tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89926052584785019662024-03-18T21:51:25.533-07:00Halfling's Luck<b>Table-top RPG Discussions <br>Over a Pint and a Pipe!</b>James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-28952417910360131782022-12-28T12:47:00.002-08:002022-12-28T12:47:28.324-08:00Master Treasure Seeker: A Dungeon23 MegaDungeon - Introduction<p>Sean McCoy, author of Mothership, posted an article on his substack titled Dungeon23 and it's taken the indie RPG scene by storm. So, I'm throwing my hat in the ring. I'll likely peter out and not complete it, but this is for the fun of it, right? Basically, the idea is that you get a journal and make one level of a megadungeon each month, doing the write-up for one room each day. By the end of the year you've got a 12-level, 356 toom megadungeon pretty much done.</p><p>So for my Dungeon23 I'm going to design <b><i>Master Treasure Seeker</i></b> - not gonna stat it for anything, I think. Just keep it narrative and descriptive. So, what's my hook? I guess if the adventure had opening box text it'd go something like this.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Bandoras Fortunefoot was once the most renowned halfling adventurer across the land. In ages past stories were told of his uncanny exploits and daring adventures. A master treasure seeker, he traveled east of east, over the great mountains and beyond the endless forests, returning with countless stories and wealth beyond measure. For years he went to the wild places of the world, returning with a smile, a story, and a new treasure. Finally, one day, he retired to a luxurious burrow home that is the style among his people. But no one quite knows where his estate, Fortune Hole, is located. At least not until now. A long-abandoned halfling community was recently discovered far from the foot trails and roads of the world, left behind for unknown reasons. </i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Well, you my dear adventurers, have been fortunate enough to somehow acquire the Key of Fortune that is able to open the door to Fortune Hall. It is said that buried in hidden alcoves and deep pantries are all the wealth that Master Fortunefoot accumulated on his countless adventures - but until now his home has been lost and his treasure abandoned. With this key you will be the first in generations to across the threshold of Fortune Hall, lay eyes upon Bandoras's most excellent tea room, see exactly what he kept in his larders (that time did not claim over the centuries) and maybe, just maybe, find that endless wealth that lay in secret tunnels beneath this luxury estate...</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbE6DOqD9G_H33OEcoaltsZGh4o9tR6-cdB8-n0BnNlDn-5eTtKrq20EAJ81pzac8XK1df33bEa_lvJrWR-DH6I4wEDWLYHMyMGOC5QeLSRomK6dYkqCSGvKxNWeGviWxrg8skCnYu1eUJnoDkTbH6nYY9A46AWqZ6fE-uWqTuUvImG2_BddvhQ9a/s1875/Halfling%20with%20Sword.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="1875" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbE6DOqD9G_H33OEcoaltsZGh4o9tR6-cdB8-n0BnNlDn-5eTtKrq20EAJ81pzac8XK1df33bEa_lvJrWR-DH6I4wEDWLYHMyMGOC5QeLSRomK6dYkqCSGvKxNWeGviWxrg8skCnYu1eUJnoDkTbH6nYY9A46AWqZ6fE-uWqTuUvImG2_BddvhQ9a/s320/Halfling%20with%20Sword.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>The Levels will be themed like this:</p><p><b>Level One: Burrow and Grounds:</b> This is the ground floor of Fortune Hall. Bedrooms, kitchens, parlors, the greenhouse, garden, patio, and living area will be found here.</p><p><b>Level Two: Grand Pantry:</b> This is the primary food storage area, including cold storage. Cheeses, meats, and barreled beer will be found here, along with a few surprises.</p><p><b>Level Three: Wine Cellar and Mushroom Garden:</b> Deep beneath Fortune Hall is Bandoras's beloved wine collection and private mushroom garden where he grows excellent delicacies known to half lings across the land.</p><p><b>Level Four: Museum of Treasures:</b> Accessible only by those who know the secret passages and have the grand Key of Fortune, Bandoras keeps several treasures and oddities he has recovered in his many adventures on display in this private collection.</p><p><b>Level Five: Natural Tunnels:</b> These organic caverns appear to have been intentionally connected to the level above for some unknown reason. They are winding, tight, dangerous, and still inhabited by wild creatures.</p><p><b>Level Six: Grand Falls:</b> This very deep chamber is a massive hole descending downward with narrow, wet stairways and tiny nooks and alcoves, all splashed by great underground waterfalls that descend into a great pool at the bottom.</p><p><b>Level Seven: Mushroom/Mycanoid Cave: </b>At the bottom of the level above is a great pool of sparkling water and a very humid chamber where magnificent mushrooms grow and strange mushroom-like creatures that secretly dwell there.</p><p><b>Level Eight:</b> Mad Arcanist's Lair: Deep within the earth, a hermetic wizard has carved out an underground space for all manner of strange experiments, often capturing both Mycanoids, Goblins, and Kobolds to use as test subjects.</p><p><b>Level Nine: Trap Factory:</b> Great and dangerous contraptions are built, tested, and go haywire on this level, where Goblins and their cult masters prepare to go to war with the Arcanist above and then storm the tunnels above in a quest for gold.</p><p><b>Level Ten: Goblin City:</b> This massive cavern is tensely packed with ramshackle buildings, narrow winding streets, and endless hoards of chaotic goblins going about their business.</p><p><b>Level Eleven: Cult of the Dragon Worshipers:</b> An elite cotiere of goblins infused by ancient draconic magic lives and worships here, casting down treasure and other offerings to the level below. Zealot and infused with magical energy, they will do whatever is necessary to protect their masters below.</p><p><b>Level Twelve: Clutch's Lair: </b>This is the lair of a clutch of six dragons who were the children of the ancient dragon that Fortunefoot robbed for the majority of his treasure. They are working slowly and surely to rise up and reclaim their ancestral wealth.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-39711383051148943902022-10-10T09:03:00.002-07:002022-10-10T17:01:11.097-07:00The Forest - A Free Kriegsspiel Revival Roleplaying Game<p style="text-align: justify;"> Hey - long time no blog, right? Right. Life is busy like you wouldn't believe. Or maybe you would. I dunno. Anyway, with things so busy I'm always looking for RPGs that are more and more streamlined, more and more simple. That's how I stumbled onto the Free Kriegsspiel Revival, or FKR. Basically, it's an <i>ultra rules lite </i>form of roleplaying game design that relies more on what fits the nature of the world and less the rules, with players trusting the GM to fiat most situations in a reasonable fashion. Most FKR games I've discovered are under 5 pages, with some being a single page.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Just google "Free Kriegsspiel Revival" or "FKR" and you're in for quite the rabbit hole of a journey.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, naturally, I decided to write one. Linked in the picture is <i>The Forest</i>, an FKR roleplaying game where players take up the role of villages who journey into the dangerous domain of the Fairie Folk that looms over their community. Hope ya'll like it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GJSt-K9cC8tip28_XSlYwRTwtbiKxQs8/view?usp=sharing" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="202" data-original-width="499" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORMNRLNxYMMvMje--yoM8vnidlA_xje7DvxJMKs76qGsl1RlXVV74xrVFRK9p_DgQrDsfjWk8oNPrwpXAD5WW0g5MlwdOJlHR-gkOuZsUxhVMJEqr_DluTpfkeaJiCFD8Mp_FGP9nSbFYYwJLdob3CQY6o4dtYuqeuKEbkspJDuBjEdRphIII-P8L/w400-h163/Screenshot%202022-10-10%2011.55.33%20AM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-84487784719165090772020-01-06T05:27:00.000-08:002020-01-14T17:35:49.271-08:00Strange, Dangerous, and Inhuman: The Fey and FairieWhen I was a boy I loved fairy tales. Jack and the Beanstalk, Puss in Boots, Rumpelstiltskin - I devoured all of it. My fascination that there was a strange and magical world full of fantastic creatures just beyond my senses drove the imagination of a young boy who was forced to stay inside due to childhood illness. It was no wonder that I would later develop what has become a lifelong passion for fantasy, mythology, and role-playing games.<br />
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As I grew older, I became more interested in fairy tales - but in their original forms. The truly strange and unnerving fairie stories of the Brothers Grimm and the like. This lead to an interest in the mythology of the British Isles and what are sometimes called the Fair Folk. They were magical and powerful, beautiful and terrible, and above all they enchanting. It was only natural that the Fey would feature prominently in <i>The Hero's Journey 2e.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOoVUh8Vs94ZqK6J7wjRzE9SPkoAOsb8FNqS299Dr8WlM7drxXr_cPNF4GnYjJzOcBPFETbO42ahou_B3R8xliHVW4xJxtWY55GUw2aRHI0BGLGn5P2wLKWfXS7f3HqIRopmsC68YxQ6Y/s1600/THJ_Races_Changeling.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1015" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOoVUh8Vs94ZqK6J7wjRzE9SPkoAOsb8FNqS299Dr8WlM7drxXr_cPNF4GnYjJzOcBPFETbO42ahou_B3R8xliHVW4xJxtWY55GUw2aRHI0BGLGn5P2wLKWfXS7f3HqIRopmsC68YxQ6Y/s320/THJ_Races_Changeling.tif" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tesh, Changeling Warrior</td></tr>
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Because of its roots in British folklore and Celtic mythology, the Fey are more present in <i>The Hero's Journey</i> than in more traditional fantasy role-playing games. In fact, right from character creation, players have the opportunity to take up the role of a Fey character through the Changeling lineage. But make no mistake, this lineage is no shapeshifter. A Changeling in <i>The Hero's Journey</i> is a strange being that has been left behind from the realm of Fairie in place of a mortal child stolen long ago. Though life in the mundane world has muted their strange nature, it is still ever-present and they are almost always regarded as vagabonds, miscreants, or cursed by most "civilized" people. But their Fey nature grants them some unique benefits which range from being ever so slightly out of touch with the flow of time to the ability to remain unnoticed and ignored by mortal eyes.<br />
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In addition, <i>The Hero's Journey</i> features a myriad of Fey creatures in Chapter Eight: Menagerie. Each of these creatures is designed to cleave very lose to the folklore that inspired the game. Kobolds are not cowardly trap-smithing lizard-dogs. They are tiny wizened men that dwell in the deep places of the earth, guiding and condemning underworld travelers with their strange knocking. Fey Cats are not panthers that cast strange illusions, but innocent seeming felines that will suck the soul from a mortal body as it sleeps. And a Fey Queen is as beautiful and terrible as the season she commands and all who comes into her presence know only fear and awe.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNjH0ipcBTqG4n7BZaNtzJIF0aMDG74I2WWdVB4_BJssZu-1mK18vsaPLZ30CyQacQpA9xt54qyBYy3nWB_iosq0Q3sWGLXf5qrGi4rBIQirHynvzuN86mREzA1ayISmLOUcxFjv9YQg/s1600/THJ_Monsters_Kobold.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="845" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNjH0ipcBTqG4n7BZaNtzJIF0aMDG74I2WWdVB4_BJssZu-1mK18vsaPLZ30CyQacQpA9xt54qyBYy3nWB_iosq0Q3sWGLXf5qrGi4rBIQirHynvzuN86mREzA1ayISmLOUcxFjv9YQg/s640/THJ_Monsters_Kobold.tif" width="338" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A kobold, passing between the deep places of the earth<br />
as it returns to its hidden city of stone. </td></tr>
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Magic itself is also infused with the energy of Fairie, particularly illusions and phantasms. All deceptive magic has ties to the realm of Fairie, for they are the masters of power and perception with little heed for the constants of the Mortal Realm. Wizards and bards that dare to dabble in the magic of the Fair Folk may find themselves making promises to fairy ladies and fey lords in return for magical knowledge, only to be bound forever by the unintended consequences of a promise.<br />
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By the same token, the strong presence of fairies and their ilk by no means mandates their inclusion in a Narrator's legendarium. They are simply tool in the wardrobe to color the adventures being told. That being said, it is my firm belief that the strong presence of the Fey in <i>The Hero's Journey 2e</i> can create a gaming that is both at once familiar and deeply unsettling - just like any good fairy story.<br />
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<i>The Hero's Journey, Second Edition</i> goes <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gallantknightgames/the-heros-journey-2e?fbclid=IwAR2idt8w1Cu4h2-n5qTKGz3Cu75vPqr3yBUITvjx9Yg0FG920ceBOgHTpe4">live on Kickstarter</a> on January 7th, 2020. All art in this blog post is by Nic Giacondino and appears in the game's core rule book. Art is owned by Barrel Rider Games, Copyright 2019.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSiIYjDyxJFtcCYL3aHqkPrI7tULDKgHC2rid5Vp_t3Et_WrOq2Q6YMhevSrO6voDim3j1o7BdDnC0YAIAnWgrueIcWaRqIQVpRiq4LvVVzjfVUSUAtPJYqf25IuLvYiK3l_hMbfbLsM/s1600/THJ_FairieDragon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="610" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSiIYjDyxJFtcCYL3aHqkPrI7tULDKgHC2rid5Vp_t3Et_WrOq2Q6YMhevSrO6voDim3j1o7BdDnC0YAIAnWgrueIcWaRqIQVpRiq4LvVVzjfVUSUAtPJYqf25IuLvYiK3l_hMbfbLsM/s640/THJ_FairieDragon.jpg" width="432" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Fey Queen, vain and glorious, entertaining the affections of<br />
a Fairie Dragon.</td></tr>
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<br />James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-23107136130355484822020-01-05T07:57:00.007-08:002020-01-05T08:02:07.800-08:00Bonds of Fellowship: The Importance of the GroupTabletop role-playing games are a group activity. It's a group of (usually) three or more people sitting around a table, working together to collaboratively share an experience that all present will enjoy. Often this experience involves overcoming an adversary or accomplishing a difficult task. More importantly, most folks who sit down to play RPGs together are friends - and if they're not, after a few sessions of play, they're likely to become friends. That's one of my favorite things about tabletop RPGs. It creates a shared experience for all involved, a shared memory, and often a shared sense of victory and accomplishment.<br />
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In the case of <i>The Hero's Journey 2e</i>, many of the sources which inspired the game are stories about a group of friends. Whether it's the classic Company of the Ring from <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>, the brotherly bond of Pug and Thomas in Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar Saga, the unlikely friendship of Willow Ufgood and Madmartigan in <i>Willow</i>, or the iconic Companions of the <i>Dragonlance</i> series, none of these stories would resonate as they do without those bonds of friendship. As such, <i>The Hero's Journey 2e </i>has several rules to reinforce this theme.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tucker, Human Yeoman, protecting<br />
a dear friend in battle</td></tr>
