G is for Game Systems

G is for Game System(s)

There are several game systems that I have debated about using for the campaign world of Toldara.  I discussed some of the original design in the 3E system and the evolution to a Pathfinder based campaign on my About Me Me page.  I discussed the decision to change my Toldara game to the B/X system in my earlier post, Back to the Basics. At other times, I have thought about using other game systems but ultimately decided against doing so.  Maybe one or more of these will happen in the future?

GURPS 3E or Hero 5E

I am fascinated by the amount of detail in both of these systems.  These are two of the games in my collection that I have never gotten to play.  It seems that none of the people I have ever gamed with are interested in that level of detail. 

Palladium Fantasy
I played just as much Palladium Fantasy as I played AD&D back in high school.  I made up some classes for the old first edition rules back then also.  Unfortunately, all I have is the second edition of this game and I have no practical experience playing or designing items for use with this version.  There seem to be enough differences that I would not feel comfortable converting my campaign over to these rules.  Of course, it might be easier to convert the player information over with the inclusion of all of the available OCCs, RCCs, and races.  For instance, the Wolfen could be re-skinned to be the Karnin as one quick example.  Hmmm…. 

Talislanta

I discovered Talislanta with the second edition.  We played quite a few games back in high school.  Future editions added quite a bit of detail.  If I was going to convert to the Talislanta system I would probably use the second edition due to my experience.  At the time of starting the campaign I was concerned with the out of print status of Talislanta so I skipped it; yes, I am aware that a large amount of formerly printed Talislanta products are available for download in free pdf form at the Talislanta Library.  I was the only person with a printed Talislanta rulebook but all of us had a B/X rulebook so Talislanta was eliminated.   

USR

This game system is even more rules-light than the B/X rules and someone else has already started doing a Moldvay Era conversion.  A Toldara campaign using this system is highly likely to happen at some point.

C is for Classes

C is for Classes

A character's class in D&D represents a basic outline of their background, skills, and adventuring profession.  Players have been adding new classes since the early days of gaming.  There are multiple classes that have been printed in Dragon and other magazines.  When we originally developed Toldara for 3E there were several classes we wanted to add to the standard list.  

 

Assassin: I know there was a magic-using prestige class in 3E but I wanted a standard class like AD&D.  I never got around to getting this one done.  I did download a few Assassins from other players and some were very cool. 

 

Battle Mage: A combination of fighter and wizard that could enchant his own weapons and those of his allies. 

 

Elementalist: A character that harnesses the powers of the elements.

 

Priest: The Cleric represents the armor clad divine caster so why not have a robe wearing divine caster that performs miracles, cast spells, and can bless or curse people?

 

Witch: There has been a ton of Witch classes over the years.  We wanted something that represented the fantasy vision of a witch.  Someone that could put hexes on their enemies and had a familiar; only a limited list like cat, bat, and rat.  Play up the fantasy stereotype.

 

I believe only two of these were every fully detailed by one of us.  The other three saw various stages of detail but were never completed.  We continued to work on them with D&D 3.5E but mostly abandoned them when we got the Pathfinder Core Rulebook and the Advanced Players Guide.  My initial thoughts on converting any missing classes to B/X are detailed below.

 

Human Classes

 

Assassin: Look to the Blackmoor Supplement for inspiration.

 

Barbarian: Base it off the fighter but give them the ability to rage and more XP required to advance.

 

Bard: Not sure if I want to include this or not.  I think it may be worth looking into.

 

Monk or Mystic: It has been around since the early days.  I am thinking that it might better fit as a more western style monk.

 

Priest: Not sure what to do with this one. 

 

Witch: I think it will be much easier to do for B/X.  I am thinking of a spell caster with a familiar that is a bat, cat, or rat.  Each familiar would map to one of the three alignments.

 

 

Demi Human Classes



 

Anshu: Feline humanoids.

 

Gnome: I have never really used them so I do not know what to do with them.

 

Half-Elf: I probably need to do up a half-elf class because several players have used them.

 

Half-Orc: Human and Orc hybrid with a social stigma and some of the Barbarian abilities.

