In my Vats of Mazarin game, I've been beginning to discover that character level seems to progress much faster than dungeon level. Now, the first level of my megadungeon is quite large, about 80 rooms, but even after exploring only 50 of them (although they've found all but two areas of interest), the party has reached 2nd and/or 3rd level. Maybe it's because the party is quite small and thus splits the experience only a few ways, but they seem to be stocking up on hirelings and henchmen. There have even been five character deaths and everyone is still progressing so quickly compared to the level of the dungeon they are on.
Part of the problem, is that I've made the dungeon too interesting. That might be the wrong word, but seem like the players are apprehensive about missing anything - they want to explore everything that there is to be explored and gleam every bit of knowledge out of it they can find.
I'm starting to appreciate more the Arnesoian three level system: Flunky, Hero, and Superhero. Different parts of the dungeon could geared towards the three character levels with each level of the dungeon being more of a thematic change that an increase in difficulty.
On a completely different note, I've begun to think more about X-Plorers. The Fight On! Random Tables book has some really great gonzo science-fiction related tables within and I'm just itching to get some use out of them. I have some definite issues with the game, rules wise, but who knows, it might play great even if I don't really get it on paper. I want to get some experience with it under my belt before I start house-ruling the crap out of it.
"A doomed man needs no such elegant footwear." - Jack Vance, Eyes of the Overworld
Showing posts with label B/X Dungeons and Dragons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label B/X Dungeons and Dragons. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Vats of Mazarin - Session #4
Medium: Google+ Hangouts
System: B/X D&D
Characters:
Another great session, although Jake was unable to join us this week. The party first explored the area they located last week that the former barbarian chieftain has refused to entry due to a fear of the gold snakes within. Turns out that it was only the shrine to the Snake Men, and the gold snakes were merely statues. Inside the alter, however, the party located a passage down into a lower section of the dungeon, which they deemed to dangerous to yet explore.
The group also met up with two magic-users, who introduced themselves using the names "Fred" and "George" (a wander encounter with a good reaction roll - and no, they're not identical) who were exploring the Mazarin's complex in search of a map that beloned to Fred's great grandfather - a former student of Mazarin's. They made a deal agreed to team up with the party - who is more interested in treasure than maps.
The map was found in a sort of dorm block for Mazarin's students along with a pyramid of 10 deep-blue gems. The map showed an ancient pyramid located deep below the Vats of Mazarin, the two magic-user's new destination. According to the magic-users, the gems must be ground into a powder in order to enter the pyramid. In addition to Fred's great grandfather's room there would six other quirky apprentices. One of which trapped his room after being expelled (letter of expulsion left on his desk and poisoned needles in the bed).
Before heading out of the dungeon, the party made their way to a gold statue that depicted the solar system. Using a lever on the wall, the planets were made to arrange themselves in four specific configurations. Using an inaccurate star chart found in the room of one of the apprentices and the number of books collected during their excursions, the party was able to calculate the approximate time of the four arrangements - relatively close future, present day, about 50 thousand years in the past and about 100 thousand years in the past.
After copying down the configurations, the party rolled the planets outside the complex and began to scrap the gold plating off of them, during which a group of wanderers in white robes (another wandering encounter) walked into the dungeon, paying no attention to the party, but blasting away a single mole man with a lightning bolt before allowing him a chance to act.
This session also saw the demise of Murd, the fighter retainer and veteran of two delves into the dungeon, the poison of a giant spider did him in. His body was given to the Mole Men - the party claiming that they had "killed off the traitor," a reference to the Murd and Squalia's previous expedition, in which 7 Mole Men were murdered for their bars of gold.
System: B/X D&D
Characters:
- Brother Hoyle, cleric 3 (Matt)
- Abbador, magic-user 2 (Will/Coffee)
- Squolia, thief 1 (Anthony)
Murd, fighter 1 (retainer)- Belgon, magic-user 1 (retainer)
- Mike, normal man (hireling)
Another great session, although Jake was unable to join us this week. The party first explored the area they located last week that the former barbarian chieftain has refused to entry due to a fear of the gold snakes within. Turns out that it was only the shrine to the Snake Men, and the gold snakes were merely statues. Inside the alter, however, the party located a passage down into a lower section of the dungeon, which they deemed to dangerous to yet explore.
The group also met up with two magic-users, who introduced themselves using the names "Fred" and "George" (a wander encounter with a good reaction roll - and no, they're not identical) who were exploring the Mazarin's complex in search of a map that beloned to Fred's great grandfather - a former student of Mazarin's. They made a deal agreed to team up with the party - who is more interested in treasure than maps.
The map was found in a sort of dorm block for Mazarin's students along with a pyramid of 10 deep-blue gems. The map showed an ancient pyramid located deep below the Vats of Mazarin, the two magic-user's new destination. According to the magic-users, the gems must be ground into a powder in order to enter the pyramid. In addition to Fred's great grandfather's room there would six other quirky apprentices. One of which trapped his room after being expelled (letter of expulsion left on his desk and poisoned needles in the bed).
Before heading out of the dungeon, the party made their way to a gold statue that depicted the solar system. Using a lever on the wall, the planets were made to arrange themselves in four specific configurations. Using an inaccurate star chart found in the room of one of the apprentices and the number of books collected during their excursions, the party was able to calculate the approximate time of the four arrangements - relatively close future, present day, about 50 thousand years in the past and about 100 thousand years in the past.
After copying down the configurations, the party rolled the planets outside the complex and began to scrap the gold plating off of them, during which a group of wanderers in white robes (another wandering encounter) walked into the dungeon, paying no attention to the party, but blasting away a single mole man with a lightning bolt before allowing him a chance to act.
