July 29, 2011

PC Level as Initiative

I've always had mixed feelings about initiative rolls.  Determining initiative is important, but I always felt that the flow of combat was interrupted by making those initiative rolls, applying the modifiers, and comparing the results.  So, now I plan to determine initiative without rolling at all (much).  This method saves time, helps combat flow faster, and it seems halfway plausible.

  • Actions are declared in order from lowest HD/lvl to highest.  
  • Actions are resolved in order from the highest HD/lvl to the lowest.  
  • Characters with the same HD/lvl act simultaneously.  
  • Any character/monster may add a d6 roll to their initiative if they wish, but if they roll a 1 that action is fumbled.

Using experience level to determine initiative makes sense to me.  Those better trained or more experienced will react more instinctively in combat.  They will have faster reaction times because they've been in similar situations before.  Where less experienced characters will be actively looking for an opening in their enemies defense, higher level characters will strike reflexively as soon as the opportunity presents itself.  More experienced warriors will also be more adept at using feints and other misdirection to create openings and opportunity for attack.

The optional d6 roll is there because I know that sometimes in combat a person will sacrifice accuracy in order to gain speed.  Mistakes can happen when you rush yourself.  Including the fumble chance within the initiative roll allows blunders for actions without an attack roll, like falling down as you try to run away, breaking the bottle as you rush to use the healing potion, or accidentally shooting yourself in the foot as you try to fast draw in a duel.

It's not a perfect system, I know.  HD of monsters often reflect size as much as combat skill.  Maybe they should get a -2 to their initiative per size category above medium.  I might also adjust non-humanoid initiative up or down for other reasons, but I find that I can estimate this in my head near instantly.  It was always counting all the modifiers for all the PCs that seemed to slow us down.  

Modifiers for Dexterity, weapon speed, and casting time all make sense to me, but I don't really feel that they produce enough fun to justify the time spent tallying and comparing these numbers that can change every round.  Having a flat number with an optional d6 added is far smoother. 

Arguments can also be made for a Dex as initiative system, but personally I think experience would effect initiative more than hand-eye coordination.  Besides, a monsters' HD is easier to find than their Dex.

July 25, 2011

Save or Cry: LL save matrix design

I made a few changes, now it can generate Labyrinth Lord saves.


Saves for Zero Level

Poison, Disease, or Death: +6
Madness, Fear, or Charm: +5
Paralyze, Petrify, or Polymorph: +4
Dragon Breath or Energy Blast: +3
Spells, Artifacts, or Runes: +2

  • Classes have a favored save that receives +3 at first level
  • Classes get +5 every odd level to distribute into saves
  • Fighters are the exception.  They get +6 every odd level.
  • 20 - [category bonus] = target number
  
Class...... Favored save
 Fighter: Dragon Breath
Cleric: Poison
Thief: Petrify
Magic User: Spell


Class/Level.....OSRIC...............The New Hotness............Labyrinth Lord
Poison / Wand(Charm) / Petrify / Breath / Spell
Fighter
0.............16/18/17/20/19..............14/15/16/17/18..............14/15/16/17/18
1.............14/16/15/17/17..............12/14/15/14/16..............12/13/14/15/16
3.............13/15/14/16/16..............11/12/13/14/15..............12/13/14/15/16
5.............11/13/12/13/14..............10/11/11/13/14..............10/11/12/13/14
7.............10/12/11/12/13...............9 /10/10/11/13...............8 /9 /10/9 /12
9..............8 /10 /9 /9 /11.................8 /9 /9 /9 /12.................8 /9 /10/9 /12
11............7 /9 /8 /8 / 10..................7 /8 /8 /8 /10.................6 /7 /8 /7 /10
13.............5 /7 /6 /5 /8...................6 /7 /7 /7 / 8....................4 /5 /6 /5 /8
15.............4 /6 /5 /4 /7...................4 /5 /6 /6 / 8....................4 /5 /6 /5 /8
17.............3 /5 /4 /4 /6...................3 /4 /5 /4 / 7....................4 /4 /5 /4 /7
19+..........2 /4 /3 /3 /5....................2 /3 /4 /3 / 5....................3 /3 /4 /4 /6

