... in which the party deals with the evil character and encounters a NPC which they kill ...
I really need to do these write-ups immediately after the session and not a week later. But I'm always so exhausted from the craziness of it all. And honestly the playing is more fun than the writing in this case. However, a few things to share.
So, to sum up, 3 really important things happened.
First, Telgar was dismissed from the party. Numerous sessions ago Telgar had prayed to whatever god was listening to fix his broken hand. Unfortunately, someone was listening. The Prisoner of the World (a rather nasty god who was the focus of the Worldgod campaign) fixed Telgars hand for undying loyalty, which was readily handed over. As the sessions went along the player was eonderful in embracing his character's turn to darkness ... and the physical manifestations that went along with it. He served as a fantastic example to the other players how the Darkness rules (which replace alignment with penalties for mounting wicked moral choices) manifested itself physically. Maggots, claws, and all sorts of personality disorders.
The really fun part was watching the players struggle with kicking another player's character out of the party rather than deal with his shit (which was dragging everyone else down). It was awesome. The player confided in me several times that he was surprised Telgar was still alive, let alone in the party, so it came as no surprise when the "confrontation" happened. And, rather than go out like a little bitch, Telgar draw blood and cursed the party as he was captured and turned over the Nest Primus of the Eternal Raven. Telgar was "set free to fly" off the edge of the tower into the gorge where his dying breath was a vile curse that the World God would return and Devour the Unfettered Raven. It was epic.
Luckily, as we play HackMaster, everyone has a spare character ready to go.
The party then dealt with a cursed dryad and her minions (thorn slaves) and were almost completely wrecked by a TPK from the Dryad's awesome charm ability. Luckily - seriously luckily - a single NPC Henchman that was extraordinarily loyal to one of the characters managed to snap out one character. There was a discussion and then a battle then a shitstorm of awesome combat and magic. Blizzard in an underground forest vs. a cursed dryad and her thorn slaves as the rest of the party attacks the only character trying to save everyone? RPGs are the best. HackMaster rules. End.
In the end, the cursed dryad was killed, the legend of her heart and ancient kings and all sorts of good things came into play and suddenly the party had 5 humans who were from an ancient time now confused and thanking them for rescue. Then the fun thing. The party encountered the first Elf in the campaign ... in fact this entire campaign has been elfless and they are considered a rumor or legend at best.
The otherworldliness of the elf was expressed in his language which sounded like a chorus of singing voices. It made gestures that didn't make sense, and was enthused and curious and strange. The party had 2 dwarves in it ... so to establish some of the good old elf-dwarf hatred the elf ignored the dwarves as though he couldn't even see them (also adding to the strangeness). The dwarves thought the elf song sounded like bubbling, farting, and high pitched moaning. The elf, when one of the drarfs attemted to interact directly with it, was surpsied and patted the dwarf on the head as though it were an amusing child. Elf strangeness and elf-dwarf conflict Complete.
When the dwarves were introduced into the campaign they were tough and almost feral to the humans. The players are adding their own flair making playing a dwarf have a different feel than playing a human. Elf characters won't yet be allowed in the game (a few more events must take place) but when they come on board the strangeness should be well established.
Overall, a great session. A near TPK where noone actually died, great player interactions, the death of an evil PC, legends of Eradu are filtering through, and the first elf in ages. W00t
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Session Report: Aldsburg Chronicle [A12-ish]
... in which the the players battle the undead, goo, and a cistern ...
I've missed quite a few session reports, but here is the gist of things.
The Cistern
A circular chamber some 50' wide dropped down 40'to inky black water. A plank and rope bridge stretched precariously across the gap ... a bridge that was previously weakened due to battling some giant mold crabs and smashing them against the posts. The party had crossed the bridge, but in fleeing from the goo, they ran back across it toward the dungeon entrance. The goo, being a corrosive pile of filth, dissolved the plank and rope and splashed into the disgusting cistern water below.
The party now had to figure out how to get across this huge fucking pit. Oh yea - and everything in the dungeon is slick with slime and mold (there is a theme). Luckily, with some clever tactics they discovered a small 1' ledge that wound around the cistern right at the 40' waterline.
The Plan
One of my players is always on about having all sorts of crazy gear ... you know who you are mr. "leather work gloves". For the first time in AGES he suddenly had all of the right things at the right time. Crampons, pitons, and the often unwanted position of party leader. He climbed down and slowly made his way around the ledge, pounding in pitons and stringing rope to make a walkway. The other parts members would come down and make their way around.
