Prison Break

Over at B/X Blackrazor, JB has been discussing the Slave Lord series. In his most recent post he quickly talks about having the PCs be captured.

I have mentioned a number of times how much I like to use the Reaction Roll subsystem in B/X. One of the things I decided early in the development of the Northern Marches is that a very poor reaction roll when meeting with an NPC with authority (a high priest, a lord, etc.) could result in the PCs insulting the NPC so badly that a large group of guards (big enough to be either foolhardy or extremely risky to fight against) would be summoned and the PCs be put under arrest.

So, I needed a quick method to adjudicate the seriousness of the offence, what happens in the dungeon and the possibility of escape. I took a page from Barbarian Prince and came up with a very quick system.

Gravity of Offence (d6 +/- Charisma modifier)
1 or less: Marked for Death - You have committed a very grave offence. The death penalty is demanded. Until then, you are imprisoned. All your money, possessions and mounts are confiscated. You are provided with food and lodging while in prison. At the start of each day in prison roll one die: "1" means you manage to escape (see below for details), "6" means you must finally meet the headsman and are taken to a public execution. Any other die roll means you continue to languish in prison.

2: Thrown in the Dungeon - You are thrown into a deep dungeon. You lose all your wealth, possessions and mounts. While in the dungeon, you are provided with food and lodging (of a sort). At the start of each day in the dungeon roll 2d6, a result of 2 or 3 means you escape that day, any other result means you continue to languish in captivity. Every full week (seven days) you spend in the Dungeon inflicts 1d6 hit points of damage on you, due to unhealthy conditions, disease, and gradual weakness and starvation.

3 & 4: Imprisoned - You are imprisoned. All your money, possessions and mounts are confiscated. While in prison, you are provided with food and lodging. At the start of each day roll one die, 1 means you escape, any other result means you continue to remain captive.

5 & 6: Minor Offence - You are held overnight. Tomorrow you are assessed a fine of 1d6 x 10 x level gold pieces. If you can't afford it you are Imprisoned (see above).

Escape: If the result indicates a successful escape, present the prisoner with the opportunity (loose bricks in cell wall, a bribeable guard, the means to pick the lock, etc). If they are successful in their escape, have them make an Evasion check being pursued by a suitable number of guards. An alternative is to quickly develop a dungeon map and have them explore their way out.

201 Posts!

and I still can't believe anyone reads what I write about a little game put out 28 years ago.
Even if it is the best game ever!

Northern Marches Reboot

I have been thinking about my old Northern Marches campaign a lot recently. I have really been enjoying my 2nd edition AD&D campaign but it is an adventure path and doesn't scratch my B/X or sandbox itch.

I have been doing some reconstruction on the Northern Marches. I have redone some maps, changed some of my setting notes and implemented some changes based on lessons learned (mostly regarding retainers and treasure levels).

I have mentioned it to my current group as an alternative for those times when we aren't able to get the whole group together and I will again begin recruiting by put up a flyer at the Sentry Box.

If you are in Calgary and want to take part, drop me a line at p_armstrong [at] email [dot] com.

You can also check out my cleaned up and rebooted campaign blog at http://northernmarches.blogspot.com/

Wilderness Maps

With my Northern Marches campaign on my mind, I have been thinking about wilderness maps and their design.

A while ago there was a great thread over at Dragonsfoot about wilderness map design. It posited that a good wilderness map:

1. is for adventure - it had things to find, easter eggs if you will, such as lost valleys, hidden passes, etc.
2. has variety - different types of terrain.
3. has game utility - it is easy to use, has numbered hexes or some type of map key.
4. gives interesting choices - to get from city A to city B do you go through the swamp or around it?
5. provide obstacles to navigation - such as impassible mountain ranges blocking your way.

Most of the discussion there focused on hex maps or free hand maps.

While thinking about my B/X S&S hack I was looking for maps from the Hyborian Age. Some maps that I looked at were from RSI's Hyborian War. I found these interesting in that they took free hand maps and broke the area down into zones.

I found these maps interesting as you could combine the map with the province reports from the game for each zone, develop encounter tables and have a discrete area with its own feel. For example, from the province reports, the section titled Fort Wakla is made up mostly of desert and has a large fort. There is also a small chance of encountering hills or an oasis. It is inhabited by Zuagir Tribesmen. Making an encounter table with Turanian patrols, Zuagir tribesmen and some other desert encounters would be pretty easy.

The Hyborian War maps are similar to the wilderness map from DL1: Dragons of Despair where the map was split into encounter zones.

