Reading 'The Secret Fire' and Some Sunday Links

I'm currently doing a read and review of The Secret Fire rpg on rpg.net

Here are some links showing what's bubbling in my mind:

You Too Can Run Empire of the Petal Throne

Rythlandor: an 80 page campaign chronicle from 1975-77

Verdammelt's Compiled Sandbox Bookmarks

Keys to Good Dungeon Design

Megadungeon Design

(Old Rules for) Rituals

Rituals

Almost any known spell can be performed in ritual form. This negates the needs for the normal method of memorization or preparation. A ritual requires three elements: time, space, and materials.

1. Time: A ritual will take 10 minutes (one turn) per level of the spell, or 6 times the normal casting length, whichever is longer. During this time the magic-user or cleric can take no other actions, just like normal spell casting.

2. Space: A ritual may require the celebrant to move in circles, make gestures, light candles, or face certain directions. 5 square feet of space per level of spell must be available and clear of obstacles or anyone not involved in the rituals. Other magic-users or clerics that know the spell may participate, but no bonus effects are granted.

3. Materials: Special materials, expended in the performance of the ritual are required. The cost of these materials is Spell Level squared x 100gp (thus 2nd level materials would cost 400 gp), and their encumbrance is equal to their cost. Ritual material have limited compatibility: they are specific to the school of magic, but can be used for rituals of a lower level. Thus a set of 3rd level Evocation ritual materials could also be used to perform 1st or 2nd level Evocation rituals, but not Necromantic rituals.

Table A1	Cost Multiplier	Available?	Amount Found	Test Frequency	Time to Find
Village	90%	40% - 10%/level	1d4	Monthly	One hour
Town	Normal	55% - 5%/level	1d6	Weekly	One hour/level
City	Normal	100% - 5%/level	2d6	Weekly	One hour/level
Guild	125%	100% - 2%/level	3d6	Weekly	One hour
Wilderness	10%	25% - 2%/level	1	Weekly	One Week

Availability of materials: Tests for the availability of materials are made on a school by school basis. You may find 2 sets of Alteration ritual materials one week, but no sets of Conjuration ritual materials. Time spent finding materials is NOT cumulative. Example: In three hours, a magic-user can make a test to find ritual materials for 3rd level spells and lower of any number of schools of magic. Acquiring materials at a Magic-User's guild requires membership in good standing. Acquiring materials in the wilderness requires an active search of a week's time.

Quick and Dirty Skills

The OSR crowd generally frowns on skill systems, with the exception of LotFP. I understand the concerns about player immersion and seek ways preserve that. Likewise, I have friends that cringe at the absence of something under the hood.

Some people will cry out "D20!", but think of these guidelines like armor classes. Filthy ascending armor classes. If your adventurous, make a chart with a repeating 20 like the AD&D attack matrices so the system scales more gracefully.

What to roll:

• Regular Tasks: D20 + Skill bonus vs 10 (like an unarmored guy of AC10)
• Challenging Tasks: D20 + Skill bonus vs 15
• Hard Tasks: D20 + Skill bonus vs 20 (like hitting someone with platemail and a magic shield)
• Impossible Tasks: D20 + Skill bonus vs 25

How do I get a skill bonus:

• Class skills: Equal to your level. You class provides one of more class skills. You never spend points on these. The skill bonus is always equal to your level.
• Secondary skills: Start at 3, requires a skill point to increase. These are minor skills from your past or upbringing. Roll on the DMG table, choose Education or a Tradecraft. You can only increase them by spending skill points.
• Other skills: Start at 0, requires a skill point to increase. Everything is an "other" skill. You spend a skill point to gain a increase their bonus. The skill bonus can not be higher than your level.

You get one skill point at first level and each time you gain a level.

Here's a draft skill list:

Animal Handling - Riding, training, controller animals

Arcane Lore

Athletics - Running, swimming, jumping

Climbing

Construction

Coordination - Dodge, balance, acrobatics, juggling, dance, knots, ropework

Diplomacy - Leadership, Negotation

Education- history, geography, reason, philosophy

Find Traps

Folk Lore - creature lore, regional lore, geography, superstitions, local customs

First aid

Insight - includes detect lies, estimate sums, evaluation, gauge opponent

Intimidate

Locks

Searching

Stealth

Streetwise

Survival - encompasses hunting, fishing, foraging, nature lore

Theology

Tradecraft (specify type) - smithing, carpentry, jewellery making, brewing, engineering, performance

The Purpose of Mapping...

