Thursday, 25 July 2024

Death walks amongst us

 here is a suggestion for using conditions instead of death saves in Dragonbane

Once a character drops to zero hit points

  • At the start of their turn the player makes a CON roll to see if they can avoid receiving a new condition. 
  • If the character chooses to take an action on there turn this roll is made with a bane
  • A failure means they receive one new condition of of there choice  
  • A dragon means they can shrug off one condition 
  • A demon means they receive 2 conditions
  • Any damage means they receive an additional condition
  • A crit means they receive 2 conditions 
  • Once all 6 conditions are taken the character is dead
  • Another character can take an action to rally the player giving them a boon on the condition check

Friday, 12 January 2024

Sinister Secrets of New Grimsburg: Session One

 


  • The players were summoned to the town council where Lady Droppon called party to travel to the Haunted House along the coast and cleanse it of evil.

  • The party accepted the mission
  • The party made there way to the haunted house where they were attacked by Giant Weasels as they attempted to enter.  

  • A brief combat ensued,  the witch hunter was knocked to floor but the weasels were swiftly dispatched due to a combination of both hench men managing to score dragon rolls on there attacks and the former Highway man rolling max damage with his pistol (exploding dice) 
  • After they brushed themselves down they proceeded into the house and headed to the west wing
  • Searching the library turned up three interesting books but the writing room turned up little of interest
  • Finally the entered the last room which was more or less empty but as they proceeded forward a disembodied voice boomed a warning. "Welcomes fools - welcome to your deaths!"
    To be Continued.....

Monday, 17 April 2023

Present Arms: A black powder profession for Dragonbane



Soldier

Soldiers are the firearms experts of the time, be they foot mounted Musketeers, Mounted Dragoons or fearless Grenadiers.  Firearms rules can be found here.  

Key Attribute: AGL

Skills:  Firearms, Swords, Hammers, Spears, Riding, Languages, Evade, Crafting

Heroic Ability: Fast Load

D6 Nicknames

1. Swift

2. Ace

3. Dragonfire

4. Fury

5. Thunderbolt

6. Boomstick

D6 Gear

1-2  Musket, broadsword/bayonet, buff coat (leather), ammo pouch and powder horn, torch, flint & tinder, D6 food rations, D6 silver

3-4  Carbine/Donderbuss/Dragon  buff coat (leather), ammo pouch and powder horn,  riding horse torch, flint & tinder, D6 food rations, D6 silver

5-6  2d3 Grenades, Pistol,  buff coat (leather), open helmet, flint & tinder, D6 food rations, D6 silver


Monday, 3 April 2023

Rådande



Rådande or löfjerskor are tree spirits in Swedish faerie mythology, similar to the dryads and hamadryads of Greek and Roman mythology.  The creature appears as swirl of branches that erupt for the ground that coalesce into a roughly humanoid shape. 

Ferocity: No. of PCs−1 (min. 1) Size: Normal

Movement: 24 Armor:4 — HP: 24

Tree Stride: The Rådande steps into a nearby tree and emerge from another tree within range, allowing them to quickly move across the battlefield or even escape from danger with out attracting free attacks.

Weak Spot:  On a successful MYTHS & LEGENDS players would know that Rådande are tied to a tree with in the forest where they live.  A successful BUSHCRAFT roll would be required to identify this tree.

MONSTER ATTACKS

D6 ATTACK

Attacks:

1 Natures Wrath: The forest comes to the Rådande's aid and enacts one of the improvised acts as per the cards except that they may all be dodged.  Roll a d6 or choose the most appropriate

    1. Low Branch

    2. Wasp Nest

    3. Gnarled Root

    4. Boulder

    5. Viper

    6. Patch of Dirt

2 Entangle: The Rådande causes the plants and roots in the area to grow and entangle enemies, making them immobile or difficult to move.  This has same effect as a power level 2 ensnaring root and covers  area with 6m diameter from the Rådande which becomes difficult terrain in which any range weapon takes a bane.

