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.)
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Dragonborn in humancentric campaigns
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!
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!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Monster Manual Plot Hooks 2
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...
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...
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Free Dungeon Tiles RPG Tabletop Maps
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.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Dungeons & Dragons Boardgame to 4th Edition
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
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
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Monster Manual Plot Hooks
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Savage Worlds Toys: Plush, Power and Plunder
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:
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Twitter Support
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?
http://twitter.zendesk.com/requests/new
Is this Cyberpunk now?
D&D4 Aventuria: Sacrileges are fun
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
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
Monday, June 29, 2009
Triggered Encounters Campaign Style
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.
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.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Raven c.s. McCracken After Synnibarr
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!
It's a pity Geocities will be shut down later this year, so you should have a look on his page right now!
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