Traps: Mimics, curses, dart traps, etc.
Food: Limited use boons ('Heal 1 heart', '+3 weapon damage for one room')
Consumable: Limited use magical effects (Wand of Healing, Universal Solvent, Scroll of Fly)
Valuable Item: 'Sturdy' quality items, fine art, spell books
Currency: Gold, silver, gems
Item Generation:
Cursed items have 1d2+1 positive traits, 1d2 negative traits, and a Curse. Cursed items will not allow its wielder to make use of any other magic items of the same type until the item's curse is lifted.
Magic items have one quality and one randomly determined trait. Roll 1d3: 1:Prefix 2:Suffix 3:Material
Epic items have one quality, one prefix, and one randomly determined trait. Roll 1d2: 1:Suffix 2:Material
Legendary items have one quality, prefix, suffix, and material.
Artifact items are unique and storied items with powers to be revealed over time and careful study.
Type of Item: 1d20
1: Sword (Ultimate Effort on 19s as well as 20s)
2: Axe (Can replace basic effort with weapon effort in some situations)
3: Mace (deals 1d8 weapon effort instead of 1d6, +2 to weapon ultimate effort)
4: Spear (Can attack from Near range)
5: Dagger (Can use DEX to damage instead of weapon damage)
6: Flail (Double your Battle Fury bonus)
7: Bow (Can attack from Far range, cannot attack at close range)
8: Crossbow (Can attack from Far range, cannot attack at close range, deals 1d8 weapon effort instead of 1d6, +2 to weapon ultimate effort, cannot be used two turns in a row)
9: 6 Javelins (Can attack from Far range, deals 1d4 weapon effort at close range, -2 to weapon ultimate effort at close range, must be picked up once thrown)
10: Player's Choice
11: Helmet (+1 WIS)
12: Gauntlets (+1 STR)
13: Ring (+1 magic effort)
14: Amulet (+1 CHA)
15: Chestpiece (+1 AC)
16: Cloak (+1 CON)
17: Shield (+1 Heart)
18: Boots (+1 DEX)
19: Pants (+1 INT)
20: Player's Choice
Quality: 1d8
1-4: Average
5: Sturdy (Increase Type bonus by 1, or increase weapon effort by 1 for weapons)
6; Ancient (Increase Material bonus by 1)
7: Enchanted (Increase Prefix bonus by 1)
8: Mastercraft (Increase Suffix charges by 1)
Material: 1d20
1: Iron (+1 to weapon effort)
2: Bronze
3: Steel
4: Pearl
5: Ruby
6: Gold
7: Crystal
8: Ebony
9: Ivory
10: Platinum
12: Mithril
13: Bone
14: Meteorite (
15: Burnt
16: Frozen
17: Earthen
18: Flaming
19: Uranium (Cannot be destroyed or broken under any means)
20: Player's Choice
Suffix
1: Of the Hawk (Once per day, gain flight for one room)
2: Of the Cat (Once per day, gain +3 DEX and make no sound for one room)
3: Of the Hound (Once per day, roll ultimate effort when attempting to find something or someone)
4: Of the Wind (Once per day, push any number of enemies you can see within Far range to Far range, directly away from you)
5: Of the Forest (Once per day, grow a tree or other plant of choice in an area within Far distance. That plant comes to full maturation over the period of five minutes)
6: Of Gore (Gain +3 to weapon ultimate effort)
7: Of Warding (Enemies must make an attempt (10+CHA) to enter a square adjacent to your character)
8: Of Harmony (Attempts be Easy if at least one ally uses his entire action to help you perform a task)
9: Of Fortune (Add 1d2-1 when rolling loot box quality)
10: Of Lightning (Roll ultimate effort when dashing)
12: Of Blight (When you deal magic effort to an enemy, that enemy becomes Easy until the next time it takes effort)
13: Of Carnage (When you deal a killing blow to an enemy, gain an additional half action)
14: Of Light (At will: Shed bright light that dispels even magical darkness)
15: Of the Magus (Once per day, cast two spells in one half action)
16: Of the Vampire (Once per day, heal for weapon effort done to an enemy)
17: Of the Hells (Once per day, gain +3 STR, CON, and flight for one room)
18: Of the Heavens (Once per day, heal magic effort to all allies Near you)
19: Of the Dragon (Once per day, deal magic effort to all enemies Near you)
20: Player's Choice
@Carnarvon Looking good! Just need to add Spells in there somewhere. Could also maybe drop the stat bonuses off of the standard items to give you some effects to fill in some of those blank prefixes or materials.
Today a buddy showed me his Lego Heroica sets that he's used to run some encounters with his kids. It's Lego so potentially cost prohibitive compared to pen and paper RPGs designed for kids, but if I'm going to make a Lego table for my boys anyway...I may as well have the option to make it a mega-dungeon.
It's been a while since I've posted in the RPG thread, but I might get to play something soon!
If I was really into the tactical combat of 4e, what game should I look into today for a mixed group of new and veteran role players?
I saw a similar question on Reddit recently and someone recommended Strike! that sounded interesting. Apparently it's 4e with a bit of Narrative First thrown in. Might be something to look into?
I strongly disagree with that assessment. It is a narrative game that has an optional bolt on that is heavily 4e influenced. I know that sounds nit picky but I really do not think it is. Strike! is set up that you could resolve combat like all the other checks or you can slot in this huge 4e-esque tactical module if you want. Other than combat Strike! characters tend to be stuff like a list of skills and descriptive ways they can ignore certain rules.
@DevoutlyApathetic , is that to say you wouldn't recommend Strike! for that purpose? I picked up the PDF but haven't read it cover to cover or anything.
If it helps, I thought the Descent boardgame was a great middle ground for board gamers to get into tabletop RPGs with grids.
Today a buddy showed me his Lego Heroica sets that he's used to run some encounters with his kids. It's Lego so potentially cost prohibitive compared to pen and paper RPGs designed for kids, but if I'm going to make a Lego table for my boys anyway...I may as well have the option to make it a mega-dungeon.
We got a big piece of plywood and sanded and painted it and nailed three big Lego base plates to it and stuck it on top of two roller drawer sets and the kids have a Lego table they can move wherever with built in storage. Could help with this too maybe?
It's been a while since I've posted in the RPG thread, but I might get to play something soon!
If I was really into the tactical combat of 4e, what game should I look into today for a mixed group of new and veteran role players?
I saw a similar question on Reddit recently and someone recommended Strike! that sounded interesting. Apparently it's 4e with a bit of Narrative First thrown in. Might be something to look into?
I strongly disagree with that assessment. It is a narrative game that has an optional bolt on that is heavily 4e influenced. I know that sounds nit picky but I really do not think it is. Strike! is set up that you could resolve combat like all the other checks or you can slot in this huge 4e-esque tactical module if you want. Other than combat Strike! characters tend to be stuff like a list of skills and descriptive ways they can ignore certain rules.
@ DevoutlyApathetic , is that to say you wouldn't recommend Strike! for that purpose? I picked up the PDF but haven't read it cover to cover or anything.
If it helps, I thought the Descent boardgame was a great middle ground for board gamers to get into tabletop RPGs with grids.
In an entirely new group I think Strike! would be great. I think veteran D&D players may miss having a sheet full of stats and what not. This is much like the Dungeon World discussion where I think the game is easier for entirely new players to pick up because they have no assumptions that will lead them astray.
Basic resolution in Strike! is roll a d6. Use one of two charts depending on if you are "skilled" or "unskilled" Results vary from Success with a bonus, Success, Success with a Cost, Twist or Twist with a cost. That's it. Twists don't have to be failures but have the DM describe how things didn't go as planned and the new situation.
That's a huge change from D&D like games. I actually prefer it as a way of telling cool stories which is what a lot of people want out of D&D and it sometimes delivers if the system manages to get out of the way for long enough. Some veteran players will really like it but some will find it to be their kryptonite. There is basically no optimization to speak of and you don't have stats so much as you have skills and some narrative descriptions that do things to you.
On the plus side, the book is incredibly inclusive to folks who are traditionally not represented in RPGs. Like one of the examples features the Mom Barbarian and stuff like that.
Ah, well, I was just going off what I saw said, that it was designed with the combat side first on the SomethigAwful forums to be a 4e replacement.
Oh yeah, I just don't want folks to go into and be taken by surprise. It's heart is a story telling kind of thing but bolts on some fun tactical bits that story games usually completely skip.
It's been a while since I've posted in the RPG thread, but I might get to play something soon!
If I was really into the tactical combat of 4e, what game should I look into today for a mixed group of new and veteran role players?
