I’m about to hit the road for sunny DFW and the glories of North Texas RPG Con. I’m not planning on turing this trip into a social media post-a-thon, but if you’re curious, you’ll probably be able to see a few stray tweets or pics or some such from me.
I see that Steve Perrin is supposed to be there. If I see him I’ll ask if he’s planning on rejoining Chaosium, too.
This is apparently happening, at least according to this thread at the purple forum place, which appears to be written by Greg Stafford himself.
I have no dog in any hunt w/ Chaosium right now. I didn’t back any of their Kickstarters (Flying Buffalo took care of my KS disappointment). I’m not especially keen on the CoC 7th rules after having playtested them. But I’m still quite curious about the situation, as there are all kinds of potential repercussions and reverberations. And if any of that shakes out to better support for BRP, I’ll be happy.
Meanwhile, I’m packing for NTRPG Con, where I’ll get to play in a Basic D&D game run by Frank Mentzer and a Top Secret game run by Merle Rasmussen. And the DCC Lankhmar playtest that Doug Kovacs is running. And a couple of other things. So that’s going to be fun. So much so that I might even bother to post some pictures or even write up a report after the weekend. No promises, though. I’m a lazy sod, after all.
Wherein your humble scribe presents six BoL (Mythic Edition) characters that are approximations of the characters he’s had kicking around in his head for an Egyptian-themed one shot for years now. Would he actually run it in BoL? Maybe. That’s not the first system he’s considered. Nor will it likely be the last.
“An old priest and a young priest. A young soldier and an old soldier. An architect and a thief. These are the six parts that must come together to restore the jars and quiet the soul of Ptatmep,” spoke Pharaoh’s seer, Pentu-Paneb.
“The way will be perilous. The bandits and their scorpions ravage the roads between Upper and Lower Aphtet. We hear the sandstorms are fierce in the valley this season. And it is far from unlikely that the tomb’s occupants have remained at rest after the desecration.”
“Bring forth the amulets. Allow each of the assembled to choose a single talisman to take with them in Queen Khedebneithireretbeneret’s name. Then give them food and wineskins and send them on their way.”
Personally, I just call her “Your Majesty” or “Her Highness.” Or just “The Queen.”
Nebenefer / Lifeblood 11 / Hero Points 5 / Arcane Power 11 / Fate Points 2
Attributes: Strength 0 Agility 0 Mind 3 Appeal 1
Combat Abilities: Initiative 0 Melee 2 Ranged 0 Defense 2
Careers: Noble 0, Priest 2, Physician 1, Magician 1
Boons: Learned (Religion), Detect Deception
Flaws: Elderly
Languages: Aphtetian, Gresko, Occu
Equipment: Staff (d6), Light Armor (d6-3)
Taheret / Lifeblood 10 / Hero Points 5 / Arcane Power 12 / Fate Points 1
Attributes: Strength 0 Agility 1 Mind 1 Appeal 2
Combat Abilities: Initiative 1 Melee 2 Ranged 0 Defense 1
Careers: Noble 1, Slaver 0, Priest 1, Magician 2
Boons: Attractive, Silver Tongue
Flaws: Arrogant
Languages: Aphtetian, Gresko, Occu
Equipment: Mace (d6), Light Armor (d6-3)
Ramessu / Lifeblood 11 / Hero Points 5
Attributes: Strength 1 Agility 2 (1) Mind 0 Appeal 1
Combat Abilities: Initiative 1 Melee 1 Ranged 1 Defense 1
Careers: Noble 1, Beast Trainer 1 , Sailor 0, Soldier 2
Boons: Alert, Keen Eyesight
Flaws: Can’t Lie
Languages: Aphtetian, Gresko, Parsit
Equipment: Sword (d6), Bow (d6), Small Shield, Medium Armor (d6-2)
Beketaten / Lifeblood 13 / Hero Points 5
Attributes: Strength 3 Agility 1 (0) Mind 0 Appeal 0
Combat Abilities: Initiative 1 Melee 2 Ranged 0 Defense 1
Careers: Slave 0, Worker 0, Farmer 1, Soldier 3
Boons: Fearless, Poison Resistance
Flaws: Superstitious
Languages: Aphtetian, Gresko, Parsit
Equipment: Great Axe (d6H), Medium Armor (d6-2)
Zazamoukh / Lifeblood 10 / Hero Points 5
Attributes: Strength 0 Agility 1 Mind 2 Appeal 1
Combat Abilities: Initiative 0 Melee 1 Ranged 0 Defense 1
Careers: Scribe 1, Merchant 1, Worker 1, Architect 3
Boons: Learned (Engineering), Friends in High Places
Flaws: Non-Combatant
Languages: Aphtetian, Gresko, Sharaal
Equipment: Cudgel (d6L), Light Armor (d6-3)
Seneb / Lifeblood 10 / Hero Points 5
Attributes: Strength 0 Agility 2 Mind 1 Appeal 1
Combat Abilities: Initiative 1 Melee 1 Ranged 1 Defense 1
Careers: Beggar 1, Minstrel 1, Slave 0, Thief 2
Boons: Sneaky, Low-Born
Flaws: Untrustworthy
Languages: Aphtetian
Equipment: 4 X Dagger (d6L), Light Armor (d6-3)
So we’re all drowning in retroclones by now. But not long ago I discovered one that almost snuck right by me and I wanted to make sure that it got whatever minuscule amount of extra awareness that I could bring to it. So…
Go download Iron Falcon already!