 

Karnin: Canine humanoids.

 

Oranian: A winged bird-like race from the Oran Mountains.

 

Slarn: Lizard Men.

 

That should cover all of the bases and give plenty of extra and custom options for the world of Toldara.  I am not even worried about a Psionic class or the chance of some sort of Psionic ability for characters so I am not even going to bother putting it on the list.

 

[Toldara] Half-Orc changes (new school version)

This is the original version of the changes to the Half-Orc race for the Toldara campaign.  Of course, it was written in the format of the "third edition of the world's most famous fantasy role-playing game".  This will be updated with a Pathfinder and a Microlite20 version in the future but this is a good start. 

The following information is considered 100% Open Game Content.  The use of such material is governed by the Open Game License.


Half-Orc


I have previously mentioned the background changes to the Half-Orc race in this post.  The other changes are listed below.


HALF-ORC RACIAL TRAITS (in addition to the traits listed in core rulebook I)

• +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks.
• Social Stigma: Half-Orcs have a – 2 penalty to Diplomacy checks and also receive no skill synergy bonuses related to Diplomacy checks.  

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[Toldara] Oranian (new school version)

This is the original version of the Oranian race entry for the Toldara campaign.  Of course, it was written in the format of the "third edition of the world's most famous fantasy role-playing game".  This will be updated with a Pathfinder and a Microlite20 version in the future but this is a good start.  This was another contribution that Alex, my co-designer, made to the Toldara campaign.

The following information is considered 100% Open Game Content.  The use of such material is governed by the Open Game License.

Oranians

Oranians are a bird-like race from the Oran Mountains. They are able to fly just as well as they can walk, in fact, flying is their preferred method of travel, as it is much faster. They love music and poetry. In fact, the best poets and musicians in the land are Oranians.

Personality: Oranians are poets and philosophers, musicians and knowledge seekers. Because of their ability to fly, they can travel easily to other lands. This has allowed them to hear the legends and histories of other races, as well as see their own culture. They have grown to love such interaction, always searching to learn more about something, whether it be the location of a mythical artifact, or the play time rituals of a human child. They often write songs or poetry about their findings. They are usually always cheerful, and are delighted to learn any tidbit of information.

Physical Discription: Oranians are tall and mostly humanoid in shape. They stand from 5 ½ to 7 feet tall, and usually weigh between 175 and 300 pounds. They are completely covered in feathers, except for their feet and hands, which are talons, and the top of their heads, which has something that can be called hair, though it resembles feathers as much as it does hair. They also have eagle-like wings on their backs, and generally have a wingspan equal to their height. Their heads are shaped more like a bird's head, than a human head, complete with a beak. Oranians who stick to their own race's clothing traditions wear elegant robes with golden support bars for structure and holes in the back for their wings. Their feathers come in all manner of colors, from the browns of a hawk, to the grays of a pigeon, to the rainbow colors of a parrot. They achieve adulthood at 50 years, and they have no known lifespan, as no Oranian has ever died of old age. Whether this is because they die of other causes before they are able to, or because they simply don't grow old is unknown. The oldest known Oranian was 986 years old.

Relations: Oranians make a point of getting along well with other races. They love to observe and learn about the culture of other races, and are more than happy to share their own culture. For the most part, they find the other races amusing, but they find all of them fascinating.

Alignment: Oranians tend strongly toward Good, and it is very rare to find an evil one. However, their are just as many that are Lawful as there are that are Chaotic.

Oranian Lands: Oranians make their homes in the averies of the Oran Mountains. They often go abroad into other lands for fun and adventure, but the Oran Mountains are the only place they feel comfortable calling home.

Religion: Oranians mostly worship the wind god, Metorlogis. However, some become so fascinated by other races, that they take on the religions of those races.

Language: The native language is Auran, the language of air-based creatures, but they also speak Elven, as most of their songs and poems are written in Elven.

Names: Oranians used to have names specific to their race, but they have been influenced by other races to the point that they no longer have any naming traditions of their own. Instead, they use the names and traditions of other races.