I saw a similar question on Reddit recently and someone recommended Strike! that sounded interesting. Apparently it's 4e with a bit of Narrative First thrown in. Might be something to look into?
I strongly disagree with that assessment. It is a narrative game that has an optional bolt on that is heavily 4e influenced. I know that sounds nit picky but I really do not think it is. Strike! is set up that you could resolve combat like all the other checks or you can slot in this huge 4e-esque tactical module if you want. Other than combat Strike! characters tend to be stuff like a list of skills and descriptive ways they can ignore certain rules.
@ DevoutlyApathetic , is that to say you wouldn't recommend Strike! for that purpose? I picked up the PDF but haven't read it cover to cover or anything.
If it helps, I thought the Descent boardgame was a great middle ground for board gamers to get into tabletop RPGs with grids.
In an entirely new group I think Strike! would be great. I think veteran D&D players may miss having a sheet full of stats and what not. This is much like the Dungeon World discussion where I think the game is easier for entirely new players to pick up because they have no assumptions that will lead them astray.
Basic resolution in Strike! is roll a d6. Use one of two charts depending on if you are "skilled" or "unskilled" Results vary from Success with a bonus, Success, Success with a Cost, Twist or Twist with a cost. That's it. Twists don't have to be failures but have the DM describe how things didn't go as planned and the new situation.
That's a huge change from D&D like games. I actually prefer it as a way of telling cool stories which is what a lot of people want out of D&D and it sometimes delivers if the system manages to get out of the way for long enough. Some veteran players will really like it but some will find it to be their kryptonite. There is basically no optimization to speak of and you don't have stats so much as you have skills and some narrative descriptions that do things to you.
On the plus side, the book is incredibly inclusive to folks who are traditionally not represented in RPGs. Like one of the examples features the Mom Barbarian and stuff like that.
Ah, well, I was just going off what I saw said, that it was designed with the combat side first on the SomethigAwful forums to be a 4e replacement.
Oh yeah, I just don't want folks to go into and be taken by surprise. It's heart is a story telling kind of thing but bolts on some fun tactical bits that story games usually completely skip.
As optimizations go, I'm not into specific stat spreads, but I like making mechanical choices that support my character and my build. I suspect the other people in my group are the same.
I like the idea of class and role being separate choices you can combine, but if there isn't much past that it might be a little build-light for some people. Does combat play well enough to make up for that?
Also, thanks everybody for suggestions and impressions!
Strike! never played well in my experience (and I've tried it twice). Not sure why exactly, but it felt like it was stumbling over its intent to be simple.
The impression I got from strike, having backed and read it but never played or run, is that it's modular more than simple. At least as far as the combat stuff goes.
See, I was entertaining the idea of playing a Faceless but I figured the role of "threat to themselves and all around them" was probably going to be covered
See, I was entertaining the idea of playing a Faceless but I figured the role of "threat to themselves and all around them" was probably going to be covered
I expect that, between me and JDark, we've sorta got that locked down.
It's probably a "the more the merrier" situation, though. If you're into that.
Uh..would anyone be interested in playing a pbp game of Tails of Equestria, the My Little Pony rpg? I just feel the need to play something happy. Unless we're all big tough nerds here. Then...what? I don't know who hacked my account, I totally don't have that game. >.>
See, I was entertaining the idea of playing a Faceless but I figured the role of "threat to themselves and all around them" was probably going to be covered
I expect that, between me and JDark, we've sorta got that locked down.
It's probably a "the more the merrier" situation, though. If you're into that.
My current character concept is probably still a threat, just not because of physical violence.
See, I was entertaining the idea of playing a Faceless but I figured the role of "threat to themselves and all around them" was probably going to be covered
I expect that, between me and JDark, we've sorta got that locked down.
It's probably a "the more the merrier" situation, though. If you're into that.
My current character concept is probably still a threat, just not because of physical violence.
My concept isn't directly a threat to anyone in the party, since that's not really a headspace I'm great at getting into (as evidenced by my Paranoia performance).
But the baggage I'm dragging with me is some grade A gonna get everyone killed bullshit.
The only time I was a player in AW I chose the Waterbearer and tried actively protecting my community against violence..... for about one and half session before I shot someone.
Uh..would anyone be interested in playing a pbp game of Tails of Equestria, the My Little Pony rpg? I just feel the need to play something happy. Unless we're all big tough nerds here. Then...what? I don't know who hacked my account, I totally don't have that game. >.>
Considering I took the time to write and run a few games of Don't Rest Your Hooves, I had a good chuckle when I heard an actual, honest-to-god licensed Pony tabletop game was kicking around.
Can't imagine it has rules for ponies losing their shit and going on enraged tirades or becoming antisocial shut-ins when they abuse the power of friendship, but maybe I should actually check it out nonetheless.
Uh..would anyone be interested in playing a pbp game of Tails of Equestria, the My Little Pony rpg? I just feel the need to play something happy. Unless we're all big tough nerds here. Then...what? I don't know who hacked my account, I totally don't have that game. >.>
Considering I took the time to write and run a few games of Don't Rest Your Hooves, I had a good chuckle when I heard an actual, honest-to-god licensed Pony tabletop game was kicking around.
Can't imagine it has rules for ponies losing their shit and going on enraged tirades or becoming antisocial shut-ins when they abuse the power of friendship, but maybe I should actually check it out nonetheless.
No, its definitely true to the show. The system is fairly basic in terms of rolling dice and beating DCs, mixed with narrative game aspects such as the equivalent of Fate tokens, and your Talents/skills basically being anything you want. Cooperation is highly encouraged, as is being a good friend/providing openings for others to have a chance to be a good friend.
I haven't watched since season two but I definitely remember quite a few episodes where one of the main characters arguably went off the emotional deep end when they couldn't find a lesson to write home about/friends didn't come to their parties/no one liked the dresses they made/a dragon was being impolite.
Sounds good for the intended(?) younger(???) audience, though.
Edit: Oh hey, you got a thread up already. Checkin' that out.
I haven't watched since season two but I definitely remember quite a few episodes where one of the main characters arguably went off the emotional deep end when they couldn't find a lesson to write home about/friends didn't come to their parties/no one liked the dresses they made/a dragon was being impolite.
Sounds good for the intended(?) younger(???) audience, though.
I mean, the whole game is sort of about dealing with other ponies/creatures going off the deep end, for sure. But there's no real rules covering when one of the PCs goes nuts. However, each Pony has a Quirk or 2 that is a weakness that when triggers they get a Token of Friendship. Twilight, for example, is shown to have Bossy, so if she were a PC and lets being bossy get in the way of actually succeeding, she'd get a token. Or Rarity has a Fear of Nature and such.
It's definitely directed at a younger audience, but there's also something appealing about a more positive rpg even for adults.
So, if I put together a Symbaroum drop in/drop out campaign with roughly one or two games a week would you guys be interested?
General pitch for the game is gritty fantasy with a big ass forest full of angry elves and a ruined civilization. Go treasure hunting, find artifacts that corrupt you and don't forget to have fun!
The campaign would be an adventuring company (or more accurately some jack off Ambrian noble) funding expeditions into the Davokar forest for various reasons. Based out of Thistle Hold, the fortress town near the woods edge. Because it's drop in/drop out I'd be looking to fiddle with the character creation a little. So uh, boring rules musings below spoiler:
Custom rules that are definitely in:
Instant Death: IE You die if the attack that brings you to 0 Toughness (HP) is above your characters pain threshold (half your HP). This is here because I think it fits the grim world and also it can help with ahem character cycling so the campaign power level stays slightly lower.
Re-Roll for corruption: You can re-roll any action by taking a point of permanent corruption. Considering the campaign takes place in the woods it's a good thematic fit and also allows non mystics (read wizards) to engage with the corruption system more meaningfully.
Roll for Attribute Values: Campaigns based on the forest being scary and people dying. So this is a fun old school option. Will probably give races safety nets for certain stats (IE, you can't be an ogre with 5 Strong. With humans getting the advantage to pick where their safety nets fall.
Roll for races allowed: This is going to be something of my own devising. Basically want to make it so humans are the most common PC's and we don't have like, whole parties of Trolls and Elves venturing from Thistle Hold for some weird reason. So at char gen you roll a dice, higher it is the more species you can pick from. Elves and Trolls the rarest, Goblins reasonably common and the rest somewhat in the middle.
Free Experience creation: You get 50XP at the start and can take up to 2 banes (for a total of 60XP). It's just more interesting compared to the basic method.
