tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14463914606920221842024-02-29T03:53:08.474-05:00Kingdoms in TrevailKingdoms in Trevail is an online home for my Dungeons & Dragons ramblings. Here I can create and share and hopefully have a sounding board for my ideas!Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-33075999930056973782014-03-08T10:37:00.000-05:002017-10-24T09:45:45.388-04:00Anyone need an OD&D cover?For those who know the dark places to look for such things, there are a couple of versions of the OD&D booklets combined into a single letter-sized volume. I recently reacquired the particular version I like best, after having lost it in a hard drive crash quite a while ago. This one is formatted in the style of the B/X rulebooks, so I find it suits my tastes quite well. It was, however, lacking a snazzy cover. So, I took a bit of time and whipped one up. While I can't share the book itself here, I can offer my cover for those who want to use it.<br />
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The 12 MB PDF is ><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/npz94hrmn818s98/OD%26D%20Combined%20Cover.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">here</a><. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-70299782098552489702013-08-02T19:00:00.000-04:002013-11-30T09:40:16.880-05:00Ten QuestionsLate to jump on the bandwagon here, but this seemed like a fun exercise to help nail down some concepts and background for my campaign...<br />
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Without further ado, my answers to Random Wizard's "<a href="http://randomwizard.blogspot.com/2013/07/top-ten-troll-questions-for-your-game.html">Ten Questions</a>." There are a few other sets of these around and maybe I'll try to answer those too, just to round things out. We'll see.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Race (Elf, Dwarf, Halfling) as a class? Yes or no?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Yes, definitely. I cut my teeth on B/X, and still run Classic D&D. I strongly believe in races being archetypal in my campaigns, so Race-as-Class is a given. That said, I also believe more variety for my players is better, and makes them happier, so I use the ACKS model of multiple racial classes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px;">Do demi-humans have souls?</span><br style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="font-family: Droid Sans;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Honestly, I never gave this one much thought. My players haven't tried to have anyone <i>Raised</i>, so it hasn't come up. I use fey races that do not. My elves are more fey than BTB elves, so they would not either. The other "standard" demi-humans in Caldera (d</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">warves, halflings and orcs</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">) do.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Ascending or descending armor class?</span></b></span><br />
Ascending. Heretical, I know. I use an attack bonus combat system rather than tables or Thac0 and just convert descending on the fly.<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Demi-human level limits?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Theoretically, yes. Got to give they some reason to play humans. Of course, I haven't had anyone reach the limit either so it hasn't mattered in practice.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Should thief be a class?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Absolutely. Didn't start on OD&D, so for me the thief has always been a core class. I don't like the granularity of percentile skills though, and use a modification of the thief in Delving Deeper which allows improvement of the skills.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Do characters get non-weapon skills?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">That they can choose from? No. Skills related to your class are built into the classes, plus I'll wing it based on the player's character concept and background.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Are magic-users more powerful than fighters (and, if yes, what level do they take the lead)?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Eventually, yes. It's part and parcel of the class. Just need to survive long enough to develop that power. When do they take the lead? Not really sure - I suppose that's variable depending upon the spells they've chosen over time.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Do you use alignment languages?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">No, don't make any sense to me. I use cultural/regional human languages instead.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">XP for gold, or XP for objectives (thieves disarming traps, etc...)?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Primarily just for monsters and gold. Using your class abilities to reach your objectives is your job. Do your job, you find treasure and then gain your XP from it.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Which is the best edition; ODD, Holmes, Moldvay, Mentzer, Rules Cyclopedia, 1E ADD, 2E ADD, 3E DD, 4E DD, Next ?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Droid Sans;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Best is ridiculously objective. I have my preferences (Moldvay, Mentzer, RC) but pull the bits I like from anywhere I happen to find them, regardless of edition.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Droid Sans;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Bonus Question: Unified XP level tables or individual XP level tables for each class?</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Droid Sans'; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Individual. It's part of the "balance" between classes as I see it.</span></span><br />
Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-7628614853553310372013-05-17T11:42:00.003-04:002013-05-17T11:42:27.076-04:00More OGL Musings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've rambled on in the past about my waffling on the OGL. I don't play Labyrinth Lord or Swords & Wizardry for the most part. I own the real D&D books - B/X, Rules Cyclopedia, OD&D - and primarily use those as my references when I run my game at the table. I play D&D, as heavily house-ruled as it may be, as opposed to one of the clones. As a result of that house-ruling and such, I need to be able to share those changes and additions with my players. My issue has long been that I also want to share my creations with the online community, but at the same time, I'm too lazy to do it right, all OGL-legal and official.<br />
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It was actually <a href="http://rpgcharacters.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/why-my-books-arent-in-pdf/">this post</a> by Dyson Logos, where he explains his reasoning behind NOT sharing his work in a PDF format, that ultimately clarified my own position on the OGL.<br />
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I find great inspiration in the boundless creativity of the online OSR community. Blogs, forums, Google+: These all contribute a wealth of information and like most other gamers I'm sure, I make great use of what I find. Sometimes it's used whole cloth, other times it tweaked, folded or mutilated into something I can use. But for something that will ultimately only be used at my table, I don't want to be bothered keeping track of where exactly I found a particular useful tidbit - who wrote it, it's OGL info if there even is any. Credit where credit is due, yeah that's important, but mostly it's not very recognizable as the original material anyway. To be honest, I don't know where the line is that makes it the original OGL content they shared versus something inspired by that, but no longer the same.<br />
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Artwork is also an issue. I;m no artist and my booklets and documents I use at the table are all gussied up with real artists copyrighted works. I don't have permission to use them and could never get it. But you know what? I decided I don't really care. I'm not making a penny sharing this stuff, and I see it as free advertising. If someone ever sees their work in a PDF I post on the blog here and wants it pulled, then just ask and I'll remove it, or put a credit in there if that's enough to satisfy. I'm not a dick.<br />
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So here's how it will work going forward. I love to see other peoples house rule books, campaign guides and all that (Outland and Planet Eris, I'm looking at you). It's great to see how they've lovingly done all the layout work to ape the format of the OD&D booklets, or the old Mystara Gazetteers, and<i> that's</i> the cool looking stuff I want to share too. Part of the fun for me is playing around in Photoshop making covers and fiddling with layouts and making things look pretty and "official." Making the houserule and player reference booklets I throw out on the table for my players look like real supplements to the books I use as DM. It is what it is, and I want to share the fruits of those labors. Occasionally, I'll throw a PDF up here someplace for people to look at if they are interested They won't be legal, or OGL compatible in any way. Just your run of the mill fan works. They'll use trademarked D&D terms or TSR era content WOTC won't let us use in OGL products. They'll have art and non-TSR content that may or may not be credited to the creators. These are documents I made for me, not for you, but I also don't want them to languish on my hard drive with no one but me getting any use out of them. Enjoy them for what they are.<br />
