The Summer Slowdown

- Summer time... gaming and posting has seemed to slow down. Maybe things will pick up again as we get nearer to Gencon. Not that I am going but blog traffic seems to pick up and more things happen.

- I have an advanced case of gamer ADD. It only seems to go into remission when I play which has been rare the last while. I have spent far more time buying and reading stuff. The problem (besides the impact to my wallet) is that I come up with all sorts of campaign and one-shot ideas. It is difficult enough to schedule sessions for the Northern Marches and the Dark Sun / Castles & Crusades micro-campaign much less to add anything new.

- I was reading through the comments to James Maliszewski's recent post regarding Save or Die. James does a wonderful job of posting his thoughts and ideas in a well thought out and easily understood manner but I am always amazed how the comments to his posts can very quickly veer off into us versus them. I don't know if it is because his posting is so well thought out that his blog attracts such diverse readers. I do sometimes wish people would stay a bit more on subject though. I was going to make a comment there but I decided that it would not benefit anyone but myself so decided against it. I have no problem with others enjoying their games. Hell, I like all sorts of games myself. But don't talk down to me or others because of the style of games we like. Table top roleplaying is a wonderful hobby that has done a lot of good things for me and many, many others. How can any game where people get to sit down with friends and spend hours talking together be a bad thing no matter what style you prefer?

- I have been reading the Gazetteer for Paizo's Golarion setting and the regional source book for their Darkmoon Vale. I think that the Darkmoon Vale would be a great little sandbox. Of course I would have to convert it to something far more rules-lite than 3.5E like B/X or Castles & Crusades but that wouldn't tough.

- I am pretty much done writing the next session of the Dark Sun micro-campaign. The only things I have to do now are come up with some of the props and find a hole in everyone's schedules. I figure that the campaign will cover about 5 sessions. This micro campaign is nothing like my Northern Marches campaign. The Northern Marches is a exploration based sandbox while the Dark Sun game is a more story-focused game. I do not know the entire story but I do have a general sense of the direction of the game. I make up my notes for each session based on what has happened in previous sessions. It is interesting running two very different games.

- This week is Stampede in Calgary. This is the first time I have really missed working since I left my job in January. Downtown Calgary is a lot of fun this week.

Dark Sun / Castles & Crusades Part 2

The background for a second session of the now poorly named Dark Sun one shot:

With the Veiled Alliance still in hiding and part of Nicodemus' troops now under their orders, our unlikely heroes spent the last year wandering the desert, hunting and raiding villages like any other slave tribe. The tribe's scouts have brought word of an unlikely caravan traveling through the desert nearby - a supply caravan belonging to Sorcerer-King Kalak whose destination is unknown. The tribe has set up an ambush to take the caravan. Why is it out in the desert? What does it carry?

These are my goals/wish list for a second session of Castles & Crusades / Dark Sun:
1. Make use of the Slave army that now follows the party.
2. Have a mix of scene framing and dungeon exploration. But a bigger focus on dungeon exploration than in the last session.
3. More goofy minis!

C&C / Dark Sun One Shot Report

I ran the Dark Sun one shot last night. It was great fun! First some pictures and then a look at whether the game met my goals.

The opening scene was in the arena of course...













Later a fight in the desert...












The final battle...














My goals for this game were:
1. To use C&C to run a Dark Sun game that is not a 100% conversion of Dark Sun but instead a "thematic" conversion.

How did C&C do? Really well. I find C&C plays a lot like 2nd edition but faster and easier.

Some of the conversion mechanics included;
A. No psionics - this did not appear to be missed and it still felt like dark sun to everyone.
B. Using a variant of the Microlite20 magic system for wizards - this worked extremely well.
C. Custom Gladiator class based of C&C's Knight class worked well. The player really took to it during the arena combat. Also, the Fighter, Ranger and Gladiator all felt very different from each other.

The use of lots of props, art work and music really helped with the Dark Sun feel.

2. Run a high action, heroic game that still feels like Dark Sun

I am pretty lenient with the use of C&C's siege mechanic to do all sorts of crazy maneuvers and stunts so this lends itself to the characters feeling heroic. The grittiness of Dark Sun was communicated by stressing slavery, the tyrannical power of the sorcerer-kings and the harshness of the natural environment. Only one PC death as the wizard was blasted with a lightening bolt in the final encounter.

