All Kinds of Fun!
Magman over at the WEG fansite is holding a contest for ‘backdrops’. The rules are straightforward and open-ended.
All details can be found here.
If I can keep up with my assignments from Nevermet Press, I plan on submiting an entry.
The word of the day from the folks at dictionary.com provides an interesting adjective. Here is one of the examples of usage provided on the site:
As for Neeson — of the nose-heavy, asymmetrical countenance and shrewdly darting, soul-searching eyes, he is a lopsided Gary Cooper redivivus — hardly something to sneeze at.
– John Simon, “Michael Collins”, National Review, November 25, 1996
Note that the proper usage is (Name of Person) redivivus.
Within an RPG with many forms of undead, such a name could add story elements by naming an individual ‘weaker’ undead. (zombies, wights) It could also be used as a title for more powerful undead (vampire, revanant). The latter usage gives a more regal feel because redivivus is a purely latin based word.
Here’s an example of a third person referring to a zombie of someone recently deceased: Tragen, our mayor, is dead, but Tragen Redivivus roams the village terrorizing our citizens….
I can easily imagine a vengeful revanant placing this name upon himself upon his return to the physical world: Tristan was felled by a corrupt guild under the iron rule of Kuroun Fes. As Tristan Redivivus, I will see justice done by the force of my will and the blade he placed in my back.
I leave it to others to decide if such a title is appropriate to a lich.
I was catching up on Trapcast listening to their return podcast from May 18. Aside from the usual random stuff, they were discussing the topic of creating races outside the standard fantasy milleu. On the podcast, they talked about balance and playing all characters as humans. Good points, be sure to take a listen.
As far as acheiving balance, though, I began to think about how races are defined in Microlite20. Most races are defined as a bonus or penalty to one of the three attributes. Humans get a +1 to all skills with no adjustments to attributes.
The balancing mechanism is that all adjustments total 2. For humans, having a +1 bonus to all four skills is equivalent to a +2 Attribute adjustment. For example, Elves get a +2 MIND adjustment, Half-Orcs get +3 STR and -1 MIND, Half-Elves get +1 MIND and +1 to any two skills.
With three attributes and four skills to fiddle with, M20 seems to be the perfect place to look at the mechanics of creating new races easily. To limit the number of options, I decided to set up a few parameters for this exercise:
The result is the attached spreadsheet below:
Racial Template Options
Looking through the results, some are quite interesting. For example, a race that receives a +1 to Mind, +1 to all skills and a -1 to STR. This would mean that there is a race that is just as adaptable as humans, slightly smarter, but slightly weaker physically. Of all the possibilities, the one that appealed to me was a somewhat evolved human.
Others have definite possibilities, especially a race that would receive a +1 bonus to all attributes, but a -1 to any two skills. (This may seem like a cheat to get a super character, but M20 is a skill-based system.) This creates a race that is smarter, stronger, and more agile than a typical human, but less adaptable. This makes me think of the invading aliens from In the Balance by TurtleDove.
This only takes care of the mechanics. For those that tend to look for how a race can benefit them in combat, not much more needs to be done. For others like me that get into the fluff, getting this part nailed down provides suggestions for what a race is like without removing many possibilties. Using a good random generation like this one can fill in some of the details.
I admit, I’m a nut when it comes to fluff like this. I think about the form and function of a different race. For example, giants in my world have a different material in there bone makeup. It is stronger than regular bone material by an exponential factor. This makes them feared adversaries, but also threatened by others that seek to harvest the hardened bone material. The reason for this change is that a 12 ft tall human could barely walk and would break bones at the slightest movement.
I have other examples, but I hope this provides a good baseline for creating new races. I hope to detail more of these just to see how far it can go. If you find any entries on the spreadsheet you find interesting, let me know.
Long term, I want my posts to be more polished. I hope to spend some time mulling over the idea and performing some basic editing. After all, I do have an English degree – I feel like I should write like I do.
In any case, here are the latest idea sketches:
Self-healing wood:
Black Birch creates the most BTUs per cord. It is an American wood. The difference between it and the closest type of wood available in Europe/Asia is about 8%. What this means is that certain wood from the North American continent will be the most prized and the most expensive.
Coal is a more efficient fuel than regular wood. It is lighter and it generates more heat than wood. Self-healing wood is a popular option, but there is still a place
The other key to self-healing wood is that it cannot be grown. It can only be created from normally harvested wood.
Self-healing wood and cannon don’t always go together. You can sink a ship made of self-healing wood, it will sit on the ocean floor, pristine and intact. Wood heals, but not fast enough to keep water from coming in. Once underwater, it will continue to heal. It will not allow barnacles or other things to attach to it.
Open D6:
Since the Septimus announcement, there has been buzz about what fans and vendors will create under the D6 engine. ComStar, no surpise, has expressed interest. More than a few fans are showing up eager to use D6 to go where other systems cannot.
I like the ideas around a creature compendium and conversion from other OGL systems. I’m not so much into the special abilities as much as templates (like classes in d20), bestiary (already stated), and spells (although many will be redundant).