Iron Falcon is an 0e retroclone that strives to be as accurate and true to its source material as possible. That means descending AC. That means the five classic Saves. That means no tinkering, no streamlining, no “improvements” and no modernization. Or, as the game’s author, Chris Gonnerman of Basic Fantasy fame puts it on the Iron Falcon site:
…my goals for this project:
- Be as faithful as possible to the original game (my coverage target).
- Deal with Product Identity issues by omitting the offending element (i.e. no look-alike monsters).
- Correct inconsistencies, generally by selecting the simplest solution, or the solution most consistent with the rest of the rules..
- Reorganize the presentation to make the game more playable.
- Avoid copyright infringement by remodeling; rules are kept similar as much as possible but details are changed (this is different from rule 2 above because it involves not infringing the copyright of the original game). Of course, no actual text is copied from the original game; it’s all written fresh. But in some cases, even a rewrite ends up too close to the original text… there are just only so many ways to say some things.
This makes it, in my mind, the Labyrinth Lord of 0e. Even more so than LL’s own OEC. Well, maybe not more so exactly. But the thing that Iron Falcon has going for it (as you might have guessed from its name) is that it includes the expansions to the core that came in Supplement 1. And some of those (thieves and the increased impact of attributes, especially) are central to my tastes.
This is 100% (well, maybe 90% or so) of what I personally wanted from the other 0e-flavored games. The missing 10% is found in the classes and such from Supplements 2 & 3. But that’s easy enough to get around.
So if this sounds like what you are looking for in an 0e clone, go get you some Iron Falcon right away. And if not, just keep on playing what you like.
Wherein your humble scribe, in honor of receiving his print copy of the Barbarians of Lemuria Mythic Edition today, presents a traveling band of mercenaries who are also a traveling band.
Oxaal / Lifeblood 12 / Hero Points 5
Attributes: Strength 2 Agility 1 (-1) Mind 0 Appeal 1
Combat Abilities: Initiative 0 Melee 2 Ranged 0 Defense 2
Careers: Blacksmith 1, Minstrel 1, Merchant 0, Mercenary 2
Boons: Attractive, Brawler
Flaws: Hot-Headed
Languages: Talish, Fendic, Iban
Equipment: Hammer (d6), Axe (d6), Small Shield, Heavy Armor (d6-1), Helmet
Dalger / Lifeblood 11 / Hero Points 5
Attributes: Strength 1 Agility 2 Mind 1 Appeal 0
Combat Abilities: Initiative 2 Melee 1 Ranged 1 Defense 0
Careers: Thief 1, Acrobat 2, Minstrel 1, Mercenary 0
Boons: Friends in Low Places, Sneaky
Flaws: City Dweller
Languages: Talish, Fendic, Iban, Guild Speak
Equipment: Sword (d6), Dagger (d6L), Light Armor (d6-3)
Towan / Lifeblood 10 / Hero Points 5 / Arcane Power 14
Attributes: Strength 0 Agility 1 Mind 3 Appeal 0
Combat Abilities: Initiative 1 Melee 1 Ranged 1 Defense 1
Careers: Scribe 1, Sorcerer 2, Minstrel 1, Mercenary 0
Boons: Fearless, Power of the Void
Flaws: Lustful, Absent-Minded
Languages: Iban, Fendic, Alemb, Saiban, Parlish, Taman, Mogani, Yamash, Baldwish
Equipment: Staff (d6), Dagger (d6L)
Homba / Lifeblood 12 / Hero Points 5 / Arcane Power 12
Attributes: Strength 2 Agility 2 Mind 0 Appeal 0
Combat Abilities: Initiative 1 Melee 1 Ranged 2 Defense 0
Careers: Beastmaster 1, Hunter 1, Minstrel 1, Mercenary 1
Boons: Beast-Friend, Mighty Shot
Flaws: Country Bumpkin
Languages: Saiban, Fendic, Iban, Mogani
Equipment: Spear (d6), Compound Bow (d6H), Light Armor (d6-3)
The Scarlet Trident is a criminal organization operating throughout North America. Its ultimate goals, as well as its operational structure, are not understood at present. What is known is that its operatives are almost always equipped with significantly advanced tech. Beam weapons, body armor, stealth suits, even exoskeletons that enhance the wearer’s strength to Super levels have been noted.