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One of its new Archetypes, the Yeoman, is entirely built around this concept. Mechanically speaking, a Yeoman is a supporting Archetype and functions primarily to empower other characters. Thematically, this is done through the use of their <i>Promise</i> ability. At the beginning of each day, the Yeoman declares a promise to one (or more, at higher levels) other player characters (or important NPC) and as long as the two remain within close proximity, the character (or characters) which have been chosen as the beneficiary of the Promise ability receive bonuses. In addition, should a character under a Yeoman's Promise ability become injured or wounded, the Yeoman becomes a truly fierce opponent, gaining Advantage on attack rolls and other abilities. In short, a Yeoman is the heart of an adventuring company.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEGspBKvi8AThnZOPiU3FkDo-7TyR08JBDBrc-UhFaWG0f8JOIA6hPfbCR2RqBcAhEFBCVn4MXoVgfLv5VkoTxsiXugO2ZRMxYtHb_DvFSGMwej2C_LCVWD9ZjqDO6TpR-36-t5drlGo/s1600/THJ_PlayingTheGame_Camping.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1395" data-original-width="1600" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEGspBKvi8AThnZOPiU3FkDo-7TyR08JBDBrc-UhFaWG0f8JOIA6hPfbCR2RqBcAhEFBCVn4MXoVgfLv5VkoTxsiXugO2ZRMxYtHb_DvFSGMwej2C_LCVWD9ZjqDO6TpR-36-t5drlGo/s400/THJ_PlayingTheGame_Camping.tif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tucker, Willow, Flynn, Bandoras, Evelyn, Tesh,<br />
Puckstone, and Kara relaxing around the campfire.</td></tr>
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Secondly, while traveling on the road or resting at an Inn, the group can choose to Relax Around the Campfire. This action allows characters to enjoy the company of their fellow heroes and draw upon the strength of those shared good times to find strength of heart in dark times. In short, successfully Relaxing Around the Campfire grants a character Advantage to any one Saving Throw of their choice the next day. The bonds of friendship are strong indeed and can see heroes through the darkest times.<br />
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Finally, Chapter Seven: Running the Game features a section on creating player characters that begin play with a reason for those characters to be bound together in their adventures. There is little place for the "lone wolf" character in <i>The Hero's Journey 2e</i> and no one is an island. In short, it is our friends who will give us the strength to survive the horrors we must confront - and that is a theme that has resonated in legends through to the modern day because it is as timeless and universal as friendship itself.<br />
<i><br />The Hero's Journey, Second Edition</i> goes <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gallantknightgames/the-heros-journey-2e?fbclid=IwAR2idt8w1Cu4h2-n5qTKGz3Cu75vPqr3yBUITvjx9Yg0FG920ceBOgHTpe4">live on Kickstarter</a> on January 7th, 2020. All art in this blog post is by Nic Giacondino and appears in the game's core rule book. Art is owned by Barrel Rider Games, Copyright 2019.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heroes standing together against the evils of the world</td></tr>
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<br />James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-87521422147609557542020-01-04T07:28:00.002-08:002020-01-04T07:28:52.951-08:00Courage is There For the Taking: Despair in The Hero's Journey 2eIn most fairy tales and high fantasy stories that inspired The Hero's Journey, all the protagonists had one thing in common: They were afraid. They had moments of doubt and terror. They stood against terrible, impossible foes and (at least at first), they felt helpless or outright ran away. In <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> we see it over and over again. It's a key plot point in what makes dragons dangerous in the <i>Dragonlance </i>novels. And fairy tales, well they're just full of fearful things. After all, many of them where written specifically to frighten children into behaving!<div>
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To that end, The Hero's Journey 2e has a mechanic called <i>Despair</i> and characters will sometimes be called upon to make a <i>Despair Saving Throw. </i>But Despair is more than just a "It's a big scary monster, run away" mechanic. Fear and weariness are often part of any great journey worthy of tale or song. Whether it's crossing a Blighted Land or suffering the terrible heartache that comes with the death of an dear friend and boon companion. All of these are part of <i>Despair</i> and all of them play a role in The Hero's Journey 2e.</div>
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In addition, every fantastic creature in The Hero's Journey 2e has a <i>Despair Rating</i>. Typically this ranges from 1 to as high as 15, though it can be higher. The more fantastic, more powerful, more overwhelmingly <i>evil</i> such a creature is, the higher its Despair Rating. So, a goblin might only have a Despair Rating of 1, while a horrific Death Knight has a 13. Some creatures have extraordinarily high Despair Ratings not because they inspire fear, but because they inspire awe. None more beautiful and terrible than they Fey Queen with her Despair Rating of 15.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyT7JHlZtDP9rEVAV-KGF8kr37LlcCIAcfYFmkvFRu5dh6H42mi29b_kRmQCDTaC9EjGBpBcNejG7L_E7Z5dRl1mI9bA3tG4BwzNk4SekD80hoInBc9dgfAFHSiVHDugd7VNhP7d4zS4/s1600/THJ_Monsters_DeathKnightAwakening.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="1600" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyT7JHlZtDP9rEVAV-KGF8kr37LlcCIAcfYFmkvFRu5dh6H42mi29b_kRmQCDTaC9EjGBpBcNejG7L_E7Z5dRl1mI9bA3tG4BwzNk4SekD80hoInBc9dgfAFHSiVHDugd7VNhP7d4zS4/s400/THJ_Monsters_DeathKnightAwakening.tif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behold the majestic terror that is the Death Knight.</td></tr>
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<div>
<br />When the player characters encounter a creature with a Despair Rating five higher than their level, they must make a Despair Saving Throw. Certain Lineages or Heirlooms may grant bonuses or penalties to this Saving Throw. If the Saving Throw fails, the character suffers Disadvantage on all Saving Throws and attack rolls made while in the presence of the source generating the Despair. They are literally crippled by fear.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTc7cBFrufF1RfuhS_GPylE5WuAW9Uif9vi90EgryxX9cAVHpFiwJNMFvRTm1v1P0JeeJfLwtqUCv7raI9Lzhe4BneX4kPLLLPQ3w6ogHlSpK5OklhorH5qK4Kq1xHDqw3ineLHXBTg4/s1600/THJ_RunningTheGame_Desolation.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1133" data-original-width="1600" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTc7cBFrufF1RfuhS_GPylE5WuAW9Uif9vi90EgryxX9cAVHpFiwJNMFvRTm1v1P0JeeJfLwtqUCv7raI9Lzhe4BneX4kPLLLPQ3w6ogHlSpK5OklhorH5qK4Kq1xHDqw3ineLHXBTg4/s400/THJ_RunningTheGame_Desolation.tif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tesh, Bandoras, and Willow cross a desolate realm bereft of hope.</td></tr>
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<div>
<br />But dangerous creatures aren't the only thing that causes Despair. If a character is travelling across a blasted landscape of unnatural evil, it can take its toll and may impose a Despair Saving Throw after an extended period of time. The sheer evil that infuses that Blighted Land seeps into their soul and begins to drain away hope and valor.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Finally, if a player character witnesses the death of a loved one or another player character, they must also make a Despair Saving Throw. Adventures sometimes have dire costs and witnesses the violent or tragic end of dear friend can weaken the resolve of even the most hardy warrior, after all.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxDQrtpExktLxU3G9w-0Wc4e3039jwE97gemkOQ_Prwp2BGvlDuttgqHhDADgOx7RLpW0J-bum2M4Vi4DOs1HN1g3mu-GlFr6_kQyhn_jc8yWrB6eUFsNwwOXa78hGI6sMaF_114NMto/s1600/THJ_Spells%2526Magic_BindingWound.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1600" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxDQrtpExktLxU3G9w-0Wc4e3039jwE97gemkOQ_Prwp2BGvlDuttgqHhDADgOx7RLpW0J-bum2M4Vi4DOs1HN1g3mu-GlFr6_kQyhn_jc8yWrB6eUFsNwwOXa78hGI6sMaF_114NMto/s400/THJ_Spells%2526Magic_BindingWound.tif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surrounded by death and carnage, Tucker tends to<br />his wounded friend Tesh.</td></tr>
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<div>
<br />The Despair rules are present for two reasons. They reinforce that fear is a part of any hero's journey and that, more importantly, it can be overcome. From a mechanical standpoint, a creature's Despair Rating can be used as a measure by Narrator's as to how dangerous a foe is against a group of player characters - though some dangerous beasties that specialize in fear may have surprisingly high Despair Ratings compared to their actual threat level.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Most importantly, fear and Despair never actually remove character agency. Players are at a literal Disadvantage when under the effects of Despair, but they are never unable to act -- no matter how impossible the odds may be. Completely removing player agency is something I as a game designer try to avoid whenever possible. The challenge faced by a player character may seem overwhelming and impossible to overcome, but they should always be given the chance to try...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnXXfXs9WGHYNB87ZKMgkaj8Tc18VLpW0bL0ZBmDvRWgPxmaTw6X7Hp0hNxokF2BAKpReWwYhdJlFZtKZKewlxL5mVmlDCdzlG3vu-ALKbatoWycxlfhPpmI6ZVnVzAoXilj2WiJ2OD0/s1600/THJ_Monsters_LordOfFlameandShadow.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="993" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnXXfXs9WGHYNB87ZKMgkaj8Tc18VLpW0bL0ZBmDvRWgPxmaTw6X7Hp0hNxokF2BAKpReWwYhdJlFZtKZKewlxL5mVmlDCdzlG3vu-ALKbatoWycxlfhPpmI6ZVnVzAoXilj2WiJ2OD0/s640/THJ_Monsters_LordOfFlameandShadow.tif" width="396" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kara, with no more than courage of heart and a blade of steel<br />faces off against a Lord of Flame and Shadow.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<i><br />The Hero's Journey, Second Edition</i> goes <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gallantknightgames/the-heros-journey-2e?fbclid=IwAR2idt8w1Cu4h2-n5qTKGz3Cu75vPqr3yBUITvjx9Yg0FG920ceBOgHTpe4">live on Kickstarter</a> on January 7th, 2020. All art in this blog post is by Nic Giacondino and appears in the game's core rule book. Art is owned by Barrel Rider Games, Copyright 2019.</div>
James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-19509842894204417092019-12-31T14:44:00.003-08:002019-12-31T17:36:21.856-08:00Forged in Legends: Magical Items in The Hero's Journey 2eOne of my biggest pet peeves in so many fantasy roleplaying games is the "upgrade factor" of magical items. In traditional D&D-style roleplaying games, characters are pretty excited to find a magic item - at least at first. A <i>+1 Sword</i> is awesome and they're thrilled to find it! That is... until they find a <i>+2 Sword.</i> Then the once coveted magical blade gets cast by the wayside as little more than obsolete technology that's either sold off for gold or simply left by the wayside. Perhaps worse is that when a weapon is described in mere terms of being a "+1" or "+2" weapon, it loses all sense of mystic. It's simply a mathematical improvement over its predictor. In essence, these two factors make magical items the worst thing they could possibly be: Mundane.<br />
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Magic items should be <i>part</i> of a character's mystique, part of who they are. They shouldn't be a tool to be discarded when a better one comes along. That mindset undercuts the very nature of magic by removing the fantastic and the sense of wonder. Yet, as characters grow in power they're going to want magic equipment that is more able to handle the challenges they face.<br />
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<i>The Hero's Journey</i> attempts to avoid this problem through the use of Myth Points, Aspects, and Heirlooms. Myth Points are earned each time a character gains a level. Every level earned means the character earns one new Myth Point. So at second level, the character earns their first Myth Point, at third they earn their second Myth Point, and so on. Additional Myth Points can be earned by specifically questing for them and performing heroic feats that are... well... worthy of myth.<br />
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Aspects are descriptors applied to weapons, armor, and shields. So you might have a Feycraft sword, a Valiant shield, and a Renowned set of armor. An item earns its Aspect or Aspects by the owner spending any Myth Points they've earned to permanently infuse the item with that Aspect. But characters can't select any old Aspect. They have to earn, through play, the Aspect they want. So if a character slew a Goblin King and saved a village, they could choose to apply the Aspect of Goblin Bane to their axe. Or if their shield saved them from the grievous blow of that same Goblin King, they might choose to apply Goblin Bane to their shield. Want a Dwarf-Forged weapon? Well, find a dwarf to reforge your sword. Itching for a Feycrafted shield? Well, you might have to cut a deal with the Fey...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3gG-WjZStSnYp3FAlPjEFFZBGMareGz75_YTCxuSW1GEOKw-CJG7MBz0kQzcxfQx-nuPkrZ4CqCDJM2QbZgvuhHv9hfbPjeCPoFH5-zO3d0toh2tuFa3hxzg4XVcJmbZ5r-13fzpUMU/s1600/Screenshot+2019-12-31+at+5.32.22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="707" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3gG-WjZStSnYp3FAlPjEFFZBGMareGz75_YTCxuSW1GEOKw-CJG7MBz0kQzcxfQx-nuPkrZ4CqCDJM2QbZgvuhHv9hfbPjeCPoFH5-zO3d0toh2tuFa3hxzg4XVcJmbZ5r-13fzpUMU/s400/Screenshot+2019-12-31+at+5.32.22+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some example Aspects</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Heirlooms are a bit more miscellaneous in nature. The Hero's Journey, Second Edition core book includes over thirty Heirlooms to serve as examples for creating your own to suit your legendarium. It is a magical item that is neither a weapon, a shield, nor a suit of armor that has gained magical properties through legendary deeds committed by an individual using the item or by a its valued place within a Lineage's culture and/or history. So, for example, dwarves as a people may know the secret of crafting Fireworks, but Bingo's Book of Rhymes and Riddles was written by a famous halfling adventurer and its pages sometimes contain surprising answers to fit just the puzzler perplexing perturbed player characters. Using these Heirlooms as guidelines, player characters and Narrators are free to create new and unique items to suit their own legendariums as the story unfolds!<br />
<br />
This also means that every magical item a player character finds has a rich history and is not something simply to be disposed of. Magic is rare, fantastic, and flows through the history of <i>The Hero's Journey - </i>it's something far greater than simple "pluses" to a stat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqL6OU_JBszyS2cVU87lSofcLWjucqPKR5W-zcojxKVklHKQ_5lireb0WOOJaPpg7RN7FGcM0MHdBu8Ei3BS5tEFSJyTiPtXNsQhLOsxY4sXXB2oLuUrmdLeUZ0D5x7FSz6kYE_XguusM/s1600/Screenshot+2019-12-31+at+5.33.12+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="709" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqL6OU_JBszyS2cVU87lSofcLWjucqPKR5W-zcojxKVklHKQ_5lireb0WOOJaPpg7RN7FGcM0MHdBu8Ei3BS5tEFSJyTiPtXNsQhLOsxY4sXXB2oLuUrmdLeUZ0D5x7FSz6kYE_XguusM/s400/Screenshot+2019-12-31+at+5.33.12+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example Heirloom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i>The Hero's Journey, Second Edition</i> goes live on Kickstarter on January 7th, 2020. All art in this blog post is by Nic Giacondino and appears in the game's core rule book. Art is owned by Barrel Rider Games, Copyright 2019.James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-73040879239795396342019-12-21T08:39:00.002-08:002019-12-21T08:51:57.634-08:00Keeping Wizards Magical: Wizards in The Hero's Journey 2e<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_8-Vrhb5i7ro3Tmu99jmxKsxYIugEjPGVIv1NaXRFGaGW_GEn6RlPFbi_63MGTfn48buGH4W9ChJG76OeqLd2GCslBc4MQuYYL8Cup2up_VLQN_JQSgbndHxEIO6lVE_pkXCrI7pUME/s1600/THJ_Spells%2526Magic_NewMageInTown.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="825" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_8-Vrhb5i7ro3Tmu99jmxKsxYIugEjPGVIv1NaXRFGaGW_GEn6RlPFbi_63MGTfn48buGH4W9ChJG76OeqLd2GCslBc4MQuYYL8Cup2up_VLQN_JQSgbndHxEIO6lVE_pkXCrI7pUME/s320/THJ_Spells%2526Magic_NewMageInTown.tif" width="164" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evelyn, Human Wizard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Wizards as portrayed in the the works that inspired <i>The Hero's Journey</i> are characters like Merlin, Gandalf, Raistlin, and Pug. When a <i>wizard</i> enters a room, people notice. People slink back a bit. People are in awe of the magic they wield. But the reality of playing most traditional fantasy roleplaying games always fell short of that for me. Sure, on paper they were described that way - but when it came time to play the character itself you often found (particularly at low levels of play), that you were more of a liability than an asset. You were no fearsome arcanist walked from legend into reality - you were a fragile glass cannon who <i>might</i> be useful if you happened to have prepared just the right spell for just the right moment. Creative and experienced players learned to work around this through clever use of spells, often in ways they weren't intended. But the truth of the matter was that playing an arcane spellcaster usually was an exercise in patience and (often) frustration. That being said, those who did remain patient (and alive) would rise to become earth-shattering masters of magic capable of shaping reality to their will. But until then, hide behind the guy with the biggest shield and hope for the best.<br />
