This is a blog dedicated to the simplicity of the Old School Renaissance of Role Playing Games and the Fusion of Modern Role Playing Game Ideas.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
My Perfect Classic Fantasy Role Playing Game
Went very simple, then got complicated, then got rewritten then overcomplicated with over 100 skills, then redone, then I have given up due to loosing my regular job and having to go out of town and work stupid ungodly hours.
I think I need to define "what I want" in MY Old School RPG.
What I want is the feel and the simplicity WITH all the good things of old school RPGs MIXED with the innovations of the New School.
Good New School stuff that works.
Ascending AC that tells you what you roll.
The D20 initiative system.
At Will Spells and Powers as well as Per Encounter and Per Day. These are GREAT innovations.
More as I think of them but I am working another 7 day a week job.
The last play test was "not so good" but there were lots of learning experiences in the session.
BUT Must go and bathe and think about the future...
Monday, November 23, 2009
Temple of the Monkey God part 9 million
Upgraded to a new processor and mother board but BENT a few of the pins on the processor so I have ordered another.
Pissed....
BUT onto the Temple of the Monkey God. No I have not forgotten the module.
It is on the back burner. I just worked an out of town job for 67 days straight 12-13 hours a day then went to another 40 day job for 10 hours a day. I have been accused of "not ever finishing projects" by some of the Old School community but I know said accusers have no idea of the kinds of hours I have to endure.
I still have my 4th edition game which will now be on the back burner as well as three of my key players will be on a holiday schedule which is less time as two of them work for Salvation Army and one is wife of.
So this may free up the players for S&W! Back to TotMG!
Plans are to redo the map as it is very liner in design and the Temple needs to flow. The wilderness maps will be redone MADE DARKER and more encounters added in case the PC's "get off the path".
I now realize that I am a man alone when it come to getting help from my friends to edit, draw, and design anything but that is okay.
It seems that if you come out with a good old school product you can actually make a small amount of cash which is nearly impossible in the main stream gaming (non)community.
Friday, October 30, 2009
How do I make my own small and low budget gaming convention?
I want it to be low budget and low cost.
Like having in a rec center for one day only
Low like five dollars a person.
It would be in the Lake Charles, La area.
Any ideas out there?
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Quentin Tarantino Style Combat Part II
BUT
Gamers just like the extreme nature of a Quentin Tarantino Style Combat. Combat as described in D&D is a series of blows and parries until a hit is made.
Is it just fighters that do the dirty tricks?
What about the tricksy thief? Nay ye are not old skew enough! There be no thieves! Well poo to you all! If you make it a subclass of the fighter it's even better! The backstab ability to do double damage is great for the Quentin Tarantino Style Combat forms of violence.
The backstabs can be treated as broken necks, decapitations, and any other form of gory display. When an enemy dies horribly a morale role is needed for the rest of it's group.
The enemy might just run away!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Quentin Tarantino Style Combat Part I.
Example 1: You attack with the sword. Roll. You hit you do 5 points of damage. The goblin dies.
Example 2: Your sword lands a solid blow. Blood sprays from the goblin's chest as he dies messily.
Example 3: Your shield bashes the goblin in the face and blood and goblin teeth fly across the room landing on the three other goblins who flinch in fear. You come forward with an elbow smash to the nose then a stab to the goblin's chest follows. Blood sprays as the goblin falls.
More on Part II
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Backgrounds and Variations on a Theme of a Fighter Part II
I mean skills are great in some systems but in S&W is it needed?
YES and NO!
The background of a character is his or her skills.
A character raised in the wilderness or raised in the city would be different.
What I do is allow a simple 1d20 roll plus level plus attribute bonus.
The higher the better.
For "thieves" this is what I do as well.
I give them a simple 1d6+1 per level HPs as well.
"Ranger" types will be handled the same way as well.
A ruling on the spot with no game stopping delay.
I have many players ask about "Feats".
All characters have all "feats" and can try to do anything such as trips, pushes, and power attacks.
A simple attack roll with a possible + or - to the roll and to damage.
Being a Referee for S&W is fun and easy.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Backgrounds and Variations on a Theme of a Fighter Part I
A fighter is rolled up.
Str 14
Dex 11
Con 15
Int 12
Wis 14
Cha 16
What to do? How do I make this a character and not just a dead sheet of stats?
Ah yes! A background and a theme! Such as the magic of old school.