The purpose of mapping is to allow the possibility of the characters getting lost. Anything else is pixel-bitching.

Random Thoughts and Links

Random Thought #1: Players of newer editions complain that the AD&D charts and THAC0 aren't intuitive. How is 3rd and 4th edition AC starting 10 intuitive? Why isn't "no armor" AC 0? I'll leave the lack of a universal mechanic in these editions for another post :)

Random Thought #2: I saw a thread somewhere worried about the impact of Border's Books closing on D&D. Sadder than that is the fretting over the "death" of the local gaming store is some mixture of stupidity and nostalgia. Gaming stores are selling you the same products you can buy online, with a higher price and less selection. If you're lucky, you'll get better service, though I suspect that's the exception rather than the norm. The only true benefit they provide is impulse buys, assuming they have the impulse item in stock.

There are some smart gaming shop owners and a lot of not-so-business-smart shop owners. In a niche market, you need to be smart. What are they selling us? The same products we can get elsewhere for a better price or something else? You've lost the player-finding, game-advertising community bulliten board to forums, blogs, and craigslist. You're offering a place to play games and hangout? Run a business designed to make money off of this, not guilt/loyalty to buy product at higher prices. Rent your tables - you're already paying by the square foot of space to your landlord. A number of places offer drinks and snacks. Take it a step further: I want a gaming bar. Give me some Irish/English pub indoor, big enough tables to play, baskets of snacks, burgers, and pizza, and pitchers of ale.

Some Links:

Tao of D&D's charts are awesome: Equipment.

A Swords & Sorcery version of Traveler.

A different sort of end game

Cantraps, not Cantrips

'Cantrap' is an accepted spelling and the form that Jack Vance used. I've decided on this form since Tactical Simulation Ruleset uses a slightly different system than AD&D. And I like taunting spell-check. These minor magical effects do not require spell learning checks, memorization, preparation, or inhabit spell books. They are the basics that each caster learns during training and apprenticeship. Purists may argue that they ease the "tough love" survival of low level magic-users, but I feel they're more in character for how a wizardly type "should act" than constant hurling of molotov cocktails. My goal is to add a little flavour to these characters and give the player an imaginative tool to use, not up the ante in the race/class arms race.

Cantraps can be used, without fatigue or ill effect, by Magic-Users and Illusionists with the following conditions:

1) No cantrap can directly interupt anothers concentration.

2) When influencing another or anothers possessions then that person is entitled to a save vs. spells.

3) Cantraps will not harm any magical item

4) No cantrap can be used more than 3 consecutive rounds in row.

I've stolen these ideas from elsewhere, with some modifications in effect and form. More of these to follow, when work interfere less with my blogging quest. Additions and ideas are welcome.

Ghostlight (Conjuration)

Level: 0 (Cantrap)

Range: 0

Duration: Concentration

Area of Effect: 1' diam. sphere

Components: V,S

Casting Time: 1 segment

This cantrap conjures a small sphere pale green light in the palm of the caster's hand. Only a wave of the hand and a command word are needed for this incantation. The light can not be see behind 50 feet, and only illuminates an area of 5' around itself. The ghostlight does not produce heat, shadow, or affects infravision.

Specter's Voice (Illusion)

Level: 0 (Cantrap)

Range: 30'

Duration: 1 segment

Components: V

Casting Time: 1 Segment

The caster creates a brief phrase, of whisper or howling volume that can be heard up to 30 feet away.

Thorn of Vril (Evocation)

Level: 0 (Cantrap)

Range: 25'

Duration: Instantaneous

Components: V,S,M

Casting Time: 1 Segment

Saving Throw: Saves negates all damage

A bolt of energy flies from caster towards a single target, hitting automatically for 1 hp of damage. The target can make a save vs spells, which completely negates damage. Note: even if damage occurs, the thorn will not disrupt the concentration of the target's spell casting.

