roles. Some creatures are too high level for my purpose (Level 1 player characters), so I will change what they represent. Actually no problem at all because the ogre miniatures are for example much smaller as they are supposed to be.

5 goblins
6 skeletons
4 bugbears (=hobgoblins?)
3 jellys/ slimes
4 ogres (=orcs?)
5 gnolls
3 trolls
2 carrion crawlers (=fire beetles/guard drakes )
2 ghouls
3 wraiths
1 lich

EL1: 2 Goblin Warriors, 2 Fire Beetles, Goblin Blackblade
EL3: Hobgoblin Warcaster, 2 Hobgoblin Guards, 2 Skeletons
EL3: 2 Goblin Sharpshooters, 4 Goblin Warriors, 4 Goblin Cutters
EL4: 4 Phantom Warriors, Specter
EL4: 2 Cavern Chokers, 3 Hobgoblin Soldiers, Hobgoblin Warcaster

Monster Manual Plot Hooks

2009-07-19T10:52:00.017+01:00

There is not a lot of description to the monster in the Monster Manual, but enough for a number of campaigns.

I will start noting down some ideas for low level characters.

Elves (MM1: p.106, Encounter Level 2)
The player characters have to cross a wood and are ambushed by elves that got enough of armed humans (etc.) crossing their territory. After all the civil war in the human lands creates ambiguity for them and they don't really see a difference between the factions. All are cruel, armed and therefore evil.

Fell Taint (MM2: p.104, Encounter Level 1)
The player characters are hired by an old astronomer (a starlock?) to accompany him to a mountain observatory. Once he starts his work there Fell Taint start to appear. What looks like an act of evil is actually an accident.
Variant: They are hired by 2 astronomers, a young brother and sister couple. Both of the two plans to see when the stars are right(TM). But they don't know about the fact that the other one turned starlock as well. When the PCs think they have figured out who the evil one is, the other one turns even more dangerous and lets his/her mask fall.
You get much more info and stats for Fell Taints in this article from Dragon Magazine 376.

Gnome (MM1: p.134, Encounter Level 3)
RRRoar! They are interesting because of their connection to the Feywild.

Halfling (MM1: p.152, 2x Encounter Level 2)
Every cliche of gypsies that travel around and have drakes (MM1: p.90) instead of chicken and horses. Offering to sell their kids to heroes for a few silver coins?

Homunculus (MM1: p. 156, MM2: p.143)
These creations make good encounters because they can be in the service of nearly every lowlevel mage or sage. Especially the stationary ones from MM2 seem to be interesting.

Orc (MM1: P.203)
An orc seems to be an amazing thread to a first level party. He is supposed to be just an orc but he can appear as something exotic and dangerous in a human countryside environment. I imagine him as leader of human mercenaries in a rural human civil warish area. (Could be that his stats are not fun to fight though, because of high AC for example. I have to check that out.) Maybe it is two orc brothers leading the bandits.
This mercenaries are probably the only hope for a human village, that otherwise gets run over by the enemy forces, but they are barbaric and cruel and earlier or later would get lynched if they were not so strong. And if they get killed some more orks will want to have revenge. Could be that the main army of the orcs arrives and they find their (littel) brothers dead.

Skeleton (MM1: p.234, MM2: P.183)
Undead cavalary (Skeletal Steed, MM2: P.183, Lvl. 3) is for sure some of the most impressive enemies low level characters can face. They seem to be especially to handy, to ride in a small village and scare the shit out of the denizens.
Maybe spice them up with a few Decrepit skeleton minions (MM1: P.234) and if you want to be really mean, a Blazing Skeleton (ibd.).

Wererat (MM1: p.180, Encounter Level 4)
This the perfect low level city gang encounter - spiced up by the transformation of some bandits at a crucial moment.

Here you find part 2 of the Monster Manual Plot Hooks.

Savage Worlds Toys: Plush, Power and Plunder

2009-07-08T22:19:00.006+01:00

I created the adventure "Hospital" for Plüsch, Power und Plunder - the plush animal RPG, but did not run it yet. Due to popular demand this will change soon. But as I don't feel too comfortable with the system - the chances for success are really low for spoiled contemporary gamers and there is no way I would learn the baroque magic and martial art rules for a single session - I decided to transfer it to Savage Worlds.
Actually the over the top action in Savage World seems to be a good fit for the physics that the living toys follow.
Even the though the "Hospital" should feel quite gothic, this seems to make the one shot much easier for me to run.

In the following post you will find the necessary conversions:

Skills and Edges:

Rolling* Edge

Ventriloquism ?
.
Persuasion Skill
.
Berserk Edge
.
Chemistry ?
.
Electronics ?
.
Drive Toy Vehicles Skill
.
Trap Building Skill
.
Dexterity (Finger stuff) ?
.
Fly* Edge (2?)
.
Language, Additional ?
.
Bouncing Ball* Edge
.
Growing Hair (and loosing it)* Edge
.
Hacking Skill
.
Healing 1/PlushP; 5
.
Jump High Skill?
.
Hypnosis Edge
.
Detachable Eye* Edge
.
Mechanics ?
.
Knowledge of Human Nature Skill?
.
Night Vision Edge
.
Robbing Plushdurance* ?
.
Ride Animal Skill
.
Acting -?
.
Stealth Skill
.
Pick Locks Skill
.
Fine Arts Edge?
.
Reading (automatic with IQ 8+) Not Auto?
.
Skateboarding Skill (Drive)
.
Swim Skill
.
Ropes - (rope monkey?)
.
Jump: Landing and Wide J. Skill?
.
Tracking Skill
.
Pole Jumping Skill?
.
Camouflage Skill?
.
Climb Stairs Clim Skill?
.
Open Doors Skill (Str)

Equipment:

Twitter Support

2009-07-07T13:27:00.004+01:00

My twitter account is suspended since 10 days. Only today - at my third try - it seems I was able to navigate to the proper place to post my complain:

http://twitter.zendesk.com/requests/new

Is this Cyberpunk now?

D&D4 Aventuria: Sacrileges are fun

2009-07-07T06:28:00.002+01:00

I decided just to kitchensink everything D&D4 has to offer (including the unaltered rule system) into the Dark Eye campaing setting of Aventuria. This will create lots of fun: normally Aventuria has no halflings for example. I will just decide that the travelling (human) merchants there - the Norbarden - were cursed into this smaller form centuries ago.

First thing to do, is to contextualise the low level encounters from the Monster Manual for Aventuria.

EL1: 2 Fire Beetles, Kobold Slinger, 2 Kobold Skirmisher
EL1: 2 Goblin Warriors, 2 Fire Beetles, Goblin Blackblade
EL1: 2 Kobold Skirmishers, 2 Fire Beetles, Stirge
EL1: 2 Stormclaw Scorpions, 2 Kobold Skirmishers, Kobold Slinger
EL1: 2 Kobold Slingers, 8 Kobold Minions, Stormclaw Scorpion

EL2: 2 Guard Drakes, 2 Elf Archers, Elf Scout
EL2: 2 Elf Archers, Elf Scout, 2 Gray Wolves
EL2: 2 Halfling Slingers, 2 Halfling Thieves, 2 Guard Drakes
EL2: 4 Halfling Scouts, Halfling Thief, 2 Guard Drakes, Needlefang Drake Swarm
EL2: 2 Kobold Slingers, 4 Kobold Minions, 2 Dire Rats, Rat Swarm

EL3: Young White Dragon
EL3: Ochre Jelly, 3 Orc Raiders
EL3: 2 Shadowhunter Bats, Goblin Hexer, 2 Goblin Skullcleavers
EL3: Doppelganger Sneak, 3 Human Guards, Human Mage
EL3: 2 Gnome Arcanists, 2 Iron Defenders, Pseudodragon
EL3: Human Berserker, 2 Human Guards, 2 Spitting Drakes
EL3: Hobgoblin Warcaster, 2 Hobgoblin Guards, 2 Skeletons
EL3: 3 Gray Wolves, 2 Hobgoblin Archers, Hobgoblin Warcaster
EL3: 3 Dire Rats, 2 Kobold Slingers, 2 Rat Swarms
EL3: Imp, Goblin Hexer, Goblin Skullcleaver, 2 Goblin Warriors, 4 Goblin Cutters
EL3: Kobold Wyrmpriest, 2 Kobold Dragonshield, 4 Kobold Minions, 2 Guard Drakes
EL3: 2 Goblin Sharpshooters, 4 Goblin Warriors, 4 Goblin Cutters
EL3: Deathlock Wight, 3 Zombies, 6 Zombie Rotters
EL3: Kruthik Adult, 3 Kruthik Young, 8 Kruthik Hatchlings
EL3: Kobold Wyrmpriest, 2 Kobold Skirmishers, Spitting Drake, 6 Kobold Minions, 4 Fire Beetles

Triggered Encounters Campaign Style

2009-06-29T22:51:00.005+01:00

While I normally don't like the flowchart way of doing campaigns, I think it could work really well with the encounters from D&D4. Whatever choice the players take, you have a properly scaled encounter. And because it is so easy and fast to create encounters, you can plan a lot of choices for the players.

I realized I don't like big dungeons that much, because the order in which you grind through the locations is often very anti-climatic. So smaller dungeons make much more sense, as you do meaningful choices instead of heading in a random direction. You could for example go by accident to the boss monster first and miss some mystery.
Obviously you can steer players by locking certain parts of a dungeon and requiring them to find a 'key' (could be basically any object or person), but this is used so often in computer games and the free style of RPGs should offer many solutions to problems for players.
An other option would be to mix a location based design with flowchart elements. For example the boss is not waiting in a certain room, but appears whereever the PCs are, when a certain condition is met. That sounds like an interesting concept.
Bad, cliche example: the villain appears as soon as the PCs found the hidden artifact he could not recover himself.

It would also make sense to describe what happens if players make an extended rest at a certain point. (E.g. support for the enemies appears, some treasure is carried away, people starve, etc.)

At the moment I am split between setting up a Aventuria Albernia campaign and one were elves and orcs are brutal predators. Maybe I can combine both.

Raven c.s. McCracken After Synnibarr

2009-06-01T07:27:00.003+01:00

Today I found the geocities webpage of Raven c.s. McCracken, the designer of Synnibarr. His tracks on the internet seemed to be lost for a couple of years. The last thing we had heard of him was on an infamous MySpace site about "exotic dancing" from 2006.

It's a pity Geocities will be shut down later this year, so you should have a look on his page right now!

White Deer

2009-05-31T14:50:00.004+01:00

Designer notes: From a freeform PBem in 2000.

White Deer does not remember his origin. He just woke up in a
Canadian forest as an intelligent, full grown animal emitting
white light from his ankler.
He knew, he could change form and transformed into his second body: a
muscular human covered with the same white fur his animal form
possesses - and with the same glowing ankler. Wondering who he was,
he transformed back and decided to travel to the south. He knows he
has to find the 'Glasswalker'. He does not know what this is, but
believes it to be a life form similiar to his own.
Powers:
Animal Form: Superspeedrunning, leaps up to 150', 50' from
standstill,
but cannot talk
Human Form: none but the ability to speak (english)
Both Forms: Ankler can reflect materia (bullets,..) and energy; they
are hard as diamond and emitting white light all of the time (kind of
drawback)

Emo Kid / Emo Boy

2009-05-31T14:36:00.007+01:00

Designer notes:
Back in 2000 when the term "Emo" did not have any of the connotations that is has nowadays (not that I have any problems with the connotations nowadays, I generally like teenagers that dress up), I created this character for a systemless PbEM. But I never played him, because I was not too happy with such an angsty character anyways.