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I wanted to take a minute to talk about Wizards and magic spells in <i>The Hero's Journey 2e. </i>They do find their basis in the traditional spellcasters depicted above, but there are significant and important changes. First and foremost, a Wizard either knows a spell or does not know a spell. End of story. It's not memorized, nor does it require a book from which it must be prepared. Instead, a Wizard is limited in the number of spells they can cast each day before needing to rest - at least in most cases.<br />
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The spells that a wizard casts are also different from traditional fantasy RPGs, though many elements are familiar. As an example, this is the spell known as <i>Errant Pilgrim</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGryE_M8PqLdMYUBV-GpSTRZi7wpBcP6KAp-SKaBTEqlkdD9lptTlFlKErstThSBNe2n1t-Q9azncFSUMLC8axe8kstVh6lTHZ3esSf9LGoQ06VNm5p9X9MvNmp6RD1Yz-vbi65QRZxs/s1600/Screenshot+2019-12-21+at+11.16.33+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="610" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGryE_M8PqLdMYUBV-GpSTRZi7wpBcP6KAp-SKaBTEqlkdD9lptTlFlKErstThSBNe2n1t-Q9azncFSUMLC8axe8kstVh6lTHZ3esSf9LGoQ06VNm5p9X9MvNmp6RD1Yz-vbi65QRZxs/s400/Screenshot+2019-12-21+at+11.16.33+AM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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When a character casts Errant Pilgrim, they choose one of the three effects described above <i>at the time they cast the spell.</i> So, even if Errant Pilgrim is the only spell they know, there is still flexibility in that single spell. Each spell in <i>The Hero's Journey 2e</i> is linked thematically. Errant Pilgrim has obvious nature themes, particularly those that relate to travel and observation. Stand Against the Adversary is themed around protection from and the defeat of evil foes. Breathed in Silver is centered around illusion and fey enchantment. By binding the spells in this thematic fashion, it allows players to create a character who's Archetype is Wizard, but select spells to give them a more thematic flavor without creating additional Archetypes. So if you want to play a nature-focused Wizard who calls themselves a druid, you might select Errant Pilgrim, Harkening of the High Hawk, and Friend of Birch and Beast for your spells.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUtfLBe9j1lh_4YBZIe77L13T2MxPAd1teirBCdUO92RNp9zKm6fRef97V56JLEdgaGqsJ5M7CM5Mcr_zMvdSYvInqkT-9NMpNiFniSVMSHtSV1sGmlj-NjLB6ytpXHsnPuOu7wFjol0/s1600/THJ_Spells%2526Magic_EarthShatteringSpell.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="779" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUtfLBe9j1lh_4YBZIe77L13T2MxPAd1teirBCdUO92RNp9zKm6fRef97V56JLEdgaGqsJ5M7CM5Mcr_zMvdSYvInqkT-9NMpNiFniSVMSHtSV1sGmlj-NjLB6ytpXHsnPuOu7wFjol0/s320/THJ_Spells%2526Magic_EarthShatteringSpell.tif" width="155" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evelyn taps the essence to<br />
cast Fire Both Bright & Sacred</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Moreover, Wizards are not without options once they've expended their daily allotment of spell by <i>Tapping the Essence.</i> Tapping the Essence to cast an Apprentice Level spell inflicts 2d6 points of damage on a Wizard - a serious risk that can kill them. They're literally ripping their own essence apart to draw the magical energy necessary to cast a spell. But, even if it does kill the Wizard, the spell is successfully cast - because going out in a blaze of glory is cool. Wizard can always choose to cast any spell they know after they've expended their daily allotment of spells by Tapping the Essence - whether it's an Apprentice, Journeyman, or Master spell<br />
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Also, because each Lineage offers a character a few additional weapon choices Wizards are not limited to the traditional "staff and dagger" weapon restrictions - but nor are they martial masters by any stretch of the imagination.<br />
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Finally, and most importantly I think, to keep Wizards rare in <i>The Hero's Journey 2e</i>, a character must have an Insight of 15 to even qualify for the class. Few have the mental discipline to wield the arcane arts masterfully. A Bard may occasionally dabble in Apprentice-level spells, but only Wizards ever learn Journeyman or Master level spells. They are the true artisans of enchantment -- feared and awed, as they should be.<br />
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<i>The Hero's Journey, Second Edition</i> goes live on Kickstarter on January 7th, 2020. All art in this blog post is by Nic Giacondino and appears in the game's core rule book. Art is owned by Barrel Rider Games, Copyright 2019.James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-67009506158880494242019-12-17T16:45:00.002-08:002019-12-17T16:45:08.761-08:00I'm Going On An Adventure: Writing Adventures for The Hero's JourneySo, with the impending Kickstarter for The Hero's Journey, Second Edition set to begin on January 7th, 2020, I'm hard at work on supporting material in the hopes that the funding is wildly successful and folks genuinely want to play the game. But writing an adventure for The Hero's Journey is a bit different from writing a traditional fantasy module. As I was writing The Hero's Journey, I tried to emphasize that while combat was an element of the game, it was not a strong focus an should not be the first solution in a group's repertoire. In fact, combat should be the <i>last</i> option. When swords get drawn and battle is joined then circumstances must be dire.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedoF4ugZ2nbVhMMpb1hD7Oj2-UNLqwulmwLnzUuDomgmiexW0ZLf6NRFqQnbi_hU-ZECk4UmfGiQTvP9GlLEc7X_OA9phncXFi6tUFEtyoY2tqOtUH7m5RmG48C3IKujo3kh6bf1CWsw/s1600/THJ_Monsters_Redcap.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="1600" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedoF4ugZ2nbVhMMpb1hD7Oj2-UNLqwulmwLnzUuDomgmiexW0ZLf6NRFqQnbi_hU-ZECk4UmfGiQTvP9GlLEc7X_OA9phncXFi6tUFEtyoY2tqOtUH7m5RmG48C3IKujo3kh6bf1CWsw/s400/THJ_Monsters_Redcap.tif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tesh, Changeling Warrior, locked in combat with a Redcap</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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To this end, as I'm penning these adventures (yes, I'm writing several) I decide to break from traditional fantasy RPGs and not list a recommended level. The world of The Hero's Journey is dangerous, regardless of your level. That's already implied by the fact that characters do not see a huge increase in their Endurance, even when they reach high levels of play. It's more akin to "I can get his by a sword two or three times an probably not die" instead of the more traditional route of "I can fall a hundred feet and keep on swingin' without any problem."<br />
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As an example, a 10th level Warrior with a Resolve of 18 that rolled maximum Endurance at 2nd and 3rd level would still only have an Endurance of 50. By contrast, the bite of an Elder Wyrm does 4d10 points of damage. This means that the mightiest Warrior in history, a literal living legend, could most definitely survive ONE bite from an Elder Wyrm. A second bite (or a swat from the other claw and tail attacks it gets in the same round) would almost certainly kill that same Warrior. This also makes a 10th level Wizard that casts Wreathed and Consumed can do between 10 and 60 points of damage to <i>everyone</i> in a 20 foot radius. A genuinely cataclysmic explosion. And that's not to speak of the mind an reality altering powers of the Fey...<br />
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So, as you can see, combat is deadly in <i>The Hero's Journey.</i> But strange creatures have no "alignment," and have their own reasons for acting as they do then roleplaying becomes the most valuable tool in a character's bag of tricks. Conan cleaves through countless foes with a swing of his axe. Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser face off against half a dozen wizards at the gates of Lankmar. But when Tristan crosses into Stormhold, he rarely uses his sword. In Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship runs from most combat encounters. When Bilbo faces off against the spiders of Mirkwood he uses hit and run tactics to <i>distract</i> them -- not to face them in battle. The clever hobbit doesn't even think to try to kill the dragon outright. It's not that these things are impossible, it's that slaying a dragon or felling a giant in <i>The Hero's Journey</i> is a genuinely legendary and requires genuinely legendary planning, skill, and even luck.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBR3kDPn57UMRIEH_wf0muaVscFtl0HJ69-srmrvOjGN_bS5MMI0KaLV0J8Y4LbBQ8tjKW_rKOc8eZ_KT6cTWqhiizdsD2YDULs7RPV8r-NqyMHMyAznWVu94lo_yPqiXotkbjxxwsXA/s1600/THJ_PlayingTheGame_Forest.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="1600" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBR3kDPn57UMRIEH_wf0muaVscFtl0HJ69-srmrvOjGN_bS5MMI0KaLV0J8Y4LbBQ8tjKW_rKOc8eZ_KT6cTWqhiizdsD2YDULs7RPV8r-NqyMHMyAznWVu94lo_yPqiXotkbjxxwsXA/s400/THJ_PlayingTheGame_Forest.tif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tucker (Human Yeoman), Flynn (Half-Elf Bard), Bandoras (Halfling Burglar),<br />and Evelyn (Human Wizard) are about to have a very bad day...</td></tr>
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Given that in traditional fantasy roleplaying adventures a recommended level is usually provided to gauge the viability of combat encounters, it seems at odds to name a recommended level when writing adventures for <i>The Hero's Journey.</i> Combat is rare and deadly in <i>The Hero's Journey</i>, regardless of character level. It is the stuff of legendary songs or sorrowful laments. That goes beyond a character's level and permeates the entire essence of the game. Be clever. Be resourceful. Be diplomatic. Be heroic. Your sword when all else has failed, not as the first solution to a problem.<br />
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On the other side of that Narrators running <i>The Hero's Journey</i> shouldn't rely too much one combat. A single tense battle or a few small combats to build drama can be useful, but if your game turns into a meat grinder of character, then your players will never get invested in either their characters or your legendarium. Use combat sparingly to keep the inherent drama of its presence high and when players use a quick wit or clever turn of phrase to avoid bloodshed, then that is to be commended. A hero is not measured by the body count they leave in their wake.<br />
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So the adventures I write for The Hero's Journey will have no "recommended level." Instead they will tell stories inspired by folklore and heroic fantasy literature. Players will need to rely on more than their weapons and spells to solve problems. They will need to be of stout heart, quick mind, and perhaps, just a bit lucky... but then again, what hero hasn't been saved by these things more often than not?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAn0enVEchtHrXtWW3YNYxFCtHT2XR_KRoKsrL-rqs_pxEbvkq2SAgwittq06_6oyfXJagodu_xsmM_r3mMc8lkl8MHEjem2CF_76neAIQ38D4AY6Il5-NeW1oRLYi1vX75VRGQaOTFTc/s1600/THJ_Treasure%2526MagicItems_RabbitFoot.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="904" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAn0enVEchtHrXtWW3YNYxFCtHT2XR_KRoKsrL-rqs_pxEbvkq2SAgwittq06_6oyfXJagodu_xsmM_r3mMc8lkl8MHEjem2CF_76neAIQ38D4AY6Il5-NeW1oRLYi1vX75VRGQaOTFTc/s400/THJ_Treasure%2526MagicItems_RabbitFoot.tif" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bandoras and his lucky Rabbit's Foot</td></tr>
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<i>The Hero's Journey, Second Edition</i> goes live on Kickstarter on January 7th, 2020. All art in this blog post is by Nic Giacondino and appears in the game's core rule book. Art is owned by Barrel Rider Games, Copyright 2019.James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-42900585530334061662019-11-28T15:27:00.002-08:002019-11-28T20:09:53.451-08:00Old School Essentials: ReviewI remember when <i style="font-weight: bold;">B/X Essentials </i>first showed up on the OSR scene, and to be honest I was really pretty skeptical. I thought "Oh, this is literally just a reprinting of B/X. That's it. What's the <i>point</i>?" In hindsight, I was outright dismissive. I mean B/X is my favorite version of D&D, and I had <i style="font-weight: bold;">Labyrinth Lord</i>, so when <i style="font-weight: bold;">B/X Essentials </i>showed up on the scene I wrote it off pretty quickly. And then it started to get released across multiple books instead of being one collected rules set. More over, these books were not released at the same time. I was like "This feels like a really blatant cash grab. Why are people buying into this?" I was particularly disappointed because thus far Necrotic Gnome and its founder Gavin Norman had made some really solid stuff, so for him to seem to be dipping into what looked like a nostalgia fueled cash grab really felt like a damn shame.<br />
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Still, the hype around <i style="font-weight: bold;">B/X Essentials </i>continued to grow in a slow, but steady way that you couldn't help but notice. Then, Necrotic Gnome announced they were going to be doing a Kickstarter to do high-quality print versions of this same game, which would now be known as <i style="font-weight: bold;">Old School Essentials</i> (a much better title). I'd heard several people I respect saying they liked the game, though none of this buzz really said <i>why</i> people liked it. Were they just swept up in nostalgia? Still, many voices I respected were singing the game's praises, so I was willing to give it a shot. I don't normally do Kickstarters, simply because they don't allow for PayPal, so I contacted Gavin and asked if I could PayPal him directly to get in on the <i style="font-weight: bold;">Old School Essentials </i>Kickstarter. He said that there was really no need (at that point the game had funded, though the campaign was still active) because it would be available soon after fulfillment was complete via the Necrotic Gnome web store. Great. That's easy-peasy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfo-5X0XIgVBLOLRNIfpKGlk7ZSXz5YdTHoD44Ztdu8TUrumg8AmcS1zgHP8LghTHbHmBHXRzAQR4tA2M0r6eSVKgDxPHjkEZGxadwACaDbqhvxkZ1v_BeOxUM7JZ-eQBUC9A0STDrEtc/s1600/Screenshot+2019-11-28+at+6.22.27+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="1009" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfo-5X0XIgVBLOLRNIfpKGlk7ZSXz5YdTHoD44Ztdu8TUrumg8AmcS1zgHP8LghTHbHmBHXRzAQR4tA2M0r6eSVKgDxPHjkEZGxadwACaDbqhvxkZ1v_BeOxUM7JZ-eQBUC9A0STDrEtc/s400/Screenshot+2019-11-28+at+6.22.27+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Over 1000% over funding goal! Wow!</td></tr>
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And then I forgot all about <i style="font-weight: bold;">Old School Essentials</i> as life swept me down new roads. Real life duties, a new partnership with Gallant Knight Games, several freelance gigs, and my own projects all combined to drive the game out of my brain space. That was before Noah Green and his infernal Christmas present.<br />