After the one page dungeon, if I can finish by tomorrow, I’ll start on some of that. I’m typesetting D6 Fantasy Creatures (much harder then D6 Fantasy Core book), so I’ll add on my conversions later.
Big thing for me is the very large stat block required each creatures. I would like a shorthand stat block, but I can’t figure out a way to do it.
There’s more, but I’ve lost some of my notes. More later…
I started reading about a new 24 Hour RPG contest some time ago and came across an intriguing setting idea in *the list*. It was Fantasypunk – Cyberpunk ideas in a Fantasy setting.
As I pondered it, I found that I was thinking more of a magic + steampunk scenario instead. I had the rough idea in my brain of an engine that had two dimensional portals, one to a dimension of fire and another to a dimension of water. It produces steam, and thus provided locomotive force for any kind of vehicle.
It seemed so simple and too complicated at the same time. I didn’t like the idea, but I couldn’t figure out why.
No matter, I said to myself, just some crazy ideas that come and go.
Then I was on Twitter talking to Stargazer when he mentioned a steam fantasy setting he had worked on. More because it was twitter, I shortened it to magipunk, a term we both seemed to like.
I presented an idea or two of how magic and steam power could mix and left it to percolate for later.
I came back to that goofy dimensional engine I mentioned earlier. I figured out that it was too magical. It would require permanent openings to two different dimensions. No sane person would create more than one, much less mass produce these things!
Still, magic can serve to tweak an engine and deal with issues. What kind of ‘just enough’ magic system could improve an engine?
Thinking about locomotives, one of the main fuels, before coal or diesel, was wood. A wood burning locomotive and coal burning locomotive were built largely the same way. Improving the wood burning locomotive through magic seemed an appealing idea, so it was time to research.
Dimensional fire is silly, however, creating heat through magic should be fairly common. The d20 fireball is a huge source of fire and heat – taking that much energy and spreading it out over time seemed a reasonable and lower magic way to provide the fire.
Then I thought, “what if the wood was self-healing”? In other words, as it burned, it healed itself, making it possible to burn the same piece of wood almost continuosly.
The wood would have to heal slower than the rate at which it burns, otherwise it wouldn’t produce much heat. That would mean a train couldn’t run continuously, but after a night time stopover, the fuel would have completely regenerated, allowed for a quick exit.
So far, so good. Self-healing wood as a long enduring form of fuel. Ash, red oak, white oak, beech, birch, hickory, hard maple, pecan, and dogwood are good hardwoods that produce a lot of heat and little smoke. Get some magically treated, self-healing hickory or white oak, and you have a train that can go pretty far. Eliminating the fuel car provides a little more tractive power because it’s weight that is unneeded. No need for manual stokers to shovel wood, it is self-contained.
This gives you a train that requires very little crew, has great range, and can get started quickly.
In a different way, thinking about self-healing wood lead me to the creation of seamless ships. In other words, build a ship out of wood, and over time, it would form into a solid block.
With two major uses for magically-treated wood, there was now a commodity that could make folks quite rich, it tweaks, but doesn’t entirely replace two major forms of transportation, and it has that ‘just enough’ amount of magic that it could just work.
More details later, just jotting down notes so I don’t forget them.
Am-Kahir spent a few years studying magic under an adequate, but wholly unremarkable teacher. Much of his time was spent creating scrivened versions of simple spells and cataloging ingredients used for various potions, spells, and assorted creations. Through cataloging various potion recipes, Am-Kahir discovered that creating potions and elixirs has more to do with the application of energy to the ingredients instead of us of magic. Eager to research his findings, he left the employ of his teacher and set up his own laboratory.
Although self-taught, Am-Kahir is very skilled in making potions, charms, and amulets. His research has led him attempt acts of takwin, the creation of artificial life. His early attempts followed standard arcane formulas and rites to create golems. However, he quickly moved to other ideas as he considered golems to be possessed and not created.
His experiments with takwin have not been well received by local townspeople. Many fear his ‘mad’ experiments and complain about the sounds of explosions and scent of sulphur coming from his lab. Although he has more his lab from place to place, he was recently attacked by a mob during one of his experiments. Desperate to defend his life’s work, he employed his various creations to defend his property. No one was killed, but city officials expelled him from the city for his use of “unauthorized magicks”.
Am-Kahir found a cave that opened to a steep cliff face. He decided that such a location would keep him safe from townspeople and local officials. He then secluded himself to resume his study of artificial life. His first successful creation was a roughly human-shaped mass of rope. Unlike a mindless golem, this creature, called an anthroparion, was able to understand complex instructions, adapt to variable conditions, and learn simple tasks. Encouraged by his success, he hired an assistant, Zemud, to expand his work.
Together, Am-Kahir and Zemud have expanded the initial success to create other anthroparion (parion for short). Their greatest known success is the creation of Wahed, a true anthroparion. Wahed is human in all respects, capable of independent thought, and learning new tasks. Unsurprisingly, Wahed has an affinity for alchemy, though he is extremely poor in social skills.
Zemud, however, is impatient with the time and effort involved and uses elemental spirits to speed up construction. Technically, this means that he is creating golems instead of anthroparion. To this end, Zemud has made a deal with a dao: the dao provides earth elemental spirits, the golems Zemud creates mine for gems.