This session also saw the demise of Murd, the fighter retainer and veteran of two delves into the dungeon, the poison of a giant spider did him in. His body was given to the Mole Men - the party claiming that they had "killed off the traitor," a reference to the Murd and Squalia's previous expedition, in which 7 Mole Men were murdered for their bars of gold.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Vats of Mazarin - Session #3
Medium: Google+ Hangouts
System: B/X D&D
Characters:
Last night was a pretty tiny session, only two players, during which two separate dungeon expositions. I'm typically not a fan of smaller games, and I think that showed in my DMing ability last night. Reguardless, I still had an enjoyable time and the session added a heavy dose of depth to the game which will hopefully be built upon more in the future.
In the first delve into the Vats of Mazarin, Squalia, Thangor, Murd, and Leoden swung north from the bridge over the steaming pit into the tunnels of the Mole Men. The exposition proved deadly for 7 Mole Men and awarded the party 45 gold bars, worth 10 gold a piece. This should prove interesting to see how it affects the previous adventuring party's tentative alliance with the Mole Men, which will likely be dependent on whether or not Murd was recognized. Before shimmying back up the rope to the bridge, Murd was spotted by Thangor's infravision walking back into the Mole Men's tunnels with a small iron chest of gold bars and star-speckled snakes. Questioned after his return, Murd's only answer was, "Gettin' rid of them snakes."
Before the second exposition, the group took a couple of days to acquire two new retainers and a hireling. Actually, Melot and Belgon, two magic-users, hired the party to safely take them into the dungeon in search of artifacts of the Snake Men, of which little reliable information is known. These magic-users are in the employment of a man named Lord Garond or, as he was more commonly refereed to, the Archeologist. They agreed to give the party 10gp each up front plus an addition 100gp per downwards staircase found and an additional 1000gp per each artifact of the Snake Men collected. In addition to these two magic-user, the party also hired Mike the torchbearer.
Heading back into the Vats of Mazarin, Murd unknowing set off a newly placed trip-wire at the back of the cave entrance just before the bridge, presumably set by the Mole Men. A canister of magical gas dropped from the ceiling, causing the Murd, Leoden, Mike and Meltot to go into a berserk rage. After a minute of in-fighting, Murd has killed Leoden and Mike had ended Belgon, at which point the two survivors made their way towards the rest of party, who has fled out of the cave mouth. Luckily, Thangor managed to down them, (in addition to Belgon) with a well-placed sleep spell.
Thangor and Squalia tied up their sleeping companions and searched the bodies of their fallen comrades. Leoden possessed nothing of note, but Meltot wore a jade snake medallion around his neck and carried the floating disk spell in his spell book. The two adventurers then decided to check and see if Belgon wore a similar amulet: he did indeed. Now believing the two to belong to some sort of snake-worshiping cult, the party looked through Belgon's spells book and checked Meltot's body more carefully. In Belgon's spells book the party found map and drawing of an alter with two snake statues labeled the Caverns of Lycin. Upon Meltot's ankle, they found a green tattoo of an eye writhed in the red tongue of a serpent; such a mark could not be round on Belgon. After being woken up, Belgon explained, under threat of torture, that the Cavers of Lycin was the last location given to him to explore by the Archeologist, but claimed not to understand the meaning of the tattoo possessed by his late partner.
After the interrogation, the party lined up the bodies next to those of the previously fallen adventurers and ventured back into the complex. They made their way through an abandoned alchemy laboratory, down into the second level of the dungeon, and into the room of the legendary Vats. After opening up one of the nine iron hatches sealing each of the vats, the party decided not to mess the substances, believing them to be the source of the canisters' power. At that point, however, Thangar felt a dagger pierce his back before keeling over dead. After violently dealing with the thief, an npc inhabiting the dungeon's second level, the party retreated out of the complex.
They then decided to get Thangar resurrected by the high priest of Kelin, leaving Thangar, Squalia, and even Murd impoverished, and journeyed three days west to the city of Parithian. Thangar will now forever be haunted by nightmares.
System: B/X D&D
Characters:
- Squolia, thief 1 (Anthony)
- Thangor, dwarf magic-user 2 (Joe; died, but resurrected)
- Murd, fighter 1 (retainer)
Leoden, fighter 1 (hireling)Meltot, magic-users 1 (retainer)- Belgon, magic-user 1 (retainer)
- Mike, normal man (hireling)
Last night was a pretty tiny session, only two players, during which two separate dungeon expositions. I'm typically not a fan of smaller games, and I think that showed in my DMing ability last night. Reguardless, I still had an enjoyable time and the session added a heavy dose of depth to the game which will hopefully be built upon more in the future.
In the first delve into the Vats of Mazarin, Squalia, Thangor, Murd, and Leoden swung north from the bridge over the steaming pit into the tunnels of the Mole Men. The exposition proved deadly for 7 Mole Men and awarded the party 45 gold bars, worth 10 gold a piece. This should prove interesting to see how it affects the previous adventuring party's tentative alliance with the Mole Men, which will likely be dependent on whether or not Murd was recognized. Before shimmying back up the rope to the bridge, Murd was spotted by Thangor's infravision walking back into the Mole Men's tunnels with a small iron chest of gold bars and star-speckled snakes. Questioned after his return, Murd's only answer was, "Gettin' rid of them snakes."
Before the second exposition, the group took a couple of days to acquire two new retainers and a hireling. Actually, Melot and Belgon, two magic-users, hired the party to safely take them into the dungeon in search of artifacts of the Snake Men, of which little reliable information is known. These magic-users are in the employment of a man named Lord Garond or, as he was more commonly refereed to, the Archeologist. They agreed to give the party 10gp each up front plus an addition 100gp per downwards staircase found and an additional 1000gp per each artifact of the Snake Men collected. In addition to these two magic-user, the party also hired Mike the torchbearer.