3. Develop a fast and furious non-railroaded one-shot

I had 5 encounters roughly sketched out. A lot of pre-planning went into making sure there would be at least one opportunity for each character to come to the forefront but, as they typically do, the players surprised me at every turn. The only encounter that went as I expected it to was the initial battle in the arena - tough for that one to get off the rails. From the second encounter on the players tried things that I did not expect.

What worked really well?
A. All the time and effort I put into making props, visuals and the soundtrack really enhanced the game.

B. The encounter design. Each of the 5 encounters was designed with a specific goal, a list of obstacles that needed to be overcome to reach the goal, and the "push" - the element that kept the players moving. Each of the 5 goals formed the backbone of the "story". However, the method to accomplish the goal was left entirely up the the players and there was enough wiggle room for how players accomplished prior goals to affect how later goals may be reached. The push for the overall story was a time limit on finding Mr. McGuffin. Each encounter also had a specific push. For example, an encounter in the desert was pushed by the need to find water.

What's next?
Maybe a Thundarr-type one shot using Mutant Future, one of the scenarios out of Barbarians of Lemuria, the Burning Wheel scenario "The Gift" using Risus, or maybe a sequel Dark Sun game.

EDIT:
What didn't work?
- Mainly that in a format such as a one-shot, I need to do a better job moving the action along and framing the next scene. In my Northern Marches game this isn't a requirement as it is an exploration based sandbox game. the methodical exploration of every hex, passageway, nook and cranny is part of that game but in a more "story"-based one-shot it is more important to cut to the next scene to keep the tension and action ramped up. There was a brief part in the middle of the game where I started so see things flag a bit and had to really make a conscious effort to bring the intensity back up.

Getting Ready

My Castles & Crusades / Dark Sun one shot is in a couple of days so I am going to spend some of my free time putting the finishing touches on my prep.

The encounters are pretty much sketched out - the players are agents for the Veiled Alliance and they have to find Mr. McGuffin. The opening scene is in the arena of course.

I am using pregen characters and they are pretty much done.

I am using a bunch of props and I am going to make this a minis-heavy (actually figure flats) game so I have built props for the arena and possible subsequent encounters but there are still a couple of things I have to finish.

The soundtrack is also ready - a heavy dose of Gladiator and 300.

I will post some comments here after it is done.

Dark Sun One-Shot is Proceeding

A handful of players I know have indicated that they want to participate in the Dark Sun one-shot I am working on. I ultimately decided to use Castles & Crusades as the rule system. I decided this for ease of conversion. I have told my players that I am not going for a 100% accurate mechanical conversion but instead a "thematic" conversion. It will follow a lot of the thoughts I have mentioned here - no psionics, no defiler/preserver classes, etc.

I am keeping a bunch of the races and classes that I would eliminate if it were a B/X game but, once again, not straight conversions.

Some More Thoughts on One-Shot Adventures

Since my post a few weeks ago about Episodic vs Campaign games, I have continued to think about one-shot games or micro-campaigns in general and a Dark Sun one-shot specifically. While the Northern Marches continues to be my main focus, I am enjoying having something else to think about. I like the idea of running some short games as it gives me the chance to pursue other gaming ideas but allowing the Northern Marches to remain the campaign focus.

I have been thinking about how to make a one-shot adventure effective. By "effective", I mean making the session as fun as possible while sticking to a finite time period. Some considerations are:

1. Structure - an appropriately sized location based adventure vs. a plot based adventure with a beginning and end.
2. Giving the players a goal to get the ball rolling - recover the artifact, find the traitor, save the princess, etc.
3. Combining the Goal and the Structure in a way so that the adventure in not a railroad - getting them started but allow them the freedom to do their own thing.
4. Character Mortality - The players won't be as attached to their character so hopefully they will try some wacky stuff but this is balanced against the time constraints and having to roll up new characters.
5. Pushing the players - having a mechanism to keep the pressure on the players to act - recover the artifact before the pillar of fire falls from the sky, find the traitor before he does X, save the princess before she is sacrificed to the dark gods.

I have been considering two possible scenarios for a Dark Sun one-shot. Either the typical "you are a slave in one of the city-states" knowing that the characters will try to escape or a find the mcguffin adventure with a twist.

The Escape Slavery scenario would be a location based adventure focused on the slave pits and escaping the city into the desert.

The find the mcguffin scenario would be more of a plot-based game but to keep it from being a railroad, it would be more about giving the players' the goal and having an idea of how the mcguffin could be recovered. The middle part would be a few vague ideas but more reacting to the players actions while keeping the pressure on them to recover the mcguffin before X happens.