Emo Kid (Has not given himself a name yet) [Designer note: Somewhere I also called him Emo Boy]

Real name: Ianus Enlind
Age: 19
Nationality: US
History: Ianus Enlind was kind of the ordinary suburban kid, maybe
somewhat weaker and spending more time thinking about himself.
For a reason unknown he was choosen by an alien 'race' of blueskinned
human-like androids, known as the 'Fleet', to take part in an
experiment.
The Fleet were not able to feel emotions, so they decided to equip a
feeling being with a device called 'Emo-streamer'. He was abducted in a
small spaceship from his home and give a small hexagonal implant in his
forehead. This implant absorbs all of Ianus' emotions and sends them
to the Fleet. Side-effect of the process ist that he cannt feel emotions
for himself any more. They Emo-streamer gave him also the knowledge
to use Fleet-equipment like their weapons and spaceships. The device in
his head makes it possible for the Fleet to teleport him for lightyears
through the galaxy. Ianus is not able to control it. But at the moment
this is no danger for the teenager, because when the Fleet activated the

Emo-streamer they where overwhelmed by the feelings they got and the
spaceship crashed. The Fleet were killed, only Ianus survived, because
he
was teleported back to earth shortly before the crash. Equipped with a
Fleet plasmasword he does not yet know that he will learn to absorb and
redirect other peoples emotions soon. What he does not know either:
sooner or later the Fleet will send a new spaceship to Earth. They do
not
want to harm him, but he is a danger because he can give any of them
emotions anytime. At the moment his emotions are saved at an extraplanar
space.
Powers: Has no feelings and therefore no fear or anything similar. His
power to control and redirect emotions is going to grow. The plasmasword
he
controls with high skills is a weapon able to cut through steel.
Hobbies: Music (electronic and alternative, both instrumental without
lyrics), reading
Costume: Red spandex-suit with black star on the front (given to him by
the Fleet). A hexagonal amber-like plate on his forehead.
Hair: brown, not to short
eyes: brown
skin: white
Known Family: Parents, one smaller brother. They don't know where his/
whether he's still alive.
Love interests: cannot love anymore, but still enjoys being with women
(not necesarilly sex)

D&D4: Olafine, the Dwarven Mountaineer

2009-05-23T09:33:00.006+01:00

I try to come up with a back up characer in case my Eladrin Druid Hadalis bites the dust. (He did not loose a single hit point the last session though and I don't remember him ever going down to 0 HP.)

Anyways: back in 2nd Edition AD&D I was puzzled that next to all the archetypes for fighters the German edition pointed out that you could play a "Bergsteiger" (literally "mountain climber") as a fighter variation without needing a special class for it. Actually the paragraph was more or less explaining why there were no more assassins and chevaliers in 2nd Edition any longer, but they also came up with some pretty obscure further examples. The English language version was actually talking about a mountaineer, but the German translation sounded very anachronistic to me, because "Bergsteiger" is a concept that I imagined (and still imagine) to be only invented in the 19th century. I always liked stuff that does not fit in and so I never stopped wondering what a "Bergsteiger" would do in a medieval fantasy party.

Last year when I talked with a friend about playing a 2nd Edition AD&D game (I actually think very low about this specific rule set), it was pretty obvious from second 1 that I would play a "Bergsteiger"/mountaineer. The game never happened, but the idea stuck in my head.

When thinking about a second character for my D&D4 game, it was pretty obvious for me that I wanted to try a defender. Initially I was toying with the idea of a swordsmage (I really despised that concept as a teen btw), but we already got a dwarven one in our game since last session. And because I currently play the paladin Rius Divorie in my D&D3.5 game and Hadalis is a primal, only the Fighter was left.
I actually like fighters. I don't normally like dwarves, because I don't like beards, but then I thought a female dwarf could be fun to play, because D&D4 did pretty interesting things with them graphically and they are half male anyways. ;)

Now I have the problem that a I imagine a mountaineer to be much more like a ranger than like a fighter. It probably should have been that way in 2nd Edition as well. Stupid book! Not only is the concentration on the environment part of the deal, even the dual weapon concept fits a person who is working with multiple hooks.

So in the end I will play a martial striker (next to our half orc barbarian and our eladrin avenger), but hopefully a dwarf has some defenderish qualities after all. And don't complain we will have no leaders or controllers. :P

Player's stupidity? Does it matter?

2009-05-22T09:05:00.002+01:00

While I love stories of parties getting wiped out for stupid mistakes (even when I am part of it), if think the following is the problem:

How do you define what is stupid behavior?

Most of the examples I remember about players being punished for stupid behavior are from the 90ies when realism was en vogue with many gamers and most of them (at least in my circles) did not really reflect much about genre conventions.

So when you approached a situation the way a character in a book or movie would do, you often had a 50% chance that the GM would suddenly realize how ridiculous over the top action movie manoeuvres really are and punish you for it. 50% of the time you would be able to pull it off, because the GM was in the proper mood from a coffein high or a Monty Python joke.

I have to admit there was another factor that made me see players' stupidity as pretty relative and depending on the GM's mood:

In one of my groups back then the situation was made even more transparent, because we were a bunch of 16 years old hanging out with some 18 years old. Our young GM would think that most of the older guys' ideas were teh awesom!!1 even if they were as stupid as the other players' ideas.
This made it pretty obvious to me that judging stupidity is highly subjective.

Not to talk about the situation that with some GMs your well laid out plan fails most of the time, because it would destroy the pace of the adventure to have the big success so early on, while your shitty back up plan probably will work, because the session has to end soon.

Dungeons Dragons 4 Encounter Groups Level

2009-05-20T22:31:00.007+01:00

If you want to play a D&D4 sandbox campaign it is handy to have all the encouter groups sorted by level to build random encounters.

Here is a list from Monster Manual 1:

I will have to add the solos/ brutes later on.

Level Page Monster

1 169 2 kobolds, 2 fire beetles, 1 stirge
1 169 10 kobolds, 1 scorpion
1 30 2 fire beetles, 3 kobolds
2 153 5 halflings, 2 guard drakes, 1 needlefang drake swarm
2 153 4 halflings, 2 guard drakes
2 169 6 kobolds, 2 dire rats, 1 rat swarm
3 169 7 kobolds, 2 drakes
3 169 9 kobolds, 2 drake swarms
3 169 9 kobolds, 1 drake, 4 fire beetle
3 219 2 kobolds, 2 rat swarms, 3 dire rats
4 169 5 kobolds
4 159 3 war horses, 3 human guards
6 153 4 halflings, 2 berserkers
6 169 3 kobolds, 1 young black dragon

1 152
1 168
1 219
1 30
1 159

1 136
1 248
1 234
1 219
1 136
1 167
1 137
1 167
1 90
1 229

17 9 3 aboleths, 9 kuo-tao
18 9 1 aboleth, 1 gargoyle, 1 minotaur, 8 servitors
22 10 1 astral stalker, 2 war devil, 6 devil legionnaires
23 12 3 blood fiends, 2 efreets
26 12 1 phane, 2 soulrippers, 2 wraiths

After I started with the work I found the following on Gleemax:

EL1: 2 Fire Beetles, Kobold Slinger, 2 Kobold Skirmisher
EL1: 2 Goblin Warriors, 2 Fire Beetles, Goblin Blackblade
EL1: 2 Kobold Skirmishers, 2 Fire Beetles, Stirge
EL1: 2 Stormclaw Scorpions, 2 Kobold Skirmishers, Kobold Slinger
EL1: 2 Kobold Slingers, 8 Kobold Minions, Stormclaw Scorpion

EL2: 2 Guard Drakes, 2 Elf Archers, Elf Scout
EL2: 2 Elf Archers, Elf Scout, 2 Gray Wolves
EL2: 2 Halfling Slingers, 2 Halfling Thieves, 2 Guard Drakes
EL2: 4 Halfling Scouts, Halfling Thief, 2 Guard Drakes, Needlefang Drake Swarm
EL2: 2 Kobold Slingers, 4 Kobold Minions, 2 Dire Rats, Rat Swarm

EL3: Young White Dragon
EL3: Ochre Jelly, 3 Orc Raiders
EL3: 2 Shadowhunter Bats, Goblin Hexer, 2 Goblin Skullcleavers
EL3: Doppelganger Sneak, 3 Human Guards, Human Mage
EL3: 2 Gnome Arcanists, 2 Iron Defenders, Pseudodragon
EL3: Human Berserker, 2 Human Guards, 2 Spitting Drakes
EL3: Hobgoblin Warcaster, 2 Hobgoblin Guards, 2 Skeletons
EL3: 3 Gray Wolves, 2 Hobgoblin Archers, Hobgoblin Warcaster
EL3: 3 Dire Rats, 2 Kobold Slingers, 2 Rat Swarms
EL3: Imp, Goblin Hexer, Goblin Skullcleaver, 2 Goblin Warriors, 4 Goblin Cutters
EL3: Kobold Wyrmpriest, 2 Kobold Dragonshield, 4 Kobold Minions, 2 Guard Drakes
EL3: 2 Goblin Sharpshooters, 4 Goblin Warriors, 4 Goblin Cutters
EL3: Deathlock Wight, 3 Zombies, 6 Zombie Rotters
EL3: Kruthik Adult, 3 Kruthik Young, 8 Kruthik Hatchlings
EL3: Kobold Wyrmpriest, 2 Kobold Skirmishers, Spitting Drake, 6 Kobold Minions, 4 Fire Beetles

EL4: Young Black Dragon
EL4: Young White Dragon, Dragonborn Soldier
EL4: Visejaw Crocodile, 3 Greenscale Hunters, Greenscale Darter
EL4: 2 Dwarf Hammerers, 2 Dwarf Bolters, Cavern Choker
EL4: Ettercap Webspinner, 2 Ettercap Fang Guards, 2 Deathjump Spiders
EL4: 4 Phantom Warriors, Specter
EL4: Kobold Slyblade, 4 Kobold Dragonshields
EL4: 3 Kruthik Adults, 2 Corruption Corpse Zombies
EL4: 2 Greenscale Hunters, 2 Visejaw Crocodiles, Vine Horror
EL4: 2 Orc Raiders, 2 Orc Berserkers, Dire Boar
EL4: Warforged Captain, Warforged Soldier, 3 Human Guards
EL4: 2 Cavern Chokers, 3 Hobgoblin Soldiers, Hobgoblin Warcaster
EL4: Psuedodragon, Human Mage, 2 Human Guards, 2 Human Bandits
EL4: 3 Warhorses, 3 Human Guards
EL4: 4 Hyenas, 2 Gnoll Huntmasters
EL4: Gnoll Huntmaster, 6 Hyenas
EL4: Human Mage, 2 Human Bandits, 2 Gravehounds, 3 Zombie Rotters
EL4: 2 Wererats, 4 Dire Rats, 6 Human Rabble
EL4: 3 Zombies, 4 Zombie Rotters, 4 Kruthik Hatchlings, 2 Wererats

EL5: Young Green Dragon
EL5: Young Black Dragon, 2 Dark Creepers
EL5: 2 Ghouls, 2 Boneshard Skeletons, Wraith
EL5: Rage Drake, Greenscale Marsh Mystic, Greenscale Darter, 2 Greenscale Hunters
EL5: Hobgoblin Commander, 3 Bugbear Warriors, Dire Wolf
EL5: Hippogriff Dreadmount, Warforged Captain, 3 Warforged Soldier
EL5: 2 Blazing Skeletons, 2 Boneshard Skeletons, Tiefling Darkblade
EL5: 2 Deathrattle Vipers, Greenscale Marsh Mystic, 2 Greenscale Darters
EL5: 3 Dire Wolves, 2 Longtooth Hunters
EL5: Dire Boar, Orc Eye of Gruumsh, 4 Orc Berserkers
EL5: 3 Hippogriffs, Human Mage, 2 Human Guards
EL5: 2 Wraiths, 4 Dark Creepers
EL5: 2 Magma Claws, 2 Magma Hurlers, 2 Firebats
EL5: Specter, Deathlock Wight, 2 Rotwing Zombies, 2 Skeletons
EL5: Kruthik Hive Lord, 2 Kruthik Adults, 5 Kruthik Hatchlings
EL5: Goblin Underboss, 2 Goblin Skullcleavers, 5 Goblin Warriors
EL5: Bugbear Warrior, 2 Hobgoblin Archers, 3 Goblin Warriors, 2 Goblin Blackblades
EL5: 2 Human Mages, 6 Human Lackeys, Evistro Demon