Heading back into the Vats of Mazarin, Murd unknowing set off a newly placed trip-wire at the back of the cave entrance just before the bridge, presumably set by the Mole Men. A canister of magical gas dropped from the ceiling, causing the Murd, Leoden, Mike and Meltot to go into a berserk rage. After a minute of in-fighting, Murd has killed Leoden and Mike had ended Belgon, at which point the two survivors made their way towards the rest of party, who has fled out of the cave mouth. Luckily, Thangor managed to down them, (in addition to Belgon) with a well-placed sleep spell.
Thangor and Squalia tied up their sleeping companions and searched the bodies of their fallen comrades. Leoden possessed nothing of note, but Meltot wore a jade snake medallion around his neck and carried the floating disk spell in his spell book. The two adventurers then decided to check and see if Belgon wore a similar amulet: he did indeed. Now believing the two to belong to some sort of snake-worshiping cult, the party looked through Belgon's spells book and checked Meltot's body more carefully. In Belgon's spells book the party found map and drawing of an alter with two snake statues labeled the Caverns of Lycin. Upon Meltot's ankle, they found a green tattoo of an eye writhed in the red tongue of a serpent; such a mark could not be round on Belgon. After being woken up, Belgon explained, under threat of torture, that the Cavers of Lycin was the last location given to him to explore by the Archeologist, but claimed not to understand the meaning of the tattoo possessed by his late partner.
After the interrogation, the party lined up the bodies next to those of the previously fallen adventurers and ventured back into the complex. They made their way through an abandoned alchemy laboratory, down into the second level of the dungeon, and into the room of the legendary Vats. After opening up one of the nine iron hatches sealing each of the vats, the party decided not to mess the substances, believing them to be the source of the canisters' power. At that point, however, Thangar felt a dagger pierce his back before keeling over dead. After violently dealing with the thief, an npc inhabiting the dungeon's second level, the party retreated out of the complex.
They then decided to get Thangar resurrected by the high priest of Kelin, leaving Thangar, Squalia, and even Murd impoverished, and journeyed three days west to the city of Parithian. Thangar will now forever be haunted by nightmares.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Vats of Mazarin - Session #2
Medium: Google+ Hangouts
System: B/X D&D
Characters:
The session began with a short interfiled in town (when I once again gain the use of technology, I'll start working more on the world outside the Vats) were twine and 2 chickens where purchased; the purple potion was identified as a potion of invisibility; and Abbador hired Murd as a retainer (fighter 1).
In the Vats, the group encountered many of the Mole Men's traps, later making allies with them in exchange for routing out the barbarians. Two Mole Men, Lits and Poden, accompanied the group on the expodition along with a number of magical glass vials that expel various gasses (explosive, magical darkness, pyrotechnics, laughing gas, etc). Among other things, the party learned that there are 5 generations of Mole Men, Lits and Poden being among the Fifths. Only 2 "Firsts" are known to exist, Old Tolgen, who died in a mining accident, and a legendary other (identity unknown). Apparently, the Mole Men refer to the creator of the complex as the Master -who may or may not be Mazarin - (and who only the firsts had met), and work to sustain and refurbish his creation.
With the help of the canisters, 6 of which remain, the party expelled the barbarians, killing 10, giving 4 as captives to the Mole Men, and the 6 of harem women were wooed by Abbador. During the battle, Groffer met his end to a fireball expelled from one of the canisters exploding in too small a room - Owsy was only saved by hiding in the flat of an arch just outside the room. Handing over the new Barbarian chief, Gandin, who had recently mutinied again the previous war leader, Oolog - whose body the party found just outside the cave entrance to the Vats - created a permanent alliance with the Mole Men. The Mole Men were likewise exited to find out what would happen if they stuck a human man inside the "Vats" in the level below, which piked the party's interest.
In the end, the party came out with 799 GP, 800 CP, 116 SP, a sack of jewels taken off the barbarian harem, a caldron lined with alchemical runes (which was being used by the barbarians to cook the flesh of Mole Men and other denizens of the vats for dinner), a green unidentified potion, an unidentified magic sword, 1 pink gem, a silver gem, and a gold-plated orb - which the barbarians stole from a statue elsewhere in the complex.
System: B/X D&D
Characters:
- Brother Hoyle, cleric 2 (Matt) - now level 3
- Abbador, magic-user 1 (Will/Coffee) - now level 2
- Murd, fighter 1 (Abbador's retainer)
Groffer, dwarf 1 (Anthony)- Owsy, thief 1 (Jake) - now level 2
- Vera, halfling 1 (Gabrielle)
- Xawatlem, [not quite sure on his class or level], Anthony
The session began with a short interfiled in town (when I once again gain the use of technology, I'll start working more on the world outside the Vats) were twine and 2 chickens where purchased; the purple potion was identified as a potion of invisibility; and Abbador hired Murd as a retainer (fighter 1).
In the Vats, the group encountered many of the Mole Men's traps, later making allies with them in exchange for routing out the barbarians. Two Mole Men, Lits and Poden, accompanied the group on the expodition along with a number of magical glass vials that expel various gasses (explosive, magical darkness, pyrotechnics, laughing gas, etc). Among other things, the party learned that there are 5 generations of Mole Men, Lits and Poden being among the Fifths. Only 2 "Firsts" are known to exist, Old Tolgen, who died in a mining accident, and a legendary other (identity unknown). Apparently, the Mole Men refer to the creator of the complex as the Master -who may or may not be Mazarin - (and who only the firsts had met), and work to sustain and refurbish his creation.
