[Miniature Monday] Yuan-Ti

I always dug the look of the Yuan-Ti and wanted to include them somewhere in my campaign world.  I did use them as depicted in any modules that they might have appeared in, but I wanted to do something else with them.  I never did come up with anything else for them, but I kept that that in the back of my brain all these years. 

When I decided to start working on my campaign world of Toldara I knew I had to include them.  The main design goal of Toldara was to include stuff inspired by things I enjoy as well as a greatest hits compilation of ideas from my older campaigns.  During a time of holiday shut down I was watching some older movies from my collection that I knew what I had to do with the Yuan-Ti.

I had the Cult of Grax representing one of the forces from one of my old campaigns.  I definitely planned to include them in Toldara.  While watching the 1982 Conan film and seeing Thulsa Doom, the cultists, and the snakes brought all this stuff together.  The Cult of Grax would be a snake cult, their symbol would be a globe with a snake coiled around it, they would have custom Clerics, and this hybrid snake & man figure would represent an especially devoted Graxian Cultist rewarded with dark powers by their dark lord. 

Mini Hooks for Fantasy Campaigns II

 Continuing on with mini hooks to use as ideas in your fantasy games...

11. A young child has returned to town with a few small gems he found in a hollow tree trunk in the woods outside of town.

12. The local witch living close to town has appeared in the town square warning of bad omens for the times ahead.

13. An eerie wolf's howling can be heard at night ever since a caravan of entertainers recently set up camp outside of town.

14. During a lull in the town's holiday celebration, a woman comes through the crowd with the local constable and points toward the PC's while proclaiming loudly "That's them!".

15. Small bands of soldiers have been turning up in town with no explanation for their arrival.

16. One of the Priests runs from the local temple screaming "We must renounce this faith!".

17. A bump has risen from the ground in the town square and has slowly gotten bigger over the last week.

18. A very large feather from what must be a gigantic bird has floated down and landed right on the entrance to the city.

19. Several townsfolk claim their fortunes have been read by one of the vagabonds performing in town and have turned out to be true.  One of the PC's is the most recent person to visit them and have their fortune read.

20. A recently reclaimed tome believed to be of great magical power whose pages turn blank if you read the words aloud.

More to come...

Mini Hooks for Fantasy Campaigns I

I like to keep a list of random hooks that may lead to adventure ideas in my fantasy campaigns so I thought I would share some of them here.  Maybe they will help some others come up with ideas to expand on these or ideas of their own. 

1. Strange lights have appeared in the nearby hills outside the city the last 3 nights.  These lights have showed up at the same time and last for one hour.

2. The cat population on the city streets has become noticeably higher in the last week.

3. The local crypt has been violated. The all evidence points to something breaking out of the crypt rather than breaking into the crypt.

4. A local group of youths have returned from a hunt with an abnormally large egg.

5. Graffiti from a long dead cult has appeared overnight on a local temple or church.

6. A local youth known for exaggeration has returned to town frightened.  He babbles on about an army of monsters passing in the nearby woods.

7. A small group of Orcs has surrendered themselves at the gate seeking asylum.

8. A caravan has entered the town rambling about a magical flying disc of silver that sat down nearby in the woods.

9. Mounds left behind by a large burrowing creature have started popping up close to town.

10. A local Priest has started acting strangely and appears unkept after studying a newly reclaimed lost tome of knowledge recently turned in to the local temple by a group of explorers.

More to come...

Upcoming Projects

I always seem to have several creative projects ongoing at one time.  I admit that I am not very focused in that aspect of my life.  I just can not focus solely on one creative endeavor or I will burnout and put it down and there is no telling when I will pick it back up at that point.  Listed below are some things I am currently working on and will post about in the near future.

DRAGONRAID

I remember seeing the ads for DRAGONRAID in issues of Dragon Magazine from the 1980s.  I always wanted a copy but I never did see it in any of the stores so I never got around to adding it to my collection.  All these many years later and I discovered that the company printing the game is still around and I decided to order a copy of the boxed set to satisfy my curiosity.  I am pretty impressed just with the contents stuffed inside this box.  I will be going through the contents and offering up my thoughts and observations; not necessarily a review.  I suspect it will take 3 - 5 posts to do that and maybe it will lead to more posts in the future.  

