tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19782848521480252092024-02-21T06:47:22.427-08:00Just Abyss BusinessLINE OUR BRAINS WITH DICESluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-22558345382362973312021-08-23T03:30:00.000-07:002021-08-23T03:30:34.115-07:00Cyberpunk Name Generator<p>A lot of new games are coming out with tons of tables, but I can't help but make a new generator whenever I dip into a new genre. </p>Here's my take on cyberpunk names: <a href="https://justabyssbiz.blogspot.com/p/console-crime-database.html">Console Crime Database</a>. <br /><p>I highly recommend using it alongside the <a href="https://justabyssbiz.blogspot.com/p/everyday-normal-name-generator.html">Everyday Normal Name Generator</a> for the more mundane characters to give the world a bit more texture. </p>Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-83486208513859120302019-09-23T19:45:00.000-07:002019-09-23T19:45:00.790-07:00FASERIP for weebsOkay, so I remade the FASERIP table using d66 (lower digit 10's) and monochrome black and white. I did this because most japanese tabletop rpgs use d6's only, and manga is published in black and white. Would anyone ever have a use for this? No more questions. Lets move on.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1_lyJQ-Qd9BaPBZTzYduM1zwTCwl4luJ2awE44312m5d4SQw0kfD5zauOvGecEDg2Je9p0PUyJJfVGTLse3T8W6xwf-7MZGuuZMTkOMhewXty-g3mGxZtoIsxjxlNn7vJOL2D9-0q_Iq/s1600/faserip_manga.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1600" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1_lyJQ-Qd9BaPBZTzYduM1zwTCwl4luJ2awE44312m5d4SQw0kfD5zauOvGecEDg2Je9p0PUyJJfVGTLse3T8W6xwf-7MZGuuZMTkOMhewXty-g3mGxZtoIsxjxlNn7vJOL2D9-0q_Iq/s400/faserip_manga.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full size image <a href="https://imgur.com/16z5bE6">HERE</a></td></tr>
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I'm working on an actual faserip inspired homebrew for my friends and I. It also uses a table but is much smaller and cute. Look forward to hearing no news about it for like 6 months.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Td01j6hjtc5l8AlmPNOwX8Yw69HAhOYp3eXgq2U0ZeTwdtzdOWDDTmcaU7A9_qZNgcMSQepSwsYvJD2Sas0SnciaoQytgfLlAhnX-FbktD0pbHp1pjd8sHBAZjhQn5KGqvi_iaSxZwW7/s1600/wolvie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="845" data-original-width="927" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Td01j6hjtc5l8AlmPNOwX8Yw69HAhOYp3eXgq2U0ZeTwdtzdOWDDTmcaU7A9_qZNgcMSQepSwsYvJD2Sas0SnciaoQytgfLlAhnX-FbktD0pbHp1pjd8sHBAZjhQn5KGqvi_iaSxZwW7/s400/wolvie.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weeb Wolverine</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-21127119417246220192019-09-19T17:40:00.002-07:002019-09-19T17:40:31.973-07:00The Mystery of Everyday PeopleThere were some criticisms of my old name generator. Some people said the names were 'unpronouncable' or 'completely useless.' I have taken this feedback and created a contemporary name generator. These names will work for your Unknown Armies, supers, or whatever modern games you're running. You're welcome.<br />
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<a href="https://justabyssbiz.blogspot.com/p/everyday-normal-name-generator.html">Everyday Normal Name Generator</a>Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-59347605434337503952018-12-23T20:25:00.003-08:002018-12-23T20:25:57.004-08:00Delinquents Found Deep Within Dungeons Art DumpI'm going to pretend the reason I haven't posted in so long is because I've been busy. I drew all this art a while back for an RPG book I've been working on but started brushing up to the limitations of MSPaint, so I'm starting from scratch with a tablet and Big Boy software or even (gasp) paper.<br />
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<br />Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-82936571029060265742018-06-06T16:21:00.000-07:002018-06-06T16:21:39.340-07:00X-Men Campaign Part 2: Welcome to Doom<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The strange setting of our final battle</td></tr>
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Continuing our adventure, Cyclops hauls the battered Magneto out of the office building only to be accosted by a curious police officer. Cyclops, believing that he has convinced the officer to depart, turns his back only to be shot from behind. It is no police officer after all, but the evil mutant Mystique? In a flash of brilliance, Talia conjures a shield of water from a nearby cafe in order to create a shield. While this is effective, it is revealed that Mystique is not alone. A building crumbles, revealing Avalanche. During the commotion, the Blob and Pyro approach from behind. Destiny steps out of the shadows to join Mystique. Our heroes are surrounded. <br />
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The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants make their demands clear. Our heroes can forfeit Magneto... or their lives! During the discussions, Destiny is mysteriously yanked away. Our heroes refuse to yield, and all chaos breaks loose. Avalanche is knocked into a nearby store, Pyro attempts to gain the advantage of high ground but is dispatched just as easily, and the Blob rolls incredible poorly. <br />
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Mystique finds herself wrapped in webbing. Of course the one who neutralized Destiny is non other than your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. The Blob is happy to continue fighting, but when Titania puts her claws to Mystique's neck he agrees to a mutual retreat. <br />
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Upon returning to the mansion, the Professor admits that he has released War-Weeb and Edgelord as they were under minor mind-control, trapped in a mental construct that forced their obsessions into action. Jellyburn, however, is under considerably more mental stress that is proving much harder to undo. He opts to beam everyone aboard the Starjammer where their physicia Sikarsky will be able to provide better care. <br />
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Our heroes are shocked to have been so casually whisked into space. They tell their parents all about it when they get the chance. Eventually, the girls are returned to Earth where their attempts to relax are interrupted by Beast, who advises that they could take the oppertunity to act like real superheroes. <br />
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Reluctantly, they agree to patrol around the city solving problems. These problems include a baker who is suspious of a recent croissant cart that has popped up, a burger bandit, a senior citizen medicine heist, as well as an anti-mutant protest-slash-festival going on in the park. Exhausted and damaged (Talia having been smashed by a truck weilded by a super-powered senior) they return to the mansion only to be beamed up by Xavier once more.<br />
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You will recall in the last issue that the X-Men had left on a secret mission. It is revealed only now that they are being held captive by Doctor Doom. With nobody else to aid them, Lilandra recruits her estranged step-son Prince Delita (an original character) to assist. You may think Prince Delita looks familiar, in which case you are correct. He is loosely based on Kid Gladiator.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delita, Proud Shi'Ar Prince</td></tr>
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The party crashes Doom's temporary castle (for his own has been taken from him at this time), and faces off against the Doom Squad. These four soldiers are equipped with powerful suits of armor designed to take on the Fantastic Four. The fight is a challenge, but our heroes pull through due to their ferocity. <br />
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Traveling the floors of Doom's castle, they free the X-Men from their trapped prisons, as well as steal a large amount of Doctor Doom branded merchandise. The only hero they are unable to free is Storm, who appears to have been turned into metal somehow. The party decides to infiltrate Doom's secret lab in order to find a device that may reverse this affliction. Unfortunately, this route passes through Doom's bedroom where he lies in wait. While haphazardly following a robot built in Storm's likeness, Titania comes face to face with doom and a batle for the ages begins.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only a few of the many floors of Doom's castle</td></tr>
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Titania is instantly trapped in a Doom Bubble, and Wolverine is sent flying out of the building due to a massive roll on Doom's part. Nightcrawler struggles to save a Wolverine who has been flung into the ocean, all while Colossus grabs hold of Doom to create an opening. Delita uses this opening to use his final attack which is a massive energy beam. Doom is damaged but standing, while the attack knocks Colossus through the wall. Delita has used all of his energy and slumps to the ground. "All that work for a drop of Doom's blood," says the Tyrant, as he kicks Delita to the ground. During this time, Talia has been running all of the faucets in Doom's bathroom, while Titania has managed to free herself and is fending him off. With one final coordinated team-up attack, they smash Doom hard enough to do some real lasting damage. <br />
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In fact, he is so smashed he comes apart. It is, of course, a Doombot. <br />
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They hear the ding of the elevator and brace for another battle. Doom, however, does not wish to fight. He explains he merely wished to test the might of the X-Men. With uncharacteristic cooperation, he cures Storm and coordinates their exit. <br />
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Upon returning to the Starjammer, the Professor is happy to see the X-Men but is frantic. It appears that Jellyburn and Magneto are trapped in the same mental prison. How such a thing is possible is unknown, but with his powers he transports our heroes into this mindscape to free them. Almost immediately they are harassed by a gang of ruffians, who flee at the first sign of mutant ability. They scream of sentinels, and is if being summoned, one appears. The girls hide out until the sentinel is gone, and are discovered by a much older Logan who is surprised to see them alive. He offers to bring them to safety. Who is this old man Logan, and why is he surprised to see two girls he saw just moments ago? Find out next time on X-Men.Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-60242794286831561792018-05-26T23:10:00.000-07:002018-05-26T23:10:29.928-07:00X-Men Campaign Part 1: In This Issue Everyone Gets Burned<br />
