Still pondering equipment cards. I feel their use will add an element of originality to my soon to be renewed tabletop campaign (The old one is in it's death-throws). I'm wondering if the limited space on such cards makes it worth including illustrations. I really liked the simple ones on the old Dungeon! game but those cards included little in the way of stats. I'm not shy on artistic talent but wonder if my time in game development is better spent on words than it would be spent on pictures.
What do you folks think? Pretty pictures, simple pictures, icons, or skip the art?
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Silly Trek Test
Your results:
You are Worf
Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Test
As I was clicking along, I thought I was going to end up a red shirt and wasn't far off.
You are Worf
| You are trained in the art of combat and are usually intimidating.  |
Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Test
As I was clicking along, I thought I was going to end up a red shirt and wasn't far off.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Variable Ability Bonuses
Consider the impact on D&D-a-like games if ability scores weren't a fixed bonus but were instead a range? Always getting a +3 is predicatble and certainly fun but what if it was a d6 bonus instead?
No fixed bonus in situation would add uncertainty and possibly downplay higher ability scores being a certain bonus.
Dragonfist did something like this years back and it worked to add a little uncertainty and randomness to things.
No fixed bonus in situation would add uncertainty and possibly downplay higher ability scores being a certain bonus.
Dragonfist did something like this years back and it worked to add a little uncertainty and randomness to things.
What if Ability Bonuses were not "Always On"?
What impact would it have on D&D and similar games if ability scores were not "always on"?
DEX bonus to Ac only being counted when a the character was focusing on defense, STR bonus to damage only coming into play when using a two handed weapon... and so on.
Would player choice in active play be more meaningful if otherwise common modifiers were tied to direct play choices and were not always on? Situational modifiers can get picky and forgotten when cluttered among a host of other modifiers but if ability modifiers are only applied on a situational basis they become the scores to modify a situation and there are only a few of those on each character sheet.
Radical crazy, maybe. But without high ability scores being "always on" a player has to make choices beyond character creation and maybe not lean on high ability scores over tactics.
DEX bonus to Ac only being counted when a the character was focusing on defense, STR bonus to damage only coming into play when using a two handed weapon... and so on.
Would player choice in active play be more meaningful if otherwise common modifiers were tied to direct play choices and were not always on? Situational modifiers can get picky and forgotten when cluttered among a host of other modifiers but if ability modifiers are only applied on a situational basis they become the scores to modify a situation and there are only a few of those on each character sheet.
Radical crazy, maybe. But without high ability scores being "always on" a player has to make choices beyond character creation and maybe not lean on high ability scores over tactics.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Run Away!
my weekly group of players has shown a decided pattern of late wherein they choose to run way at the earliest signs of adversity. its becoming a real chore to have something interesting happen that they will not drop at some point and wander away from. the pcs are all rich not crazy world shaking rich but ive got a cart full of gold rich nonetheless. i suppose it is time to be hamfisted and have adventure smack them upside the head.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Building an Ultimate Encounter Table
I've been fiddling with encounter tables again (as always) as i find them very useful in an open (sandbox) campaign. A good set of table is descriptive and can really drive a lot of adventure. A proper set of tables allows the DM to present a seemingly complete campaign. wondering about what such a set of tables may include got me thinking on ways to classify and organize tables. So far I've worked out a number of elements worthy of consideration: Activity Mode, Party Size, Composition, Climate, Civilization, Terrain, Season, Weather, and Time of Day.
Activity Mode- just what are the players doing, this should have a major impact on what encounters they have to deal with and makes player choice a major element in what happens to them. Are they Traveling, Sneaking about, Camping, Hiding Out, Exploring, Hunting, In Residence, Engaged in some Industry, or Raiding? Each of activities can bring about a different set of encounters. A party hunting in a dukes forest is going to drum up a different set of reactions and encounter than they would bristiling with weapons to pillage the same dukes holdings beyond the woods.
Party Size- a definite impact, some encounters will be missed or avoided simply by party size. An Individual or Pair is going to have a different experience from a small or large party, as would a caravan, or army.
Composition- is the party On Foot, Mounted, Mixed (with some walking and some riding), A wagon Train, Water-Born, or Flying?
Climate- pretty obvious stuff here is the region generally Cold, Cool, Mild, Warm, or Hot?
Civilization- how dense is the local population and how is it organized? Urban, Rural, Borderland, Frontier, Wild?
