Survival!

 Just spotted this fun video from last year.  https://youtu.be/dv7RZ3EVCwg

Surviving on a gallon of water and a pound of food a day...  that would be grim after a couple days.  People are mammals and omnivores as a real rough rule we need to consume our body weight in mixed food over the course of a month, the more calorie dense foods you eat the less this total weight will actually be.   

When figuring out survival in the wild for games don't forget the rule of 3, that works out to you needing 3 quarts of water a day (just for drinking everyone forgets you need more water if yuo are also cookign food), 3 pounds of food each day (mostly but not all vegetables), you can likely make it 3 weeks without food but you will suffer, 3 days without water kills most of us (it would sure kill me) and if you go for 3 minutes without air you will most certainly die. 

Be careful, drink your water (you always seem to need more water than you think you will while hiking, camping, or working) and don't plan of "dieting" while doing anything physically challenging.

Old-School High Gargaxian Weaponator Weapon List

A little tongue in cheek but hopefully useable list of weapons for old-school fantasy adventure campaigns.  Currently the weaponator generates weapons that are most likely a two-handed weapon.

Dmg: is damage dice against small-medium foes/ larger foes

WS: is weapon speed

Cost: is given in classical GP value

notes to apply damage or hit modification vs armor worn by foes completes the entry (if any)

Old-School High Gargaxian Weaponator Weapon List

=========================================================================

 1. Footman's Hammer-Halberd  Dmg:1d8+1/1d12;WS: 3,Enc: 55,Cost: 230 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Scale or worse

 2. Bill-Giserne  Dmg:1d8/3d4;WS: 4,Enc: 45,Cost: 140 gp, +2 to hit vs Full Plate or worse

 3. Bludgeon-Sparr  Dmg:1d4+1/3d4;WS: 7,Enc: 55,Cost: 370 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Leather

 4. Cold-Iron Awl-Maul  Dmg:1d6/1d4+1;WS: 6,Enc: 55,Cost: 84 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Studded

 5. Slasher-Lance  Dmg:1d8/1d8+1;WS: 6,Enc: 60,Cost: 30 gp, -1 damage vs Full Plate or better

 6. Giserne-Bill  Dmg:1d8/1d8;WS: 3,Enc: 30,Cost: 30 gp, -1 to hit vs Full Plate

 7. Pike-Axe  Dmg:1d4+1/2d4+1;WS: 2,Enc: 50,Cost: 27 gp, -1 to hit vs Chain or worse

 8. Bardiche-Spetum  Dmg:1d4+1/3d4;WS: 3,Enc: 55,Cost: 410 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Plate or worse

 9. Trollish Lochaber-Fauchard  Dmg:1d6/1d4+1;WS: 5,Enc: 130,Cost: 80 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Plate

10. Giserne-Bar  Dmg:1d6/1d6+1d4;WS: 4,Enc: 50,Cost: 150 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Studded or worse

11. Footman's Lochaber-Hook  Dmg:2d4/1d4+1;WS: 2,Enc: 50,Cost: 25 gp, -1 to hit vs Studded

12. Awl-Hook  Dmg:1d6+1/1d6+1;WS: 4,Enc: 65,Cost: 160 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Leather or worse

13. Brandistock-Pick  Dmg:1d6+1/1d10;WS: 3,Enc: 30,Cost: 30 gp, -2 to hit vs Ring

14. Slasher-Brandistock  Dmg:1d4+1/1d10;WS: 4,Enc: 65,Cost: 90 gp, +2 to hit vs Full Plate

15. Falx-Scythe  Dmg:1d6+1/3d4;WS: 6,Enc: 45,Cost: 21 gp, 1/2 damage vs Leather or better

16. Halberd-Sparth  Dmg:1d6/1d6+1;WS: 7,Enc: 50,Cost: 15 gp, -1 to hit vs Ring or better

17. Giant's Lance-Sword  Dmg:1d4+1/2d4+1;WS: 5,Enc: 90,Cost: 220 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Scale or better

18. Amazonian Mattock-Sparr  Dmg:1d6+1/3d4;WS: 6,Enc: 110,Cost: 14 gp, 1/2 damage vs Studded

19. Silver Fauchard-Flail  Dmg:1d6/1d10+1;WS: 5,Enc: 55,Cost: 300 gp, -2 to hit vs Scale

20. Hook-Fauchard  Dmg:1d8/1d8+1;WS: 5,Enc: 45,Cost: 90 gp, +2 to hit vs Full Plate

21. Partisan-Impaler  Dmg:1d6/2d4;WS: 2,Enc: 30,Cost: 22 gp, +1 to hit vs Ring

22. Pike-Spike  Dmg:1d6+1/1d6+1d4;WS: 5,Enc: 40,Cost: 13 gp, 1/2 damage vs Studded

23. Chain-Brandistock  Dmg:1d6+1/2d4;WS: 4,Enc: 50,Cost: 450 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Leather or better