3 Charm Person: The Rådande sprouts beautiful roses all over its body, the scent of these petals has the same effect as the spell Dominate at power level 2 to anyone with in 2m of the Rådande .  Anyone who has made efforts to block there olfactory senses get a boon. to there WIL power roll.

4 Root Rampart: The Rådande creates a rampart of roots and vines that sprout from the ground, creating an barrier between the Rådande and its enemies. The barrier created is 10m long and 5 m high and has 8hp and an armour rating of 3.

5 Fungal Spores: The Rådande releases a cloud of spores that infect anyone within 10m with a faye fungus.  This acts like Sleeping Poison of potency 12.

6 Photosynthesis: The Rådande draws energy from the sun and grows a single bloom that quickly bursts with an intense glow.  Any one with in 10m must make a CON test or be temporarily blinded for 1d4 rounds (doubled on a demon).  The Rådande  and any nearby allies regain 1d8 HP from the energy omitted.

Sunday, 19 February 2023

Stand and deliver! Blackpowder weapons for dragon bane.

Weapon        Grip STR Range Damage     Durability Cost     Supply Features    Melee

Pistol            1H      7        20        3d4            6              300     Rare  Load,                 Small Club

Carbine        2H      7        30        4d4            7              500     Rare  Load,                 Staff/Spear

Musket         2H      7        40        4d4            9              500     Rare   Load                 Staff/Spear

Dragon         1H      7        15        3/2/1d6      6             500     Rare   Load, Shot        Small Club

Donderbuss  2H      7        20        4/3/2/1d6     7              300   Rare  Load, Shot        Large Club

Grenado        1H     9         STR    5d4              -            50        Rare   Explosive         - 

All weapons use exploding dice for damage and have the following features,  Piercing, Load, 

Skill:  Firearms  (AGL).  Secondary Skill 

Shot:  15 m cone all targets take damage but each dice counts against armour separately including exploding dice results. Damage reduced by one dice for each 5m

Requires ammo pouch and powder horn.  Possible Bandolier/baldric provides both as one item

Load:  After a weapon is discharged in the following round a successful Weapon skill roll Action is required for reload. A crit means reload counts as a free action, a fumble means loss of ammo or powder horn and requires an extra turn of corrective action to rectify the issue before another reload action can be taken.  All load weapons need an ammo pouch & powder horn, and have no dmg bonus.

Heroic ability Fast Load: gives boon on reload. (2WP)

Fumble when firing, roll damage if damage exceeds durability weapon is broken and excess passes to weapon user.

Types

    Matchlock

        A matchlock is a historical type of firearm wherein the gunpowder is ignited by a burning piece of rope that is touched to the gunpowder by a mechanism that the musketeer activates by pulling a lever or trigger with his finger.

  • Price multiplier  *1
  • The match emits light and smoke which could have an impact on a persons ability to be stealthy.  The mechanics of which are left to the GM.

    Wheelock

    A wheellock, wheel-lock or wheel lock is a friction-wheel mechanism which creates a spark that causes a firearm to fire. It was the next major development in firearms technology after the matchlock and the first self-igniting firearm. Its name is from its rotating steel wheel to provide ignition. 

  • Price multiplier * 1.5    
  • Wheelock weapons require that the weapon is wound before firing this is an additional action.  They may be kept out of combat wound but there is a potential for the weapon to fire should the owner be involved in vigorous action.  The consequences of this are left to the GM but consider a weapon discharge when the player rolls a demon during physical activity.

    Flintlock

    The flintlock mechanism is a type of lock used on muskets, rifles, and pistols from the early 17th to the mid-19th century. It is commonly referred to as a "flintlock" (without the word mechanism), though that term is also commonly used for the weapons themselves as a whole, and not just the lock mechanism.

  • Price multiplier * 2
  • Maybe cocked as part of the Load action reducing the chance of accidental discharge.