Alchemical Weapons (Advanced Player guide): Just means you can't use bombs and so on risk free unless you're trained for them.
To hit both threads that might have people interested in Gritty fantasy death fun.
Weapon Quality: 1d20 (reroll duplicates)
1 Brutal: Reroll 1s for damage
2 Light: Can substitude DEX for STR on attack Attempts
3 Deadly: You roll ULTIMATE on 19s and 20s.
4 Curved: You deal 2d4 damage instead of 1d6.
5 Huge: Requires two hands to wield. Enemies damaged by this weapon may be pushed back from Close to Near, or Near to Far.
6 Wicked: If an enemy that is Close to you moves so as to not be Close to, you may Attempt a melee attack.
7 Heavy: Deals Weapon Effort on a miss.
8 Hooked: Instead of rolling damage on a weapon Attempt, you may deal Weapon Effort and make the enemy Prone.
9 Chain: Double your Battle Fury bonus.
10 Ranged: Can hit enemies up to Far distance, but not enemies Close to you.
11 Thrown: Can hit enemies up to Near distance, but must be picked up if not used at Close distance.
12 Barbed: Enemies dealt damage by this weapon take Weapon Damage if they move on their next turn.
13 Spiked: Enemies dealt damage by this weapon take a random Injury.
14 Double: Requires two hands to wield. If an enemy misses an attack against you by one or two (rolls 14 or 15 vs AC 16), you may immediately STR Attempt to attack that enemy, dealing only Weapon Effort damage.
15 Shield: Deals -2 Weapon Effort. Increase your AC by 1.
16 Dual: If you wield a weapon in each hand, increase your Weapon Effort by 1.
17 Folding: If you are wielding another weapon, you may switch to this weapon as a free action. If you are wielding this weapon, you may switch to another weapon as a free action.
18 Fated: You may reroll failed Attempts with this weapon. If you do, take an Injury.
19 Enchanted: This weapon cannot be broken. Calling to this weapon mentally will instantly summon it to your hand.
20 Vorpal: Whenever you roll a 20 on Attempts this weapon, roll ULTIMATE three times, and take the highest die.
Suffix
1: Of the Hawk (Once per day, gain flight for one room)
2: Of the Cat (Once per day, gain +3 DEX and make no sound for one room)
3: Of the Hound (Once per day, roll ultimate effort when attempting to find something or someone)
4: Of the Wind (Once per day, push any number of enemies you can see within Far range, to Far range, directly away from you)
5: Of the Forest (Once per day, grow a tree or other plant of choice in an area within Far distance. That plant comes to full maturation over the period of five minutes)
6: Of Gore (Gain +3 to weapon ultimate effort)
7: Of Warding (Enemies must make an attempt (10+CHA) to become Close to your character)
8: Of Harmony (Attempts become Easy if at least one ally uses at least a half action to help you perform the task)
9: Of Fortune (Add 1d2-1 when rolling loot box quality)
10: Of Lightning (Triple your base movement when dashing)
12: Of Blight (When you deal magic effort to an enemy, that enemy becomes Easy until the next time it takes effort)
13: Of Carnage (When you deal a killing blow to an enemy, gain an additional half action)
14: Of Light (At will: Shed bright light that dispels even magical darkness)
15: Of the Magus (Once per day, cast two spells in one half action)
16: Of the Vampire (Once per day, heal for weapon effort done to an enemy)
17: Of the Hells (Once per day, gain +3 STR, CON, and flight for one room)
18: Of the Heavens (Once per day, heal magic effort to all allies Near you)
19: Of the Dragon (Once per day, deal magic effort to all enemies Near you)
20: Player's Choice
Curse
1: Thirsty: Your DM picks a beverage of his choice. No drink will quench your thirst unless it is that type of beverage (coffee, tea, beer).
2: Sick: Injuries decrease your scores by an additional 1.
3: Tired: Whenever you roll the higest result on a die, reduce it by one.
4: Angry: If an enemy attacks you, you cannot attack any other target until that enemy is incapacitated or out of sight.
5: Irritable: If another character asks you to do something, make a CHA Attempt or say something snide about them.
6: Gibbering: Whenever you pass a social Attempt, roll another social Attempt. If you fail the second Attempt, you drool all over yourself.
7: Hungry: You constantly have the munchies. If you see food, make a CON Attempt or be compelled to eat it; damn the consequences.
8: Deafening: You can't hear anything coming from farther that Near distances.
9: Slimy: You constantly feel slightly damp and clammy. Your clothes stick to your skin uncomfortably.
10: Corrupting: Whenever your character feels like they may have done something at least ambiguously evil, you feel a compulsive need to laugh maniacally.
11: Coughing: You have a deep, unproductive cough. It interrupts you about every fifth word you speak.
12: DM's Choice
Character Creation
Pick two Professions, two Genetics, and one Background. Divide 6 points between STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA, Weapon Effort, and Magical Effort.
Dealing "Damage" versus "Effort". When you deal Damage, roll the relevant dice and add your stats to the dice results. When you deal Effort, you do not roll any dice, and simply deal damage equal to the type of Effort listed (weapon or magical).
Injuries: Whenever an effect would cause a character to take an Injury, roll on the following list:
1: STR
2: DEX
3: CON
4: INT
5: WIS
6: CHA
7: Weapon Effort
8: Magical Effort
Whatever stat you take an Injury to, you take -2 to that stat until the Injury is healed. Some can abilities cause an Injury to a specific stat, circumventing the need to roll. A character can take multiple injuries, and can take up to two injuries to the same stat.
Professions
Warrior
Weapon Training: Weapons you weild gain Deadly.
Milestones:
1 Gain 1 Heart
2 Armor Training: Whenever you move, you may STR Attempt to ignore all movement penalties.
3 +2 Weapon Effort
Priest
Spell: Faith Healing (WIS Attempt: Heal target in sight for half of Magical Effort)
Milestones:
1 +2 WIS
2 Spell: Lazarus' Blessing (Bless a waterskin, when entire contents are poured on top of a character's head, that character removes a curse, recovers from any injury, or heals for ULTIMATE effort. Only one blessed waterskin can exist at a time.)
3 Prophetic Curse (WIS Attempt on target in sight, target's rolls become hard for this room.)
Thief
Prestidigitakingstuff: DEX attempts invloving stealth, subterfuge, or slight of hand are Easy for you.
Milestones:
1 Sabotage: Whenever you succeed a weapon attempt against a target, you may choose to deal no damage and instead reduce the room DC by 1. Room DCs cannot be lowered more than once this way.
2 Shifty: At the end of your turn, you may move up to half your movement.
3 Weapons you wield gain Light.
Mage
Spell: Magic Missile (INT Attempt on a target in sight, deals Magical Effort)
Milestones:
1 Spell: Teleport (INT Attempt to move an enemy or object in sight to another place in sight. No Attempt required for willing targets. Deals no effort.)
2 Spell: Elemental Form (Your body turns to into pure elemental force, enemies ending their turn next to you take an INT Attempt dealing Magical Effort. Frost Form ends when you lose a heart.)
3 Spell: Force Cage (INT Attempt on a target in sight. Target is encased in a magical cage and cannot move. Force Cage has 1 Heart for every 2 INT of the Mage.)
Wildling
Rough Neck: Always roll ULTIMATE when doing Basic Effort.
Milestones:
1 You can gain the loyalty of any dog-like creature. It can do anything a well trained dog might be able to do. You can only have the loyalty of one such creature at a time. It activates after your turn and does as you command. It has half your hearts and other stats (STR, CON, DEX), and cannot wear or use items.
2 +1 Heart
3 +1 STR +1 DEX OR +2 CON
Occultist
Spell: Black Hex (INT Attempt on each target in sight. Whenever those targets fail an attempt, deal Magic Effort to them.)
Milestones:
1 Possessed Possessions: A weapon you wield becomes possessed by an otherworldly entity of your choice; you may move the entity to different weapons as you please. You may deal 1d6 damage to yourself to ask the DM one question, which he must answer truthfully. If he does not wish to answer the question, reduce the DC of the next room by 1 (Only one question may be asked per room).
2 +2 Magical Effort
3 Dark Pact: Add your Battle Fury bonus to your Weapon and Magical Effort.
Crusader
Spell: Baleful Smite (CHA Attempt on a target you can hit with a weapon you weild. You verbally condemn the target and attack him, dealing ULTIMATE+weapon effort. Can only be used once per room.)
Milestones:
1 +2 CHA
2 +1 Heart
3 Spell: Inspiring Words (CHA Attempt on allies in this room. Allies add your CHA to their next Attempt. Can only be used once per room.)