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Noah a man who has grown from a fan of Barrel Rider Games into a genuine friend. This year for Christmas he bought me a few of the <i style="font-weight: bold;">Old School Essential </i>PDFs. Well, that was it. Finally, I had to face the game for myself, with my own two eyes. What was the big damn deal about <i>another</i> retro-clone?<br />
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The big damn deal is that Gavin Norman has constructed a game that is designed specifically towards <b style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: yellow;">active playability</span></b>. <i style="font-weight: bold;">Old School Essential</i>'s genius lay in its layout and formatting. It is designed to keep play at the table fast and easy. Rules are clearly expressed and easy to understand. More over, page-flipping is all but a thing of the past. At no point in the text do you need to start dancing across the book to find relevant information. All of the information on the classes is spread across two pages, so when the book is open everything is at your finger tips. Same design applies to everything else in the book. Spells, monsters, magic items, gear - it's all presented with the active purpose of keeping game play going so you don't have to stop because a rule is confusing or because you need to flip through pages to find a clarification. In its presentation, in its layout and formatting, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Old School Essentials</i> is sheer genius because this is an element so often overlooked by so many publishers and game designers. It is an overlooked way to keep the game moving at an enjoyable pace.<br />
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That is why the game is broken across six books. Playing a fighter? Well, you know what you need is in the classes book. Playing a magic-user? All your spells are gonna be in the spells book. Looking for treasure? You guessed it -- all that's gonna be in the treasure book. What's more, those who prefer a single volume version (like myself) can get their hands on that just as easily. Even better? The product quality is astounding. All the books are hardcover with thick, quality paper. They're built to last. No print-on-demand "middling to average" quality here. These are build to last for years of actual use.<br />
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The game's not perfect by any means. The art is inconsistent in quality - though I find that lends itself well to the 1980s charm as an homage to the original Basic/Expert D&D and it being a reprint of that game, it has all the inherent flaws of its mechanics. But it is a perfect presentation of that rules set and as such, it has taken its place as my single favorite retro-clone on the market today. I can't recommend it enough.<br />
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If you're interested in grabbing <i style="font-weight: bold;">Old School Essentials </i>for yourself, head over to the Necrotic Gnome website, where you can grab the <i><b><a href="https://necroticgnome.com/collections/old-school-essentials/products/old-school-essentials-black-box-print-pdf">Old School Essentials Box Set</a></b> (which contains Core Rules, Genre Rules, Cleric & Magic-User Spells, Monsters, </i>and <i>Treasure</i> <i>- </i>each in an A5-sized hardcover in a quality box) or the <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://necroticgnome.com/collections/old-school-essentials/products/old-school-essentials-rules-tome-print-pdf">Old School Essentials Rules Tome</a></i> (a compiling of all the box set material into a single A5-sized hardcover). I can't recommend these products enough if you're a fan of Basic/Expert D&D and it looks like this will be serving as my go-to old school rules set in the future.James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-2061246474063731772019-10-03T16:56:00.002-07:002019-10-03T17:37:15.266-07:00The Journey TogetherThe draft is done. The art is done. <i>The Hero's Journey, Second Edition </i>is currently in layout and editing. It's been a long, strange process for me. This is the most personal writing project I've ever undertaken -- even more so than <i>White Star.</i> A lot of the thanks for that go to Alan Bahr, who encouraged me at every step to break out of my own patterns and to write the game <i>I</i> wanted to make during every step in the process. And that's what I did. I genuinely love this game, and I really hope you will to.<br />
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<i>The Hero's Journey, Second Edition</i> is, literally, my dream game. Not just the rules and the text, the whole thing. I got my first choice for the cover artist (the amazing Jon Hodgson). I got my first choice for interior artist (the irrepressible Nic Giacondino). From top to bottom, everything in this little game falls on me. If you love it, I'm humbled. If you hate it, blame me.<br />
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I said in my last post, that I was gonna talk about Lineages in my next blog post. Well, I changed my mind. I wanted to talk a bit about the art. First of all, it's amazing. I got to include custom art through out the book, crafted to my specifications. That is a rare gift in a small publisher (thanks again, Alan). To that end, I wanted to talk about the art in <i>The Hero's Journey, Second Edition</i> beyond the visuals. Each of the game's eight classes features an iconic character. As the art continues through out the book, those eight iconic characters appear over and over again in almost every piece. That is intentional. This is a game about heroes going on a journey (it's in the title). I wanted to showcase those heroes as much as possible -- and Nic did an amazing job bringing Flynn the Half-Elf Bard, Bandoras the Halfling Burglar, Kara the Human Knight, Willow the Elf Ranger, Puckstone the Dwarf Swordsman, Tesh the Changeling Warrior, Evelyn the Human Wizard, and Tucker the Human Yeoman to life.<br />
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But more than just the heroes, this is a game about the people playing them and the journey <i>they</i> take together. The bonds we forge at the gaming table over dice and glorified games of pretend change our lives for the better and I owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who ever contributed to a roleplaying game I played. Every close friend I have is someone I met through gaming. My brother and I became close because of a shared love of D&D. I met my wife at a tabletop game. In short, I love all the adventures I've had <i>because</i> of the table, not just <i>at</i> the table.<br />
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In this article I'm showcasing three of my favorite pieces Nic did for <i>The Hero's Journey, Second Edition.</i> We lovingly call them "Players," "Assemble," and "The End." But these three images encapsulate so much of what I love about this little game that'll be releasing in the coming months. The shared stories, the shared adventure, the discovery that we're all in it together -- both at the table and away from it. Thanks for coming with me. I hope we have a long, grand adventure together.<br />
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<br />James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-13075848436379371782019-06-29T07:03:00.002-07:002019-06-29T07:03:42.036-07:00The Hero's Journey: Words MatterSo, as I'm sitting here editing <i>The Hero's Journey, Second Edition</i> I wanted to talk a bit about the game's focus in both this version and the first edition. Both incarnations of the game were build to emulate the style of fantasy found in classic fairy tales and works of heroic fantasy like J.R.R. Tolkien, the Dragonlance novels, and Feist's Midkemia series. The protagonists are heroes -- active forces for good in the world -- and there is a clear divide between good and evil. Magic is truly wondrous and awe-inspiring. Mythic beasts and dangers exist just beyond the horizon, and in the end doing the right thing matters.<br />
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In it's original edition, the rules of <i>The Hero's Journey</i> spoke of this a lot. But the rules never truly reflected it. The tropes of the game were bent or ignored in order to firmly fit it into compatibility with White Box games and White Box rules. The new edition of this game makes no such concessions and is, in fact, <i>not</i> compatible with White Box. Well, at least not without some serious changes.<br />
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Alterations have been made to every aspect of the game and the game's terminology. Why change terminology? Because language is a reflection of tone and theme. Previously, The Hero's Journey featured eight attributes: The "traditional" six (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom (called Willpower) and Charisma), plus two new ones: Appearance and Luck.<br />
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The new edition has paired this down to six, each of which has been titled to lean into the archaic and evocative language of myth and legend.<br />
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<b>Might:</b> This is an analogy for strength in more traditional games, impacting melee combat and carrying capacity. The term "might" was chosen because when one hears of "Mighty Heroes" it conjures images of daring deeds and feats of amazing physical prowess. Strength is a bit more dry and analytical.<br />
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<b>Alacrity:</b> This is an analog for dexterity. But, it also reflects a character's speed and preciseness, in addition to their physical agility and sense of balance. Again, I felt it was more prosaic and evocative.<br />
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<b>Resolve:</b> This is a combination of physical and mental endurance, a blending of constitution and wisdom/willpower. Why do this? Because in so many heroic stories, you hear tale of physically weak heroes who had a strength of will, a resolve, that allowed them to carry on, to push past physical and mental limits, to achieve the impossible.<br />
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<b>Insight:</b> I have always found it difficult to roleplay a character smarter than I am. Wizards and wise men in stories are not described as being intelligent, but they are often described as insightful. They are able to deduce more, notice more, and make connections not visible to others. Insight seemed a more accurate term and it combines the "perceptive" aspects of a character often previously lumped into Wisdom in more traditional games. Gandalf or Merlin would never describe themselves as intelligent, but everyone respects their sharp insight into a situation.<br />
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<b>Bearing:</b> This replaces Charisma, but is a bit more subtle in its use. Often you have heroes who rise from obscurity and show a "noble bearing." It's an indefinable quality akin to charisma, natural magnetism, and a kind of subtle aura of power that surrounds a character.<br />
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<b>Weal:</b> This replaces Luck, but Weal is an ancient term that means a combination of destiny, luck, and a general sense of fate that is tied to an individual. A character is bound by their destiny or fate, to an extent, but still somehow maintains free will. Weal seemed like the most accurate way to reflect this element of fairy stories and heroic fantasy and the archaic term "Weal" seemed to be the most appropriate term to reflect that.<br />
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Next time, I'll talk about the Lineages of the game -- how some have changed, some have been cut, and new additions have been made.James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-57063137039818490522019-06-26T14:55:00.000-07:002020-07-09T10:16:02.499-07:00The Hero's Journey, Second Edition: Why?A few years ago I wrote and published <i>The Hero's Journey Fantasy Roleplaying.</i> It was idea that began on a lark and was written to be nothing more than "James's ideal version of White Box." Much to my surprise, Mike Herrmann took my writing and turned it into a genuinely beautiful product. That little experiment took me on quite an adventure. It was nominated in 2017 for a Three Castles Award, which lead to me attending my first ever North Texas RPG Con. It was there that I met several of my heroes and met strangers who have since become dear friends.<br />
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But even with the unexpected adventures that came with the success of <i>The Hero's Journey</i>, I always felt like it wasn't quite the game it could be. I love White Box. It's my favorite OSR game out there. It's simple. It's clean. It's an infinitely versatile chassis upon which to build a game. I'll forever be both in awe of and in debt to Matt and Marv for their creation. Follow me for a second on a bit of a tangent, OK?<br />
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Anyone who knows me for five seconds knows I <i>love</i> Lord of the Rings and the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Naturally, I gravitated to a Middle-earth based RPG. I was just a bit out of time to play MERP and instead was introduced to Tolkien RPGs through Decipher's Lord of the Rings RPG. I loved it nad hated it. It was <i>almost </i>perfect. It was <i>almost awesome.</i> It was <i>almost</i> Tolkien. It is a great game. But instead of bending the game's rules to fit the conventions of Tolkien's subcreation, Tolkien's subcreation was bent to fit Decipher's in-house CODA system. It was a <i>great </i>game, but it wasn't quite Tolkien. And it always felt a bit disingenuous because of that. Fortunately, years later Cubicle 7 Entertainment would publish The One Ring -- a game specifically designed to fit the conventions of Tolkien's world. I love that game so much that it inspired me to become a publisher in hopes that one day I could be a part of that game and by extension, that world.<br />
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I guess that's what was bugging me about <i>The Hero's Journey.</i> I love that game, but in many cases I chose to bend the genre conventions it was designed to emulate in favor of making it compatible with White Box. And, to be frank, I got a lot of praise for the game. I was (and still am) proud of it. Oddly enough, it was never received as a "White Box game." It was seen by the community at large as a kind of thing in its own right that stood apart from White Box.<br />
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That was a bit disappointing back then. Now, it's freeing. People recognizing it as its own game (along with some encouragement from a dear friend) has given me the permission and freedom to do exactly that: To make <i>The Hero's Journey</i> its own game. And it's a helluva game. I haven't felt this personally invested in a game since I was writing the original <i>White Star.</i><br />
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I'm going to try to be more active on this blog and the next few posts will discuss some of the changes coming to <i>The Hero's Journey, Second Edition</i>. I hope you'll join me and more importantly, I hope you'll enjoy the game when it's released. For now, I'll leave you with the new cover art. It's by a personal hero, mentor, and friend, Jon Hodgson. He was the art director and a lead artist on The One Ring and has done art for Paizo, Wizards of the Coast, and countless other companies. He's worked on game lines the likes of Beyond the Wall, World War Cthulhu, Dragon Warriors, Pathfinder, Crypts and Things, and Pathfinder.<br />
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<br />James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-87412115217786438722018-10-07T19:18:00.004-07:002018-10-07T19:18:36.864-07:00Review: Tiny Dungeon 2eAfter reading <b>Eorathril </b>and <b>For Coin & Blood</b>, Gallant Knight Games has really become a publisher I respect for their OSR work. Seriously, they do OSR right. But I wanted to take a look at what I regard as their flagship product <b>Tiny Dungeon, Second Edition</b>. I was completely unfamiliar with the product and was sent a complimentary digital copy.<br />