MINIATURES

I am continuing to paint more miniatures for use in games.  Most of them have been from the Reaper Bones line but I will not hesitate to pick up whatever works for my games.  The picture above shows a row of possible player character minis (top row) and some encounters (Kobolds, Mind Flayer, Minotaur, and a Mimic to name some) that will most likely see use in the games.  I am sticking to what seems like the mostly used encounters right now so I will get maximum use from my efforts.  I plan on adding more exotic types of miniatures when needed. 

CAMPAIGN WORLD

I am scaling things back.  No, not the possibilities and opportunities but the information.  I used to crave all the encyclopedic facts that some campaign worlds offer but that does not fit my current mood.  I am taking the "less is more" approach as the map above can show.  The bigger world is still out there and all sorts of possibilities await the characters but all of it is starting small and local.  The actual discovery of the larger world needs to take place instead of having all of that information logged at the start.  Gaming like that is cool but I am at a point where I would rather just play instead of trying to figure out all sorts of minutia beforehand. Simply put, bang for the buck. 

OTHER

The above list is by no means comprehensive. I have a notepad handy for jotting down ideas and expanding on stuff I have already in progress.  There will certainly be posts about GURPS Dungeon Fantasy RPG, The Fantasy Trip, D&D 5E, house rules, my own games, and all sorts of related items.  Stay tuned...

[Toldara] House Rules - Character Generation

After a long absence of too many years, I returned to role playing games with the release of D&D 3E.  One of the first things I did was start work on a campaign world, Toldara, for my own games.  With the release of 3.5, the rules bits of the setting had to be adjusted in a few areas.  Eventually, Pathfinder came out and I found myself tinkering with another 3.X iteration of the game.   

I enjoy playing the 3.X/Pathfinder versions of the game but I want less book keeping and rules referencing the older I get.  I have fiddled around with a few of the other games to see what they have to offer.  I like the idea of Microlite20 but I do want just a little more crunch than that; it is a great game regardless.  C&C may be "just right" but I need to purchase my own copy of the rules to make sure.  I have been looking at the retroclones to see which one catches my eye.  Of course, which ever game I decided on will include house rules and this is what I have decided on so far.   

Rules System

The Toldara campaign will be powered by the Basic Fantasy rules.  Following the link will take you to the downloads page that contains rules, supplements, adventures, and more.

Ability Score Generation

The generation of ability scores is done by rolling 9D6 and then splitting them up into sets of 3D6.  The three scores generated are then assigned to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution.  Another 9D6 is rolled and then split up among Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma using the previous method.  After all of the scores are generated the racial modifiers are applied to the scores.  The rolls must be used on the abilities rolled for and can not be switched between groups.

Hit Points

All beginning first-level characters begin play with the maximum available hit points according to the appropriate hit die for the class and any modifiers gained from the Constitution score.

Races

All of the core Basic Fantasy races will be available for play plus the addition of the following:

• The Gnome, Goblin, Half-Elf, Half-Orc (with appropriate changes), and Lizard Man (Slarn on Toldara) from the supplements on the download page. 
• The Anshu, Karnin, and Oranian races will need to be converted to the Basic Fantasy standard.

Classes

All of the core Basic Fantasy classes will be available for play plus the addition of the following:

• The Assassin, Barbarian, Druid, Illusionist, Necromancer, Paladin, Ranger, Scout, and Sorcerer classes.

Of course, this is all a work in progress.  As play progresses, things may change further.

When Is Enough, Enough?

In my post from yesterday I was curious about how much info should be included in a campaign document.  I made the post from my cell phone so it was really short and to the point.  I got a reply from Eldrad that instructed me to "just tell a good story".  I completely agree with this and think that is exactly what the goal should always be in a role playing campaign.  What I was actually looking for was just a little bit different.  What I would like is feedback about the following questions:

As a player, how much information about a campaign setting do you feel is the "right" amount for proper play and at what point does it become information overload?

As a game master, how much information about a campaign setting do you feel is the "proper" amount for getting the players into the game and at what point does it just become pointless details?

I am asking because I really want to start delving into the details of my campaign world but I am torn on what to include and what to leave out.  For instance, when it comes to religion in the campaign do people prefer just a simple list of gods with a few blurbs of information or do they want that information plus a breakdown of followers by race, area, worship centers, artifacts, etc.?  

Any and all opinions would be highly appreciated!

Mobile Note: Campaign Info?

I am considering posts about my campaign world but I would like to know how much info people typically include in a campaign document.

20 Quick Questions

It seems that many of the blogs I follow are answering these questions, so I decided that I may as well play along...

1.  Ability scores generation method?

3D6 in order.

