B is for Bob

. . . .and not just any Bob but Bob Bledsaw!

One of the most heated debates in the OSR is who the true Father of Dungeons and Dragons truly is. Is it Gygax or Arneson? The thing that always disturbs me about this is that Bledsaw gets ignored quite a bit it seems. I realize, of course, that he's not in the running for Father, but (no offense to Rob or Ernie or Luke) I feel he deserves the title  First Son of Role-playing. Why, you ask?

1975, not long after D&D was released, Bledsaw created the Judges Guild. Now, that doesn't seem like a lot today with all the gaming companies out there in the wake of the OGL, but at the time, it was revolutionary. He was a man of vision. Judges Guild received permission from TSR to put out adventures and other supplements for D&D. TSR would not put out an adventure module until 1978! Even then, if reports are to be believed from those in the know, Gary was somewhat bewildered as to why people would want to use prepared adventures rather than create their own.

Another good thing was that JG added some organization to the mess. If one plays 0E today, there is no resource more valuable than JG's Ready Ref Sheets. Some collected charts, sure, but the majority was new material for the Judge to use in making his campaign come to life. And the adventures, maps, and settings! Wilderlands, the City-State, Thracia, Duck Tower! Both Kevin Siembieda and Jennell Jacquays started out with JG as well. Imagine what we would have lost without Bledsaw. Don't get me wrong; I love me some Hommlett and some B2. But JG's adventures are somehow better. Much as I love Gary, part of the creativity was channeled into balance and polish leading to what WOTC and Hasbro have become--souless.

And, as an aside, CSIO is coming back. Please support the Kickstarter here.

Until tomorrow, gentle readers, dream of troublesome strumpets in the City-State!

30 Day D&D Challenge--Upcoming!

Well, work has been kicking my tail, so there has been little time for me to blog. HJowever, now that school is back in session, I am going to kick off with the 30 Day D&D Challenge in September; this is especially good timing as September has 30 days. :)

 

 

I shall, of course, answer with AD&D (no 2, no 3.5, no bloody 4) as my game, except where B/X takes precedence (as in "How you got started"),

 

I is for Initiative

Initiative. Is there anything else in AD&D that is tinkered with as much in the history of the game? More so even than level limits and spell slots, this is the winner. I loved Gary to death, but the writing on initiative was not his best. One can argue that the way speed factor is described in the DMG that even a thief can get 3 attacks off before an attacker with a pike can.make his first! So how does that work exactly? Does it take 3 rounds? Does the thief actually get "extra attacks" that he is not entitled to? It is somewhat...bewildering at times.

 

Speed factors in practice!

 

[That said, I cannot recommend more highly DM Prata's ADDICT document that breaks down the AD&D initiative system by steps if one want top play initiative BtB (By the Book). ADDICT pdf]

 

I like to tinker. I believe I have said that before. Well, Hackmaster 4e did a really good of merging the AD&D and 2e initiatives together. I played with a variant of that one for a while. Now Kenzer Company, in Hackmaster 5E, has adapted their Aces and Eights Western RPG system for initiative. And this is the current system I'm tinkering with.

 

First of all, there is only one initiative roll at the beginning of combat to determine when each character begins acting. The combat is measured in "tics" and counts up until the combat is over. Once a character begins acting each action takes a number of tics to complete. There is nothing random about it. So, let's start the adaptation.

 

First up, surprise. The DM will determine surprise. Sorry, but that's an adjudication call. It's insane to have a 34% chance (2 in 6) of being surprised each and every combat. If surprise is warranted, the surprised character(s) or side begins acting once everyone else has started.

 

Each player is rolling for each character; no group init (the DM can, of course, roll for groups of monsters for ease; this does actually give the players a bit of an edge. Roll d6, add reaction adjustment for DX. The player begins acting when their number comes up. What are the actions?

 

1. Spells. The player starts casting. If material components are required, 1d4 is added to the count to grab them if they are readily available. Exception: a girdle of many pouches (or the like) only adds a one. Spell components might already be in hand (like an archer with a drawn bow) add nothing. The next spell occurs in its casting time plus a d4 if components are necessary. 1 Segment = 1 Tic. 1 Round =10 Tics. Note that wands are very powerful and can be activated every TIC unless an item description says other wise (Cf.,wand of fire, "pyrotechnics," DMG, pg. 135) ! One will, of course, run through charges really quick in that instance!

 

 

2. Missile Combat. Weapon-in-Hand goes on your first tic. After that, Rate of Fire 3 weapons, 3 tics. RoF 2: 5 tics. RoF 1: 10 tics. RoF 1/2: 20 tics. Exceptions: A Quiver of Ehlonna (or the equivalent) subtracts 1 Tic. A crossbow of speed halves the Tic count (i.e., light in 5, heavy in 10). A specialist bowman with a drawn bow still fires before initiative is rolled.

 

3. Melee Combat. Now it gets a little complex. The first attack with a weapon is easy. Adjacent to foe and swing. After that, the speed factor comes into play: that's the Tic count. Ah, but what about fighters with multiple attacks. Subtract 1 Tic from Speed for every extra attack the fighter has. The same works for cavaliers with weapons of choice or weapon specialists. Alternatively, one can allow two attacks with the weapon when the count comes up. If the charcater is dual wielding, use the rules in the DMG (pg. 70), but note that the off-hand weapon has its own count.

If you disengage, that is, you have active enemy fighters around you, your weapon "resets": move and attack normally when adjacent to a foe.