Terrain- Lot's of room here in fantasy lands beyond the obvious: Mountains, Hills, Swamp, Plains, Forest, and Desert. What about Faerie Forests, Dragon Wrack, Mushroom Forests, and Shadowlands? don't gorget the impact of civilization on the terrain which can be reshaped to include Pasture, Fields, Worked Wood, Road, Village, Town, Metropolis, Castle, Ruins and Monuments.
Season- often ignored but the world is a different place when it's Winter, Spring, Summer or Autumn.
Weather- maybe a variable condition, or a predictable one that will certainly impact what those out and about have to deal with, Is it Cloudy, Windy, Rainy, A cold spell or a heat wave; all those conditions will impact what is roaming about and who is doing what.
Time of Day- time of day if broken down by the hour or broader periods of Dawn, morning, Afternoon, Dusk and Night will impact sights to be seen and encounters, not just likelihood and frequency.
Certainly a lot of ground there and not every combination need be considered but if many are a richer experience may be developed that describes the campaign setting and drives play. Combining most of the factors above would result in over a quarter million tables alone...
Activity Mode- just what are the players doing, this should have a major impact on what encounters they have to deal with and makes player choice a major element in what happens to them. Are they Traveling, Sneaking about, Camping, Hiding Out, Exploring, Hunting, In Residence, Engaged in some Industry, or Raiding? Each of activities can bring about a different set of encounters. A party hunting in a dukes forest is going to drum up a different set of reactions and encounter than they would bristiling with weapons to pillage the same dukes holdings beyond the woods.
Party Size- a definite impact, some encounters will be missed or avoided simply by party size. An Individual or Pair is going to have a different experience from a small or large party, as would a caravan, or army.
Composition- is the party On Foot, Mounted, Mixed (with some walking and some riding), A wagon Train, Water-Born, or Flying?
Climate- pretty obvious stuff here is the region generally Cold, Cool, Mild, Warm, or Hot?
Civilization- how dense is the local population and how is it organized? Urban, Rural, Borderland, Frontier, Wild?
Terrain- Lot's of room here in fantasy lands beyond the obvious: Mountains, Hills, Swamp, Plains, Forest, and Desert. What about Faerie Forests, Dragon Wrack, Mushroom Forests, and Shadowlands? don't gorget the impact of civilization on the terrain which can be reshaped to include Pasture, Fields, Worked Wood, Road, Village, Town, Metropolis, Castle, Ruins and Monuments.
Season- often ignored but the world is a different place when it's Winter, Spring, Summer or Autumn.
Weather- maybe a variable condition, or a predictable one that will certainly impact what those out and about have to deal with, Is it Cloudy, Windy, Rainy, A cold spell or a heat wave; all those conditions will impact what is roaming about and who is doing what.
Time of Day- time of day if broken down by the hour or broader periods of Dawn, morning, Afternoon, Dusk and Night will impact sights to be seen and encounters, not just likelihood and frequency.
Certainly a lot of ground there and not every combination need be considered but if many are a richer experience may be developed that describes the campaign setting and drives play. Combining most of the factors above would result in over a quarter million tables alone...
What goes on the cards?
So what goes on those equipment cards?
Ideally every darn thing you can squeeze on them but depending on the rules the utility may be variable. for weapons we have damage rating, encumbrance and range if applicable; if your game has weapon vs AC mods should this go on the card? Should notes that vary the weapons effectiveness in situations and tactics be included? Item value? Item AC and HP if your system uses them? Should all items have saving throws listed?
In an ideal world I'd want a lot of that on a weapons equipment card but in an ideal world no one would expect me to scribble it all down for Lord Dark, his 3 Leutenatns of Looming doom and their faceless squad of dungeon guardians on a useable set of cards... oh whait, they should if we are using equipment cards.
hmmm... still more to ponder.
Ideally every darn thing you can squeeze on them but depending on the rules the utility may be variable. for weapons we have damage rating, encumbrance and range if applicable; if your game has weapon vs AC mods should this go on the card? Should notes that vary the weapons effectiveness in situations and tactics be included? Item value? Item AC and HP if your system uses them? Should all items have saving throws listed?
In an ideal world I'd want a lot of that on a weapons equipment card but in an ideal world no one would expect me to scribble it all down for Lord Dark, his 3 Leutenatns of Looming doom and their faceless squad of dungeon guardians on a useable set of cards... oh whait, they should if we are using equipment cards.
hmmm... still more to ponder.
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