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<i>TD2e</i> clocks in at a smidge over 200 digest-sized pages. Like other GKG products, the black and white interior is cleanly laid out and easy on the eyes. Billing itself as a rules light, fast playing, fast running fantasy RPG, I immediately started comparing it to White Box and my own <i>Untold Adventures</i>. Let me say this right off the bat: Tiny Dungeon is an entirely different beast. It's rules light, certainly. It is absolutely a fantasy RPG. But I'm reluctant to call it OSR simply because it blends classic and modern trends in gaming to create a unique beast that I think has a certain level of universal appeal.<br />
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This is a game that runs at lightning speed, yet somehow manages not to sacrifice much in the way of character depth and breadth of concept availability. Character creation is simple. You choose a Heritage, three Traits, a Weapon Group, a Family Trade, and a Belief. It works like this:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Heritage: In other games this would be your "race," but by choosing a different terminology, TD2e allows you to design things like multiple kinds of subraces while still having them all be different species. The core book has a surprisingly diverse list of races. From your standard things like Humans and elves (which TD2e accurately calls Fey), to Treefolk and Goblins, there's implications of a rich fantasy setting right at your finger tips.</li>
<li>Traits: These are the bread and butter of your character that really define what they do. These would be considered classes or professions in other games. Things like Alchemist, Berserker, and Shield Bearer. All PCs get to select three of them, allowing you to blend several elements into a truly unique character. Each Trait provides a brief example of the benefits it provides -- often this is Advantage on a specific task, but we'll get to Advantage and Disadvantage later (and no, it's not like 5e).</li>
<li>Family Trade: This is both a kind of profession and a hint at your character's past. There is no defined list, but you could have a trade like "Blacksmith" or "Street Beggar," or "Orphaned Noble." Basically in a situation where your Trade comes into play you again gain Advantage.</li>
<li>Belief: Belief is not, as an OSR grog like me is used to, akin to alignment. It's a core tenant your character lives by. Something that rings true to them deep down in their soul. It might be "I'll always find a diplomatic solution" or "I'll avenge the death of my brother, no matter the cost." It is primarily a roleplaying tool, but can have game impact in certain circumstances.</li>
</ul>
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Playing the game is very simple. The core game runs on the concept of making "Tests." A Test is simply rolling 2d6. If you score a 5 or 6 on either die, you succeed. When you have Advantage you roll 3d6. Disadvantage reduces the dice rolled to 1d6. Again, get a 5 or 6 and you succeeded. That is, literally, 90% of the game's rules. It's clean, clear, and easy to learn. Combat? Just another Test. Climbing a rock wall? That's a Test. Not bleeding out all over the floor after a grievous wound? Yeah, that's a Test.<br />
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That's not to say that combat in <i>TD2e</i> is boring or simply a roll off. The author has added simple rules for evasion, focusing your attack, movement, and other staples that flow perfectly with game's core design. It's as robust as any OSR game I've read. For simplicity's sake, unless otherwise stated, all attacks do a single point of damage. But, given that most characters have between 4 and 8 hit points that makes this a lot deadlier than one would think at first glance.<br />
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Magic is not handled with a large chart of spells. Instead, Traits (as noted above) determine your character's magical capacity, if any. This keeps the game from being bogged down in lists and charts and allows players to have a spellcaster that's thematically appropriate. There are some example magical disciplines in the book, but they are optional. It's all left to be very narrative and I think that's a good thing.<br />
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Gear and Equipment is pretty simply defined. You start with an Adventurer's Kit and a few other items. Anything else you want? Talk with the GM. There are rules for tracking encumbrance and ammo and the like, but these are both abstracted and even as an abstracted concept they're very streamlined and designed not to hinder quick play.<br />
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While <i>TD2e</i> includes enough monsters to run a full campaign in the core book, what's more important is that it rightfully recognizes the concept of a monster as simple window dressing for something that's a threat to the players. As such, instead of bloating it's page count with a hundred beasties and baddies, it lists monster categories in a measurement of how likely they are to threaten the player characters and how much of a risk it is to face them in combat. This is pretty damned genius to me, because it lets you describe a monster as you, the GM, see feet and secretly allow a large and nasty hobgoblin to effectively have the same stats as a hatchling dragon -- all without the suspension of disbelief ever being broken.<br />
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I never got the impression that <i>TD2e</i> was designed specifically for one-shot gaming, though it certainly could do that with all the speed and ease of greased lightning. That being said, experience and advancement is an optional rule. Because characters begin play at a heroic level of skill and proficiency off the bat, this made sense to me. Even with the advancement rules, progression is slow -- as it should be, given how highly skilled starting characters can be.<br />
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All of this is packed into less than 90 digest-sized pages.<br />
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The biggest compliment I can give <b>Tiny Dungeon, Second Edition</b> is this: I'm glad I didn't read it until <i>after</i> I published Untold Adventures. If I had read <b>Tiny Dungeon, Second Edition</b> before writing my own minimalist game I probably would have never done it. <i>TD2e </i>is cleaner, faster, and easier to present than my own creation and my hat is off to its creator. I honestly believe it's a better game. I'll definitely be picking a physical in the very near future.<br />
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I'll be doing a part two of this review. As I noted earlier, this is a 200 page book, but the rules stop at around 90 pages. The enter second half of the book is mircosettings for use with TD2e and I want to be able to give them the attention they deserve. So, if you'll excuse me I'll be in the corner marveling at this masterwork blend of old school style and modern gaming simplicity as I explore the second half of <b>Tiny Dungeon, Second Edition.</b><br />
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James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-36194512030727482912018-10-06T16:57:00.000-07:002018-10-06T17:10:41.124-07:00Eorathril: Not Just Another Fantasy OSR GameI was lucky enough to receive a complimentary PDF of the soon-to-be released <b>Eorathril: Old School Fantasy Roleplaying</b>, published by Gallant Knight Games and written by Alan Bahr. I was not asked to review the product, but after reading it I feel as though to not do so would be a disservice to the game itself.<br />
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There are more OSR fantasy RPGs out there than there are kobolds in a ruined keep, so why bother addressing another being added to an already bloated library of selections? I mean after all, I myself have written two complete fantasy RPGs and written a slew of supplements for others. It's an over saturated market, there's no getting around that. Given that, why is <b>Eorathril </b>worth your table time?<br />
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A great many things appeal to me when it comes to <b>Eorathril</b>. First and foremost, it's built about a chassis of <i>Swords & Wizardry White Box</i>, so that means there's a ton of material out there which can be easily incorporated into the game and that it's both easy to learn and fast-playing. Secondly, the layout is clean, yet evocative. One of my favorite features is that unlike many authors (myself included), Bahr doesn't use his sidebars to discuss house rules -- instead he gives readers a peek into his mind as a designer and lets them know <i>why</i> certain aspects of the game are designed in the fashion presented. It makes an already rules-light game feel very approachable. But, I think the biggest appeal of <b>Eorathril </b>is that it's a well-presented low-magic setting that is structured around the aforementioned OSR engine with which I am most familiar.<br />
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Let's be clear here: <b>Eorathril </b>isn't just "White Box with the magic stripped down." Bahr is clearly building his own unique game with elements he wants to see in the game. Tweaks are present in every aspect of the game: Attribute calculation, hit points, magic items, races, and classes are all modified to suit the "low magic, high adventure" style that <b>Eorathril </b>is meant to evoke. That evocation is present down to the visual design. Both layout and art feed into this theme.<br />
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There are no non-human player character races available in <b>Eorathril</b>, in keeping with the low magic feel here. There is, however, an optional rule where the region of the implied setting (which is also the product's title) can grant a bonus to a single attribute. The implication is that intelligent races other than humanity do exist, but they're<i> not human,</i> strange and alien to human sensibilities. In short, they're magical. The classes provided are where Bahr's creation really starts to shine, and I'd like to take a minute here to highlight them:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Barbarian: Your classic savage warrior, they are swift and brutal. At higher levels they can seem nigh unstoppable and through simple rules Bahr does a great job of creating a juggernaut worthy of Howard's legacy.</li>
<li>Fighter: This is less a generic warrior and more a professionally trained soldier, the Fighter has access to a collection of unique abilities that make them excel at specific combat methods as well as gaining additional attacks per combat round -- a rarity in most White Box variants.</li>
<li>Knight: This is exactly what you think, but it is <i>not</i> a Paladin. This is a lord-bound mounted warrior in full armor, as at home on the field of honor as he is in the middle of courtly politics.</li>
<li>Ranger: This class clings close to tradition, as skilled hunters and trackers who specialize in eliminating a chosen foe across a wild landscape.</li>
<li>Sage: This is the closest thing that <b>Eorathril </b>has to a "magic-user," and even that's a stretch. They do get spells, but only very few and only at higher levels. Instead, they gain insight through long study and keen observation. More Gandalfish or traditional Merlin than D&D fireball-slingers.</li>
<li>Swordmaster: The author openly states that this class is inspired by the <i>Wheel of Time</i> series, but I read it and immediately was drawn to the swashbuckler archetypes of Madmartigan and Dread Pirate Roberts from Willow and Princess Bride respectively. I love, love, love this class.</li>
<li>Thief: Similar to the Ranger, this class hangs close to its traditional counterpart. It does, however, add specific uses for disguise and poison use, which give them some more diversity in application.</li>
</ul>
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As is befitting a game where heroes are martially-oriented, the weapons offered are extensive and diverse. At the same time, they're not ridiculous or out of genre. He also has a few simple weapon traits which add to that diversity without bogging things down. Also, there's an Arming Sword. Thank you so very much for distinguishing that from a Longsword. They're different weapons and that has always been a tiny pet peeve of mine.<br />
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Combat itself is standard White Box fare, with one simple addition: Exploits. If you roll a critical hit with a weapon you can opt to do an exploit instead of doing extra damage. This includes things like disarming your opponent, breaking their shield, or even breaking an object held in someone's hand. He also includes Intimidation and Manipulation rules, which were first introduced in his grimdark fantasy RPG <i>For Coin and Blood.</i><br />
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Spell and Magic do have their own chapter, but given the low-magic theme of <b>Eorathril</b>, you won't see fireballs and magic missiles here very much. In fact, magic missile is the only direct damage spell in the book. Spells only run to third level and while most of them are OSR standards, spells are meant (at least by implication) to be utilitarian and not ground shattering displays of power. Again, only Sages can cast spells -- and even then, only at higher levels.<br />
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Magic items exist in <b>Eorathril </b>and all the standards are here that you'd expect. However, when it comes to magic weapons, Bahr has opted to use a variation on the Myth Point system introduced in <i>The Hero's Journey Fantasy Roleplaying</i>. Obviously, I'm a fan of that system and given the low-magic nature of the setting, I feel it's a very, very good fit.<br />
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The monster list has everything you'd expect and nothing you wouldn't. It's concise, complete, and highly utilitarian.<br />
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Finally, <b>Eorathril</b> closes with a few unique magic items tied specifically to the implied setting that's given some small detail in the beginning of the book. Between these two features, Narrators are given enough material to build the foundation of a fantasy setting with the freedom to take things wherever they'd like to go.<br />
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In less than 120 pages, Alan Bahr's <b>Eorathril </b>creates a clean, concise low-fantasy adventure roleplaying game that is as home in a Tolkienesque campaign styled after <i>Lord of the Rings</i> as it is in a Hyborian Age sword and sorcery campaign. I really can't recommend this game enough. It manages to build on the familiar foundation of so many OSR roleplaying games while having enough new material and unique flavor to be a worthy addition to the growing library of fantasy RPGs on the market.James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-16870535184308458632018-08-11T10:12:00.002-07:002018-08-11T10:26:23.212-07:00Getting Board: Onitama ReviewSo, while tabletop RPGs are most certainly my passion, I also enjoy board games on occasion. I'm particularly a fan of two-player abstract board games, especially historic two-player abstract games. Games like Chess, Checkers, Go, and the like. Hnefatafl is a particular favorite of mine. I enjoy these types of games because they are typically easy to learn, only require one other participant, and are (for the most part) fairly cheap to purchase. In the modern board game market, I don't find a lot of two-player abstract games, especially ones with a strong historic theme. However, last year I came across Onitama after being pointed in its direction by Wayne Humfleet and Moe Tousignant. Since that time, Onitama has become my favorite board game.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Onitama</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Onitama is billed a martial arts themed tactical game. It is played on a grid board that is 5x5. Each player has five pieces, a Master and four Students. The base game also includes a deck of 16 move cards. The deck of move cards is shuffled and each player draws two, placing them face-up on the board in front of themselves. A fifth card is drawn and set to the side face up. Each player's collection is set along their own back row, with the Master occupying the center square back square. The Master's beginning space looks slightly different on the board and is called the Temple.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Example of Set-up</td></tr>