Monks are a interesting case. Open hand speed factor is 1. Their numbers of attacks per round is based on level. It's best just to go with one attack per tic. That either makes them uber or gives them a bit of an edge, depending. However, they have a lack of AC and, if using AC modifiers to hit, they're balanced in that way as well.

 

4. Movement. 1" of movement (10') per Tic. Other actions (within reason) can combine with this, such as changing weapons on the run, grabbing spell components, etc. Not that to begin casting or to fire a weapon, the character must not be moving. Exceptions: Wands or crossbows can be fired on the run. Bows (of both types) can be fired from a moving horse, as can wands; crossbows (despite evidence in the movie LadyHawke) cannot be reloaded on horseback.

 

 

 

5. Psionics. If one uses psionics then, rather than stop the combat and play it out, each action is a Tic. The DMG (p. 79) states "psionic combat tokes place very quickly - in segments rather than rounds." Since this system 1 Segment = 1 Tic, there is no reason to stop. Take that, Illithid scum! Or not....

 

6. Other actions. Grabbing a potion from a pouch and quaffing it: 1d4 tics. Drawing or sheathing a weapon: 1 Tic. Dropping an item in hand: 1 Tic. Using an "at will" power or ability: 1 Tic. Remember, Tics = Seconds. Also, some actions can combine with movement; use common sense.

All-in-all, there are two things I like about this system. First, the lack of rolling speeds thing up and makes combat more fluid. Two, it keeps everyone engaged; no one is sitting there, twiddling dice, and waiting for the end of the round. things could change rapidly.

Until tomorrow, gentle readers.

 

H is for Heroes

A cavalier in action! A true hero!

Heroes. I find the concept is alien to many gamers these days. I say that because, one of the worst things to come out of the 1990s and even the late 1980s is the skill/power concept. No, it did not begin with D20/3.0 (although that was the penultimate expression of the concept). What I mean is two ideas. First, there is the attitude of "If I don't have the skill I cannot attempt to perform a certain action," and its close corollary, "If I fail the skill roll, I miss it all." The gaming community is ripe with stories of failed notice rolls and the inability of the character to see the door in front of him. It's even become a running joke in some webcomics:

 

Elan fumbles a Spot check.

 

 

Second, there is the attitude that the abilities completely define the character. Followed too far, and this leads to 4.0-type skills that are just the "pushing of a keyboard button." At the other extreme, it leads to the ossification of the archetypal system that is a strength of old-school gaming and (1e) AD&D in particular. Allow me to elaborate on this last point.

 

Old-school gamers are quite pleased with the four "archetypal" classes: the armored fighter wielding  a sword and shield, the wise cleric healing and turning back the forces of Undeath, the skulking thief armed with quick-wit and ready blade, and the mysterious magic-user summoning arcane power to slay. In B/X and BECMI we also have the concept of "race as class": the sturdy dwarf fighter, the bright-eyed elf who combines steel with sorcery, and the resolute hobb-, er halfling fighter. These are clearly defined images. Anyone who has lived in western culture can equate these to literary and mythical figures: Lancelot, St. Francis of Assisi, the Grey Mouser, Merlin, Gimli, Lord Elrond of Rivendell, and Samwise. They work.

 

Some might say that the multiclassing in AD&D muddies the waters a bit, but not really. An elf fighter/magic-user is no different from a B/X elf. Even "new" multiclasses are acceptable: isn't Frodo more of a fighter/thief? And opening up new classes to demi-humans is good as well for the same reasons; Bilbo is probably just a straight up thief, for example. New specialty classes open up archetypes; as long as one doesn't go too far, it doesn't dilute things much. Rangers, monks, and druids, o mai! Even brand new classes from dragon are adapted from other games/editions are fine as well. Necromancer? Yes, definitely an archetype.

 

"We don't have a cleric...somebody is going to die, dude!"

 

If everyone is an archetype with their own little niche, what does one do when that niche is empty. So, how does a fighter climb a wall? How does cleric get rid of the trap his spell discovered if the thief is already down? The answer: very carefully! The character is not defined by the character sheet and its stats; the character is defined by the PLAYER!!! Both of the situations above can be solved without a thief. the thing is, the thieving abilities work (by my estimation) in a combat round (lock picking) or without extraneous equipment (wall climbing). Take note of the scene in "Conan the Barbarian." When climbing the Tower of the Serpent the two fighters (Conan and Valeria) are using a rope; the thief (Subodai) is climbing the wall freehand.

 

If the party had to disarm a trap without a thief, it would take them at least 15 minutes. They would describe their plan, and I would assign a chance, usually less than a thief....DEX as a %, add a racial modifier if applicable (a dwarf removing a trap, for instance), possibly doubling it if the plan was solid, halving it without a plan. Easily done.

 

What about other skills? Well, previous profession would be a guide (Secondary Skills Table, DMG pg. 12) and roll a % based on an applicable stat doubled or even tripled. Also class would. A fighter might not ride as well as a cavalier, but he should have some proficiency. As an aside, the reason I do not use the non-weapon proficiency system from DSG/WSG is that it leads down that straitjacket road too easily. Try anything; I'll give the player a chance.

 

I have wandered far from my intended post, but that's ok. Let me wrap up by saying two things. First, the PCs in AD&D are a cut about the average. Of the four archetypal classes, three have more starting hit points than normal men. If one looks at some of the expanded classes, it is possible to have way more than the norm; a ranger or barbarian with the right stats and rolls can start the game with a max of 20 HP at first level! Second, Kevin Siembieda writes in several of his games that it always amazes him that people forget they're playing HEROES! They complain that the character is not normal or realistic. Well, duh! You are a HERO!

 

Until tomorrow, gentle readers, keep the sword blade sharp and the components near to hand!