Does anyone have any other thoughts/tips about structuring and/or running a one-shot adventure?

B/X Dark Sun - More Thoughts on Classes

I have actually been canvassing everyone I know about the idea of running the Dark Sun one-shot I have been thinking about. In preparation I have been reading some more of the original Dark Sun box set and thinking some more about a B/X version. As an aside, what would Erol Otus art have been like for Dark Sun?

Here is some more preliminary thoughts on B/X Dark Sun classes:

Cleric - As in B/X but instead of a deity, the cleric is devoted to one of the four elements. The spell list will still have to be worked on for each.

Druid - As in Supplement III - Eldritch Wizardry.

Dwarf - As in B/X but no special ability for detecting slanting passages, traps, shifting walls, etc. Instead they must choose a "goal". While in direct pursuit of their "goal" they receive a +1 bonus to saving throws.

Elf - As B/X Halflings. In addition, their overland movement rates as given in miles/day on page X20 would be tripled.

Fighter - As B/X.

Half-Elf -On reflection, I think I wold get rid of half-elves as they don't really fill a strong archetype.

Half-Giant - I mentioned earlier that I would get rid of half-giants as they infringe on the Mul's niche.

Halfling - As B/X Elf but spells are from the Druid spell list in Supplement III - Eldritch Wizardry. No immunity to a ghoul's touch.

Magic-User - As in B/X with the following changes to spellcasting.

Magic-users can cast arcane spells with a spell level equal or below 1/2 their class level, rounded up.

Edited: [Casting a spell of any kind costs Hit Points. The cost is double the level of the spell being cast:

Spell Level... 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6
HP Cost........2....4....6....8..10..12]

This loss cannot be healed normally but is recovered after 8 hours rest. There is no need to memorize spells in advance but it must be in their spellbook (I would use the Holmes rules re spellbooks). Select one ‘signature’ spell per spell level from 1st upward that they prefer to use over any other. These spells are easier to cast due to familiarity, costing 1 less HP to use.

Instead of drawing HP from his or her own pool, a magic-user can draw it from the lifeforce of the surrounding lands instead (“Defiling”). For each 1 HP of cost, a 5-ft radius of vegetation gets turned to ash by the power drain. Additional drains further extend the radius. Anyone caught in the radius must make a save or be “stunned” for 1 round. (maybe make this save or damage to make it really bad)

- Modified from Microlite20 Core Rules
Of course, this gets rid of everything that I love about the B/X magic-user but I think it works well with the defiler vs preserver thing.

Mul -

The prime requisites for a mul are Strength and Constitution. A mul character whose strength or constitution is 13 or greater will receive a 5% bonus to earned experience. Muls whose strength and constitution are 13 or greater will receive a bonus of 10% to earned experience.

RESTRICTIONS: Muls use ten-sided dice (d10) to determine their hit points. They may advance to a maximum of 10th level of experience. Muls may use any type of weapon but due to their strict training they may choose one specific weapon-type (eg. longsword, handaxe, etc) with which they gain a +1 bonus to hit. They may use any type of armour and may use a shield. A mul character must have a minimum strength score of 12 and a minimum constitution score of 12. Muls do not gain a stronghold or followers. Due to the fact that they are a slave race all muls suffer a -2 penalty to reaction rolls with non-muls. Muls attack and save as Fighters.

Level.......XP..........HD
1............0.........1d10
2........3,000......2d10
3........6,000......3d10
4.......12,000.....4d10
5.......35,000.....5d10
6.......70,000.....6d10
7.....140,000.....7d10
8.....300,000.....8d10
9.....500,000.....9d10
10...700,000.....9d10+3

Noble - I think that the Dark Sun setting can support a Noble class. Nobles would progress, save and attack as a cleric but would have no spells and no weapon restrictions. Instead I would give them a bonus or penalty to reaction rolls depending on their stated intent - a bonus of they are trying to negotiate, etc or a penalty if they are trying to goad someone into attacking. I would also give them a protection from evil 10-ft radius effect. It would be non-magical and instead reflect the benefit of command, inspiration, etc (might be a little too 4E for some). They would have a prime requisite of charisma.

Templar - I think that these should be monsters/NPCs only. So, I could just treat them as normal B/X clerics.

Thief - As in B/X.