Material Component: An item of power (a consececrated wizard's staff, for example) bound to the caster. It is not consumed by casting.

Base Dweomercraft (Alteration,Illusion)

Level: 0 (Cantrap)

Range: 10'

Casting Time: 1 Segment

This cantrap can perform a variety minor magical effects:

Create a small illusion for 5 minutes.

Clean or change the appearance of a cubic foot of material for an hour.

Extinguish or light a candle.

Change the flavour or temperature of a cubic foot of food or other item for an hour.

Write or scrawl a single letter or sign for one hour.

Create a puff of smoke.

Weapon vs Armor, Revised

Weapon vs Armor Class/Type modifiers are probably the most omitted section of AD&D rules. In my unscientific survey of fellow players and forum/blog discussion, most people liked the idea, but found the execution awkward or lacking. We also played a year or so of AD&D (more or less by the book), using the table with the same experience. Here are some of the common complaints:

1. The annoyance of referencing a table

2. The shield question

3. How to handle monsters

4. The modifiers are not realistic

I'm not going to touch #4. If anyone has a good source on weapon types versions mail, plate, etc, I'm happy to take a close look. For now I'll be sticking closely to the AD&D numbers.

The existing PHB tables takes up a whole page. That's largely a function of the variety of weapons, but it also makes for a wall of numbers. Character sheet layout with room for the modifiers can go along way. Let's take the next step by breaking the armors into types with similar construction. Padded armor isn't used enough to warrant it's own column. We could probably condense them further, but for now we have six types of armor and "no armor". To prevent confusion the armor types are indicated by a letter:

Armor Types:

A: Plate armor

B: Splint armor, Banded Armor

C: Mail hauberk, Elfin (chain) Mail

D: Scale Armor, Lamellar Armor

E: Ring Armor, Studded Armor

F: Leather Armor, Hide Armor, Padded Armor

G: No armor

How to handle the shield? Ignore it. Perhaps this is the wrong answer for a pure simulation, but it throws the types off, adds additional calculation, and confuses players. Xerberon the Fighter is Armor Type 'C' whether or not he uses a shield with his chainmail. On the character sheet (ignoring dexterity modifiers) his player would note "AC: 4C" if he was using chain and shield, but "AC: 5C" if he was not.

Monsters: Gygax's suggestion in the Dungeon Master's Guide should be used across the board where the foes are not wearing actual armor. This will take some work, but TSR would be modifying some monster statistics already. I would probably do this off the cuff as I use monsters or plan encounters. The AC should be recorded similarly, so a Black Dragon might be "AC: 3A" and a Red Dragon "AC: -1A".

I'll post a review armor and shield list, the weapon vs armor table, as well as some sample monsters in a forthcoming post.

Saving Throws: An End to the Madness

As better explained by The Man in the Funny Hat, the AD&D saving throw system may be quirky and the categories poorly explained, it is not without logic. It does the opposite of the 3rd Edition D&D system, which while elegant in organization loses something in the change-over. Should not a Magic-User, Mage, or Wizard be more resistant to magic than others? How do your reflexes help you dodge out of the center of a 30' diameter ball of flame? Still there must be something simpler than the big chart. And why are paralyzation and poison lumped together?

Much like Dave Arneson and Swords & Wizardry, I have become a fan of the single saving throw progression. People have charted the AD&D saves and there's a pattern to them that roughly goes from 15 to 7. Some classes are better, some are worse. When someone pointed out that the Rod/Staves/Wands saves for all classes is 1 better than their spells saves, it clicked. We might as well remove the column from the chart and convert it to a bonus. Why not do that with all of the saves?