 

 

G is for Goblins

Goblins. These little fellows are the much maligned cannon fodder of fantasy imaginings. HD 1-1...not even a full d8! In later editions of D&D, they fall by the wayside and receive even less respect than kobolds. This is a true shame because they truly are the first challenge for adventurers. If one views the ranking of monsters as a cursus honorem through which characters must progress, it is vital that goblins are included in the run. How so?

 

Goblins are a threat, even to 1st-3rd level heroes (see tomorrow's post). Goblins have better hit dice than a normal nan (1/2 HD, the same as kobolds!) and better hit dice than half of the core classes: fighters at 1-10, clerics 1-8, thieves at 1-6, and magic-users at 1-4. True, there are hardy newly minted adventurers, such as the ranger and barbarian, but they are outside the norm, even for heroes. The fact is, a warband of goblins (No. Apprearing 40-400, midline is 200!) could easily overwhelm a small town and definitely a small village, even if it has militia.

 

Let's look at Hommlett as an example. Hommlett can field the following:

 

Rufus, Overall Commander, Ftg 6

 

His "squad" of men-at-arms...not defined in the module, surprisingly, so we'll assume 10 well-armed medium-heavy infantry

 

Burne, MU 8

Jaroo, Dr 6 and Brother Smyth, Dr 3

Terjon, Cl 6, and Calmert Cl 3

 

Militia Captain (Elmo's father), Ftg 4 & Elmo, Rng 4

Militia Sgt, Ostler, Ftg 2

Militia, 50 0-lvl humans, most with leather armor, armed with a hand weapon plus as follows:

      spears: 23

      pole arms (various): 4

      long bow: 1

      short bow: 1

      slings: 5

      crossbow: 7

Militia, 4 'skirmishers,' o-lvl Humans with no armor and clubs

Miltia, Black Jay, Ftg 2 with longbow

Militia, Traders's man-at-arms, Ftg 1, with long bow

 

That's a pretty repsectable militia force, with a lot of magic. However, even if a small goblin warband shows ups (low dice rolls but with wolf riders):

 

2 leaders with 8 assistants (1 HD each)

20 wolf riders on worgs (4+4 HD) + an addition 20 worgs

60 goblins (HD 1-1), variously armed, but 24 with spears and 6 with slings

 

Burne and Rufus would be a big help, but it'd still be a tough fight. And these are just goblins! Think about orcs or hobgoblins and how they're armed and weaponed. Lairs have even more sub-types plus the possibility of bugbears. Even if it was the minimum (half the above numbers), the goblins would be formidable. Take away the worgs, not so much, but still they could do some damage.

 

(Incidentially, this is a battle I would love to play out...at the "skirmish" level or using Battlestystem.)

 

My mind changed on this matter sometime in the 1990s. I read Realms of Infamy, an anthology of Forgotten Realms short stories focusing on the "bad guys." There is a story titled "Vision" by Roger E. Moore about goblins. Read it. You will never look at goblins the same way ever again.

 

Until tomorrow, gentle readers, look out for the laughter and red eyes in the night!

 

F is for Forums

I have a lot on my plate today, so just a brief post.

Best one out there is Dragonsfoot. In addition to the forums, they also have A LOT of free downloads: character sheets, modules, etc. They held the line for old school gaming for years, and I'm proud to have been a member for about 12 years or so. they're a great group of guys and it's a very friendly forum. :)

Until Monday, gentle readers!

E is for Editions

Well, I shall attempt to be brief, but that's going to be hard with today's topic, gentle readers. There are, at last count, 6 editions of D&D (more depending on how you count!) and numerous clones and licensed properties that use the D&D "engine." I also will not mention Chainmail as that is not D&D per se. If I miss some, please chalk it up to a headache I have today!

First up is the edition that started it all: Dungeons and Dragons, also called variously 0e(dition), O(riginal)e(dition), and the LBB (Little Brown Books). The core classes and races as well as statistics are there: Clerics, Men of Magic, Fighting Men (Thieves were added in the Greyhawk Supplement); elves, dwarves, Hobb...er, Halflings; experience points; etc.  Some things are noticeably different from later editions, such as d6 damage for all weapons. This version is not "new player friendly;" it assumes a previous experience with wargaming. One of things to like about this edition is the lack of defined rules. Imagination was key. There were also no hard limits: science and sorcery were mixed in Castle Greyhawk as well as in Blackmoor.

 

 

On a sidenote, the impact of D&D was felt in other games. Traveller when it came out, arrived in a LBB (Little Black Book) Edition with a similar division of books: Characters and Combat, Starships, and Worlds mirroring Men and Magic, Creatures and Treasure, and Underworld and Wilderness Adventures.

 

 

 

I'll talk about the next two together. It was quickly apparent as D&D sold rapidly across the country that a hit was on their hands. The deficiency about a lack of instruction was noted. As AD&D was prepared Holmes D&D, a primer on roleplaying that took eh character to 3rd level was introduced as a stopgap measure. Alignments went from three (L, C, N) to 5 (LG, CG, LE, CE, N). Holmes was never intended to be a truly stand alone game but more of a "gateway" game to introduce the game to potential players.  After AD&D was published, D&D Basic and Expert  (B/X or Moldvey/Cook D&D) was introduced. My impression is that D&D was supposed to become the home game that one could tinker with to one's content. AD&D was the framework for the "international" and tournament game, a framework that would allow for greater precision in competition. This is to some extent conjecture, but is the feeling I have. I also like to point put that the blurb on the back of the Basic Book touts it as "family entertainment."  Way different from being a  smelly neckbeard basement-dweller game. There are some important things in B/X: race as class, a return to the 3 alignments, and a less technically precise combat. It is, in many ways, divorced from its wargaming roots; not so AD&D.

