TIE-THULHU

So I was over at Elder Signs Press checking out what's new there (they are by far one of my favorite publishing labels for all things weird and Lovecraftian) when I stumbled across this:  Behold, the power of TIE-THULHU!!!

Skills in 4E

So The Fat Hero listed an interesting site presenting a nice PDF presenting three optional approaches to more detailed skills in 4E right here. It's pretty cool, and if you are like me and enjoy using detailed skills as both a mechanism to help define your character better as well as interesting story devices and plot implements, this is a pretty handy little book, and worth taking a look at if you want to add some depth back in the the 4E skill mechanics (without upsetting the apple cart of balance).



Shameless Plug! I of course worked up a detailed skill system for OSRIC not long ago which I have recently been adapting to Swords & Wizardry (it's a pretty straight-foward conversion).

So yeah, I likes me some skillz...

Zombie Survivor Quiz

Find out what sort of Zombie Apocalypse Survivor you are over here!

I came up "Urban Father".....a prediction for the....FUTURE???????

Skynet Day

Well, it looks like Skynet gets to take over at approximately 8:01 PM tonight. I for one welcome our new terminator overlords....!

Heroes of Shadow

So Heroes of Shadow is out and in my possession now. There's been some controversy about this book over at rpg.net, as well as reviews that basically say (and I am paraphrasing here) "great book, but horrible because it favors the Essentials approach over the classic 4E approach." Now having read the book, I shall do a short summary by bullet points:

• Great art. I love the vampire depictions within, and like how three otherwise similar shadowy beings (vrylokas, shade and revenant) are given distinctly different looks and each feel different. I am mildly surprised the dhampir didn't make it in....well, maybe not, since it did get printed in the Dragon Magazine Annual, but that race would have fit in nicely. My wife felt the blackguard illustrations looked too much like the Lich King, however. Probably the HUUUUGE shoulder pads and sword.
• The vampire class is very stark and works extremely well for creating an evocative character that looks, feels and acts like the classic D&D vampire. I weigh powers in 4E by how effective they are at evoking good visuals and RP opportunities, and how appropriate the mechanics are at mirroring what is happening....a bad power presents mechanics that don't mesh well with or support the visuals and intent of the power. This book, and the vampire class especially, are full of very well-thought-out visuals and mechanics.
• The Blackguard is neat looking but haven't messed with it much yet. The executioner assassin is proudly on display in print at last, and I love it; it feels more like an assassin to me than the original one on DDI.
• I love the Binder Warlocks. The Binder Star Pact is a really cool concept, and I really like how the new builds for warlock have added these great summoning options in; summoners are quite well supported now (unlike June of 2008 when their absence was noticeable!)
• Lots and lots of spell powers in this book, most of which are perfectly suited for use with other classes of the same type. Contrary to popular opinion the book frequently mentions "other classes from other sources," as being perfectly suited to the suite of powers in HoS, not just the Essentials Hero books. A lot of sky-falling panic has been going on in various forums and reviews regarding the Essentials format...it seems rather silly to me, reading this book now. The WotC marketing guys must think gamers are a bunch of fruitcakes.
• The new races are interesting. Revenants get into print for the first time, resurrected souls in servitude to the death gods (Raven Queen or whatever).
• Vrylokas are living vampires who sought to steal the power of vampirism and became cursed with blood thirst (think the Blood Countess; they don't really bear any resemblance to the Vrykolakas of Greek lore.)
• Shades are one I was very happy to see return, I had a great shade character (and many NPCs) back in my 1st and 2nd edition AD&D days....I like how they feel; the use of racial substitute utility powers for both the shade and vrylokas is a great way of enhancing a racial theme. Although the shades get a racial limitation on maximum surges (they lose one) this doesn't bother me; I'm too old school to be bothered by the idea of limits in D&D, unlike some others; I think its primarily there to discourage shades from automatically picking the vampire class and becoming uber-stealthed all-but-invisible monsters killing everything in sight without ever being seen. Just my personal suspicion, though.
• The new paragon paths and epic destinies look interesting and are tempting me to start up a shadowfell campaign when the boxed set comes out next month.
• Wizards get a bunch of new school-themed powers, presented as schools for mages from Essentials or as themed power sets for wizards from the PHB. Necromancy and nethermancy are both rather interesting, and I am happy to finally have these options in the game.
• Cause Light Wounds is back for clerics! Woot!

Now, for the disappointing bits!