The Fun
EVERYTHING needed a climbing check. This was a serious shit-show of problems. The fighter in ring mail who wasn't good at climbing to begin with, the endless slime, the lack of proper lighting, and the the ever-present threat that the fucking goo thing might be able to swim and would drag one (or more) of the party members into the unknown sewage depths while eating their eyes made this one tense situation.
What this post is actually about is the use of Narration, Die Rolls, and Rulings all together. Just rolling dice to get around the pit would have been ... well ... just rolling dice. Only narrating the situation would have basically been group story-telling which removes the game element. Ruling if they could get across the pit or not is a binary and doesn't offer much choice.
I've been encouraging my players to tell me what they are doing when looking for secret doors or searching for traps. I'm using the die rolls to supplement that activity. In other words if the players describes something that will really make a difference, I make the difficulty much easier ... but I do it on my end. Hackmaster uses opposed rolls (actually we made all skill rolls opposed rolls no matter what the rules say), which makes this kind of adjudication easy. If successful, I make sure to include what the character did in the description of success. Narration and Die Rolls combined - check.
Ruling are difficult. In games with few rules rulings are king. In games with a lot of rules, rulings are frowned upon. In my game, rulings are integral because my players are a bunch of smarty pants and we tend to ignore a lot of the rules as written because we don't want to look things up. The rulings in this cistern crossing were made, spur of the moment as all good rulings, to show that what the characters were attempting was possible, but very difficult.
The result? Everyone participated and everyone stepped up their game. Characters helped each, PLAYERS encouraged each other, and the entire time th threat of really unpleasant squishy death loomed over them. When the party got up the other side of that cistern we had a few minutes of celebration ... and it was 2 hours later.
WHAT? 2 Hours to cross a pit? Yep. And everyone, including me, had fun. In fact, it was more fun than most combats we have. Move fun that a lot of the social interactions we have. More fun that some sessions we've had. This isn't everyone's cup of tea, but for my group it has already had a big influence on how I'm going to design my dungeons.
I read on another blog (wish I could recall and give credit) that the best designed puzzle or challenge encounters are where the GM sets up the situation and DOES NOT supply or think of a pre-determined resolution. Actual Player Agency ... which in turns requires Reasonable GM Rulings. It happened naturally at the table last game and I'm definitely going to lean this more and more.
The Rest of the Adventure
Then they found some loot and solved a secret door situation in the baths then it was late and all the players went home. Satisfied. As the GM, I was pretty damn pleased myself.
I've missed quite a few session reports, but here is the gist of things.
- The party is in the dungeon beneath the Low Farms
- They are going down to try and find a hidden bridge to cross the Gorge
- This will lead them INTO the dungeon beneath Juniper Tower
- At which point they are going to try to find the Giant Ruby
- The Flameblades know who the party is and sent assassins
- A few Characters have died
- A bunch of NPCs have died
- A good time was had by all!
The Cistern
A circular chamber some 50' wide dropped down 40'to inky black water. A plank and rope bridge stretched precariously across the gap ... a bridge that was previously weakened due to battling some giant mold crabs and smashing them against the posts. The party had crossed the bridge, but in fleeing from the goo, they ran back across it toward the dungeon entrance. The goo, being a corrosive pile of filth, dissolved the plank and rope and splashed into the disgusting cistern water below.
The party now had to figure out how to get across this huge fucking pit. Oh yea - and everything in the dungeon is slick with slime and mold (there is a theme). Luckily, with some clever tactics they discovered a small 1' ledge that wound around the cistern right at the 40' waterline.
The Plan
One of my players is always on about having all sorts of crazy gear ... you know who you are mr. "leather work gloves". For the first time in AGES he suddenly had all of the right things at the right time. Crampons, pitons, and the often unwanted position of party leader. He climbed down and slowly made his way around the ledge, pounding in pitons and stringing rope to make a walkway. The other parts members would come down and make their way around.
The Fun
EVERYTHING needed a climbing check. This was a serious shit-show of problems. The fighter in ring mail who wasn't good at climbing to begin with, the endless slime, the lack of proper lighting, and the the ever-present threat that the fucking goo thing might be able to swim and would drag one (or more) of the party members into the unknown sewage depths while eating their eyes made this one tense situation.