 

 

 

I'm using a pic of the current reprints because they are so sweet! For me, this is AD&D. As much as people deride 3.0/3e for becoming a minis game, it is still an important component of first edition as well. All of those fiddly numbers: weapon speed, armor modifiers, the confusing initiative. It is apparent that Gary never really left his wargaming roots. He's the lead author here. B/X and the later BECMI had different leads and therefore way different feels. Here we gain the 9 alignments (LG, NG, CG, LN, NT, CN, LE, NE, CE); more races (gnomes, half orcs and a plethora of elves and dwarves); more classes (assassin, monks, cavaliers, etc.). It can be argued that, like minis, 3e's fascination with "a class for anyone" can be laid at Gygax's feet. And what are the bard and thief-acrobat if not proto-prestige classes. The introductions of skills as "nonweapon proficiencies begins here as well in Oriental Adventures. We also gain most of the campaign worlds: Greyhawk, Toril, Kyrnn, and Ravenloft (as a module, true; it is in 2e that it would become a world).

 

 

Basic had a facelift in the mid 1980s. It was truly its own game and a very playable one as well and is termed BECMI (Basic-Expert-Companion-Master-Immortal) by fans. BECMI's lead author was Frank Mentzer. The game took  characters from 1st to 36th level and then beyond to Immortal levels. The expanded game setting of the Known World (to become Mystara in 2e) had its own line of gazetteers. No other D&D campaign world has really had this level of attention to detail.

 

 

With the ouster of Gary from TSR, the company continued on. In 1989, second edition hit the scene. Love it or hate it, it is still the longest in print version. And, boy, were they prolific! Splat books for the classes and the addition of kits to customize classes. Humanoids as viable PC races (The Complete Humanoid). Even Psionics was revamped into an arguably workable system (although it works best where magic is not present). Planescape, Ravenloft, Mystara/Red Steel, Dark Sun for new campaign worlds as well as revamps of Toril, Oerth and Kyrnn. There was much crying over the loss of many of the core classes like moinks and assassins. However, it was a return to those core four classes (Warrior/Mage/Priest/Rogue) seen in 0e. The other problem players had was with the  "unbalancing" kits. I believe that's due to a poor DM, but opinions vary. I don't play this edition enough. It is a complete system, still readily available with reprints of the core books arriving in May. And it is well integrated and planned out.

 

 

In the mid 1990s, we got the Player's Option books or 2.5. It did not supplant or replace 2e, but it allowed for point buy character creation, spell point systems and the like. It was really more of a D&D "toolbox" that had "official" ways to change the rules. I never knew anyone to play this; I did own it and wanted to run or play it. The idea of a creating a wizard who could use a sword or have thieving abilities was novel.

 

Enter the 21st century and the acquisition of the brand by Wizards of the Coast and Monte Cook. Third edition. D20. There has been much written about this over the years. This version focuses more on the mins and the tactical nature of combat. One could argue that was true of 1e as well; it was really B/X and BECMI that were roleplaying focused without the need for minis. I won't go into the mechanics of 3.0/3.5. Suffice to say, though, that it is still recognizably D&D. The strength and weakness of d20 are the same in my opinion: the OGL. The Open Game License allowed third party publishers to use the engine to create games and supplements. That is good in that we got some really outstanding games such as Mutants and Masterminds and Castles and Crusades. The flip side is that there is A LOT of material for players and especially DMs to wade through, some of which is sub-par and mediocre.

 

Fourth edition....bored yet? This is the version that receives the most vitriol these days. It is arguably not D&D but a MMO with dice and minis. Some of the ideas make sense to some extent: magic-missile as an "at-will power" makes mages more survivable, but also makes it like hitting the 1 button in a video game. Alignment was simplified and the concept of "unaligned" was brought into play. There is a dearth of roleplaying material; 1e was guilty of that as well, but did have material on hirelings, sages, creation of the campaign world. This was a poor attempt to change the brand to appeal to young computer gamers and a mistake that I believe WotC has realized.

 

And so, on the horizon, is "D&D Next." From what I have seen of the playtest materials, this edition is going to attempt to become "all things for all people." That might work for a Roman Catholic saint, but I have my doubts as to its viability for a RPG. It would appear that it will be a stripped-down version very similar to D&D basic, but without race as class. There will be a plethora of options so one can ramp it up to something akin to 3.5 or anything in between. We'll see how that works. I am cautiously optimistic.

 

And, now, bring on the clones!

 

 

 

I want to mention first off M.A.R. Barker's Empire of the Petal. The world of Tekumel first published by TSR in 1975 and using an adaptation of the 0e ruleset. Tekumel is a non-western fantasy world and is much beloved of its fans. If you're looking for something not derived from Tolkien and Howard, this is the game for you! A reprint is available at: Tita's House of Games

 

The Basic Fantasy RPG was probably the first fan reaction to 3.0, if my internal timeline is correct. This is a wonderful product and I can't recommend it enough. It is essentially a B/X clone that is completely free; print copies are sold on Lulu at cost. There are a lot of add-ons for the game that are fan-produced and available for download in pdf and Open Office formats. Please check them out at: Basic Fantasy Roleplaying

 

 

 

