Old School-New School-My game

If one is old-school or new school or not is all the rage the past year or so. I enjoy old-school style, I like simple rules but I like a little bit of granularity now and then. My campaign isn't just me behind the screen there are 5 or more other people and their tastes and desires impact how the game is played.

I started the current weekly campaign with family and friends using B2 and the BFRPG rules about 2 years ago. We had a total neophyte and a semi-neophyte (my son and another players son) along with 3 veteran players(including my father). Eventually the group grew to include my wife (a regular) and for a time my daughter (who dosen't care much for D&D anymore but wants to play more Mutant Future).

The campaign grew to include the Temple of Elemental Evil, Rappan Athuak, the necromancer release of Wilderlands and a bunch of old Wilderlands stuff. We added on some of the optional BFRPG rules for a while and then as an experiment we started using the 3.5 rules in the same setting. For a while I worried about the rules.

But I had been using OD&D, D&D, AD&D, 2nd ED and 3.x adventures pretty much from the get go and converting on the fly is pretty much constant in such a situation. I've always been an omnivorous DM who wasn't' afraid to lift stuff from other game system. I eventually just chilled out.

So my players are using 3.5 and I'm using whatever the heck I want to and talking to them in 3.geek. Most of my adventures have been using encounter tables from judgesguild modules or old dragon magazine articles. I spend a lot of time just making up the numbers as I go. None of the players are 3.x gearheads or devoted d20 zealots so none of them accuse me of playing the game wrong. There are certainly some issues I'm having with the rules but in truth it's been working fine. Attitude and campaign style goes a long way to making an RPG campaign what it is.

Old-school, new school...I graduated a long time ago and play games to have fun.

Mutant Future Starting Equipment

Jrients has a good idea and some very usable table up at his blog for use with Mutant Future

http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/06/random-starting-gear-for-mutant-future.html

It's a very good idea that lends to atmosphere of post-apocalypse adventuring. Can't wait to see more.

Alternate Coins for the Ruins

Here is a alternate system of coins I worked up for my Mutant Future games to give them a little more sci-fi flavor.

Plastoons (pl)- plastic coins minted by a variety of city-states, not worth much far from originating mints and they can even get you in trouble in areas hostile to the minters.

Lead pieces (lp)- lead coins minted in a number of places. The purity can vary but lead has a low melting point and doesn't draw much radiation so it's possible to tell when too much of the coin mix isn't lead.

Uranium Pices (up)- Uranium coins are the most difficult to forge thanks to the tiny bit of radiation these coins usually carry. Not entirely uranium but if the don't give off enough ticks to someone with a detector the bearer will be in a lot of trouble. Large quantities of the coin are dangerous so the cash keeps flowing and large quatities are often held in lead coffers.

100 pl = 10 lp = 1 up


For Quick pricing of goods simply convert prices listed as cp to pl, sp to lp and gp to up .
If one has coins from fantasy realms turning up in places where folks use plastic, lead and uranium I recommend cp being worth 2 plastoons, sp being worth 1/2 lp, gp being worth 2-5 lp with a charge of 20% or more for money changing the fantasy realms coins.

Not in every market.

Here now are a small variety of equipment and provisions that do not turn up in every fantasy campaign that nonetheless some may find of use to dress up a campaign or a small corner of one.

Thevvish Weed (oz).... 5sp
Vinegar (gal).... 2sp
Sugared Vinegar (quart).... 2sp
Spiced Vinegar (pint).... 3sp
Twice Baked Bread.... 2sp
Seasoned Bread Crumbs(1/2 lb).... 2sp
Eelskins (pair).... 5gp
Reekish (small jar).... 5sp
Bear Grease( 4 applications).... 1gp

(Prices listed are for 100cp=10sp=1gp standard adventurer inflated prices)

Descriptions:

Thevvish Weed: A incredibly useful weed that can be used as a spice, a tea, burnt as incense and even smoked. Dwarves don't much like the stuff but do recommend burning it to deter ear seekers.

Vinegar: surprisingly versatile liquid. It's a seasoning, a cleanser, a preservative and can remind one of much more expensive wine if used very carefully.

Sugared Vinegar: tastes much better then other vinegars and is considered a useful health aid to resist a sore throat and the common cold.

Spiced Vinegar: what is this vinegar fetish you ask? Well I doubt you would if you had seasoned vinegar to spice up your trail rations.

Twice Baked Bread: breadcrumbs remixed and cooked as some fresh form of bread. Rather hard but very durable.

Seasoned Bread Crumbs: Bread-crumbs mixed with seasonings and salt, a popular ratio to liven up other dishes or make up a batch of tastier then normal twice baked bread while on the trail.

Eelskins: thin rubbery tubes that shed water easily often worn as footwear and hose to protect other garments from getting soaked. they aren't long lasting after being used but are still serviceable for about a week after the oils that permeate them start to dry.

Reekish: a spread made from fish, garlic, a variety of strong onions and a bit of vinegar aged for a couple of weeks. Humans can tolerate the stuff but generally avoid it, gnomes love it, dwarves would eat it but don't go out of their way to do so and halflings and elves can't stand the stuff.

Bear grease: it can oil leathers, you could theoretically cook with it , it serves as an extra layer of insulation when liberally smeared on ones skin and works well at keeping the mosquitos away and keeps small flies from biting (but doesn't' do much to keep them away). It'll re-oil a set of eelskins and is worth the effort if they aren't worn-out.

Something wicked this way comes.

I've been reading many a blog and daring to post now and again beyond those posts on the number of boards I frequent and after resisting the urge for a good long time (months at least) I've started a gaming blog.

What shall end up here? Why ramblings and half formed ideas a plenty, useful resources for fellow gamers and the occasional entertaining bit along with shared wisdom (gah...did I accuse myself of being able to share wisdom).

So with a readership of none or maybe one if I may generously count myself I close this post and hope to have many to follow.