What this post is actually about is the use of Narration, Die Rolls, and Rulings all together. Just rolling dice to get around the pit would have been ... well ... just rolling dice. Only narrating the situation would have basically been group story-telling which removes the game element. Ruling if they could get across the pit or not is a binary and doesn't offer much choice.
I've been encouraging my players to tell me what they are doing when looking for secret doors or searching for traps. I'm using the die rolls to supplement that activity. In other words if the players describes something that will really make a difference, I make the difficulty much easier ... but I do it on my end. Hackmaster uses opposed rolls (actually we made all skill rolls opposed rolls no matter what the rules say), which makes this kind of adjudication easy. If successful, I make sure to include what the character did in the description of success. Narration and Die Rolls combined - check.
Ruling are difficult. In games with few rules rulings are king. In games with a lot of rules, rulings are frowned upon. In my game, rulings are integral because my players are a bunch of smarty pants and we tend to ignore a lot of the rules as written because we don't want to look things up. The rulings in this cistern crossing were made, spur of the moment as all good rulings, to show that what the characters were attempting was possible, but very difficult.
The result? Everyone participated and everyone stepped up their game. Characters helped each, PLAYERS encouraged each other, and the entire time th threat of really unpleasant squishy death loomed over them. When the party got up the other side of that cistern we had a few minutes of celebration ... and it was 2 hours later.
WHAT? 2 Hours to cross a pit? Yep. And everyone, including me, had fun. In fact, it was more fun than most combats we have. Move fun that a lot of the social interactions we have. More fun that some sessions we've had. This isn't everyone's cup of tea, but for my group it has already had a big influence on how I'm going to design my dungeons.
I read on another blog (wish I could recall and give credit) that the best designed puzzle or challenge encounters are where the GM sets up the situation and DOES NOT supply or think of a pre-determined resolution. Actual Player Agency ... which in turns requires Reasonable GM Rulings. It happened naturally at the table last game and I'm definitely going to lean this more and more.
The Rest of the Adventure
Then they found some loot and solved a secret door situation in the baths then it was late and all the players went home. Satisfied. As the GM, I was pretty damn pleased myself.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Creatures of the Underworld: Giant Mold Crab
The primary focus of dungeon crawls in the Perilous Halls of Sorrow and Aldsburg campaigns are exploration and loot. Monsters are designed to be obstacles to overcome or avoid rather than wandering bags of experience points. As such, the xp total for creatures in the Hacklopedia are used to build the encounters, but the total amount of xp gained is much smaller - clever players should avoid combat when they can or use other methods to overcome their foes.
As such, I created a series of random encounter tables based on the type of monster encounter (common, uncommon, rarity, paragon, and boss) based on the dungeon level and the expereince points of suggested encounters for those levels. Then, looking at the lists, I really felt like the creatures just didn't fit the tone of the dungeon.
While I've always created creatures specifically for the dungeon and adventures, I've started taking the base monster from the created encounter lists and making changes to help them fit the tone. For example, the creature below was originally based on the giant scorpion. It just didn't feel right in the dungeon, so it became a huge crab covered in mold and fungus.
This is (hopefully) the first of many creatures that will be more fleshed out and compiled into a monster book. The Lusus Naturae book was a huge inspiration - and the HM4e variant creatures book (Matrix? Field Guide?) has suddenly come to mind as well. Stats are for HM5e.
Giant Mold Crab
Description
These dungeon scavengers are mold-covered relatives of the ocean crab. They range in color from rusty red and brown to puke green and yellow all depending on what kind of fungus they are living amongst. The usual giant mold crab is about 60 pounds when fully grown. They are slow moving but still pack some nasty damage with their giant flabby claws.
Combat/Tactics
Tactics are pretty straight forward. Anything moving is a potential meal. Anything not moving but organic (like a corpse or sleeping adventurer) is also a potential meal. The giant mold crab will strike from hiding or attempt to sneak up on the prey.
Once engaged they attack with their mold covered claws to inflict 2d4+3 damage per hit. On a shield hit, they may grab and throw the shield. If the crab flees combat it will retreat as quickly as possible using the Full Parry rules (deflecting blows with their claws).