When I started the campaign I just ran the introductory adventure from the X-Men box set. It was fun enough, but kind of all over the place. This time, however, I decided to come up with something on my own.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIs_Lr_uVb-k7d1-L7LQyn_GwpBfKaYa_w9r60VXn1pw7Wa6pleig3IJNIVeIeMGIJQJWlag0EWSmnz4bvutVCt-_D8C-JzysGGvILjKZkP5gtBfvOxxGc3bIf3WO2FThckLSLf1QxFp3/s1600/talia.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="809" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIs_Lr_uVb-k7d1-L7LQyn_GwpBfKaYa_w9r60VXn1pw7Wa6pleig3IJNIVeIeMGIJQJWlag0EWSmnz4bvutVCt-_D8C-JzysGGvILjKZkP5gtBfvOxxGc3bIf3WO2FThckLSLf1QxFp3/s320/talia.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The player characters are Titania (aka Lurk) with the power to become a shadow creature and manipulate shadows, and Talia (aka Flash-Flood) who can run super fast and manipulate water.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFHK58C2ydctczypGz5EPwLCX2h5agZRDgCvwZCfrpav8NoaDTQqV9NOOd-Sce8eaSK3ZFhjFhz_tYop-DgZREaMGb2ZuYA-Z1WEQh7LKNjzvs2ZjWBcNq4cbchAUysByZp3qFTrM8VvF/s1600/titania.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="1020" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFHK58C2ydctczypGz5EPwLCX2h5agZRDgCvwZCfrpav8NoaDTQqV9NOOd-Sce8eaSK3ZFhjFhz_tYop-DgZREaMGb2ZuYA-Z1WEQh7LKNjzvs2ZjWBcNq4cbchAUysByZp3qFTrM8VvF/s320/titania.png" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Titania</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I had to do some retconning because I wanted the game to take place during Claremont X-Men some time after Dark Phoenix Saga with the players taking the place of Kitty Pryde, but with some elements from before then for storytelling purposes. This meant that the Beast who was in X-Factor in the intro adventure is now an Avenger. In addition, Professor X is still suffering from the nightmares from before the whole Shiar situation, so his powers aren't what they used to be. The players, along with an NPC mutant named Jellybean, are invited to the X-Men Mansion where they get the full tour and meet the team. In order to show them what the X-Men are all about, Xavier sets up a demonstration in the Danger Room. Unfortunately, somebody has sabotaged the control panel and the room goes out of control and the situation gets heated inside. When Xavier attempts to shut it down, the panel explodes knocking him unconscious. The confused and scared players rush to the power room only to discover it has been booby trapped with trip wires and a pretty shoddily made bomb.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Titania uses her powers to cut the massive cable between the generator and the danger room, however spends too much time arguing about how to interpret the results of a d100 and the bomb goes off, seriously damaging her.<br />
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After some time of recovery, they deduce a repairman that had entered the mansion earlier must be the culprit. The team splits into two: one to investigate the repairman's storefront in town, and the other to check on Moira McTaggart who also had an appointment with the same guy. The players elected to join Wolverine and Nightcrawler in visiting Moira only to find out that the guy who visited her home did not match the physical description of the one who went to the manor.<br />
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Wolverine suddenly demands everyone get into the Jeep, as Storm has called in over comms saying there was a scrap sentinel waiting in the building that burst out once they got near. The players rush into the city to face it. Because Talia can run faster than a car, she takes Jellybean on her back and rushes into battle. Nightcrawler teleports Titania, however poor Wolverine must simply drive. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunNeWPJDxLnXYlLjsiqddGg8kkeghZ6X2fbAhxdcoeSN3jT9-YuDayYSQJrsq2CovYxLxrNoIoi9mC6CB2fzvua47cW9VcO-C9KsnofINuyB3sr2oCLWGAkpR8ZABZNmyqzAMqBHGm-sw/s1600/screen1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="1242" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgunNeWPJDxLnXYlLjsiqddGg8kkeghZ6X2fbAhxdcoeSN3jT9-YuDayYSQJrsq2CovYxLxrNoIoi9mC6CB2fzvua47cW9VcO-C9KsnofINuyB3sr2oCLWGAkpR8ZABZNmyqzAMqBHGm-sw/s400/screen1.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An epic battle takes place</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The battle is long and hard fought, but by the end the sentinel is armless, headless, and stunned for an incredibly long amount of turns. Ironically, the killing blow is dealt by Jellybean, the seemingly useless mutant who only moments ago was blasted off of Talia's back by a variable beam. Her mutant ability is to generate an aura of heat and light, and she delivers a wicked bearhug that melts into the helpless sentinel's leg causing it to topple over. They get out of there right as the cops are showing up.<br />
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After a few days of rest and investigation, the X-Men are sent off on an unrelated mission that is too dangerous for the PC's. Xavier gives them the run of the mansion while they wait for the X-Men to return. Jellybean seems oddly obsessed with being alone with Professor X, and the players do not pick up on this. Talia messes around in the pool, and Titania makes smores.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZ7hagGfsQPN3R32s6O4uljmnLVJyR8K2-gtwmry7fHgolEasDOhVOthPh_f7ZxvEfEm6PoC4-z50iKrCyFmQInxKY6avgpnI_b2Qz7hRQG83VL7cE0pHuKMy4aT7s3kzFe5pGOOpq2Hl/s1600/jellyburn.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="772" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZ7hagGfsQPN3R32s6O4uljmnLVJyR8K2-gtwmry7fHgolEasDOhVOthPh_f7ZxvEfEm6PoC4-z50iKrCyFmQInxKY6avgpnI_b2Qz7hRQG83VL7cE0pHuKMy4aT7s3kzFe5pGOOpq2Hl/s320/jellyburn.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jellyburn</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A crash is heard from the library, and Talia makes it there first. Jellybean reveals herself to be an enemy actually known as Jellyburn. She also introduces her two allies Edgelord (supposedly a master assassin) and War-Weeb (a supposedly genetically perfect ninja). They have knocked the professor unconscious. Talia manages to evade the would-be kidnappers, and grabs the professor by his wheelchair and brings him upstairs. Despite being a teenage girl, Talia can lift 800lbs because a certain Judge did not look over the character sheets closely enough.<br />
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Titania, realizing that something is amiss, approaches the foyer only to see Talia zooming upstairs being followed by some strange fellows. She springs into action, going into her shadow form, but Jellyburn reveals that her powers are much stronger than she had ever let on. She glows brightly like a star, pushing the shadows away from her. With no course of action, Titania races upstairs. As it turns out, these invaders are not very physically fit and struggle to keep up.<br />
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Talia attempts to use water attacks to keep the enemies at bay, however they merely become steam in the presence of Jellyburn's aura. Talia performs the incredible stunt of throwing Professor X out of the window, and using her water abilities to catch him using the swimming pool. She gets a Red result, and the professor avoids being murdered by this incredibly reckless act.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OSHx4f5RmP8A_YuXQsTaPnUNfGh9u-JwUSMtResA4_sdclm8GC5rm4tVRo2n53fhRdjo4SKXXWmyc6bIGTKbduUq_JoCh7Niizaagn1DpFa8Xz9uX1tb8XLl8q6dpqCUAyBIAmsf4GRz/s1600/war0weeb.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="772" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OSHx4f5RmP8A_YuXQsTaPnUNfGh9u-JwUSMtResA4_sdclm8GC5rm4tVRo2n53fhRdjo4SKXXWmyc6bIGTKbduUq_JoCh7Niizaagn1DpFa8Xz9uX1tb8XLl8q6dpqCUAyBIAmsf4GRz/s320/war0weeb.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">War-Weeb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While this is happening, Titania maneuvers around the two lackeys. She hits War-Weeb so hard he flies through the wall, out of the mansion, into the courtyard. A one-hit KO. Edgelord's fate is similar, as she cuts him with her claws. As it turns out, these two are clearly being carried by Jellyburn, the only one with any real ability.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6d0QoSWHpeo_2D1gxyBSux99gka84J-9XO9G1i1kgTLr92FA2AsRb5lgfdl4Fxdoyqn8fUPRdXKlSjGZaGGnCdd9mB6OFNeIdbI-qh1dLSzmi9vVU77Zrfql4yEGnhuGujM9qRmAWEgVE/s1600/edgelord.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="696" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6d0QoSWHpeo_2D1gxyBSux99gka84J-9XO9G1i1kgTLr92FA2AsRb5lgfdl4Fxdoyqn8fUPRdXKlSjGZaGGnCdd9mB6OFNeIdbI-qh1dLSzmi9vVU77Zrfql4yEGnhuGujM9qRmAWEgVE/s320/edgelord.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edgelord</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jellyburn, furious about the loss of her comrades, attacks Titania as they swing back and forth at each other. Each round, Titania takes damage due to the aura and even when her attacks connect. Eventually, the strain is too much and she must retreat. Fortunately, Talia has scrounged around Beast's former laboratory and locates a crossbow. She does not know that it is only a tranquilizer when she fires it at Jellyburn. The bolt explodes due to the tremendous heat however the tranquilizing vapors knock the villain out cold. Using more water from the pool, Talia cools off the now smoldering form.<br />
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A booming void is heard from downstairs. The heroes prepare for more combat, when suddenly Cyclops appears, carrying the limp body of War-Weeb over his shoulder. The players are concerned about this stranger (at this time he is not a member of the X-Men), but are set at ease by his strange aura of authority. They explain the circumstances, and Cyclops revealed that Professor X sent him a distress signal shortly before being attacked.<br />
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They interrogate the villains who reveal that their strange leader showed them each a vision of the future they wish to change. They gladly reveal the location of their master, and goad the crew into seeking them out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstYuJrjAw4RpwfqHHM3cskjLuKzTPSFEciEFsW3xy-wK_toqrLYJAhsKYcssui3esop8CdOFIfJ85PZwZbmBygsI988I_jL5r60eY9qUaErs389dXJNTr7o53BBFKHr37E0IQiO4pQC0u/s1600/screen2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="939" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstYuJrjAw4RpwfqHHM3cskjLuKzTPSFEciEFsW3xy-wK_toqrLYJAhsKYcssui3esop8CdOFIfJ85PZwZbmBygsI988I_jL5r60eY9qUaErs389dXJNTr7o53BBFKHr37E0IQiO4pQC0u/s320/screen2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Investigation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Cyclops takes the players to the address, kicking in the door. It is a cold office full of lockers and file cabinets. One of the lockers is shaking. Cyclops opens it to reveal a battered and bruised man. He falls to the floor, shivering and moaning. He looks up. It is Magneto.<br />
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Next time on X-Men. <br />