Pistol


Pistols were used as self-defense weapons and as a military arm. Their effective range was short, and they were frequently used as an adjunct to a sword or cutlass. Pistols were usually smoothbore although some rifled pistols were produced.

Dragon
    

A dragon is a shortened version of blunderbuss, a firearm with a short, large caliber barrel which is flared at the muzzle and frequently throughout the entire bore.[1][2] Dragons were typically issued to Dragoon cavalry, who needed a lightweight, easily handled firearm while mounted

Donderbuss



The Donderbuss/blunderbuss is a firearm with a short, large caliber barrel which is flared at the muzzle and frequently throughout the entire bore, and used with shot and other projectiles of relevant quantity or caliber. The blunderbuss is commonly considered to be an early predecessor of the modern shotgun, with similar military and defensive use. It was effective only at short range, lacking accuracy at long distances

Carbine


The carbine was originally developed for cavalry. The start of early modern warfare about the 16th century had infantry armed with firearms, prompting cavalry to do the same, even though reloading muzzle loading firearms while moving mounted was highly impractical

Musket


    
A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating heavy armour.

Sunday, 8 January 2023

Dragon Braaaaaiiiiiinnnnnsss

 As part of my #Dungeon23 efforts I needed some stats for Zombies for Dragonbane.  Taking inspiration from this post  I decide to knock together both individual non monster "Variant Zombies" and a "Zombie Horde" monster loosely modelled on the harpy

Here is what I came up with

Friday, 20 May 2022

There be Cling-ons 'pon the Starboard bow Cap'n

 Inspired by my first game of Pirate Borg, 80s novelty pop and puns, here is a Pirate Borg monster

Cling On

This mollusc resembles a giant limpet but it can extend a feeding umbrella from the peak of its shell. These creatures love nothing more than to cling on to a moving ship and sweep the sea for plankton but there is nothing a Captain dreads more than the call of "There be Cling-ons 'pon the Starboard Bow", especially those called Jim.  Some ingenious pirates have taken to loading them into cannons and firing them at ships they are pursuing.

HP 3 

Morale - 

Shell -d6

Special:  These creatures attach them selves to a ships hull below the water line where they unfurl there feeding umbrella.  This reduces a ships speed by 1" per Cling On.  If attacked they will retract there umbrella for 1d4 rounds.

Naval Combat

HP 1 

Morale - 

Shell -d6

Speed 0  Agility -3

See; Special above



"Pirate Borg: Cling On" is an independent production by Stephen "Long" John Richards (chekmx). It is not affiliated with Limithron LLC. It is published under the PIRATE BORG Third Party License. PIRATE BORG is ©2022 Limithron LLC.

Monday, 25 April 2022

Forbidden lands: Blackpowder Firearms

Weapon Grip Bonus Damage Range Cost Feature
Pistol 1H +1 1 Near 50 SLOW LOAD, BULLET, LIGHT
Dragon 1H +1 1 Near 60 SLOW LOAD, SHOT, LIGHT
Donderbuss 1H +2 1 Near 70 SLOW LOAD, SHOT, 
Carbine 1H +2 2 Near 80 SLOW LOAD, BULLET, 
Musket 1H +2 2 Short 90 SLOW LOAD, BULLET

Features
    Shot: This weapon can fire shot or bullets  if the weapon uses shot then armour is treated normally but upto three near targets can be attacked by a single blast of shot.  Each individual takes weapon damage for a success and the player may then distribute every other success as they wish across those hit.
    Bullet: This weapon fires bullets this ignores chain armour and halves damage(round up) for all other armour.  Cover may also only provide half at the GMs discretion.

    Rifling:  Increases the weapons range by one.  Not possible with weapons with the Shot feature.  Adds a additional multiplier to weapon cost (or potential for limited availability by kin.  i.e. only Dwarves and they will not tolerate ownership by non Dwarves)

Melee:
    In melee all black powder weapons may be used as clubs and use the same Bonus/Damage but if they are loaded have a chance to accidentally misfire if used to attack or parry.    