Scarlet Trident Strike Force 4D
[Qualities: Life Support]
Scarlet Trident Infiltration Team 3D
[Qualities: Invisibility (Sight, Sound)]
Scarlet Trident Brick Breaker
Henchman 4D [Qualities: Super Strength, Super Leap]
Certain patterns emerge when analyzing Scarlet Trident operations. To date they have held to committing their crimes with a “things come in threes” pattern. This behavior is almost so obvious as to be trite (as such, it may be deliberately designed to be misleading). There are facets of their actions, though, that are more puzzling. Consider the three most recent Scarlet Trident crimes: each was clearly targeted in areas protected by three decidedly different Supers: Essence, ECHO, and Exile. While these three heroes share certain similarities in their pseudonyms they are otherwise as different as they can be.
Essence is a magical/supernatural heroine who has remained focused on the middle-class suburbs. ECHO is a technological construct operating almost exclusively in the business district and downtown. And Exile a martial artist whose actions have remained confined to the urban slums.
In each incident, a low-scale robbery was undertaken by a deliberately underpowered Scarlet Trident strike force. All three crimes were easily foiled, though no prisoners were captured. The obvious conclusion is that the Scarlet Trident is testing these Supers. But for what purpose?
Real Name: Alessandra D’Abo
Origin: Magical
Resistances
Composure 3D Fortitude 1D Reaction 2D Will 4D
Advantages
Charismatic
Disadvantages
Enemy (Scarlet Trident)
Aptitudes
Athleticism 2D, Awareness 2D, Occultism 2D, Presence 3D
Powers
Teleportation 2D, Imbue 1D, Insubstantiality 2D, Wizardry 3D (Complication: Smartphone Grimoire)
Competency Pool 0D
Real Name: Electroacoustic Construct, Humanoid 0
Origin: Hi-Tech
Resistances
Composure 3D Fortitude 3D Reaction 3D Will 1D
Advantages
Unliving
Disadvantages
Bad Luck, Enemy (Scarlet Trident)
Aptitudes
Awareness 3D, Presence 2D, Technology 3D
Powers
Energy Control (Sound) 4D, Energy Form (Sound) 2D, Flight (Complication: Only in Energy Form) 2D, Size Control (Complication: Only in Energy Form) 2D
Competency Pool 0D
Real Name: Nathan Willis
Origin: Special Training
Resistances
Composure 1D Fortitude 4D Reaction 4D Will 3D
Advantages
I Brought This Along
Disadvantages
Enemy (Scarlet Trident), Intolerance (Criminals)
Aptitudes
Athleticism 3D, Awareness 2D, Investigation 2D, Intrusion 3D, Presence 2D, Streetwise 2D
Powers
Armor 2D (Complication: Device – Costume), Super Aptitude (Fighting) 4D
Competency Pool 0D
There’s a little movie out right now that you might have heard of called Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s a romp, and at times it feels very much like an RPG session. All of the protagonists are at least somewhat absurd, and their behavior marks them as Chaotic Good or Chaotic Neutral (with Good tendencies, maybe) in D&D-speak. So they come across pretty nicely as PCs.
I got to thinking about what game I’d use to run a similar story, and while my initial thought was something like Supers!, I think that may have been based on lingering ideas that Guardians as a superhero film rather than a big ol’ pulp scifi adventure. I still can’t quite decide between X-plorers and Tales of the Space Princess, though. So I thought I’d work out how I’d do a couple of the more popular characters and use that to inform my thoughts.