24. Maiden's Giserne-Corbin  Dmg:1d8/1d4+1;WS: 8,Enc: 65,Cost: 15 gp, +1 to hit vs Chain

25. War Bardiche-Dagger  Dmg:2d4/1d4+1;WS: 3,Enc: 60,Cost: 25 gp, +1 to hit vs Leather

26. Dwarven Squire's Maul-Spike  Dmg:1d4+1/1d8;WS: 7,Enc: 90,Cost: 15 gp, +1 to hit vs Studded

27. Gaff-Gisarme  Dmg:1d8/2d4;WS: 6,Enc: 50,Cost: 40 gp, +2 to hit vs Chain or worse

28. Cold-Iron Flail-Axe  Dmg:1d6+1/1d6;WS: 6,Enc: 45,Cost: 2 gp, 1/2 damage vs Ring or worse

29. Lady's Dagger-Sparth  Dmg:1d6+1/2d4+1;WS: 8,Enc: 45,Cost: 80 gp, +2 to hit vs Scale

30. Bardiche-Bar  Dmg:1d6/1d6+1d4;WS: 7,Enc: 50,Cost: 9 gp, 1/2 damage vs Leather

31. Dwarven Flail-Fauchard  Dmg:1d6+1d4/1d8;WS: 6,Enc: 50,Cost: 35 gp, -1 to hit vs Plate

32. Cavalry Spetum-Earspoon  Dmg:1d8/2d6;WS: 4,Enc: 55,Cost: 60 gp, -1 to hit vs Padded

33. Bisarme-Stick  Dmg:1d8/1d10;WS: 6,Enc: 40,Cost: 40 gp, -1 damage vs Ring or better

34. Flail-Bludgeon  Dmg:1d8/1d6+1d8;WS: 5,Enc: 50,Cost: 240 gp, +2 to hit vs Padded or better

35. Orcish Bludgeon-Brandistock  Dmg:2d4+1/1d10+1;WS: 6,Enc: 70,Cost: 10 gp, 1/2 damage vs Ring or worse

36. Giant's Hook-Spetum  Dmg:2d4+1/1d6;WS: 4,Enc: 70,Cost: 33 gp, -2 to hit vs Leather

37. Slasher-Sparr  Dmg:2d4/1d6+1;WS: 5,Enc: 40,Cost: 240 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Chain

38. Brandistock-Sparr  Dmg:1d6+1/1d8+1;WS: 5,Enc: 60,Cost: 130 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Banded

39. Guisarme-Staff  Dmg:1d6+1/1d6+1;WS: 5,Enc: 55,Cost: 3 gp, 1/2 damage vs Studded or worse

40. Herald's Gisarme-Partisan  Dmg:1d4+1/3d4;WS: 8,Enc: 55,Cost: 30 gp, -1 damage vs Chain

41. Hook-Scythe  Dmg:1d6/2d4;WS: 5,Enc: 50,Cost: 180 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Leather

42. Goblin Pick-Corbin  Dmg:1d6/1d6+1;WS: 4,Enc: 35,Cost: 33 gp, +2 to hit vs Padded or worse

43. Corbin-Impaler  Dmg:2d4/1d4+1;WS: 6,Enc: 40,Cost: 25 gp, -1 to hit vs Padded or better

44. Sword-Pole  Dmg:1d6/1d8;WS: 7,Enc: 45,Cost: 4 gp, 1/2 damage vs Plate

45. Cavalry Bludgeon-Mattock  Dmg:1d8/2d4+1;WS: 7,Enc: 55,Cost: 220 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Chain or worse

46. Spetum-Scythe  Dmg:1d4+1/1d6+1d4;WS: 6,Enc: 45,Cost: 22 gp, -1 damage vs Ring or worse

47. Hook-Fauchard  Dmg:1d6/1d8;WS: 7,Enc: 60,Cost: 36 gp, +2 to hit vs Plate

48. Harpy Fauchard-Gisarme  Dmg:1d6/1d6+1;WS: 3,Enc: 90,Cost: 22 gp, -1 to hit vs Leather or better

49. Squire's Staff-Lochaber  Dmg:1d4+1/1d10+1;WS: 4,Enc: 65,Cost: 40 gp, -2 to hit vs Chain

50. Ritter Bisarme-Impaler  Dmg:1d4+1/3d4;WS: 7,Enc: 25,Cost: 160 gp, +2 to hit vs Plate or better

51. Gaff-Lance  Dmg:1d6/2d4;WS: 3,Enc: 50,Cost: 60 gp, +2 to hit vs Splint

52. Miliatry Spike-Corbin  Dmg:1d8+1/1d6+1;WS: 7,Enc: 60,Cost: 220 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Chain