• There is one page on  new equipment with four items. It seems a bit sparse to me. I suspect that magic items will now be in the appropriate DM's books (in this case, the forthcoming Shadowfell box set next month) so I don't expect this to be a big deal. That said, 4E (including Essentials) has been sticking magic items in to class books, so I am sure that not having magic items in a class book now seems odd. They did stick rules on what ki focus items are (vampires get them as implements) but it would have been very, very handy to stick a few in as examples, I feel.
• The classes are built using the Essentials format and style. This will drive your friends and enemies bonkers if they are really, really hung up on the pre- and post- Essentials style of 4th edition. This may or may not be a good thing, depending on how much you want to hear them rant about it.
• Because this book is written to serve as a sort of bridge between both formats for 4th edition (and be advised that I see Essentials as only adding options to 4E, and do not regard it as a new edition, revision, or even much more than a few handy expansions that happen to work coherently as game on their own) it's missing some key features that pre-Essentials books usually had, namely rituals and multiclassing feats. I would not really expect them to present hybrid rules for the new classes here, however; those rules, cool as they are in the PHB3 are pretty experimental and go against the grain of "optimized for ease of concept" class styles 4E offers, anyway. That said, there's really nothing stopping you from using the multiclass feats in the prior PHBs in conjunction with these classes....so you can make a vampire character who is multiclassed with one of the PHB classes....you just can't make, say, an avenger who can take a vampire multiclass feat. Which is fine with me; I think it would be...weird....to allow such an option, as it would fall in to that hazy "concept supported by mechanics" rule of thumb I use. Better to tell someone who wants that to take a vrylokas or shade as a race and be done with it, I say.
• No rituals is disappointing, though. I suspect that the WotC guys are busy working on a new approach to them, somewhere down the road....we shall see.

Overall, I'm going to give Heroes of Shadow a big thumbs up. Fun to read (well edited too) and filled with great concepts for a thematic campaign in the shadowfell, Ravenloft, or other dark and dreary setting where all the heroes weep tears of angst even as they drain the blood from their enemies.

Combat Maneuvers in Swords & Wizardry

So I was over at RPG.Net as usual when someone was looking for ways to spruce up S&W fighters. I suggested the following maneuvers, based on later edition feats (and then thought, hey, this is what a blog is for). Anyway, the idea would be a fighter can start trained in two of these maneuvers at level 1, gaining a third menauever for which he qualifies at level 8, and a fourth at level 16. Generous GMs could allow paladins, rangers and monks training in one maneuver at level 1 and another at level 12; rogues and assassins could gain training to one maneuver at level 4 and another at level 18. Clerics who follow war gods might be allowed one maneuver at level 1 and another at level 16, at the GM's discretion.

Maneuver Training Summary:
Fighters: two at level 1, then one at level 8 and 16
Paladins, Rangers, Monks: one at level 1 and one at level 12
Assasins, Rogues and Bards: one at level 4 and one at level 18
Clerics of a War God: one at level 1 and one at level 16

Summary of Maneuvers

Dual Weapon Strikes: a fighter (and only a fighter) can get a primary and off-hand light weapon. He can gain a +2 parry bonus to AC with one attack using a parrying dagger, or he can dual-strike, gaining a -2 penalty to both attack rolls but at the possible benefit of getting two strikes in. Note that normal characters default to the standard S&W rules for this kind of attack. Optionally rangers may also be allowed access to this maneuver.

Cleaving Strike: you down an opponent and can immediately make an attack against a second adjacent opponent. Like the combat dominance feature (hitting 1 HD or less creatures) but only applies to two creatures with no HD limit.

Advanced Cleaving: you must have cleaving strike and be level 8 or better; you can cleave until you run out of adjacent enemies.

Weapon Specialization: you can pick one weapon to gain +1 attack and +2 damage with.

Weapon Mastery: requires Weapon Specialization and level 8 or better: you are now +3 attack and +3 damage with that weapon.

Disarm: you can target a foe armed with a weapon at a -4 on your attack roll; if you make it, your opponent makes a saving throw or drops the weapon. If you specialize in whip or net and use this disarm you can snare the weapon instead.

Feinting Maneuver: you can trick your opponent in to mistaking your intentions; you make an attack roll as normal, but instead of damage your target rolls a saving throw. If it fails, you can either deal maximum damage or deal half damage and gain a +2 AC bonus until your next turn.

Knockdown: You wield a large (two handed) weapon and can potentially knock down opponents. If you make an attack roll with a -2 penalty to your attack you can prompt your foe to make a saving throw or he takes damage and is knocked prone. Otherwise he takes half damage if he saved and is still standing.

Sundering Armor: you can target the foe's armor. You take a -4 penanlty to attack, but if you make the hit, roll damage and divide by four (round up), penalizing your foe's armor by that amount. This damage may be permanent; the armor is reduced to scrap if the damage exceeds its armor bonus to AC, and will otherwise require a proficient armorsmith with appropriate percentage of cost to repair. Magical armor may be immune to armor sundering at the GM's discretion.