Other Notes
When found in a nest there will usually (90%) be one female covered in 4d10 fist-sized young mold crabs. If removed from their mother each crab has a 10% chance per hour to simply die off. Living young, however can be sold to alchemists and wizards and weird pet collectors.
Special Abilities
Shield Grab - on a shield hit the damage rolled is added to a d20p. The target must pass a Feat of Strength vs. this value or their shield is ripped from their grasp and thrown 2d6p feet away.
Bulwark Shell - DR is considered 6 against blunt weapons, but if the weapon does any damage use the normal DR of 2 to calculate the wound
Skills
Hide: 45 in fungal pile or dirty water
Sneak: 20 in natural surroundings
Stat Block
HP: 10+1d8
Size: Small
Tenacity: Steady
Intelligence: Semi
Walk/Run: 2.5/7.5
Initiative: +0, Reach 2
Attack: +5, Speed 5, Damage 2d4+3
Defense: +0 (no shield), DR 2*, TOP Save 1-5
Saves: +5 all, +20 poison
XPV: 250
As such, I created a series of random encounter tables based on the type of monster encounter (common, uncommon, rarity, paragon, and boss) based on the dungeon level and the expereince points of suggested encounters for those levels. Then, looking at the lists, I really felt like the creatures just didn't fit the tone of the dungeon.
While I've always created creatures specifically for the dungeon and adventures, I've started taking the base monster from the created encounter lists and making changes to help them fit the tone. For example, the creature below was originally based on the giant scorpion. It just didn't feel right in the dungeon, so it became a huge crab covered in mold and fungus.
This is (hopefully) the first of many creatures that will be more fleshed out and compiled into a monster book. The Lusus Naturae book was a huge inspiration - and the HM4e variant creatures book (Matrix? Field Guide?) has suddenly come to mind as well. Stats are for HM5e.
Giant Mold Crab
Description
These dungeon scavengers are mold-covered relatives of the ocean crab. They range in color from rusty red and brown to puke green and yellow all depending on what kind of fungus they are living amongst. The usual giant mold crab is about 60 pounds when fully grown. They are slow moving but still pack some nasty damage with their giant flabby claws.
Combat/Tactics
Tactics are pretty straight forward. Anything moving is a potential meal. Anything not moving but organic (like a corpse or sleeping adventurer) is also a potential meal. The giant mold crab will strike from hiding or attempt to sneak up on the prey.
Once engaged they attack with their mold covered claws to inflict 2d4+3 damage per hit. On a shield hit, they may grab and throw the shield. If the crab flees combat it will retreat as quickly as possible using the Full Parry rules (deflecting blows with their claws).
Other Notes
When found in a nest there will usually (90%) be one female covered in 4d10 fist-sized young mold crabs. If removed from their mother each crab has a 10% chance per hour to simply die off. Living young, however can be sold to alchemists and wizards and weird pet collectors.
Special Abilities
Shield Grab - on a shield hit the damage rolled is added to a d20p. The target must pass a Feat of Strength vs. this value or their shield is ripped from their grasp and thrown 2d6p feet away.
Bulwark Shell - DR is considered 6 against blunt weapons, but if the weapon does any damage use the normal DR of 2 to calculate the wound
Skills
Hide: 45 in fungal pile or dirty water
Sneak: 20 in natural surroundings
Stat Block
HP: 10+1d8
Size: Small
Tenacity: Steady
Intelligence: Semi
Walk/Run: 2.5/7.5
Initiative: +0, Reach 2
Attack: +5, Speed 5, Damage 2d4+3
Defense: +0 (no shield), DR 2*, TOP Save 1-5
Saves: +5 all, +20 poison
XPV: 250
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Lusus Naturae
I've had the pdf for a bit but recently received my hard copy of Lusus Naturae. Reading through this has inspired dozens of ideas for a new campaign just this afternoon. The physical book is very good quality, but the material is, in short, spectacular.
Rather than being just a collection of creatures, the book weaves a complex tale of possibilities by the creatures referencing each other. The party might encounter the Oocytic Warden or Elana Suur ... which will invariably lead to a search for Davinia Marrow. Of course, that will tie into encounters with marauding beasts that portend the coming of the Mallison. On top of everything else, there is a sweet monster generator in the back few pages that create more than just a set of stats, but horrible monstrosities with motives and style.
Rafael Chandler kicked some serious ass putting this together. I'm going to have to get a hard copy of Teratic Tome too. Maybe Pandemonio as well. Get your hands on a (legal) copy - this guy deserves your loot.