Cleric
1...........10/14/13/16/15...............11/13/15/17/16...............11/12/14/16/15
3...........10/14/13/16/15...............11/12/13/16/15...............11/12/14/16/15
5............9 /13/12/15/14...............10/11/13/15/13...............9 /10/12/14/12
7............7 /11/10/13/12................9 /10/12/14/12................9 /10/12/14/12
9............7 /11/10/13/12................8 /10/11/13/10.................7 /8 /10/11/9
11..........6 /10/9 /12/11..................7 /9 /10/12/ 9..................7 /8 /10/11/9
13..........6 /10/9 /12/11..................6 /8 /9 /11/ 8...................3 /4 /8 /8 /6
15..........5 /9 /8 /11/10...................5 /7 /9 /9 / 7....................3 /4 /8 /8 /6
17..........4 /8 /7 /10/ 9...................4 /6 /8 /8 / 6....................2 /4 /6 /6 /5
19+........2/ 6/ 5 /8 / 7....................2 /5 /7 /7 / 6....................2 /4 /6 /6 /5

Thief
1...........13/14/12/16/15..............14/15/13/16/14................14/15/13/16/14
3...........13/14/12/16/15..............13/14/12/15/13................14/15/13/16/14
5...........12/12/11/15/13..............12/13/11/14/12................12/13/11/14/12
7...........12/12/11/15/13..............11/11/10/14/11................12/13/11/14/12
9...........11/10/10/14/11...............10/11/9 /12/10.................10/11/9 /12/10 
11.........11/10/10/14/11................9 /10/8 /11/ 9..................10/11/9 /12/10
13..........10/8 /9 /13/ 9.................8 /9 /7 /10/ 8....................8 /9 /7 /10/ 8
15..........10/8 /9 /13/ 9.................7 /8 /6 /9 / 7.....................8 /9 /7 /10/ 8
17...........9 /6 /8 /12/ 7.................6 /7 /5 /8 / 6.....................6 /7 /5 /8 / 6
19+........9 /6 /8 /12/ 7..................5 /6 /4 /7 / 5.....................6 /7 /5 /8 / 6

Magic User
1...........14/11/13/15/12..............14/14/14/16/14.................13/13/13/16/14
3...........14/11/13/15/12..............13/13/13/15/13.................13/13/13/16/14
5...........14/11/13/15/12..............13/11/11/15/12.................13/13/13/16/14
7...........13/9 /11/13/10...............11/10/10/14/12..................11/11/11/14/12
9...........13/9 /11/13/10................11/9 /9 /13/10...................11/11/11/14/12
11..........11/7 /9 /11/ 8...................9 /9 /9 /12/ 8.....................9 /9 /9 /12/ 8
13..........11/7 /9 /11/ 8..................9 /8 /7 /11/ 7.....................9 /9 /9 /12/ 8
15..........11/7 /9 /11/ 8..................8 /7 /6 /9 / 7......................9 /9 /9 /12/ 8
17.........10/5 /7 /9 / 6...................7 /5 /6 /8 / 6.......................7 /5 /6 /8 / 6
19+.......10/5 /7 /9 / 6...................7 /4 /5 /7 / 4...................... 6 /4 /5 /7 / 4


A few of the levels match up exactly with the LL saves, so I put those in bold.

None of the fighter levels match up exactly, but they are all rather close.  Some levels are only off by a single point (5,9,15,17).

Clerics are problematic.  I think perhaps they are supposed to receive a flat +1 on all saves because higher powers are watching out for them.

Thief saves line up nicely.

Magic User saves worked out better than I though they would.  Comparing an "every other level" tier with an "every fifth level" tier was bound to make it look funky.  I was surprised that 11th and 17th levels lined up exactly.

So, there you have it, a system to create LL saves.  Now when I make up new classes for Labyrinth Lord I can give them unique save tables.  Yeah, I could have just picked numbers that felt right, but it makes me feel better to have a system that balances the new saves with the existing matrix.

Save or Cry: save matrix design

I've been looking for a standardized method for creating a saving throw matrix.  Something that I can use to create a new class with a unique saving throw matrix that is comparable with saves in either OSRIC or Labyrinth Lord.

I couldn't find it, I don't think it exists. 