Adventurers: Oranians love to adventure. They are always looking for some bit of history or myth to unveil. They will almost always find a party to adventure with, and will try to pick one that is as varied in the races that make it up as possible, so that they may learn all they can. Also, there is no better material for writing poems and songs than a grand adventure.

ORANIAN RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength, -2 Constitution: Oranians are agile, have excellent awareness due to their animal senses, and are quite smart due to their lust for knowledge. However, their hollow bones and unique body structure make them weak and frail.
• Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, Oranians have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Oranian base land speed is 30 feet. Air speed is 80 feet (agile).
• Eagle's Sight: Oranians have excellent eyesight. Because of this, they can see twice as far as other races can in the same conditions.
• Low-light Vision: Oranians can see just as far in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination as they can in daylight. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• +2 racial bonuses and Spot and Search checks. Their eyesight is so good that if they have line-of-sight to a secret door, they are entitled to a Search check as if they were actively searching for the door.
• Unique Body-Type: Oranians have a unique body type that other races do not have (mostly because of the wings). For this reason, Oranians can only wear clothes and armor that is specifically made for them, whether it be custom made, or from a shop that sells Oranian goods. Such shops are not found just anywhere, and are usually just in large cities.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Auran, and Elven. Bonus Languages: All except Halfling and Druid. Oranians learn the languages, as well as the cultures, of those they study. Only the super secret languages are unknown to them.
• Favored Class: Bard. A multiclassed Oranian's bard class does not count when determining whether he suffers from an XP penalty for multiclassing. Writing songs and poems is what they do.

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[Toldara] Karnin (new school version)

This is the original version of the Karnin race entry for the Toldara campaign.  Of course, it was written in the format of the "third edition of the world's most famous fantasy role-playing game".  This will be updated with a Pathfinder and a Microlite20 version in the future but this is a good start.  This was the first contribution that Alex, my co-designer, made to the Toldara campaign.

The following information is considered 100% Open Game Content.  The use of such material is governed by the Open Game License.

Karnin

Karnin keep to themselves for the most part. They welcome visitors warmly, regardless of race. All they ask from visitors is to put aside their differences while in Karnin territory.

They see themselves as the rightful protectors of the wilderness and all those who live there. However, they consider the civilized world as part of the wilderness, as it is no more tamed to them than a beaver's dam, or a bear's cave. Cities and towns, to the Karnin, are nothing more than human shelters.

Personality: Karnin are honorable creatures, who value their personal and clan honor greatly. They can be a bit arrogant, especially when regarding their perceived Guardians of the Wildernesses duties, and often look down on members of other races as lesser beings. At the same time, they do not judge other races, as they cannot help their inferiority.

Karnin are not greedy, wanting only what they need. They prefer trade to currency, as currency seems to them like an unnecessary burden, however, they will use and accept currency when needed.

Karnin take their responsibilities seriously, real or perceived. If someone brakes the rules, the Karnin will ensure that justice is served. This is not to say that they impose their rules on others, except when the others are visitors in Karnin territory. They honor the laws of whatever town or other such community they happen to be in, but they enforce those laws as well. Karnin do not start wars, except with Anshus, who they have a great hatred for, but they will end them. If Orcs plan to raid a human settlement, the Karnin will stop them. However, if humans plan to slay a band of orc without proper reasons, the Karnin will stop the humans.

Physical Description: Karnin typically stand 6 to 7 feet tall while on the pads of their feet, and about 6 inches shorter while standing normally, the females being a bit shorter. They look like a cross between a human and a wolf. They are covered in fur that is usually a blueish gray, except for the fur on their chest and stomach, which is white, and some have white patches, usually over the shoulders or behind the ears. Other colors of fur are red, black, brown, black with brown patches, and white. Their faces have snouts, like that of a wolf, except that they are more broad. Karnin tend to have dark colored eyes, such as brown, but gray and even gold are not uncommon. Most Karnin wear little clothing, as their fur acts as much the same thing for the most part. However, the druids will often wear animal skin coats as a symbol of their position. Karnin stand upright and flat footed as humans do normally, but when they start to run, they run on the pads of their feet, like wolves.