2.  How are death and dying handled?

At 0 or lower Hit Points, a character is considered to be at death's door.  A successful Save vs. Death restores HP to 1 and the character survives with scars, wounds, etc.  Of course, if the saving throw is failed then the character is dead.

3.  What about raising the dead?

It is possible if you can find someone that can do it and you can afford the price.

4.  How are replacement PCs handled?

I encourage the players to tie the new character into the story or the party by making them a relative, friend, or some other connection.  Any new characters joining the party will typically be one level lower than the current lowest level PC in the party.  

5.  Initiative: individual, group, or something else?

Individual: roll D10 + Dexterity each combat round and the highest total acts first.

6.  Are there critical hits and fumbles? How do they work?

Yes.  They both work on my judgment call.  A critical hit might do extra damage or inflict a serious wound.  A fumble could be a dropped weapon, a broken blade, or something similar.

7.  Do I get any benefits for wearing a helmet?

Hmmm....is it a magical helmet?

8.  Can I hurt my friends if I fire into melee or do something similarly silly?

Oh yes you can.  Silly is silly and has consequences even when it could harm your friends.

9.  Will we need to run from some encounters, or will we be able to kill everything?

If you know what is good for you!.  That is part of the fun, right?

10.  Level-draining monsters: yes or no?

No.  I have never liked the idea myself.

11.  Are there going to be cases where a failed save results in PC death?

Yes!  I want PC death to be a real possibility.  I do not "go after" the characters but if they die, they die.

12.  How strictly are encumbrance & resources tracked?

I am not too concerned with resources.  I ask that all characters do spend the money on a few rations, a quiver (if it applies), and other essentials.  I do not keep strict track of them but there are times when some resources get depleted.   As long as a player is not trying to carry everything under the sun, I do not worry too much about encumbrance.

13.  What's required when my PC gains a level? Training? Do I get new spells automatically? 

Can it happen in the middle of an adventure, or do I have to wait for down time?

All experience is on hold until the characters go back into a town, settlement, etc.  Leveling up will be done at that time if it has been reached.  Training and new spells are done at this time also.

14.  What do I get experience for?

I use a reward system inspired by and closer to the one found in Palladium Fantasy.

15.  How are traps located? Description, dice rolling, or some combination?

Either - it just depends on how the players approach it.  If they described actions that would probably detect a trap, then it happens.  It they do not describe any actions, then their fate is left to the role of the dice.

16.  Are retainers encouraged and how does morale work?

Retainers are neither encouraged or discouraged.  Morale is checked after tight spots and any time a character treats a retainer "badly".

17.  How do I identify magic items?

Attempt to use it correctly OR bring the item to a sage, high priest, etc. to help with identification.

18.  Can I buy magic items? Oh, come on: how about just potions?

At certain times but there is no fantasy version of SEARS or ACE HARDWARE located in my campaign world.

19.  Can I create magic items? When and how?

Probably not.  I do not like magic items to be so common that people can just create a large supply of them.

20.  What about splitting the party?

That is entirely up to the players and what they *think* is the right course of action.

[Old Gaming Notebook] A Supers Campaign

I have played several of the superhero role playing games that have been published over the years; including Marvel Super Heroes, DC Heroes, Villains & Vigilantes, Champions, Heroes Unlimited, Super World, and a few others. I always preferred the ones that used Earth as the setting for the game. I was also a big fan of the Wild Cards series of novels. I came up with an idea for a supers campaign but I never did get around to fleshing it out and running any games using it. There are probably some pretty close parallels between Wild Cards in some areas. It's been a while since I read those novels, so who knows? Anyway, here are some ideas for the campaign setting.

The Setting
The setting for this game would be a parallel planet Earth in "modern times". The timeline and history of this fictional Earth would parallel the history of real Earth in every detail up to approximately the Vietnam era. At that time, the U.S. government (and others) would start experimenting with creating super soldiers to send into combat. This event would be where the big differences between the parallel Earths would begin to take place. Note: If I were to do this today, I would change that part of the back story. I would start the super soldier experimentation with the terrorist attacks on North America. As a result of this experimentation, the rise of super beings would forever change the world. Some of these beings would fight on the side of good while some would fight on the side of evil. Imagine how the existence of super powered beings would effect history.

Three Generations of Supers
Campaigns could be set up in one of three basic points in history.