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Want to use anything I actually wrote myself? Want to keep it legal? I posted <a href="http://kingdomsintrevail.blogspot.com/2011/07/note-on-open-gaming-license.html">here</a>, back in 2011, that stuff I posted here on the blog was shared under the OGL. That will continue to be the case. Like Dyson's maps and content on his blog, the content posted here on the blog is yours to use, and if it contains someone else's OGL content, that will be indicated as required by the terms of the license. Steal away.Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-42311618268958995722013-04-17T08:00:00.000-04:002013-04-17T09:38:37.120-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day everyone! I know you've all got a lot of blogs to get through today, so I'll try not to keep you here too long. Anyway, I'm sure there are plenty of blogs with much better content than this sad thing - I just wanted to share a little something and be a part of the fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I thought I'd take a two-pronged approach and talk just a bit about what I'm doing with S&W. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Kingdoms in Trevail Fantasy Campaign</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">First, know that WhiteBox is my edition of choice. While I like tweaks that Matt added in the "final" version </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">he released into the wild, I ultimately decided to stick with the BHP version. I've got the booklet PDFs, so I can easily print off table copies of only the booklets my players will need to reference, while keeping all the DM info out of their grubby hands. I've also got the hardcover single-volume for my own reference. In the tradition of OD&D, I've got a separate supplement booklet that covers my changes of the core game: new classes and races, house rules and such.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Chrome - A Cyberpunk Supplement</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've talked about my love of the cyberpunk genre in the past and won't rehash that here. Suffice it to say, while it's Shadowrun I enjoyed the most, and one I envision doing a retro-inspired game as a long-term project, my shorter-term goal is to hash out a supplement for OD&D, Delving Deeper, S&W or whatever your rules-light system of choice may be. I chose WhiteBox because of it's elegance and the fact that a couple of it's unique features will lend themselves to my vision. Double-statted AC and Single Saving Throw- I'm looking at you! The S&W supplement will let me work out the basics of a near future rules set - firearms, vehicles and drones, computer hacking and so on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Paying the Piper: Some Examples</b></span><br />
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<b>The "Success Escalation" Skill Check</b><br />
Within the rules of OD&D is a rudimentary skill system which carried on through the Holmes rules and into the B/X and BECMI box sets. Under those rule sets we see a base 1 in 6 chance for a PC to accomplish a desired task. In addition, there will be special cases where a particular class or race expands those chances to 2 or even 3 in 6.<br />
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With that as a base, I use the following system: First, I've established that any PC can attempt a given task at a base 1 in 6 chance of success. If the task is judged to fall within the realm of the PC's class, the base chance of success is increased. At 1st level the base chance of success is 2 in 6. This increases to 3 in 6 at 5th level and 4 in 6 at 10th level.<br />
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All skill checks are made by rolling 3d6, with "successes" at the chances noted above, resulting in 1, 2 or 3 successes for a given skill check. In cases where the skill check results in a binary yes/no result, a single success is all that is required for the PC to have accomplished his goal. However, there will often be cases where the degree of success is important. Negotiation for the purchase or sale of merchandise, gathering of information, or perhaps the determination of how long it takes to pick a lock or disarm a trap, for example. One success yields a positive result, but under sub-optimal conditions. Two successes is an average success, merely adequate. Finally, three successes indicates a n exceptional result.<br />
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So to illustrate, using the purchase of a rare item as our example:<br />
1 Success - PC barters poorly, item available for purchase, but at 150% of the rulebook price.<br />
2 Successes - Average results, item can be had at the standard price.<br />
3 Successes - PC is a smooth talker, dickers the price down to just 50% of the standard price.<br />
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<b>A "Kingdoms In Trevail" Fantasy Race</b><br />
<b>The Orc</b><br />
The brutish Orc is the most primal of the demi-human races, most typically found in the borderlands and on the fringes of society. Their tough and war-like nature means that Orcs are often employed as mercenary shock troops or scouts for wilderness exploration. Orcish culture tends to be militaristic, as if they themselves realize that the enforcement of strict order is all that keeps them from reverting to wild beasts.<br />
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Orcs usually range from 6’ to 6 1/2’ in height and weight 200+ pounds. You must have a minimum Strength of 12 to play an Orc character.<br />
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<b>Orcish Race Abilities</b><br />
<i>Character Advancement: </i> Most Orcs advance as Fighters, and may progress as far as 6th level. More rare is the Orc Shaman, who may advance to 4th level as a Magic-User.<br />
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<i>Weapon and Armor Restrictions: </i> Seemingly born with a weapon in their hand, Orcish fighters excel in the arts of war and consequently have no weapon or armor restrictions. Orcish shaman have no weapon restrictions, however they are limited to leather armor only.<br />
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<i>Saving Throw:</i> Due to their inherent toughness, Orcs make all Saving Throws as if they were two levels higher.<br />
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<i>Languages:</i> or campaigns which give each race their own dialect, Orcs should be able to speak the languages of goblins, hobgoblins and gnolls.<br />
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<i>Wild Instincts:</i> Orcs have an uncanny ability for threat detection. They will only be surprised on a roll of 1 in 6 and this danger sense applies whether the source is natural, magical or supernatural.<br />
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<i>Intimidation:</i> Orcs may use their ferocious reputation and brutish appearance to bully and intimidate others into obedience. They receive a bonus to reaction rolls as if their Charisma were two points higher.<br />
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<i>Stealth:</i> When in the wilderness, Orcs are skilled at using the terrain to move without being noticed by his prey or his enemies.<br />
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While I do have some of the details of Chrome worked out, I think I'll keep those under my hat a bit longer and save them for another day. There are a heck of a lot more blogs for you to go check out today and I won't keep you here any longer.<br />
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Happy Gaming - Swords & Wizardry style!<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-943372179692009072013-04-08T19:00:00.000-04:002013-04-08T19:00:01.702-04:00The Host<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THIS one...</td></tr>
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Having a 13 year old daughter, it should come as no surprise to anyone in a similar position to know that she wanted to go see The Host this past weekend. Based on a novel by Stephanie Meyer, the brains behind Twilight, needless to say I was not overly enthused. My vote was for Olympus Has Fallen. But being the Dad of the Year, I took one for the team to go see it with her.</div>
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I do try to go into these things with an open mind, and maybe pull something interesting from it for my game. The story is essentially a love triangle with a twist. Alien invaders have taken over the planet, aside from small pockets of human resistance. The aliens are a parasitic species who are implanted into a human host body and take it over, usually crushing the original spirit/consciousness of the human. Of course this time it isn't that easy and the original person and the parasitic alien need to share the body, kind of anyway. So, two people in one body, they naturally fall in love with two different people. Blah. Still, not the utter trash I had expected it to be and I did get an idea or two.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-seSkAKP79FM/UWMBRY5i2nI/AAAAAAAADLM/UNOGm5e3wE0/s1600/The-Host-asian-horror-movies-24234793-350-467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-seSkAKP79FM/UWMBRY5i2nI/AAAAAAAADLM/UNOGm5e3wE0/s200/The-Host-asian-horror-movies-24234793-350-467.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NOT this one.</td></tr>
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<br />I did like the idea of the parasitic controllers with a noticeable "tell." Infected humans eyes change so it's obvious they are controlled by the aliens. Might be an interesting cyberpunkish future setting point. Aliens controlling people, resistance trying to blend in and can mimic the eyes via surgery or something.<br /><br />Was it a great movie? No. But if your young tween daughters want to go see it, you could have it worse. It could be Twilight... One thumb up.</div>
Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-53167482133743454952012-11-28T14:01:00.001-05:002012-11-28T14:01:31.940-05:00Bookshelf LemmingSo, James over at Grognardia does his thing, and we all follow along like good little lemmings. That said, it's pretty cool to see everyone's RPG collections, so I'm game as well...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top Shelf</td></tr>
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Just a very small selection compared to many, it seems. I have<i> tons </i>on PDF, but since it's mostly for reading or reference, not playing, there's no dead tree versions.<br />
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Here we have my digest-sized homemade booklets: OD&D and supplements, (including Jason Vey's Conan, Mars, etc.), S&W White Box booklets, digest sized versions of 'zines like ODDities and Footprints, Encounter Critical, Terminal Space and other assorted goodies. My reference stack of Shadowrun/Cyberpunk books. I still have delusions of making a B/X based version someday. Also some binders full of printouts. It's settings mostly: Greyhawk (folio & box), Forgotten Realms (original grey box), the old JG Wilderlands, and a few Mystara Gazetteers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N6Vklk7N3eI/ULZcv0UKQqI/AAAAAAAACt0/hjXE-NhXmRo/s1600/IMAG0191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N6Vklk7N3eI/ULZcv0UKQqI/AAAAAAAACt0/hjXE-NhXmRo/s400/IMAG0191.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom Shelf</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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My other shelf is mostly D&D stuff - some "real" books, others printed and bound. We've got the AD&D 1E core books, my RC, and a pile of either TSR or OSR classic D&D goodies. S&W Core and Complete, a bit of Savage Worlds stuff. I want to run some zombie apocalypse using SW at some point. And yes, even a set of 3.5 core rulebooks. Binders are printouts of modules and Mentzer BECMI.<br />
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Cheers!Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-16549165733094192312012-03-15T22:04:00.001-04:002012-03-15T22:04:16.363-04:00Map Scaling or How Big Is This Place?Even before I starting working on the Caldera map, I was struggling a bit with the question of scale. If one looks to the gold standard of hex mapping - the Mystara/Known World maps from the Gazetteer series - we see that TSR used a few scales, primarily 72, 24 and finally 8 miles per hex.<br />
<br />
If you are unfamiliar with these awesome maps, I'll point you to The Piazza, and the <a href="http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=148">archive of maps</a> lovingly recreated by Thorfinn Tait. Go check them out, I'll wait... Good? Then I'll continue.<br />
<br />
Starting with the island continents I presented in the <a href="http://kingdomsintrevail.blogspot.com/2012/02/caldera-birth-of-world.html">last post</a>, I spent quite a bit of time zooming in and out, playing with the hex templates from Welsh Piper. I had a few issues I wanted to hash out: how big, overall, should Caldera be? What combination of scales let's me zoom from a reasonable "atlas" view down to Regional and Campaign Area maps? I knew I wanted my "standard" to be 6 mile hexes rather than the 8 mi of the Mystara maps, having been convinced of the utility of that scale by a number of good articles around the web, which I am too lazy to find and cite for you right now.<br />
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Here's where I ended up. First is a new overlay on the mapgen island graphic, scaled to 150 miles per hex, rather than the 300 I shared previously. I can then take individual islands and map them in Hexographer at 30 mi/hex - a 5:1 zoom. That's analogous to TSR's 24 mi maps. Eventually, I can puzzle them all together to recreate the world map overview at 30. From there, I can use the Child Map feature of Hexographer to do another 1:5 zoom and get my Regional maps at 6 mi/hex - right where I want to be. If I want to zoom in one last step for campaign maps, I can go 6:1 and have 1 mile hexes. There is also the option of the Judges Guild hexes that are 25:1, I think, for really close zooms.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-okM48XFQqAY/T2Kfd10IqMI/AAAAAAAABzQ/vOc7J-N_EE4/s1600/Caldera---KW24-Comaprison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-okM48XFQqAY/T2Kfd10IqMI/AAAAAAAABzQ/vOc7J-N_EE4/s640/Caldera---KW24-Comaprison.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Just for comparison's sake, I offer the Known World and Caldera's central 3-Island cluster:Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-45504218185012251412012-02-28T21:54:00.000-05:002012-02-28T21:58:01.413-05:00Caldera: Birth of a WorldThe creation process can be a difficult one for me. I have ideas that I want to integrate into my game, but find that I struggle to put them on paper in a way that satisfies me. My creativity ultimately is quite derivative - I troll the web until I find something, or many somethings, that are close to what I envision, then massage them together and end up with something I'm reasonably happy with. A "big picture" view of my game world was one of the things I have never been satisfied with, but eventually the pieces seem to fall into place.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ADtZEPfIs24/T02KEVurzkI/AAAAAAAABt4/-ydCzEjTHMA/s1600/CraterLakeAerial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ADtZEPfIs24/T02KEVurzkI/AAAAAAAABt4/-ydCzEjTHMA/s200/CraterLakeAerial.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What if this is the known world?</td></tr>
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<div>
The first piece of the puzzle was <a href="http://www.welshpiper.com/nerd-therapy/">a post</a> just after Christmas by Erin Smale of The Welsh Piper. He points to a cool vector-based creation tool that makes island maps, called <a href="http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~amitp/game-programming/polygon-map-generation/mapgen2.swf">MapGen2</a>. I tried my hand at making<a href="http://kingdomsintrevail.blogspot.com/2009/05/colored-map.html"> my own world map</a> but... meh. With maps via MapGen, I'm getting what I really wanted. </div>
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A couple of weeks later, a was half-listening to the TV while my kids were watching something and hear a word that flipped a switch in my brain. "Caldera". The gears started to spin, and I began to contemplate a place where the entirety of the world was contained within an enormous volcanic caldera. Like Crater Lake, only... bigger, with each island a continent in and of itself. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHQgziRfwl4/T02KC2nn1OI/AAAAAAAABtw/zZPOtrTQ4jQ/s1600/Caldera_World.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="617" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHQgziRfwl4/T02KC2nn1OI/AAAAAAAABtw/zZPOtrTQ4jQ/s640/Caldera_World.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The World of Caldera</td></tr>
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<div>
<br />
Some time spent cycling through random island maps garnered a dozen or so that I liked gave me enough to work with. I pulled up Photoshop and set to mixing and matching them, re-sizing, rotating and tweaking to taste. Now I have a starting point and can drop these into <a href="http://www.hexographer.com/">Hexographer</a> and move forward.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dMKi-Qbs6BM/T02KBo6UCnI/AAAAAAAABto/rrpZdNAHvhs/s1600/Caldera_GameHex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dMKi-Qbs6BM/T02KBo6UCnI/AAAAAAAABto/rrpZdNAHvhs/s400/Caldera_GameHex.jpg" width="346" /></a>And so Caldera was born. Drop a couple of Erin's <a href="http://www.welshpiper.com/hex-templates/">hex templates</a> over the whole thing and I now have a world map (Atlas Template, at 300 miles/hex) and pulled out a Regional map and from there I chose a single 300 mi hex to focus on for my Trevail campaign map.</div>
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This bit is pulled from the middle of that triple-island cluster in the center. We'll see what comes of it all.</div>Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-73971470082436488712012-02-19T10:45:00.000-05:002012-02-19T10:45:54.004-05:00Thoughts on Prestige Classes and Other 3isms in Classic D&D<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SQjRaVWd8k4/T0EUQawTcaI/AAAAAAAABtA/nwVmrHA6h14/s1600/35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SQjRaVWd8k4/T0EUQawTcaI/AAAAAAAABtA/nwVmrHA6h14/s200/35.jpg" width="200" /></a>I'm not sure if I've touched on this in the blog or not - maybe back in one of the first posts. I've played D&D in one form or another since '81. Moldvay ==> 1E ==> 2e from middle school through college. After that I no longer played tabletop, having no regular group to get together with. I continued to get my RPG fix via video games, both PC and console, playing "real" D&D games when I could, and eventually played and enjoyed Bioware's Neverwinter Nights I & II. Those two games in particular were based on the 3.0 and 3.5 rulesets - my only experience with either one. When my then-too-young daughters expressed interest in playing then after seeing me do so, I took the opportunity to introduce them to the tabletop RPG - I mean, who among us would miss that window?<br />
<br />