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The goal of the game is to capture your opponent's Master (which is done by landing in the space occupied by the that Master), or by moving your own Master into your opponent's Temple. Each turn you move a single piece (Master or Student) based on the image depicted on one of the Movement cards on in front of you. That card is the set aside and you take the other unclaimed card into the now empty place in front of you, thus replacing your movement options on your next turn.<br />
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Your opponent then goes and does the same. They pick one of their movement cards, moves a piece, and takes the card you just got rid of into their hand and sets the movement card they just expended aside. Thus, you cycle through both your own movement cards and your opponent's movement cards.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cards show permitted movement</td></tr>
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The game is ridiculously simple too learn, set up, and play. The constant shifting of movement cards keeps the game dynamic and prevents a sense of staleness or inevitability that is often found in more traditional two-player abstracts like Chess or Checkers.<br />
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There is a single expansion for Onitama that's currently released: Sensei's Path. It is just 16 more movement cards. That's it. No huge rules changes, no extra things to learn. A great, solid expansion. Soon Arcane Wonder Games will be releasing a second expansion: Way of the Wind. This expansion adds a new neutral piece that can be manipulated by both players. I'm both excited and cautious about this. Onitama's big appeal for me, beyond the strong themeing, is the depth of play behind the simplicity of the rules. I hope future expansions don't clutter up the elegance of a beautifully designed game.<br />
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Onitama is available for $30 MSRP, though online retailers usually sell it for about 30% less than that. Sensei's Path MSRPs for around $15, but again online retailers offer it at about 30% off if you hunt around. Way of the Wind is the forthcoming expansion and is priced at about the same as Sensei's Path. All that being said, if you have a local game shop, spend the extra cash and support the brick n' mortar business.James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-63606587608813887852018-08-04T07:42:00.001-07:002018-08-04T07:42:20.891-07:00Simple vs. Beginner: There's a DifferenceSo, earlier in the week I got into a conversation on Facebook with someone who had some constructive criticism and questions regarding Untold Adventures. I encouraged them to ask their questions because the person was both respectful and the questions were really insightful ones about the nature of the game. It got me thinking about something that seems a bit counter-intuitive.<br />
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Untold Adventures is a rules light game, but I would not call it a game that's a good game for new gamers. That's a bit confusing, eh? Without a lot of rules, beginners won't get overwhelmed - right? Sure, that's true. But Untold Adventures relies heavily on Referee fiat, descriptive play, and abstraction. Those three skills don't always come easily to new players or Referees. That's because they need time to build their confidence as gamers and trust their instincts.<br />
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Part of the reason I love Untold Adventures so much is that it is a game I wrote, first and foremost, for me. I didn't want to do "just another retroclone" for the sake of sales. That's why it's a PWYW PDF and the PoD will be under $10 in softcover. It's a game that I know I can run given my current life. It's low prep, fast-playing, and character creation takes five minutes. I abstracted so much of the game because I trust in my abilities as a Referee and to make a call on the fly.<br />
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That comes from thirty years of gaming and over half a decade creating OSR content. The mentality of "Rulings, not Rules" comes to me almost instinctively. I recognize that such a style of play doesn't come easily to new gamers and that many experienced gamers don't care for it. They want a more defined selection of classes, a more concrete gear system, and other things. That's perfectly valid and reasonable. But, it's not the way <i>I </i>prefer to play, so I didn't write Untold Adventures with that in mind.<br />
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Another reason to make it as rules light as possible was to make it as easy as humanly possible to drop in other OSR content. Heck, I wrote it with running Small Niche Games' Chronicle of Amherth (originally written for Labyrinth Lord) and Glynn Seal's Midderlands (originally written for Swords & Wizardry Complete) in mind. I could use both settings with no mechanical conversion, or simply by changing all HD to d6. Conversion takes seconds and can be done on the fly. But that comes at the expense of concrete rules, forcing me to rely on my own confidence that I gleaned from experience as a gamer and creator.<br />
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I'm not saying this to toot my own horn. I'm simply pointing out that the level of experience of the individual running a game and playing in a game has a huge impact on that game and is a key factor to consider when choosing, designing, or playing a game.James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-49666449590051800342018-07-24T16:36:00.001-07:002018-07-24T16:36:52.968-07:00Been a Bit Since I BloggedIt's been quite a bit since I threw down some words on the blog. Real life's been busy. Damn busy. I went to Texas and back for 2018's North Texas RPG Con, and it was probably the best time I've had in a decade. Seriously. It was exactly what I needed to reinvigorate myself creatively. Though my personal life has actually forced me to slow the time table on several OSR projects, I just wanted to take a minute to talk about what's been going on with me since April.<br />
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<b>Untold Adventures: </b>I published a minimalist fantasy RPG called <i>Untold Adventures</i>, and on the whole it seems to be getting a very positive response. It's a PYWY PDF on RPGNow and $8 for a print copy on Lulu. I also put out a short rules supplement for it called Unsung Heroes, which is currently a PYWY PDF on RPGNow.<br />
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<b>Heart of Varrul: </b>I've been working alongside Pete Spahn as we finish up the final draft of Heart of Varrul, his White Star setting/adventure supplement. There's a ton of excellent stuff in there and I'm really pleased Pete asked me to get involved when the project was in its earliest stages.<br />
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<b>Vigilante City:</b> Eric Bloat from Bloat Games recently successfully funded a Kickstarter for <i>Survive This! Vigilante City</i>, and this OSR superheroic roleplaying game looks like the bee's knees. I got to contribute a small adventure to the book and am really excited to see this puppy come to life. I love, love, love superheroes and am always looking for a good RPG. I think Eric may have finally found the Rosetta Stone of OSR supers gaming. Plus, my own original creation, Midnight Ace, will be appearing in VC - and I'm super excited to see that.<br />
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<b>White Star: </b>I've got a number of White Star products in various stages of drafting and development, including collaboration with some third party publishers -- similar to working with Pete over at Small Niche Games.<br />
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<b>Saga of the White Box: </b>My "White Box Vikings" RPG is ridiculously close to being finished if I could just get off my ass and get it done. I'm really excited for this one, but can't bring myself to finish the damn thing. It'll be a stand-alone and draw heavily on the Eddas and culture of the pre-Christian Norse culture.<br />
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<b>Cybermancer: </b>This one has been a damn devil. 150 pages into the initial draft and I realized I would have to overhaul the entire thing to make it as streamlined as I wanted. I had to completely scrap the system originally being used and, much to my surprise, found it will work well as a variant of the rules found in The Hero's Journey.<br />
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<b>Rad Box: </b>This is my White Box Post Apocalyptic RPG. I'm about 50 pages into the first draft and it will draw heavily from themes and elements of the Fallout series of video games and the Mad Max films. I'm looking at it similar to White Star as a a genre book and not a specified setting.<br />
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<b>Freelance Work: </b>Yep, I'm doing some. No, I can't talk about it.<br />
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There's other stuff tooling about, but nothing to any point of development worth talking about publicly. Anyway, just wanted to let everyone know I'm alive, well, and still creating.James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-13595980420215700022018-04-12T18:26:00.000-07:002018-04-12T18:26:00.165-07:00Review: For Coin and BloodI remember hearing vaguely about <i>For Coin & Blood</i> some time ago, but it seemed to pass me by before I got a chance to investigate. Then Diogo Nogueira, author of <i>Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells</i> and <i>Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells</i>, made mention of it on social media. And when Diogo endorses a game, there's a really good shot that I'm going to like it.<br />
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So, I googled <i>For Coin & Blood</i> and started investigating. Well, what I found was an awesome little game made by a passionate creator. Like my own <i>The Hero's Journey</i> (and obviously <i>White Star</i>), <i>FCB </i>is built on the <i>Swords & Wizardry White Box </i>chassis. It draws heavy inspiration from a more grim and gritty side of fantasy, clearly influenced by works such as <i>The Black Company </i>and <i>The First Law</i> series' of novels. By combining and tweaking <i>White Box</i>, material from several third party supplements, throwing in a heaping helping of evocative art, and excellent production values <i>Gallant Knight Games</i> has managed to produce a gem of a game.<br />
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While I'm not familiar with the fiction mention above, huge credit to the creators of FCB for creating a game that oozes dark fantasy. In fact, I was a bit jealous as I read through the book because I immediately thought "This would be great to run a <i>White Box: Game of Thrones</i> style game," which is something I had always hoped to write myself. Well, Gallant Knight Games beat me to it and good on them! The material is so evocative that it inspired me to pick up the first book in <i>The Black Company</i> series of novels.<br />
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So, what separates <i>For Coin & Blood</i> from traditional fantasy roleplaying games? Well, for starters it runs on the presumption that the player characters are <i style="font-weight: bold;">not</i> heroes. There are no holy protectors or knights in shining armor here, folks. But, what elevates this above the tired trope of "you play the villains," is that <i>For Blood & Coin</i> presents players and narrators with the opportunity to play characters who are complex and nuanced. No alignments, no archetypes. These are characters who are certainly self-serving, but are still capable of heroism if they so choose. The complexities of characters like Arya Stark or Jaime Lannister are right at home in this game -- and that's awesome!<br />
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Beyond fantastic, heavily shadowed black and white line art, the most evocative feature of the game are its classes. No paladins, fighters, or bards here folks. Sellswords, Blackguards, and Assassins rule the day These characters are tarnished by their own sins and willingness to do horrible things, but aren't mustache twirling villains. They're just willing to do what needs to be done when others aren't willing to get their hands dirty. That's something that's refreshing and pretty damned unique in the OSR, separating it from the more heroic games like <i>The Hero's Journey </i>or pulp stylings of <i>White Box Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game.</i><br />
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Author Alan Bahr grabs hold of plenty of open source third party material then tweaks it until he's given it a new, but dingy and tainted coat of paint and created something all his own. There is plenty of familiar material here, but its all modified to the grimdark mood. A few areas of note include his adversaries section, the small tweaks to the player character classes, and rules for player characters running a criminal organization.<br />
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<i>For Blood & Coin</i> runs under the assumption that all player characters and most adversaries are human. There are no rules included for playing non-human characters and the bulk of adversaries included in this book are mundane. This creates the implication that magical creatures (and by extension magic itself) is rare and dangerous. This helps add to the atmosphere of the material as well as keeping the page count down. A handful of fantastic creatures are included, but that only helps to accentuate their rarity in my opinion.<br />
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This is a deadly game. Characters begin play with more hit points than other White Box-style games, but gain very, very as they increase in level. In fact, it's likely that a critical hit will kill even a 10th level character outright. Again, this adds to the grimdark feel of the material and in addition will force player characters to think beyond the "beat it till XP comes out" mentality that too often plagues fantasy roleplaying games. Each class also features abilities that are familiar tropes from the traditional fighter/cleric/wizard (called sellsword, priest, and magus in this game) dynamic, but takes the time to spice up these core three into something that feels genuine to the setting material. Four additional classes (assassin, blackguard, cutpurse, and knight) round out player character options. Each is just different enough to have its own unique feel, but isn't bloated with extra, unnecessary rules.<br />
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In the final pages of the rules, Bahr includes rules for player characters running and joining criminal organizations. Based on <i>Swords & Wizardry Chivalry</i>, the author has taken the concepts found in that book and given them a new and wonderful spin that (yet again) reinforces the themes and tone of the grimdark fantasy genre. Even as someone who originally wrote <i>Chivalry</i>, I found Bahr's tweaking of my original concept to be absolutely wonderful and refreshing.<br />
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I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention the inclusion of a 7th Ability Score: Infamy. A character's deeds and misdeeds have a huge impact on the game and this form of measuring a character's reputation provide a more complex and dynamic roleplaying experience that the more traditional alignments used in most games. In fact, alignments have been completely jettisoned in <i>For Coin & Blood</i>, and that's a good thing in this context.<br />
