More later.

Helix RPG appears to be a weird west setting that uses its own mechanic. The mechanic, as best I can tell, utilizes d12s and d6s. It’s still in beta testing.

Outside of that, I don’t know anything.

Someone on the list asked about a comparison to Deadlands. It will be interesting to see the contrasts.

So far, negotiations for the teams is part-way finished. They are looking to have a 16 game season with no preseason. They are also incorporating a few changes similar to Canadian Football. Three point PAT from the 10 yard line, 4 point FGs from beyond 55 yards. No touchbacks or kneel downs.

Of more interest is an ability to ask the commissioner a question. I asked this morning about the availability of the old USFL stats. I suggested that publishing those stats in detail would be something that could add interest to the new league.

What I did not say is that the few of us that enjoy football board games could make teams for the various games. I doubt that Paydirt teams could be created, but maybe STATS has play by play information from the old USFL. (who knows?)

Keep an eye out for 2010. The new USFL is coming. Hooray!

The offensive dice are:
Black die: 1-2-2-3-3-3
White die: 0-0-1-2-3-4
White die: 0-1-2-3-4-5

The defensive dice are:
Red: 1-1-1-2-2-3
Green: 0-0-0-0-1-2

What if werewolves and vampires were allergic to gold instead of silver.

What if, to fight the threat, alchemists created a liquid gold called alchemist gold. It’s like mercury, just gold.

(then, what if it is really sunlight that changes lycanthropes, and not the moon?

Gotta run, more later.

With all this buildup, I certainly hope it is not an index to the first three books.

My interest, by the way, is not so much the game as how the GSL looks. Open gaming brought D&D back to profitability and generated a ton of interest. If folks get greedy, then it is possible to lose the benefits of free content.

I guess we’ll see.

The Monty Python RPG project.

Must ponder over the weekend while I’m out of town. This is just too great.

WARNING: Mnemosyne may be delayed.

I was excited about seeing the 4e GSL and how that had changed, but ‘early next week’ has turned into ‘later next week’. I expect that will turn into ‘early next month’ and then ‘Sept 2008′.

The stickler, I believe, is coming up with a policy for fansites. If there is no official GSL content until October, how do you keep fans from creating content until then?

Spelljammer 4e on hold?!?!?

As Brown Jenkin on EnWorld notes, it will either be out today or July 7th.

Normal score for an attribute is changing from 3 to 4. This means that starting point pools will increase appropriately. Points for Skills remain the same. Normal skill level for any given skill remains 2.

Along with this, the STR table has been completely changed with different weights. However, the exact correspondence of score to kilograms will be in the GM Guide. For each increase in the STR attribute, the character is 1.5 times stronger. In other words, a character with an STR 5 is 1.5 times stronger than a character with an STR 4. This remains consistent, regardless of scale.

If a player wishes to perform a lifting or breaking or other feat of strength, it will be a skill roll against the Strength (or BODY in MUSE) attribute. The Target Number will be determined by the approximate weight of the object. Again, this will be in the GMs guide. This was done to avoid getting bogged down in exactly how much a certain object weighs. This also allows for supernatural feats of strength that some people have done under great stress without providing a talents, traits, or costing an action point.

A score of 4 STR and BODY yields 2d6 punch damage. This is slightly more than the old scale in Action! To determine punch damage, divide the STR (or BODY) attribute by 2. Fractions are changed into +2. For example, a STR of 5 does 2d6+2 damage.

Melee weapons, kicks, and martial arts techniques do damage based on Punch damage. Damage for any of these items will be listed as punch+x. (I still have to consider how this affects characters with a greater STR than 10.) Melee weapons will do lethal damage, instead of stun damage. Depending on the specific weapon, they will also do penetrating damage.

As far as bladed weapons go, Knives do punch-2 P/L, Daggers do Punch P/L, Short Swords do Punch+2 P/L, Broadswords do Punch+D6 P/L, Hand-and-a-Half Swords do Punch+D6+2 P/L, and Great Swords do Punch+2d6 P/L.

Clubs and such do damage based on mass of the club. A Tetsubo does Punch+2d6 B/L damage, while a typical baseball bat does Punch+2 B/L damage.

More things will be developed. It is hoped that by using BTRC materials, there will be a consistency of scale. Mark Arsenault, the creator of Action! used 3G3, so I see it as more of a continuation of his work using tools that he used.