Thri-kreen -

The prime requisites for Thri-kreen are Strength and Wisdom. A Thri-kreen character who has a score of 13 or more in strength or wisdom will receive a 5% bonus to earned experience. Thri-kreen whose Strength and Wisdom are 13 or greater will receive a bonus of 10% to earned experience.

RESTRICTIONS: Thri-kreen use six-sided dice (d6) to determine their hit points but start with two hit die at 1st level. They may not wear metal armour or use a shield but they may use any weapon. Thri-kreen must have a minimum score of 9 in Strength, Wisdom and dexterity.

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Thri-kreen have the ability to track the path of most creatures when outdoors and even in dungeons. Thri-kreen are able to follow tracks outdoors one-third of the time (a roll of 1 or 2 on a 1d6) when looking for them. In dungeons they have a 1 in 6 chance of following tracks. Thri-kreen are also experts at foraging and receive a bonus to Foraging as given on page X51. They are able to find enough food to feed 1-6 men on a roll of 1 or 2 on a d6. At 8th level, Thri-kreen are able to cast druid spells.

COMBAT: Thri-kreen fight and save as Thieves.

Level........ XP...... Hit Dice...... SpelI Ability (druid spells)
1............... 0.............2d6............. Nil
2..........2200.............3d6............. Nil
3..........4400.............4d6..............Nil
4..........8800.............5d6............. Nil
5........17000.............6d6............. Nil
6........35000.............7d6............. Nil
7........70000.............8d6..............Nil
8.......140000............9d6...............1
9.......270000..........10d6...............2
10.....400000..........10d6+2...........2/1
11.... 530000..........10d6+4...........2/2
12.....660000......... 10d6+6...........2/2/1

Basic/Expert Dark Sun

So now that I am over the flu, I now have bronchitis. Which means I will have a few more days with my thoughts. I have been thinking about a Dark Sun one-shot or micro-campaign using Savage Worlds over the last few days. But, this this morning I asked myself if Dark Sun could be done with B/X? Sure, why not.

Changes would be intended to reflect the "feel" of Dark Sun but focusing on keeping things at the power level of B/X, focusing on archetypes as with B/X (even though these may be Dark Sun archetypes), and keeping the simplicity of B/X.

A few things I would do if I were to run Dark Sun with B/X:
1. Ignore the "its a brutal world so start at 3rd level" thing - and use 3d6 in order
2. Adapt the HP cost for casting spells from Microlite20 for magic-users and give them the option to instead of taking the HP cost themselves they can defile - each HP instead defiles X-feet of vegetation.
3. Psionics - dump them. Psionics actually weaken the themes and tension of Dark Sun, as they provide a safe alternative to magic-users, and they lack the whole "devotion to nature" aspect of the elemental clerics and the druids.
4. Remove elemental references from magic-user spells leaving fire, etc to the clerics - thus fireball would be removed but instead replaced with something like Eldritch Burst. It would have the same mechanics just different flavour.
5. Would have to redo the cleric spells into the 4 elements and would likely have to grab some from OD&D to build up the lists for each element (was there a Gaz or something that covered elemental magic?).
6. Grab the druid and ranger from OD&D - I wouldn't use a Gladiator - not different enough from a fighter
7. Come up with a Templar - what I would likely do is use the B/X cleric and spell list but give them a spell at 1st level and a cap of 3rd level spells
8. Redo the elf and dwarf. Maybe use the elf race as class as the ranger. Dwarf would be pretty easy - just remove the stonework stuff and find a mechanic for their focus. I would keep the halfling mechanically unchanged but add in the cannibal stuff.
9. Come up with the Mul, half-elf and thri-kreen - I would dump the half-giant. It infringes on the Mul's niche too much. These would also be race = class. Actually, the thri-kreen race as class should likely be the ranger.
10. Get rid of most of the exotic weapons but keep the idea that most weapons are not made of metal. Non-metal weapons become the benchmark (have the designated damage ranges) but break on a natural "1". Use "magic" to describe metal weapons - a sword +1 becomes a metal sword. Afterall, metalwork would seem like alchemy in a world like Dark Sun.
11. Monsters - get rid of most of the humanoid monsters but I think that the other monsters in B/X - especially the focus on "Lost World" type monsters - could give an interesting, if somewhat different feel.
12. Focus solely on the original Dark Sun box set for the setting.

That looks like a lot of work...
Honestly, I would probably be easier to do this with Swords & Wizardry or just use one of the Savage Worlds hacks on the net.