EL6: Young Blue Dragon
EL6: 2 Cave Bears, Bugbear Strangler
EL6: 2 Spined Devils, Greenscale Marsh Mystic, Blackscale Bruisers
EL6: 2 Griffons, 2 Eladrin Fey Knights
EL6: 3 Kobold Dragonshields, Young Black Dragon
EL6: 3 Evistro Demons, 2 Gnoll Claw Fighters
EL6: 4 Evistro Demons, Harpy
EL6: 3 Gnoll Marauders, 2 Evistro Demons
EL6: Bugbear Strangler, 2 Goblin Skullcleavers, Hobgoblin Warcaster, Cave Bear
EL6: 3 Harpies, 2 Spined Devils
EL6: 2 Shadow Hounds, 2 Shadar-kai Gloomblades, Shadar-kai Witch
EL6: 2 Shadar-kai Chainfighters, 2 Shadar-kai Gloomblades, Mad Wraith
EL6: 2 Longtooth Hunters, Werewolf, 2 Dire Wolves
EL6: 2 Troglodyte Maulders, 2 Troglodyte Impalers, Rage Drake
EL6: Mad Wraith, 4 Evistro Demons
EL6: 4 Halfling Prowlers, 2 Human Berserkers
EL6: Greenscale Marsh Mystic, 2 Blackscale Bruisers, Greenscale Darter, 2 Greenscale Hunters
EL6: 4 Legion Devil Grunts, 2 Tiefling Heretics, 2 Tiefling Darkblades
EL6: 2 Dragonborn Soldiers, Tiefling Darkblade, Rage Drake, 5 Human Lackeys
EL6: Orc Eye of Gruumsh, 2 Orc Berserkers, 4 Orc Warriors, 2 Dire Wolves

EL7: Young Red Dragon
EL7: Young Green Dragon, 2 Kobold Slyblades, Kobold Wyrmpriest
EL7: Owlbear, 2 Satyr Rakes, Satyr Piper
EL7: Macetail Behemoth, Troglodyte Curse Chanter, 2 Troglodyte Maulers, Troglodyte Impaler
EL7: 2 Carrion Crawlers, 3 Otyughs
EL7: 4 Bugbear Warriors, Oni Night Haunter
EL7: Otyugh, 2 Troglodyte Maulers, Troglodyte Curse Chanter, Troglodyte Impaler
EL7: 2 Otyughs, 3 Carrion Crawlers
EL7: 2 Troglodyte Impalers, 3 Gricks
EL7: Gnoll Demonic Scourge, 2 Gnoll Claw Fighters, 2 Gnoll Huntmasters, Cacklefiend Hyena
EL7: 2 Dire Stirges, 2 Bonecrusher Skeletons, Bloodweb Spider Swarm
EL7: Hobgoblin Commander, Hobgoblin Warcaster, 5 Hobgoblin Soldiers, Worg
EL7: Sahuagin Priest, 4 Sahuagin Raiders, 5 Vampire Spawn

EL8: Flameskull, 2 Mummy Guardians, Oni Night Haunter
EL8: Oni Night Haunter, 3 Ogre Savages
EL8: 2 Angels of Valor, Shadar-kai Warrior, Doppelganger Assassin, Shadar-kai Witch
EL8: 4 Cambion Hellswords, Succubus
EL8: 2 Trap Haunts, 2 Flameskulls, Flame Jet Trap
EL8: 2 Mummy Guardians, 2 Rot Scarab Swarms, Flameskull
EL8: Satyr Piper, 3 Satyr Rakes, Displacer Beast
EL8: Shadar-kai Witch, Shadar-kai Warrior, 2 Rot Scarab Swarms, Spectral Panther
EL8: Tiefling Heretic, Tiefling Darkblade, 2 Cambion Hellswords, Succubus
EL8: 2 Vine Horror Spellfiends, Bog Hag, 2 Trolls
EL8: 2 Zombie Hulks, 2 Rot Scarab Swarms, Oni Night Haunter
EL8: Grick Alpha, 3 Gricks, 2 Dire Stirges
EL8: Bloodfire Harpy, 3 Gnoll Marauders, 2 Cacklefire Hyenas
EL8: 2 Harpies, Sahuagin Priest, 3 Sahuagin Raiders
EL8: 3 Troglodyte Maulers, 2 Troglodyte Impalers, Troglodyte Curse Chanter
EL8: Crushgrip Constrictor, Snaketongue Assassin, 2 Snaketongue Warriors, 4 Snaketongue Initiates
EL8: Ogre Savage, Orc Eye of Gruumsh, 8 Orc Warriors, 2 Dire Boars

EL9: Adult White Dragon
EL9: Bulette, 3 Trolls
EL9: 2 Quickling Runners, Eladrin Twilight Incanter, Feymire Crocodile
EL9: 2 Destrachans, 2 Foulspawn Berserkers, Foulspawn Grue
EL9: Succubus, 2 Snaketongue Assassins, 2 Crushgrip Constrictors
EL9: 2 Iron Cobras, 2 Snaketongue Warriors, Snaketongue Assassin
EL9: 2 Shadow Panthers, Dark Stalker, 2 Shadar-kai Warriors
EL9: 3 Trolls, 2 Destrachans
EL9: Dryad, Eladrin Twilight Incanter, 4 Eladrin Fey Knights
EL9: 3 Gargoyles, Gibbering Mouther, 2 Galeb Duhr Earthbreakers
EL9: 2 Grick Alphas, Gibbering Mouther, 2 Foulspawn Berserkers, Foulspawn Mangler
EL9: 2 Howling Hags, 2 Gnoll Demonic Scourges, 2 Barlgura Demons
EL9: Shambling Mound, Vine Horror Spellfiend, 2 Vine Horrors, 2 Dryads
EL9: 2 Flame Snakes, Troglodyte Curse Chanter, 2 Troglodyte Maulders, Magma Strider
EL9: Barlgura Demon, 2 Gnoll Claw Fighter, 3 Gnoll Marauders, 2 Gnoll Huntmasters
EL9: Deathpriest of Orcus, 4 Crimson Acolytes, 2 Battle Wights
EL9: 4 Werewolves, 4 Dire Wolves
EL9: Orc Chieftan, 5 Orc Warriors, Dire Boar, 2 Ogre Skirmishers
EL9: Oni Night Haunter, 4 Orc Berserkers, 6 Orc Warriors
EL9: Sahuagin Baron, 2 Sahuagin Priests, 8 Sahuagin Guards
EL9: Snaketongue Celebrant, Snaketongue Warrior, 9 Snaketongue Initiates, Flame Snake
EL9: Hobgoblin Hand of Bane, 12 Hobgoblin Warriors, Macetail Behemoth

EL10: Berbalang
EL10: 2 Chuuls, Feymire Crocodile, Bog Hag
EL10: 2 Wyverns, Venom-eye Basilisk, Ettin Marauder
EL10: Ettin Marauder, Venom-eye Basilisk, 3 Barlgura Demons
EL10: Wailing Ghost, 4 Bloodbat Swarms
EL10: Ogre Warhulk, 2 Ogre Savages, 2 Ogre Skirmishers
EL10: 2 Orc Bloodragers, Bloodspike Behemoth, Ogre Skirmisher, Oni Night Haunter
EL10: 2 Skull Lords, 3 Skeletal Tomb Guardians
EL10: 2 Gibbering Mouthers, Foulspawn Seer, 2 Foulspawn Berserkers, Chuul
EL10: Bog Hag, Venom-eye Basilisk, 2 Shambling Mounds, 2 Trolls
EL10: 3 Worgs, 2 Razorclaw Stalkers, Oni Night Haunter
EL10: Oni Mage, 4 Ogre Thugs, 2 Ogre Skirmishers, Troll
EL10: Battle Wight Commander, 4 Battle Wights, Shadar-kai Witch, 2 Shadar-kai Chainfighters

EL11: Adult Black Dragon
EL11: Adult White Dragon, Galeb Duhr Rockcaller, 2 Galeb Duhr Earthbreakers
EL11: Dire Bear, Ettin Spirit-Talker, 3 Ogre Thugs
EL11: Eidolon, 4 Githzerai Cenobites
EL11: 2 Mezzodemons, 2 Drow Warriors, Drow Arachnomancer
EL11: 2 Blade Spiders, 2 Bloodweb Spider Swarms, Drow Blademaster
EL11: 2 Venom-eye Basilisks, 4 Mezzodemons
EL11: Galeb Duhr Rockcaller, 4 Gargoyles, Bulette
EL11: Manticore, Galeb Duhr Rockcaller, 4 Ogre Savages
EL11: 4 Barlgura Demons, 2 Minotaur Warriors, Minotaur Cabalist
EL11: Spirit Devourer, Vampire Lord, 5 Vampire Spawn Bloodhunters
EL11: Foulspawn Seer, 2 Foulspawn Berserkers, 3 Foulspawn Grues, Grell
EL11: Grell Philosopher, 2 Grells, 4 Troglodyte Warriors
EL11: Yuan-ti Abomination, Yuan-ti Malison Sharp-eye, 4 Snaketongue Zealots, Snaketongue Assassin
EL11: Medusa Archer, Venom-eye Basilisk, 5 Snaketongue Zealots, 2 Snaketongue Warriors
EL11: Firelasher Elemental, Snaketongue Celebrant, 4 Snaketongue Zealot, 2 Snaketongue Assassins, 2 Flame Snakes
EL11: 2 Chain Devils, 4 Legion Devil Hellguards, Snaketongue Celebrant, 4 Snaketongue Zealots
EL11: 8 Troglodyte Warriors, 3 Drow Warriors
EL11: 4 Angels of Valor Cohorts, 2 Stone-eye Basilisks, Snaketongue Celebrant, 6 Snaketongue Zealots

EL12: Adult Green Dragon
EL12: Fen Hydra
EL12: Berbalang, Gibbering Mouther, Skeletal Tomb Guard
EL12: 2 Stone-eye Basilisks, Feygrove Choker, Briar Witch Dryad
EL12: Guardian Naga, 2 Fire Archon Emberguards, Stone-eye Basilisk
EL12: 2 Fire Archon Emberguards, Beholder Eye of Flame, Firelasher Elemental
EL12: 3 Kuo-toa Marauders, Foulspawn Hulk
EL12: Dusk Unicorn, 3 Banshrae Warriors
EL12: 2 Banshrae Dartswarmers, Banshrae Warrior, Ettin Spirit-talker, Earth Gorgon
EL12: Redpawn Firebelcher, 4 Githyanki Warriors
EL12: Drider Fanglord, Drow Arachnomancer, 3 Drow Warriors
EL12: 3 Githyanki Warriors, 2 Redspawn Firebelchers
EL12: 3 Githzerai Cenobites, Guardian Naga, Firelasher Elemental
EL12: 3 Stirge Swarms, 2 Flesh Golems
EL12: 4 Cyclops Guards, 2 Drow Warriors, Drow Blademaster
EL12: Lamia, 2 Mezzodemons, 4 Cyclops Guards
EL12: Vampire Lord, Battle Wight Commander, 3 Battle Wights, 6 Vampire Spawn Bloodhunters
EL12: Skull Lord, 2 Zombie Hulks, Vampire Lord, 9 Vampire Spawn Bloodhunters

EL13: Adult Blue Dragon
EL13: Adult Green Dragon, 2 Banshrae Warriors
EL13: 2 Flesh Golems, Lamia
EL13: Balhannoth, 3 Grimlock Berserkers
EL13: Beholder Eye of Flame, 3 Hill Giants
EL13: Displacer Beast Packlord, 2 Displacer Beasts, Dryad Briar Witch
EL13: Adult Black Dragon, 2 Trolls, Bog Hag
EL13: 2 Vrock Demons, Briar Witch Dryad, Hill Giant
EL13: 3 Hook Horrors, Balhannoth
EL13: Eidolon, 2 Grimlock Berserkers, Medusa Warrior
EL13: 3 Hill Giants, Displacer Beast Packlord
EL13: Hook Horror, 2 Grimlock Berserkers, Beholder Eye of Flame
EL13: 3 Magma Brutes, Beholder Eye of Flame
EL13: 2 Nightmares, Medusa Warrior, Medusa Archer
EL13: 2 Umber Hulks, 2 Drow Warriors
EL13: Balhannoth, 2 Kuo-tioa Marauders, 2 Kuo-toa Harpooners
EL13: 3 Dragonborn Raiders, Redspawn Firebelcher, Ogre Warhulk
EL13: 3 Bearded Devils, 2 Yuan-ti Malison Sharp-Eyes
EL13: 2 Grimlock Berserkers, 2 Hook Horrors, Mind Flayer Infiltrator
EL13: 2 Viscera Devourers, Drow Arachnomancer, 3 Drow Warriors
EL13: 4 Githyanki Warriors, 2 Githyanki Mindslicers
EL13: Minotaur Cabalist, 3 Minotaur Warriors, 2 Vrock Demons
EL13: 2 Manticores, 2 Hill Giants, 4 Ogre Thugs
EL13: Nightmare, Battle Wight Commander, 6 Battle Wights
EL13: 2 Hellstinger Scorpions, 2 Chain Devils, 8 Legion Devil Hellguards
EL13: Drow Arachnomancer, 2 Drow Warriors, Mezzodemon, 5 Grimlock Minions, 2 Blade Spiders