With the help of the canisters, 6 of which remain, the party expelled the barbarians, killing 10, giving 4 as captives to the Mole Men, and the 6 of harem women were wooed by Abbador. During the battle, Groffer met his end to a fireball expelled from one of the canisters exploding in too small a room - Owsy was only saved by hiding in the flat of an arch just outside the room. Handing over the new Barbarian chief, Gandin, who had recently mutinied again the previous war leader, Oolog - whose body the party found just outside the cave entrance to the Vats - created a permanent alliance with the Mole Men. The Mole Men were likewise exited to find out what would happen if they stuck a human man inside the "Vats" in the level below, which piked the party's interest.
In the end, the party came out with 799 GP, 800 CP, 116 SP, a sack of jewels taken off the barbarian harem, a caldron lined with alchemical runes (which was being used by the barbarians to cook the flesh of Mole Men and other denizens of the vats for dinner), a green unidentified potion, an unidentified magic sword, 1 pink gem, a silver gem, and a gold-plated orb - which the barbarians stole from a statue elsewhere in the complex.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Thoughts on Small But Vicious Dog
This morning I've been looking through, Chris Hogan's Small But Vicious Dog, a D&D/Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play hybrid, that caught my eye when glancing over Jeff's Gameblog. The document itself is definitely worth a read through, but what has really got me thinking is a short section towards the end of the text:
I like a sense that death could jump out and smack you in the face at any moment in my games. I feel that the expectation that the party will come out unsuccessful really adds to the sense of fulfillment when everything does pan out, and skilled play is put on a massive pedestal compared to that 18/00 strength you happened to roll during character creation.
On the other hand, I think Mr. Hogan has a point. There's a huge specrtum between being just fine and dandy and dead on your back in the middle of the dungeon. I just have to think more about what exactly that middle ground actually is.
"Making the PCs suffer best evokes the spirit of the source material that inspired SBVD. Put them through the wringer as much as possible before their inevitable, ignominious demise. Killing characters off is no fun; doing everything just short of that is much more entertaining."As you may know, I'm quite a killer DM. Not so much as the B/X Blackrazor guy, but even he is a little overkill for my tastes. Regardless, this section has really got be rethinking my whole gaming philosophy.
I like a sense that death could jump out and smack you in the face at any moment in my games. I feel that the expectation that the party will come out unsuccessful really adds to the sense of fulfillment when everything does pan out, and skilled play is put on a massive pedestal compared to that 18/00 strength you happened to roll during character creation.
On the other hand, I think Mr. Hogan has a point. There's a huge specrtum between being just fine and dandy and dead on your back in the middle of the dungeon. I just have to think more about what exactly that middle ground actually is.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Monster-Based Campaign Design: The Fungal Tombs
Any potential players of mine, stop reading now! Spoilers below.
Now that that's out of the way...
I've started work on the first dungeon for my monster-inspired campaign setting: the Fungal Tombs. I've got about 30 rooms mapped out, about a quarter of those keys, and many of those left to actually put down on paper floating around my head.
The Fungal Tombs are loosely based off of James Raggi's Death Frost Doom and inspired by an old post done by Michael Curtis from the Knights and Knaves Alehouse forum considering fungal mummies. How much more awesome does it get, right?
The basic gist of the the tombs are that a group of chaotic cultists once disguised one of their strongholds as a shrine to Artemis. They specialized in the cremation of bodies after death, but instead of cremating the bodies, the cult kept them below in the catacombs, slowly transforming them into fungal mummies. When the catacombs filled up, the cultists destroyed the village and likewise killed themselves within the catacombs, leaving the mummies to fully mature and themselves to immortalize as the greatest of their specimens. The cult left the tomb moderately filled with treasure, to encourage adventurers to wander into the bygone temple and one day awaken the spongy flesh that has waited for decades below the ruined temple.
Fungal Mummy
Armor Class: 3
Hit Dice: 5
Move: 60' (20')
Attack: 1 touch
Damage: 1d12
No. Appearing: 2-8 (50-500)
Save As: Fighter 5
Moral: 12
Treasure Type: D
Alignment: Chaotic
After decades of transformation, the flesh of a fungal mummy has become a spongy, greenish-fungoid mass. The usual mummy wrappings are covered in vines and poisonous mushrooms--which have a 1 in 6 chance to explode in a mist of violet spores, engulfing all within 10' whenever the mummy is hit. Creatures caught in the spores must make a saving throw versus poison or fall dangerously ill with hypnotic flashes, overcome by the effects of confusion, as per the magic-user spell, for 1d6 melee round. Furthermore, the spores are extremely convulsive and will completely ingrate if there is a torch within the cloud, sending fiery blast out to a 25' radius for 2d6 points of damage.
The fungal flesh renders the mummy immune to the attacks of blunt weapons that rely on impact rather than the splitting of flesh to deal damage, such as maces and flails. They are, however, extremely susceptible to fire. Burning oil or fire-based spells which cause damage deal an additional 1d6 points to fungal mummies. Torches can be used to set a mummy afire, dealing 1d6 points of damage the first round, and 1d4 points of damage each subsequent rounds until a 1 is rolled for damage. Fungal Mummies can be turned my Lawful clerics as they do normal mummies.
Any creature killed by a fungal mummy will rise as a fungal mummy in 2-12 years until the body is completely burned to ash or left in a climate nearly complete devoid of moisture.