53. Amazonian Lady's Bar-Hook  Dmg:1d10/1d10;WS: 6,Enc: 60,Cost: 35 gp, -2 to hit vs Banded

54. Axe-Scythe  Dmg:1d6+1/1d10;WS: 6,Enc: 30,Cost: 370 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Ring or better

55. Goblin Awl-Pike  Dmg:1d6+1/1d4+1;WS: 3,Enc: 50,Cost: 80 gp, +2 to hit vs Splint or better

56. Falx-Spetum  Dmg:1d6/2d4+1;WS: 3,Enc: 55,Cost: 10 gp, 1/2 damage vs Studded

57. Earspoon-Spike  Dmg:1d8/2d6;WS: 7,Enc: 55,Cost: 90 gp, +2 to hit vs Scale or worse

58. Sidhe Sparth-Staff  Dmg:1d6/1d6;WS: 4,Enc: 70,Cost: 4 gp, -1 to hit vs Banded or worse

59. Harpy Bec de-Staff  Dmg:1d10+1/3d4;WS: 4,Enc: 110,Cost: 80 gp, +1 to hit vs Chain

60. Bec de-Pole  Dmg:1d6+1/1d6+1d4;WS: 8,Enc: 50,Cost: 11 gp, 1/2 damage vs Plate

61. Chain-Ranseur  Dmg:2d4/1d6;WS: 7,Enc: 45,Cost: 150 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Plate

62. Sickle-Awl  Dmg:1d4+1/1d12;WS: 2,Enc: 35,Cost: 40 gp, -2 to hit vs Ring

63. Slasher-Pike  Dmg:1d6/1d10;WS: 4,Enc: 45,Cost: 40 gp, -1 damage vs Splint or better

64. Glaive-Pick  Dmg:1d8/1d6+1d8;WS: 6,Enc: 40,Cost: 40 gp, -1 damage vs Plate

65. Slasher-Glaive  Dmg:1d6/1d8+1;WS: 4,Enc: 50,Cost: 120 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Padded

66. Chain-Slasher  Dmg:1d6+1/2d4;WS: 5,Enc: 50,Cost: 18 gp, -2 to hit vs Studded or worse

67. Dagger-Earspoon  Dmg:1d6/1d6;WS: 5,Enc: 50,Cost: 6 gp, -1 to hit vs Ring

68. Dagger-Harpoon  Dmg:1d6+1/1d6+1d8;WS: 7,Enc: 40,Cost: 40 gp, -1 to hit vs Full Plate

69. Slasher-Barb  Dmg:1d6/1d4+1;WS: 3,Enc: 55,Cost: 100 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Studded

70. Harpy Glaive-Axe  Dmg:2d4/2d4+1;WS: 6,Enc: 80,Cost: 32 gp, -1 to hit vs Leather

71. Elven Spike-Cleaver  Dmg:1d10/1d6+1d4;WS: 4,Enc: 60,Cost: 310 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Full Plate

72. Chain-Fauchard  Dmg:2d4/1d6;WS: 4,Enc: 45,Cost: 220 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Full Plate

73. Lance-Gisarme  Dmg:1d6/2d4+1;WS: 5,Enc: 35,Cost: 8 gp, 1/2 damage vs Padded

74. Harpy Gaff-Axe  Dmg:1d8/2d4+1;WS: 5,Enc: 70,Cost: 180 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Scale

75. Pike-Maul  Dmg:1d6/1d12;WS: 2,Enc: 50,Cost: 40 gp, -1 to hit vs Ring

76. Knight's Bardiche-Guisarme  Dmg:1d6+1/1d8+1;WS: 8,Enc: 45,Cost: 22 gp, -1 to hit vs Banded

77. Hook-Lochaber  Dmg:1d6+1/1d6+1d8;WS: 4,Enc: 45,Cost: 90 gp, -1 to hit vs Full Plate or better

78. Stick-Barb  Dmg:1d4+1/1d10;WS: 2,Enc: 50,Cost: 7 gp, 1/2 damage vs Banded or worse

79. Bardiche-Bisarme  Dmg:1d4+1/1d4+1;WS: 4,Enc: 40,Cost: 33 gp, +2 to hit vs Ring or worse

80. Goblin Maul-Earspoon  Dmg:1d6/3d4;WS: 8,Enc: 40,Cost: 130 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Studded or worse

