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Tag: OSR (Page 17 of 19)

Psionic Attack/Defense Modes

July 4, 2010 /

One of the things I really enjoyed about Psionics was psionic combat. I didn't like the method presented in the 1e PHB, but I did enjoy the Attack/Defense Modes. Although the bonuses and penalties weren't symmetrical, I always pictured it as a Rock, Paper, Scissors with no more choices. Had I known the rules, I probably would have used it as a mechanic to resolve psionic combat.

I knew that 2e expanded the numbers of powers and introduced MAC and MTHAC0. The guys and I wondered why this was necessary. After all, there is no Magical Armor Class nor To Hit Magical Armor Class 0. Spells got a saving throw, why not psionics?

In thinking about psionics in the OSR Project, I happened upon a good nugget of information that can provide some much needed OGL material. It turns out that under the 3.0 version of the SRD, psionic attack and Defense Modes were still in use. Better yet, the matrix of attack vs. defense mode were converted to use with saving throws already. Sure they were Will saves, but after an hour with some 'what if' scenarios, I was satisfied with the results. This bit of good news means that I have a way to describe and roughly stat the attack/defense modes from the srd. (I get nervous about how much the serial numbers are really filed off when I describe things, sometimes.)

One thing I had to add, though. Seeing as 2e Psionics (I mean Skills and Powers option, not the Psionics Handbook) had each attack mode represent a dice, I felt the need to add one more. No, I didn't add a d20 attack mode, I added a d2 attack mode. It's called Socrum's Needle. It is akin to the Slow Blade in the DUNE series. When a high level psionic scoffs at what he perceivesto be a small minded warrior with meager psionic talent, he had better hope that the warrior does not have the needle. It is available only to those with wild talents and it functions as a straight attack roll instead of a saving throw. It's main purpose is to open the mind of high level psionicists.

In my universe, you got to give the underdog a way to fight without relying on a natural 20.

Hopefully, I'll have a beta document up soon.

Interesting Links and Other Things

July 1, 2010 /

Today is rife with old school goodness.

First item is something I found off somewhere in the dawn of the internet. Folks will probablu recognize it when they see it, but I don't remember when and how I got it. It is a "High Magic" system that relies on the zodiac to determine effects on spells. One day, I would love to turn this into a spell building system.

High Magick Zodiac

My favorite read of the day features some unusual weapons from spaghetti westerns, all real weapons. My favorite is the LeMat Revolver.

I could see this revolver as one of the rare Garuda Firearms in my Shayakand campaign.

Lastly, is a discussion of class. I mention it because my retroclone address this.

Out of time. More later!

The Madness Continues

June 28, 2010 /

The more I consider the OSR project, the more I realize why we were able to run Spelljammer when none of us had a copy of the 2nd Edition Rules.

We didn't use any of the optional rules from 2e.

No skills, no endless kits, no player's options, nada. We used the 1e PHB, 1e DMG, 1e MM, MM2, Fiend Folio, 1e Outer Planes, 1e Oriental Adventures and every Spelljammer Monster supplement we could find.

I'm joining a 2e group this month, and it didn't take me long to realize that 2e was *not* what I ran. The only thing from 2e I used was thac0. The only reason I knew about Thac0 was that it appeared for all the Spelljammer monsters.

So, considering the fact that I didn't really use as much of an amalgam as I thought I did, I considered just adding house rules to OSRIC or the AEC for Labryinth Lord. Yet, I redefine thac0, I add a system for creating classes and monsters, my Fighters are different, Thieves/Rogues have tremendous variety in what they can do. Psionics are not the same as 1e or 2e, but are two distinct classes. One is handled like another spellcaster, the other is more like d20 psions. There's an alternate non-vacanian spell casting system. I incorporate some of the Oriental Adventures stuff, especially martial arts styles. Then there's the whole issue of Manueverability Class and how we didn't go from A to E...

There's enough differences that it's a bit more than an add-on to a 1e clone, but nothing like a 2e clone.

So, for now, I'm shooting for a project under the working title of The Odd Omnibus - an Extraordinary Companion for Early Editions. I'm going to write it in a similar vein as the AEC for Labyrinth Lord. It may not be popular, but it will at least be positioned as an add-in instead of Yet Another Retroclone.

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