   GMs could use these maneuvers as special tactics by certain well-trained foes (imagine an ogre with knockdown or Sundering Armor, for example!) and if you allow fighters (or other characters) access, then monsters should definitely use these maneuvers as well.

Get Off of My Lawn!!!!

This video I found via Rock Paper Shotgun really should be a game...

Oh Snap! Vital Survival Information

"Read this NOW if you want to live!"

Trollish Fun

Over on Rpgnow someone was talking about monster races in Dungeons & Dragons 4th and in the course of posting I placed some details on one of the many unpublished monster races I had worked up...trolls (specifically, mihidir trolls of Lingusia). Then I thought, "this is something that should be on the blog," so here it is:

Male Troll Shaman

Trolls (Mihidir)

   In Lingusia there are many different and usually terrifying breeds of troll. Trolls are known by certain scholars as “adaptomorphic.” They can literally change over time to adapt to stressful conditions in the environment. As a side effect of this trait they have notorious regenerative powers, and a keen ability to interbreed and absorb the heritage of other creatures. Trolls for the most part are also notorious for their wide-ranging looks. The hulking barely-humanoid thargonids, theputrid and rotting agammites, the somewhat more humanoid and svelte mihidir and the immense amechian swamp trolls are all effectively the same species, despite being very different physiologically. They can interbreed, they understand the same language and they tend to think in the same way.

   Of the many strange troll breeds, the mihidir of the Lower Dark are the most humanoid, and also the most suitable for an adventuring race. Mihidir have been strong denizens of the underworld caverns of Lingusia for countless eons; the oldest elvish tales speak of mihidir from when they were young, though in the ancient tales of the elves the trolls of that time were described as “perfect giants of form and mind,” a far cry from the multitude of beings called trolls today.

   Mihidir tend to carry the same stock and look; they average seven feet in height, with pasty white, blue, or sometimes green and yellow skin. They have large eyes adapted to perpetual darkness, and the lean, goblinoid facial features most common in the male mihidir. They have overly large hands, feet and noses, and are described by most humans as “constantly looking suspicious.” All mihidir have naturally serrated, shark-like teeth. Some have even suggested that they can regrow teeth over time, just like a shark; some mihidir seemt o have mouths full of these vicious pointed teeth, practically filled to the brim. Mihidir males often have little body hair, or obsessively shave it if they do.

   Female mihidir are surprisingly short, averaging only fix feet in height and usually being leaner and even more human looking. They have fewer teeth, but usually have longer, more wicked claws than the males. Females have much more body hair than males.

   The Mihidir Kingdom is the dominant region of trollish occupation and control in the Lower Dark. The city of the trolls, called Nel’hagon, is located a mile beneath the surface of the human city of Lancaster in central Octzel. The Mihidir have often warred against the humans and dwarves above, often for pure pleasure, using armies of thrall goblins and other denizens of the lower deep as their cannon fodder.

   Mihidir are exceptional for their known cruelty and cunning. Most mihidir, growing up in the deeps of Nel’hagon, undergo a childhood process that almost guarantees they grow up with minds not unlike professional serial killers. Some mihidir escape this process of thought, but they are rare and often leave trollish society as soon as possible.

   Other known mihidir lands include the Kam’garit of Amech, where the mihidir are comprised largely of dedicates to the dark god Belphegor, and the Skidarask of the Bluesky Mountains in southern Hyrkania. Several mihidir tribes can be found in the Throne Mountains and the Mountains of Madness as well, though these tribes are not united and seem to spend more of their time causing trouble in local underworld politics for other beings.

Mihidir Troll Adventurers

Average Height: 7’ to 7’6” tall (males) or 6’ to 6’6” for females

Average Weight: 250-350 lbs.

Languages: Trollish, plus one other (usually Tradespeak or Deep Speech)

Ability Scores: +2 Intelligence and  +2 Constitution or +2 Strength

Size: medium

Speed: 6 squares

Vision: Dark Vision

Skill Bonuses: +2 Intimidation, +2 Endurance

Regeneration: Mihidir trolls heal at an amazingly fast rate. A Mihidir troll gains the Trollish Regeneration power, below.

Claws and Teeth: Mihidir are well armed with natural attacks; gain the tooth and nail at-will basic attack below.

Wicked Cunning: Mihidir are notorious for their sense of cruelty and spite, and gain access to the Wicked Cunning racial encounter power, below.

Trollish Regeneration - Troll Racial Ability

You can heal unnaturally quickly.

Encounter – Minor – Racial

Effect: Expend one healing surge; you gain regeneration 1 until the end of the encounter.

Level 11: increase to regeneration 3

Level 21: increase to regeneration 5

Special: This effect ends if you take fire or acid  typed damage.

Tooth and Nail - Troll Racial Basic Attack

You have hideously sharp, long black claws and an even more terrifying mouth full of cerrated teeth.