Greater Fungal Mummies have 7 hit dice, save as level 7 clerics, and attack twice each round per 1-10 points of damage with each attack. Their spores instead send out a lethal poison (save versus poison or die) and cause confusion on a failed saving throw. Greater Fungal Mummies can likewise be turned by lawful clerics, but as vampires rather than mummies.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Monster-Based Campaign Design (part 1)
After coming up with my list of favorite B/X monsters, I'm realizing that hardly any of them are used in the adventures I've been looking at (B1-B4). I guess I'm just not a big fan of the typically D&D humanoids, goblin, kobolds, and the like. That isn't to say they can't be made to work well; Waysoftheeath's Hinterlands player by post campaign on the ODD74 boards, for example, has been fantastic. But I think I'd like to do something a little more pulpy.
So I'm going to try a little different approach to adventure design. Looking at my list of monsters, I can see that many of them are either typically found in desert (mummies, efreeti, djinni), jungle (frog men, giant lizards, insect swarms), or coastal (buccaneers, sea dragons, water termites) regions. Thus, those will become the basic geography for the campaign.
The only monster that doesn't really work in any of those environments are the Titans from the B/X Companion. Luckily, I had an idea of them already. Titans in my world, are going to be similar to the Olympian gods. In fact, I may just use the Olympian gods--in which case I'll call them Olympians instead of Titans. Regardless, Titans are the most powerful group of creatures that actually play an role in the events of the campaign world, and most of the human population worships them as gods. Most of their priests, however, are normal men, with the higher ranking members as magic-users or fighters.
Clerics have nothing to do with the titans. They are members of a Zoroastrian-like religion, where the forces of Law and Chaos are locked in an unending battle for the universe.
I'm considering steeling the City State of Pelengos from my City State of the Emerald Eye PBP campaign. It is a decadent metropolis that functions are the focal point of the civilized world surrounded by a gibbering wilderness. Here's a short except from the campaign concerning the city's history:
Alright, that's what I've got for now. More tomorrow, hopefully.
So I'm going to try a little different approach to adventure design. Looking at my list of monsters, I can see that many of them are either typically found in desert (mummies, efreeti, djinni), jungle (frog men, giant lizards, insect swarms), or coastal (buccaneers, sea dragons, water termites) regions. Thus, those will become the basic geography for the campaign.
The only monster that doesn't really work in any of those environments are the Titans from the B/X Companion. Luckily, I had an idea of them already. Titans in my world, are going to be similar to the Olympian gods. In fact, I may just use the Olympian gods--in which case I'll call them Olympians instead of Titans. Regardless, Titans are the most powerful group of creatures that actually play an role in the events of the campaign world, and most of the human population worships them as gods. Most of their priests, however, are normal men, with the higher ranking members as magic-users or fighters.
Clerics have nothing to do with the titans. They are members of a Zoroastrian-like religion, where the forces of Law and Chaos are locked in an unending battle for the universe.
I'm considering steeling the City State of Pelengos from my City State of the Emerald Eye PBP campaign. It is a decadent metropolis that functions are the focal point of the civilized world surrounded by a gibbering wilderness. Here's a short except from the campaign concerning the city's history:
The "Tyrant" is the coloquial name for the "Prince of the Emerald Eye", the autocrat that rules over the City State of the Emerald Eye. His grandfather, the first Tyrant, for was foreign conqueror from a civilized land and built Pelengos to rule over the newly captured territory. During the short reign of his son, his control over the surrounding land diminished and is now no more than the land within the walls of the City State.Another major city is the legendary City of Brass, the city of the Efreeti, which will be located either in the desert region in a low valley or on a distant planet that can be accessed via a portal located in a lost desert ruin. Either is almost impossible to reach due to its distance from any oases, but the city filled with both great danger and great treasure. In my mind, the City of Brass is the pinocle of adventuring sites in terms of difficultly and potential pay off.
Alright, that's what I've got for now. More tomorrow, hopefully.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Favorite B/X/C Monsters
Tonight I read through B/X as well as the B/X Companion and wrote down all of the monsters I wanted to write into upcoming adventures. Some are common monsters that I've always been fond of, while others are monster's that caught my eye or a monster I've always wanted to try; some will need modifying to make them work in a lower level campaign, others will need a complete overhaul. Regardless, I'd like to keep this list around and I can't think of a better place to store it than here.
Basic
- Centipede, Giant
- Insect Swarm
- Living Statue
- Lizard, giant
- Shrieker
- Skeleton
- Spiders
- Sprite
- Snakes
- Yellow Mold
Expert
- Cockatrice
- Cyclops
- Devil Swine (the monster that inspired me to write up this list)
- Dinni, lesser
- Efreeti, lesser
- Elephant
- Golem
- Men, buccaneers
- Men, devishes
- Mermen
- Mummy
- Octopus, giant
- Purple Worm
- Sea Dragon
- Scorpion, giant
- Shark
- Toad, giant
- Water Termite
B/X Companion
- Frog Folk
- Djinni, greater
- Efreeti, greater
- Gorgon, greater
- Luck Devourer
- Hag
- Jubjub Bird
- Land Shark
- Mummy, greater
- Ogre Mage
- Ponaturi
- Phoenix
- Rakshasa
- Sewer Abomination
- Sphinx
- Swamp Shambler
- Titans
- Viper Moth
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Palace of the Silver Princess + B1, B2, and B4
One of the key characteristics is that B3 does not try and create a world of typical medieval fantasy. Instead it just kinda does its own thing and has a very unique personality and feel because of it. There are werebear worshipping barbarians, insane adventurers, a cunning anti-cleric, and a whole host of atypical monsters, such as Digger, a unique creature that disguises itself as a marble pool, and Jupiter Blood Suckers, a host of vampiric plants.