EL14: 2 Boneclaws, Lich, Shield Guardian
EL14: 2 Drider Fanglords, Drider Shadowspinner, Demonweb Terror
EL14: Fen Hydra, 3 Bog Hags
EL14: Winterclaw Owlbear, 3 Cyclops Ramblers
EL14: Roper, Mind Flayer, 2 War Trolls
EL14: 2 Azer Foot Soldiers, 2 Salamander Lancers, Salamander Firetail
EL14: Mind Flayer Infiltrator, Drider Fanglord, Drow Blademaster, 2 Drow Warriors
EL14: Roc, 2 Hill Giants, 2 Galeb Duhr Rockcallers
EL14: 2 Angels of Protection, Runecarved Eidolon, 3 Dragonborn Raiders
EL14: Warthorn Battlebriar, 2 Cyclops Rambler, 3 Hill Giants
EL14: Githzerai Mindmage, Githzerai Zerth, 4 Githzerai Cenobites
EL14: Shield Guardian, Githzerai Mindmage, 4 Gray Slaads
EL14: 2 Helmed Horrors, Mummy Lord, 3 Firelashers
EL14: Roper, Drow Arachnomancer, 4 Drow Warriors
EL14: 2 Salamander Firetails, 3 Fire Archon Emberguards, Redspawn Firebelcher
EL14: 5 Horde Ghouls, 3 Bloodbat Swarms, Lich
EL14: Medusa Warrior, 2 Grimlock Berserkers, 4 Grimlock Minions, 2 Gargoyles
EL14: Immolith Demon, 2 Vrock Demons, 4 Mezzodemons, 6 Horde Ghouls

EL15: Adult Red Dragon
EL15: 2 Chimeras, 2 Hill Giants
EL15: Adult Blue Dragon, 3 Dragonborn Raiders
EL15: Sphinx, Battle Guardian, 2 Helmed Horrors
EL15: 2 Salamander Archers, 2 Azer Foot Soldiers, Chimera
EL15: Salamander Noble, Salamander Firetail, 3 Azer Ragers
EL15: 2 Shadow Snakes, Yuan-ti Malison Incanter, 2 Yuan-ti Abominations
EL15: Drow Priestess, Drow Blademaster, Umber Hulk, 3 Drow Warriors
EL15: 3 Githyanki Warriors, Githyanki Mindslicer, Githyanki Gish, Nightmare
EL15: 2 Rakshasa Archers, 2 Rakshasa Warriors, 2 Hellstinger Scorpions
EL15: 2 Gray Slaads, 2 Red Slaads, 2 Destrachan Far Voices
EL15: Destrachan Far Voice, 2 Drider Fanglords, Drow Priestess, 3 Drow Warriors
EL15: Demonweb Terror, Drow Arachnomancer, 2 Drider Fanglords, 3 Drow Warriors
EL15: Chimera, Azer Taskmaster, 6 Azer Warriors
EL15: 6 Azer Warriors, 2 Azer Ragers, Immolith Demon
EL15: 2 Salamander Lancers, Beholder Eye of Flame, 6 Azer Warriors
EL15: Angel of Battle, 2 Angels of Protection, 8 Angels of Valor Veterans
EL15: Mummy Lord, 3 Yuan-ti Malison Sharp-eye, Yuan-ti Abomination, 6 Snaketongue Zealots

EL16: Purple Worm
EL16: 3 Abyssal Ghouls, Death Knight
EL16: Bone Naga, 3 Shadow Snakes
EL16: Human Death Knight, 2 Abyssal Ghouls, 2 Sword Wraiths
EL16: Yuan-ti Malison Disciple of Zehir, 2 Yuan-ti Malison Incanters, 2 Shadow Snakes
EL16: Bone Devil, 5 Bearded Devils, Cambion Hellfire Magus
EL16: Blackspawn Gloomweb, 4 Kuo-toa Guards, 2 Kuo-toa Monitors, Kuo-toa Whip
EL16: 2 War Trolls, Drow Priest, Drow Blademaster, Night Hag, 5 Grimlock Minions

EL17: Elder White Dragon
EL17: Shadow Hulk
EL17: 2 Salamander Nobles, Adult Red Dragon
EL17: Cyclops Storm Shaman, 2 Cyclops Battleweavers, Chimera
EL17: 2 Guulvorgs, 2 Cyclops Hewers
EL17: 2 Cyclops Battleweavers, 2 Thunderfury Boars, Fomorian Warrior
EL17: 2 Cyclops Hewers, 2 Cyclops Impalers, Fomorian Painbringer
EL17: 2 Firebred Hell Hounds, 2 Azer Beastlords, Azer Taskmaster
EL17: 2 Mummy Lords, 2 Rakshasa Warriors, Sphinx
EL17: Rakshasa Noble, Rakshasa Assassin, 3 Rakshasa Warriors
EL17: 4 Sword Wraiths, Immolith Demon
EL17: 2 Fire Giants, Fire Giant Forgecaller, Azer Beastlord, 2 Firebred Hell Hounds
EL17: 2 Medusa Shrouds of Zehir, Yuan-ti Malison Disciple of Zehir, 3 Yuan-ti Abominations
EL17: Rakshasa Assassin, Yuan-ti Malison Disciple of Zehir, 2 Yuan-ti Malison Incanters, 2 Yuan-ti Abominations
EL17: Earth Titan, 2 Hill Giants, 2 War Trolls, 4 Ogre Bludgeoneers
EL17: Azer Taskmaster, Azer Beastlord, 8 Azer Warriors, Firebred Hellhound
EL17: Aboleth Slime Mage, 2 Aboleth Lasher, 9 Kuo-Toa Guards

EL18: Dracolich
EL18: Elder Black Dragon
EL18: Mordant Hydra
EL18: 2 Ice Archon Hailscourges, Elder White Dragon
EL18: Purple Worm, 2 Savage Minotaurs
EL18: Adult Red Dragon, Githyanki Gish, 2 Githyanki Mindslicer
EL18: Rockfire Dreadnought, 2 Fire Giants, Mind Flayer Mastermind
EL18: 2 Bodak Reavers, Cambion Hellfire Magus, 2 Slaughter Wights
EL18: 2 Cambion Hellfire Magi, Rakshasa Noble, 2 Rockfire Dreadnoughts
EL18: Goristro Demon, 2 Savage Minotaurs, 3 Abyssal Ghouls
EL18: 2 Savage Minotaurs, Rakshasa Noble, 3 Rakshasa Assassins
EL18: 2 Slaughter Wights, 3 Abyssal Ghouls, Nabassu Gargoyle
EL18: Mind Flayer Mastemrind, Mind Flayer Infiltrator, 3 Grimlock Followers, 2 War Trolls
EL18: Rakshasa Noble, 2 Rakshasa Warriors, 2 Cambion Hellfire Magi, 2 Shadow Snakes
EL18: Aboleth Overseer, Nabassu Gargoyle, Savage Minotaur, 8 Aboleth Servitors
EL18: Gibbering Abomination, 2 Nabassu Gargoyles, Aboleth Lasher, 7 Kuo-toa Guards
EL18: 2 Kuo-toa Monitors, 4 Kuo-toa Guards, Aboleth Overseer, 8 Aboleth Servitors

EL19: Beholder Eye Tyrant
EL19: Elder Green Dragon
EL19: Mordant Hydra, Gibbering Abomination
EL19: Fell Troll, 2 Enormous Carrion Crawlers
EL19: Phoenix, 2 Fire Archon Blazesteels, Fire Archon Disciple
EL19: Ice Archon Frostshaper, 2 Ice Archon Rimehammer, 2 Rimefire Griffons
EL19: Blackroot Treant, 2 Slaughter Wights, 2 Sword Wraiths
EL19: 2 Ice Devils, 2 Cambion Hellfire Magi, 2 Nabassu Gargoyles
EL19: Fomorian Warrior, Fomorian Painbringer, Cyclops Battleweaver, 3 Cyclops Hewers
EL19: Black Slaad, 2 Rockfire Dreadnoughts, Fire Giant Forgecaller, 2 Firebred Hell Hounds
EL19: 2 Angels of Vengeance, 5 Angels of Valor Legionnaires

EL20: Elder Blue Dragon
EL20: Dracolich, 2 Yuan-ti Malison Incanters, 2 Yuan-ti Abominations
EL20: 4 Wild Hunt Hounds, Bralani of Autumn Winds
EL20: Nightwalker, 4 Bodak Reavers
EL20: Rimefire Griffon, Ghaele of Winter, 2 Fire Archon Blazesteels, 2 Ice Archon Rimehammers

EL21: 2 Ice Archon Frostshapers, Efreet Flamestrider, Fire Titan
EL21: 3 Giant Mummies, Dark Naga
EL21: Ghaele of Winter, 4 Wild Hunt Hounds
EL21: Larva Mage, 4 Slaughter Wights, Sword Wraith
EL21: 2 Rot Harbingers, Deathpriest Hierophant, 3 Slaughter Wights
EL21: 5 Abyssal Ghoul Myrmidons, Larva Mage, Death Giant
EL21: 8 Legion Devil Legionnaires, 2 Ice Devils, War Devil
EL21: War Devil, Ice Devil, 2 Bone Devils, 12 Legion Devil Legionnaires

EL22: Elder Red Dragon
EL22: 2 Bluespawn Godslayers, Storm Giant
EL22: Yuan-ti Anathema, 2 Dark Nagas
EL22: 2 Efreet Fireblades, Efreet Flamestrider, Glabrezu Demon
EL22: 2 Thunderhawks, 2 Bralanis of the Autumn Winds
EL22: Rot Harbingers, 2 Rot Slingers, Voidsoul Specter
EL22: 2 Tormenting Ghosts, Larva Mage, 3 Rot Harbingers
EL22: Nightwalker, Tormenting Ghost, 3 Death Giants
EL22: Fire Titan, 2 Fire Giants, 2 Fire Archon Ash Disciples, Phoenix
EL22: 2 Hezrou Demons, Deathpriest Hierophant, 5 Abyssal Ghoul Myrmidons
EL22: Astral Stalker, 2 War Devils, 6 Legion Devil Legionnaires
EL22: Larva Mage, 3 Rot Harbringers, 5 Abyssal Ghoul Myrmidons
EL22: Deathpriest Hierophant, 5 Abyssal Ghoul Myrmidons, 2 Rot Harbingers, Rot Slinger
EL22: 2 Larva Mages, 2 Rockfire Dreadnaughts, 8 Grimlock Followers

EL23: Blackfire Dracolich
EL23: Chuul Juggernaut, 3 Blood Fiends
EL23: Glabrezu Demon, Earthwind Ravager, 2 Blood Fiends
EL23: 3 Blood Fiends, Efreet Cinderlord, Efreet Flamestrider
EL23: Marilith Demon, 4 Hezrou Demons
EL23: Efreet Cinderlord, 3 Blood Fiends, Fire Titan
EL23: Marut Concordant, 2 Marut Blademasters, War Devil, 8 Legion Devil Legionnaires

EL24: Ancient White Dragon
EL24: Elder Purple Worm
EL24: Elder Blue Dragon, 2 Thunderhawks
EL24: Elder Red Dragon, 2 Fire Archon Ash Disciples, 2 Fire Giants
EL24: Death Titan, 2 Death Giants, Voidsoul Specter, Deathpriest Hierophant
EL24: Deathpriest Hierophant, 3 Blood Fiends, Aspect of Orcs
EL24: 2 Rakshasa Dread Knights, 2 Fell Wyverns, War Devil
EL24: Dragonborn Death Knight, Fell Wyvern, Flameskull Vizier, 6 Abyssal Ghoul Myrmidons