Rather than being just a collection of creatures, the book weaves a complex tale of possibilities by the creatures referencing each other. The party might encounter the Oocytic Warden or Elana Suur ... which will invariably lead to a search for Davinia Marrow. Of course, that will tie into encounters with marauding beasts that portend the coming of the Mallison. On top of everything else, there is a sweet monster generator in the back few pages that create more than just a set of stats, but horrible monstrosities with motives and style.
Rafael Chandler kicked some serious ass putting this together. I'm going to have to get a hard copy of Teratic Tome too. Maybe Pandemonio as well. Get your hands on a (legal) copy - this guy deserves your loot.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
More Treasure (but now Interesting!)
In the last post I described some mechanics for getting cash value loot. However, I'm of the firm opinion that loot from critters doesn't always have to be 1000 copper coins or a gem the size of a fist. Treasure is a reward, and rewards should be more than cash loot.
Recap of the Treasure Tables
These are from the last post, just to put some perspective on things.
Loot Descriptions
Knowledge - information is power, and can really set the tone
Using Knowledge Loot
Rather than just handing the players the map that is the loot from the encounter, the players may have to find and decipher it. A tattoo to a lost island tattooed on the back of a dwarf, a scrap of mouldering parchment tucked under the body of a halfling jammed into the pantry, or perhaps the map is actually written on the back of a painting.
The knowledge loot give an opportunity to expand the setting and tone, create a sprawling living world that seems to intersect here and now where the players are, and allow for side-adventures or tie-ins with other adventures and campaigns.
A book might be missing a chapter, so tracking down the author (The Right Honarable Sage McLain who was last seen studying obsidian artifacts near Volkem) could give the characters another contact, another adventure, more insight into the contents of the book (Identification of 4th Age Dire Weapons), or just be a wild goose chase into another dungeon where the dumb old sage bought the farm when he was ambushed by a band of savages.
Magic and Relics
These are going to be specific to each campaign and should be fun and interesting items. A "Ring of Protection +1 Defense" sucks. "The Ancient Ring of Ignoo" which is a a brass band beaten into shape with the bone of a tiger and worn by the barbarian tribes of Jorhim (which grants +1 defense) is awesome. Same with spells. This is where the GM gets to shine.
Recap of the Treasure Tables
These are from the last post, just to put some perspective on things.
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Loot Descriptions
Knowledge - information is power, and can really set the tone
- Map- a partial map of the dungeon, another level, or another location
- Sings - information about a looming threat - dragon poo, an elf nailed to the wall, or huge claw marks
- Book - books on a topic may impart some knowledge, but most useful for bulking up research libraries
- Notes - detailed notes on a subject directly related to the dungeon, for example, notes on the different powers of "The Eight Eyes of the Greyjax"
- Mystical - predictive or direct insight through dream, vision, or otherworldly voice
- Consumables - potions, powders, and other one-off items
- Minor Item - items that give small bonuses or are of limited use such as the Headscarf of Sassoon (which allows one to change their hair color once per day)
- Scroll - most likely spells, but also things like summoning or protection scrolls
- Major Item - bigger ticket items like Yerd's Blade of Infinity (a longsword +2 that allows the wielder to run for 24 hours) or the Elfish Cloak (makes you look like an appropriate plant if you stay still)
- Faltering Relic - a relic that is on it's last legs ... roll for a relic and reduce the power left in in dramatically
- Rings - magic rings of everything from protection and invisibility to improved blocking with bucklers and storing spells
- Weapons - magic sword! magic spear! likely intelligent and probably either mean or having ulterior motives
- Armor - magic leather of ignoring acid damage and growing horns, magic chain mail of flying and weeping blood
- Wands - potentially infinite source of casting a specific spell, these are powerful in the hands of wizards and often useful for the rest of us as well
- Weird Stuff - All of the uncommon and incredibly powerful magical items the GM can think of including various "artifacts" like hands and eyes of super-evil but really powerful arch-lich daemon lords. And the apparatus of Kwalishlish (whatever that is).
Using Knowledge Loot
Rather than just handing the players the map that is the loot from the encounter, the players may have to find and decipher it. A tattoo to a lost island tattooed on the back of a dwarf, a scrap of mouldering parchment tucked under the body of a halfling jammed into the pantry, or perhaps the map is actually written on the back of a painting.