At-Will – Standard – Martial, Melee or Unarmed

Special: Choose tooth or claw attack

Target: one foe; Reach 1; Attack: Strength+2 vs. AC

Hit: 1D6+Strength damage (claws) or 1D8+Strength damage (teeth)

Special: Your teeth and claws  are melee weapons for purposes of any exploits, and may be used two-weapon style (two fists or a claw and bite) for exploits such as Twin Strike that require two melee weapons.

Wicked Cunn ing – Troll Racial Ability

You do not play fair, and will take any opportunity you can to rub salt in to the wounds of your enemies.

Encounter – Free – Martial, Melee or Unarmed

Trigger: you inflict damage on an enemy

Effect: do additional ongoing damage to your opponent equal to your Int modifier (save ends).

Mihidir Troll Racial Feats

Mihidir Trap Mastery

   Mihidir trolls are notorious for their expertise at setting deadly traps.

Prerequisite: mihidir troll, Int or Dex 13+

Benefit: You gain a +5 racial bonus to any thievery check to set or reset a trap. If you successfully set the trap, you may add your Int modifier to the damage the trap deals.

Mihidir Bloodlust

   Some mihidir trolls find the blood of humans and other fair races to be intoxicating; some find any blood at all to drive them in to a crazed bloodlust.

Prerequisite: mihidir troll, Con 13+

Benefit: you gain the Mihidir Bloodlust power, below:

Mihidir Bloodlust – Troll Racial Ability

You taste blood and go mad with rage.

Daily – Free – Racial

Trigger: you inflict damage on an enemy with your Tooth and Nail attack using a bite.

Effect: you go in to a bloodlust-filled rage. You automatically gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage for the remainder of the encounter (but could end sooner; see below), and armor class and reflexes are reduced by -2. You gain Resist Psychic 5. You must make at least one melee basic attack or melee exploit on your turn if you start or end your round adjacent to a target; you must move to the nearest target (either friend or foe) on your turn if you do not start adjacent to one and immediately make a melee basic attack or equivalent melee exploit. The bloodlust ends at the end of your first turn in which you can not begin and/or end the turn adjacent to a target against which you can execute an attack.

 Adaptomorphic Heritage

   Trollish physiology is especially good at dealing with strange environmental conditions. You have found that you can adapt rapidly to changing environments.

Prerequisite: mihidir troll, Con 13+, Level 3+

Benefit: you gain one of the following adaptomorphic modifications each time you choose this feat. You may choose this feat multiple times, once for each option below:

Environmental Adaption: you may choose one type of difficult terrain and ignore it (you have learned or changed to walk on it at normal speed). This can’t apply to heat/fire based terrain types.

Elemental Adaptation: choose one form of elemental type (except for fire and acid) and gain Resist equal to your Con modifier against it.

Huge Claws: Your claws grow one size larger for purposes of damage (1D6 claws become 1D8 claws).

More Teeth: Your mouth full of cerrated teeth has expanded, much to the amazement of your fellow trolls. Your bite damage is raised from 1D8 to 1D10.

Fast-Sealing Flesh: You can recover more quickly from repeating damage; gain a +2 save bonus to ongoing untyped bleeding damage.

Sol Station

Stumbled across Sol Station while looking for up-to-date information on known stars in our local galactic neighborhood. Seems like a useful site for information on known local stars and what we've observed about orbiting bodies around them...pretty cool stuff.

I've decided it is time to devise a new hard SF campaign for later this year, and as is traditional I've decided that GURPS Space will do the job best, so I'm planning to construct a detailed "future history" using what we known about local space. The themes for this campaign involve a remote colony (perhaps founded on the 1.5X earth mass body around Xi Scorpii A) that weathered through a long dark age during which the old era of colonial expansion mysteriously ended and about which very little is known. The colony prospered and resumed local space exploration; the campaign opens up with the recovery of lost FTL tech, and the many possibilities it opens up. The premise of course is that the colony wants to figure out exactly what happened to Earth and the other forty-odd colonies that were known to exist at the time all contact was lost and the FTL ships dropped off the grid...and why. Naturally, the Scorpian Colony wants answers, but needs a dedicated organization that's also discreet to handle the job; the absolute and total lack of information about the loss of contact could mean anything: war disrupting the FTL transit lanes permanently, an extraterrestrial influence, natural distaster of some unknown capacity which prevented the use of FTL drives, or some specific agency or conspiracy to drop the Scorpian Colony off the grid...the only thing they know for sure is that no radio communications have been received from any colonies close enough and capable enough of transmitting, and no FTL ships have appeared in 80 years.

Anyway, this is a work in progress, so more to come! I considered several possible games for this campaign, including Traveller, Stars Without Number and BRP, but decided that once again GURPS really does have the best suite of tools for this sort of job.