First idea is a chiseled and well disciplined soldier trained in the roughest of fighting academies ready to go to war. He is stout and his hair is cut very short. He is disciplined and serious. A leader of men.
or
He is a streetwise and scummy type tested in the streets of a big fantasy city. He is wiry yet cut used to using his muscles for various labor jobs. Tested is street brawls and gang fights this long haired scraggly fighter has a roughcast appeal to the ladies.
or
A very well dressed son of former noble who now penniless and is adventuring to remake his fortune.
More variations later...
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Temple of the Monkey God part deux!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Got 99 problems but a dice ain't one.
My two gaming groups are falling apart as I am not there to keep it real.
EDITED out the details...
How will this effect our group? Damn I wish people would act right...
NOW for something completely different.
I watched all the players seemingly have fun with my S&W game. I typed out all the cool things that happened. Was I deceived by those nights of gaming and great story flow? BUT now I find out that nobody seemed to like it as it was not 4th edition.
WHAT!?!
I really do love the 4th edition in may ways as it has a great flow and is definitively far more simple than 3.5.
Some of the players are so very defensive of "their" 4th edition that they will play nothing else. I have even been told by one player that he has invested lots of money in 4th and that's all he is gonna play. I guess they seem to forget my entire 14' x 20' mead hall full of games.
They ain't invested nutin compared to me. I have been at it for 29 years!
Nuff said on that!
My plans are to play 4th edition when I get back. Write some 4th edition adventures. Try and run my S&W sandbox setting with my daughters and their friends and maybe some of mine.
Well ANON!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The Black Stairs 1.5
The party hires the following NPCs
Mark the Fighter M Chain and Shield with Sword.
The Band of Dwarves M, Dully, Martrus, Dontar, Dunkin, and Brannoc. All had Ring and Shield with Battle Axes!
There was Stryder the Elf Warrior and Mage with Longbow ready to fire.
They all headed back to the Black Stairs ready for Part 1.5 which I will tell NOW!
The party went back in and found the slaughter house. An animal pen, a blood pit that scraps and blood was drained to the unused 3rd level and the actual kitchen.
The party and their retainers bumbled around until they attracted the attention of some zombies. The cleric turned all of one of the dead but the party foolishly pursued the zombies and lost two dwarfs. The zombies were dispatched though.
The fighter Mark kept talking smack about the superiority of humans as the party explored the slaughterhouse area of the dungeon. The Player Dwarf pushed him down the bloodhole. He survived the fall but the party discovered he met a gang of ghouls who quickly dispatched foolish Mark but not before he beheaded one of them. A quick application of oil dispatched another ghoul but the party knows going deeper they will have to face them.
They explored a bit more and found a horde of dishes and silverware. The best find was a huge set of gold candle holders. The headed back to Raven's Fort where they cashed in the items for gold.
A party of legend has happened for the last three weeks as the Adventurers have unleashed a time of drunken debauchery right during The Summer Festival of the Lottery. With the huge amount of gold the party has shut down much of the city for the last three weeks. Crops have not been tended, cows not milked, jobs not done, the city has put in a virtual standstill. Drunken citizens lay all about the street for the last three weeks! The party is out of money and the Baron is now displeased. Time to leave town!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
No more nameless NPCs!
I rolled a D6 plus 10 for AC and a 1d8 for hit points. Blam seven NPCs! Guess what I made five of them dwarves, one human, and one elf fighter and mage. I gave them weapons and Blam I was done in about five minutes. I gave each one a name.
The party hires the following NPCs
Mark the Fighter M Chain and Shield with Sword.The human was a Mastedellian or the main imperial human race. He was a racist who did not hold his tongue and was subsequently thrown down a pit by the Dwarf only to survive for a few more rounds while ghouls attacked.
The Band of Dwarves M, Dully, Martrus, Dontar, Dunkin, and Brannoc. All had Ring and Shield with Battle Axes!The five Dwarves were from a clan far to the northeast and they bragged that their caverns had never been taken by goblins much to the annoyance of the PC Dwarf.
There was Stryder the Elf Warrior and Mage with Longbow ready to fire.The lone elf was an archer and wizard. He mostly stuck with his trusty longbow.
Not to attack the newer systems but I could not do that in less than five minutes like I did with S&W.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Expedition to the Black Stairs Part 1
Written in very rough draft form.