The knowledge loot give an opportunity to expand the setting and tone, create a sprawling living world that seems to intersect here and now where the players are, and allow for side-adventures or tie-ins with other adventures and campaigns.
A book might be missing a chapter, so tracking down the author (The Right Honarable Sage McLain who was last seen studying obsidian artifacts near Volkem) could give the characters another contact, another adventure, more insight into the contents of the book (Identification of 4th Age Dire Weapons), or just be a wild goose chase into another dungeon where the dumb old sage bought the farm when he was ambushed by a band of savages.
Magic and Relics
These are going to be specific to each campaign and should be fun and interesting items. A "Ring of Protection +1 Defense" sucks. "The Ancient Ring of Ignoo" which is a a brass band beaten into shape with the bone of a tiger and worn by the barbarian tribes of Jorhim (which grants +1 defense) is awesome. Same with spells. This is where the GM gets to shine.
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Uninteresting Treasure
One thing I've always loved was interesting treasure. Of course, when it comes to actual play, especially as a GM, I've discovered that players often don't actually care about most loot. Is it magic? No? Sell it. As a GM, why should I spend so much time making up so many interesting treasure if it lasts for only a few moments?
In my last game the players went well off the rails of where I thought they would. In looting a house, they found some treasure, but I didn't feel like making up the details right then and there. In the end, after a quick appraisal roll, i said "You found 50 ducats worth of various trinkets". I was really quite disappointed in myself, bu my players were completely cool with it. So I started thinking - how can I make loot more interesting but not spend so much time on things that are just going to get sold off. How can I make SOME treasure more interesting rather than go into detail about everyhting.
That brought up an idea I had ages ago about how I've been handing out treasure. And lo, the following treasure tables were born.
The Loot Tables
When an room (at least when random dungeon stocking) indicates loot is present, roll on the Primary Loot Table. Then roll on the Loot Details table. The roll is 1d6p (roll 1d6 - if the result is 6 add 1d6-1) with a max value of 11 (although I may fiddle with this after some actual play).
Loot Descriptions
Trinkets - small valuables
Descriptions
So now I can make some hand-wavy descriptions of minor loot (trinkets) and really get into describing the cool stuff. I'm sure I'll break out some random tables for inspiration on this as well, but now I won't have to spend as much time agonizing over what is pretty much "worthless" descriptions of things that are going to just be moved around for cash and then caroused into experience points anyway.
In my last game the players went well off the rails of where I thought they would. In looting a house, they found some treasure, but I didn't feel like making up the details right then and there. In the end, after a quick appraisal roll, i said "You found 50 ducats worth of various trinkets". I was really quite disappointed in myself, bu my players were completely cool with it. So I started thinking - how can I make loot more interesting but not spend so much time on things that are just going to get sold off. How can I make SOME treasure more interesting rather than go into detail about everyhting.
That brought up an idea I had ages ago about how I've been handing out treasure. And lo, the following treasure tables were born.
The Loot Tables
When an room (at least when random dungeon stocking) indicates loot is present, roll on the Primary Loot Table. Then roll on the Loot Details table. The roll is 1d6p (roll 1d6 - if the result is 6 add 1d6-1) with a max value of 11 (although I may fiddle with this after some actual play).
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Loot Descriptions
Trinkets - small valuables
- Coins - the familiar dungeon loot, a pile of coins
- Jewelry - rings, circlets, that sort of thing
- Gems - gemstones! the good stuff
- Objects - sceptres, crowns, royal orbs, a gilded chalice, and so on
- Damaged Treasure - a Treasure, but damaged and therefore not as valuable
- Lost Object - an item of importance being looked for by someone
- Trophy - cool dungeon trophies like mounted dragon heads or an owlbear paw cloak clasp
- Oddity, broken - strange otherwordly object that doesn't do anything
- Oddity, working - as above, but it domes something keen
- Hoard - roll a few times on the loot table and compile everything together, use hoard value
| Loot Value This is always the tricky bit. Take the "treasure unit" for the dungeon (based on the dungeon level and number of characters it was designed for) and multiply it by the modifier for the Trinket and Treasure type value modifier. This is how much the loot is worth if straight up sold off. The values look a bit weird, I admit, but the average value of treasure, based on the probability of the various types of loot coming up and the multipliers comes out to pretty darn close to average. Example The Base Unit of Treasure is "100g".
