Wednesday, March 6, 2024

The Time Bandits

Six boisterous dwarves, who, until recently, were employed by the Supreme Being to fix holes in the space-time continuum. Then they had a brainstorm: Why mend the holes when they could slip through them to any destination where loot might be found, with the Supreme Being’s Map of Creation,

 

Randall, the leader

Cha 14 +1  Con 12 +1  Dex 13 +1   Int 17 +2   Str 11 +0    Wis 11 +0

Para 10         Poison 9        Breath 12      Device 10      Magic 11

Armor 15 (leather), Move 120’, 5th Level Dwarf Specialist, 27hp, revolver 1d8, dagger 1d4

Architecture 4, Languages 3, Search 2, Sleight of Hand 2, Stealth 3, Sneak Attack 3

Leather, aviator hat & goggles, bandolier, monocle, pistol, bullets (80), dagger, Map of Creation

 

 

Og, the dumb one

Cha 12 +0   Con 16 +3   Dex 11 +0   Int 11 +0     Str 14 +1    Wis 11 +0

Para 10         Poison 8        Breath 13,     Device 9        Magic 12

Armor 15 (leather and helmet), Move 120’, 2nd Level Dwarf, 22hp, cutlass 1d8

Architecture 3, Open Doors 2

Leather, horned helm, sword

 

Fidgit, the silly one

Cha 14 +1   Con 13 +2   Dex 13 +1   Int 10 +0    Str 10 +0    Wis 10 +0

Para 10         Poison 8        Breath 13      Device 9        Magic 12

Armor 16 (leather and helm), Move 120’, 2nd Level Dwarf, 20hp, dagger 1d4, handaxe 1d6

Architecture 3

Leather, strainer helm, dagger, handaxe

 

 

Strutter, the serious one

Cha 12 +0   Con 18 +4    Dex 13 +1   Int 14 +1   Str 11 +0    Wis 14 +1

Para 10         Poison 9        Breath 12      Device 10      Magic 11

Armor 15 (leather), Move 120’, 3rd Level Dwarf, 28hp, club 1d4, cutlass 1d8

Architecture 3, Languages 2

Leather, bowler hat, spectacles, club, short sword

 

Wally, the grumpy one

Cha 7 -1     Con 10 +1   Dex 10 +0   Int 13 +1     Str 13 +1    Wis 11 +0

Para 8           Poison 6        Breath 10      Device 7        Magic 10

Armor 14, Move 120’, 4th Level Dwarf, 23hp, arquebus 1d8, dagger 1d4

Architecture 3, Languages 2, Open Doors 2

Leather, pirate hat, arquebus, bandolier, dagger, powder & shot

 

Vermin, the quiet one

Cha 9 +0   Con 14 +2   Dex 13 +1   Int 11 +0    Str 8 -1     Wis 14 +1

Para 10         Poison 8        Breath 13      Device 9        Magic 12

Armor 15 (leather), Move 120’, 2nd Level Dwarf, 17hp, dagger 1d4, club 1d4

Architecture 3

Leather, confederate hat, club, dagger


Saturday, March 11, 2023

The Ultimate Pseudo-Historical Fantasy Campaign


I'm planning on running a pseudo-historical fantasy campaign in the near future. I'm gonna set it in some far corner of Siberia, but from the player's perspective it will start as a traditional fantasy game using Swords & Wizardry (or LotFP) for character creation. They wont necessarily know they are on earth, at least not at first. 

I want to use certain old school tools, such as using the advice of starting small in a 100 x 60 mile region using Underworld & Wilderness Adventures to flesh out castles and rulers as we encounter them. if they leave the starting region we'll use the Outdoor Survival map and random encounters from U&WA. 

Dwarves and Halflings are allowed though they are rare and common people will be leery of  them. Elves are evil, I'm gonna use the Elves from Lion & Dragon and run them like Melniboneans, cruel and haughty Fae, stealing children, and luring men under Elf Hills and such.


Depending what the players do, and how long this runs, I have some ideas of what lies to the north and the south. If they go north they'll pass through Blackmoor, LotFP's Weird New World before reaching Mount Meru at the North Pole, where they could discover the openings to the Inner Earth. For that, if it ever happens, I'll use Grimm Aramil's Lexicon Geographicum Arcanum Vol. 1: Species of the Hollow Earth. If the go south they will discover China and the Silk Road (Sword & Caravan). 

I also plan on using a custom version of Jeff Reints' Random Campaign Advancement from Flame Princess Zine #6? Which will slowly move the campaign from high-magic fantasy to mundane low-magic historical. So, dwarves could fade away, or magic and magic-users, or even clerics could lose their abilities. It will all be random so, in classic old school fashion, I have no idea how this world will play out. 

I want to throw in the Lost Dungeons of Tonnisborg somewhere in there.  