EL25: Primordial Hydra
EL25: Primordial Naga
EL25: 3 Dread Wraiths, Death Titan
EL25: Lich, 2 Great Flameskulls, 2 Soulspike Devourers
EL25: 4 Swordwings, Crownwing
EL25: Pit Fiend, 2 War Devils, 2 Astral Stalkers, Marut Concordant

EL26: Ancient Black Dragon
EL26: Primordial Hydra, 2 Earthwind Ravagers
EL26: Balor Demon, Thunderblast Cyclone, 2 Efreet Pyresingers
EL26: Phane, 2 Sorrowsworn Soulrippers, 2 Dread Wraiths
EL26: 2 Soulrippers, 2 Shadowraven Swarms, Death Knight
EL26: 6 Lich Vestiges, Doresain the Ghoul King, 2 Dread Wraiths

EL27: Ancient Green Dragon
EL27: Gibbering Orb
EL27: Storm Titan, Thunderblast Cyclone, 2 Storm Gorgons
EL27: 2 Storm Gorgons, Storm Titan, 2 Dragonborn Champions
EL27: 3 Sorrowsworn Reapers, 3 Fell Wyverns
EL27: Efreet Karadjin, Efreet Pyresinger, Glabrezu, 2 Dragonborn Champions, 2 Great Flameskulls

EL28: Ancient Blue Dragon
EL28: Atropal, 2 Sorrowsworn Reapers, 2 Shadowraven Swarms
EL28: Godforged Colossus, 4 Dragonborn Champions
EL28: Doresain the Ghoul King, Dread Wraith, 2 Liches, 10 Abyssal Ghoul Myrmidons

EL29: Runescribed Dracolich
EL29: 3 Swordwings, Gibbering Orb
EL29: Godforged Colossus, 3 Sorrowsworn Reapers, 2 Shadowraven Swarms

EL30: Tarrasque
EL30: Ancient Red Dragon

EL33: Orcus

EL34: Orcus, 2 Atropals, 8 Lich Vestiges

Thanks Taishar for the amazing work! I will add the page numbers of the monsters soon and will sort them by terrain.

Savage Worlds Free PDF Index

2009-05-15T20:41:00.014+01:00

I am going to list all the free PDFs that are stored on the peginc.com (Pennicle) website. Obviously most of it will be connected to Savage Worlds, but expect to also find material on Deadlands for example.

One of the best resources is this list of free Savage Worlds adventures.

Savage Worlds:

Test Drive Rules Version 6 - This are all the rules you need to play a first game.

GM Screening Aid Version 2

Savage Worlds Explorer's Edition Index

Deadlands: Reloaded Random Card Character Creation

Pregenerated Player Characters - Pregens:

5 for Crime City - a contempary GTA 4 inspired game. Grand Theft Auto as tabletop RPG? I always wanted to play that. :)

5 for Deadlands

5 Pulp Heroes - expect something similar to Indiana Jones, Doc Savage and Tarzan!

5 Victorian heroes for Rippers - Mackie Messer, a battle nun, a masked avenger and a Polish hero! What else do you need?

Free Savage Worlds Adventures:

Deadlands: Reloaded Buffalo Soldiers

Deadlands: Reloaded Daddy's Boys

Deadlands: Reloaded Ghost Town

Deadlands: Reloaded House Call

Deadlands: Reloaded Lover's Quarrel

Necropolis 2350 Howling Blizzard

Pirates of the Spanish Main Dead Men Tell No Tales

Pirates of the Spanish Main Double Crossbones!

Rippers Unnatural History

Slipstream The Hunt

Sticks & Stones Whose Cave Is It Anyway?

Deadlands Classic:

Deadlands - Veterans O' the Weird West

Deadlands D20:

Conversion: From Classic to D20

Options: Optional Rules

Hex Map Creator Hexographer

2009-05-15T19:56:00.004+01:00

Here you find a neat Java tool to create hexmaps as known from Advanced Dungeons & Dragons back in the 90ies. They really fit if you want to set up a sandbox roleplaying game, but any RPG could profit from it.
I myself think about running a short D&D4 or Savage Worlds campaign this way. Maybe I will also convert some region of Aventurien with this tool, so I have a proper hex map for The Dark Eye continent.

savagepedia.com - Savage Worlds resources

2009-05-13T10:34:00.007+01:00

Thanks to a great offer I was able to purchase the best possible savagepedia domain: savagepedia.com
Now you can easily navigate to Savagepedia just by typing savagepedia.com instead of the much harder to remember savagepedia.wikispaces.com.
savagepedia.com actually will redirect you to the wikispaces location, but I hope I did something good for my fellow Savages (that's how the fans of Savage Worlds call themselves).

I also have plenty of resources for Savage Worlds here in the blog: just click the following label link: Savage Worlds

Dungeons Dragons Skill Challenge - Revised Narrative System

2009-05-02T18:42:00.003+01:00

This looks interesting: a revised narrative Skill Challenge system for Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition. I wonder if it rewards original narratives by the players. This was my initial unterstanding of what the skill challenge system for D&D4 was supposed to achieve. I have to admit that I never played with the original system though.

PtA Hell Pilot (Primetime Adventures)

2009-04-22T19:17:00.007+01:00

These are the 4 player characters from our 2009 PtA (Primetime Adventures) pilot. We did not get a name for the show yet, but I gave it the working title Hell. It's about 2 demons and 2 tormented souls that are sent on missions by their boss Uloroth. The vision of Hell we portray is more or less a satire of everyday office life.

Zxharakator
Concept: Evil god turned toy
Edges: Trickster + Cuteness
Connections: Cult of me
Personal set: Shrine
Nemesis: Marilyn de Rossi
Issue: Being a toy/ cute
[Fanmail after pilot: 1]

Helmut the Bear
Concept: cynical sadist - fallen angel
Edges: Aggressive + Pyromaniac
Connections: Nero's ghost
Personal set: kindergarten
Nemesis: The Society
Issue: kids love to pick on me
[Fanmail after pilot: 1]

Jack
Concept: dual personality serial killer: polite and calm or savage
Edges: Serial Killer + Dual Personality
Connections: child - psycho killer to be in training
Personal set: houses on earth
Nemesis: The Society - holy demon hunters
Issue: Not fully controlling wild site
(Fanmail after pilot: 2)

Ushi
Concept: humanoid cat with cow head (from hell)
Edges: cat + receptionist/ secretary
Connections: big boss
Personal set: hair loss centre; nice treatment, personal assistent
Nemesis: Marilyn de Rossi
Issue: Rossi and her gang making fun of me + her getting her hands on me
(Fanmail after pilot: -)

What happend in the session?
The 4 working were called by there boss Uloroth to come up with a special mission, to boost their little piece of hell's reputation. Jack, a former business man, had the idea to get his former publicist involved.
So Uloroth sent them up to New York City. It was helloween and when they encountered some kids walking around, Ushi and Helmut could not hold back and started attacking. One kid was run over by a car and when people gathered to help the kid, Helmut pretended wanting to do First Aid. But nobody trusted the guy looking like a Furrie, especially when nearly breaking the kid's arm.
In the end the people mocked him and drove him away and they were convinced that there was still hope in NYC when a people worked together to save a kid. The demons could not stand the smell of goodness and had to leave the scene.
Failure.
Uloroth returned them to hell, but said to give them a second chance.
This time they were teleported right in front of the skyscraper George McCullan, the publicist, had his office in.
Still downstairs they had a discussion with a receptionist, who answered to Jack, while the 2 furries and the toy were going on each others neck.

Proposed working title:
Our little piece of Hell

Free Paper Miniatures Flat Figures and Minis

2009-04-18T10:02:00.014+01:00

Here you find lots of free paper miniatures and figure flats!

I initially copied this part of Savagepedia here, because people can now directly link to a resource of cut out paper miniatures - or "figure flats" as they are called nowadays by Pennicle. (Obviously you can use this images not only for Savage Worlds, but also for Dungeons & Dragons (aka D&D) or any other RPG.) Before you had to scroll down the Gaming Aids page on Savagepedia.

In the meantime I added lots of extra resources that are not up on savagepedia yet.

Arion Games Paper Miniature Freebies - Free samples from all genres by commercial provider
Cardboard SuperHeroes - Generic, Marvel and DC Heroes
The Fantasy Trip Pieces - Adventurers, Goblins, Kobolds, Orcs, Toltecs and more to print, cut and add to your game.
Fiery Dragon's The Castle of Shadows - Link to pdf with free fantasy counter collection
Free Paper Toys - A huge link collection to paper miniatures and 3D paper models.
Greywolf's Fonts, paper models and map tiles.
Mike's Minis - Stick figure paper minis
Models & Miniatures in Paper - Huge collection of quality models for many genres. Very cool!
Modern Ops Figure Flats - For the Modern Ops showdown game
One Monk Miniatures - Fantasy, Sci-fi, and more. Plenty of free pdf's.
Paper Soldiers for Junior Generals - A //massive// archive of historical cutout figs free to use.
Patrick's Cardboard Warriors - Cute, cartoonish, and perfect for pulp.
Planet of the Paper People - From RPG.net, new and free flats added every month.
Triple Ace Game's Daring Tales Pulp Figure Flats Preview - One page with Nazis etc.
32mm Androids & Robots" - Made with HeroMachine 2.5 (print & build instructions included).

Paper buildings and vehicles (German site)

I hope, you get some use out of these free paper minis!

New:

Cars and Spaceships on Pup's Playground.
Aztecs, Indios and Slaves on Obsidian Serpent
Free fairies by Sanity Studios. Link at bottom of the page. They also have a lot more stuff for sale.
Paper Friends (especially super heroes and Doctor Who Paper Miniatures, some including Torchwood as photo miniatures) by Seven Wonders.

If you know any other good resource, please write a comment! I will add it to the list and you help all your fellow mini and RPG fans.

Synnibarr Characters - One Shot Approved

2009-04-17T22:26:00.003+01:00

You can read about my Synnibarr one shot if you follow the link.
Here you can find the links to the 3 player character sheets as pdf files.
Not all of them are created completely by the book, but then
a samurai with laser sword,
a bomb dropping fairy - sorry: flygirl... - and
an undercover cyborg posing as a wereman
are unconventional even for Synnibarr. The would make a great comic book hero team though!

Lost treasures of Synnibarr

2009-04-17T21:46:00.006+01:00

These Synnibarr resources are not online any longer, but you can find them archived in Wayback Machine:

Niilo Paasivirta's hilarious Synnibarr page

The Sexy Naked Gamer Chick's Guide To Creating A Character In World of Synnibar

You also should not miss the the (Let's Read) The World of Synnibarr thread on rpg.net. It proves that people finally start to appreciate Raven c.s. McCracken as the genius he is.

Raven McCracken himself nowadays posts on the Synnibarr facebook page I initiated. I am the second moderator next to the man himself there and call myself NonRaven.

What Brulus wants to do in the dungeon

2009-04-15T19:55:00.003+01:00

Give the rats some love potioned food.
Rest to mix some potions.

Actually with the 3 hours duration Brulus should be able to keep one creature permanently under control. :)

Aventuria Hex Map (The Dark Eye)

2009-04-05T09:28:00.003+01:00

I was finally able to find the "Aventurien-Hex-Karte" from the old first edition Abenteuer-Ausbauspiel online. :) Now it should be easy to organize a Schwarzes Auge Aventurien sandbox game. One hex is 75km. That is too much to walk in a day, but should be 2 walking days in okay terrain. Actually it makes sense, because this way cities are somewhat detached from the rest of the hex. And on horseback you should be able to make one hex a day.

Hadalis - Eladrin Druid (DnD4)

2009-04-04T08:57:00.003+01:00

This is going to be my character in a D&D4 online campaign with my Viennese GM Flanf.
We will use these RPtools for an online map etc.
Last night I spent 1 hour creating a character with him online. I always wanted to play an Eladrin in D&D4 - something outworldish, fairy tale like and distant from normal beings. Turning into an animal seems to fit that theme quite well. So I went for a druid. I guess it does not matter so much that the character is not too optimized.