Thus I have selected the Palace of the Silver Princess to be the basis of my upcoming campaign (assuming I get the whole thing off the ground at all). I'll be using the map on page 5 as the basis of the setting, adding in the Caves of Chaos (now in the mountains just north east of Thoruld), the Mad Hermit (woods south of the Palace of the Silver Princess), Mound of the Lizard Men (Misty Swamp), and the Raider's Camp (woods north west of Thoruld) from B2, Cynidicea from B4 will be relocated to the Misty Swamp, and the Caverns of Quasqueton from B1 will be placed in the mountains near the village of Mere.
The one thing I would like to add is a lawful wizard's tower somewhere between Thoruld and Gulluvia that the characters can go to for advice and/or expand their knowledge of magic. I'm thinking he will be a crazy, old astrologer obsessed with the fortune and prophecies that never seem to come to pass (...but one day...). More on him later.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Brainstorming for a New Campaign
With the school year coming to close here at OSU coming, most of my players will be heading off home or will be away at prestigious internships for the summer. Me? I'll be acting.
Rather than continue the current campaign with only half the players, I thought I would try something completely different.
So here's the plan. Public gaming. Sitting in the Memorial Union lounge for a few hours each week playing D&D and welcoming interested passersby to sit down and join. It'll be super relaxed and hopefully attract a large group of fluctuating players.
For rules I'll be using Basic D&D, either the Holmes or Moldvay edited versions. A simple game for casual gameplay. right now I'm leaning towards Moldvay, but I'm not ready to make any commitments till I reread them both.
As for the setting, I'll be taking B1: In Search of the Unknown, B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, B3: Palace of the Silver Princess, and B4: The Lost City and turning them into a mini-sandbox. I plan on adding some hints of inter-connectedness between some of modules, redrawing the wilderness maps to include all three modules, and fleshing out the additional sites included in B2 and B3.
I've actually never played any of these modules, so I'm looking forward to a good time and adding my own spin to them.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
B/X/C Vikings: Games and Sports
This will either be the last or second to last of my Viking related posts for a while. I seem to have gotten over the crazy. Just so we're clear, though, this section is almost wholly adapted from Vikings and Valkyries.
First read:
Introduction
Character Classes
Equipment and Combat
VIKING GAMES AND SPORTS
Arm Wrestling – Add 1d3 to each contestant’s strength score. The higher total wins. Ties go to the character with the higher constitution.
Braid Cutting – grab a saucy tavern wench with braided hair and hold her up against a wall. The goal is to cut off each braid with a thrown axe. Fun for showing off talent as a solution to minor disputes. Each time the axe is thrown, make an attack roll. if the total is 20 or more, the axe cuts one of the braids. If the roll is less than 10, the axe misses altogether. If the roll is greater than 10, but less than 20, it’s time for a damage roll, the mood is blown, and the tavern is messy.
Shield Running – This game involves two or more contestants running across the tops of shields held overtop of an indefinite mass of assemble warriors. Contestants must run as quickly and nimbly as possible without losing their balance. Roll a d20 and combat the result to the character’s dexterity score. If the result is higher, the character’s dexterity, the character falls. The contestant with the highest total that does not fall aground is the victory. Falling from the shield-roof inflicts 1d6 points of damage and much taunting and embracement.
Drinking – Characters have a drinking limit of 3 + their construction adjustment, after which, a save vs. poison must be made for each additional drink. On a failed, the character suffers a cumulative -2 penalty to all saving throws, missile to hit rolls, armor class, and anything else that seems appropriate. If the roll fails to exceed half the score necessary to save, the character passes out for 2d6 hours. On a successful save, the character rolls an addition die of damage in melee (using the single highest result). The victory of a drinking contest usually goes to the last man standing or the winner of a resulting brawl.
First read:
Introduction
Character Classes
Equipment and Combat
VIKING GAMES AND SPORTS
Arm Wrestling – Add 1d3 to each contestant’s strength score. The higher total wins. Ties go to the character with the higher constitution.
Braid Cutting – grab a saucy tavern wench with braided hair and hold her up against a wall. The goal is to cut off each braid with a thrown axe. Fun for showing off talent as a solution to minor disputes. Each time the axe is thrown, make an attack roll. if the total is 20 or more, the axe cuts one of the braids. If the roll is less than 10, the axe misses altogether. If the roll is greater than 10, but less than 20, it’s time for a damage roll, the mood is blown, and the tavern is messy.
Shield Running – This game involves two or more contestants running across the tops of shields held overtop of an indefinite mass of assemble warriors. Contestants must run as quickly and nimbly as possible without losing their balance. Roll a d20 and combat the result to the character’s dexterity score. If the result is higher, the character’s dexterity, the character falls. The contestant with the highest total that does not fall aground is the victory. Falling from the shield-roof inflicts 1d6 points of damage and much taunting and embracement.
Drinking – Characters have a drinking limit of 3 + their construction adjustment, after which, a save vs. poison must be made for each additional drink. On a failed, the character suffers a cumulative -2 penalty to all saving throws, missile to hit rolls, armor class, and anything else that seems appropriate. If the roll fails to exceed half the score necessary to save, the character passes out for 2d6 hours. On a successful save, the character rolls an addition die of damage in melee (using the single highest result). The victory of a drinking contest usually goes to the last man standing or the winner of a resulting brawl.
B/X/C Vikings: Equipment and Combat
First read:
Introduction
Character Classes
EQUIPMENT
Standard coinage is silver rather than gold. All prices are in silver rather than gold pieces and characters begin player with 3d6x100 silver coins.
No plate mail, yet. To make up for this, shields instead provide a +2 rather than a +1 bonus to AC. A helmet provides a +1 to AC. A horn helmet can be used to deal 1d3 points of damage when charging with a successful attack.