PCs
Eachern M The Cleric
Dalkon M The Dwarven Warrior
Aowen F The Elf Thief
Eva F The Thief
NPCs
Marts MF With Plate and 2H Sword
Melenad FF With Ring Spear and Bow plus Dagger
Belenad FF With Ring Spear and Bow plus Hand Ax
Melenad and Belenad are two attractive foreigner twins.
NPCs not hired
Raph MF With Chain, Shield, and Sword plus Crossbow
Tran MF With Plate, Battle Ax, and Spear
The Black Stairs Servant's quarters.
Dalkon get's let down on rope and he gets shot at by 2 goblins. Aowen goes down below to help. As well as Eva, Belenard, and Marts. Eachern and Melenard tie rope to bush and go down. Belenard proves to be a great shot! Killing one of the goblins and the Dwarf kills the other but not until Melenard is horribly injured! Two goblins are dispatched. Three more goblins come out. The party quickly dispatches them all but poor Marts is killed. The adventurer's explore the rest of the servant's quarters and find much gold and an amulet of protection.
They find door on the western end on the main hallway with a warning written in goblin”No go in here” The Cleric feels unholiness in the area and decides to go to the door to the south instead that opens up into a three way hallway.
The western hallway has a smell (Now as a house rule Dwarves will be able to tell the different kinds of humanoids by their smell!) of some kind of humanoid but the dwarf can't tell what it was.
The southern hallway opens up into a green house.
The eastern hallway goes down to a room with a lit fire.
The players go south into the greenhouse and find two knotted ropes coming down. The cleric decides to cut the ropes ten foot up as the Elf decides to climb up the rope. She finds a mulemaster and a pack mule. The mulemaster is heavily question by the elf as the dwarf climbs up. The dwarf finds out that two of the NPCs that were not hired Raph and Tran have decided to come to the Black Stairs themselves. The Dwarf pays the mulemaster 3 gold and tells him to cut the rope when they get back down. The elf and dwarf climb back down and the rope begins to get pulled back up with the mulemaster explaining that he did not have a knife to cut the rope so he would just pull it up. The Dwarf runs and leaps grabbing the rope. The mulemaster surprised by this does not let go of the rope and accidentally gets pulled down headfirst to his death 20 feet below. The party rolls in laughter with this strange turn of events.
The party then decides to go down the eastern hallway and the elf scouts down the hall and sees three goblins completely distracted by something farther down the hallway. The elf decides to sneak up and gives a battle cry too early allowing the goblins a chance to attack but somehow they all miss. The party quickly dispatches the goblins and find an old mine, 6 slaves and a freshly dug gold mine with many nuggets of gold.
The party decides to get the heck back to Raven's Keep and right in the servant's quarters they are ambushed by Raph and Tran. Raph and Tran attack with crossbow and Spear and miss! They close in and the Dwarf is killed (CRIT!) by Tran as well as Melenad and Beledad. The cleric is taken out as well as the elf but she does manage to kill Raph. Only Eva the thief is left standing as she fires her arrows at Tran hitting him but he still is up. She drops her bow and draws her sword as the battle axe barely misses. They both make a last strike his axe cutting her nearly to death and her blade hitting the mark killing Tran. She tires to heal the cleric and fails and succeeds on the elf who quickly pours a potion of healing that they found earlier in the cleric's mouth. They limp back to town.
I use the Dave Arneson method of spend the gold in order to get the Experience Points for it.
The cleric is a worshiper of Bobber the god of fishing. He find the temple of Bobber in great disrepair and their acolytes lax. The local priest of Bobber is an old man who claims to be 115 years old. Much gold is spent getting the temple in repair.
The Thief spends her money on much partying.
The Elf Thief spends her money of a fully armored warhorse. A new set of armor, some caltrops, a couple of tattoos, new fancy sets of clothing, and the rest is wasted on partying.
The brother of the Dwarf comes to the city looking for his brother. He is saddened to find that he is dead and is gladdened to find he died in battle with honor.
The party hires the following NPCs
Mark the Fighter M Chain and Shield with Sword.
The Band of Dwarves M, Dully, Martrus, Dontar, Dunkin, and Brannoc. All had Ring and Shield with Battle Axes!
There was Stryder the Elf Warrior and Mage with Longbow ready to fire.
They all headed back to the Black Stairs ready for Part 1.5 which I will tell later...
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
The Wicker Man
It is said that each year in order in ensure a good harvest the Grain Maiden requires a husband the Wicker Man. She on good years takes any and all such as a slave or criminal but on desperate days she takes a person of pure blood preferably a virgin. Such as the old ways of Raven's Fort.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Drunk and Stupid!