Relations: Karnin get along well with everybody at first, but as one gets to know a Karnin, his true feelings are revealed. Karnin generally see other races as inferior, or as children needing their protection. However, these "Children" they see as their own, and take very good care of them, and even enjoy their company, even when they don't enjoy the company of the Karnin.

Alignments: Karnin are almost always Lawful Good, and usually to an annoying extreme. This is because those who are chaotic are usually exiled, and those who are evil are usually killed. Karnin believe strongly in their duties and convictions, and do not normally tolerate those within their race who don't.

Karnin Lands: Karnin live everywhere, and a different clan looks over each type of land.

Religion: The Karnin worship Galador, the God of Good, Lilithan, the Goddess of Law, and Calian, the Goddess of Nature.

Language: The Karnin language is fairly primitive, consisting mostly of growls, barks, howls, and roars. Very few people bother to learn Karninic, as all Karnin speak Common as well.

Names: Karnin are named at birth, much like humans, and also inherit their clan name. Their clan name is determined by which clan they were born to.

Male Names: Karnak, Fildar, Morthunk, Forgnik, Fido, Zefnar, Guroul

Female Names: Kiko, Fifi, Narkusa, Vikaga, Karnika, Lupinia

Clan Names: Grrahl (plains), Harul (mountains), Snouk (swamp), Tinkor (forest),

Paunti (desert), Blikarok (arctic/high altitude), Rulac (Ruling clan)

Adventurers: Karnin adventure, usually, as a way to prove themselves, either to themselves or to their clan. Those with a chaotic alignment are usually searching for their place after being exiled from their homes. Those with an evil alignment are usually out to destroy what the Karnin are trying to do.

KARNIN RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity: Karnin are tough, but their canine features get in the way of mobility.
• Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, Karnin have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Karnin base land speed is 40 feet.
• +2 to Listen checks: The Karnin have canine senses, and hear very well.
• Scent(Ex): Karnin have the Scent ability as stated on page 10 in the Monster Manual. Karnin can smell things 30 feet off, 60 if upwind, 15 if downwind. Stronger scents double the range, and overpowering scents triple the range. A partial action can be taken to determine the direction of the smell. Karnin can track smells using Scent.
• Frightful Presence(Ex): Karnin are man beasts that can be a frightful sight to behold when they choose. Rules for Frightful Presence on page 8 of core rulebook III.
• +2 racial bonus on Animal Empathy & Wilderness Lore checks: Karnin do not only live in the wilds, they are a part of it.
• Natural weaponry: Karnin have clawed fingers that can be used to inflict 1d4 damage.
• Automatic Languages: Common & Karninic. Bonus Languages: Orc, Goblin, Draconic, Elven, Gnoll, & Sylvan. Smart Karnin know the languages of the local creatures.
• Favored Class: Druid. A multiclassed Karnin's Druid class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.  

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[Toldara] Anshu (new school version)

This is the original version of the Anshu race entry for the Toldara campaign.  Of course, it was written in the format of the "third edition of the world's most famous fantasy role-playing game".  This will be updated with a Pathfinder and a Microlite20 version in the future but this is a good start.  I think the traits are pretty decent as far as design but the descriptive text in some of the entries could probably use some work.


The following information is considered 100% Open Game Content.  The use of such material is governed by the Open Game License.

Anshu

Anshus are renowned for their abilities to hunt and track in the woods. Human armies typically have atleast one Anshu scout. Anshus are fairly strict traditionalists and believe their homelands will provide most of their needs. Anshus are typically slow to form bonds with outsiders but when they do, have proven to be steadfast allies. Upon betrayal or when their homelands are threatened, anshus have proven to be just as powerful adversaries.

Personality: Anshus are never quick to make any decision concerning others; slow to judge or trust outsiders. Those that gain the trust and friendship of an Anshu have gained a faithful companion. Anshus have a deep respect for tradition and generally oppose random change.