One of the first professional responses to 3.0 was Castles and Crusades by Troll Lord Games. Using the OGL the Trolls created a stripped down fantasy game reminiscent of first edition and it is a great game in its own right. Ascending AC and a version of BAB is used. This game plays like D&D lite. I also enjoy that weapons have abilities reminiscent of the AC modifiers tables of 1e but with out a huge chart. For instance, a bec de corbin "receives a +2 when used against chain, plate and scale armors." Another thing that struck me was that the original printings were the same size as the 1e PHB. They also have the distinction of working with Gary Gygax in an attempt to get Castle Greyhawk (as Castle Zagyg) published before Gary died. Check them out at: Troll Lord Games

 

 

 

Kenzer Company's Hackmaster (fourth edition!) was an officially licensed game that used the 1e/2e core system. It was, in many respects, 1e with some 2e things (kits, wild magic, splat books) tacked on. There was even an inkling of 2.5 with their STP (Skills-Talents-Proficiencies) system that allowed some characterization of classes. As a result of the licensing agreement with WotC, KCo had to use a lot of parody in their language. Ignore that, though, and the core system is sound. WotC did not renew the license prior to the release of 4e. Hackmaster lives on in its fifth (actually 2nd) edition but the core mechanics are drastically different. However, it is worth checking out and they are offering the stripped down "basic" book as a FREE pdf (download here). They can be found at: Kenzer Company

 

 

Goblinoid Games offers the Labyrinth Lord game, another company that used the OGL to produce an older-style RPG. This is essentially a B/X emulator and is available in print at Lulu and also as a free pdf download (sans artwork). They offer the Advanced Edition Companion to make the game a bit more like AD&D. They also offer Mutant Future (a Gamma World clone) and own the licenses to Timemaster and Starships and Spacemen (in print again!). Their web site is: Goblinoid Games

 

Swords and Wizardry is another B/X style game and is currenty published by Frog God Games. These are the guys that produced Rappan Athuk and it is another great game. The Whitebox edition takes it back down to 0e if that's your thing. Their web site is: Frog God Games

 

Dark Dungeons is a another retro-clone, but this one uses BECMI as its reference point. The title is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the horrid Jack T. Chick religious diatribe, Dark Dungeons. In fact, the exanple character that is used throughout the work is Black Leaf, the character who dies in the first panel of the tract. It's always good to have a sense of humor about these things. It is available in pdf form for free and in print for a nominal fee from Lulu. The web site is: Gratis Games

Johnathan Becker's B/X Companion is not a true clone; rather, it is an extension of the B/X game. The public was promised a Companion book to take characters past 14th level when B/X was published, but the rebranding to BECMI meant that the world would never see it...until now. Becker extrapolated what might have been and this is a nice addition for you if prefer the Moldvey/Cook rules. the cover is obviously a homage to the original Erol Otus covers. It is no longer available in print but is available as a pdf at RPGNow. Becker recently released the B/X Adventurer that adds some new classes and magic to the game most notably gnomes, centaurs, and witches (among others). Running Beagle Games is found at: B/X Blackrazor

 

 

Finally, we come to the end....and OSRIC. I give these guys a lot of grief, I admit that readily. However, unlike some of the other clones that stay true to their source, this version is not what it purports to be. True, it is AD&D  as it was played in the 1980s; but just because we didn't play with weapon factors, psionics, monks, etc., doesn't mean they're not a part of AD&D. Even Goblinoid Game's Advanced Edition Companion adds the caveat "as it was played." That said, this is a well done work. Even if I disagree with Stuart Marshall's choices, this is a outstanding product. Everything one needs to play something close to AD&D (yes, yes, I can't let it go!) in one beautiful tome with art from James Halloway. It's only $26, so if the $100+ pricetag of the 1e reprints is too much, go here. The web site is: Black Blade Publishing

 

And that's it! Woo-hoo, finally through. Break out the Faygo! Tomorrow, gentle readers, I shall examine some of my favorite forums!

 

 

D is for Deities

Today's is running late. work caught me up so it'll be a little short.

The deities of Toneeze Wurld (officially Hackmaster Wurld #162) are varied. They tend to be primarily Greyhawk deities. However, there are others, mostly due to the transposition of the City of the Invincible Overlord as the major urban hub for the continent.

Mighty Hextor, Many-Armed Herald of Hell, grants us the strength to dominate and rule!

The chief deities of the CSIO are Odhinn (CN), Thoth (N), and . . . .Hextor (LE). Hextor has long been one of my favorite deities for LE characters. I replaced Morg and the largest temple in CSIO is the Hellbridge Temple of the Herald of Hell. I portray the City-State as old and decadent like ancient Lankhmar. Thoth has one of the oldest temples in the city as God of Magic and Scribes. Odhinn is a more recent transplant, his priests coming in with the latest Overlord and taking up shop in a long abandoned and shuttered temple of some ancient and forgotten war god. There are minor shires to dark deities and good deities and even the Frog God and Wastri the hopping prophet.

One of the more popular deities on the Wurld is Ehlonna, the Lady of the forests, worshiped by Elves, Halflings, fairy and sylvan creatures and even many humans. The Dwarves worship their deified kings, the long-death Fathers of their Race. 

Familiar deities to most of us are gods of the Southern deserts (Egyptian) and the gods of the frozen North (Norse) are also present. Their are few worshipers of the Greco-Roman deities these days, but they are remembered and occasional relics of Jupiter, Apollo, and Minerva are found.

Until tomorrow, dear friends, look to the heavens for aid!

C is for Cavaliers (of the Keebler Variety!)

I have mentioned before that I use the material in Unearthed Arcana, and, yes, that includes the cavalier class. Of course, since I like to tinker with the rules, I've made some adjustments for elves.