81. Dagger-Guisarme  Dmg:1d8/1d10+1;WS: 5,Enc: 50,Cost: 28 gp, -2 to hit vs Scale or worse

82. Glaive-Gisarme  Dmg:1d4+1/1d4+1;WS: 7,Enc: 35,Cost: 70 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Padded or worse

83. Glaive-Chain  Dmg:1d8/1d6+1;WS: 7,Enc: 40,Cost: 120 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Padded or better

84. Axe-Glaive  Dmg:1d6/1d6;WS: 3,Enc: 45,Cost: 10 gp, -1 to hit vs Studded or better

85. Barb-Slasher  Dmg:1d6+1/3d4;WS: 6,Enc: 55,Cost: 60 gp, -1 to hit vs Studded or better

86. Pike-Bludgeon  Dmg:1d6/1d4+1;WS: 6,Enc: 45,Cost: 26 gp, +1 to hit & dmg vs Padded or worse

87. Brandistock-Dagger  Dmg:1d4+1/2d6;WS: 5,Enc: 45,Cost: 40 gp, -1 damage vs Leather

88. Lochaber-Corbin  Dmg:1d4+1/1d12;WS: 6,Enc: 50,Cost: 480 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Chain or better

89. Gisarme-Bec deGiserne  Dmg:1d8/1d10+1;WS: 6,Enc: 70,Cost: 8 gp, 1/2 damage vs Plate or worse

90. Axe-Corbin  Dmg:1d4+1/1d4+1;WS: 6,Enc: 35,Cost: 3 gp, 1/2 damage vs Banded

91. Bludgeon-Fauchard  Dmg:1d8/1d6+1d4;WS: 5,Enc: 35,Cost: 14 gp, 1/2 damage vs Chain

92. Brandistock-Guisarme  Dmg:1d6+1/1d12;WS: 6,Enc: 45,Cost: 50 gp, -1 damage vs Leather or better

93. Falx-Maul  Dmg:1d4+1/1d10+1;WS: 5,Enc: 40,Cost: 24 gp, -1 damage vs Plate or worse

94. Cavalry Spetum-Fork  Dmg:1d4+1/1d6+1d8;WS: 5,Enc: 50,Cost: 360 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Studded or worse

95. Pole-Pick  Dmg:1d6+1/2d4;WS: 6,Enc: 35,Cost: 30 gp, -1 to hit vs Studded or better

96. Hook-Impaler  Dmg:2d4/1d6+1;WS: 7,Enc: 45,Cost: 40 gp, +2 to hit vs Scale or worse

97. Fork-Partisan  Dmg:1d6+1/2d4;WS: 6,Enc: 55,Cost: 15 gp, -1 damage vs Chain or worse

98. Spetum-Bardiche  Dmg:1d6+1/2d6;WS: 5,Enc: 35,Cost: 60 gp, -1 to hit vs Banded or better

99. Orcish Pick-Falx  Dmg:2d4/1d12;WS: 5,Enc: 90,Cost: 360 gp, +2 to hit & dmg vs Ring or worse

100. Page's Fork-Pole  Dmg:1d6/1d8+1;WS: 8,Enc: 55,Cost: 50 gp, +2 to hit vs Leather

Scenario setup charts

Every now and again a campaign needs a scenario that isn't a conventional dungeon adventure so here is a set of charts to generate a scenario for a fantasy campaign. Characters will either be bystanders, wrongly accused, employed to remedy the situation, or employed to complete the plot. 