<br />Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-30340193623594732632018-05-14T20:59:00.000-07:002018-05-14T21:08:43.474-07:00Euclid, or How the Hell Does Character Creation Work in FASERIP?After plowing through about a dozen superhero RPG books and testing a few of them, I was pretty disappointed until I decided to just play <span class="st"><i>MSHRPG</i></span>. I was originally put off by the massive amount of material to go through (Do I play Basic, Advanced, or Basic Revised?) but after running through an intro scenario I'm seeing why people feel it so hard.<br />
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We played with Canon characters first to test the system out and then started making our own. Almost immediately we were incredibly confused. The Basic, Advanced, and Ultimate Powers Rules have different rules for character creation (albeit with similar bases). If you use Ultimate Power you can end up with like 7 million powers, and I couldn't determine if that was the intended way to play the game or not. I ended up rolling the below character using a combination of the three books.<br />
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I think for our upcoming campaign we'll use the With Great Power point-buy system. Using it, Euclid comes out to a little less than 300 points. I think. I don't know man, I just roll dice. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjlizVRCgyiJayT5W9S_lQ_hIeL9YR7ERBAWYpiT3JhkBkveXcqBfjulNWG9rVamL5GNNlDRP3KwZpamADTm3LwYzPuddaY8oTViquj-B5M2MjphLIujlbOiYKjJAtrthLoNomCQAhb-T/s1600/euclid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="525" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjlizVRCgyiJayT5W9S_lQ_hIeL9YR7ERBAWYpiT3JhkBkveXcqBfjulNWG9rVamL5GNNlDRP3KwZpamADTm3LwYzPuddaY8oTViquj-B5M2MjphLIujlbOiYKjJAtrthLoNomCQAhb-T/s1600/euclid.png" /> </a></div>
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<table border="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" height="17"><b>Name</b></td>
<td align="left">Euclid</td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Public Identiy</b></td>
<td align="left">Tommy Zenith</td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Age</b></td>
<td align="left">15</td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Origin</b></td>
<td align="left">Mutant</td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b><br /></b></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Fighting</b></td>
<td align="left">Good [10]</td>
<td align="left"><b>Health</b></td>
<td align="left">74</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Agility</b></td>
<td align="left">Incredible [40]</td>
<td align="left"><b>Karma</b></td>
<td align="left">46</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Strength</b></td>
<td align="left">Poor [4]</td>
<td align="left"><b>Popularity</b></td>
<td align="left">Shift 0 [0]</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Endurance</b></td>
<td align="left">Excellent [20]</td>
<td align="left"><b>Resources</b></td>
<td align="left">Poor [4]</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Reason</b></td>
<td align="left">Typical [6]</td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Intuition</b></td>
<td align="left">Excellent [20]</td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Psyche</b></td>
<td align="left">Excellent [20] </td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Powers</b></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Extra Eyes</b></td>
<td align="left">Good [10]</td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" colspan="4" height="32">Euclid has an extra eye on his forehead, as well as one in each palm. Each eye is <br />
responsible for a specific type of Beam. </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Enhanced Sight</b></td>
<td align="left">Typical [6]</td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" colspan="4" height="32">Due to having extra eyes, Euclid is able to notice things Normal people wouldn't. This ability is <br />
currently weak, as he as only discovered his mutant powers.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Force Beam</b></td>
<td align="left">Incredible [40]</td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" colspan="4" height="32">Fired from the forehead.<br />
Limitation: Power cannot inflict less than power rank damage</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Ensnarement Beam</b></td>
<td align="left">Remarkable [30]</td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" colspan="4" height="32">Fired from the left hand. <br />
Limitation: Requires left hand be free and uncovered</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Stun Beam</b></td>
<td align="left">Incredible [40]</td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" colspan="4" height="32">Fired from right hand. <br />
Limitation: Requires right hand be free and uncovered</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" colspan="3" height="17"><br /></td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left" height="17"><b>Talents</b></td>
<td align="left" colspan="2">Thrown Weapons, Acrobatics, Escape Artist</td>
<td align="left"><br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
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Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-25262049507339497012018-04-24T19:39:00.000-07:002018-04-24T19:39:14.236-07:00MS Paint Art Dump 1No ongoing campaigns right now, and I'm not ready to talk about any of the stuff I'm working on so here's some random art so that my blog isn't completely dead.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_nRoC_hKpmKGGSot3wSmSlDcIm7GWqLexltzlyq0VSkImRNDWrkNyzckXxvi2bJpEQ8Yf0nPOYaNbzfwo4DeJtVBNvB-VuBM1GyRt2yC_-90XAQqNEF4_Sv_ReIWWk7qLvnTtJ9HtQkQ/s1600/elf.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="736" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_nRoC_hKpmKGGSot3wSmSlDcIm7GWqLexltzlyq0VSkImRNDWrkNyzckXxvi2bJpEQ8Yf0nPOYaNbzfwo4DeJtVBNvB-VuBM1GyRt2yC_-90XAQqNEF4_Sv_ReIWWk7qLvnTtJ9HtQkQ/s320/elf.png" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elf</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNmHBNZw6i2lMI4F9dadsNLc9Blk4iBudfwZR64tZGlvY8o7fKFQ6Cq6QEjN1JrbWdHrLlan9QAPRybdO8aVsPR5M7QyZ50YP85QxCJD7Czy6s0ZanaGsK98hOdr2RFfhSfbnp9QnMhKH/s1600/halfling.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="472" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNmHBNZw6i2lMI4F9dadsNLc9Blk4iBudfwZR64tZGlvY8o7fKFQ6Cq6QEjN1JrbWdHrLlan9QAPRybdO8aVsPR5M7QyZ50YP85QxCJD7Czy6s0ZanaGsK98hOdr2RFfhSfbnp9QnMhKH/s320/halfling.png" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hobbi-- I mean Halfling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4ZD3IyElQUDFZfGe9y4onZOF7nkNpac3kx9csXGsrWTfARKfaLzW5vGpFzbHYwPVLFlXLT4yhZYY81U8jSQQeqGoND_7FJblhI0zhfajgookNfveIyh4sPEJ2T4ocTZ3ffJjdhW0JjLa/s1600/knight.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="586" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4ZD3IyElQUDFZfGe9y4onZOF7nkNpac3kx9csXGsrWTfARKfaLzW5vGpFzbHYwPVLFlXLT4yhZYY81U8jSQQeqGoND_7FJblhI0zhfajgookNfveIyh4sPEJ2T4ocTZ3ffJjdhW0JjLa/s320/knight.png" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unfinished knight dude</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span id="goog_266688960"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwzqpvRAPMnDfVZZV2uMpoft5NqD-NsGBCbMrPIJ_uiqCqki9YmZw0gWmiBbV5qdTFfqnvri9duYYco7TXOA5SmbaY4RWvm-X7trLl76gzOj9wkCIA7PELrfjHkluMkyc_pYoXCi_E2GK/s1600/strahd2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwzqpvRAPMnDfVZZV2uMpoft5NqD-NsGBCbMrPIJ_uiqCqki9YmZw0gWmiBbV5qdTFfqnvri9duYYco7TXOA5SmbaY4RWvm-X7trLl76gzOj9wkCIA7PELrfjHkluMkyc_pYoXCi_E2GK/s1600/strahd2.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strahd Token</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span id="goog_266688961"></span><br />Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-17433363854731130852018-03-10T16:46:00.000-08:002018-03-10T16:46:29.109-08:00Final Fantasy XV Elemancy for Into the Odd<b>Introduction</b><br />
I know I'm late to the party, but I've been playing Final Fantasy XV and thought I'd adapt the magic system to Into the Odd. It's not even really a great system because every spell is just a zap, but I like idea of modifying spells even if it's never really used in a clever way. I'm still thinking about a way to make it more interesting, but for now this is a pretty straightforward adaptation.<br />
<br />
The system revolves around pulling magical elements (which I'll call mana) from sources (which I'll call springs), and combining them into exploding flasks. In the game, the flasks are permanent however I'd have them be single use, if only because I'm always looking for more ways to spend the players' money. This essentially makes them the same as bombs, but with added effects. I'd put the cost of elemancy flasks at between 5 and 10 shillings. This makes them more expensive than your typical tool, but much less than a bomb (which deals d12 damage on its own). Even then you still have to find springs and components. Canonically, this ability is restricted to royalty. You can decide yourself who has access to elemancy and who doesn't in your game.<br />
<br />
<b>Elemancy</b><br />
There are three elements: <span style="color: red;">fire</span>, <span style="color: cyan;">ice </span>and <span style="color: yellow;">thunder</span>. Magic-users will need to keep track of how much mana they have stored of each of the elements. I'd recommend a hard cap of 10 per element, just so the numbers don't get out of control. When pulling mana from a spring, roll 1d10 to determine how much of that element you are provided with.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Fire and lightning spells ignore armor (as Heat Ray/charge monsters from Supercapacitor). Ice spells freeze the target in place until they pass a STR save (as Chilling Cloud). Certain enemies may be resistant or weak to certain elements.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Basic Spell Crafting</b></div>
When crafting a spell, you spend mana equal to the level of the spell you want to cast. You may mix elements, however only the majority element counts as the spell type. For example, a spell composed of 4 Fire and 3 Ice would be a fire spell. If there is every a majority tie, flip a coin to determine the spell type. <br />
<br />
You cannot craft Level 4 spells, as they can only be created with special components outlined below.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Elemancy Table</i></div>
<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="text-align: center; width: 100%px;">
<colgroup><col width="85*"></col>
<col width="85*"></col>
<col width="85*"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: 1px solid #000000; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0.04in;" width="33%">
<div style="text-align: center;">
LEVEL</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: 1px solid #000000; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0.04in;" width="33%">
<div style="text-align: center;">
MANA</div>
</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #000000; padding: 0.04in;" width="33%">
<div style="text-align: center;">
DAMAGE</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="33%">
<div style="text-align: center;">
1</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="33%">
<div style="text-align: center;">