• The first generation of supers would be the result of the terrorist attacks on North America. Of course, I would probably change that to include the entire world. Maybe there were several countries working on a post-nuclear class of weapons. Among these scientists there was a group of radicals that wanted to prove a point. They set off these new weapons and the results are not completely as predicted. Some of the people caught in areas where these weapons were deployed develop super powers. These supers would be considered Altered or Mutated Humans.
• The second generation of supers would be from governmental experimentation. These would be supers that the government would "control" and be used to combat rogue supers and fight in conflicts. There would also be governments that have early technological designs to fight with or against supers. There would be Altered, Mutants, and some techno heroes in this part of the timeline.
• The third generation of supers would be the modern day of the setting. Supers are around due to the terrorist action, the reaction of the various governments, some of the descendants of the first or second generation supers have carried on the powers, and now there are supers due to weapons manufacturing corporations getting producing their own stuff.

Other Notes
I also thought that the tone and feel of the game could be enhanced by using quotes from appropriate sources to match the tone I wanted to get across. Maybe use a quote from the Bible such as Gen 1:26 " And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion..." at the beginning of the chapter detailing the history of the world.

I still need to figure out a way to bring in the other types of supers - aliens, cybernetic, magic, psionic, etc.

This is, obviously, just the beginnings of an idea. I kind of left the path of the original idea and just went with how I would update it now but it gets the idea across. I think if little details like the quotes and historical parallels were fleshed out it could be a fun campaign. I may turn out to be another project that I just do not have the time for...

[Toldara] Timeline Ideas

Toldara is the name of my campaign world.  It is still very much a work in progress.  The only thing really set in stone is the fact that Toldara has had two ages.  Here are some notes about the timeline...

First Age

• Begins at creation.
• There was only one supercontintent.
• Gods were very involved & would even make personal appearances.
• The world was split into very black and white.
• There were just a few, large empires.
• Magic was more powerful & the most powerful artifacts come from this age.
• The most sought after treasure is from this age.

Second Age

• Start of the second age begins with Gods splitting the continents.
• Gods are not directly involved but do influence through priests, avatars, etc.
• The world has many shades of grey.
• The politics is very splintered. There are many, small empires.
• Magic is still a powerful force but the priests/mages require more effort; per core rules - easier than core in first age. 

That's just the start.  Hopefully, I can come up with some more information soon.


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edit - title changed twice.

On the Origins of Half-Orcs

I am taking one more break from continued posting about the Book of Adventure from the AiF rules to post this quick thought.

Half-Orcs have always been among the outcasts of society.  This only makes sense considering their typical origin.  Usually, the Half-Orc is the result of Orc conquerors and the obvious spoils of war.  More rarely, the Half-Orc is the result of of an "unfortunate" pairing with an unattractive human.  Neither one of these are satisfying answers to the origins of the Half-Orc.

I believe that there is a better explanation - or even multiple explanations - for the existance of Half-Orcs for three simple reasons.  First, the name of the game is fantasy role-playing so step out of the box and come up with some reasons out of the ordinary; skip the science and start thinking of magical, divine, or other reasons.  Second, I keep hearing how creative role-players tend to be. How about showing some creativity and come up with a different reason?  Third, most role-players I know of really enjoy tinkering with the rules.  Why let the changes be restricted to just the rules?  I can not count the number of times I have read that it is "your game" so why should I not tailor it to my liking?

In my campaign world Half-Orcs are pretty close to their official writeup in many ways except for their origins.  Here is what I did to change the Half-Orcs of my world.  Half-Orcs are not the product of crossbreeding - willful or otherwise - between a Human and Orc.  In fact, that union will never produce any offspring.  Half-Orcs are actually the product of divine intervention.  At the end of the First Age of my world, there was a great war. All nations were eventually pulled into this conflict and even the Gods took sides.  There was one spot where war was expected but both sides refused to give in to the conflict and the will of the Gods.  The capital city of one human nation and the nearby Orcs had a truce that had been in place for several years by the time of this war.  They both saw the needless bloodshed of the past and did not want it to continue.  The Humans and Orcs from these two areas made a stand against their respective allies and against the Gods even.  As punishment, the Gods cursed these two societies by forever joining them in mind, body, and spirit. The other cultures started calling these people and named them as "Half-Orcs" and the label stuck.

There it is - the quick version of the origin of the Half-Orcs in my campaign.  I just did not like the "official" explanation in the rulebook.  It did not seem that enough of these beings would be created from the implied explanation to justify an entry in the races section.  I just sat down with my notes and tried to draw some logical conclusions.  That is the one I came up with and used.  Do you have anything like this in your game?

edit 1 - removed unnecessary "an".