I imagine this will be the ultimate campaign that plays out over several IRL years, but who knows, you know how these things go. Plan big, prep small. or something.

Sunday, June 12, 2022

Having Fun is a Lot of Work

Wow, I haven't posted in 4 months. Well, we've been busy gaming, world-building and play-testing. I got some new RPG stuff this year; Swords & Wizardry box set, a bunch of new Lamentations of the Flame Princess books, and the Classic Call of Cthulhu box set that was recently kickstarted. So, we've been busy. 

I got my brother into White Star back in Jan. and we've been playing a weekly game and working on stuff for a White Star compatible project for the future. 

My uncle ran some TSR Marvel Super Heroes, which I had never played before.

And now that the Classic Cthulhu stuff arrived, we've started a Cthulhu campaign. 

So lots of gaming going on and more to be had. I plan to eventually publish a White Star compatible product with my brother at some point, and I have some vague plans for another LotFP compatible adventure. 

So, things are in the works. I'll update again at some point, until then I'm back to it. 

Happy Gaming

Friday, February 18, 2022

Privileged Doctor Class for White Star

This is a class I made just messing around, figured I'd share it. It's a combination of the Aristocrat and the Combat Medic.

Privileged Doctor

From the Core Worlds, a soft rich boy, in some kind of trouble, no doubt. Still has contacts among the Aristocrats, and commands respect from Combat Medics. They earn their keep on a ship by keeping the crew alive.

 Privileged Doctor Advancement

Level

XP

HD

BHB

ST

1

0

1

+0

14

2

1,500

1+1

+0

13

3

3,000

2

+1

12

4

6,000

2+1

+1

11

5

12,000

3

+2

10

6

24,000

3+1

+2

9

7

48,000

4

+3

8

8

96,000

4+1

+3

7

9

192,000

5

+4

6

10

384,400

5+1

+4

6


Privileged Doctor Features
 

Weapon/Armor Restrictions: Privileged Doctors may use clubs, daggers, firearms, laser pistols, mono-daggers, mono-swords, staffs, and swords. They can wear Light Armor, but do not use shields.

 Inspiring Speaker: Privileged Doctors are master orators. They are capable of performing a rousing speech before a crowd of listeners. Often this is used before a pitched battle or to hearten fearful friends. Using this ability requires one round to activate and any allies who hear the Privileged Doctor’s voice receive a +1 bonus to all To-Hit rolls and all Saving Throw rolls made for the next 6 turns.

 Med Kit Specialist: When a Privileged Doctor binds wounds (see White Star: White Box Science Fiction Roleplaying page 47) he heals an additional number of extra Hit Points equal to his Level. This bonus applies whether using a Med Kit or not. A Privileged Doctor may bind wounds at any time, though they must still wait until combat is over if they wish to use a Med Kit. They may only bind wounds once per character during a battle.

 Saving Throw: Privileged Doctors receive a +2 bonus to all Saving Throws made to resist attempts to influence them or cloud their mind.

 XP Bonus for Wisdom: Privileged Doctors with a Wisdom of 13 or 14 receive a 5% Experience Bonus, and those with 15 or higher get 10%.

 Back from the Brink (3rd): Upon reaching 3rd Level the Privileged Doctor is able to revive a character that has been reduced to zero (0) Hit Points within 1d6-3 rounds (minimum 1 round). By using a Trauma Pack and a Med Kit together, the Privileged Doctor brings the character to one (1) Hit Point, although they will remain unconscious for 1d6 hours, during which time no other mundane healing will be effective. Once the healed character wakes up, they must make a Saving Throw, which if successful results in no permanent injury from their brush with death. See Permanent Injury Results below to determine the effects of permanent injury from a failure. In some cases, these injuries can be compensated for with cybernetic enhancements.

 Permanent Injury Table

1d6

Permanent Injury

Effect

1

Lose an eye

-2 on all ranged To-Hit rolls

2

Permanent Limp

-3 to Movement

3

Mangled Arm

-2 on all To-Hit rolls made with a two-handed weapon

4

Shell Shocked

Reduce Wisdom by 1 point

5

Mangled or Lost Hand

Character cannot use two-handed weapons

6

Combat Paralysis

Character becomes paralyzed with fear when entering battle and must make a Saving Throw during the first round of combat or spend the first 1d6 rounds cowering in fear, unable to attack or act other than moving.

 Hospital Administrator (8th): When an Privileged Doctor reaches 8th level he can choose to establish a hospital on a planet or space station. He will need to raise the necessary resources to accomplish this by his own means, but if he is able to do so, followers will arrive to serve him loyally. The Privileged Doctor draws the service of several loyal individuals. Typically this includes a 1st or 2nd level Aristocrat or Combat Medic as well as an entourage of 2d6 normal humans who act as nurses and interns.