So I made it up myself.  Using this system I can create an old school style save matrix for any new class I create.  The saves will be fairly balanced between the classes, but still have plenty of quirks.  The results aren't quite in line with OSRIC or LL, but they're kinda close.  Here it is...

Saves for Zero Level

Poison, Disease, or Death: +6
Madness, Fear, or Charm: +5
Paralyze, Petrify, or Polymorph: +4
Dragon Breath or Energy Blast: +3
Spells, Artifacts, or Runes: +2

  • Each class has a favored save category that goes up +1 each level
  • Each class gets two other +1s each level to distribute into other categories
  • No category can gain more than +1 per level

So, that's it.

When adding a new class all I need to do is assign it a favored category.  Then I can plot out where the bonuses go for each level, and convert it into a save matrix (20 - [category bonus] = target number) so that it looks like an old school save chart.

Or I could put the bonuses straight onto the character sheet.  Then to roll a save the PC just rolls a d20, adds the bonus, and a result of 20 or more equals success.

The results don't line up as neatly as I intended.  If I try to recreate the saves for Fighter/Cleric/Thief/M-U they don't turn out exactly right, but they are fairly close.  I'll stand these new matrices up next to the old familiar ones, so you can see for yourself.

Favored Category by Class
Fighters: Dragon Breath and Poison*
Clerics: Poison
Thief: Petrify
M-U: Spells

*Fighters get an additional favored category.  Improved saves are one of the few perks for the fighter class. 


Class/Level.....OSRIC...............The New Hotness............Labyrinth Lord
Poison / Wand(Charm) / Petrify / Breath / Spell
Fighter
0.............16/18/17/20/19..............14/15/16/17/18..............14/15/16/17/18
1.............14/16/15/17/17..............13/15/15/16/17..............12/13/14/15/16
3.............13/15/14/16/16..............11/13/14/14/16..............12/13/14/15/16
5.............11/13/12/13/14...............9 /12/13/12/14..............10/11/12/13/14
7.............10/12/11/12/13...............7 /11/12/10/12...............8 /9 /10/9 /12
9..............8 /10 /9 /9 /11................5 /9 /10 /8 /12................8 /9 /10/9 /12
11............7 /9 /8 /8 / 10..................3 /8 /9 /6 /10..................6 /7 /8 /7 /10
13.............5 /7 /6 /5 /8....................2 /7 /8 /4 / 8....................4 /5 /6 /5 /8
15.............4 /6 /5 /4 /7....................2 /6 /7 /2 / 6....................4 /5 /6 /5 /8
17.............3 /5 /4 /4 /6....................2 /4 /5 /2 / 6....................4 /4 /5 /4 /7
19+..........2 /4 /3 /3 /5....................2 /3 /4 /2 / 4....................3 /3 /4 /4 /6

Cleric
1...........10/14/13/16/15..................13/14/16/17/17...............11/12/14/16/15
3...........10/14/13/16/15..................11/14/15/16/15...............11/12/14/16/15
5............9 /13/12/15/14...................9 /13/14/15/14...............9 /10/12/14/12
7............7 /11/10/13/12...................7 /12/13/14/13...............9 /10/12/14/12
9............7 /11/10/13/12...................5 /11/12/13/12................7 /8 /10/11/9
11..........6 /10/9 /12/11....................3 /10/11/12/11................7 /8 /10/11/9
13..........6 /10/9 /12/11....................2 /9 /10/12/ 9...................3 /4 /8 /8 /6
15..........5 /9 /8 /11/10.....................2 /7 /10/11/8....................3 /4 /8 /8 /6
17..........4 /8 /7 /10/ 9......................2 /6 /9 /10/ 7.....................2 /4 /6 /6 /5
19+........2/ 6/ 5 /8 / 7.......................2 /6 /7 /8 / 7.....................2 /4 /6 /6 /5