Dragon #114

First, however, let me mention Chris Booth's article "The Elven Cavalier" from Dragon 114. It is well written; however, it proceeds from the assumption that elves or more like the wood-dwelling, well, wood elves. For some elven cultures, such changes will work, but they are not necessary. I'll discuss this some more in a bit.

As far as rules are concerned, I make a couple of minor changes to the class. First, since "A human cavalier (but not an elf or a half-elf) makes all attacks from horseback as if the character were 1 level higher," I allow elven cavaliers to fire a bow from horseback without penalty. Now, nowhere does it explicitly state in AD&D hat there is a penalty for firing from horseback. Note that short composite bows are a required weapon for elven cavaliers per UA. This gives them something back and makes them a tad more unique. Second, I remove the weapon of choice for "the horseman’s mace, horseman’s flail, or horseman’s military pick (player’s choice)" and replace it with short bow, long bow, short composite bow, and long composite bow. For followers, I use the Plains and Woods tables from the article "Tables and Tables of Troops" in Dragon 99, using the numbers gained from UA. Also, since half-elves are pretty much ignored, I allow half-elf cavaliers to come from either human or elven upbringing and function as that race for purposes of cavalier abilities. And that's pretty much it.

A Knight of Rivendell...or is that Celene? Maybe Evermeet?

I said above that Mr. Booth's article was adequate for the time. However, in the last 25 years, perceptions have changed. Much of that is due to Peter Jackson's interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth works. Thanks to PJ, we can now see elves in plate and riding roughshod over warg-riders (good scene in Hobbit: And Unexpected Journey, that). Like I said, the old way was to view elves as woodsy, dandelion-eating forest-dwellers. Now that might hold true for Wood Elves and Wild Elves; High Elves and Grey Elves, on the other hand, are more...noble, for want of a better term. And this is true even in old school AD&D. There is the court of Queen Yolonde of Celene on Oerth, a realm that Gary Gygax's Gord novels assure us is protected by Elven cavaliers and knights. And why not on Toril as well? I can see elven cavaliers in Evermeet and old Myth Drannor; it fits the feel of those nations without breaking them.

Sweet water and light laughter until next, gentle readers!

Gil-Galad was an elven king...his sword was long, his LANCE was keen...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wAH0SEtgdI

B is for Baldricks (or Henchmen, if you prefer!).

"All I want for Christmas..."

Henchmen and hirelings. If there is any other potential gold mine for both roleplaying and tactical advantage that is so sorely underutilized, I have no idea what it might be. Possibly those iron rations (1 week!) in the bottom of every PC's backpack. And that's really a shame, too, because they are useful.

 

Allow me to relate a gaming truism I learned early on. Not long after Unearthed Arcana was released, I ran I6 Ravenloft for a (mostly) new group of players (I'm thinking this was my Halloween, 1986, game). One of the players was running a 6 or 7th level Cavalier and he had his men-at-arms with him. They had been a great help to this point; remember, the tactical advantage I mentioned earlier? At this point the fledgling knight had a baker's dozen of followers that were useful for room clearing, providing support, etc. They were well-utilized in that respect. However, they had no personality or names; they were just random fighter minis I had on the table. They were playing pieces, nothing more.

 

"The Master of Ravenoft is having guests for dinner...."

 

 

As the game drug on to the wee hours of the morning, something happened that night; his followers started to become precious to him. The classic Ravenloft module is a death trap, a meat grinder; maybe not up to the level of the Tomb of Horrors, but it can cut through a party, even one with 13-14 followers. Well, the NPCs were getting cut down; finally there was only one left. It was a female archer (that was the mini!), but she made it through the first half of the castle. She started to develop a personality as I moved her around. she was Jenna, a fiery red-haired warrior and she was pissed! Her comrades had fallen but she would not! She would protect her lord to her last breath!!!

 

The players began to respond to her as a fellow player, not an NPC. At the final confrontation with Strahd, it was close. They had the icon and the sword, but they were having problems cornering the devil Strahd. I was using some alternate damage rules I had picked up somewhere (Dragon maybe?), that stated that a nat 20 with even a regular arrow had a chance (5%!) of piercing a vampire's heart as a stake. I have never seen players so intensely watching a GM NPC roll! The d20 came up 20! I shook my d10s (the set I still use!); the yellow die rolled out (black is always high) and came up 3. I rolled out the black one and it stopped on 0. Strahd was immobilized! They proceeded to end Strahd's existence and the victory did not feel cheap to them at all. After the game, I read that largely ignored section in the DMG, and Jenna made the leap from follower to henchman, the first in (at the time) five years of gaming.

 

The proper use of hirelings and henchmen has fallen away amongst younger gamers. I think it has more to do with the MMO experience. Most MMO gamers I bring to the tabletop get the idea of iconic roles: Wizard = Nuker or Crowd Control, Cleric is the Buffer, etc.  But followers: who cares? (On a side note, Star Wars: The Old Republic has an excellent NPC/follower system for a computer game and gamers that come from that MMO want followers!) I think that the fact that Gary devoted 9 of 230 pages (3.9 %) in the DMG to hirelings and henchman says something to their usefulness.

 

 

 

First, as I have briefly mentioned, followers are great as a force multiplier and add needed tactical advantage to a small party. Nowhere is this more evident than T1 The Village of Hommlett. A low-level party of 4-6 that go into the moathouse without hirelings is looking to die. And there are opportunities to find help in Hommlett, even outside the obvious (the traders's spy, Turuko and Kobort, Elmo, Spugnoir, etc.). Almost every adult male in the village is a member of the militia and owns some armor and a weapon. Maybe they would like a chance to take part in a grand adventure, maybe pick up some extra coin? This is also seen in B2 Keep on the Borderlands: plenty of mercs and others around to hire.