Weapons are generally limited to battle axe, hand axe, sax, spear, sword, bow, sling. All weapons deal 1d6 points of damage. Two-handed weapons roll two dice and take the higher result.
Battle Axe – two-handed weapon and can break hafts and shields
Hand Axe – can be thrown and can break hafts and shields
Sax – can be used in even the tightest spaces and even when grappling
Spear – can be thrown or used in one or two hands
Sword – can’t be broken can break hafts
Bow – much farther range than sling
Sling – ammunition can be found just about anywhere
COMBAT
Going Berserk – Fighters engaged in melee combat can work themselves into a savage, uncontrollable rage. Similarly, half-giants must succeed a save vs. spell after each round of combat to avoid going berserk. While in this state of battle madness, a berserker will always act first in the initiative and roll an additional die for damage and take the highest result, but are unable to disengage from melee combat. So long as there is a single opponent standing, the character will continue to fight to the death, regardless of the risks.
Shield Bashing – Fighters can alternatively use a shield to grant them a +2 bonus to hit on a single attack in exchange for the bonus to AC.
Breaking Hafts and Shields – An attacker may choose to attack an opponent’s weapon haft or shield instead of attacking the opponent himself. It can only be attempted with an axe or sword, and only axes can break shields. The to-hit roll ignores the opponent’s worn armor, but not dexterity bonus to AC. If the attack succeeds, roll damage as normal. 3 or higher and a haft is broken, 5 or higher to break a shield.
Maiming Opponents – On a roll of a natural 20, a character may choose either to deal maximum damage or permanently maim his opponent (and roll damage normally). Hands can be severed by sword and axes; eyes pierced saxes, spears, swords, and missiles; disfigured by any except spears and missiles.
Bar Room Brawling and Wresting – This includes punches, kicks, head buts, eye-gouging, and any other crude forms of unarmed combat. An attack is made vs. a character’s unarmored AC (dexterity and shields are still taken into account). If the attack is successful, the two characters are considered to be brawling (and damage is dealt). Attacks continue to ignore armor, and weapons longer than a sax are of no use. Fighting unarmed deals only 1d3 (+ Strength adjustment) points of [possibly nonlethal] damage, but a roll of an 18, 19, or 20 indicates a knockout for 2d6 rounds. Disengaging from an unfinished brawl requires a successful attack, but does not deal damage.
Introduction
Character Classes
EQUIPMENT
Standard coinage is silver rather than gold. All prices are in silver rather than gold pieces and characters begin player with 3d6x100 silver coins.
No plate mail, yet. To make up for this, shields instead provide a +2 rather than a +1 bonus to AC. A helmet provides a +1 to AC. A horn helmet can be used to deal 1d3 points of damage when charging with a successful attack.
Weapons are generally limited to battle axe, hand axe, sax, spear, sword, bow, sling. All weapons deal 1d6 points of damage. Two-handed weapons roll two dice and take the higher result.
Battle Axe – two-handed weapon and can break hafts and shields
Hand Axe – can be thrown and can break hafts and shields
Sax – can be used in even the tightest spaces and even when grappling
Spear – can be thrown or used in one or two hands
Sword – can’t be broken can break hafts
Bow – much farther range than sling
Sling – ammunition can be found just about anywhere
COMBAT
Going Berserk – Fighters engaged in melee combat can work themselves into a savage, uncontrollable rage. Similarly, half-giants must succeed a save vs. spell after each round of combat to avoid going berserk. While in this state of battle madness, a berserker will always act first in the initiative and roll an additional die for damage and take the highest result, but are unable to disengage from melee combat. So long as there is a single opponent standing, the character will continue to fight to the death, regardless of the risks.
Shield Bashing – Fighters can alternatively use a shield to grant them a +2 bonus to hit on a single attack in exchange for the bonus to AC.
Breaking Hafts and Shields – An attacker may choose to attack an opponent’s weapon haft or shield instead of attacking the opponent himself. It can only be attempted with an axe or sword, and only axes can break shields. The to-hit roll ignores the opponent’s worn armor, but not dexterity bonus to AC. If the attack succeeds, roll damage as normal. 3 or higher and a haft is broken, 5 or higher to break a shield.
Maiming Opponents – On a roll of a natural 20, a character may choose either to deal maximum damage or permanently maim his opponent (and roll damage normally). Hands can be severed by sword and axes; eyes pierced saxes, spears, swords, and missiles; disfigured by any except spears and missiles.
Bar Room Brawling and Wresting – This includes punches, kicks, head buts, eye-gouging, and any other crude forms of unarmed combat. An attack is made vs. a character’s unarmored AC (dexterity and shields are still taken into account). If the attack is successful, the two characters are considered to be brawling (and damage is dealt). Attacks continue to ignore armor, and weapons longer than a sax are of no use. Fighting unarmed deals only 1d3 (+ Strength adjustment) points of [possibly nonlethal] damage, but a roll of an 18, 19, or 20 indicates a knockout for 2d6 rounds. Disengaging from an unfinished brawl requires a successful attack, but does not deal damage.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
B/X/C Vikings: Classes
First See:
B/X/C Viking: Introduction
CHARACTER CLASSES
Characters can be Dwarves, Fighters, Half-Giants, Mages, Thieves, Skalds, and Wizards. Characters may not advance past 14th level.
Dwarves – No infravision. After reaching 9th level, dwarves may forge magical arms and armor as a magic-user.
Fighters – There are several special combat maneuvers that can only be used by fighters, such as going berserk and shield bashing.
Mages and Wizards – There are two types of magic-users: wizened old Wizards, knowledgeable but weakened with age and powerful, arrogant Mages. The first is represented by the magic-user class. The second by the “elf” class, only without infravision, additional languages, immunity to the paralyzing touch of ghouls, and have the normal chance to find secret doors.