So, without further ado, here’s how I’d approach the core race/class considerations for a certain raccoon and his tree-guy buddy…
X-plorers, by default, focuses strictly on humans. But there’s an excellent supplement for designing alien and robot classes, and that’s what I’ve used here.
Gun-Happy Masked Rodent
Humanoid, Animal-Stock
+1 AGI, +1 INT
Pilot 15+, Security 16+, Mechanics 14+, Stealth 14+
Diminutive (+1 AC, -1 melee damage)
Deadly Marksman (+2 to hit/ranged, +1d6 damage/ranged)
Very Large Plant Man
Humanoid, Plant
+1 PHY, +1 PRE
Martial Arts, Survival 14+, Security 16+, Mechanics 14+
Large (+1 melee damage, -1 AC)
Regenerative (2 HP/Round)
Tales of the Space Princess has great rules for building unique aliens right there in its core book. I approached these two along those lines. Since race & class are separate in TotSP, I’ve listed a suggested class for each.
Gun-Happy Masked Rodent
Alien: Mammal (+1 DEF, Claws/Teeth do 1d6)
Alien Special Ability: +1 DEX
Suggested Class: Scoundrel
Very Large Plant Man
Alien: Plant (+2 Def, Immune to most poisons, +2 to resist mental domination)
Alien Special Ability: +1 STR
Suggested Class: Star Warrior
Even though I’m more partial to Tales of the Space Princess on the whole, I think I have to concede that X-plorers gets this particular job done better. The custom-built race-as-class classes fit just a bit better, even though I’m not 100% sold on the skills that Big Tree Guy winds up with. That’s a reasonable trade for him having a strong Regeneration ability without having to hack on the rules any further.
Wherein your humble scribe presents a quartet of adventurers for the vintage version of Magic World (you know, the one that was part of the old Worlds of Wonder boxed set). Why? Because boredom is my enemy. An enemy that can be vanquished only by imagining heroes to vanquish it.
“Hold a moment, gents. Allow old Dasq to catch his breath,” the fat rogue bellowed as the hill turned ever more steep as they ascended. “Carrying all of these wilderness provisions is a bit more than I’m used to.”
“Come now, villain,” the merchant replied, his accent nearly impenetrable to his companions. “You were carrying twice the weight easily when the city guard apprehended you.”
“Yea, b’at were gemsnsilver, wernit?” muttered Wheezing Mohan, the mercenary known in Broken Shield as much for his allergies as for his sword arm.
“True enough, true enough,” Dasq nodded in agreement as he lowered his bulk onto a boulder that seemed to groan beneath the weight. “Though why you all had to get involved in that… situation… I do not know. If you’d all just allowed me to escape we wouldn’t be on this damnable quest in the first place. A curse upon the King’s magistrate!”
The wizard, who had not uttered a syllable since they left the city turned swiftly and hissed, “We got involved in the situation as you put it, my fat friend, because the treasures you were fleeing with were ours. Though I concur with your cursing of the charlatan who claims knowledgeable service of the King. This custom of trial by wilderness is both ineffectual and an affront.”
“Wernall in agreem’t onnat,” replied Mohan. And then he sneezed three times. “Trollas. Three sneezes means trollas, mebims. Besget yarms ready.”