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Pound for point, point for point, <i>For Coin & Blood</i> is my go-to grimdark fantasy roleplaying game. In fact, grabbing it has actually saved me money because I've purchased a copy in lieu of <i>Warhammer</i> or <i>Shadow of the Demon Lord. </i>My affection for White Box-based games is well known and this is takes that original edition style of game into a new and wonderful direction by presenting a game that offers opportunities for complex, morally ambigious storytelling not often actively encouraged in the OSR. I can't wait to see where Bahr takes the game line next.<br />
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<i>For Coin & Blood</i> can be found on <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/231215/For-Coin--Blood?term=For+Coin&test_epoch=0">RPGNow & DriveThruRPG in PDF and print-on-demand versions</a>. PoD is in digest form, with a black and white interior, though it can be ordered on color quality paper for a higher quality product -- which I'd recommend. <br />
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<br />James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-35754525596011489252018-03-25T06:47:00.000-07:002018-03-25T06:47:26.751-07:00Frustration and FocusThe past three months have been tough on a personal front, with ongoing issues regarding a family member's health and a rapid fire series of home ownership issues. I've not been able to do any writing of real substance and even had to turn down a freelance job I very much wanted to take. After being displaced from my home for almost four months, I'm finally back home and ready to turn my attention to work again.<br />
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But, the problem is that I've got so many projects in a partially completed state that I'm at a loss of where to start. I've got the following projects in various states being drafted and can't bring myself to focus on any particular one in order to bring it to completion.<br />
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<i>Saga of the White Box: </i>A stand-alone White Box variant drawing from Norse mythology as a primary focus, particularly the Poetic and Prose Eddas.<br />
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<i>White Knights: </i>A stand-alone White Box variant focused on telling stories set during the Crusades and focused on playing crusader knights.<br />
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<i>Rad Box: </i>A stand-alone White Box variant dealing with the post-apocalypse genre.<br />
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<i>Cybermancer:</i> An homage to and rules clean-up of <i>Shadowrun</i>, particularly the 1st and 2nd ed versions.<br />
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<i>Untold Adventures: </i>A Jamesification of B/X D&D and Labyrinth Lord.<br />
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<i>Swords of Bulsara:</i> An original system sword-and-planet RPG.<br />
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<i>White Star: Lightspeed: </i>A supplement for White Star: Galaxy Edition focusing on starships and space travel.<br />
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<i>Heroes of Amherth:</i> A conversion of <i>The Chronicles of Amherth</i> to The Hero's Journey.<br />
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I'm usually not this scatter-brained. In fact, I usually hyper-focus on a single project and plow through it at a pretty good clip. But each of these products is sitting in a drafted state, some as much as 50+ pages and now I can't just freakin' pick one and go. No real point or statement to this blog entry, I suppose -- just venting my frustration.James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-64346469250428368812018-03-04T20:16:00.002-08:002018-03-04T20:16:53.404-08:00Chasing (Dungeons and) DragonsA large part of the appeal of the OSR is built on nostalgia. Players look to relive those halcyon days of their gaming youth. Simpler rules for simpler times. Yes, there's a lot to be said from a theory and design point of view for a minimalist take on rules design, but I think to deny the wistful gaze into the past we often feel when playing these games is foolish. <div>
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The past few months have been very rough for me on a personal level. I won't go into detail, because that's not what this blog is about. I genuinely long for the simpler times in my life. For the days when I got home from school, pulled out my Rules Cyclopedia and my graph paper and just went at it for hours on end. It <i>was</i> a simpler time. Now, I'm an adult. I have the responsibilities and concerns of an adult. The OSR lets me at least remember those simpler times, to hold a time capsule of my own youth bound up in a print-on-demand cover.</div>
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But somehow, I can't go home again. Instead of ignoring or house ruling something and going with it, I break it all down to its smallest parts and try to figure it out. Analyze, study, play test. It's something it never was back in my youth: It's work.</div>
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I was looking at my bookcase today when this all hit me. I own physical copies of several versions of old school D&D or versions that would qualify as retro-clones: Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry Complete, Swords & Wizardry White Box, White Box Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game, Lamentations of the Flame Princess, Adventures Dark and Deep, Dungeon Crawl Classics, Basic/Expert D&D, Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea, Rules Cyclopedia, and a few others I'm sure I'm forgetting. Hell, I even wrote one myself: The Hero's Journey Fantasy Roleplaying. I stopped counting once I hit the teens.</div>
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Why? Whenever I look at my shelf, I always default to either Labyrinth Lord, White Box Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game, or The Hero's Journey. So why do I keep buying retro-clones? I'm not a collector by any measure. Part of it, I know, is a way to peek into the minds of other game designers. But I can do that just as easily with a PDF. Part of it is also, undoubtedly, a desire to show support for other publishers with my wallet. We're all in it together, after all.</div>
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But as I starred at that shelf, I knew the real answer. I'm chasing that twelve year old kid I used to be. Problem is, I just can't leave well enough alone. I can't just game. It's become work. It's become this kind of ceaseless quest to find the perfect game that will somehow whisk me away to junior high -- and I'm not sure that's possible anymore.</div>
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I often wonder if it would be best to cut myself off. To simply select a game and use it as my singular go-to -- at least in terms of running games. Yet somehow, I always hold myself back from doing just that. Maybe it's because I'm not twelve anymore, and I never will be again.</div>
James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-80418115279473748872018-02-08T07:40:00.000-08:002018-02-08T07:40:16.001-08:00For Love of Basic D&DI'm a Swords & Wizardry White Box guy. That's pretty obvious. I love to design using that set of core mechanics, as is evident from Barrel Rider Games' White Box line of products and the creation of White Star. I think it's a system with infinite possibilities due to its simplicity and the cleaner, more modern design brought to it by current OSR creations like White Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game. In short, it fits like a glove. It just clicks in my mind.<br />
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But believe it or not, it's not my favorite D&D-style system to play. My favorite system to play is Rules Cyclopedia. It's a big, bold book chock full of clunky, archaic rules. From the perpetually confusing Weapon Mastery rules, to the never-once-in-my-life-have I used Seige Warfare rules, to the "who the hell ever reaches 36th level?" Immortal rules. But, by God is that book full of potential. I believe it's the greatest single-volume fantasy RPG ever published. In that tiny font, 3 column layout, my imagination (both as a young boy and as an old grog) soars. Maybe it was because it came out when I was just the right age. Maybe it was the art. Maybe it was hiding away in those pages after a bad day at school. Hell, I don't know. But I know that the Rules Cyclopedia is when I realized I was going to play RPGs for the rest of my life.<br />
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As most reading this blog know, <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/browse/pub/44/Wizards-of-the-Coast/subcategory/9730_9736/DD-Basic?filters=0_0_0_44294_0">Wizards of the Coast has made the Rules Cyclopedia available in both softcover and hardcover print-on-demand formats now</a>. I'll get my hell mittens. But here's the real kicker: There's some seriously awesome print on demand support for Basic D&D these days. In addition to the RC, they've got the DMR2 Creature Catalogue, B1: In Search of the Unknown, B2: Keep on the Borderlands, and the Hollow World Box set (along with a few other more obscure products and a few of the Known World Gazatteers) available as print-on-demand. Never did I ever think I'd see the day.<br />
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That means the Rules Cyclopedia and Basic D&D will be around as long as print-on-demand is around. I guess the game itself finally reached 36th level and ascended to Immortality.James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-48625077108614402622018-01-02T09:44:00.002-08:002018-01-02T09:44:28.532-08:00State of the Halfling 20182017 has been a helluva a year for me, and not in a good way. I've had some pretty major developments in my personal life that have forced me to sacrifice time previiously spent working on writing. It's not hyperbolic to say that things in 2017 have been life-altering for me, and in most cases not for the better. 2018 came crashing in with a swift kick in the nuts for the ol' halfling, so there's no calm in sight.<br />
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So, with that in mind I wanted to give folks an idea of what's on the docket for 2018 when it comes to Barrel Rider Games.<br />
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<b><u>First & Foremost:</u></b> <i>White Star: Galaxy Edition</i> is still going to be released in Print-on-Demand on both OBS and Lulu in hardcover and softcover formats. We had some large formatting corrections to make based on the first set of proofs received, and are upgrading to premium paper for the OBS release. Sorry for the delay. Those who have purchased the PDF will receive a coupon for a discount reducing the price to equate with the Print + PDF combo.<br />
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<b><u>Cybermancer:</u></b> <i>Cybermancer</i> is billed as Fantasy Cyberpunk Role-Playing in the Retro-Future, and it is currently being drafted. It's a retro-homage to old school cyberpunk RPGs we all know and love. It's basically the "big" project for 2018.<br />
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<b><u>Other Projects:</u></b> I have a slew of other products in development, all in different states of conception. These include <i>Saga of the White Box, Heroes of Amherth, Rad Box: Post-Apocalyptic White Box Roleplaying</i>, several small White Box supplements in the style of <i>White Box Omnibus, Compendium, Gothic</i>, and <i>Arcana</i>.<br />
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Because of the changes in my life and the new obligations created, I am no longer providing release dates for products. Project goals might be stated, I can't commit to hard release dates at the moment. My current situation no longer allows for committed time to focus on writing and what time I am given could be immediately consumed by this new personal development, and without notice.<br />
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Currently, getting the doors closed on White Star: Galaxy Edition is of the utmost importance and is my largest focus. I want to get it done and out there for everyone to enjoy. I'm genuinely proud of it and want folks to enjoy it at their gaming table for years to come.<br />
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Here's to hoping 2018 is a bit gentler and softer to the Barrel Rider, but given the way it's started I'd better armor up.James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-24677039798557883032017-12-03T13:00:00.002-08:002017-12-03T13:06:13.332-08:00Review: Midlands Low Magic Sandbox SettingI've <a href="http://halflingsluck.blogspot.com/2017/09/low-fantasy-high-quality.html">spoken before</a> of Low Fantasy Gaming and its fantastic blend of OSR simplicity and 5th Edtiion mechanics. Seriously. It's good. If you don't have it, grab it. Well, <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/113391225222048780305" target="_blank">+Steve Grod</a> (aka Stephen Grodzicki) is at it again with <b style="font-style: italic;">Midlands Low Magic Sandbox Setting</b><span style="font-style: italic;">. </span>It is currently available as a <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/225936/Midlands-Low-Magic-Sandbox-Setting">PDF for $10</a> on DriveThru and RPGNow. That's usually my breaking point for a digital product, but Steve was kind enough to provide me with a review copy before I even knew it had been released. Even at the price point, I feel like <i style="font-weight: bold;">MLMS </i>is practically a steal.<br />
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It's a massive product, clocking in at 365 pages and is billed as "a low magic, low prep, customisable sandbox in a 'points of light' medieval fantasy realm" and that's exactly what it is. The region, known as the Midlands, is described in several broad locations. The vast majority of this is wilderness and it is described in the text and repeated in the details of the flora and fauna to be very dangerous. The few settlements are given brief descriptions, a few key locations, along with backgrounds and stat lines for a few major NPCs. In everything, the Midlands are described in terms of adventure hooks. This is a setting that begs to be used. It's not a static painting meant to be looked upon or held some kind of sacred "canon." The player characters will change the world simply by their actions, and that's clearly by design. I feel this is key to campaign setting books, and its nice to see an author who is willing to pass on their creation onto gamers and give them the freedom to run wild without any kind of implication of what is "allowed."<br />
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Given that Low Fantasy Gaming has no clerics or divine magic, it was a pleasant surprise to find a fully detailed pantheon tied to the Midlands. I found this refreshing and a true insight by the author that humanity's belief in the divine in the real world is not defined by witnessing miracles at the hands of Clerics or Paladins, but is part of their natural desire to explain why things happen in the universe - to explain the unexplainable. These religions, even without spell-slinging Clerics, still impact culture and society wherever they are found. This kind of real-world mentality really strength to LFG's "low fantasy" element. It gives the setting a real grounding.<br />
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Magic is also given a low fantasy treatment. Even more so than the LFG core book, MLMS is a book that hammers home the fact magic is something <i>man was not meant to know</i>. It is dangerous, uncontrollable, and will inevitably lead practitioners to ruin. Magic items are rare to the point that no such thing as a <i>Sword+1</i> in MLMS - each magic item is unique and was created for a purpose and was likely the product of an long lost era spoken of only in myth and legend. Magic and magic items in MLMS are, well, magical -- as they should be.<br />