Thief
1...........13/14/12/16/15....................14/15/15/16/17................14/15/13/16/14
3...........13/14/12/16/15....................13/14/13/16/15................14/15/13/16/14
5...........12/12/11/15/13....................13/13/11/15/13................12/13/11/14/12
7...........12/12/11/15/13....................12/12/9 /14/12.................12/13/11/14/12
9...........11/10/10/14/11....................11/11/7 /14/10.................10/11/9 /12/10 
11.........11/10/10/14/11....................10/10/5 /12/10.................10/11/9 /12/10
13..........10/8 /9 /13/ 9........................9 /9 /3 /11/ 9.....................8 /9 /7 /10/ 8
15..........10/8 /9 /13/ 9........................8 /8 /2 /10/ 8.....................8 /9 /7 /10/ 8
17...........9 /6 /8 /12/ 7........................6 /7 /2 /10/ 7.....................6 /7 /5 /8 / 6
19...........9 /6 /8 /12/ 7........................6 /6 /2 /8 / 6......................6 /7 /5 /8 / 6
21+........8 /4 /7 /11/ 5........................6 /6 /2 /8 / 6......................6 /7 /5 /8 / 6

Magic User
1...........14/11/13/15/12...................14/14/15/17/17..............13/13/13/16/14
3...........14/11/13/15/12...................13/13/14/16/15..............13/13/13/16/14
5...........14/11/13/15/12...................13/12/12/15/13..............13/13/13/16/14
7...........13/9 /11/13/10....................12/11/11/14/11..............11/11/11/14/12
9...........13/9 /11/13/10....................11/10/10/13/ 9...............11/11/11/14/12
11..........11/7 /9 /11/ 8......................10/9 /9 /12/ 7...................9 /9 /9 /12/ 8
13..........11/7 /9 /11/ 8.......................9 /8 /8 /11/ 5...................9 /9 /9 /12/ 8
15..........11/7 /9 /11/ 8.......................8 /7 /7 /10/ 3...................9 /9 /9 /12/ 8
17.........10/5 /7 /9 / 6.........................7 /6 /6 /9 / 2.....................7 /5 /6 /8 / 6
19.........10/5 /7 /9 / 6.........................6 /5 /5 /8 / 2..................... 6 /4 /5 /7 / 4 
21+........8 /3 /5 /7 / 4.........................6 /5 /5 /8 / 2..................... 6 /4 /5 /7 / 4



As you can see, the saves generated don't really match OSRIC or LL.  The favored categories improve too quickly.  Is that really a problem though?  Maybe it's a feature?

Honestly, letting each class excel in a single save category seems pretty cool to me.  I'm happy enough with the results to use them for my own games. I'm going to start writing up the races/classes for Ezzin now and use this system to give unique saves to each of them.

If anyone has an idea of how to rework the math so that the results line up better with the old school charts, I'd be grateful.  As always, any comments are welcome.

Saving Throws - the quandary

I've been thinking a lot about saving throws lately.

Combing the blogs to see what others have to say about saving throws has been enlightening.  There are a lot of interesting posts out there.  Mr. Stanham has a nice article on the subject over at Silver Blade Adventures.  Jeff Rients has some interesting observations about how the names of the save categories have evolved.  Then you have all the various charts, and graphs, and whatnot where people wiser than I are trying to see the truths that are hiding behind the numbers.  I still felt a little lost though.

I love having words like "Death Ray", "Petrify", and "Polymorph" on the character sheet.  I think it adds a sense of danger and helps to give new players a healthy dose of caution.  I'm not a big fan of the old school matrix though.  It seems kind of clunky and arbitrary to me.  I get the impression that the numbers in the original saving throw matrix weren't "planned out" so much as they just "felt right".  For one thing, there are a lot of different matrices depending on which edition/clone you decide to play.  They are all very similar, but everyone seems to try tweaking the numbers here or there for reasons I don't fully understand.  It seems as though designing the old school saving throw matrix was always treated more like an art than a science.

There are other options.  3e introduced Fortitude, Will, and Reflex saves. They do feel more even-handed and planned-out than the old style matrix, but I still don't like them.  I like my saves kept separate from my ability scores.  The character has already failed to protect themselves or to avoid trouble.  To me, rolling a saving throw represents the universe aligning to protect the character after they've fallen into harms way.  Lasers bouncing off jewelry, bullets getting lodged in bibles, that sort of thing.  Fort, Will, and Reflex saves just seem like Ability Checks modified by level, and that's not really what I want.   

I could use a single save system, like in Swords and Wizardry.  That's a pretty slick system.  I'll admit that it tempts me.  It feels a little too cookie cutter though, like there isn't enough distinction between the classes.  It also makes the character sheets less aesthetically appealing to my eye.  Maybe I'm being petty, but having cool looking character sheets is important to me. Still, of all the options I've seen this one is the easiest to customize, and that's a big plus for me.