 

 

 

Second, there are the roleplaying opportunities. There is some discussion amongst literary scholars that Shakespeare's best character are actually the servants; they seem more real than the protagonists and antagonists at times, more three dimensional and not just parodies; we can relate to them better. They also add some much needed comedy in some of the darker tragedies. Hirelings and henchmen can do the same. Another story. In B2, there are two guards for the captured merchant in the hobgoblin cave. If saved, they will swear service to the party for a year. Boring, right? Not if played right. I have the guards, when freed, drop to their knees and beg for swords and armor that they might enter into service and avenge both their captivity and their fellow guards who were killed when they were captured. I usually make them brothers, one quiet and taciturn, probably a crossbowman, the other loud and boisterous, a axe and shield man. Usually, I have them swear to a party member, one who interacts with them first, usually a fellow fighter. But maybe the mage went to them first and checked their wounds....now the mage has gained a couple of meat shields. These followers can also be used to impart information that the characters might need. Maybe Robert Shieldwall knows a bit of Hobgoblin and heard the hobgoblin guards muttering about the gnolls higher up on the ravine or laughing about the stupid goblins they keep stealing from.

 

However, like General Lee says in Gettysburg, do not love your NPCs too much; they are not the stars but the supporting cast. Today, I probably wouldn't have left that crucial arrow shot up to Jenna; fortunately, she did not upstage the PCs but was seen as a helpful tool, maybe even a friend. So, please, DMs, work on those followers! They can be quite useful in setting  the tone of your game and adding to the enjoyment of all.

 

 

A: Advanced Dungeons and Dragons

The iconic face of AD&D

Well, the A-to-Z Challenge is now upon us. For my theme this year, I am going with Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: no 2e, no 3e, no Pathfinder, no OSRIC, no bloody d20. AD&D. The Original. The game of my pre-teen and teen-aged years.
 
I have slowly become disillusioned with the OSR movement (that's "Old School Renaissance" for those keeping score) over the past few years. In my opinion, for whatever that's worth, it seems to have become a money grab in many ways. I say this for several reasons.
 
First, OSRIC is not really the system reference document that it claims. Really, OSRIC is merely the authors's vision of what AD&D is; it is not truly AD&D. Oh, the authors will say that there were things omitted because it's not a mathematical formula that could not be replicated, but in reality the things that were changed or omitted are those that the authors did not like or use. For instance, weapon modifiers vs. AC. How about psionics? What about the monk? Oh, wait, Gary canned the monk in Oriental Adventures. That might be true, but only after Oriental Adventures was published; where is the OSRIC OA?
 
Second, how many different retro-clones do we need? I mean, really! In the preface to the DMG, Gary wrote:


Returning again to the framework aspect of  ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, what is aimed at is a "universe" into which similar campaigns and parallel worlds can be placed. With certain uniformity of systems and "laws", players will be able to move from one campaign to another and know at least the elemental principles which govern the new milieu, for all milieux [sic] will have certain (but not necessarily the same) laws in common.


That's pretty straightforward. And that is my underlying issue with clones like OSRIC: what if I do want the monk or the bard and psionics? Who are these people to decide what is or isn't part of the genre? "What outrageousness! What insolence! What arrogance!"

The very face of royal outage!

 

This is not to say that I find all of the clones to be a pure money grab. Take, for instance, the Basic Fantasy system. It's completely free and is a true labor of love for those involved. I regularly mine it for ideas. It is a Basic/Expert tool kit where one can decide what one wants to play through add-ons and modules.

 

"So, Tony," I hear you ask, "what is your vision of AD&D?" Well, I'm pretty much a Core + UA kind of guy myself. Yes, I'm one of those DM's who have no problems with the cavalier or barbarian, and I find the acrobat is fun. The new armor and magic items all add to the game. And, yes, I am one of those DM's that use weapon modifiers for AC. It's not hard, people! Just use the PC sheet and total all of your pluses ahead of time in the boxes for AC. then all the DM has to say is, "Roll and add modifiers vs. AC 2," and it's already done. It just takes some organization.

 

Am I a rules lawyer? Do I play completely BtB ("by the book")? Of course not! I am constantly fiddling with imitative in an attempt to make it better, adapting articles and suggestions from old Dragon magazines, forum posts, Hackmaster,  my 30+ experience as a gamer, etc. (Incidentally, might I suggest DM Prata's truly awesome ADDICT document for a better understanding of the AD&D initiative system and how it is supposed to work?) I add classes and spells from the same sources. I tinker. That is part of my job and purview as a DM at the table. However, I do not presume to cut and paste and rewrite Gary's work and have the audacity to say that this is a true rendering of the original.

 

Well, that's enough grandstanding for today. Until tomorrow, gentle readers!

Remembering Gary: Gygax Day, 2012

Yesterday would have been Gary Gygax's 74th birthday. I believe the quote above captures his essence perfectly; therefore, in the spirit of the day, I thought to myself, "What  better time to get my kids's game rolling again?" And so, we did.

When last we left our intrepid adventurers, they had returned to the Keep after finding Bane Deathchant's brother, Kane, crucified outside the Goblin caves of the Caves of Chaos. [In summary, a fight had broken out amongst the party members over Kane trying to take a Goblin as a henchman and his body was left in the (dead) ogre's cave.] They had also cleared the kobold cave. Easily slaughtering the guards and most of the male population, the adventurers had allowed the survivors to flee into the Borderlands after telling them about the cave complex. This intelligence will (hopefully) serve them well.