Scrapper
Flurrious Blows: Whenever you succeed on an Attempt using a weapon, if you had a Battle Fury bonus of at least +1, you may make a second attack.
Milestones:
1 +2 STR
2 Beat Down: STR Attempt to make all Close targets Prone.
3 Gang Up: Whenever you and an ally are both Close to the same target, both you and your ally add your STR to Weapon Effort.
Genetics
Stunty
+1 AC against enemies that are Human size or larger.
+1 to Attempts against enemies that are smaller than Human size.
Milestones
1 Tuck and Roll: You can move through enemy squares. Increase your Stunty AC bonus by 1.
2 Low Center: You cannot be moved unless you wish to be moved. Increase your Stunty Attempt bonus by 1.
Long-Ear
+3 to any Attempts involving hearing.
+3 to any social Attempts (diplomacy, intimidation) while being haughty.
Milestones
1 Tropes: Once per session, another player may say "What do your elf eyes see?". If he does, gain +6 to your next Attempt involving sight in this room.
2 Uberelfe: Once per session, before rolling an attempt, you may declare your people, or your people's culture, to be superior to another's. If the Attempt succeeds, gain +3 to Effort for the rest of the room.
Gruff
+3 to Attempts against any poisons, curses, or diseases.
Whenever you are healed, heal 1 additional health for each Heart you have.
Milestones
1 Callouses and Scars: +1 to AC. Your AC can never be less than 13.
2 Iron Stomach: Once per session you may eat something that would disgust present company. If you do, heal for half of your missing health. You are also immune to damage from acid, poison, disease, or anything that could be described as a green, glowing liquid.
Big Folk
+3 to ULTIMATE Effort.
Reroll failed Attempts made to break stuff.
Milestones
1 Swatting Flies: Once per room, you may make a STR or DEX attempt against a target. If successful, you flick the target, rolling ULTIMATE damage, and knock them back to Far range.
2 Tougher Stuff: +1 Heart if you only have one heart. Otherwise, if you have less than 10hp, you heal to 10hp after moving to a new room.
Lithesome
+3 to Attempts requiring to fit in tight spaces.
+1 to AC against ranged attacks.
Milestones
1 Mousey: You can fit through any opening you can fit your head through. +1 to AC against ranged attacks.
2 Graceful Beauty: Once per session when you make a social Attempts, if you used your physical wiles while doing so, you may reroll a failed Attempt.
Unliving
You don't sleep, heal, or eat normally, instead you consume blood (or brains, or oil, or cogs, or something else), require only 2 hours of rest each day, and cannot be healed by non-magical means.
Whenever you use a Recover action, if you have your special sustenance available, you heal for twice as much.
Milestones
1 Unmortality: Once per session, if something happens to you that shouldn't effect a person of non-mortality such as yourself, you may ignore it.
2 Oral Fixation: Once per session, you may gorge yourself upon your chosen form of sustenance. If you do, gain +2 to all stats and ignore all Injuries for one room.
Animalistic
Choose two of the following.
You have claws/fangs, making your hands/bite double as Light, Brutal weapons, and all melee weapons you wield gain Brutal.
You have a prehensile Tail, which can do anything a prehensile tail could concievably do. You can't attack with it, but you gain +2 to any Attempts in which a prehensile tail would be useful.
You have some wierd type of propulsion, allowing you to climb walls as easy as walking.
You have a reinforced hide, allowing you to ignore damage dealt to you less than 3.
Milestones
1 Gain an additional Animalistic trait.
2
Aberrant
Tiefling/Aasimar/Genasi or whatever
Milestones
1
2
Backgrounds (gives starting items and milestones)
Made Man
Outcast
Hero
Hunter/Gatherer
Farmhand
Noble
Academic
Apprentice
Feel free to ignore these if you're not into homebrew, posting them here lets me keep an online backup!
Weapon Quality: 1d20 (reroll duplicates)
1 Brutal: Reroll 1s for damage
2 Light: Can substitude DEX for STR on attack Attempts
3 Deadly: You roll ULTIMATE on 19s and 20s.
4 Curved: You deal 2d4 damage instead of 1d6.
5 Huge: Requires two hands to wield. Enemies damaged by this weapon may be pushed back from Close to Near, or Near to Far.
6 Wicked: If an enemy that is Close to you moves so as to not be Close to, you may Attempt a melee attack.
7 Heavy: Deals Weapon Effort on a miss.
8 Hooked: Instead of rolling damage on a weapon Attempt, you may deal Weapon Effort and make the enemy Prone.
9 Chain: Double your Battle Fury bonus.
10 Ranged: Can hit enemies up to Far distance, but not enemies Close to you.
11 Thrown: Can hit enemies up to Near distance, but must be picked up if not used at Close distance.
12 Barbed: Enemies dealt damage by this weapon take Weapon Damage if they move on their next turn.
13 Spiked: Enemies dealt damage by this weapon take a random Injury.
14 Double: Requires two hands to wield. If an enemy misses an attack against you by one or two (rolls 14 or 15 vs AC 16), you may immediately STR Attempt to attack that enemy, dealing only Weapon Effort damage.
15 Shield: Deals -2 Weapon Effort. Increase your AC by 1.
16 Dual: If you wield a weapon in each hand, increase your Weapon Effort by 1.
17 Folding: If you are wielding another weapon, you may switch to this weapon as a free action. If you are wielding this weapon, you may switch to another weapon as a free action.
18 Fated: You may reroll failed Attempts with this weapon. If you do, take an Injury.
19 Enchanted: This weapon cannot be broken. Calling to this weapon mentally will instantly summon it to your hand.
20 Vorpal: Whenever you roll a 20 on Attempts this weapon, roll ULTIMATE three times, and take the highest die.
Suffix
1: Of the Hawk (Once per day, gain flight for one room)
2: Of the Cat (Once per day, gain +3 DEX and make no sound for one room)
3: Of the Hound (Once per day, roll ultimate effort when attempting to find something or someone)
4: Of the Wind (Once per day, push any number of enemies you can see within Far range, to Far range, directly away from you)
5: Of the Forest (Once per day, grow a tree or other plant of choice in an area within Far distance. That plant comes to full maturation over the period of five minutes)
6: Of Gore (Gain +3 to weapon ultimate effort)
7: Of Warding (Enemies must make an attempt (10+CHA) to become Close to your character)
8: Of Harmony (Attempts become Easy if at least one ally uses at least a half action to help you perform the task)
9: Of Fortune (Add 1d2-1 when rolling loot box quality)
10: Of Lightning (Triple your base movement when dashing)
12: Of Blight (When you deal magic effort to an enemy, that enemy becomes Easy until the next time it takes effort)
13: Of Carnage (When you deal a killing blow to an enemy, gain an additional half action)
14: Of Light (At will: Shed bright light that dispels even magical darkness)
15: Of the Magus (Once per day, cast two spells in one half action)
16: Of the Vampire (Once per day, heal for weapon effort done to an enemy)
17: Of the Hells (Once per day, gain +3 STR, CON, and flight for one room)
18: Of the Heavens (Once per day, heal magic effort to all allies Near you)
19: Of the Dragon (Once per day, deal magic effort to all enemies Near you)
20: Player's Choice
Curse
1: Thirsty: Your DM picks a beverage of his choice. No drink will quench your thirst unless it is that type of beverage (coffee, tea, beer).
2: Sick: Injuries decrease your scores by an additional 1.
3: Tired: Whenever you roll the higest result on a die, reduce it by one.
4: Angry: If an enemy attacks you, you cannot attack any other target until that enemy is incapacitated or out of sight.
5: Irritable: If another character asks you to do something, make a CHA Attempt or say something snide about them.
6: Gibbering: Whenever you pass a social Attempt, roll another social Attempt. If you fail the second Attempt, you drool all over yourself.
7: Hungry: You constantly have the munchies. If you see food, make a CON Attempt or be compelled to eat it; damn the consequences.
8: Deafening: You can't hear anything coming from farther that Near distances.
9: Slimy: You constantly feel slightly damp and clammy. Your clothes stick to your skin uncomfortably.
10: Corrupting: Whenever your character feels like they may have done something at least ambiguously evil, you feel a compulsive need to laugh maniacally.
11: Coughing: You have a deep, unproductive cough. It interrupts you about every fifth word you speak.
12: DM's Choice
Character Creation
Pick two Professions, two Genetics, and one Background. Divide 6 points between STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA, Weapon Effort, and Magical Effort.