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While MLMS could easily be seen as system neutral in terms of using the setting, it does have a few goods specific to Low Fantasy Gaming. Three new classes are introduced: Artificer, Monk, and Ranger. The Ranger is the stand-out here, feeling most tied to the material found within this book and they have a true rugged wilderness tracker vibe to them. They feel... dangerous. The Monk is serviceable without being too Wuxia in its stylings, but I admit I'm not generally a huge fan of the class in general so I might be giving this incarnation the short shrift. The Artificer is a cool concept, but feels unevenly written. Some of its abilities are thematic and cool, like the use of black powder weapons and alchemical solutions, while others feel a bit silly like chaintooth weapons (i.e. chainsaw additions). Still, you could pick and choose these individual abilities and it would be easy enough to disallow that which isn't appropriate to a given campaign.<br />
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Where the player options really shine are in the Gear Packs and Party Bonds sections. Gear Packs are class-based packages of predetermined equipment for starting characters. Choose a melee weapon, a ranged weapon, a set of armor, and a gear pack and you're off to the races. Party Bonds establish how the party knew each other before a campaign began, and both quick and surprisingly thematic to the material found in MLMS.<br />
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There's a short bestiary chapter which is primarily composed of monsters tied to the specifics of the Midlands setting. They're few enough in number to feel unique, but not so many as to feel as though the setting is populated only by these specific monsters. There is also a small section on designing your own monster. Useful stuff for the GM, but nothing unexpected when it comes to supplements like this.<br />
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The GM Tools chapter includes variant initiative methods, a really fun random NPC generator and a magnificent series of random encounter tables that really highlights elements of the setting established in previous chapters of the book. I was pleasantly surprised that "random encounter" did not mean "combat encounter" in these charts, as there is no implication of required violence, nor is there any attempt to "balance" these encounters to the level of the player characters. The rest of the chapter is filled with more random charts including tavern generator, name generator, city street name generator, even bar menu generator - but the real shining random table in this chapter is the Regional Event generator. The Regional Event generator details an event that happens every few months or after a year or so that impacts the setting as a whole. Things the PCs are necessarily involved in, but will likely impact their lives: The death of a king, the rise of a supposed prophet, things like that. It gives the Midlands a real living, breathing quality - something that remains present through the entire supplement.<br />
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With all this content, we still haven't got to the meat of MLMS: Adventure Frameworks. This chapter includes 50 adventure frameworks , which aren't as thin as random encounters but are designed to be as easy to implement and provide an evening's worth of adventure with absolutely minimal prep. For GMs with no prep time or when your players head off in an unexpected direction, they're an absolute god sent. Each adventure framework is tied to a location type (city, swamp, forest, etc), and provides several hooks and rumors to draw the PCs in. From there, the framework provides a series of linked encounters that will easily cover a full night of adventure. And there's 50 of them. That's enough to run multiple campaigns without ever running the same framework twice. Each framework runs five or more pages and includes around a dozen encounters. Many have matching keyed mapped for those encounters. Given that much of the inspiration for LFG is in the episodic pulps of early sword and sorcery fiction, this fits style of the game quite well and feels like a natural way to run it. Adventure Frameworks cover about 200 pages of this book.<br />
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Finally, MLMS's final pages include an index for easy reference of the material contained therein. This useful, but often overlooked touch is always nice.<br />
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I'd also be remiss if I didn't discuss the art. MLMS is filled with black and white line art and extensive maps of several locations. Grodzicki makes use of several pieces of stock art by many different artists, but it never feels disparate. This book is packed with visual appeals and there's rarely a page in the entire thing that's absent of art. The maps are both easy to use and visually appealing, which is an important balance, and vary between traditional top-down view and isometric.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Midlands Low Magic Sandbox Setting</i> is a worthy successor to <i><b>Low Fantasy Gaming.</b> </i>Its over 350 pages of content provide enough material for years of game play, using LFG or any other OSR game out there and for those who are using with LFG the new classes are a nice touch. While I was given a copy by Steve for review and I have trouble with a $10 price point for most PDFs, had I bought this with my own cash, I certainly would have felt like I got a deal. The most ringing praise I can provide is that <i><b>Midlands Low Magic Sandbox Setting</b> </i>makes me want to run an LFG game physically, at a table, with my local players. Few products do that these days, and so far the LFG product line is batting a thousand. I can't wait for the physical release of this product and will be snapping it up as soon as its available. You can grab it for yourself on <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/225936/Midlands-Low-Magic-Sandbox-Setting">RPGNow and DriveThru</a>.<br />
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<br />James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-71677097005552287992017-11-20T20:55:00.000-08:002017-11-20T20:55:01.375-08:00Review: Xanathar's Guide to EverythingIn spite of not actively playing or running a lot of D&D 5th Edition, I have followed the game line and think that, over all, it's a damn fine outing by Wizards of the Coast. I've been very pleased with their model thus far of releasing only three or four books per year, with the majority of these being long term, large scale campaign adventures. With the exception of the<i> Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide</i>, there haven't been a whole lot of fiddly bits added on to the material found in the <i>Player's Handbook.</i><br />
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Well, <i>Xanathar's Guide to Everything</i> changes that. Clocking in at 192 pages, it's an even split of player focused material, DM focused material, and new magical spells or items. When this book was announced, I was very, very nervous. Was the clean, easy to digest 5e I'd come to respect going away? Were we going to begin that slippery slope into countless and ever more ridiculous character paths ala 3.X's seemingly infinite spread of prestige classes? In a few more years was I going to need three, four, or even half a dozen different books to make a character that followed the seemingly unavoidable power creep that always seems to slither its way into D&D a few years into each edition?<br />
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Well... sorta.<br />
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The first 70-some pages of XGtE is new Paths for each class. Fifth Edition D&D already offers a dozen classes and each individual class has two or three paths within it, as presented in the <i>Player's Handbook</i>. The <i>Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide </i>offers a handful of others, but their very specific to Forgotten Realms and number no more than half a dozen (as I recall at the moment). To my personal tastes, that's over three dozen options for focusing and defining your character. I don't need, or want more. But, XGtE has 'em because players like an infinite number of options, even if they know in their hearts that these options will never be explored.<br />
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That's not to say their all bad. College of the Sword (Bard), Drunken Master (Monk), Cavalier (Fighter), and Swashbuckler (Rogue) are all brimming with flavor. But several just feel... well.. thin on substance, but long on style. Hexblades (Warlocks), Horizon Walkers (Rangers), and Oath of Conquest (Paladin) all find their origins in third edition with the Hexblade class, Horizon Walker prestige class, and Blackguard prestige class. Sure they <i>look</i> cool, but I don't feel like their presence really explores these classes properly. They feel included for the sake of filling up the corners, as it were.<br />
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Second, we have a This is Your Life section which consists of a collection of charts where you can randomly generate your character's motivation, ideology, flaws, and background. While this is good for players looking to flesh out their backstory, it's also excellent for DMs looking to make NPCs on the fly. So, sure, it feels kinda standard to have this sort of thing in books of this type these days - but with good reason, I think.<br />
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Next, for players we have some new feats. Now, before you go running in terror like I was inclined to do, I have to remind you: Feats are entirely optional in 5e. This is repeated over and over and over again. Also, there's all of two pages of new feats, and all of them are tied to a character's race. They're solid, with both strong mechanical benefits and a flavorful flourish.<br />
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The book then moves behind the screen to the Dungeon Master section. It opens with some clarifications on things like simultanious actions, falling damage, sleeping in armor, and other areas of the game that are either ill defined or can easily bog down play if a group decides to debate such things. Having these clarifications helps keep the game moving, but goes against my general philosophy of "Rulings, not rules." Still, worth having if your group is more interested in the details or you're looking for guidance as a new DM.<br />
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Now we get into a long exploration of identifying magic items and spells, designing encounters (and by encounters, it seems implicit that they mean combat encounters), and trap design. I was pleasently surprised to see quite a few pages devoted to in-game down time. What exactly <i>are</i> the players doing on the days/weeks/months between adventures? How does this impact play? What if trouble arises because of their downtime activities. I was really pleased with this section and given the general nature of what's described here, it can easily be cannibalized to any d20-based fantasy game. Spend all your time between adventures simply lounging about drinking? Awesome, recover some lost ability score points. Want to hang out and help the local clergy? Fantastic, you get 50% off the next few spells cast to aid you by a cleric of that church, but watch out - you might get drawn into the politics of the faithful. Want to be a pit fighter? You go right ahead, you'll earn renown and glory -- but you might get your ear ripped off in the process.<br />
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Magic items get the full court press in XGtE. From crafting them, to rewarding them, to quite a few new ones - there's a lot to chew on. What I like most here is the fact most of the magic items in this book are very, very minor. The Hat of Wizardry, for example, lets you cast a wizard cantrip that you don't know. But if you fail your Arcana check, you can't try again until you rest. Useful, not terribly overpowering, and offering a nod to the old days of Saturday morning cartoons. A personal favorite is the Cloak of Billowing. As a free action, once per round, you can make the cloak billow out behind you so that you look cool. No real mechanical effect - you just look bitchin'.<br />
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New spells? Yep. They're there. You knew they were going to be there. I won't go into it, because it's your standard list of "filling in gaps from stuff we had to cut from the PHB" to "WTF? This is strange. Why'd they include that?"<br />
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My favorite part of the entire book is Appendix A: Shared Campaigns. It's basically a few pages on social etiquette at the table between players, suggestions for running a Shared Campaign like those found in the D&D Adventurer's League (or as some in the OSR call this style of play, a Westmarches campaign). It gives recommendations on character creation, gear, simplified rules for rewarding level advancement and magic items. It's very much the "Rulings not rules" section of the book and I thought they packed a lot into 3 pages. In particular, I love the "PHB + 1 Supplement" rule when making a new character. By this rule, for Shared Campaigns, you can only make your character using the PHB and optional material from a single other sourcebook. So if you take Bladesinger from <i>Sword Coast</i>, well then you can't take some Elven racial feat from XGtE. It may seem a little arbitrary, but the amount of book keeping that's eliminated by doing this is well worth it in my opinion.<br />
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Finally we get charts with metric boatload of NPC names. Useful, but it does feel like filler.<br />
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All in all Xanathar's Guide to Everything really does have a bit of everything. You're certain to find something useful in here, whether you're a player or a DM. It ain't cheap, though, and retails for $50, though online retailers often have it cheaper if you don't have an FLGS. Is it worth the price of admission? Well, I'm not really sure. I grabbed mine at a hefty discount from an online retailer, but seeing as I don't actively play a lot of 5e at the moment, had I paid MSRP I'd feel a bit slighted. That being said, if I was actively playing in or running a 5e campaign on a weekly basis, then I think Xanathar's Guide to Everything has enough meat on its eye stalks to make a worthy purchase.James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8992605258478501966.post-19148887941296418132017-11-17T17:11:00.002-08:002017-11-17T17:11:30.180-08:00Advanced Labyrinth Lord Cover Image ReleasedI have a special place in my heart for <i>Labyrinth Lord</i>. It was the game that introduced me to the OSR and it emulates the RPG I fell in love with as a young man. It was the game that turned my local group onto the OSR after years of D&D 3.5 and Pathfinder. I just can't express my affection for this cornerstone of our little community.<div>
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For years, Dan Proctor has hinted at one day combining <i>Labyrinth Lord Revised </i>and <i>Advanced Edition Companion</i> into a single glorious tome. Well, if you've been following the forums over on Goblinoid Games or their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/goblinoidgames/photos/a.104179909644007.6782.102343756494289/1574295392632444">Facebook community</a>, you know that this fated day is soon to arrive.</div>
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Dan Proctor released the cover for <i>Advanced Labyrinth Lord</i> with original art by Joshua Stewart. I'm sold already. The Orcus looming over a trio of adventures as they face off against the Demon Prince while surrounded by a host of undead warriors -- how awesome is <i>that?</i></div>
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Mr. Proctor has already said that he'll be funding <i>Advanced Labyrinth Lord</i> via a Kickstarter which will launch in late November or early December of this year. It will feature some new art, as well as several pieces from the original LL and AEC. I'll be glad to plunk down a few dollars to get my grubby little mitts on what will undoubtedly become my favorite incarnation of <i>Labyrinth Lord</i> to date. So if you'll pardon me, I'll be in the corner fanboying.</div>
James M. Spahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463241531100082880noreply@blogger.com0