Physical Description: Anshus typically stand between 5 and 6 feet tall weighing from 125 to 175 pounds with a generally slim, athletic build. Their features are basically feline with fur that is often brown or yellow in color and even a tail. Anshus reach maturity at the age of 14 years and can live to be 90 years of age.

Relations: Anshus have been in a centuries long war with the Karnins. There are periods of peace between them but the truces are uneasy at best. Eventually, the hostilities seem to be always be triggered again. Anshus share a deep mutual respect of nature with the Elves and often trade goods with them. Anshus get along well with Humans except when they get greedy and try to expand into their lands.

Alignments: Anshus are usually lawful, and they tend toward neutral. Adventuring anshus may not fit the typical mold of anshun society.

Anshu Lands: Although Anshus can be found in most places, the largest anshu populations are typically located in the forests and plains.

Religion: The chief diety of the Anshus is Kitta, the Den Mother. She is the origin of all anshus in the world. They also revere numerous smaller gods in charge of such things as the seasons, hunting, food, etc.

Language: Anshus communicate with each other by a somewhat primitive language consisting of various feline like sounds. Many anshus have learned common as well. Most other races can not seem to master the anshu language.

Names: Anshus have three names. The first name is given at birth by the parents, the second name comes from the tribe, and the third name is awarded by the tribe elders based on the greatest aptitude or accomplishment of the individual.

Adventurers: Most anshus that travel outside of their lands do so to avenge some wrong committed against their people or to help curb the influence of evil in the world.

ANSHU RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Consitution: Anshus are quick and agile to compensate for being somewhat frail.
• Medium-Size: As Medium-size creatures, anshus have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Anshu base land speed is 40 feet.
• Low-Light Vision: Anshus can see twice as far as humans in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and dress in these conditions.
• Natural Weaponry: Anshus have clawed fingers that can be used to inflict 1D4 damage.
• +2 racial bonus on Balance, Climb, and Tumble checks: Anshus are surefooted and agile.
• +2 racial bonus on Animal Empathy and Wilderness Lore checks: Anshus do not only live in the wilds, they are a part of it.
• +2 racial bonus on Listen checks: Anshus have keen ears.
• Automatic Languages: Common and Anshunti. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblic, and Orc. Smart Anshus learn the languages of their friends and enemies.
• Favored Class: Ranger. A multiclassed Anshu's ranger class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing.

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Taking Care of Business...

In a continued effort to get all of my ducks in a row here is a list of goals that I would like to accomplish with this blog:

Short Term Goals

• Complete my examination of Adventures in Fantasy.
• Complete the entries from my Old Gaming Notebook.
• Make one post every day in a single month.
• Post more of my house rules & ideas for AD&D, 3E, Microlite20, RIFTS, and more.
• Post about my campaign world, Toldara.
• Offer draft 2 of MicroToldara for download.
• Offer draft 1 of Classic Fantasy Role Playing for download.

Long Term Goals

• Post about actual play with Adventures in Fantasy.
• Develop ideas from the Old Gaming Notebook into complete games.
• Decide on a set posting schedule and stick to it.
• Get my Toldara co-author (Alex) to participate in some of the blogging.

That's a good start.  This list will be modified and re-posted when appropriate.

Coming Around Full Circle...

Toldara is the name of my campaign world.  It's basically an amalgamation of ideas from all of the years I have spent playing D&D over the various editions.  I never went into any great details about the world or house rules until the last several years.  I think it started with the whole open game movement.  It kind of rekindled the old creative spirit of using a grab bag of rules from various sources to run a game.  Of course, the old grognards never bothered with needing "official" permission to use parts of various game rules in their campaigns.  It just happened during the course of play. 

In the old days, I used to switch between games of D&D and AD&D.  Now that I've started this work on my own campaign world I noticed something somewhat funny.  I am typing up two sets of player documents for this world.  It dawned on me that I am making a "basic version" and an "advanced version" of the players guide for my world.  The advanced version started with 3E, moved to 3.5E, and is in the process of getting updated to Pathfinder.  The basic version will either be based on Microlite20 or the Classic Fantasy Role Playing Game system I am helping to design. 