Seeing that 3.5 was too complex, I thought back on my own gaming history and without hesitation realized I wanted the old box set I started with so many years ago as the tool to teach them the game. A bit of internet research led my to RPGNow and PDFs of the Mentzer basic and expert sets - Moldvay/Cook was not available. That was, what, almost 5 years ago now, and one of the girls still plays. A weekly BEMCI game I run, and she's recently started playing 4E with friends from school. Turns out one of the teachers runs a 4E game club and the kids are also playing it on their own. Awesome.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gnKi3bXqHqE/T0EUQvkT5RI/AAAAAAAABtI/T0SfE-LhO40/s1600/PF+Box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gnKi3bXqHqE/T0EUQvkT5RI/AAAAAAAABtI/T0SfE-LhO40/s320/PF+Box.jpg" width="320" /></a>So where is all this going, you ask? Well, here's the thing. I've found myself firmly settled into the Classic family of D&D - whether B/X, BECMI/RC, Labyrinth Lord or whatever. For the level of rules crunch I enjoy and have time to commit to memory, those games hit the sweet spot. But to be honest, if I was a teenager again and had the all but unlimited time to game I did back then, I'd be all over 3.5, or rather Pathfinder now. All those options and reams of fluff would be heavenly. I always loved (and still do) reading game books nearly as much as fantasy fiction. It's a bit of a shame that the kids are playing 4E rather than Pathfinder since it would give me an excuse to blow the $35 on a Pathfinder Beginner Box. I'd love to read it. I had bought a 4E Starter Box out of curiosity over Essentials - I gave her that to use since I never will, having read through it already.<br />
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Damn it - get to the point man! Prestige classes? 3isms?<br />
<br />
Ok, ok... Despite not wanting the full level of crunch that 3.5 has to offer, it still have plenty of offer my game. Skills and feats, races and classes, monsters and magic: these can all be mined for ideas that I can simplify and use in my game. One idea in particular, though, really interests me - prestige classes. <a href="http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=32159&hilit=prestige+classes">As far back as 2008</a> was was looking at them and wondering how to incorporate them. Not just 3.5 style classes, but 2E kits and other "advanced" options for non-standard class choices. A year ago, the ever prolific map-maker Dyson Logos - who shares scads of other great content on his blog beyond the maps - did a series of posts on <a href="http://rpgcharacters.wordpress.com/2011/02/12/old-school-dd-prestige-classes-glantri-style-2/">"Glantri-style" prestige classes</a>. The Glantri Gazeteer for Mystara introduced a system of specialized sub-classes - specifically schools of magic - and Dyson took that concept and showed how you could easily use to to introduce any prestige classes you wanted into your game in an amazingly elegant fashion.<br />
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I want to use this as the basis for adding some things back into my game. The RC had a wonky system for Paladins, Knights, Avengers and Druids - being something you could switch to after 9th level. Interesting idea, but too limiting for my taste. Cue Glantri as a way to use some of that without creating full class progressions for them.<br />
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I can see using the system to add in paladins and knights as specific orders or organizations for fighters or clerics, schools or magic as originally used in Glantri and many other things. Some I'd like to do eventually:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Assassins - not just for thieves either</li>
<li>Martial arts styles - no full monk/mystic needed</li>
<li>Bladesingers or Dwarven Defenders - a little demi-human specialization</li>
</ul>
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Let's show the much-maligned Prestige Class some love, shall we? It's not that bad an idea old-schoolers!</div>Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-63906957086922470422012-02-03T22:57:00.001-05:002012-02-03T22:57:16.237-05:00A Few Minutes of Your Time...JB over at B/X Blackrazor has put together a little survey in an effort to gather some information on just who is playing D&D, or has in the past. Not really a marketing survey, but more of a way to gather info on what people are playing or want to play, when they started and so on.<br />
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Just fill in the answers in a spreadsheet and email it back to him. Seems worthwhile, so I'd encourage you to take a few minutes and help him out!<br />
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<a href="http://bxblackrazor.blogspot.com/2012/02/rpg-gaming-survey-your-help-needed.html" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">http://bxblackrazor.blogspot.com/2012/02/rpg-gaming-survey-your-help-needed.html</a>Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-62284957277709853192012-02-02T23:00:00.000-05:002012-02-02T23:00:01.456-05:00Equipment Packs for Faster ChargenOne of the ideas I've seen around the boards is to use "Equipment Packs" at character generation to speed up that process. It seems as if picking out all your gear is what slows down chargen, and with something as simple as S&W, I wanted to move things along. These are likely most useful for pick-up games or introducing new players to the game. I imagine more experienced players can get set up quickly enough just picking their gear from the limited lists available in WhiteBox.<br />
<br />
The packs detailed below as primarily based on "<span class="subtitle"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Equipment Packs: A Basic Fantasy Supplement" </span></span>by Shayne Power, available at <a href="http://www.basicfantasy.org/">basicfantasy.org</a>. I've tweaked them for WhiteBox, and added a Bard option as well. Bear in mind this is still subject to change...<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calligrapher; font-size: 14pt;">Equipment “Fast Packs”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In order to speed the character creation process for new players, all characters start with the Basic Pack and a class-based pack of their choice. They may also spend their additional gold on the bonus packs, on items from the normal equipment list or to upgrade weapons or armor in their class pack. With the referee's approval, a character may swap a given weapon for one of similar power (e.g. a Battle Axe in place of a Long Sword).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calligrapher; font-size: 10pt;">Basic Pack<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Backpack; Torches (6); Flint and steel; Waterskin; Bedroll; Rations, dried (7 days); Sack, large; Sacks, small (2); d6x10 gold pieces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calligrapher; font-size: 10pt;">Cleric<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Pack 1:</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Leather armor; Shield; Holy Symbol; Holy water (1 vial); Mace.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Pack 2:</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Leather armor; Club; Holy water (2 vial); Holy Symbol; Sling; Sling bullets (30).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calligrapher; font-size: 10pt;">Fighter<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Pack 1:</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Chain Mail; Shield; Long sword.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Pack 2:</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Chain Mail; Pole arm.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Pack 3:</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Leather armor; Long sword; Short bow; Quiver; 20 arrows.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calligrapher; font-size: x-small;"><b><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calligrapher; font-size: 10pt;">Magic-User<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Pack 1:</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> 1 scroll with a random </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">first level spell; Daggers (2); </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Staff.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Pack 2: </span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Daggers (2); </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Staff; 50gp.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calligrapher; font-size: 10pt;">Thief<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Pack 1:</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Leather armor; Thieves' tools; Short sword; Daggers (2); Rope, silk (50’).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calligrapher; font-size: 10pt;">Bard<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Pack 1</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">: Leather armor; Daggers</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(2); Musical instrument of choice.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calligrapher; font-size: 10pt;">Bonus Pack 1 (20gp)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Chalk, small bag of pieces; Grappling hook; Rope, hemp (2x50'); Lantern, hooded; Oil (3 flasks); Tent, small (one man). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calligrapher; font-size: 10pt;">Bonus Pack 2 – Ready for Anything (10gp)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Glass bottle; Iron Spikes (12); Pole, 10' wooden; Map or scroll case; Mirror (small), steel.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<i><b>OGL Section 15 Addendum:</b></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Equipment Packs: A Basic Fantasy Supplement Copyright 2009, Shayne Power.</span></div>Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-75195317352035227602012-01-31T20:08:00.000-05:002012-01-31T20:08:16.725-05:00The Pellet Crossbow, or Stonebow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bX9SSIwLG2Q/TydRQfe_vLI/AAAAAAAABo8/SY5n-8_mbJ8/s1600/Pellet+Crossbow+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bX9SSIwLG2Q/TydRQfe_vLI/AAAAAAAABo8/SY5n-8_mbJ8/s320/Pellet+Crossbow+2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
This past summer, while visiting Cleveland, I was able to take the time to visit the fantastic Cleveland Museum of Art, and tour it's utterly amazing Armor Court. While full of an impressive array of arms and armor, one piece struck me in particular - an odd, double-stringed crossbow labeled as a "pellet crossbow."<br />