Hadalis is an overly slim, tall Eladrin. It's hard to figure out if Hadalis is male or female. One second this Eladarin looks male to you, but with a shift in light, Hadalis looks female.
Her wild shape is that of a big white snake.
Even in humanoid form her skin is completely white - like marble. Her eyes have a snakish yellow tone. The long hair is also white.
She was born in a tower on the dark sea cliffs of the Feywild, child to Eladrin of lower nobility. She is promised to marry her twin brother, but he seems to have disappeared recently. Is he only playing a game with her, doesn't he want her, or is there more to the story? Anyways: there is this tree they stuck a dagger in and in case anything will happen to him, the dagger will rust.
Her druid powers come natural to her, because she used to run through the deep forests, where Feywild and mortal world shift into each other. One moment you are in the one, the next one in the other without noticing - except that you feel someone is watching you.

If all of this is not cheesy enough, how about giving her the last name Fogtear? ;)

Maybe I still change Hadalis to male - not that it makes much difference. And maybe the twincest part e goes away too as it's quite cliché that I play girls like this...

Brulus - Road To Legendary

2009-03-24T08:09:00.003Z

Brulus is a deformed and hunchbacked human. He is always tinkering with all kind of magic potions and disgusting ingredients. He was shunned all his live in the big city and treated as an outcast. Now that he finally found a "family" he will try his best to keep them together.

Biography:
The first thing Brulus remembers was begging with older kids in the big city - a common fate for orphans or those left behind. He must have been around 4 at that time.
He was a lousy beggar, but even worse in his rare attempts of thievery and therefore on the lowest level of the streets' hierarchy. At least he survived..
His fate changed somewhat, when he met the dirty old pharmacist Adalbert. Adalbert had lost his license for making regular mistakes. No wonder: he had tried once to often to cure his bad temper himself by going through his medicine collection. Brulus took care of him, being basicly a misfigured butler in the beginning, but also showing lots of promise as an assistant in the crazy old man's experiments.
After his career as pharmacist was stopped by the clergy, Adalbert turned to more "interesting" experiments, plotting revenge. Brulus gave him the support he needed. But when Brulus understood what Adalbert was up to, and was not able to convince him to stop, the hunchback turned his sole friend in.
Maybe there was hope that he would be seen as a hero, that let Brulus make this decision, maybe he really cares about the well being of the people. At the moment probably not even Brulus himself knows for sure, but with enough evidence Adalbert was convicted to death. The last time he saw Brulus, he called him a damn traitor.
Brulus was treated with disgust by the commissioner taking care of the case, but given an opportunity to run off, with the hint that he better would not be seen in Fairport any longer.
So Brulus ran off, strolling around in the harbour region, hoping to find a passage anywhere, but ended up saving a puppy...

Attributes
Agility d6
Smarts d6
Spirit d6
Strength d6
Vigor d10

Secondary

Charisma (-4); (-6 cursed by Mask of Ugliness); -7 +constantly twitching eye after being scared near death by the Ghost in the Dagger
Pace 6"+d6
Parry 4(+1 Staff) = 5
Toughness 7(+1 Armour) = 8

Skills
Boating (ag) d4
Climbing (st) d4
Fighting (ag) d4
Guts (sp) d4
Lockpicking (ag) d4
Notice (sm) d4
Persuasion (sp) d4
Stealth (ag) d4
Streetwise (sm) d6
Taunt (sm) d4
Throwing (ag) d4
Weird Science (Alchemy) (sm) d8
Knowledge (Alchemy) (sm) d6

[Language: Eldritch]

Edges

Arcane Background: Weird Science (Alchemy)
Nerves of Steel
Improved Nerves of Steel

Hindrances

Ugly (min)
Loyal (min)
Poverty (min)
Outside (min)

Powers

Heal (Trapping: Hertie - slimey toad that licks off wounds)
Burst (Trapping: Spitter - firebagpipe)
Fear (Trapping: Panoptimonium - hood with lenses and gaslight in front of face and gas nozzles; slower: 1 round preparation, but than instant action any time)
Boost/Lower Traits (Trapping: "Some uppers and downers" (boosting pills); (Fear) Gas (lowering))
Blast (Trapping: Fireboxes aka Adalbert Cocktails (after his former master) aka Free Fire Cocktails (after his bar behavior) aka Feuerzangenbowle (does not work in English)- cubic molotow cocktails)
Puppet (Trapping: "love" potions; have to be mixed in victim's food or drink, but work for 3 hours, but switch to normal 3 rounds mode when the character has to make a Spirit roll as result of the power (for example when told to attack friends or commit suicide)

Weapon: Staff (Str+d4)
Armor: Leather (+1)

Leveling history:
5XP New Power: Burst
10XP Agility d6
15XP New Power: Fear
SEASONED
20XP New Power: Boost/Lower Traits
25XP Strength d6
30XP New Power: Blast
35XP Weird Science (Alchemy) d8
VETERAN (not yet)
40XP New Power: Puppet
45XP Power Points
50XP Weird Science (Alchemy) d10
55XP Strenght d8
HEROIC
60XP Weird Science (Alchemy) d12
65XP Power Points
70XP Fighting d6; Throwing d6
75XP Strenght d10
LEGENDARY
80XP Sidekick (Hertie)
90XP New Power: Create Gold (d6$, exploding die; double on raise)
100XP Professional: Weird Science (Alchemy)
110XP Expert: Weird Science (Alchemy)
120XP Master: Weird Science (Alchemy)

D&D and RPG Fantasy Art Index Part 1

2009-02-22T09:01:00.009Z

I will start here a series of posts, that sort all the amazing images and pictures that you can find on the website of Wizards of the Coast. WotC has a huge library of art from Dungeons & Dragons books, be it 3.0, 3.5 or 4th Edition. The problem is that the images are only sorted by D&D publication, not by topic.

With my list, it should be easier to find what you need. I hope they the 3rd edition art up much longer as it can be useful for any fantasy campaign. Even if you play Savage Worlds, Earthdawn, GURPS, Castles&Crusades (C&C), Pathfinder, Rolemaster or HARP the art is perfect.

Inn Scene, Elves, Gnomes, Greyscale: The Complete Scoundrel Image 1
Dwarfes, Group, Wizard, Fighter, Mohawk, Greyscale: The Complete Scoundrel Image 2
Collage, Female, Rogue, Scream, Armor, Bard, Scream, Greyscale: The Complete Scoundrel Image 3
City, Group, Half-Orc, Monk, Bard, Color: The Complete Scoundrel Image 7

In the long run it would make more sense to create a website, where you can sort by tag etc. Also a wikilike option to have other people help tagging would be great. The Ultimate RPG Art Index so to speak.

Savage Worlds Skill Reduction: Tracking

2009-02-20T11:34:00.004Z

Tracking should cease being a skill on it's own and instead be part of Survival for wilderness, Streetwise in cities and Investigation for research.
This seems at least to be a convincing setting rule.

Red Tube - Biological Experiment (Necessary Evil)

2009-02-18T06:34:00.000Z

Red Tube was not created in an act of love. Instead she was conceived inside a lab.
Her human body was grown around a number of alien technology tubes that were found at a UFO crash site in the Antarctica.
The red tubes are about 1,5 meters long. They are hollow and seem to filter certain subatomic particles.

It seems those tubes float in solar winds nobody else can feel and Red Tube's body is lifted by those solar winds.

When she was only 4 years old, the Antarctic lab was raided by the villain organization NERDS THAT HURT - short NTH. One of those villains - named Postal - adopted Red Tube. She spent the rest of her childhood in a secret mountain lair, surrounded by the most nerdy super villain team imaginable. Actually it was a pretty nice environment, but because of the tubes she was never able to leave the hide out, as this would have given too much attention. The only contact she had with other kids was over the intetnet.
When she turned 18, she was finally allowed to join the NTH action team. Soon after she proved she is actually able to hide the tubes under normal clothes. But as long as she does that, her powers are not working.

Powers: Force Control, incl. Heavy Weapon, Flight, Deflection

Hunter Instincts (Savage Worlds Edge)

2009-02-07T23:26:00.004Z

The characters Tracking and Survival skills are not connected to Smarts, but to Spirit and can therefore only cost one point per die type to raise until they exceed the character's Spirit stat.

Savage Worlds Spirit Tricks

2009-02-07T20:14:00.004Z

Redesigning the Savage Worlds Skill System?

After Solomon Kane introduced Strength Tricks, it would make sense to add Spirit Tricks as well. That way you could get rid of Intimidation, a skill that seems not really to be something learned anyways (with the same argument Guts is often removed).
Consequently you could also get rid of Taunt.

Both skills for the test of will mechanic would become trappings for Tricks instead. This actually makes a lot of sense. If you look at the Pirates RPG you will see that many of the examples for Smart tricks (except for the "Look over there!" cliché) don't really fit Smarts anyways.
This means you can choose, if you want to get -2 for the next action of the opponent or +2 for the next action against him. Following the advice for tricks in Whispers from the Pit, I would also allow other characters to use the +2 bonus, if the Trick using player wants. This way non combat characters are even more useful in combat.
I would also make it official that a as a third option you can move the tricked opponent 1' with a success.
You have to choose before doing the trick if you want the +2, -2 or 1'. A raise always adds a shaken condition.

Carl Osdracen - Swordmage (Fantasy)

2009-02-07T16:30:00.005Z

Race: Human (additional Edge)
Rank: Novice XP: 0
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d6
Skills: Climbing d4, Fighting d8, Intimidate d4, Lockpicking d4, Notice d4, Persuasion d4, Riding d4, Spellcasting d6, Stealth d4, Streetwise d4, Survival d4, Swimming d4
Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (5 w/o armor)
Hindrances: Arrogant; Loyal (minor), Enemy (minor)
Edges: Arcane Knowledge (Magic)
Gear: short sword (Str+d6), chain hauberk (+2)
Powers: Bolt, Burst, Smite

Description: Carl is a promising hero as well versed with the sword as with the mind - despite suffering from amnesia and not remembering his childhood. His amazing talents have left the former best student of his academy behind in jealousy - as an enemy. One of his few weaknesses is the fact that he is a man of action, not reading things up at libraries. But Carl also knows he is the best and feels the need to prove it.

Designer Notes: This character was originally created to for 1 on 1 play. His name is inspired by an old gaming pal of mine, his powers and backstory by this guy's characters.
I assume a fantasy setting without Guts skill as the Wizards & Warriors pdf from Pinnacle does.

My second time Role Playing

2009-02-03T13:31:00.000Z

When: 1988
My Age: 10
The game: The Dark Eye, first edition
I played: The GM. I owned this new fantasy game, I wanted for years, and a cheat book for video games with all the 8bit dungeon maps you can imagine in it. I had also created new character races before ever playing the game. There were those insect people from DinoRiders you could play and ghosts from Zelda (could walk through walls). I ran the players through the first dungeon from the first Zelda, as mapped out in the cheat book.
Highlights: One of the 2 player characters found a boomerang. That's all I remember. But he liked the game, told his older brother and so we started playing regularly. (I also remember we were playing on the floor of my room.) They were all killed by demons in the following adventure, an official one called "Ship of the Lost Souls" ("Schiff der Verlorenen Seelen").
I also remember my little brother played a dwarf with a red cap, but without beard. :)

Another Savage Worlds Fantasy Introduction Adventure

2009-01-29T23:45:00.013Z

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

2009-01-29T17:25:00.059Z

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

The Dark Eye - Das Schwarze Auge 1 - Open Rules

2009-01-05T10:07:00.004Z

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.

RPGs for kids between 7 and 11

2008-12-30T16:52:00.001Z

When I was in primary school, I did not want to play some game about animals, cartoons and fairy tales. That's what I am into now.
I wanted games that reminded me of all those movies I had no chance to watch like Star Wars, Conan, Dragon Slayer or Dune. I was into Masters of the Universe and Batman and Spider-Man. I was into toy guns and playing "all adults turned evil and the kids must kill them" with Playmobil and Lego.

Actually the transit from playing with action figures to RPGs was very organic. We basically did the same things, just with character sheets, where we needed toys before.