The dramatis personae are as follows:

Anana Steelhammer of Glorsten. 1st level Dwarf cleric of Bleredd, NT. Bleredd is Ulaa's husband and is a god of blacksmithing and crafts. (In my Greyhawk, I have simplified the deity lists. One way was to eliminate the non-human deities which were, I believe, largely Roger E. Moore's creations. Gary once wrote on the Dragonsfoot Forums that nonhumans of Oerth should probably follow those deities anyway.) Armed with a warhammer, her domains in the 3.5 ruleset we're using are Earth and Fire. Thus, she can turn water- and air-based creatures and control earth- and fire-based ones (if they ever run into any!) in addition to the standard undead-turning abilities.

Allyara Fiernvein of Celene. 1st level Elf Ranger From Celene, CN. A follower of Olidammara, it'll be interesing to see if she multiclasses into Rogue. Surprisingly enough, she is the most leveled PC in the party. Go figure.

Bane Deathchant. 1st level Human Wizard/Necromancer, CE. This human has arrived in the Borderlands (actually, the Keep is set in one of the Ulek states just south of the Lortomils--but still descriptively called the Borderlands) where he was to meet his brother Kane at the Keep. When he arrived, he found that his brother had taken off to a cave complex and with a group of adventurers. Unfortunately, his body had been left behind when the party had to flee....goblins?!! He has a thing about goblins now--when he returned with the party that found his brother crucified outside the goblin caves. Score one for  the other players; the goblins saved the player's hides by that one. He also has a (as yet unnamed) raven familiar.

Dalgard of Greyhawk (NPC). 2nd level Cleric of Pelor, NG. Dalgard is my stock PC cleric for beginning parties that I've used for over 20 years to beef up beginning parties. It's probably time for him to go on his way.

We pick up with the party venturing out to the Caves once more. This time, armed with intelligence, they decided to strike at the orcs (they also learned previously that the goblins now have a contingent of wolf-riders (and a warg!) stationed in the old Ogre cave). It went about as well as could be expected.They didn't notice the guard watching the door from the "wall of heads." The necromancer took a goblin head from the display and then they headed right. Meanwhile, the guard got the other guard room and attacked from the rear while they were engaged with the other guards. However, they made quick work of both groups.

Heading up the sloping hallway, they found the storeroom and then attacked the chief and his consorts. The dwarf found a set of dwarvan-sized maille and also a chest of monies; who needs a thief? Smashing a lock is always more satisfying than picking a lock! Oh, and they also find what will later prove to be a healing potion and a scroll of fireball. They then found the secret meeting room for the two chiefs. Reasoning that there has to be something more (one of them quipped, "Yeah, this is not his secret study for writing his memoirs!"), they searched until they found the secret door to the other orc tribe's complex.

Of course this lead them to the "boss fight" for the session. Now the other chief was a 4 HD creature, but his AC was only 18. As well, as they roll, he wasn't too much of a problem, actually. This one was 3 HD, but his AC was 20 in plate armor with a shield. Yes, a problem.

They did manage to whittle him down (there were actually two crits--one from a warhammer for x3 damage!) through luck and burning all of their spells, especially a burning hands (cleric) and a chill touch (necromancer). The chill touch was doubly useful in that it drained a point of strength, so I dropped the chief's BAB by 1. After the fight they did manage to find a rope of climbing that the elf promptly took as an artifact of her people. 

Ok, so they made it around the corner to the entrance. The dwarf in the lead spotted the tripwire for the net trap. Not having a thief, they decided not to risk a disable device check; they had no idea it was just a net because they never tried to trace the lines or look up even (note to self: time to stat putting some slimes and puddings on the ceiling!).  The dwarf stepped over, no problem. The necromancer, however, tripped over his big feet setting off the alarm and dropping the net square on himself! Everyone made a DEX check to dodge out of the way. They immediately heard the sounds of orcs preparing to head their way. Round one, Dalgard covered one hallway, the dwarf the other one. The elf began cutting the necromancer out of the net. Round two, the necromancer was free and got up, the elf winged an orc in the back of the mob of 9 bearing down on the cleric (who holds his action to take out two when they reach him--cleave feat for the win!) and the dwarf was still waiting for her mob. Round three, the second group of 5 arrived and it degenerated into a vicious melee. No one died although the necromancer was taken down to 1 hp; I suggested that he take a defensive stance (+4 bonus to AC) and stay out of the fight as much as possible.

After surviving the fight, they checked the other two rooms and found the women and children orcs that they promptly killed. Even Dalgard had to agree with the reasoning of the NT dwarf cleric who also happens to hate orcs; of course, this is another reason for him to move on. Unlike Sir Osric the paladin, he won't just go and examine rustic architecture to ease his conscience when this sort of thing happens in the future (cf. Gamers 2: Dorkness Rising).

Well, the party made it back to the Keep, sold some jewelry, and got some items identified by the castellean's advisor, a elven fighter/mage that I made a follower of Zagyg. I was too tired (it was late) to work that in last night, but will in the future. Everyone also had enough xp to level up, so things are getting better for them.

After going over my notes this morning, I noticed that I forgot that they had hired 3 mercenaries (that were with them against the kobolds previously) for a full month. I presume that they forgot them as well then, and they spent the day in the tavern drinking. With a level 2 Cleric of their own and some hired muscle, it is definitely time for Dalgard to move on.

I'm interested to see where they go next. I keep dropping hints about the missing merchant, but they haven't picked up on them yet. Of course, they have yet to enter the right complex anyway. I think it's time for the keep commander to take interest in them and send them on a mission. Maybe supply a couple of crossbowman to give them so more firepower.

And that's where we stand. They could use a thief.