3</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="33%">
<div style="text-align: center;">
d6</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="33%">
<div style="text-align: center;">
2</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="33%">
<div style="text-align: center;">
7</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="33%">
<div style="text-align: center;">
d8</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td height="22" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="33%">
<div style="text-align: center;">
3</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="33%">
<div style="text-align: center;">
11</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="33%">
<div style="text-align: center;">
d10</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td height="21" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="33%">
<div style="text-align: center;">
4</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: none; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;" width="33%">
<div style="text-align: center;">
NA</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000; border-left: 1px solid #000000; border-right: 1px solid #000000; border-top: none; padding-bottom: 0.04in; padding-left: 0.04in; padding-right: 0.04in; padding-top: 0in;" width="33%">
<div style="text-align: center;">
d12</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Advanced Spell Crafting</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Adding certain components when crafting a spell will change its properties. The components are left intentionally broad, so feel free to make them more specific to fit into your game.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Multi-Cast</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Component: Animal bones, claws, antlers, gemstones</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Allows you to roll multiple dice for a spell and keep the highest result. The more components added, the more dice can be rolled up to a maximum of 5. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Venomcast</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Component: Poison barbs/stingers/bristles, antidotes</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Inflicts additional poison damage directly to STR. The damage is equal to 1 per component spent, up to a maximum of 5 damage. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Cursecast</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Components: Animals hoofs, insect parts, fish fins</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Causes an opponent's next few attacks to be impaired. The duration of the curse is equal to the number of components spent; with 1 causing d4, 2 causing d6, and so on.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Failcast</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Components: Metal shavings, rust</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Each component increases the level of the spell by 1, however the caster must succeed in a WIL save when casting the spell or it backfires and damages them instead.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Blastcast</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Components: Crab pincers, bird talons, scorpion pincers</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Damages everyone within a 30ft radius, including the caster. The range can be increased by 10ft with every component added up to a maximum of 80ft. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Healcast</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Components: Curatives, healing herbs, fresh tomatos</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The pain inflicted by this spell heals the caster's HP. The amount healed is equal to the number of components spent; with 1 healing d4, 2 healing d6, and so on.</div>
Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-78441207200760448422018-03-05T19:46:00.000-08:002018-03-05T19:46:29.186-08:00Simple Weapon TableThe following was made for Into the Odd but you could apply it to any kind of dungeon game. Roll for the weapon type, and then for the description.<br />
<br />
<b>Weapon Type</b><br />
1 Sling (d4)<br />
2 Dagger (d4)<br />
3 Spear (d6)<br />
4 Staff (d6)<br />
5 Mace (d6)<br />
6 Bow (d6)<br />
7 Short Sword (d6)<br />
8 Hand Axe (d6)<br />
9 Longsword (d8)<br />
10 Battle Axe (d8)<br />
11 Longbow (d8)<br />
12 Polearm (d8)<br />
<br />
<b>Weapon Description</b><br />
1 Inscribed<br />
2 Practice<br />
3 Crude<br />
4 Sinister<br />
5 Worn-Out<br />
6 Foreign<br />
7 Fancy<br />
8 Ancient<br />
9 Gigantic<br />
10 Mediocre<br />
<br />
<i>Inscribed</i><br />
The weapon has some kind of inscription on it. It could be meaningful, or total nonsense.<br />
<br />
<i>Practice</i><br />
The weapon is for training purposes and is not meant to be lethal. The damage becomes d4 regardless of what kind of weapon it is.<br />
<br />
<i>Crude</i><br />
The weapon appears to be crafted in a rush or by primitive methods. While it works just fine, it looks like a piece of junk.<br />
<br />
<i>Sinister</i><br />
The weapon is scary looking, or has some kind of creepy decoration. You will spook commoners carrying something like this around.<br />
<br />
<i>Worn-Out</i><br />
The weapon is a hand-me-down, was scavenged, or is otherwise very old and battered and it shows.<br />
<br />
<i>Foreign</i><br />
The weapon came from another place, and looks kind of weird.<br />
<br />
<i>Fancy</i><br />
The weapon is elaborately decorated. Worth double the asking price, but makes you a target of pick-pockets.<br />
<br />
<i>Ancient</i><br />
The weapon is from another age, dug out of the ground of pilfered from ruins. Is of great interested to historians and collectors.<br />
<br />
<i>Gigantic</i><br />
The weapon was crafted for a humongous person. Damage is considered to be die step higher, but only if you have 12 or more STR. Otherwise, all attacks are impaired.<br />
<br />
<i>Mediocre</i><br />
Nothing special about this weapon at all.Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-91473393061269974302018-02-15T10:38:00.000-08:002018-02-15T10:38:08.476-08:00Gun Hexes for Into the Old WestI was putting together a list of magical gun effects, when I decided it was much more interesting to have gun curses. Listed below are the kind of afflictions a witch might place on your gun. Guns can usually be cured by a gun doctor if treated within 1 to 2 weeks, but after that the curse may become permanent.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>1 Humphrey's Snack Attack</b><br />
Regardless of what kind of ammunition you load, the gun continues to shoot peanuts. These peanuts deal no damage, but they kind of sting at close range.<br />
<br />
<b>2 Skyward Sniper</b><br />
Bullets fired seem normal, but after about a foot will start flying straight into the air, far off into space. Shots fired are impaired unless your target is directly above you.<br />
<br />
<b>3 Guntongue</b><br />
The gun no longer fires bullets, but instead fires out a string or profane insults. Luckily, this hex is easy to remedy. You just need to clean the gun's mouth out with soap.<br />
<br />
<b>4 Isolda's Eternal Gunman</b><br />
The gun is stuck in your hand by an unrelenting force. You can still use it, of course, but try using anything else with that hand of yours.<br />
<br />
<b>5 Thirsty Man's Madness</b><br />
Your gun now squirts water. Also it's salt water so you can't even drink it.<br />
<br />
<b>6 The Friendly Assassin</b><br />
Each time you intend to pull the trigger, you are compelled to shout a warning out to whoever may be around. It's usually something like, "GET DOWN," or "WATCH OUT."<br />
<br />
<b>7 Action Hero Hex</b><br />
You are unable to pull the trigger without saying a witty one-liner. If the one-liner is terrible, the attack is considered impaired.<br />
<br />
<b>8 Lacracia's Turnabout Bullets</b><br />
Bullets fired loop around and fly at whoever fired the gun. Particularly dangerous, unless you you're shooting people behind you.<br />
<br />
<b>9 Garden Gun</b><br />
The gun fires seeds, which after a few months (with enough sunlight and water) will sprout a bullet flower.<br />
<br />
<b>10 Gunman's Impotent Rage</b><br />
Bullets fired always peter out and fall to the ground after a few feet. The gun's still lethal within a yard or two, but outside of that even the peanut curse is better.<br />
<br />
<b>11 The Insatiable Monster Mouth</b><br />
The gun fires normal bullets and operates fine, however you have no idea where these bullets come from because the chamber has been replaced with a mouth that constantly begs for water. No water, no bullets.<br />
<br />
<b>12 Pervert's Only Shot</b><br />
The gun ejects a strange sticky substances that latches on the target and will attempt to reel them in like a fish. Certain particular weirdos don't even consider this one a curse.<br />
<br />
<b>13 Queen's Curse</b><br />
The gun fires bees, which could be a useful method of attack if the bees weren't impartial and just as eager to sting you as anyone else.<br />
<br />
<b>14 Lacracia's Coward Bullets</b><br />
Bullets fired only hit people who aren't looking at you. For anyone who can see you, the bullets pass cleanly through them.<br />
<br />
<b>15 Slippery Hand Hex</b><br />
Every time this gun is fired, it falls out of your hands. It doesn't matter if you nail the damn thing to your wrist--it will find a way to wrestle itself loose and fall to the ground.<br />
<br />
<b>16 Underwear Snare</b><br />
The gun will only work if you are stripped down to your underwear. You have no idea how the gun knows this, and for whatever reason it doesn't work if you're naked.<br />
<br />
<b>17 Poet's Curse</b><br />
Everytime you fire the gun, you must recite the phrase, "I shoot the gun," and then follow it with a line that rhymes. It has to be a different line every time, or the gun misfires.<br />
<br />
<b>18 Beuracracy Bullets</b><br />
Each time the trigger is pulled, a small contract ejects from the barrel that must be read, signed, and returned to the barrel. After this has been done, a bullet will fire within 3-6 minutes.<br />
<br />
<b>19 Nosey Neighbor's Nightmare</b><br />
Each time the gun is fired, your nose gets longer.<br />
<br />
<b>20 Elzandra's Metronome</b><br />
This gun sends out a never-ending clicking sound that repeates infinitely, and can only be fired to the beat.Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-4093709697860396062018-02-13T19:52:00.000-08:002018-02-14T07:53:22.699-08:00Into the Old West (ItO Old West Tables)Here is your starting equipment table for Into the Old West.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" style="width: 100%px;">
<colgroup><col width="18*"></col>
<col width="40*"></col>
<col width="40*"></col>
<col width="40*"></col>
<col width="40*"></col>
<col width="40*"></col>
<col width="40*"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr valign="top">
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="7%"><br />