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Invented in the late 14th century, and reaching the height of popularity by the late 1700s, the pellet crossbow, also known as a stonebow, was used primarily for hunting or target practice.It is a light crossbow, with a double string holding a pouch or pocket. The stonebow fires small stones, clay pellets or steel bullets, comparable to sling ammunition.<br />
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In D&D terms, it is an idea weapon to introduce to a campaign to add to the cleric's list of available weapons. With greater range than a simple sling, the pellet crossbow increases the cleric's effectiveness in missile combat situations. Below, I've statted out this fascinating weapon for OD&D/Swords & Wizardry and Classic D&D/Labyrinth Lord, as well as a more detailed work-up for the Weapons Mastery system of Rules Cyclopedia/Dark Dungeons.<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>OD&D, Swords & Wizardry: WhiteBox</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Crossbow, Pellet</i> Damage: 1d6-1 Rate of Fire: 1 Range: 50 ft. Weight: 5 lb. Cost: 20 gp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Pellets (20)</i> Weight: 1 lb. Cost: 1 gp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>B/X, BECMI, Labyrinth Lord</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Crossbow, Pellet </i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Damage: 1d4+1 </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rate of Fire: 1 Range: 60/120/180 Weight: 5 lb. Cost: 20 gp</span><br />
<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pellets, Crossbow (10)</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Weight: 5 lbs. Cost: 1 gp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>Rules Cyclopedia, Dark Dungeons</u></b></span><br />
<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crossbow, Pellet</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Damage: 1d4+1 Rate of Fire: 1 Range: 50/100/150 Encumbrance: 50 cn Cost: 40 gp Notes: a,c,m,s,2H,M</span><br />
<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pellets, Crossbow (30)</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Encumbrance: 5 cn</span> <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Cost: 1 gp</span><br />
<u><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Level Range Damage Defense Special</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">BS 50/100/150 1d4+1 -- --</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">SK 50/100/150 1d6+2 M:-1AC/1 Stun(s/m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">EX 70/120/160 1d6+4 M:-2AC/2</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Stun(s/m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">MS 70/120/160 P=2d4+4 M:-2AC/3</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Stun(s/m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> S=1d8+4 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">GM 80/130/160 P=2d6+4 M:-3AC/3</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> Stun(s/m)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">(P=H)</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> S=1d10+4</span>Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-63788899051015074172011-12-23T11:13:00.000-05:002011-12-23T12:35:35.284-05:00Happy 30th Anniversary!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1qFsAQqOtlk/TvS3HsDAZDI/AAAAAAAABmI/NhnkG7GTtj4/s1600/basic-set-300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1qFsAQqOtlk/TvS3HsDAZDI/AAAAAAAABmI/NhnkG7GTtj4/s320/basic-set-300.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Iconic Moldvay Box Set</td></tr>
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In 1981, TSR published it's D&D Basic box set, edited by Tom Moldvay. That famous box with it's dragon adorned cover by Erol Otus was my introduction to the game, as it was for countless others who trace their gaming heritage back to the early 80's. It's hard to believe that I've been involved with this hobby for 30 years now.<br />
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I don't recall particularly being a fan of fantasy when I was young - at least not before I received a copy of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings for Christmas while I was in 6th grade. The following year, Christmas of 1981, the same relative who had given me that Tolkien box set put yet another box under my tree, and it's contents cemented my love of fantasy for the rest of my life. There is something special about your first time, and I've <a href="http://kingdomsintrevail.blogspot.com/2010/09/imagining-d-response.html">commented before</a> about how the artwork from this box is what I see in my head when I think "D&D".<br />
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My first fumbling attempts at playing the game began quickly, with me acting as DM while my best friend Tim tackled the Caves of Chaos. I can't really recall any details, but I remember that Tim and I, plus a few others, got involved with a gaming club that met weekly at our middle school library after school. My gaming continued from there, evolving through AD&D, then 2nd Edition as I played through high school and college. I took off a lot of time after that, not coming back to gaming until my kids were older and showed some interest.<br />
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Not surprisingly, I went back to that same basic set that I learned on to teach them the game. There's some variation now, as I meld the Rules Cyclopedia, the Mentzer box sets, Labyrinth Lord and other bits and bobs into my game, but for all that, it's still "Basic" D&D that I play - coming full circle. 30 years, and I'm right back where I started...Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-42761291409192715642011-10-19T18:24:00.004-04:002011-12-23T12:14:40.508-05:00Another Cover Preview?I'm currently mulling over how I want to share my work. Do I go the legal route and release under the OGL? I should, yes, but it's a lot more work to create new OGL translations of things in TSR products that I want to use. They'll be done right that way, of course, and compatible with Labyrinth Lord or Swords & Wizardry, or whatever system I choose to publish for.<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g9v8Z5a7WUM/Tp9L0BBh4JI/AAAAAAAABg0/WYZe2wZqAJI/s1600/Trevail-Gaz-Preview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g9v8Z5a7WUM/Tp9L0BBh4JI/AAAAAAAABg0/WYZe2wZqAJI/s400/Trevail-Gaz-Preview.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art by Gordon Napier, used with Permission</td></tr>
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My quandary is that I don't run a LL or S&W game anymore, I run Mentzer D&D, or Rules Cyclopedia, or however you want to refer to it. So really, at my table, I want the "real" D&D stuff, since I'm using the "real" D&D rules. Sigh. I have some conversations going on a couple of the forums, so if you ahve any thoughts - pop in and offer your opinion there, or do it here. There are threads at the Swords & Wizardry forum, Dragonsfoot, and the OD&D Discussion forum, if you care.</div>
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In the meantime, here's a little taste of what the cover <i>could</i> be, if I go the illegal pseudo-TSR route and ape the trade dress of the Mystara Gazetteer books. I have permission to use the art in a free product, so even if I have to do my own original cover, it'll be this awesome pic. My campaign is drifting towards a fey, Irish sort of mythos, and I think this captures that.</div>
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Thoughts?<br /><br /></div>Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-12426814138437258202011-10-16T22:42:00.002-04:002011-10-16T22:42:40.063-04:00RIP Dan Wheldon<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CkrvIenA5uU/TpuV56QMhDI/AAAAAAAABgs/iHRcFwCAxNc/s1600/dan-wheldon_114938379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CkrvIenA5uU/TpuV56QMhDI/AAAAAAAABgs/iHRcFwCAxNc/s200/dan-wheldon_114938379.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan Wheldon 1978 - 2011</td></tr>
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The racing world lost a good man today. Dan Wheldon died while competing in the IndyCar season finale in Las Vegas. I met Dan at a couple of races and he was always friendly and a complete gentleman to both me and my girls. He will be missed.<br />
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My heart goes out to his wife and young sons.Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-38961663969750185012011-09-15T13:23:00.001-04:002011-09-15T13:24:42.152-04:00TPK = New Beginnings<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZycrhXCFl30/TnIv6fgpwvI/AAAAAAAABfs/lw0j2xepvPQ/s1600/ramat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZycrhXCFl30/TnIv6fgpwvI/AAAAAAAABfs/lw0j2xepvPQ/s1600/ramat.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Begone foul demon!</td></tr>
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For the past 5-6 months I have been running a game of Swords & Wizardry:WhiteBox for my kids and some friends. Sadly, they made some poor decisions last night - their third session in Brave Halfling's fun little <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=59388">"Ruins of Ramat"</a>. In general, the kids have done really well in their tactical decision making and have run when they needed to, to stay alive. Last night, however, that all came to an end. The tentacled demonic guardians (see right) proved to much and the party failed to escape.<br />