Dealing "Damage" versus "Effort". When you deal Damage, roll the relevant dice and add your stats to the dice results. When you deal Effort, you do not roll any dice, and simply deal damage equal to the type of Effort listed (weapon or magical).
Injuries: Whenever an effect would cause a character to take an Injury, roll on the following list:
1: STR
2: DEX
3: CON
4: INT
5: WIS
6: CHA
7: Weapon Effort
8: Magical Effort
Whatever stat you take an Injury to, you take -2 to that stat until the Injury is healed. Some can abilities cause an Injury to a specific stat, circumventing the need to roll. A character can take multiple injuries, and can take up to two injuries to the same stat.
Professions
Warrior
Weapon Training: Weapons you weild gain Deadly.
Milestones:
1 Gain 1 Heart
2 Armor Training: Whenever you move, you may STR Attempt to ignore all movement penalties.
3 +2 Weapon Effort
Priest
Spell: Faith Healing (WIS Attempt: Heal target in sight for half of Magical Effort)
Milestones:
1 +2 WIS
2 Spell: Lazarus' Blessing (Bless a waterskin, when entire contents are poured on top of a character's head, that character removes a curse, recovers from any injury, or heals for ULTIMATE effort. Only one blessed waterskin can exist at a time.)
3 Prophetic Curse (WIS Attempt on target in sight, target's rolls become hard for this room.)
Thief
Prestidigitakingstuff: DEX attempts invloving stealth, subterfuge, or slight of hand are Easy for you.
Milestones:
1 Sabotage: Whenever you succeed a weapon attempt against a target, you may choose to deal no damage and instead reduce the room DC by 1. Room DCs cannot be lowered more than once this way.
2 Shifty: At the end of your turn, you may move up to half your movement.
3 Weapons you wield gain Light.
Mage
Spell: Magic Missile (INT Attempt on a target in sight, deals Magical Effort)
Milestones:
1 Spell: Teleport (INT Attempt to move an enemy or object in sight to another place in sight. No Attempt required for willing targets. Deals no effort.)
2 Spell: Elemental Form (Your body turns to into pure elemental force, enemies ending their turn next to you take an INT Attempt dealing Magical Effort. Frost Form ends when you lose a heart.)
3 Spell: Force Cage (INT Attempt on a target in sight. Target is encased in a magical cage and cannot move. Force Cage has 1 Heart for every 2 INT of the Mage.)
Wildling
Rough Neck: Always roll ULTIMATE when doing Basic Effort.
Milestones:
1 You can gain the loyalty of any dog-like creature. It can do anything a well trained dog might be able to do. You can only have the loyalty of one such creature at a time. It activates after your turn and does as you command. It has half your hearts and other stats (STR, CON, DEX), and cannot wear or use items.
2 +1 Heart
3 +1 STR +1 DEX OR +2 CON
Occultist
Spell: Black Hex (INT Attempt on each target in sight. Whenever those targets fail an attempt, deal Magic Effort to them.)
Milestones:
1 Possessed Possessions: A weapon you wield becomes possessed by an otherworldly entity of your choice; you may move the entity to different weapons as you please. You may deal 1d6 damage to yourself to ask the DM one question, which he must answer truthfully. If he does not wish to answer the question, reduce the DC of the next room by 1 (Only one question may be asked per room).
2 +2 Magical Effort
3 Dark Pact: Add your Battle Fury bonus to your Weapon and Magical Effort.
Crusader
Spell: Baleful Smite (CHA Attempt on a target you can hit with a weapon you weild. You verbally condemn the target and attack him, dealing ULTIMATE+weapon effort. Can only be used once per room.)
Milestones:
1 +2 CHA
2 +1 Heart
3 Spell: Inspiring Words (CHA Attempt on allies in this room. Allies add your CHA to their next Attempt. Can only be used once per room.)
Scrapper
Flurrious Blows: Whenever you succeed on an Attempt using a weapon, if you had a Battle Fury bonus of at least +1, you may make a second attack.
Milestones:
1 +2 STR
2 Beat Down: STR Attempt to make all Close targets Prone.
3 Gang Up: Whenever you and an ally are both Close to the same target, both you and your ally add your STR to Weapon Effort.
Genetics
Stunty
+1 AC against enemies that are Human size or larger.
+1 to Attempts against enemies that are smaller than Human size.
Milestones
1 Tuck and Roll: You can move through enemy squares. Increase your Stunty AC bonus by 1.
2 Low Center: You cannot be moved unless you wish to be moved. Increase your Stunty Attempt bonus by 1.
Long-Ear
+3 to any Attempts involving hearing.
+3 to any social Attempts (diplomacy, intimidation) while being haughty.
Milestones
1 Tropes: Once per session, another player may say "What do your elf eyes see?". If he does, gain +6 to your next Attempt involving sight in this room.
2 Uberelfe: Once per session, before rolling an attempt, you may declare your people, or your people's culture, to be superior to another's. If the Attempt succeeds, gain +3 to Effort for the rest of the room.
Gruff
+3 to Attempts against any poisons, curses, or diseases.
Whenever you are healed, heal 1 additional health for each Heart you have.
Milestones
1 Callouses and Scars: +1 to AC. Your AC can never be less than 13.
2 Iron Stomach: Once per session you may eat something that would disgust present company. If you do, heal for half of your missing health. You are also immune to damage from acid, poison, disease, or anything that could be described as a green, glowing liquid.
Big Folk
+3 to ULTIMATE Effort.
Reroll failed Attempts made to break stuff.
Milestones
1 Swatting Flies: Once per room, you may make a STR or DEX attempt against a target. If successful, you flick the target, rolling ULTIMATE damage, and knock them back to Far range.
2 Tougher Stuff: +1 Heart if you only have one heart. Otherwise, if you have less than 10hp, you heal to 10hp after moving to a new room.
Lithesome
+3 to Attempts requiring to fit in tight spaces.
+1 to AC against ranged attacks.
Milestones
1 Mousey: You can fit through any opening you can fit your head through. +1 to AC against ranged attacks.
2 Graceful Beauty: Once per session when you make a social Attempts, if you used your physical wiles while doing so, you may reroll a failed Attempt.
Unliving
You don't sleep, heal, or eat normally, instead you consume blood (or brains, or oil, or cogs, or something else), require only 2 hours of rest each day, and cannot be healed by non-magical means.
Whenever you use a Recover action, if you have your special sustenance available, you heal for twice as much.
Milestones
1 Unmortality: Once per session, if something happens to you that shouldn't effect a person of non-mortality such as yourself, you may ignore it.
2 Oral Fixation: Once per session, you may gorge yourself upon your chosen form of sustenance. If you do, gain +2 to all stats and ignore all Injuries for one room.
Animalistic
Choose two of the following.
You have claws/fangs, making your hands/bite double as Light, Brutal weapons, and all melee weapons you wield gain Brutal.
You have a prehensile Tail, which can do anything a prehensile tail could concievably do. You can't attack with it, but you gain +2 to any Attempts in which a prehensile tail would be useful.
You have some wierd type of propulsion, allowing you to climb walls as easy as walking.
You have a reinforced hide, allowing you to ignore damage dealt to you less than 3.
Milestones
1 Gain an additional Animalistic trait.
2
Aberrant
Tiefling/Aasimar/Genasi or whatever
Milestones
1
2
Backgrounds (gives starting items and milestones)
Made Man
Outcast
Hero
Hunter/Gatherer
Farmhand
Noble
Academic
Apprentice
Feel free to ignore these if you're not into homebrew, posting them here lets me keep an online backup!
I'm just pleased to see another ICRPG player. I'm not sure if it would be good Play by Post fodder on here though.
Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce Dawn of Rebellion, a new sourcebook for the Star Wars™ Roleplaying Game line. Dawn of Rebellion is the first sourcebook of its kind, designed to be used alongside any of the three core roleplaying lines. Campaigns using Edge of the Empire™, Age of Rebellion™, or Force and Destiny™—or any combination of the same—will find a wealth of valuable information within its 144 pages. Primarily focusing on the years preceding the Battle of Yavin, Dawn of Rebellion features descriptions, context, and statistics for many of the iconic characters and vehicles appearing in the Star Wars: Rebels television show and in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The might of the Empire is at an unprecedented peak and a successful rebellion seems like a fever dream to all but the most optimistic. Even those who have no personal stake in the Galactic Civil War feel the tremendous impact of this new order.
AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
By the by, this kills my thought that they'll be doing a Force Awakens-specific core rulebook. However, I do now fully expect a Force Awakens-ERA book.