<br /></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">1HP</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">2HP</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">3HP</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">4HP</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">5HP</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">6HP</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="7%"><span style="background: transparent;">3-7</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Hidden Blade (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Bottle of Whiskey</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Sense nearby sorcerers</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Hidden Derringer (d4)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Bottle of Whiskey</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Sense nearby Arcana</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Shotgun (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Bowie Knife (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Immunity to acid, lye,
etc.</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Saber (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Immune to charms</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">And poison</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Bottle of Whiskey</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Darkvision</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Longbow (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Hatchet (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Arcana</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="7%"><span style="background: transparent;">8-9</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Rifle (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Bowie Knife (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Hound (3HP, d6 bite)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Arcana</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Rifle (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Hatchet (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Hawk</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Arcana</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Rifle (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Protective Gloves</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Arcana</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Shotgun (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Cologne</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Arcana</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Shotgun (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Rope</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Grappling Hook</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Arcana</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Longbow (d8) </span>
<br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Hatchet </span>
<br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Eagle</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Antidote</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="7%"><span style="background: transparent;">10-11</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Saber (d6) </span>
<br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Bottle of Whiskey</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Hound</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Arcana</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Rifle (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Mule</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Arcana</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Hatchet (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Manacles</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Arcana</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Bowie Knife (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Ferret with telepathic</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Link</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Cutlass (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Shotgun (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Talking Parrot</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Minty Breath</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Saber (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Chain</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Never Sleeps</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="7%"><span style="background: transparent;">12-13</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Perfume</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Salt & Pepper</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Arcana</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Bottle of Whiskey</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Rat</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Pickax</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Smoke Bomb</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Hound</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Shovel</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Rifle (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Locksmith Tools</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Game Set</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Cat</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Shotgun (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Hatchet (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Lyre</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Mirror</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Rifle (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Bottle of Whiskey</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Tallow</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">3 Candles</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="7%"><span style="background: transparent;">14-15</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Cologne</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Spyglass</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Arcana</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Bell</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Rope</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Smoke Bomb</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Shotgun (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Darts</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">2 Dynamite</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Saw</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Animal Trap</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Spyglass</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Tallow</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Hand Drill</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Drum</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Saber (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Fire Bomb</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Mirror</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="7%"><span style="background: transparent;">16</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Rifle (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Robin</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Potpourri </span>
</td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Rifle (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Weasel</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">2 Dynamite</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Candle</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Crowbar</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Flute</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Bowie Knife (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">2 Candles</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Dual Pistols (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Magnifying Glass</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Lost Eye</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Darts</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Longbow (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Hatchet (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">1 Dynamite</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="7%"><span style="background: transparent;">17</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Shotgun (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Hourglass</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Bottle of Wine</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Darts</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Tallow</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Glue</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Net</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Burnt Face</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Whip (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Cigars</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Lost Eye</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Rifle (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Guitar</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">No sense of smell</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Shotel (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Shovel</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">1 Dynamite</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Glowing Eyes</span></td>
</tr>
<tr valign="top">
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="7%"><span style="background: transparent;">18</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Shotgun (d8)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Bowie Knife (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Whisper of a Voice</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Net</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">False Leg</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Paint</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Repels Animals</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Pistol (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Bottle of Whiskey</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Illiterate</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><span style="background: transparent;">Saber (d6)</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Rope</span><br />
<span style="background: transparent;">Debt (3g)</span></td>
<td bgcolor="#808080" style="background: #808080;" width="15%"><br />
<br /></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<br />
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</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
Roll 2d6 for your hat as well.<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Sombrero<br />
3<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Coonskin Cap<br />
4-5 <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Straw Cowboy Hat<br />
6-8 <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Bowler (Derby)<br />
9-10 Felt Cowboy Hat<br />
11 <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Slouch Hat<br />