Another type of wilderness map I have seen is like a flowchart with multiple connections. These are similar to maps for old video games and MUDs. From SSI's Dark Sun: Shattered Lands...
Now, I have often mentioned that I don't mind abstraction and "gameism" in my B/X D&D so I don't have a big problem with this type of map so long as the players feel that they are exploring a wilderness.

I know that the West Marches campaign used a vector map but, as a computer dunce, I wouldn't even know where to start with that.

Are there other types of wilderness maps that would meet the five criteria outlined above?

9-Minute Campaign: The Northern Marches

I have had my old Northern Marches campaign on my mind recently. Earlier today I saw the 9-minute Campaign Design on the Mule Abides and I decided that for fun I would take a fresh look at the Northern Marches through this framework.

1. What is the Look & Feel of your campaign?
The idea of the Northern Marches was based on the similarly titled West Marches campaign. It would focus on exploring the unknown, ancient dangers, vast treasures, mythic underworld, forbidding wilderness, and harsh environments. It is an open campaign which features drawing from a loose group of players.

2. What’s the high concept of your campaign?
The elevator pitch. Exploring the dangerous frontier that was abandoned many generations ago - haunted ruins, valleys containing Lost Worlds, and mythic underworlds containing cosmic horrors and amphibious frog demons.

3. What’s the core story? (or: “Loveable misfits who…”)
The game is an exploration-focused sandbox game set in a dangerous frontier region away from civilization. There’s a convenient fortified town, New Hareth, that is an outpost of civilization and law, but beyond that is the haunted ruins of Old Hareth and dangerous wilderness. All the PCs are all loveable misfit adventurers based in this town seeking fame and fortune beyond the safety of the town's walls. Between sorties into the wilds PCs rest up, trade info and plan their next foray in the rowdy taproom of the Dancing Dragon Tavern.

4. What rules will you be using in your campaign?
B/X baby! As if there was any doubt. However, this is not just because I love B/X but also because I feel it is a great ruleset to give the appropriate feel for the campaign. The fragile nature of the characters, the roster of monsters, the clear rules regarding exploring the wilderness... it fits like a glove.

5. What are the big-scale social institutions or groups in the campaign?
New Hareth is a relatively self-sufficent centre of civilization. It would contain all of the major institutions required.
- Churches/Shrines for the Lawful and Neutral religions. In the Northern Marches these include the Church of the Great Dragon (Lawful, faux fantasy stand in for the catholic church) and the Dodekatheon or "The Twelve" (the old pantheon religion - mainly the 12 olympians).
- A small wizards guild.
- Town guard and courts that efficiently keep the law inside the town walls.
- Baron Hareth - authorized by the kingdom to award other baronies to those able to establish a stronghold in the wilderness.
- Blind seers, learned sages, mystic oracles, covens of witches, etc.
- Armourers, blacksmiths, merchants.
- The Dancing Dragon Tavern which serves as the meeting place for the informal group of adventurers.
- The Bounty Post for posting wanted posters.
- A small thieves guild.

6. Who are the major supporting cast?
Baron Hareth
The Striped Mage
The Lama of the Great Dragon
The Bishop of the Twelve
The Sage
Captain of the Guard
The Hood (head of the thieves guild)
A small number of NPC adventurers that have already established strongholds in the wilderness

7. What are the major threats in the campaign?
The Wilderness - getting lost, rugged snow covered mountains, hoarfrost crusted swamps, cold weather, hunger, monsters, rolling on the Triple Secret Random Horrific Fate Table of Very Probable Doom if you don't get back to civilization before the end of the session.
Castle Hareth - the ruined castle (megadungeon) of the abandoned settlement rumoured to be haunted and built on the ruins of a very ancient fortress.
Dungeons & Lairs - out in the wilderness
Barbarians, bandits, ancient ruins, cosmic horrors, huge dinosaurs, marauding orcs, blood-thirsty amazons, etc.

8. Draw a map of the campaign setting.
Got one.

9. Draft up your first adventure.
While it is a sandbox and the players can do anything they want, if they are new players I usually say one of the party members inherited, stole or otherwise procured a treasure map leading the party to somewhere out in the wilderness.

B/X S&S: The Thaumaturge Class

This is the renamed Priest class. The only thing that I have changed besides the name is how often they roll for drawbacks.