Am-Kahir (for D6 Fantasy)
Agility 2D
Coordination 2D: sleight of hand 2D+1
Physique 2D
Charisma 2D+2: mettle 3D+2
Intellect 4D: reading/writing 4D+2, scholar 5D
Acumen 2D+2
Magic 3D+2: conjuration 4D
Spells: Cantrips, Countermagic Ward, Glow Stone, Relocate Person, Feast, Stun Senseless, Create Golem, Create Anthroparion
Advantage: Eidetic Skill Bonus +1
Disadvantages: Infamy (R2), blowing up things in nearby towns has not endeared Am-Kahir to local residents or city leaders.
Equipment: A fully equipped laboratory for two persons. Included in the lab are the materials to create at least two true anthroparion, many different types of potions and wards.
Strength Damage: 1D
Move: 10
Body Points: 25
Fate Points 4
Character Points 0
Funds 4D
I discovered Central Casting from another blog post from Inkwell Ideas. Written in 1993, it took me back to my own index card and graph paper days.
This excellent book walks you through randomly generating a dungeon, just as it promises. I discovered that after a few rolls and creating the first few rooms, my own ideas started rolling in. I was actually creating a new dungeon that I actually liked.
I say all this because it should allow me to create an entry for the one page dungeon. It also suggested a theme that allowed me to create some new monsters as well. (I did a google search for one of them – it has been done, but mine is a bit different. I really did create it independently of the internet.)
So now, it’s a matter of a good name and finishing the dungeons.
I may not win any prizes, but I will enjoy finishing it.
Wiki has been added as a link on the top. Wiki currently includes Hypermen draft.
More to follow!
I have discovered a few things since the last post.
Twitter
The biggest discovery is twitter. On twitter, I can follow along with all kinds of folks. Through it, I’ve gotten to know a few RPG bloggers, Brent Spiner’s twitter fiction, talk to folks all over the world. Cool stuff.
RPG Bloggers Network
The RPG Bloggers Network has shown me that there are people my age that still enjoy role-playing games. Every day, there are lots of articles on all kinds of neat stuff. Just a few days ago, there were three contests going on all at once. I tried my hand at one, but missed the deadline. I’ll post all the other stuff anyway.
I enjoy reading about the Old-School D&D folks and their campaigns. I also found that there really is a 2nd Edition D&D group. wow.
Anyway, I want to be a member of the RPG Bloggers Network, but I need to be more consistent and actually finish a few things.
Open D6
West End Games is back with an OGL version of the core books. They aren’t online, yet, but soon will be. The idea is for a modular online database that allows a user to download only the rules they need.
Otherwise, the material released is quite large. It goes without saying, but the Star Wars game is not OGL, but that is more due to LucasFilms trademarks. However, adventure, fantasy, and space are OGL. Very cool. I hope that with the death of 4e OGL, that folks will give OpenD6 a try.
My Life
I have two small children. I priortize them above most everything else. As such, I’m not able to do things like a 48 hr RPG contest or work on a lot of campaign stuff. Heck, I’m not even in a game group, yet. As such, I’m not going to be able to create a lot of material very quickly. I just don’t have the time to do the marketing and promotion and production quality to do pdfs. So, no Sycarion Diversion on DriveThruRPG.com
It’s freeing in a way. Just offer it for free and let folks use stuff as they wish. Maybe one or two people will visit. Maybe more.
Roadmap
Works starts now!
Instant Game is a neat utility that allows you to create a setting. It also does a lot more, but for now I like the setting possibilities.
For example, here’s the one that gave me ideas for the Boston 1771 setting I mentioned earlier:
Boston 1770’s, Realistic, Supers, War.
how’s that for a neat setting. Maybe the sun will set on the empire, or maybe the revolution doesn’t take very long or maybe…
Here’s some others that I hope to explore this summer:
Stone Age, Heroic, Undead, Demon
Cloud City, Realistic, Underground Pariahs, Realm of the Gods
WWII, Suspense, Dragons, Ship
War, Gothic, High Magic, Street Gangs
and many many more.
Sycarion Diversions is a sister site of pinakidion.*. pinakidion.* deals more with religious and writing topics. This site houses information on games. Specifically, this has information on card games, board games, and role-playing games. Card games and board games are a collaborative effort with my friend Jeff. Jeff has created and briefly marketed one board game and has idea for lots of others. Role-Playing Games are my bailiwick. I've been playing since I was 10 starting with the Mentzer Basic D&D box. I stopped playing in college, but recently renewed my love for RPGs. In 2005, I discovered the Action! System from Goldrush Games. Since then, I have also found Microlite20 and OpenD6. It's a good time to game.
For what it is worth, feel free to use anything that you see on the site. It is not copyrighted or even placed under a Creative Commons License. Part of the reason for this is that rules for games cannot really be copyrighted. However, the main reason is that the value of this site is the community I am a part of. Restrictions on ideas and games can delay innovation, even simple restrictions can be an impediment. Sure, I'd like a link and to be given credit, but that's up to the person.
The rest of the story can be found here.