12 <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> Tophat</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
And of course I would link you to this <a href="http://soogagames.blogspot.com/2016/02/d100-horses-with-arnold-k.html">excellent resource on horses</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://justabyssbiz.blogspot.com/2018/02/mexican-standoffs-and-quick-draw-duels.html">Rules for quick-draw duels and standoffs here.</a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-15701372157002397002018-02-12T15:02:00.004-08:002018-02-13T19:26:28.515-08:00Mexican Standoffs and Quick-Draw Duels in Into the OddIt occurs to me that making Into the Odd work in the old west basically only requires messing around with the equipment and starter tables. You could argue this is true with almost any setting. However, I've decided to go a step further and create rules for Mexican Standoffs and Duels. I tried to keep them as simple as possible to keep in the spirit of ItO.<br />
<br />
Please note, these aren't a replacement for normal combat and shouldn't be used all the time. Standoffs can be a good way to start off a fight, but only when it makes sense. Duels are more involved affairs, and either incredibly deadly or hilariously awkward depending on the skill of the duelists.<br />
<br />
<b>Mexican Standoff</b><br />
Each person involved secretly designates a target. Do this by writing them on an index card or something.<br />
<br />
Each combatant then makes a DEX save and records the difference between their roll and their DEX ability score. We'll call this the DRAW. Anyone who fails their DEX save either hesitates or misses their shot.<br />
<br />
Starting from the highest DRAW, the player reveals their target and rolls damage as normal. Anyone shot this way forfeits their ability to fire during the standoff, regardless of whether they were rendered unconscious or not.<br />
<br />
This continues until everyone has fired or been shot.<br />
<br />
Here is an example.<br />
<br />
<i>Four gunfighters stand in a circle: Lil Bob, Big Bob, Bobbina, and Dog Horseman. Each of them secretly designates a target, and makes their DEX save. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Lil Bob fails his DEX save right away, so he hesitates. Big Bob rolls a 4 vs a 10 DEX, so his DRAW is 6 (10 minus 4). Bobbina's DRAW is 8, and Dog Horseman's DRAW is 11.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Starting with Dog Horseman who scored the highest DRAW, he reveals his target which is Bobbina. He rolls damage, and Bobbina is shot. Normally, Bobbina would shoot next since she has the 2nd highest DRAW, but she can't because she was shot. Next, Big Bob reveals his target was Lil Bob and rolls damage. Lil Bob is shot, and never got to fire in the first place because he flinched. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>From here on, combat would continue as it normally would, favoring the party of the person with the highest DRAW. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>Duels</b><br />
Duels use the concept of DRAW but in a different way. In a duel, two slingers face off until some external force compels them to shoot one another.<br />
<br />
We do this in rounds. During the first round, both players simultaneously make a DEX save and record their DRAW. We continue doing this until either player fails their DEX save, recording their DRAW each time they roll.<br />
<br />
After the first failed DEX save, both players build a dice pool. For each DRAW value that was recorded, find the closest die value that it exceeds, and add it to the pool. For example, if you have a 5, you would add a d4. If you have an 8, you would add a d8. Anything less than 4 is disregarded, and anything higher than 12 is considered a d12.<br />
<br />
Both players roll their dice pool, and the highest scorer wins the duel and deals damage equal to the sum of the dice.<br />
<br />
<i>Here is an example. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Loose McGoose is facing off against Lucky O'Ducky. In three rounds, they get DRAW values as outlined below. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Loose McGoose: 4, 9, FAIL</i><br />
<i>Lucky O'Ducky: 2, 8, 7</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>McGoose's dice pool looks like this: d4, d8. </i><br />
<i>O'Ducky's looks like this: d8, d6</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>One die is missing from O'Ducky, because any DRAW lower than 4 disregarded, since there is (for our purposes) no die smaller than d4. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Both roll their dice pools. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>McGoose rolls a 7, and O'Ducky rolls a 12. O'Ducky scores fortune's favor and shoots McGoose, dealing 12 damage. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
Typically, a duel ends after the first shot, but a less honorable person may choose to continue firing. I leave that up to you.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<b>FAQ</b><br />
Q. What happens if both duelists roll the same amount?<br />
A. They both take damage<br />
<br />
Q. What happens if neither duelists scores a DRAW higher than 3?<br />
A. They fumble around ineffectually or fire into the air.<br />
<br />
Q. What if my character only has 3 DEX?<br />
A. Try shooting people in the back instead.<br />
<i><br /></i>Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-13051317692465936052018-02-07T20:19:00.000-08:002018-02-07T20:19:29.510-08:00Not Having Fun AnymoreThe other night I ran a game of 5e for a group of almost entirely new players, and for the first time ever had a player get visibly upset and quit the game. I admit I wasn't at the top of my game since I don't play 5e and I find the official material to be virtually unusable at the table, but I was trying my best. I was annoyed mostly because he couldn't explain what I had done wrong. I'm a big boy and I remember sitting through countless critique days and having my paintings/drawings/prints torn apart by my peers. It takes a lot to get to me when it comes to my art, but what really gets under my skin is people not being able to articulate their criticism.<br />
<br />
He eventually apologized, and while I think it would totally inappropriate to quote his apology word for word, it came down to expectations. When you watch Critical Role or listen to podcasts, the game appears one way. When you finally play it, it may end up wildly different.<br />
<br />
It's something I understand on a personal level. I originally became interested in D&D when I was looking for difficult games to play. Of course there were the Souls games, the Dodonpachis of the world, and countless roguelikes--but what I was looking for was the feeling my father described when recounting D&D games he had played during his time in the Navy. The sense of danger lurking around every corner, poking every goddamn thing with a stick just in case, and going through entire packs of cigarettes out of stress.<br />
<br />
When I finally joined a D&D game, of course it was nothing like that. The DM had cooked up pages and pages of plot and theatrics. I was compelled to build my character a certain way or be 'fucked' (his words). I'm not bashing that style in particular because I know some people live for that, but it wasn't what I was about.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I'm not excusing said player's shitty behavior. He ruined my fucking night and killed a decently good buzz we had going. This whole thing has just been on my mind for a while. With a lot of people being introduced to roleplaying via streams and podcasts comes a whole new set of attitudes and expectations, and I look forward to more awkward confrontations in the future.Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-27694973152873700772018-01-17T20:45:00.000-08:002018-01-17T20:45:23.304-08:00The Forbidden Spell LibraryI was reading about Ars Magica and other verb + noun magic systems and I thought wouldn't it be great if there were an impossibly large amount of weirdly specific words to pull from? No? Okay, well I made it anyway.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://justabyssbiz.blogspot.com/p/forbidden-spell-library-function.html">Forbidden Spell Library </a><br />
<br />
What the spells do is obviously up to interpretation, but I'm sure you'll figure it out.Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-15069955984052603942018-01-02T15:59:00.001-08:002018-04-19T18:43:50.306-07:00Street Fighting Dogs - ItO Hack for Yakuza (Ryu ga Gotoku), Final Fight, or Yankii stuffHey.<br />
<br />
I've been occupied with the holidays but after playing Yakuza Zero and Kiwami, I really wanted a game that would model street fighting in a simple way. Anyway, I completely failed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjfU9rHZ_1lWQ1rhzeHFpPiNeNbXsYE4Lzdi7EQk_y2PoaK3AyeG6h-vFvkppBS8jR518Zi0FIyOpEftkFYxBuKWEhmclzWbBByVfDLpuh6pqdJEEiVM1keJoubTC9spzXBOguj5ZfyC0/s1600/burnboy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="950" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjfU9rHZ_1lWQ1rhzeHFpPiNeNbXsYE4Lzdi7EQk_y2PoaK3AyeG6h-vFvkppBS8jR518Zi0FIyOpEftkFYxBuKWEhmclzWbBByVfDLpuh6pqdJEEiVM1keJoubTC9spzXBOguj5ZfyC0/s320/burnboy.png" width="311" /></a></div>
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The end product is Street Fighting Dogs, named after a song by my dad's high school rock band about fighting off the Man who would try to pry rock and roll out of his burning teenage fists. The game uses a double blind system like you see in a lot of pseudo-fighting-game style games, and in testing I found it to be completely clunky. However, I thought maybe somebody would find a use for it so I'm sharing it here.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://goo.gl/Lr8Um1">Download Street Fighting Dogs</a></div>
<br />
It is a hack of Into the Odd that introduces a bunch of needless combat mechanics, and an alternative 'task resolution' system based on how good you are at karaoke. It's actually so far removed from Into the Odd that I'm kind of ashamed to call it a hack, thought I guess hack is the correct term for tearing something apart to the point where it's unrecognizable.<br />
<br />
Happy new year, everyone.Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-19725566455397713582017-11-01T18:33:00.001-07:002017-11-01T18:36:34.971-07:00Tabletop Simulation Stimulation It is hard to keep up with this stuff, man. To summarize the past few months: I got hit by a hurricane, blew a tire, and played like 100 games of Eldritch Horror. I started NaNoWriMo earlier today, and I thought I would post in the small window I've allowed myself during the World Series. There's nothing more satisfying than seeing a pitcher leave your team and then give up 5 runs in 2 innings during the most important game of the year.<br />
<br />
I've been playing the Star Wars RPG. The wonky dice are not that bad (and I would imagine you've heard that a lot), and it does capture Star Wars pretty well. I'll be running the Force and Destiny starter box this weekend, but this is mainly to bide time while I plan my next Into the Odd campaign.