Let's start at 15 for everyone at 1st level, and drop by one each level until the target is 5. I suppose there's math to make this work as an ascending bonus, but let's get the math right first. Next up, modifiers:

• Poison: Dwarves get a bonus, perhaps based on Constitution like in AD&D. For now let's make it +3.
• Death Magic: This includes negative energy attacks. Clerics get +3 due to their link with the higher and lower planes.
• Petrification, Polymorph: This is pretty much the same for everyone in AD&D, so no class bonus. Perhaps Constitution as a tip of the hat to System Shock checks.
• Rod, Staff, Wand: We'll say all magical items effects give you +1 to the save. Maybe we note this with some of the items (Wand of Fireballs), but not others (a bonus to saves versus the Staff of the Magi - I think not!)
• Breath Weapons: Breath Weapons are nasty. In AD&D, this is the hardest save at 1st level and the hardest at 17+ for most classes. We'll include this as necessary on the specific monster. Is a hell hound attack as hard to avoid as an ancient red dragon?
• Spells: +3 for Magic-Users, +3 for Dwarves, +2 for Hobbits... err Halflings.

Modifiers for Special Cases:

• Charm and Illusion effects: Give the Wisdom attribute bonus (for TSR, I've standardized this like BEX D&D)
• Dodge-able effects: This is a DM's call as to when it applies. Perhaps give Thieves a +2 on save for dodge-able effects (lightning bolts, wands, etc). Perhaps give everyone their Dexterity Adjustment. Like the Defensive Adjustment in AD&D, this works better when it's not applied across the board.

What else should be included?

Love/Hate the Ranger

I've got a love/hate relationship with the Ranger. Not as much hate as Blackrazor, but certainly not as much love as... well, anyone talks about "dual wielding" and "strikers".

Blackrazor's got some good points. The AD&D Ranger *is* just a fighter with bling. I like using some ability score requirements to keep the class unusual and special, but making that the only disadvantage compared to a parent classe "makes the rich richer". The characters already with an advantage in better attribute get Ranger bling as well. The slower level advancement has merit, but I'm trying to avoid multiple advancement charts in the Tactical Simulation Rule set. Trying to "power up" the Fighter for balance's sake isn't the answer either. While the Fighter could use some love, I don't want the arms race of later editions.

Archetype is a messy word, but I don't think Rangers out of place in any game that involves Halflings. If you let pseudo-hobbits in, why not pseudo-Aragorn? Aragorn was clearly the model for the Stategic Review version that shows up similarly in the AD&D Player's Handbook. Like everyone, I passed through a phase where I wanted the Ranger to be Robin Hood, as a scout or hunter class. Perhaps there should be a lightly armorer archer option, but then why hold onto the name? I've gone back and forth on the quirks of the Ranger: starting hit dice, d8 Hit dice, use of spells and other powers. Nowadays I'm apt to keep them - an artifact of Gygaxian quirkiness. Perhaps the spells and magic powers are part of a class branch, like in The Magestic Wilderness or a pseudo Prestige Class (I've always throught Ranger Lord has a neat ring to it). Or they represent a secret martial order, like the Paladins of Mithras. We'll leave creation of another class to another post.

Where to go with the Ranger:

* This brilliant idea from Blood of Prokopius.
* Using armor as a mix of AD&D weapon proficiency slots with the armor categories 3rd and 4th edition. Fighters are proficient in all armor, but Rangers need to spend slots to get access.

* Starting Weapon Restrictions, a la Unearthed Arcana.

* Attribute requirements remain, but not quite as stringent: Strength 12, Wisdom 12, Constitution 12.

* Multiple attacks versus sub-1HD creatures? Followers? Creation of a keep/stronghold? Not for the Ranger.

You'll see a little of all these in the Tactical Simulation Ruleset.

Training for New Levels

(Weird ideas I tried to rescue)

• Upon gaining sufficient XP for a new level, the character can "immediately" roll for new hit points.
• All other class abilities and improvements require training.
• Training takes one week of time, regardless of level.
• The "Trainer" must be at least one level higher than the character he/she is training.
• Upon reaching "Name Level", the character must spend the same amount of time and money, but does not need a trainer.
• Training costs [Current Level x 1000 GP]. Loans can be made, and *some* trainers will accept goods or services in lieu of coins.
• Magic-users and Illusionists automatically gain one new spell upon completing training. This can be of any level they can cast, does not require a Spell Learning Test, does not require a fee to scribe into the spellbook, BUT must be from the Player's Handbook.