Guy d’Marseinné (Scholar) 120 Crowns
STR 9 CON 12 SIZ 15 INT 13 POW 14 DEX 11 APP 11 HP 12 DB +1d6
Weapons: Short Sword 30% (1d6+1), Dagger 25% (1d4+1)
Armor: Cuirboilli (3)
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 5%, Fine Manipulation 00%, First Aid 45%, Hide 55%, Jump 45%, Linguist 40%, Listen 45%, Literacy 65%, Lore 40%, Mechanical Arts 40%, Mercantile Arts 65%, Move Quietly 25%, Philosophy 40%, Ride 25%, Spot Hidden 25%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%
Vale Loer (Wizard) 390 Crowns
STR 10 CON 6 SIZ 12 INT 15 POW 16 DEX 13 APP 10 HP 6 DB none
Weapons: Staff 45%, Dagger 45%, Sword 45%
Armor:
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 5%, Fine Manipulation 10%, First Aid 45%, Hide 55%, Jump 45%, Linguist 00%, Listen 45%, Literacy 50%, Lore 00%, Mechanical Arts 00%, Mercantile Arts 00%, Move Quietly 25%, Philosophy 00%, Ride 25%, Spot Hidden 25%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%, Control 45%, Illusion 45%, Lift 45%, Speak To Mind 45%
Fat Dasq (Rogue) 220 Crowns
STR 5 CON 13 SIZ 18 INT 12 POW 9 DEX 15 APP 13 HP 18 DB none
Weapons: Short Sword 55% (1d6+1), Dagger 55% (1d4+1)
Armor: Cuirboilli (3)
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 75%, Fine Manipulation 75%, First Aid 45%, Hide 55%, Jump 55%, Linguist 00%, Listen 55%, Literacy 00%, Lore 00%, Mechanical Arts 00%, Mercantile Arts 00%, Move Quietly 55%, Philosophy 00%, Ride 25%, Spot Hidden 55%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%
Wheezing Mohan (Warrior) 105 Crowns
STR 13 CON 9 SIZ 13 INT 14 POW 8 DEX 15 APP 11 HP 9 DB none
Weapons: Broad Sword 70% (1d8+1), Mace 65% (1d6+2), Shield 70%
Armor: Ring Mail (4), Leather (2), Shield (12)
Skills: Climb 55%, Cut Purse 5%, Fine Manipulation 5%, First Aid 45%, Hide 55%, Jump 65%, Linguist 00%, Listen 45%, Literacy 00%, Lore 00%, Mechanical Arts 00%, Mercantile Arts 00%, Move Quietly 25%, Philosophy 00%, Ride 75%, Spot Hidden 25%, Swim 20%, Throw 45%
Readers of this blog are likely already aware, but just in case (and to boost the signal), I thought I’d mention that the Kickstarter for Barbarians of Lemuria: Mythic Edition has gone live.
Personally I’m rather soured on Kickstarter these days and I kinda wish BoL:ME weren’t going that route. But it is. So that’s that. I haven’t decided whether I’ll be dropping cash on this or not just yet, though I’m sure I will ultimately relent and pony up. I do love BoL, after all.
Also, it’s worth noting that everyone’s favorite BoL adventure writer, our good friend G-Man (he of the many adventures hosted here on Strange Stones) has an adventure that will be released if one of the stretch goals is reached. So that’s a strong motivator for sure.
So there you have it, amigos. Your daily dose of exciting BoL news.
Wherein your humble scribe rolls up a couple of characters for the Beta version of the Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls rules. Because it’s more fun than worrying about the release of D&D 5e, the OSR controversy du jour, or the sad plight of the bees.
“What about these books, wizard?” Zegg asked as he and his companion looted the library that until recently belonged to their freshly-slain foe.
“No. No. No,” the Elven Enchanter muttered as he looked through the stack of skin-bound volumes proffered by his blood-spattered compatriot. “Those are just pale recreations of the text I seek.”
“And what of this tablet? It constantly overwrites itself with words of wisdom from other mages from around the city. Surely it will guide you to what you desire?”
“No, Zegg, it will not. These words run in circles like children at play. They are diverting enough, but they lead nowhere.”
“Well then, Reshek, can we at least partake of this jar of honey? It smells sweet and looks delicious!”
“You may taste of it, my friend,” the wizard replied. “But grow you not too fond of its contents. Precious little of that golden substance remains on our world. Better still, refrain from opening that container and we can sell it for a fortune in the markets of Zaar.”
Zegg the Slayer / Human / Warrior 2 / 6′ 2″ 210 lbs
STR 26* CON 13 DEX 14 SPD 12 INT 7 WIZ 11 LK 4 CHR 10
Combat Adds +16 Wt Possible 2600
Talents Swordplay (+3), Arson (+3)
14gp Scimitar (4d6+2d6+16), Dagger (2d6+2+2d6+16), Target Shield (8)
Reshek the Enchanter / Elf / Wizard 2 / 5′ 9″ 160 lbs
STR 9 CON 5 DEX 19 SPD 7 INT 20 WIZ 21 LK 9 CHR 11
Combat Adds +2 Wt Possible 900
Talents Gambling (+3), Confectionary Arts (+3)
25gp, Sax (2d6+4+2), Bronze Ring (Focus), Light Leather Armor (3)