Variance If you don't want everything to always be worth the same value, roll 2 red dice and 2 black dice. Subtract the red total from the black total and multiply the difference by 3. This is the % difference. Get a -3? Then the coin pile above is now worth 9% less (45.5g if you want to do the math). In the end, the probability evens out. |
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Descriptions
So now I can make some hand-wavy descriptions of minor loot (trinkets) and really get into describing the cool stuff. I'm sure I'll break out some random tables for inspiration on this as well, but now I won't have to spend as much time agonizing over what is pretty much "worthless" descriptions of things that are going to just be moved around for cash and then caroused into experience points anyway.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Goblins of the Great War Camp
Our Hackmaster games have been on and off this year. We've had a few more adventures in Aldsburg - mostly urban business dealing with a new Tower and a gang called the Flamblades and hilariously miserably failed sewer exploration.
The last time we got together, though, there were only 3 of us ... so I proposed that we play a game of Goblin Quest which I helped kickstart. It was totally worthwhile.
The Great Warcamp
When the 7th age began the realms of Marlgor began to succumb to a terrible threat. A band of dire and inscrutable wizards had grown a city-camp where they did nothing but prepare for war. Here in the far wasted north on the shores of the ship-devouring The Claw, our goblins came forth from the slime pits and, with little more than bravado and a complete inability to understand exactly how screwed they were, set off on a Goblin Quest!
The Goblin Clutches
Slopface - one giant eye, experts in looking spooky, dreams of being a beauty queen, armed with the Impressive Bow of Impressiveness
Ruptured Condom - big hands, experts in slapping, dreams of becoming arm wrestling champ, arned with the Empty Bananananana Skin of Humiliation
Bleak-pook - no survival instinct, experts at annoying wizards, dreams of being the first goblin wizard, and armed with the Totally Not Dead Magical Familiar That's Definitely Not a Parrot.
Our Goblin Quest!
Bake an Orc Cobbler and Eat it to Gain AWESOME POWER. Everyone knows orcs are tough guys, and making a desert out of one and eating it is totally a great and delicious way to get tough.
Task 1: "Blend" a Moonchild (progeny of the Dark Moon Goddess)
Stage 1: Find the Dark and Mysterious Woods Full of Sharp Things that Go Straight For the Eyes
Stage 2: Capture the Moonchild (who probably isn't a giant slug)
Stage 3: Get the Moonchild to a suitable Crypt
Task 2: Prepare an Orc
Stage 1: Get an Orc to follow us to the Crypt
Stage 2: Slather Orc with "blended" Moonchild
Stage 3: Get the Orc into a coffin
Task 3: Follow Recipe and Chow Down and Get AWESOME POWER
Stage 1: Find the recipe
Stage 2: Follow the recipe
Stage 3: Eat the Orc Cobbler, get AWESOME POWER
Highlights
Legends Whispered Around the Goblin Camp for Like A Week
Sluggo the Goblin rides forever with the Goblin King
The Bleakpook clutch familiar passes power to all who gaze upon it
Ruptured Condom clutch beat an Orc at Arm Wrestling ... becoming Champion of Life
Fizzik was the first True Goblin Wizard who summon lightning
The demon goblin Ix haunts the slimepits ... beware young goblins!
Deathtoll
Slopface clutch
Blokko - bugbear stabbing
Licko - devoured by orcs for being too sexy
Sluggo - immolated by booze
Taco - death by tasting Orc Cobbler
Ruptured Condom clutch
Blix - death by magpie
Nix - slapped by an orc
Bix - arm wrestled to death
Ix - death by demonic cauldron
Bleak-pook clutch
(unnamed) - chomped by a ghoul
Zot - devoured by an orc
Fizzik - stewed in the stew
All in All
What a damn fun game! This isn't normally the type of thing we do, but it was a blast. I can't wait to play it again. Thanks, Grant Howitt, for being awesome and writing a sweet game. When I get home (I'm travelling for worth at the moment) I'll scan in soem of our sweet goblin drawings.
The last time we got together, though, there were only 3 of us ... so I proposed that we play a game of Goblin Quest which I helped kickstart. It was totally worthwhile.