Actions:
    Load :  All black powder weapons need to loaded and primed as a slow action.  

Talents

    HORSEBACK FIGHTER
        RANK 1: In addition to Shortbow and sling you can fire pistols, dragons and Carbines from a mount

    SHARPSHOOTER
        RANK 1:  As standard but includes black powder weapons
        RANK 2:  Range of black powder weapons with the BULLET feature is extend by one zone
        RANK 3:  As standard but includes black powder weapons

    FASTSHOOTER
        RANK 1: You don’t need to READY WEAPON before you SHOOT with a ranged weapon. Does not apply to crossbows or black powder weapons.

Armour:

Breast Plate & Back Plate AR: 6 Cost:  50  Body Part: Body  Features: Heavy item 
This armour offers half protection against bullets unlike chainmail

Types

    Matchlock

        A matchlock is a historical type of firearm wherein the gunpowder is ignited by a burning piece of rope that is touched to the gunpowder by a mechanism that the musketeer activates by pulling a lever or trigger with his finger.

  • Price multiplier  *1
  • The match of the matchlock weapon must be lit for the weapon to function.  It requires an ammo resource roll every quarter to keep the match lit.  To light a  match requires a stationary person 2 slow actions.
  • The match emits light and smoke which could have an impact on a persons ability to be stealthy.  The mechanics of which are left to the GM.

    Wheelock

    A wheellock, wheel-lock or wheel lock is a friction-wheel mechanism which creates a spark that causes a firearm to fire. It was the next major development in firearms technology after the matchlock and the first self-igniting firearm. Its name is from its rotating steel wheel to provide ignition. 

  • Price multiplier * 1.5    
  • Wheelock weapons require that the weapon is wound before firing this is an additional fast action.  They may be kept out of combat wound but there is a potential for the weapon to fire should the owner be involved in vigorous  action.  The consequences of this are left to the GM

    Flintlock

    The flintlock mechanism is a type of lock used on muskets, rifles, and pistols from the early 17th to the mid-19th century. It is commonly referred to as a "flintlock" (without the word mechanism), though that term is also commonly used for the weapons themselves as a whole, and not just the lock mechanism.

  • Price multiplier * 2
  • Maybe cocked as part of the Load action reducing the chance of accidental discharge.

Pistol


Pistols were used as self-defense weapons and as a military arm. Their effective range was short, and they were frequently used as an adjunct to a sword or cutlass. Pistols were usually smoothbore although some rifled pistols were produced.

Dragon
    

A dragon is a shortened version of blunderbuss, a firearm with a short, large caliber barrel which is flared at the muzzle and frequently throughout the entire bore.[1][2] Dragons were typically issued to Dragoon cavalry, who needed a lightweight, easily handled firearm while mounted

Donderbuss



The Donderbuss/blunderbuss is a firearm with a short, large caliber barrel which is flared at the muzzle and frequently throughout the entire bore, and used with shot and other projectiles of relevant quantity or caliber. The blunderbuss is commonly considered to be an early predecessor of the modern shotgun, with similar military and defensive use. It was effective only at short range, lacking accuracy at long distances

Carbine


The carbine was originally developed for cavalry. The start of early modern warfare about the 16th century had infantry armed with firearms, prompting cavalry to do the same, even though reloading muzzle loading firearms while moving mounted was highly impractical

Musket


    
A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating heavy armour.


Monday, 24 January 2022

Vasana Farnan's Daughter

Just using FBL talents and the pre-gen sheets out of the starter set I have







I think at least for a one shot as a proof of concept to see how it feels this is pretty close.  Use Will power as Rune Points and mapping spells to talents and spells seems to work ok.  