Plot

1. Robbery

2. Assault

3. Kidnapping

4. Vandalism

5. Smuggling

6. Extortion

7. Fraud

8. Conquest

9. Curse

10.Ritual

Offenders

1.  Rapscallions- youths, drunkards, or beggars

2.  Nobles-  plotting local noble , annoying fops, or drunken noble youths on a rand.

3.  Bandit- highwaymen, bushwackers and such, often desperate peasants

4.  Thieves- professional thieves

5.  Cultists- a secret heretic cult, a hidden local order, or followers of a new prophet

6.  Brigands- Organized criminal militants

7.  Goblins- kobolds, gremkins, hobgoblins, boggarts, or boggles

8.  Fey- Brownies, Pixies, or Leves

9.  Giant- Ogres, Trolls, or True Giants

10. Dragon

11. Undead- ghosts, ghouls, vampires, or conjured minions

12. Mage - a mad wizard, plotting necromancer, wicked witch, or dark druid

13. Gargoyles/Harpies

14. Beastmen/Talking Animal- troublesome beastmen, talkign animals, or chimera

15. Demonic- evil/chaotic fiends form the lower planes

16. Lycanthropes

17. Constructs/Conjurations- fabricated foes either mechanical or crafted with magic

18. Invaders- foreign invaders

19. Dwarves- Either Petty Dwarves, Deep Dwarves, or stubborn members of a dwarven hold.

20. Merchants- businessmen are not always completely legit

Victim

1. Freeholder- a local free-farmer or woodsman

2. Village- a whole village is targtetted

3. Local Noble/Government Official

4. Local Church/Temple

5. Artisan

6. Guild- an entire guild is targeted

7. Castle- a castle and all it's inhabitants are threatened.

8. Town

9. Widow

10.Children

Sometimes there is a secret patron of the offenders

1. Noble

2. Abbot- the head of a local monastery or temple is behind the whole thing

3. Local Hero- shockingly a local hero is behind the whole thing

4. Local Villain- no one is surpsied this cad is up to no good again

5. Guildmaster

6. Mage

7. Religious Order

8. Mercenary Commader

9. Monster

10.Outlaw

11.Undead

12.Godling

Sometimes the Patron or the Offenders have a Hideout

1. Abandoned Farm

2. Lonely Tower

3. Cave

4. Tomb/Catacomb

5. Castle

6. Secret Camp

Now and again A Complication arises

1.  Tournament

2.  Fair/Feast

3.  Wedding

4.  Funeral

5.  Competition

6.  Hostage

7.  Weather

8.  Fire!

9.  Sickness/Famine

10. Omen

11. Monster

12. Duel

Comments On Simulation Rules We Could Actually Do Today

 In this day and age we don't leverage the tools we have on hand. Computers offer an excellent way to track, verify, and manipulate data but we use surprisingly little of that in traditional table-top roleplaying.  One area that is interesting is with that with these added capabilities we are also ignoring having rules in our game that would be a nightmare without computer management but trivial with it.

Equipment Condition: yeah your game might have rules for it and they are ignored 90% of the time.

Encumbrance: mostly ignored.

Lighting: mostly ignored or workarounds are made so ridiculously easy that it becomes a non-issue outside of special situations.

Fighting Stance: mostly ignored, some games approach this a bit but most really ignore it.

Footing: yeah this sounds picky but the course of entire nations and all the history that followed for hundreds of years was tied to who had better shoes (or took them off) at a particular battleground.

Food and Drink: this is usually just an encumbrance tax and as such gets ignored about as much as encumbrance does.

Fear and Courage: some games express this really well, but many don't remotely come close. Player agency... blah blah blah. History and fiction is full of people discovering they are much braver or far less brave than they imagined they were, why not roleplaying games?

Weather: unless the scenario is trying to freeze you or possibly fry you it's always relatively pleasant weather....boring.

Alchemy: is it really hard to catalog and track magical substances and how they react to each other? No, but we generally just don't.

History: you don't need a boring document drop to establish a campaigns history but shouldn't it be possible to answer things like "Who's the King's Heir?" and "Who was the King when you were young Grandpa?"? This is just keeping records, records we mostly ignore.

Campaign Calendars: almost nothing on this ever gets done, really easy to track with computer assistance. "Oh it's the 5th of Dragon Nock that means the folks in Menlo Valley will be preparing for the feast of Saint Dobbie"...that's the sort of throw away line that calendar keeping allows a GM to use that will add so much to campaign verisimilitude and setting development that again doesn't require a huge document drop.  

Clothing: yes characters in a campaign are often wearing clothing and outside of buying them on the equipment lost this is ignored most of the time.  Would you really go to the library in July wearing your flak-jacket, underwear and riding boots?  Clothing has been used to define people as long as we have had people in fiction and real life... what people wear has a lot to do with who they are in pseudo-historical societies, and we ignore it way too often.

Different Coins: I hate generic coins , I understand why a rule set may have to be generic but it's an area of world-building and simulation that gets ignored an awful lot. Yes it may be a tad cumbersome to keep track of the value 30 Minosaxian Gildenmarks compared to 22 Pineland Royales... unless you had ready access to a machine that keeps track of data and does speedy calculations.

Do all these ideas have a place in every fantasy roleplaying campaign? NO. But is every fantasy roleplaying game identical? NO.

We have computers in our pockets, hands, or at arms reach most of the day and yet our games seldom take advantage of these devices.  Old School or New School the advantages computers and their cousins offer for record keeping and game play are often ignored. We should step up our game and really leverage these tools.