The Great Warcamp
When the 7th age began the realms of Marlgor began to succumb to a terrible threat. A band of dire and inscrutable wizards had grown a city-camp where they did nothing but prepare for war. Here in the far wasted north on the shores of the ship-devouring The Claw, our goblins came forth from the slime pits and, with little more than bravado and a complete inability to understand exactly how screwed they were, set off on a Goblin Quest!
The Goblin Clutches
Slopface - one giant eye, experts in looking spooky, dreams of being a beauty queen, armed with the Impressive Bow of Impressiveness
Ruptured Condom - big hands, experts in slapping, dreams of becoming arm wrestling champ, arned with the Empty Bananananana Skin of Humiliation
Bleak-pook - no survival instinct, experts at annoying wizards, dreams of being the first goblin wizard, and armed with the Totally Not Dead Magical Familiar That's Definitely Not a Parrot.
Our Goblin Quest!
Bake an Orc Cobbler and Eat it to Gain AWESOME POWER. Everyone knows orcs are tough guys, and making a desert out of one and eating it is totally a great and delicious way to get tough.
Task 1: "Blend" a Moonchild (progeny of the Dark Moon Goddess)
Stage 1: Find the Dark and Mysterious Woods Full of Sharp Things that Go Straight For the Eyes
Stage 2: Capture the Moonchild (who probably isn't a giant slug)
Stage 3: Get the Moonchild to a suitable Crypt
Task 2: Prepare an Orc
Stage 1: Get an Orc to follow us to the Crypt
Stage 2: Slather Orc with "blended" Moonchild
Stage 3: Get the Orc into a coffin
Task 3: Follow Recipe and Chow Down and Get AWESOME POWER
Stage 1: Find the recipe
Stage 2: Follow the recipe
Stage 3: Eat the Orc Cobbler, get AWESOME POWER
Highlights
- Tricked a Hobgoblin into giving us directions to the DM Woods FSTGSFTE
- Indiana Jones style launching over brambles
- Moonchild licking delicious goblin blood
- Attacked by Magpies
- Death by magpie, death by stabbing, death by wizardy stuff, sacrificed head
- Demand Cryptlord helps ... and it does ... kind of
- Sexy goblin eaten by orcs
- Word tattoos appear on goblin bodies ... they are not good
- Magic charm (chicken bone) eaten by orcs
- Death by slapping
- Running from a band of enraged orcs
- The "charmed" orc eats another goblin
- Goblin arm wrestles an orc, death by arm being ripped off
- Skateboarded into orc causing orc to be covered in blended moonchild goo
- Wizard Staff with a Knob on the End opens coffin
- Orc, now slippery with goo, falls into coffin and knocked out
- Off to the the Dunn Inn to find a bugbear chef
- Bugbear helps us because it is funny
- Bugbear stabs us, dog bites us, bugbear taunts but tells us a "recipe"
- Sudden goblin realization of our places in the Order of the World
- Makes us want to gain AWESOME POWER even more so
- Death by booze immolation, but orc cooking in coffin
- Coffin on fire, booze on fire, orc on fire
- Taco the Goblin that smelled like Taco Bell dies eating Orc Cobbler
- Death by lightning
- Death by summoning a demon
- Death by drowning on Orc Cobbler
Legends Whispered Around the Goblin Camp for Like A Week
Sluggo the Goblin rides forever with the Goblin King
The Bleakpook clutch familiar passes power to all who gaze upon it
Ruptured Condom clutch beat an Orc at Arm Wrestling ... becoming Champion of Life
Fizzik was the first True Goblin Wizard who summon lightning
The demon goblin Ix haunts the slimepits ... beware young goblins!
Deathtoll
Slopface clutch
Blokko - bugbear stabbing
Licko - devoured by orcs for being too sexy
Sluggo - immolated by booze
Taco - death by tasting Orc Cobbler
Ruptured Condom clutch
Blix - death by magpie
Nix - slapped by an orc
Bix - arm wrestled to death
Ix - death by demonic cauldron
Bleak-pook clutch
(unnamed) - chomped by a ghoul
Zot - devoured by an orc
Fizzik - stewed in the stew
All in All
What a damn fun game! This isn't normally the type of thing we do, but it was a blast. I can't wait to play it again. Thanks, Grant Howitt, for being awesome and writing a sweet game. When I get home (I'm travelling for worth at the moment) I'll scan in soem of our sweet goblin drawings.
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