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In a way, this is a good thing, I think. I started them out using the WB rules to simplify things since a couple of the players were newbies to tabletop RPGs. My intention all along though, was to roll the campaign over to Classic D&D using the Rules Cyclopedia - my rules set of choice. We'd discussed it recently and I was getting closer to doing some conversion work on their characters to start using the RC rules. The TPk actually gives us a chance to start fresh and the kids have ideas for new characters they want to try anyway. At the same time, the discussion of PC choices and what type of game they want to play has allowed me to further develop my view of just what kind of game world Trevail really is and I have some grist for new ideas now.<br />
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A TPK isn't a bad thing necessarily - don't be afraid to use it for a new beginning and turn it into a win-win situation for the DM and PCs!Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-11445022220199812202011-09-11T02:39:00.000-04:002011-09-11T02:41:19.835-04:00A Style PreviewBelow are some mock-up front and back covers for a supplement booklet compiling all my house rules and additions for S&W:WB that I use in my game. <br />
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Apologies to Mark Allan for ripping his artwork for the cover. I do credit him inside. :-) If I was to use this piece, I realize it could only be for my private use and if I shared this supplement on the blog here, it would need to be art free, or at least have artwork I have permission to use.<br />
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I've asked Matt Finch, the author and publisher of S&W about the legality of copying the "trade dress" i.e. cover design of his work and this post is primarily a way to show him what I would like to do. That said, additional comments are always welcome!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-THPE7g53LUg/TmxW9X-hQxI/AAAAAAAABdw/GmiSghmbL4Q/s1600/Trevail_Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-THPE7g53LUg/TmxW9X-hQxI/AAAAAAAABdw/GmiSghmbL4Q/s1600/Trevail_Back.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-30716669859690442422011-07-06T23:00:00.000-04:002011-07-06T23:00:26.842-04:00A note on the Open Gaming LicenseAny gaming content that I post here on the blog will be free to use under the terms of the OGL. I've added a tab at the top of the blog detailing the "core" OGL statement which covers anything I post here. In addition, at the bottom of my posts, I'll add an "OGL Copyright Addendum" if I've used anything from someone else's OGL materials.<div><br />
</div><div>Let me know if that's unclear or if you have any questions!</div>Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-55822291547338270442011-07-04T22:06:00.006-04:002011-07-06T23:06:24.684-04:00As promised... A WhiteBox Thief<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3SDCCmIvFrM/ThEySflBusI/AAAAAAAABX8/37tIZtdOLNY/s1600/Thief+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3SDCCmIvFrM/ThEySflBusI/AAAAAAAABX8/37tIZtdOLNY/s320/Thief+2.jpg" width="116" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><b>©Steve Willhite. Elfwood.com</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I began my gaming career on Christmas Day 1981 when I received the Moldvay Basic box set. My view of D&D has, therefore, been forever colored by the expectation that it includes FOUR base classes: Cleric, Fighter, Magic-User and, for good or bad,Thief. When I settled on S&W: WhiteBox as my rule set of choice to introduce my middle-schoolers to the Great Game, I felt I needed to add the Thief to the core 3 found in S&W:WB. I spent (as I usually do) far too long searching the interwebz for a Thief I liked - one that "felt right" - since I really do like the streamlined presentation of the classes in WhiteBox. I found any number of interesting variations and ultimately settled on a couple of core resources for not only the Thief, but most of my other customizations and additions as well.<br />
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One is the <a href="http://swcompanion.wikidot.com/">S&W Companion</a> site and White Box Heroes by Salvatore Macri (skathros) and the other is Knockspell magazine, the house mag for <a href="http://stores.lulu.com/mythmere">Mythmere Games</a>. There is a ton of information to be mined there, under the OGL, and while it isn't perfect for my needs, it's a great place to start. So back to the Thief...<br />
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This boy has undergone a few changes as I've gotten closer to what's working for me. I started with the WB Heroes thief, and re-worked the skills to use d6s rather than the d20 skills used originally. Then I switched things up and used some ideas from Knockspell Issue No. 2. After more tweaking, I ended up with this one, which I think fits my sense of WB style better. Without further ado...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b></b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Calligrapher; font-size: 14pt;">The Thief<o:p></o:p></span></b></b></span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A figure in the shadows, an expert in stealth and delicate tasks, this is the Thief. Locks, traps, and scouting are their trade; they are the eyes and ears of the adventuring party, tackling the inanimate perils of the dungeon itself. In combat they are not the equal of armored Fighters or Clerics, but instead rely on knowledge and specialized skills to get them safely into and out of the dangerous places where treasure is to be found. They are the scouts; the treasure seekers; and when necessary, the deadly blade that strikes from the shadows without warning.<br />
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A</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">ll Thieves must be either Neutral or Chaotic in alignment. Elves, dwarves, halflings and orcs may all become thieves with no maximum level limitations.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b></b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><b><span style="font-family: Calligrapher;">Thief Class Abilities<u style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></u></span></b></b></span></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Weapon/Armor Restrictions:</b> Thieves may use any one-handed weapon, and they are limited to armor weighing no more than leather. They may not use shields.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
<b>Backstab:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> When attacking from behind or from hiding (see Stealthy Movement below), the Thief inflicts double damage with a successful attack. At levels 5-8, damage is tripled, and after 9th level the attack inflicts quadruple damage.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><br />
Extraordinary Climbing:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Thieves may climb normally inaccessibly vertical surfaces at the rate of 10ft for every two levels per round. At the Referee’s discretion, extreme circumstances may require a die roll to determine success.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
<b>Keen Detection:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> The Thief is skilled at spotting hidden and concealed doors. Thieves are also keen listeners, whether it’s overhearing conversations in a tavern or through a door in a quiet dungeon. At first level, a Thief detects secret doors and hears noises on a roll of 1-2 on 1d6. This increases to 1-3 at third level, 1-4 at sixth level, and 1-5 at ninth level.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
<b>Dexterous Manipulation:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> With the nimblest of fingers, Thieves are able to perform feats of manual dexterity such as picking pockets or palming small items. With the appropriate tools, they can also attempt to disarm small mechanical traps or open locks. They are successful on a roll of 1-2 on 1D6. This increases to 1-3 at third level, 1-4 at sixth level, and 1-5 at ninth level.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
<b>Stealthy Movement:</b> The Thief is a master of sneaking and hiding. He is able to hide in the smallest shadows to avoid discovery and move nearly silently, with a movement rate of 1 per level.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
<b>Establish Gang (9th):</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> At ninth level, a Thief may establish a stronghold and attract a number of lesser thieves who will recognize him as their boss and serve him so long as his activities continue to provide them with a steady supply of ill-gotten gains.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
<b>Saving Throw:</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Thieves gain a +2 bonus on saving throws in situations where quick reflexes or dodging would help them avoid injury, such as against traps, breath attacks.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