Things that are mapped

Demoralize = Horror Symbolism spell

Fearless rune spell = Fearless talent

Fast Footwork = Mobility spirit spell

Not mapped

Heal2,  I will probably just use the Healing skill

Lightning,  Might see what Bitter reach spells have to offer but I am not sure

Shield spell - tough I can't be bothered for this one shot

Next up her half sister Yanioth





Sunday, 23 January 2022

Zee to the Hee in Gee ™️

Last year I ran a campaign that was a mashup of 13th Age Glorantha and Heroquest running the Sartar:  Kingdom of Heros campaign.   At the moment it is on the back burner as I got over excited about running forbidden lands and although I feel like the campaign was ok I probably should have stuck with 13th age backgrounds.  I choose to bolt on the hero quest skill mechanic onto 13G for everything but combat because 

    a) I don't think all my players enjoy rules light for longer campaigns.

    b) I wanted there to be some skill progression which isn't a focus of 13th ages class based system

    c) we had previously tried RQiG online(we ran the GamesMaster adventures as a mini campaign) and I found it a bit of a burden and some of my players found the mechanics frustrating.   

If I am honest I think that 13 age is a excellent system for running Heroquest Glorantha material if you want a bit more mechanical heft as the PCs are pretty much superheroes out of the box which fits the epics nature of the Sartar books but on reflection I would stick with 13th age backgrounds.

I am a big fan of Heroquests (now QuestWorlds) character creation using  keywords allowing the player to encompass there charcter concept in a few key words without being constrained to specific Skills but I struggle with setting difficulty and the mastery concept in  Quest world plus I am not keen on almost all rolls being apposed.  As a GM I am happy if I don't have to roll at all and if anyone has any ideas how to do that with the Year Zero engine I am all ears.  

I have a quite a bit of Runequest material that I would like to play through but I can't stomach running it online using RQiG but I feel that a mashup of the Year Zero Engine and more specifically Forbidden Lands would capture the gritty limb losing one hit and your done for combat of RQ with out all the tables hit locations and Strike ranks.

To that end I present to you the rough outline of the concept I have in mind running

Zero to Hero in Glorantha

  • Use Zero Engine Mechanics 
  • Do we use will power or Some narrative pool like Coriolis.  CHAOS POINTS.
  • Replace occupation with the Abilities, Keywords and Break out Abilities.  This would cover such things as Culture (Lunar, Sartar, Praxian),  Community(Specific clan or tribe)  Rune affinity and Occupation. These combined might then point them toward a cult, .  My initial thought is that broader skills would either cost a lot to develop or have a low cap (Maybe 3?)
    • For example
      • Noble 2
        • Read/Write +1
        • Ambitious +2
        • Golden Dagger +1
          Skill rolls would then combine Stats(choosen based on task) + Keyword + Breakout 
          So in the above example our noble would roll Str Based Dice + 2 for Noble + 1 if wielding a                  Golden Dagger, plus any gear dice for said dagger.
        