Raven's Keep
She is a city that is build upon the ruins of another. No Dwarf woulds do such a thing but the wellspring in the center of the city that flows water as if from the elemental plane of water itself feeds all things in the area an makes them green. The ruins below will give you grief for we warned ye of the goblins and kobolds but we were called stubby little busybodies. Well we will make money off of our steel and will desert your foolish asses when it is unsafe. A city of 8000 or more people. I say more than 8000 cause there are many coming from the east escaping the war with the Zezusalonians. Most for work on farms and in the city. A small few are adventurers wanting the gold that lies in these ruined lands. I hope they stir up not the foul things that lay quiet forgetting how evil and powerful they be. Humans have a tendency to stir up ancient and foul beast who end up being a huge problems that we dwarves have to take care of. Stupid humans always wanting to fight for expansion when you can't make what you got at home perfect.
The Little Barony far far into the Western Frontier
I created the Odd Earth concept with the original Odd Guild group on a few postings. Later on with the new Odd Guild members came out with a setting called Odd Earth but I assume forgot to give me credit for the name and initial concept. Their concept of it a dream world of the know world has failed and as it was I that came up with it originally I will now use it in the background for my game world's name.
Being that I am unemployed I will most not likely be able to go to Babelcon. I was so hoping to play S&W with the Red Priest I do have one redeeming possibility, with half the gaming group being away at the con I will have the rest play my S&W setting. There has been game CLUNK with the hours long combat in 4th edition. People have began to notice that battles are long and get boring no matter how good the DM is AND we have fantastic DMs. S&W will show these gamers a new way (OR their munchkinisims will come through) that simple can and does work.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Raven's Keep
A Human Fighter and two Female Elves.
The Fighter had been traveling for the last 14 days from the Capital to Raven's Keep. A few hours before the city he met up with two female elves. Two Adarian Elves who told a story of the baron of Raven's Keep ravishing an elvish princess of their tribe and now they were at war with the baron. The Fighter groaned as he knew these elves would be trouble.
As they approached the city there was a great crowd of people and screams of pain! There was a man burning at the stake! A few rotting bodies hung by the neck from the wall, people in brass pots with only their heads sticking out who would be left to die slowly in their own filth. Stocks of ten with four unfortunates in them, to be left for days outside the city walls and anything could happen to them.
Then there was this raven haired girl with bright blue eyes and pale white skin. She wore strange black and red leather armor. She and two guards were at the top of the great stone wall some 20 ft high. She was abut to be hung by the neck until dead. The elves began to complain and the fighter told them this is the law and this is crime and punishment. As they were discussing the girl who was proclaiming her innocence and said she had spurned the baron, was throw off the wall and the noose caught on (1d6 damage) but it did not snap her neck but she would die (1 pt of damage a round) soon. One of the elves pulled out her bow and shot through the rope allowing the girl fall. The rather large crowd went wild and began to run into the town as someone screamed goblins attacking! The elf maidens quickly escorted the girl back into the city where she disappeared into the crowds. The fighter suggested that they do the same.
They found a rowdy inn and found rumors of all sorts of things going on. The baron was a womanizer, slavery was very popular here, two dungeons Bloodrock Castle and the Black Stairs beckoned adventureres to explore them and a few adventurer parties had went but never returned. Much adventure was to be found here.
A sage of great wisdom invited the party for a drink and told of Bloodrock Castle and a Tome that he wanted for a hefty price. He would tell them of the location and they would return him the Tome.
SO they went....
To be Continued
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Raven's Keep.
The little barony far far in the western frontier. First of all the walled city of Raven's Keep came out really well. It is a city of around 8000 (or more) people. I placed it in the middle of the map with a road going back to the eastern kingdom. The western road comes out and joins a north south road.
It is well know that the city was founded long ago but the history is very mysterious. The most popular story is the city was founded because of a wellspring. A never ending wellspring that gives the entire city running water unless the cold freezes it. The water drains down to an ancient sewer that depths are unknown. The city is surrounded by bountiful fields that are are watered by the wellspring.
The oldest and most poplar religion of the people is of the Grain Goddess Keres. The city will live and breath the ancient festivals dominated by this goddess including one inspired by the original 70s movie The Wicker Man. There are other churches as well. A few will be written by the players.
The scale is rather small. One inch equal five miles. On an 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper not a large setting but I have packed this page with lots of possibilities.