So...  I've decided that I want something like the old matrix, with cool names and categories weighted for certain classes.  But I want it to feel less arbitrary and more equitable.  Also, it would be nice if it was customizable enough to accommodate new classes because eventually someone will roll up two 5s for their ability scores and I'll have to come up with saves for a talking dire squirrel or some other craziness.

I think I might know how to do it.
I'm going to crunch the numbers a little more, I'll post some details in the next few days.

Wish me luck.

July 23, 2011

Low Ability Score Requirements: "You must be this short to ride"

I'm still working on the Ezzin races and classes.  As I mentioned back in this post, I want to make below average ability scores the requirement to play nonhuman races.  My hope is that rolling low during character creation will stop being a buzzkill for the player, and might even be a cause for joy.

To accomplish this I thought it might be best to have a sliding scale of racial choices.


......................8...................................5.....................................3
Str | Halflingon (Monk) - Halflingon (Assassin) - Pixie (Flying Illusionist)

Int | Naga (Healer) -------- Naga (Berserker) ----- Bugaroo (Cowboy)

Wis | Andworvian (Defender) - Andworvian (Artificer) - Troll (Juggernaut)

Dex | Cyclops (Trader) -------- Cyclops (Seer) --- Treefolk (Plant Druid)

Con | Elfulan (Bard) ------- Elfulan (Shifter) - Fungaloids (Spore Thrower)

Cha | Haniver (Puppet Master) - Haniver (Psion) - Robot (Exorcist/Paladin)

Multiple Low Ability Scores = Player's Choice (from any world)
Multiple 8s - Bipeds/Centaurids/Beast Men
Multiple 5s - Talking Beast/Intelligent Dire Animal
Multiple 3s - Magical Beast (Dragon, Manticore, Medusa)

Rather than have 18+ races, I decided that the main six "civilized" races would have a second class option.  The classes are listed in parenthesis.  I'll rename a lot of the races and classes later, but it gives you an idea of what I'm going for.  

I explained my weird Middle-Earth/Star Trek hybrids a little bit in my previous post.  By using those hybrids I'm hoping that the players won't fall into the same old stereotypes, yet the concepts are familiar enough that they can probably make up character background information without my help.  I'd like for some of these societies and cultures to be my players creations as much as my own.  Others are a little more exotic.  Naga are like centaurs, if you replace the horse bits with giant snake.  Bugaroos are insect cowboys who ride giant millipedes and shoot chitinous projectiles.  Hanivers look like parasitic manta rays who attach to their victims spinal column and take over their body.  Hanivers look like this.



Humans will have 3 class choices, Fighter, Magic-User, and Mixed.  Humans get more flexibility and ability choices when leveling.  Nonhuman classes have fixed abilities as they level, but they are often talents that humans can never pick.  Thief class is absent, those abilities are going to be part of the skill system.  

I need to work out saving throws too.  I like the old school saving matrix with Poison and Death Ray and all that good stuff.  However, I'm pretty lazy and I just mapped out 21 classes to create, so... we'll see.  I'm excited to start writing these classes up and sharing a post for each of them on the blog.  I'm particularly pleased with the backstory for the robot exorcists, but that's a post for another day.

July 18, 2011

When worlds collide

It feels like I'm going at a snails' pace, but the Ezzin setting draws ever closer to viability.

Ezzin is a wild world, with very few cities.  Civilization is only just beginning to take hold.  I thought it would be fun to give the PCs a chance to explore the undiscovered wilderness, meet unknown species, establish new trade routes, and to build strongholds and cities.

I've been struggling with writing the introduction to the setting though.  Should I explain the lost sci-fi origins of this fantasy world to the players, or keep them on par with the characters and NPCs who struggle to make sense of their world with far fetched theories/religions that are difficult to prove or disprove?  Without explaining the lost origins of the world I'm afraid that the players will see aspects of the setting as ridiculous, and crazy... which it is honestly.  I really do have a method to my madness though.  Does withholding the rationale kill the mood, or enhance it?

As an example, here are four of the seven "civilized" races available to the PCs at character creation.