<b>XP Bonus for Dexterity</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">: Dexterity is the Prime Attribute for Thieves, meaning that a high dexterity score grants them an additional 5% experience.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calligrapher; font-size: 10pt;">Thief Advancement Table<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.4pt;" valign="top" width="55"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Level<o:p></o:p></span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 92.5pt;" valign="top" width="123"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Experience<o:p></o:p></span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Hit Dice (d6)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">BHB<o:p></o:p></span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 67.0pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">Saving Throw<o:p></o:p></span></b></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-pattern: gray-15 auto; mso-shading: windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.4pt;" valign="top" width="55"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-pattern: gray-15 auto; mso-shading: windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 92.5pt;" valign="top" width="123"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">0<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-pattern: gray-15 auto; mso-shading: windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-pattern: gray-15 auto; mso-shading: windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">+0<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-pattern: gray-15 auto; mso-shading: windowtext; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 67.0pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">14<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.4pt;" valign="top" width="55"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">2<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 92.5pt;" valign="top" width="123"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1,500<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">2<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">+0<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 67.0pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">13<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 6.75pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;"> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; height: 6.75pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.4pt;" valign="top" width="55"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; height: 6.75pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 92.5pt;" valign="top" width="123"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">3,000<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; height: 6.75pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">2+1<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; height: 6.75pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">+0<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; height: 6.75pt; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 67.0pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">12<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;"> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.4pt;" valign="top" width="55"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">4<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 92.5pt;" valign="top" width="123"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">6,000<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">+1<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 67.0pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">11<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;"> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.4pt;" valign="top" width="55"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">5<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 92.5pt;" valign="top" width="123"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">12,000<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">4<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">+1<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 67.0pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">10<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;"> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.4pt;" valign="top" width="55"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">6<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 92.5pt;" valign="top" width="123"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">24,000<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">4+1<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">+2<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 67.0pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">9<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7;"> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.4pt;" valign="top" width="55"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">7<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 92.5pt;" valign="top" width="123"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">48,000<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">5<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">+2<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 67.0pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">8<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 8;"> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.4pt;" valign="top" width="55"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">8<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 92.5pt;" valign="top" width="123"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">96,000<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">6<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">+3<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border: none; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 67.0pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">7<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 9;"> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.4pt;" valign="top" width="55"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">9<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 92.5pt;" valign="top" width="123"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">192,000<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">6+1<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">+3<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="background: #D9D9D9; border: none; mso-background-themecolor: background1; mso-background-themeshade: 217; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 67.0pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">6<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 10; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 41.4pt;" valign="top" width="55"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">10<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 92.5pt;" valign="top" width="123"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">384,000<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">7<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 66.95pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">+4<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 67.0pt;" valign="top" width="89"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">5<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i><b>OGL Section 15 Addendum:</b></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Knockspell Magazine Issue #2, Copyright 2009, Matthew J. Finch<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">White Box Heroes Copyright 2009, Salvatore Macri</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 7pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-35133263895790023072011-07-03T17:41:00.000-04:002011-07-03T17:41:30.115-04:00A Welcome to my Non-Gaming FriendsBeing a gamer is an odd hobby. Most of us don't really talk about it too much, or at least go into detail about it. In today's internet age with World of Warcraft and the multitude of other rpg-styled games, being a "gamer" doesn't necessarily have the stigma attached to it that it once did. Still, we typically won't say much until we've got a feel for someone and how they might handle the revelation that you play Dungeons and Dragons, or whatever game. Friends, family, co-workers... you probably don't really "get" what we enjoy doing in our free time.<br />
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I put a post on my Facebook wall today and invited those folks to come see what I do here. If you, gentle reader, are one of those - Welcome! Feel free to become a follower of the blog, just to see what I ramble on about, if you're into that sort of thing. For me, I think it might be interesting to see a non-gamer's point of view on some of the things I write about here, even if you don't get into gaming yourself.<br />
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I hope you aren't too weirded out, but at 42, I yam what I yam, ya know?<br />
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Caio!Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-89937654771065646412011-07-03T16:34:00.003-04:002011-08-13T10:20:48.368-04:00I'm Actually Playing The Game!So, I haven't been very active here on the ol' blog, you may have noticed. Not that I ever was. :-)<br />
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I've always had a fairly severe case of Gamer ADD and seem to flit from project to project, interest to interest, so it's hard to ever finish anything. Still, I stay interested in a couple of projects - both my cyberpunk game and developing Trevail, my gameworld. Part of the problem is that I have two systems I want to write for. Swords & Wizardry: WhiteBox is awesome and I want to support it by eventually publishing both projects as supplements for that game. But my true love for a system is still Rules Cyclopedia! GRRR!<br />
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As my post title implies, I'm actually running a tabletop game, so while the cyberpunk project sits dormant, I <i>am</i> working on stuff for Trevail. We've been playing for almost 5 months now, meeting weekly, except for the occasional week we needed to skip. Not bad right? My group consists of four players. Three kids, one mine, and a couple friends, plus an older friend of mine. My friend Rich, and Paul (one of the kids) have some gaming experience, both with AD&D second edition. My daughter Shannon has some BECMI under her belt, and Robyn, our fourth only had a bit of online RPG experience. All in all a mixed bag of gaming experience and maturity, so it's been a challenge as a fairly inexperienced DM.<br />