  • Or keep skills as at the table negotiating over skills can be a pain
    • Might, Endurance, Melee, Crafting, Stealth, Slight of Hand, Move, Marksmanship, scouting lore, survival, insight, Manipulation, Performance, Spirit, Animal Handling
  •         Spirit magic: 
    •  could be reflected by talents.  So Bladesharp would replace Sword Fighter for example.
    • Alternatively perhaps Spirit Magic could Use WITS + EMPATHY = POWER.  This could and Replace Healing with a skill to reflect Spirit Combat and Proficiency is Spirit Spells.  Pushed rolls would damage Empathy.  
    • Might need a cap on Spirit magic spells either POWER or EMPATHY but if POWER Then Power level counts so Heal 2 counts for 2 points.  Start with empathy pints of Spirit magic.  POW recovered by Rest/Sleep.
    • Perhaps 3 power levels. level 1 = fast action, level 2 slow action,  level 3 full turn to cast.
  • Rune Magic based on Empathy + Rune Affinity.  Needs to be more limited at least initially consider giving RP like RQ but a bit like WP.  Perhaps POW can be sacrificed for more Rune points and regained like RQ (How? XP, + Empathy Roll?).  
    • Cast time fast action (Call to the gods)
  • Sorcery would use the Forbidden lands Spell mechanics and your cult would replace occupation providing access to a mixture of reskinned and new Occupation paths with some occupations offering more spell based paths whilst others are more martial talents.  Bitter reach offer the new elemental spells that could easily mirror the common summoning spells uses in RQiG.  One alternative might be to ditch mishaps and make a spell role against your rune skill(Rune magic) or Wits(Sorcery).  If the later then maybe have different crit tables for Empathy and Wits.  Possibly have a skill per spell for sorcery.
  • Use Runes as Pride dice. Each PC has 3 Runes at 3 ,2 ,1 and they map to d12, d 10, d8
  • Culture provides Talent.  With Backgrounds as skills adaptive is semi redundant
  • Kin provides stat limits
  • Strongholds become Communities but have there own stats.
  • Spirits have wits and Empathy only and mostly attack these attributes only.  Spirit combat uses Wits or Empathy as the state used, skill based on background, potentially gear can assist (Mostly shaman). 
Having had a think about it.  I'm tempted  go through some of the Starter set pregens and convert them, then maybe try to convert the adventures from the same for z2hig (as all the cool kids are calling it) and later fill out some of community ideas etc.. with a long term view of restarting my Satar:  Kingdom of Heros or Possibly running the red cow campaign.
Anyway that's what I have so far

What's the point?

 Hi,

      Chekmx here.  What's the point of this blog?   As a place to put my ramblings about TTRPGs because there aren't enough of those right?

    My older brother and his friend introduced me to TTRPG in the early 80s playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons and Traveller which I continued with a group of friends as a teen-ager.  When Games workshop released a affordable version of  Runequest, stripped of its mighty Gloranthan setting we were immediately captured by its complex simulationist mechanics.   Along the way a variety of games were explored many not much beyond character creation a none exhaust list being Traveller, Paranoia, Gamma world, Traveller 2300AD and Call of Cthulhu.

    Then life happened,  college, work, family and my RPG days slipped to the back of my mind as a fond memory.

    Skip forward 20 years or so and in around 2014 one of my oldest friends mentioned that the 5th edition of Dungeons and Dragons was being released.   Happy memories flashed into my mind but living now living in  Switzerland I doubted that I would find locals to play with (I was very wrong about that).  I can't remember how but at more or less the same time I stumbled across Roll20.  After many false starts, rejected request and campaigns that lasted one session I finally found a group of reliable players that wanted to play the same sort of games as me and we continue to play on a regular basis to this day.

    Since wetting my teeth in this hobby once more with many sessions of 5th edition I began to spread my wings once more try numerous game mechanics both mainstream and indie, crunchy and rules lite.  At the moment my current favourite are the Year Zero Engine games that seem to offer a lite flexible system that still provide enough pleasing mechanical crunch without descending into a 3 hour dice fest. 

    My current games include

    Playing in a semi regular game of Troika game.

    Playing in a bi weekly mini campaign of GURPS set in a post-apocalyptic Tenerife as a psycho feminist nun

     Playing a number of games with my afore mentioned  best friend (Cthulhu (Dark, Hack, Trail of), Dee Sanction, Coriolis ..... The list goes on as he seems to buy every kick starter ever release)

    Running a long term call of Cthulhu Pulp Campaign of the 2 head serpent

    Running the Forbidden lands Campaign books (Raven Purge,  Bitter reach and coming soon Blood March) mashed together with various other sources as an Open Table/West Marches campaign.

    So that's me and I imagine that will influence what I write about.  

    

Death walks amongst us

 here is a suggestion for using conditions instead of death saves in Dragonbane Once a character drops to zero hit points At the start of th...