I'm going through this phase where I feel like eschewing all modern conveniences and doing everything on paper like our forefathers. Despite this, I keep making shit for Tabletop Simulator.
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfnJ8mhpZpb2ORoCLLipiLjY2Ujd5FWiKGInwJ7gadbFHGcHuHukkaRf_qknEs9U6FfwE2gxXAs6FmQbVmwSxzZudBdkscqZABPilXrMfdpq6FJPCnLwX7AAmlxzdRTgsUGR3ygiwmVHcW/s1600/ito_cards.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="881" data-original-width="1369" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfnJ8mhpZpb2ORoCLLipiLjY2Ujd5FWiKGInwJ7gadbFHGcHuHukkaRf_qknEs9U6FfwE2gxXAs6FmQbVmwSxzZudBdkscqZABPilXrMfdpq6FJPCnLwX7AAmlxzdRTgsUGR3ygiwmVHcW/s400/ito_cards.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've made character cards, and blank cards for tracking Arcana/Oddities and other things. These can be stacked in a deck to essentially create random tables. I'm thinking of making a card for all the monsters in the main book, as well as stuff from the ItO blog assuming Chris is cool with it. I also made a much bigger character sheet, but its giant and ugly albeit probably easier to read. I like the cards better, and I think they fit the game's aesthetic a lot more.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIwONywO6hQRHeu9opsorGI0SmrrN_-1Z8dKBkoOamw6OFsc058YV4YDcJIV80lJVJwzMwODp3oKCasIclpt6mPtuIwpRakOug-m7OW0PxWjnvc9yR7e0I0Mf0SFsBRpYfsdC-hVPtdDl/s1600/ito_cards2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1189" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIwONywO6hQRHeu9opsorGI0SmrrN_-1Z8dKBkoOamw6OFsc058YV4YDcJIV80lJVJwzMwODp3oKCasIclpt6mPtuIwpRakOug-m7OW0PxWjnvc9yR7e0I0Mf0SFsBRpYfsdC-hVPtdDl/s400/ito_cards2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
The next campaign will probably be a hex-crawl. This might seem ridiculous, but every time I've run a hex-crawl I never gave the players a map. I assumed it was like with dungeons, where you can map as they go. As a result, they never had any idea where they were in relationship to anything else. I think I'll provide a map with sparse details and giant obviously visible landmarks and let them fill in the rest as they go. I think this is how it works? I have a lot of reading to do, anyway.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I have this image for a setting but I always hang up when it comes to guns. The Napoleon nerd and American in me want lots of guns, while the Tolkien nerd in me wants short swords and round shields. I recently posted up another thread and HP values were brought up. I prefer lower HP, and I'm thinking of having armor add hit points ala Black Hack (I think?) instead of reducing damage. I would probably have it so a chain shirt adds HP, a shield does as well (at the cost of a free hand), and heavy armor would probably have some kind of bizarre drawback like you have to drink 5 gallons of milk a day or shrink.
Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-37688358345767352042017-05-13T23:57:00.000-07:002017-05-13T23:57:20.458-07:00AliveI am alive. I've been out of commission due to illness and our campaign pseudo-ended after we had trouble getting together a few weeks in a row. I've mostly been messing around with <i>Tabletop Simulator</i> making dumb board games and stuff.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhAoa1u1vwxWHlKS3TR47mld-a_sARVDADRbItXDkMcrPZvy2qItrPrds8f2drPs47oJUHmBNlnlp3TQjNyDcO5x5ULhlIzCz2bw0y8AYhS66YAQS7oJ_IzXsG2vWBXu1t1VdkXz0Ubeb/s1600/sheets2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhAoa1u1vwxWHlKS3TR47mld-a_sARVDADRbItXDkMcrPZvy2qItrPrds8f2drPs47oJUHmBNlnlp3TQjNyDcO5x5ULhlIzCz2bw0y8AYhS66YAQS7oJ_IzXsG2vWBXu1t1VdkXz0Ubeb/s320/sheets2.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Into the Odd</i> lazy character sheets</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
See screencap for some <i>ITO </i>NPCs. Torah from <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/evilcakecomics/chapter-1">Heaven</a>, and a Suicide Elf (elves that live recklessly as an affront to the immortality of their fathers).<br />
<br />
I think we may be trying FATE pretty soon just to see what it's like, but I really just want Bastionland.Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-79748208760618792362017-02-20T17:05:00.001-08:002017-02-20T17:05:55.625-08:00Death by Bureaucracy<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Saturday’s session
was a city adventure. I’m growing really fond of them. Here are
some bullet points.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Miles and
Poco opened up a sandwich shop in the Temple District of Veztm
called Sandwich Shrine.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
They battled
one of Barnabold’s lieutenants in an abandoned building and nearly
managed to beat him before he escaped. He got away with 1 HP.
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Poco,
immediately after the previously mentioned battle, was challenged by
a bottom-feeding duelist and managed to strangle the guy with a
garrote while still bleeding out from his earlier wounds.</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Made enemies
of some local monks.
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Escaped from
corrupt privatized police-men by causing a massive explosion.
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Poco was
brought down to 0 Willpower while setting up a bank account, ending
up temporarily brain-dead due to bureaucracy.
</div>
</li>
<li>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The party
established a network of messenger pigeons.</div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I’ve never had a
campaign go on for more than 2 or 3 sessions so this is pretty wild
for me. I got the idea of starting a business into their heads, and
they became weirdly invested in the shop. At least Sophia did. At one
point I thought I had lost her attention completely until she
revealed she was making a <i>sandwich menu</i>. This also has the
added benefit of servers being able to pick up rumors from customers,
which will let me dangle a lot of hooks at once.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Despite so much
happening, I don’t have a lot to say. I’m just having a lot of
fun. </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49zn9Y1eIImzp_bWc61H1wp8vqDB8UR0ya7CdbjpUO28cAmsBIQ-jsTsnPDBykZDMoINoRXyMSUEB9WyJLtMMqXfLXGMAlSX33VN-7fiYGNCFXb4YtZF_Qaw4K4o8_EZHYC54xMy84jtZ/s1600/dez.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49zn9Y1eIImzp_bWc61H1wp8vqDB8UR0ya7CdbjpUO28cAmsBIQ-jsTsnPDBykZDMoINoRXyMSUEB9WyJLtMMqXfLXGMAlSX33VN-7fiYGNCFXb4YtZF_Qaw4K4o8_EZHYC54xMy84jtZ/s320/dez.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merchant Prince Desideratus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-33789415989527634332017-02-17T12:49:00.000-08:002017-02-17T12:49:05.177-08:00Raganhar the Padling<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhim1d9ZKJsuAo03d7gaKx_I9hg2MXj1we2ScBLoxE7hp4JyaUSn2M8gDbxwoAGkKPGHm4acYS83tc_P3XBq1MNFRNrtf3Ku28e0bhXbaE_CpCQAo_VBpSkrbpXclEuwe_3pRWhmW7yeWuL/s1600/padling.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhim1d9ZKJsuAo03d7gaKx_I9hg2MXj1we2ScBLoxE7hp4JyaUSn2M8gDbxwoAGkKPGHm4acYS83tc_P3XBq1MNFRNrtf3Ku28e0bhXbaE_CpCQAo_VBpSkrbpXclEuwe_3pRWhmW7yeWuL/s320/padling.png" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art by Me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Name:</b> Raganhar the Padling<br />
<b>STR</b> 12 <b>DEX</b> 16 <b>WIL </b>9 <b>HP </b>11<br />
<b>Items:</b> Ancient Sword (d8), Archaic Armor (Armor 1), Tattered Cape, Lots of Scars<br />
<br />
Raganhar is old. <i>Really </i>old. In fact, his full name contains so many titles and honorifics that he's forgotten most of them. He can tell you stories about a time before Bastion, but you probably wouldn't understand him because he uses weird words like 'dost' and 'thou'. If you really press him, he might tell you about how he was a knight in a sacred order in a kingdom far away who was turned into a frog by a witch along with his knight companions.<br />
<br />
Due to his nature he is capable of superhuman agility, often leaping from buildings like more of a man-bat than a man-frog. He is also capable of snatching distant objects with his tongue.<br />
<br />
You will find Raganhar on the fringes of civilization, hunting massive beasts and protecting lost travelers.Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-68764790674569991132017-02-15T12:38:00.000-08:002017-02-15T12:38:01.078-08:00Junot<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJmG1JCeJ41oGLIE7kB831uAoukM8KvQHkV7k-mVOj8g0Zk_1vBcSVzTj_b9T05svdSYwnNkuQw96dl3mKbi1dq9XtALRUYdvKyIDNbvNUyLtvDougNINnybMvEZP-3J8L4VCIeyRXptC/s1600/junot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJmG1JCeJ41oGLIE7kB831uAoukM8KvQHkV7k-mVOj8g0Zk_1vBcSVzTj_b9T05svdSYwnNkuQw96dl3mKbi1dq9XtALRUYdvKyIDNbvNUyLtvDougNINnybMvEZP-3J8L4VCIeyRXptC/s320/junot.png" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art by me via MS Paint</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Name:</b> Junot<br />
<b>STR</b> 8 <b>DEX</b> 11 <b>WIL </b>16 <b>HP </b>4<br />
<b>Items:</b> Pistol (d6), Knife (d6), Shovel, Crowbar<br />
<br />
Some people do bad things for money, so maybe they can afford not to have to do bad things anymore. Junot, on the other hand, robs grave because he wants to finance bigger and better grave robberies. It's a sport for him, like boxing or chess.<br />
<br />
He is a smooth talker who always has a lie queued up, and is especially adept at appearing innocent in scenarios where he's very obviously the villain.<br />
<br />
You will find him in graveyards at night, or deep in tombs. Despite Junot's shady characteristics, he will not betray or otherwise try to screw over anyone who helps him out. Though, most of the time you won't even realize you're what you're helping him do. Sometimes grave-robbing is a team sport.Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-3377321555468637002017-02-12T09:43:00.002-08:002017-02-12T09:43:43.013-08:00How to Survive on Giant Spine Island<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>I. Adventure