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To start things off relatively simply for the beginners, I chose WhiteBox as our system. In pre-game discussions, Paul indicated he wanted to play a Bard, and of course there wasn't one for WB. I did some research and found some examples, plus looked at 2E, since that's what he was used to playing, and eventually bashed something up. Since the Bard is a thief variant in 2E, I ended up working up one of those too, again based on other things I found outline. Never satisfied, I've continued to tweak them to a level I felt fit the WB presentation and I think I'm pretty happy with them now. Also working on orcs as a playable race.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WvtTSb4w-cw/ThDQBwGjtCI/AAAAAAAABXg/z5HySfeWagc/s200/esrans-isle-city-map-web.jpg" width="170" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://rpgcharacters.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/friday-map-esrans-isle-a-fantasy-city/">Esran's Isle by Dyson Logos</a></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'e also been working on some maps, trying to flesh out a small sandbox region for the group to explore. I plug in small adventures try to seed rumors for the party to follow. One great source has been the awesome maps by <a href="http://rpgcharacters.wordpress.com/">Dyson Logos</a>. I strongly recommend you check them out if you haven't heard of him yet. That awesome city map over there is going to be fleshed out as the major city in the region I'm detailing. I'm using <a href="http://unknownzine.blogspot.com/2010/10/freecity-of-haldane-docx.html">Haldane</a> as a template for how I want to do that.<br />
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As a group, they seem to have taken to the game and ruleset and I've already talked about rolling the game over to Rules Cyclopedia. For the most part, it will be a mostly transparent change for them, I think, and will let me run the system I really want to be using. I'm not ready to do it right away, but it will happen once I'm ready.<br />
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So where does that leave us here? I'm going to try and be more active on the blog as a way to force myself to keep working on the game. I'm going to post my WB classes, and eventually compile it into a supplement form <i>ala</i> Greyhawk or Blackmoor were for OD&D. It may be just houserules and classes - rules stuff like those old supplements were - and eventually work in the setting stuff, more like <a href="http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2011/04/blackmarsh-setting-is-released.html">Rob Conley's Blackmarsh</a>, though I doubt it'll ever be that good... I also would like to post some game night pics and session report type things.<br />
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Finally, I'll need to work up some of this stuff for Rules Cyclopedia - a Bard, which will be more like the 2E one and less like the WB one, a couple orc classes, some elven variations...<br />
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Stay tuned!Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-70356837457446390882011-03-03T16:19:00.000-05:002011-03-03T16:19:56.634-05:00I love Cheetah Girls...<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hljnU2BYYqg/TXAFJOGM2KI/AAAAAAAAA-E/WXyXqwcaWnQ/s1600/gnoll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ok, so technically she's a leopard woman I think, but still. Seeing this picture, I've got a great idea for an African savanna style culture where the leopard people and hyena people (gnolls that is) are at constant war for domination. I do love me some gnolls, too. Just sayin'.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kzljpZJ1_J8/TPxbHFJv2oI/AAAAAAAAAsg/fPABkgvCi9Q/s1600/tut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kzljpZJ1_J8/TPxbHFJv2oI/AAAAAAAAAsg/fPABkgvCi9Q/s200/tut.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>My younger daughter and I took a few hours to see <a href="http://www.kingtut.org/">Tutankhamen and The Golden Age of the </a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0000ee;"><u>Pharaohs</u></span>. It was actually our second time, since we saw it when it was the Field Museum in Chicago. It was absolutely awe-inspiring to see the amazing quality and detail of the artifacts even ignoring the gold everywhere. It just boggles the mind to think that these things were made 3300 years ago. Just gorgeous. Walking through the exhibit, one can't help filing away little gaming ideas. I did the same thing last spring when we went to see the National Geographic's exhibit on the Chinese terra cotta soldiers. I love museums.<br />
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That's about it for now. Hope everyone's gearing up for a happy holidays!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kzljpZJ1_J8/TPxcgjGgCHI/AAAAAAAAAsk/qnRlWvFHeaw/s1600/dungeon_alphabet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kzljpZJ1_J8/TPxcgjGgCHI/AAAAAAAAAsk/qnRlWvFHeaw/s200/dungeon_alphabet.jpg" width="154" /></a></div><br />
After the exhibition, we hopped on the subway and went to visit <a href="http://www.thecompleatstrategist.com/">The Compleat Strategist</a>. I've been to NYC a number of time, but had never gotten down to this gem of a game store. It was just fantastic to see real honest-to-goodness old school gaming materials on the shelf of a real store. They had multiple copies of the Swords & Wizardry Core Rules, as well as a single copy of Labyrinth Lord and the Advanced Edition Companion. I didn't pick those up since I have my home-printed copies, but I <i>did</i> grab the last copy of Michael Curtis' Dungeon Alphabet. It's gotten such great reviews on the web that for $10, I couldn't pass it up. It's on the nightstand now for bed time reading. Woo Hoo!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kzljpZJ1_J8/TPxchbXjT-I/AAAAAAAAAso/iZleHn_Vr0k/s1600/savage_worlds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kzljpZJ1_J8/TPxchbXjT-I/AAAAAAAAAso/iZleHn_Vr0k/s200/savage_worlds.jpg" width="142" /></a></div><br />
Finally, I picked up a copy of Savage Worlds, also for $10. I've read so much about it and if I had to play a non-D&D game system, SW seems like it could be the one. Simple and quick to set up and play, elegant, it fits the bill for how I like to roll. I'll be reading through it and I hope it reads as well as I expect.Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-5867747470236498562010-09-17T15:53:00.000-04:002010-09-17T15:53:46.140-04:00Imagining D&D: A ResponseThis is simply a graphic response to the question posed ><a href="http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2010/09/open-friday-imagining-d.html">here</a><. I see 3 images in my head...<br />
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I started with Tom Moldvay's Basic set. I love Erol Otus, but this Willingham pic is still my fave.<br />
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Then I moved on to AD&D. Which means this:<br />
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</a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kzljpZJ1_J8/TJPF9htTvcI/AAAAAAAAApQ/a2r5FM7TqI8/s1600/succubus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kzljpZJ1_J8/TJPF9htTvcI/AAAAAAAAApQ/a2r5FM7TqI8/s320/succubus.jpg" /></a></div>Plus this:Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1446391460692022184.post-63559660511143987772010-07-31T00:07:00.000-04:002010-07-31T00:07:34.594-04:00Why Race=Class Kicks AssI've stayed away from RPG.net's forums section for the most part, since there is rarely anything on Classic D&D. Lot's of 3e and 4e, but that doesn't help me much. I <i>do</i> check in once in a while though, and stumble on some fairly interesting threads, including one this I found this evening where folks are discussing the merits of Race=Class. You know: Humans get to be Clerics, Fighters, Magic-Users and Thieves, but Dwarves are Dwarves, Elves are Elves and Halflings are Halflings. That's it. No Dwarven Clerics. No Elven Thieves.<br />
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Philotomy Jurament, of the fantastic <a href="http://www.philotomy.com/">Philotomy's OD&D Musings</a> had this to say:<br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I think the Class concept is useful for modeling typical PCs. I don't think it's useful for modeling the way the fantasy world operates. Thus, the archetypical Elf adventurer is a F/MU, but that doesn't mean that all elves in the world are defined in terms of the Elf class. Similarly, the (Human) Cleric class is an archetypical adventuring holy-man/crusader: the kind of warrior-priest that is likely to adventure. That doesn't mean that all holy men or priests are defined in terms of the Cleric class, and it certainly doesn't mean that non-humans don't have holy men or priests of their own (it's just that they're not</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Clerics</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">).</span></blockquote> And further along, I found this from Yakk:<br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 1px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 1px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Give me a game with Dwarven Battleragers, Dwarven Runepriests and Dwarven Stonemages as the three Dwarven classes. Human Wizards, Human Fighters, Human Clerics and Human Thieves. Elven Spellblades, Elven Bards and Elven Archers. Halfling Scouts and Halfling Blades. Gnomish Tinkerers, Gnomish Illusionists, Gnomish Stouthearts.</span></blockquote> That pretty much sums up the whole thing for me. Your typical demi-human racial adventurer fits that races particular view of what a hero should embody. Each class is an <i>archetype.</i> Just like the 4 human classes are archetypes of what we humans see as heroes. If one wants to make additional class options for the demi-human races found in their campaign, by all means do so. But <i>take the time to make their choices unique</i> to that race. After all, don't they deserve it?<br />
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I've already got my notes on Dwarven Runepriests (Runecasters, actually), but I need to work on some of those others. Anyone got some ideas of the others to share?Reese Laundryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02225208626688676372noreply@blogger.com0