THAUMATURGE

Thaumaturges are those those who have dedicated themselves to some otherworldly being such as a demon or a Cthulhu-esque being from another dimension.
They will always be working towards their own advancement and the benefit of the entity which they serve. As a Thaumaturge advances in level, he or she is taught various rituals by the entity which they serve in return for the Thaumaturge's dedication and other gifts/bribes/sacrifices (to be left up to the DM). However, a Thaumaturge does not receive any rituals until they reach 2nd level (and have proven their dedication/sold their soul/etc). The prime requisite for Thaumaturges is Wisdom. A Wisdom score of 13 or greater will give the Thaumaturge a bonus on earned experience points.

RESTRICTIONS: Thaumaturges use six-sided dice (d6) to determine their hit points. They may wear any armour any may use shields. They are not extensively trained in combat and may only use weapons which do a maximum of 1d6 damage.

SPECIAL ABILITIES: A Thaumaturge may use rituals which are the same as cleric spells. However, only the reverse of any reversible spells may be used. For example, cure light wounds cannot be cast but cause light wounds can be, darkness instead of light, etc.

When a Thaumaturge reaches level 4, 8 and 12, they roll a d12 on the following table due to the strain of contacting the otherworldly entities and the channeling power meant for no mortal.

1. Animal Aversion - the Thaumaturge is inherently unsettling to animals. Any natural within 10 feet of the Thaumaturge instantly becomes nervous, skittish and irritable.

2. Blindness

3. Color Blind - Inability to distinguish one color from another. Any task requiring identifying items by color is impossible. It may also have some negative social consequences, such as an inability to put together an tasteful set of clothes.

4. Disfigurement - Disfigurements are often strange warpings of the body such as shrivelled limbs, bizarre scarring, eye discoloration or loss, transformation of hands or feet into claws or hooves, and so on. Disfigurements are permanent and always blatant, but can be hidden with some work. Characters with disfigurements also suffer some social disadvantages.

5. Distrusted - an unshakeable aura of untrustworthiness. Long hours of probing arcane secrets have subtly warped his personality and demeanour. The Thaumaturge, or even a group including the Thaumaturge, suffers a -2 penalty to Reaction Rolls.

6. Endurance Loss - Study of the dark arts has sapped your character's physical and psychic vigor. Lose 1d4 from Constitution.

7. Phobia - Fear of something. When exposed to his phobia he must roll over his level on a d12 or give in and do anything to get away from the source of his phobia.

8. Glutton - A glutton eats at every opportunity. His resultant girth means he can only wear custom-made clothing and armor, and he is of course much heavier than most other people.

9. Obsessive - The Thaumaturge is obsessed with something. When exposed to his obsession he must roll over his level on a d12 or give in and do anything to gain the obsession.

10. Nocturnal - When the sun is down, he is full of energy and will not sleep. By day, he is lethargic and groggy if not actually asleep. He is dazzled by sunlight, so much so that he suffers a -1 penalty for saving throws and "to hit" rolls.

11. Deafness

12. Madness - The terrible secrets your character has unearthed in his quest for forbidden knowledge have begun to loosen his grip on reality. Every day there is a cumulative 1% chance that he will be struck by a fit of madness (so he will without fail go temporarily mad at least every 100 days). When it comes, the fit lasts for 1-10 days, during which time he will run wild, liable to do or say anything. At the end of the fit, the chance of another fit begins at 1% and slowly climbs as before.

EXPERIENCE AND LEVELS: As clerics.

SAVING THROWS: As clerics.

CHARACTER ATTACKS: As clerics.

My Newest Elevator Pitches

My current 2E AD&D - Rise of the Runelords campaign is going great and I am having a lot of fun. This is the first time I have run an adventure path. We are still in the first adventure module (which is quite good) so we are early enough in it that there have been no troubles with conversions or "railroady-ness" of running a 3.5 adventure path with 2nd edition.

However, as I think about RPGs nearly every day, I have some other campaign ideas rattling around in my head right now. The likelihood of any of these going anywhere may be small but hopefully not nil. I would also consider using skype + gametable for any of these.

In no particular order:

- A B/X game using one of Robert Conley's Points of Light settings. I would like to set it up like my old Northern Marches campaign and make it an open game.

- A game using my recent B/X S&S hacks set in the Evil DM's Erisia.

- A game using my recent B/X hacks set in a not strictly canon Hyborian Age.

- A game using my recent B/X S&S hacks plus the Mutants & Mazes section from Mutant Future with a setting using the Dark Sun map from the original DS box. And it would have Sorcerer Kings - I just love the name Sorcerer Kings.

- A Tunnels & Trolls game using Gamma Trollworld and a slightly modified Carcosa as the setting.

- A B/X game set in the Known World from the Cook Expert rulebook. Starting off with an expanded version of the Haunted Keep from the Moldvay Basic rulebook.

- A B/X - Al Qadim hack.