I just thought it was somewhat funny to notice that old habits never die...

[Rant] My Experience Using D&D Meetup

*Note: this is just my experience with using the local D&D Meetup service one time. I'm sure some others have had similar experiences but I'm also sure that many others have had a good experience using this same service. Put simply, the experience was pretty lame but it was the person encountered that was the source of my disappointment and not the service itself. ****

I used to play a ton of RPG's.  I started with D&D/AD&D back in 1980.  Over the years, I tried many other games from DC Heroes, Marvel Super Heroes, Champions, Fantasy Hero, Villains & Vigilantes, Super World, Car Wars, GURPS, RIFTS, Talislanta, Palladium Fantasy, and many other numerous titles.  The old faithful lineup of RPG's that I continuously played through the 1980's until I graduated high school in 1991 consisted of AD&D, RIFTS, Talislanta, Villains & Vigilantes, and Palladium Fantasy.

A month after I graduated from high school I left for the Army.  I didn't play a lot while I was in the military but I did keep up with gaming in general, discovered Magic: The Gathering, and did actually play a few sessions of AD&D.  I left the Army in 2000 and returned home.  Most of my old gaming buddies had either left the hobby or moved out of town.  I had virtually no face to face gaming available.  One bright spot is that I did introduce my cousin, Alex, to 3E and we still hook up to play occasionally. We have also been developing a shared campaign world, Toldara, for several years.

I tried to overcome this absence of face to face role-playing by finding other outlets.  After some internet searches, I ran across some PBP games, message board games, PBEM games, and also heard of MEETUP. I don't know the exact time frame but I registered for the local D&D meetup around the time of 4E's release.  IIRC, the Pathfinder Alpha was out but the completely playtested Pathfinder Core Rulebook was not released yet.

I was on the D&D Meetup site for only a short time before I got contacted.  It sounded pretty good to me because the people were in Tulsa; about 25 miles from my location. We agreed to meeet halfway between our locations at Panera Bread.  We ordered some drinks and discussed our RPG experience and what kind of gaming we enjoyed.  It seemed like a really good match so we decided to meet again and try to gather some more people.

The next meeting took place at their house.  I brought my cousin, Alex, with me as a recruit.  At this point, there were 4 of us - Alex, me, and the two players we met.  The guy - I'll call him "Dick" - was interested in being the DM. He had all sorts of ideas for a campaign world, some adventures, and even some house rules.  Dick mentioned that his girlfriend - I'll call her "Jane" - would be playing her first game with us so it might be slow going at first.  No problem there. Dick also mentioned that he was talking to 2 other players about joining the game.  At the end of that meeting, we had decided on the rules system (3.5E with some early Pathfinder stuff), made characters (Alex, Jane, & me), and decided to meet again in 2 weeks for our first game session.

Two weeks pass and we (Alex & I) show up at Dick & Jane's to play.  The other two players - I'll call them "Will" and "Wendy" - had showed up earlier so they could create characters with the house rules available to them during the process.  I remember that Will and Wendy had printed out some really cool character sheets from some website.  It was nice to see everyone was ready to start playing before the start of the game.  We introduced ourselves, had some idle chit chat, and then got ready to play.

The game session lasted for approximately 4 hours.  The length was just about right. It wasn't too short for the drive involved. It also wasn't too long and drawn out either.  The session was fun with no rules lawyering or any of that silliness.  Everyone appeared to have a great time.  We ended the session and then agreed to have another meeting in two weeks again. 

One week passed and I was looking forward to another game session.  I checked my email and received a message from Dick.  He explained that the group "just wasn't working out for him" and decided to tell Will and Wendy they would not be invited back.  I tried exchanging messages with him and getting a good reason but he wouldn't give one.  Eventually, I got pretty irritated because he didn't give a group of strangers a chance to gel and didn't even give the other 4 of us a chance to continue playing with a new DM or one of us taking over as DM.  I promptly unregistered from the D&D MEETUP group and have yet to take another chance on gaming outside my circle of friends.

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edit - some text got erased when posting - d'oh!