I'm just pleased to see another ICRPG player. I'm not sure if it would be good Play by Post fodder on here though.
I've lost pretty much all faith in play by posts. I'm sure there's some secret to keeping player's attention, but it eludes me.
Yeah, it's tough. When I'd do PbPs with @DaMoonRulz it was easy because we felt empowered to bother each other when it was time to post, but the more moving parts the harder it is to keep up.
At least with ICRPG the players know the HP of everything they're attacking and the difficulty class is the same for everything in the room, and posted as a big number so you can't forget that everything is a 12.
By the by, this kills my thought that they'll be doing a Force Awakens-specific core rulebook. However, I do now fully expect a Force Awakens-ERA book.
Which is totally fine. No real need to keep doing core books we have the three main rule books splat books for the various eras would be able to fill in the era specific stuff needed fine without wasting a lot of pages on redundant rules.
Posts
Loot box: Roll 1d4, 1d6, 1d8, or 1d10 for Quality (as determined by DM)
1: Trap
2: Food
3: Consumable
4: Valuable Item
5: Currency
6: Cursed Item
7: Magic Item
8: Epic Item
9: Legendary Item
10: Artifact
Traps: Mimics, curses, dart traps, etc.
Food: Limited use boons ('Heal 1 heart', '+3 weapon damage for one room')
Consumable: Limited use magical effects (Wand of Healing, Universal Solvent, Scroll of Fly)
Valuable Item: 'Sturdy' quality items, fine art, spell books
Currency: Gold, silver, gems
Item Generation:
Cursed items have 1d2+1 positive traits, 1d2 negative traits, and a Curse. Cursed items will not allow its wielder to make use of any other magic items of the same type until the item's curse is lifted.
Magic items have one quality and one randomly determined trait. Roll 1d3: 1:Prefix 2:Suffix 3:Material
Epic items have one quality, one prefix, and one randomly determined trait. Roll 1d2: 1:Suffix 2:Material
Legendary items have one quality, prefix, suffix, and material.
Artifact items are unique and storied items with powers to be revealed over time and careful study.
1: Sword (Ultimate Effort on 19s as well as 20s)
2: Axe (Can replace basic effort with weapon effort in some situations)
3: Mace (deals 1d8 weapon effort instead of 1d6, +2 to weapon ultimate effort)
4: Spear (Can attack from Near range)
5: Dagger (Can use DEX to damage instead of weapon damage)
6: Flail (Double your Battle Fury bonus)
7: Bow (Can attack from Far range, cannot attack at close range)
8: Crossbow (Can attack from Far range, cannot attack at close range, deals 1d8 weapon effort instead of 1d6, +2 to weapon ultimate effort, cannot be used two turns in a row)
9: 6 Javelins (Can attack from Far range, deals 1d4 weapon effort at close range, -2 to weapon ultimate effort at close range, must be picked up once thrown)
10: Player's Choice
11: Helmet (+1 WIS)
12: Gauntlets (+1 STR)
13: Ring (+1 magic effort)
14: Amulet (+1 CHA)
15: Chestpiece (+1 AC)
16: Cloak (+1 CON)
17: Shield (+1 Heart)
18: Boots (+1 DEX)
19: Pants (+1 INT)
20: Player's Choice
Quality: 1d8
1-4: Average
5: Sturdy (Increase Type bonus by 1, or increase weapon effort by 1 for weapons)
6; Ancient (Increase Material bonus by 1)
7: Enchanted (Increase Prefix bonus by 1)
8: Mastercraft (Increase Suffix charges by 1)
Material: 1d20
1: Iron (+1 to weapon effort)
2: Bronze
3: Steel
4: Pearl
5: Ruby
6: Gold
7: Crystal
8: Ebony
9: Ivory
10: Platinum
12: Mithril
13: Bone
14: Meteorite (
15: Burnt
16: Frozen
17: Earthen
18: Flaming
19: Uranium (Cannot be destroyed or broken under any means)
20: Player's Choice
Prefix
1: Farmer's
2: Monk's
3: Traveler's
4: Warrior's
5: Master's
6: Commander's
7: Knight's
8: Ranger's
9: Duke's
10: Berserker's
12: Slayer's
13: Assassin's
14: Priests'
15: Druid's
16: Sailor's
17: Tracker's
18: King's
19: Demon's
20: Player's Choice
Suffix
1: Of the Hawk (Once per day, gain flight for one room)
2: Of the Cat (Once per day, gain +3 DEX and make no sound for one room)
3: Of the Hound (Once per day, roll ultimate effort when attempting to find something or someone)
4: Of the Wind (Once per day, push any number of enemies you can see within Far range to Far range, directly away from you)
5: Of the Forest (Once per day, grow a tree or other plant of choice in an area within Far distance. That plant comes to full maturation over the period of five minutes)
6: Of Gore (Gain +3 to weapon ultimate effort)
7: Of Warding (Enemies must make an attempt (10+CHA) to enter a square adjacent to your character)
8: Of Harmony (Attempts be Easy if at least one ally uses his entire action to help you perform a task)
9: Of Fortune (Add 1d2-1 when rolling loot box quality)
10: Of Lightning (Roll ultimate effort when dashing)
12: Of Blight (When you deal magic effort to an enemy, that enemy becomes Easy until the next time it takes effort)
13: Of Carnage (When you deal a killing blow to an enemy, gain an additional half action)
14: Of Light (At will: Shed bright light that dispels even magical darkness)
15: Of the Magus (Once per day, cast two spells in one half action)
16: Of the Vampire (Once per day, heal for weapon effort done to an enemy)
17: Of the Hells (Once per day, gain +3 STR, CON, and flight for one room)
18: Of the Heavens (Once per day, heal magic effort to all allies Near you)
19: Of the Dragon (Once per day, deal magic effort to all enemies Near you)
20: Player's Choice
Curse
1: Thirsty
2: Sick
3: Tired
4: Angry
5: Irritable
6: Gibbering
7: Hungry
8: Deafening
9: Dominating
10: Draining
12: Corrupting
13: Passive
14: Slimy
15: Coughing
16: Forgetful
17: Frail
18: Jealous
19: Blinding
20: DM's Choice
Not finished yet, but seems promising.
Today a buddy showed me his Lego Heroica sets that he's used to run some encounters with his kids. It's Lego so potentially cost prohibitive compared to pen and paper RPGs designed for kids, but if I'm going to make a Lego table for my boys anyway...I may as well have the option to make it a mega-dungeon.
@DevoutlyApathetic , is that to say you wouldn't recommend Strike! for that purpose? I picked up the PDF but haven't read it cover to cover or anything.
If it helps, I thought the Descent boardgame was a great middle ground for board gamers to get into tabletop RPGs with grids.
We got a big piece of plywood and sanded and painted it and nailed three big Lego base plates to it and stuck it on top of two roller drawer sets and the kids have a Lego table they can move wherever with built in storage. Could help with this too maybe?
In an entirely new group I think Strike! would be great. I think veteran D&D players may miss having a sheet full of stats and what not. This is much like the Dungeon World discussion where I think the game is easier for entirely new players to pick up because they have no assumptions that will lead them astray.
Basic resolution in Strike! is roll a d6. Use one of two charts depending on if you are "skilled" or "unskilled" Results vary from Success with a bonus, Success, Success with a Cost, Twist or Twist with a cost. That's it. Twists don't have to be failures but have the DM describe how things didn't go as planned and the new situation.
That's a huge change from D&D like games. I actually prefer it as a way of telling cool stories which is what a lot of people want out of D&D and it sometimes delivers if the system manages to get out of the way for long enough. Some veteran players will really like it but some will find it to be their kryptonite. There is basically no optimization to speak of and you don't have stats so much as you have skills and some narrative descriptions that do things to you.
On the plus side, the book is incredibly inclusive to folks who are traditionally not represented in RPGs. Like one of the examples features the Mom Barbarian and stuff like that.
Oh yeah, I just don't want folks to go into and be taken by surprise. It's heart is a story telling kind of thing but bolts on some fun tactical bits that story games usually completely skip.
As optimizations go, I'm not into specific stat spreads, but I like making mechanical choices that support my character and my build. I suspect the other people in my group are the same.
I like the idea of class and role being separate choices you can combine, but if there isn't much past that it might be a little build-light for some people. Does combat play well enough to make up for that?
Also, thanks everybody for suggestions and impressions!
They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
Just like every other time
They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
I'm fairly certain this description applies to at least half of all RPG characters ever.