But most important: I think that any set of freestyle rules like Risus or indie games would have been much more difficult for me to grasp than classic old school RPGs. (Actually - being from Europe - I played The Dark Eye.)

Savage Worlds Character Sheet without Dice Symbols

2008-12-26T19:31:00.004Z

Here you find an external link to a Savage Worlds Character Sheet without Dice Symbols. Some people are annoyed by them and here they find a great alternative.

Deadwood as D&D campaign

2008-12-19T19:43:00.007Z

I am watching Deadwood, the HBO western TV show at the moment. In my opinion the set up would work amazingly well for an old school D&D campaign.
Actually it would not be too different from a Keep in the Borderlands with a lot of corruption. To make it more interesting, when the players arrive it should be still a really small place, but with every time they return from an exploration, more people and shops should exist. So they could feel very fast as the old guys...

And obviously there would be a reward for every orc head the bring back to the inn keeper...

Main enemies would be humans, elves and orcs and I would try to make orcs and elves as interchangeable as possible (both are Indians err, sorry, natives...). Humans are the bastards living in the village. I would not call it a shades of grey setting. Actually nearly everyone except the PCs is a bastard.

800-85 - Feminine Robot Man

2008-12-17T20:25:00.007Z

Race: Robot Man (Construct; Machine; Outsider; Psionic Immunity; Recharge)
Rank: Novice XP: 0
Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Climbing d4, Fighting d4, Guts d4, Notice d4, Persuasion d4, Piloting d4, Repair d6, Shooting d4, Stealth d4,
Charisma: -2; Pace: 5+d6; Parry: ?; Toughness: ?
Hindrances: Code of Honor; Outsider (to Robot Man as well), Death Wish (minor - find statue from dreams)
Edges: Arcane Background (Weird Science); Gadgeteer
Gear: 500$
Languages: English, Streamer, [+3 more]

Description: 800-85 had an ordinary live as lowly worker on the Mechanos. But then he started dreaming. He is not sure if it is a malfunction, as he decided not to tell any other robot man about it, but this statue of a humanoid woman in a cave returns every night in his sleep. 800-85 left Mechanos to look for her in space.
And because he admires her, he is wearing this ancient Greek drama mask over his face and got a new breast plate with - exactly - breasts. Because others told him it would be more authentic he also adjusted his voice to sound more female.

Designer Notes: Silly. My favorite robot character Marvel's Yocasta plus the fact that there are no female robot men (robot women???) made me come up with this idea. I did not even know that 80085 in 1ee7 speak had already a meaning, but finding it out via Google did not stop me either...

What player am I?

2008-12-15T22:48:00.001Z

You Scored as Storyteller

You're more inclined toward the role playing side of the equation and less interested in numbers or experience points. You're quick to compromise if you can help move the story forward, and get bored when the game slows down for a long planning session. You want to play out a story that moves like it's orchestrated by a skilled novelist or film director.

Storyteller

92%

Specialist

83%

Butt-Kicker

75%

Tactician

67%

Power Gamer

58%

Method Actor

58%

Casual Gamer

25%

Find here your RPG play style according to Law!

Awesome Welles - Melancholic Action Hero (Slipstream)

2008-12-15T10:35:00.007Z

Race: Earthling (additional Edge)
Rank: Novice XP: 0
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d8, Vigor d8
Skills: Climbing d4, Fighting d6, Guts d4, Notice d4, Intimidation d4; Persuasion d4, Piloting d4, Shooting d6, Stealth d4, Streetwise d4, Survival d4, Throwing d4, Tracking d4
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6+d6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 ; Bennies: 2/session
Hindrances: Heroic; Bad Luck; Vengeful, Quirk (speeches of angst)
Edges: Iron Jaw; Attractive; Ambidextrous; Brawny
Gear: 500$
Languages: English, Streamer, [+2 more]

Description: Awesome Welles is the stereotype of a muscle packed, blond hero, but in underneath the great looks and the winning smile, people that get to know him better will find a courageous man who sees himself and those he values chased by misery after misery. When he does not have to work towards the wellbeing of others, he constantly questions the meaning of live and what it is all good for.

Designer Notes: Here obviously the name came first and I tried to find a character concept that fitted its sound.

Rex Plosion - Psi Kid (Slipstream)

2008-12-14T15:45:00.010Z

Race: Earthling (additional Edge)
Rank: Novice XP: 0
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d4
Skills: Climbing d4, Fighting d4, Guts d4, Notice d4, Persuasion d4, Psionics d4, Stealth d4, Streetwise d4, Taunt d4, Throwing d4,
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6+d6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 4 ; Bennies: 4/session; Power Points: 15
Hindrances: Heroic; Young; Loyal, Illiterate
Edges: Arcane Background (Psionics); Attractive (cute kid); Beast Master; Power Points
Power: Bolt; Confuse the Mind; Stun
Gear: 500$
Languages: English, Streamer, [+3 more]

Description: Rex Plosion grew up on the tough streets of Nuxopolis as an orphan. His only friend was his alien baby bear companion Tao. When he was cornered by one of Queen Anathraxa's Primal patrols for pickpocketing a noble with a sudden burst of his Psi powers, he had to flee and found himself as blind passenger on a rocket ship.

Tao: stats of a dog/wolf

Designer Notes: With the "Second Series" campaign rule in Slipstream, it finally is a little bit less risky to play a low Vigor character in Savage Worlds. So this kid should be worth a try! If it passes out, there is still the beast companion Tao to be taken care off, so the player does not get bored.

An auction-based character development system

2008-12-14T10:06:00.004Z

We could give this the fancy name ABCD for Auction-Based Character Development.

The idea behind is that skills and edges/aspect have no cost when you take them, but when you use them.
So the more some aspect of a character is used, the more expensive it get's to raise it higher.
To make the whole thing more interesting, interest in other characters to develop in the same area also boost the development price. Making use of the players willingness to pay for something takes in account a much more intelligent factor than counting only the ammount of uses.

Development should not only happen at the end of every game session or between games, but after every scene.

Beginner characters are mostly blank slates with only one extraordinary trait to define them. Players should assume that they already have more traits, but that we did not see them before. Obviously this does not work to well for a backstory intense immersive play experience. A solution could be that the coming up with the character is already part of play like pitching the series in Primetime Adventures. All the players would go together through the different phases of their characters' lives. This is similar to Spirit of the Century.

You can combine those ideas and you have an RPG rule system set up that could be tested in a board game. A good start would be a simple tree stats system with rock-scissors-paper like mechanics.

Savage Worlds area effects when not using a battle mat

2008-12-14T09:13:00.007Z

Zornhau - let's call him the German Savage Worlds Evangelist and see if there is a reaction ;) - presented his way of deciding area effect damage when playing without battle map in the tanelorn.net forum.

Small Burst Template – 1d4+1 targets effected
Medium Burst Template – 1d6+1 targets effected
Large Burst Template – 1d12+1 targets effected
Cone – 1d8+1 targets effected

I guess another way that would scale with the size of the fight would be randomize a hit percentage of potential targets. Obviously you would need to cap that with a certain number.
If you wanted it to be slow and unsavage, you could take in account environment, etc. Fighting in open environment would let you hit less people than inside narrow tunnels.

Update:
Clint (of Necessary Evil fame) gave the following numbers in the Pennicle Forum:

SBT = 1d4
MBT = 2d6
LBT = 3d8
Cone = 2d6*

*Difference between a cone and a MBT could be lessening the chance of hitting an ally in the area.

The look a little bit extreme to me honestly.

D&D-4-like Skill Challenges in Savage Worlds

2008-12-12T15:38:00.003Z

This is a first sketch how you do skill challenges in Savage Worlds. Definitely worth a test run and could be a better way to handle music performances in The Band.

Depending on how complex the task is, a certain amount of successes is needed. My test run decides difficulties on number of participating characters, but that could be too metagamey.

Easy: [number of participating characters] successes
Normal: [number of participating characters x 1.5] successes
Hard: [number of participating characters] x2 successes

Players in general can choose the skill they want to use by themselves. The GM can veto skill use, that is not described well. But why not using your Knowledge(History) skill to get the band mimic the famous performance of the Sex Pistols in Winterland? ;) Obviously repeating the same shtick over time becomes stale.
Each Raise counts as 1 extra success.

When they got 3 failures, the characters finally lost... (Maybe scale that too?)

Der Spielaffe

2008-12-09T15:54:00.007Z

Sorry, this post has to be partially in German, because the "Der Spielaffe" is a German character. The name means Playape or Playmonkey. He is a simian playboy - the result of an 1934 Nazi experiment!

Hier kommen die Charakterwerte des Spielaffens für verschiedene Spielsysteme rein - Rollenspielsysteme. Der Spielaffe wir auch Playape oder Playmonkey genannt.
Er ist ein mächtiger Spielgorilla, nicht nur ein Spielschimpanse oder gar Spielmakake. Er ist kein Pokemon oder Panfu.
Sein Diener heißt Mario.

Race: Gorilla (additional Edge)
Rank: Novice XP: 0
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d6
Skills: Climbing d6, Driving d4, Fighting d6, Gambling d4, Guts d6, Intimidation d4, Notice d4, Persuasion d4, Shooting d4, Stealth d4, Streetwise d6, Survival d4, Throwing d4,
Charisma: -2; Pace: 5+d4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
Hindrances: Overconfident; Outsider, Habit (Heavy Smoker)
Gear: 500$

Description: He is a simian playboy - the result of an 1934 Nazi experiment!

Wait until I recreate this character with the Gorilla Race write up, I am going to do!

Scratchpad - Notes on old adventures

2008-12-08T10:54:00.006Z

Captain, My Captain Session 4 PDF
Luftenwelter Session 2 PDF Scratchpad
Luftenwelter Session 3 PDF Scratchpad

One Shots I want to run in 2009

2008-12-07T08:23:00.003Z

D&D4 - Keep on the Shadowfell (mainly the combats)
Spirit of the Century
Sailor Moon RPG
Changeling: The Lost with Primetime Adventures rules
Favorite Player Characters in an interdimensional castle - Kitchensink Crazyness (that would probably also work best with Primetime Adventures)
Coffin Rock - Deadlands Reloaded (mini campaign)

Any super hero game

I am not so much into running campaigns, as I don't have the attention span to keep that up.

Anyways: here are my Setting Ideas. They are less about running and more about writing though.

Tearsworld Tyrsworld Treenenwelt Index

2008-12-07T08:15:00.005Z

As I am not sure what to use as English title at the moment (although I lean towards the not kewlized Tearsworld at the moment), you can find 2 different names for this campaign setting in the header.

The basic setting info is German at the moment, but will be updated and ported over.

German language Tearsworld Tyrsworld Treenenwelt Wiki - kind of a encyclopedia

Rule system specific ideas can be found all over this blog:

Treenenwelt for Savage Worlds: Human wish powers

Teddies in Space

2008-12-05T12:37:00.001Z

Plushies in space - now! Plüsch, Power and Plunder is real.

Image Gallery

2008-12-01T12:20:00.002Z

Here you can find images for l337 characterz you can use in your campaign:

Jörg Pacher

Plush, Power & Plunder: NPC Stats - Hospital

2008-11-30T10:25:00.006Z

You find descriptions of the characters in the Plüsch, Power und Plunder Hospital adventure.

NPC stats for Plush, Power & Plunder - Hospital as PDF

Here all the stats are repeated as plaint text:

Victims
IQ 6 (30)
Cou 6 (30)
Str 6 (30)
Agi 6 (30)

Cutie Points 5
Plush Points 9
Plushdurance 20
$ 0

Fight 30%/6+1d6

Minions
IQ 5 (25)
Cou 8 (40)
Str 8 (40)
Agi 6 (30)

Cutie Points 9
Plush Points 15
Plushdurance 60
$ 200

Fight 60%/8+1d6+2 (spoons and forks)

Robbing Plushdurance 70%

Elite followers
IQ 5 (25)
Cou 10(50)
Str 12(60)
Agi 9 (45)

Cutie Points 9
Plush Points 30
Plushdurance 80
$ 200

Fight 90%/12+2d6+2 (knifes)

Brainy guys (The Pin, The Brain, The Prophet)

IQ 12(60)
Cou 9(45)
Str 8(40)
Agi 6(30)

Cutie Points 15
Plush Points 25
Plushdurance 80
$ 400

Fight 70%/8+2d6+2 (knifes)
Shoot 85%/11+3d6+3 (glue)

Cat
IQ 4(20)
Cou 15(75)
Str 16(80)
Agi 14(70)

Cutie Points -
Plush Points 40 (Hit Points)
Plushdurance 80
$ 0

Fight 110%/16+3d6+3 (claws&teeth)

Sick Kids
IQ 12(60)
Cou 8(40)
Str 18(90)
Agi 11(55)

Cutie Points -
Plush Points 50 (Hit Points)
Plushdurance 80
$ -

Fight 55%/18+1d6 (fist) House rule: Human attacks against small creatures are always agility based
Shoot 55%/11+2d6+1 (CDs, etc.)