  • Halflingons - A race of proud warrior monks who seek constantly to improve their martial skills and family honor.  Rumors persist of a secretive order of Halflingon assassins who seek to master shadowy arts.  3 feet tall, ridged foreheads, quick but not very strong.
  • Andworvians -  Proud and intelligent craftsmen who live and work within their deep mines.  They employ a method of using Djinn demon runes on items to create magical artifacts.  They insist that the items are perfectly safe, but others are skeptical and think that the Andworvians are playing with fire.  Andworvians have thick, compact bones and tissues giving them some extra resistance to fire, cold, and physical blows, but this higher density causes them to sink like stones when in water.  Some say that their great resilience contributes to their renowned recklessness and impatience.  4 feet tall, blue skin, pale hair, a pair of antenna able to produce UV light, normal and ultravision.
  •  Humans - Although these people usually choose to call themselves "Human" they are known by many names: Strangers, Freaks, Mutants, The bastard race, The 10-fingered plague, New babies (newbies), The filthy, and many others that are even less kind.  Humans are the youngest of the seven civilized races. The first of their kind is thought to have been born less than 500 years ago.  It began very slowly, the original six civilized races would rarely give birth to one of these strange children.  Reactions were mixed.  Some were well cared for by their parents and tribes, others were cast out once they reached adulthood, some were believed to be cursed and killed by their parents.  Some of these human outcasts would band together, eventually forming tribes of their own.  Often poorly educated and resentful, these groups of savages quickly turned to raiding and stealing for survival.  As time goes on, it becomes more and more common for non-human parents to give birth to human children.  Now, human children are typically tolerated and taught to become useful members of their society, rather than be sent away to join the ranks of the savage raiders.  Humans are rarely seen as equals within their non-human societies, except perhaps by their parents or lifelong friends.  The child of a human is always human, no matter the race of the other parent.  Many non-humans secretly fear for the future of their people if these mutant weeds continue to thrive.  6 feet tall, 10 fingers and toes, generally have better ability scores than any other race.
  • Elfulans - Highly intelligent and cultured, Elfulans claim to have the oldest written language.  Others whisper behind their backs that Elfulans also invented the art of twisting words in order to trick and deceive.  The oldest Elfulan records only date back a few hundred years however.  Before this time they they were known as Elvulcans and lived within their now mythical garden forest home.  At the time there were many disagreements among the Elvulcans about what should be done with the strange human children being born to them.  After years of debate, the Elvulcan elders decreed that human children could not be allowed to multiply and all of them would be killed.  Those who refused to give up their human children and friends were cast out en masse, enchantments placed over the forest prevent them from ever returning or finding it again.  These outcast Elvulcans cast off the old ways, built a great city, and have renamed themselves Elfulans.  5 feet tall, slim build, pointy ears.

So, would the players benefit from knowing my clever rationalization for all of this, or should I just allow them to embrace the chaos of it all?

July 7, 2011

Inspired Blog Inspires

SheWalksSoftly is not a gaming blog, but the volume of inspiration I've found there is stunning.  Miss "Walks Softly" has quite a knack for finding the interesting and weird, then presents it with a dash of humor. 

Here are a few of the gems I've found there.


Japanese artist Iori Tomita takes the method of making transparent specimens to a whole new level.  Dyeing their cartilage and bones to display this level of detail is simply amazing.  These jars are definitely going to show up in the next game I run.










My birthday is coming up.  Anyone who popped over to Japan to buy me one of these as a gift for 2,000 ~ 20,000 yen would get a very sincere "Thank you!" in return.  You can check out more pictures at the artists' website New World Transparent Specimen.

That's only the tip of the iceberg folks.  SheWalksSoftly has plenty more.


A photo from the first Gamma World LARP?  I suspect those are actually Perchten masks being worn for a festival, but all I can say for certain is that the picture is awesome.


There is an entire post devoted to pictures of fanged fish.  Just because.


These are from the post titled "Tacky Taxidermy Megapost".  I suggest you skip it unless you are fond of nightmares.  These two cry out to be used in a game though.



These next two she found over at Creature Effects.  I need to go mine that site for ideas too.















I wish my library was this cool.


I hope someone else can find a little inspiration within this blog, or at least some sage advice.