See, I was entertaining the idea of playing a Faceless but I figured the role of "threat to themselves and all around them" was probably going to be covered
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
I expect that, between me and JDark, we've sorta got that locked down.
It's probably a "the more the merrier" situation, though. If you're into that.
They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
It's not just Apocalypse World for us.
Some nights the GM is working harder than the players to try and keep people alive.
They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
I don't think it's a stretch to say that Apocalypse World is designed around that self-destructive style of play.
My current character concept is probably still a threat, just not because of physical violence.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
My concept isn't directly a threat to anyone in the party, since that's not really a headspace I'm great at getting into (as evidenced by my Paranoia performance).
But the baggage I'm dragging with me is some grade A gonna get everyone killed bullshit.
They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
Tails of Equestria: The Pet Predicament pbp.
Considering I took the time to write and run a few games of Don't Rest Your Hooves, I had a good chuckle when I heard an actual, honest-to-god licensed Pony tabletop game was kicking around.
Can't imagine it has rules for ponies losing their shit and going on enraged tirades or becoming antisocial shut-ins when they abuse the power of friendship, but maybe I should actually check it out nonetheless.
No, its definitely true to the show. The system is fairly basic in terms of rolling dice and beating DCs, mixed with narrative game aspects such as the equivalent of Fate tokens, and your Talents/skills basically being anything you want. Cooperation is highly encouraged, as is being a good friend/providing openings for others to have a chance to be a good friend.
Sounds good for the intended(?) younger(???) audience, though.
Edit: Oh hey, you got a thread up already. Checkin' that out.
I mean, the whole game is sort of about dealing with other ponies/creatures going off the deep end, for sure. But there's no real rules covering when one of the PCs goes nuts. However, each Pony has a Quirk or 2 that is a weakness that when triggers they get a Token of Friendship. Twilight, for example, is shown to have Bossy, so if she were a PC and lets being bossy get in the way of actually succeeding, she'd get a token. Or Rarity has a Fear of Nature and such.
It's definitely directed at a younger audience, but there's also something appealing about a more positive rpg even for adults.
(The bag has the dice, pins, and Mayhem deck.)
COME FORTH, AMATERASU! - Switch Friend Code SW-5465-2458-5696 - Twitch
To hit both threads that might have people interested in Gritty fantasy death fun.
EDIT: Thread up: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/212663/venturing-from-thistlehold-symbaroum#latest
Loot box quality: 1d6, 1d6+5, 1d12+4, 1d12+8
1: Trap
2: Trap
3: Consumable
4: Consumable
5: Consumable
6: Valuable Item
7: Valuable Item
8: Currency
9: Currency
10: Currency
11: Cursed Item
12: Cursed Item
13: Cursed Item
14: Magic Item
15: Magic Item
16: Magic Item
17: Epic Item
18: Epic Item
19: Legendary Item
20: Artifact
Traps: Mimics, curses, dart traps, etc.
Food: Limited use boons ('Heal 1 heart', '+3 weapon damage for one room')
Consumable: Limited use magical effects (Wand of Healing, Universal Solvent, Scroll of Fly)
Valuable Item: Masterwork equipment, fine art, spell books
Currency: Gold, silver, gems
Type of Item: 1d10
1: Helmet (Suffix)
2: Gauntlets (Material)
3: Amulet (Suffix)
4: Ring (Material x2)
5: Boots (Materia + Suffix)
6: Cloak (Suffix x2)
7: Weapon (Material+#Qualities)
8: Legs (+1AC & Material)
9: Chest (+1AC & Material x2)
10: DM's Choice
Number of Weapon Qualities
1: 1
2: 1
3: 2
4: 2
5: 2
6: 2
7: 3
8: 3
9: 3
10: 4
11: 4
12: 5
Weapon Quality: 1d20 (reroll duplicates)
1 Brutal: Reroll 1s for damage
2 Light: Can substitude DEX for STR on attack Attempts
3 Deadly: You roll ULTIMATE on 19s and 20s.
4 Curved: You deal 2d4 damage instead of 1d6.
5 Huge: Requires two hands to wield. Enemies damaged by this weapon may be pushed back from Close to Near, or Near to Far.
6 Wicked: If an enemy that is Close to you moves so as to not be Close to, you may Attempt a melee attack.
7 Heavy: Deals Weapon Effort on a miss.
8 Hooked: Instead of rolling damage on a weapon Attempt, you may deal Weapon Effort and make the enemy Prone.
9 Chain: Double your Battle Fury bonus.
10 Ranged: Can hit enemies up to Far distance, but not enemies Close to you.
11 Thrown: Can hit enemies up to Near distance, but must be picked up if not used at Close distance.
12 Barbed: Enemies dealt damage by this weapon take Weapon Damage if they move on their next turn.
13 Spiked: Enemies dealt damage by this weapon take a random Injury.
14 Double: Requires two hands to wield. If an enemy misses an attack against you by one or two (rolls 14 or 15 vs AC 16), you may immediately STR Attempt to attack that enemy, dealing only Weapon Effort damage.
15 Shield: Deals -2 Weapon Effort. Increase your AC by 1.
16 Dual: If you wield a weapon in each hand, increase your Weapon Effort by 1.
17 Folding: If you are wielding another weapon, you may switch to this weapon as a free action. If you are wielding this weapon, you may switch to another weapon as a free action.
18 Fated: You may reroll failed Attempts with this weapon. If you do, take an Injury.
19 Enchanted: This weapon cannot be broken. Calling to this weapon mentally will instantly summon it to your hand.
20 Vorpal: Whenever you roll a 20 on Attempts this weapon, roll ULTIMATE three times, and take the highest die.
Material: 1d12
1: Iron (+1 STR)
2: Bronze (+1 DEX)
3: Steel (+1 CON)
4: Pearl (+1 INT)
5: Ruby (+1 WIS)
6: Gold (+1 CHA)
7: Crystal (+1 Heart)
8: Ebony (+1 AC)
9: Ivory (+1 Magic Effort)
10: Platinum (+1 Weapon Effort)
12: Mithril (+3 to Ultimate Effort)
Suffix
1: Of the Hawk (Once per day, gain flight for one room)
2: Of the Cat (Once per day, gain +3 DEX and make no sound for one room)
3: Of the Hound (Once per day, roll ultimate effort when attempting to find something or someone)
4: Of the Wind (Once per day, push any number of enemies you can see within Far range, to Far range, directly away from you)
5: Of the Forest (Once per day, grow a tree or other plant of choice in an area within Far distance. That plant comes to full maturation over the period of five minutes)
6: Of Gore (Gain +3 to weapon ultimate effort)
7: Of Warding (Enemies must make an attempt (10+CHA) to become Close to your character)
8: Of Harmony (Attempts become Easy if at least one ally uses at least a half action to help you perform the task)
9: Of Fortune (Add 1d2-1 when rolling loot box quality)
10: Of Lightning (Triple your base movement when dashing)
12: Of Blight (When you deal magic effort to an enemy, that enemy becomes Easy until the next time it takes effort)
13: Of Carnage (When you deal a killing blow to an enemy, gain an additional half action)
14: Of Light (At will: Shed bright light that dispels even magical darkness)
15: Of the Magus (Once per day, cast two spells in one half action)
16: Of the Vampire (Once per day, heal for weapon effort done to an enemy)
17: Of the Hells (Once per day, gain +3 STR, CON, and flight for one room)
18: Of the Heavens (Once per day, heal magic effort to all allies Near you)
19: Of the Dragon (Once per day, deal magic effort to all enemies Near you)
20: Player's Choice
Curse
1: Thirsty: Your DM picks a beverage of his choice. No drink will quench your thirst unless it is that type of beverage (coffee, tea, beer).
2: Sick: Injuries decrease your scores by an additional 1.
3: Tired: Whenever you roll the higest result on a die, reduce it by one.
4: Angry: If an enemy attacks you, you cannot attack any other target until that enemy is incapacitated or out of sight.
5: Irritable: If another character asks you to do something, make a CHA Attempt or say something snide about them.
6: Gibbering: Whenever you pass a social Attempt, roll another social Attempt. If you fail the second Attempt, you drool all over yourself.
7: Hungry: You constantly have the munchies. If you see food, make a CON Attempt or be compelled to eat it; damn the consequences.
8: Deafening: You can't hear anything coming from farther that Near distances.
9: Slimy: You constantly feel slightly damp and clammy. Your clothes stick to your skin uncomfortably.
10: Corrupting: Whenever your character feels like they may have done something at least ambiguously evil, you feel a compulsive need to laugh maniacally.