Grown Up Stompers
IQ 12(60)
Cou 7(35)
Str 22(110)
Agi 11(55)

Cutie Points -
Plush Points 100 (Hit Points)
Plushdurance 100
$ -

Fight 55%/22+1d6 (fist) House rule: Human attacks against small creatures are always agility based
Shoot 55%/11+2d6+1 (CDs, etc.)

English language Plüsch, Power & Plunder Character Sheet

2008-11-29T11:38:00.010Z

This is my cheap and dirty translated character sheet for Plush, Power and Plunder.

Here you find straight access to the Google Spreadsheet PP&P character sheet version. Just click the Printer icon and a PDF will be generated in real time for you to save.

Here you also find the PDF English language Plüsch, Power & Plunder Character Sheet.

Plush, Power, Plunder - Rule notes and House rules

2008-11-29T09:34:00.009Z

Character Creation

House rule: The player can roll his stats or take 3 on all of them.

Basic Stat x5 = Roll Stat

House Rule: Basic Stat x7 = Roll Stat [Should make beginner characters fail less in One Shot]

Skill Checks

Spending 1 point of Plushdurance adds 2 to the dice result.
Spending 1 Plush Point also add 2. You can only use that in body stuff though.

You are elegant if you are 20 points below the expected roll.

If you are able to pull of a skill use you have to spend the ammount of Plushdurance points written next to it.
You loose half the Plushdurance points, if you fail the roll.

Combat

Highest Courage creature acts first.

1 defense / round.

Distance:
Attacker's (Weapon Damage + Agility Base) - Defender's Strength Base

House Rule: The defender can use his weapon to block and adds it to the his definding score.

Melee:
Attacker's (Weapon Damage + Strength Base) - Defender's (Weapon Damage + Strength Base)
The defender causes damage if the result is negative!

House rule: Disarm: If attacker has no weapon, he is able to grab the opponents weapon if he causes any damage. Both roll strengths as soon as one fails and the other one succeeds in the same round, the winner has the weapon.

Multiple opponents: against the 3rd attacker (and 4th, 5th, etc.) you can't add your weapon damage when checking for damage.

Damage and Regaining Power

If you loose all your Plush Points you are KO for 2d6 minutes. After waking up, you have regained 5 Plush Points.
Further attacks remove 1 Cutie Points. You also loose 1 Cutie Point if go KO 3 times the same day.

Resting 8 hours restores all your Plush Points and your Plushdurance.

Only the Seamstress can restore 1 Cutie Point per treatment.

Wizards of the Coast's Dungeons & Dragons PDFs

2008-11-28T15:11:00.015Z

All the free Dungeons & Dragons PDFs Wizards of the Coast offers.

Here are the free 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons 1st level sample character PDFs:

Dwarf Fighter (Martial Defender)
Dragonborn Paladin (Divine Defender)
Half-Elf Cleric (Divine Leader)
Halfling Rogue (Martial Striker)
Human Wizard (Arcane Controller)
Tiefling Warlord (Martial Leader)

Setting specific:
Longtooth Shifter Cleric (Divine Leader)
Warforged Paladin (Divine Defender)

D&D 4th Edition Errata at wizards.com:

Player's Handbook 4th Errata
Dungeon Master's Guide 4th Errata
Monster Manual 4th Errata

Plush, Power and Plunder - The English translation

2008-11-28T09:04:00.008Z

Here we go with the translations from German I have chosen for the different game terms of Plüsch, Power and Plunder. I did not change the order to be alphabetic in English as the way it is, it will be easier to find it in the German language rule book.

IQ (Intelligenz)
Courage (Mut)
Strength (Stärke)
Agility (Geschicklichkeit)

Cutie Points (Knuddelwert)
Plush Points (Plüschpunkte)
Plushdurance (Pfriemelpunkte)
Wollworth $ (Wollworther Dukaten)
Weight Capacity (Tragkraft)

Rolling* 4
Ventriloquism 5
Persuasion 5
Berserk 5
Chemistry 9
Electronics 9
Drive Toy Vehicles 5
Trap Building 4
Shooting and Throwing 8
Dexterity (Finger stuff) 5
Fly* 10
Language, Additional 5
Bouncing Ball* 5
Growing Hair (and loosing it)* 4
Hacking 8
Healing 1/Plushpoint; 5
Smashing Weapons
Jump High 4
Hypnosis 10
Detachable Eye* 10
[Magic*]
Mechanics 9
Knowledge of Human Nature 8
Night Vision 6
Robbing Plushdurance* 5
Brawling 8
Ride Animal 4
Acting 5
Stealth 5
Pick Locks 5
Fine Arts 5
Reading (automatic with IQ 8) 7
Skateboarding 5
Swim 15
Ropes 5
Jump: Landing and Wide 4
Tracking 6
Pole Jumping 5
Pointed and Sharp Weapons 8
Camouflage 4
Climb Stairs 6
Open doors 6
Defense 6
[Voom-Ua*]

Skills with * can be only used, if studied. All others can be used with 10% chance of success by anyone.

Free Savage Worlds Character Cards PDF Files (PDFs)

2008-11-25T09:57:00.000Z

Here you find the free download of the Savage Worlds Character Cards as A4 pdf files.

There is the GM (Gamemaster) overview pdf for people who want to keep the info on an A4 sheet

and the Cut and Fold pdf for those who prefer to use real credit card sized cards and are not into using glue.

Here are the links to the free PDF files:

Savage Worlds Cut and Fold Character Cards PDFs in A4 format

Savage Worlds GM Overview Character Cards PDFs in A4 format

(In case that it is hard to print the PDFs on American format paper, would be nice if you could leave feedback.)

Savage Worlds Character Cards (Mini Character Sheets)

2008-11-23T16:20:00.020Z

After I created them in 2005, it is finally about time I make them public.

First I show you an example of a filled out Combat Card.
The front has all stats important for combat:

If you wonder what the different symbols and numbers mean exactly, here is the legend:

On the back you find the basic Attributes as well as the most important 10 Skills, Edges and Attributes. You can add modifiers from Edges or Charisma right behind the skill, if you want.

And here are finally the blank jpgs. Downloading the A4 pdfs for printing probably will be more comfortable.

Here you find the free download of the Savage Worlds Character Cards as A4 pdf files.

I am an Instigator

2008-11-22T18:50:00.004Z

I know it at least since I read the D&D 4th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide in June, but now that I found the text online, I can share it with my coplayers.

I love being an Instigator - with capital "I". :)

Instigator
An instigator enjoys making things happen. She has no patience for careful planning or deliberation. She’ll open an obviously trapped chest “just to see what happens.” She provokes authority figures and opens dungeon doors to bring more monsters into an already difficult fight. The instigator loves the vicarious thrill taking enormous risks and sometimes just making bad choices.
The instigator can be disruptive, but she can also be a lot of fun for the other players. Things rarely grind to a halt with an instigator in the group, and the stories that get retold after the game session often revolve around whatever crazy thing the instigator did this week.

AN INSTIGATOR:
Likes to make things happen.
Takes crazy risks and makes deliberately bad choices.
Thrives in combat and dislikes having nothing to do.
Takes decisive action when things grind to a halt.

As a teenage GM I hated my brother to be an instigator though.

Klaudia Wisch - Minigolf Journalist

2008-11-20T22:16:00.012Z

Race: Human (additional Edge)
Rank: Novice XP: 0
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d4, Guts d4, Intimidation d6, Investigation d6, Persuasion d6, Notice d6, Shooting d4, Stealth d4, Streetwise d4, Swimming d4, Taunt d6, Tracking d4
Charisma: 0; Pace: 6+d6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
Hindrances: Habit (Smoking); Anemic, Stubborn
Edges: Strong Willed (+2 Intimidate, +2 Taunt)
Gear: Minigolf Club; AK-47; Laptop; 50$
Miss Wisch is a 26 years old Austrian journalist with a love for cigarettes and minigolf. She is a strong willed allrounder and has read the Zombie Survival Guide. She also speaks some Russian. She is in charge of a cat called Ivan Jasper and a boy friend called Nickel Peck. He helps her to download everything.

Plüsch, Power und Plunder: Hospital

2008-11-18T07:14:00.022Z

I plan a one shot adventure and have the following basic idea:

The stuffed toy player characters all belong to the same kid (Peter) and are taken together with him/her from kinderzimmer paradise to hospital. In the children's department of hospital you have plenty of plush bullying and plushtrique going on. There are a lot of rooms and each has it's own power structure which is interwoven with the rest.
And there are the carts of the cleaning ladies and the mysterious freight elevators to cleaning powder purgatory and/or trash land. Maybe even some mice...
Actually this sounds pretty Foucault and I will also add some noirish elements, as noir was my first idea.

Locations:

Above the steerages of the children's department, the Plushies (my translation of "Plüschis"), have their hide out. The room structure is the same as below, as this is an old building (19th century).

A hoist takes you down to the washing basement, but there is also a pipe slide.

Only 2 minions of the Pin have the keys - and obviously the nurses (in the nurse room. (At night there is only one for the whole department.)

Washing basement also has steerages and is overseen by the Brain with 1d6 minions and the more outsider spider Shelob.

Player Handout Map:

Note that the hoist and pipe were moved around the corner on the player handout map and that you should probably use this version.

Player Handout Map for Plush, Power & Plunder Hospital as PDF

Important NPCs:

First encounters:
Plush robot (from kid who arrived one day earlier) Dusk who is beaten up and later on turns washing powder addicted
+ Plush smurfette with similar fate

The Kingpin - short the Pin: he is the ruler of the hospital and hides in a crack of the wall in the boiler room. His minions run the business for him. Plush lemur mouse
His bodyguard are 3 plush pandas - masters of Voom-Ua. 3 plush pandas

The 2 Elevator Sentries: beefy minions of the Kingpin.
A big plush spider named Shelob is guarding the basement elevator door. Plush spider picture
The pipe and upper door are guarded by "the Thing" an imposing green monster. That scratches the ceiling when walking around. Green plush monster picture

The Brain - plus gamepad - that oversees drug mixing in washing basement

The Prophet, who talks about hope and the kinderzimmer paradise. Plush beaver

Big Stompers (aka humans): 4 nurses and a doctor during the day; only one nurse during the night; the night nurse brings to security guys, in case she gets scarred by strange noises... Random kids

Ivan Jasper, the cat. A neutered psycho tomcat that is held in the children's department to cheer up the kids and has it's own cat room.

Random Encounter Tables

All encounters should make notice rolls, if they see the PC Plushies - hard ones if the plushies are cautious.
After each encounter there is a 80% chance that nothing happens long enough, that the PCs can sneak by.

By-standers:
Plush organs
Plush microbes
Plush roadkill

Plush skeleton girl

Side plots: the Pin wants to poison Peter, so that the PCs have no way back to kinderzimmer paradise

Stats:

NPC stats for Plush, Power & Plunder - Hospital as PDF

My Setting Ideas

2008-11-16T17:46:00.010Z

Beacon Star (working title) - Contemporariy PCs find a space ship and are let loose on the world with this high technology. A game about social change and space exploration. (Could also work as Primetime Adventures game...)
Tearsworld Tyrsworld Treenewelt - Kitchensink Setting on a world that is bound to the 19 Earths
Castle Torswald - German based Torchwood rip off that has magic instead of scifi back ground
Toy Brigade - Savage Worlds of living toys in the world of now; inspired by Plüsch, Power and Plunder