Skalds – Skalds are warrior-poets and collectors of Nordic lore. Sitting around the firesides, Skalds inspire their comrades with tales of honor in battle, the glories of victory, and the hardships of loss. (This class is based on the Bard is JB’s B/X Companion.)
Skald Spell-Like Powers By Level
1st level: Bless (requires 1 turn to take affect)
2nd level: Remove Fear (requires 1 round to take affect)
3rd level: Instill Fear* (requires 1 minute to take affect)
4th level: Charm Person (requires 1 turn to take affect)
5th level: Dispel Magic (requires 1 turn to take affect)
6th level: Remove Curse (requires 1 turn to take affect)
7th level: Phantasmal Force (requires 1 turn to take affect)
8th level: Cause Fear (requires 1 minuet to take effect)
9th level: Ant-Magic Shell (requires 1 turn to take affect)
* Forces one humanoid creature per level of the Skald within earshot to make a moral roll or flee/surrender.
Thieves – Just as likely to be spies, scouts, woodsmen, and men of cunning than tomb robber or adventurous burglars. Thieves can Track as they would find/remove traps.
Half-Giants – Half-Giants stand head and shoulders above most mortals and are viewed with superstitious awe by humans. While monstrously strong, half-giants are not especially agile or clever and tend to be rude or unkempt.
B/X/C Viking: Introduction
CHARACTER CLASSES
Characters can be Dwarves, Fighters, Half-Giants, Mages, Thieves, Skalds, and Wizards. Characters may not advance past 14th level.
Dwarves – No infravision. After reaching 9th level, dwarves may forge magical arms and armor as a magic-user.
Fighters – There are several special combat maneuvers that can only be used by fighters, such as going berserk and shield bashing.
Mages and Wizards – There are two types of magic-users: wizened old Wizards, knowledgeable but weakened with age and powerful, arrogant Mages. The first is represented by the magic-user class. The second by the “elf” class, only without infravision, additional languages, immunity to the paralyzing touch of ghouls, and have the normal chance to find secret doors.
Skalds – Skalds are warrior-poets and collectors of Nordic lore. Sitting around the firesides, Skalds inspire their comrades with tales of honor in battle, the glories of victory, and the hardships of loss. (This class is based on the Bard is JB’s B/X Companion.)
- Prime Requisite: Charisma
- HD: d6
- Experience Progression: As Clerics
- To Hit, & Save Progression: as Elves
- Weapons and Armor: Any
- A Skald’s poetry can inspire those around him or even create magical effects. Skalds learn to produce the following spell-like powers at different levels of experience.
- A skald learns one additional language for every level after first (in addition to Nodic and any languages from high intelligence).A bard has a chance base on level to know useful legends or lore regarding geographical regions, heroic personages, and legendary magic items. This chance is the same as a thief’s chance to pick pockets.
Skald Spell-Like Powers By Level
1st level: Bless (requires 1 turn to take affect)
2nd level: Remove Fear (requires 1 round to take affect)
3rd level: Instill Fear* (requires 1 minute to take affect)
4th level: Charm Person (requires 1 turn to take affect)
5th level: Dispel Magic (requires 1 turn to take affect)
6th level: Remove Curse (requires 1 turn to take affect)
7th level: Phantasmal Force (requires 1 turn to take affect)
8th level: Cause Fear (requires 1 minuet to take effect)
9th level: Ant-Magic Shell (requires 1 turn to take affect)
* Forces one humanoid creature per level of the Skald within earshot to make a moral roll or flee/surrender.
Thieves – Just as likely to be spies, scouts, woodsmen, and men of cunning than tomb robber or adventurous burglars. Thieves can Track as they would find/remove traps.
Half-Giants – Half-Giants stand head and shoulders above most mortals and are viewed with superstitious awe by humans. While monstrously strong, half-giants are not especially agile or clever and tend to be rude or unkempt.
- Requirements: 13 or greater strength and constitution; 12 or less dexterity; 9 or less intelligence, and charisma
- Prime Requisite: Strength
- HD: d10
- XP, To Hit, & Save Progression: as Halfling (max 8th level)
- Weapons and Armor: Any, although armor must be refit to a half-giant and costs twice the normal amount.
- Half-Giants must make a saving throw vs. spell after each around of combat to avoid going berserk.
B/X/C Vikings: Introduction
A couple of days ago, I did a brief post on Viking and Valkyries supplement to Mazes and Minotaurs. Long have I been enamored with the idea of a Viking themed campaign, but never has this dream been realized. Well, once again, I can't keep Viking D&D out of my head, so I decided to have a little fun and began to create a series Nordic-themed posts. in lieu of Zak's "give us the setting in the form of rules", I've gone ahead and written them to suite B/X/C Dungeons and Dragons (the "C" standing for JB's B/X Companion).
I'd appreciate some feedback on this set of posts, because once I'm done, I'm going to roll them all together and format it into a PDF for you all to enjoy and hopefully use. The more feedback, the the final product will be.
On a final note, I'm not really trying to stick to Norse mythology. I'm taking it into consideration, but often only using it for inspiration. For this mini-project I'm going for a more gonzo approach rather than a mythological or historical one.
I'd appreciate some feedback on this set of posts, because once I'm done, I'm going to roll them all together and format it into a PDF for you all to enjoy and hopefully use. The more feedback, the the final product will be.
On a final note, I'm not really trying to stick to Norse mythology. I'm taking it into consideration, but often only using it for inspiration. For this mini-project I'm going for a more gonzo approach rather than a mythological or historical one.
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