11: Coughing: You have a deep, unproductive cough. It interrupts you about every fifth word you speak.
12: DM's Choice
Character Creation
Pick two Professions, two Genetics, and one Background. Divide 6 points between STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA, Weapon Effort, and Magical Effort.
Dealing "Damage" versus "Effort". When you deal Damage, roll the relevant dice and add your stats to the dice results. When you deal Effort, you do not roll any dice, and simply deal damage equal to the type of Effort listed (weapon or magical).
Injuries: Whenever an effect would cause a character to take an Injury, roll on the following list:
1: STR
2: DEX
3: CON
4: INT
5: WIS
6: CHA
7: Weapon Effort
8: Magical Effort
Whatever stat you take an Injury to, you take -2 to that stat until the Injury is healed. Some can abilities cause an Injury to a specific stat, circumventing the need to roll. A character can take multiple injuries, and can take up to two injuries to the same stat.
Professions
Warrior
Weapon Training: Weapons you weild gain Deadly.
Milestones:
1 Gain 1 Heart
2 Armor Training: Whenever you move, you may STR Attempt to ignore all movement penalties.
3 +2 Weapon Effort
Priest
Spell: Faith Healing (WIS Attempt: Heal target in sight for half of Magical Effort)
Milestones:
1 +2 WIS
2 Spell: Lazarus' Blessing (Bless a waterskin, when entire contents are poured on top of a character's head, that character removes a curse, recovers from any injury, or heals for ULTIMATE effort. Only one blessed waterskin can exist at a time.)
3 Prophetic Curse (WIS Attempt on target in sight, target's rolls become hard for this room.)
Thief
Prestidigitakingstuff: DEX attempts invloving stealth, subterfuge, or slight of hand are Easy for you.
Milestones:
1 Sabotage: Whenever you succeed a weapon attempt against a target, you may choose to deal no damage and instead reduce the room DC by 1. Room DCs cannot be lowered more than once this way.
2 Shifty: At the end of your turn, you may move up to half your movement.
3 Weapons you wield gain Light.
Mage
Spell: Magic Missile (INT Attempt on a target in sight, deals Magical Effort)
Milestones:
1 Spell: Teleport (INT Attempt to move an enemy or object in sight to another place in sight. No Attempt required for willing targets. Deals no effort.)
2 Spell: Elemental Form (Your body turns to into pure elemental force, enemies ending their turn next to you take an INT Attempt dealing Magical Effort. Frost Form ends when you lose a heart.)
3 Spell: Force Cage (INT Attempt on a target in sight. Target is encased in a magical cage and cannot move. Force Cage has 1 Heart for every 2 INT of the Mage.)
Wildling
Rough Neck: Always roll ULTIMATE when doing Basic Effort.
Milestones:
1 You can gain the loyalty of any dog-like creature. It can do anything a well trained dog might be able to do. You can only have the loyalty of one such creature at a time. It activates after your turn and does as you command. It has half your hearts and other stats (STR, CON, DEX), and cannot wear or use items.
2 +1 Heart
3 +1 STR +1 DEX OR +2 CON
Occultist
Spell: Black Hex (INT Attempt on each target in sight. Whenever those targets fail an attempt, deal Magic Effort to them.)
Milestones:
1 Possessed Possessions: A weapon you wield becomes possessed by an otherworldly entity of your choice; you may move the entity to different weapons as you please. You may deal 1d6 damage to yourself to ask the DM one question, which he must answer truthfully. If he does not wish to answer the question, reduce the DC of the next room by 1 (Only one question may be asked per room).
2 +2 Magical Effort
3 Dark Pact: Add your Battle Fury bonus to your Weapon and Magical Effort.
Crusader
Spell: Baleful Smite (CHA Attempt on a target you can hit with a weapon you weild. You verbally condemn the target and attack him, dealing ULTIMATE+weapon effort. Can only be used once per room.)
Milestones:
1 +2 CHA
2 +1 Heart
3 Spell: Inspiring Words (CHA Attempt on allies in this room. Allies add your CHA to their next Attempt. Can only be used once per room.)
Scrapper
Flurrious Blows: Whenever you succeed on an Attempt using a weapon, if you had a Battle Fury bonus of at least +1, you may make a second attack.
Milestones:
1 +2 STR
2 Beat Down: STR Attempt to make all Close targets Prone.
3 Gang Up: Whenever you and an ally are both Close to the same target, both you and your ally add your STR to Weapon Effort.
Genetics
Stunty
+1 AC against enemies that are Human size or larger.
+1 to Attempts against enemies that are smaller than Human size.
Milestones
1 Tuck and Roll: You can move through enemy squares. Increase your Stunty AC bonus by 1.
2 Low Center: You cannot be moved unless you wish to be moved. Increase your Stunty Attempt bonus by 1.
Long-Ear
+3 to any Attempts involving hearing.
+3 to any social Attempts (diplomacy, intimidation) while being haughty.
Milestones
1 Tropes: Once per session, another player may say "What do your elf eyes see?". If he does, gain +6 to your next Attempt involving sight in this room.
2 Uberelfe: Once per session, before rolling an attempt, you may declare your people, or your people's culture, to be superior to another's. If the Attempt succeeds, gain +3 to Effort for the rest of the room.
Gruff
+3 to Attempts against any poisons, curses, or diseases.
Whenever you are healed, heal 1 additional health for each Heart you have.
Milestones
1 Callouses and Scars: +1 to AC. Your AC can never be less than 13.
2 Iron Stomach: Once per session you may eat something that would disgust present company. If you do, heal for half of your missing health. You are also immune to damage from acid, poison, disease, or anything that could be described as a green, glowing liquid.
Big Folk
+3 to ULTIMATE Effort.
Reroll failed Attempts made to break stuff.
Milestones
1 Swatting Flies: Once per room, you may make a STR or DEX attempt against a target. If successful, you flick the target, rolling ULTIMATE damage, and knock them back to Far range.
2 Tougher Stuff: +1 Heart if you only have one heart. Otherwise, if you have less than 10hp, you heal to 10hp after moving to a new room.
Lithesome
+3 to Attempts requiring to fit in tight spaces.
+1 to AC against ranged attacks.
Milestones
1 Mousey: You can fit through any opening you can fit your head through. +1 to AC against ranged attacks.
2 Graceful Beauty: Once per session when you make a social Attempts, if you used your physical wiles while doing so, you may reroll a failed Attempt.
Unliving
You don't sleep, heal, or eat normally, instead you consume blood (or brains, or oil, or cogs, or something else), require only 2 hours of rest each day, and cannot be healed by non-magical means.
Whenever you use a Recover action, if you have your special sustenance available, you heal for twice as much.
Milestones
1 Unmortality: Once per session, if something happens to you that shouldn't effect a person of non-mortality such as yourself, you may ignore it.
2 Oral Fixation: Once per session, you may gorge yourself upon your chosen form of sustenance. If you do, gain +2 to all stats and ignore all Injuries for one room.
Animalistic
Choose two of the following.
You have claws/fangs, making your hands/bite double as Light, Brutal weapons, and all melee weapons you wield gain Brutal.
You have a prehensile Tail, which can do anything a prehensile tail could concievably do. You can't attack with it, but you gain +2 to any Attempts in which a prehensile tail would be useful.
You have some wierd type of propulsion, allowing you to climb walls as easy as walking.
You have a reinforced hide, allowing you to ignore damage dealt to you less than 3.
Milestones
1 Gain an additional Animalistic trait.
2
Aberrant
Tiefling/Aasimar/Genasi or whatever
Milestones
1
2
Backgrounds (gives starting items and milestones)
Made Man
Outcast
Hero
Hunter/Gatherer
Farmhand
Noble
Academic
Apprentice
Feel free to ignore these if you're not into homebrew, posting them here lets me keep an online backup!
I'm just pleased to see another ICRPG player. I'm not sure if it would be good Play by Post fodder on here though.
I've lost pretty much all faith in play by posts. I'm sure there's some secret to keeping player's attention, but it eludes me.
https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/7/11/dawn-of-rebellion/
Yeah, it's tough. When I'd do PbPs with @DaMoonRulz it was easy because we felt empowered to bother each other when it was time to post, but the more moving parts the harder it is to keep up.
At least with ICRPG the players know the HP of everything they're attacking and the difficulty class is the same for everything in the room, and posted as a big number so you can't forget that everything is a 12.
Which is totally fine. No real need to keep doing core books we have the three main rule books splat books for the various eras would be able to fill in the era specific stuff needed fine without wasting a lot of pages on redundant rules.