There are two dungeons the simple Bloodrock Castle and The Black Stairs less than a day away.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
From Blog to Blog to Blog! ALAS the West Marches!
http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/78/grand-experiments-west-marches/
BUT the level of detail and the ideas that I can mine from this! His blog is one of the most impressive I have ever seen.
Well reading over the west marches has given me the UMPH! to get my setting started.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
ARGH!
Should I call my setting Odd Earth? When I originally posted about it on the Odd Guild many years ago it was seemingly ignored. The Odd Guild ends and then restarts and lo and behold a setting with the name I came up with: Odd Earth.
I of course joined the group but no one gave me credit for the concept. I suppose that none remember. I did mention another direction to go with Odd Earth but not one person has responded.
Does it matter really? I hope not.
I am still going to work on a setting that starts from the inside out. Almost every campaign setting starts out with a huge world map that they cannot possibly finish. It will be a very European and primordial setting. A barony upon a hill with a rather large town. A barony foolishly built on ruins that unbeknown to the town people is a huge rotting dungeon. The Barony was a former dungeon reclaimed by the current's baron's father. It is the farthest to the west of the frontier lands. Some 14 days to the east is the great imperial city which will not be detailed until I get to it.
The Barony shall be Map 0, 0 on an 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper. The first number is Vertical and the second Horizontal Positive (up and left) negative (down and right). Perhaps someone shall take interest once I get the first map down. I want it to be totally old school as crude hand drawn maps and dungeons. I want the artwork to be crude line drawings. Most of all I want the story to be good.
If this ever gets done (as well as Temple of the Monkey God) I may just LULU it myself. All my notes on the Barony really are looking good. I want a "Towns of the Outlands" type document that one can read over and just enjoy it even if they never play it. Most of all it shall not become a job but a work of joy.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Adventures in Odd Earth
Where the Old Gods walk the Earth.
To the north is the Icelands. The oceans are low and there are far more lands of man and monster.
The base of this setting will be the Little Barony located somewhere around where England is today some mythic age possibly 15,000 to 25,000 years ago.
Huge animals run free.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:EarlyPleistoceneAnimals.png
I want to include Silurian animals and forest.
Pangea or Ice age world with the sea levels a few hundred feet lower?
Just a few ideas.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Odd Earth
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Odd Earth
Odd Earth is our world in a lost ancient time. The ice caps are huge and there are now massive continents making the oceans and seas smaller. The world is very primitive as volcanoes and savage storms beat down upon mankind. Lands can be changed and destroyed by the violent earthquakes, floods, and other disasters. Some lands have disappeared all together. Different areas of the world will correspond to the cultures and lands of history and today but in a more magical ancient forgotten time.
It is a time of great and terrible wars (Chainmail anyone?) that tear across the different lands destroying and conquering. Odd Earth is very sparsely populated and with all its centuries of wars and destruction the lands are filled with forgotten dungeons and crypts.
There is a land that lies many miles from what will be off the coast of England. This land long flooded and forgotten is a land full of ancient tales.
It all starts in a little Barony far southeast in the borderland frontier…
The little growing village lies right outside the Baron's castle. From here you shall adventure and clear out the dungeons in the area. This village like the Odd Earth shall grow into a town in a few years and then a city. The players themselves may become barons and start their own Baronies. All is rumored not well. To the south the Black Dragon's goblins attack outlying farms and lumber camps. To the east the villain only know as the Black Baron is harassing and claiming some of the lands of this fair Barony. To the north a vile army of the undead frequently attacks small settlements. The baron is loyal to the King to the east though none from this village have ever traveled to his lands.
Far into the eastern lands is the rumored city of Babylon, a city older than any other built before time, a city of a thousand gods. It is where the Emperor of the world lives.
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Where most people go wrong with making a setting is they start with a huge map and then try to fill it with details. Even with a large group you just can't do it. My Original concept for Odd Earth was to start out with a small land and completely detail it then expand in all directions from that map.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Back to the Drawingboard
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Temple of the Monkey God
I really like the vibe of Brave Halfling publishing and they are asking for submissions. Being that they are an established OSR company I feel they are my best choice because of their OSR fame.
The Temple of the Monkey god is going to be a really tough wilderness and dungeon adventure. It will require many Men-at-arms to succeed.
IF the players are crafty they will survive with no problem. In the old days MY parties would wipe out most of the enemy with missile attacks before they got to us then dispatch them by sword!