Update</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
While on the Inert
Emir, Miles and Poco choose not to side with either the Candle-Wizard
First Mate Yijun or the Pirate Captain Zuzanna, and thus are forced
to man a ship on their own without any knowledge of sailing. A
violent storm closes in. Understanding their fate, they fire up a
distress flare for the Perennial Dandy’s attention. It works, and
the Dandy turns around, only to engulfed by the storm.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The party washes up
on the shore of a deserted island, losing a large part of their
inventory. Fortunately, the Merchant Prince Desideratus (Dez) is
present, and leads them to a camp of useless sailors. The sailors
won’t take any orders from somebody without a captain’s hat, but
the players find one and put them to work.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>II. O Captain! My
Captain!</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Every week the party
was able to give orders to the sailors.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>HUNTING</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Find lots of food,
but danger of being hurt.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>SCAVENGING</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Finding a small
amount of food but virtually no danger.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>EXPLORING</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Find items,
locations, or even food on the island.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>BUILDING</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Work on building the
rafts so they could get off the island.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Each sailor was
secretly ranked 1-5 in each category, and at the end of each week an
X-in-6 roll was made to see if they succeeded at their task. Each
success in building moved up progress on the rafts by a single point,
and 20 were needed to get off the island. If somebody succeeded at
exploring, I rolled on the following table.</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><b>Exploration
Success Chart:</b></i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>1. Item</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>2. Food</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>3. Lee's Hut</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>4. Super
Capacitor</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>5. Item and roll
again</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>6. Food and roll
again</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lee’s Hut was the
home of a martial arts master that lived on the back of a large
turtle. The party brought him some accordions that he wanted, and he
taught them some special techniques. The Super Capacitor is one of
the expedition sites from Oddvent Oddpendium. I had another table of
items, and it was even possible to find real proper treasure.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In retrospect, I
really bonered up the hunting/scavenging rules and nobody got hurt.
If I were to do it again, I’d have a default 1 in 6 chance of
something bad happening at the camp. Then, if somebody failed at
hunting there would be a chance that they were seriously injured. I
would also probably have included a way for people to get better at
their tasks. At the time, the only way to improve somebody’s
chances was to give them an item. For example, hunters were given
rifles and explorers were given whips.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
They spent 3 months
on the island and at least one person was bludgeoned to death with a
rock.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>III. The Price is
Right</b></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Without any sort of
appraisal ability, I never know how the party is meant to interpret
the value of whatever treasure they find. I guess this isn’t a
problem specifically with ItO, since a lot of other games don’t
have rules for this either.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Do I just tell them
how much it’s worth? Can they make some sort of roll? At the
moment, the party happens to be friends with a merchant who can give
them ballpark figures. I’m wondering how other handle this sort of
thing though. Any input is welcome. </div>
Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-40851128665124584902017-02-07T17:52:00.002-08:002017-02-07T17:52:55.657-08:00Small Update<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Miles and Poco board
a ship to the new world in pursuit of their rival Barnabold. A few
days into the trip, a traveling merchant points out that the ship has
altered course and they appear to be following a galleon known as the
Perennial Dandy. The party investigate the captain’s history with
this ship and don’t like what they find.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I’m not good at
making dungeons yet. I have this unhealthy dependence on Silent Hill
style alternate realities, and things that are weird for the sake of
weird. The idea was a ship with descending decks, each getting more
strange until they were basically walking around inside the throat of
some sort of massive creature. In practice everything was super
cramped without any real room for the players to be creative.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
My original plan was
for a purely social adventure where the players would try to convince
the obsessed captain to stop following after an invincible galleon
towards certain doom. It would have been part Moby Dick and part
Master and Commander, resembling something better served for Burning
Wheel. A day before the game, I realized I didn’t really have the
confidence to pull it off and turned it into a dungeon.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
It went okay by all
(2) accounts, so whatever.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I’ve been sitting
on a stupid sci-fi setting for a while now, inspired by retro anime,
shmups, Phantasy Star and Mega Man. I’m thinking of writing it out
as a hack of Into the Odd. I’m super into spaceship combat ala Last
Starfighter, so I feel tempted to focus a lot on that but I feel like
any really complex rules run counter to what makes ItO so enjoyable
to me. It’s something for me to think about, anyway.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Pending title: Space
Battleship Bastion.
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-35372686197657578352017-02-01T16:14:00.000-08:002017-02-01T16:15:56.255-08:00Sit with Mussold<div align="left" style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="border: none; display: inline-block; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;">I
think I’m pretty good at NPCs. I worked in retail for the largest
part of my adult life, and have had conversations with hundreds of
people. I do voices. I do quirks. Yet the Oddest thing happened while
running my second game of Into the Odd, which I wish I could say I
wasn’t prepared to handle.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="border: none; display: inline-block; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;">We
use Rolz to play, and at some point I discovered the command to
generate an NPC. After a long hex crawl (which I honestly kind of
fucked up), the players ended up in Hopesend which put me back into
my comfort zone. They had a lot of questions and love talking to
random people on the streets, so it was only inevitable that they
would come upon Mussold Schawnpfalz.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;">Name:
Mussold Schwanpfalz, Occupation: Shipwright, Traits: strong, healer,
Psychology: <b><span style="color: red;">fetishizes sitting down</span></b>, Age: 69, Hair: shaved
red, Eyes: blue, Social Ties: sister (healer, openly despised by
Mussold), spouse (enduring, openly despised by Mussold), History:
became chronically ill at 18, had a minor accident at 20, witnessed a
murder at 26, got away with a major crime at 35, was exiled at 62</span></i></blockquote>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I
hate it when people drop random philosophy quotes, but I feel the
following statement from Sir Anthony Ray (often incorrectly
attributed to Abraham Lincoln) is relevant here. </span></span>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><i>“I
like big butts and I cannot lie.”</i></span></span></blockquote>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "liberation serif" , serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "liberation serif" , serif; font-size: 10pt;">Mussold
loves to invite people to sit around him and accidentally sounds like
the worst impression of Tim Curry you can imagine. I can only assume
the reason he despises his spouse is that she prefers standing. I
wonder what major crime he got away with. Pretending to be a chair?
He asks the party to sit down while they speak, and Miles shuffles
around uncomfortably.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b> Miles</b>:
I think I’ll stand.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b> Mussold</b>:
<i>Groans</i></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b> Poco</b>:
I sit down.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><b> Mussold</b>:
<i>Moans</i></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I
decide to give Mussold the honor of relaying the status of the
party’s rival and betrayer Barnabold. Barnabold sat with him, along
with his 3 companions, not too long ago. The party grill him for
information on Barnabolds new band, however he is only able to recall
the general shapes of their asses. Blood runs from his nose. </span></span>
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "liberation" serif , serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 0.21in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "liberation serif" , serif; font-size: 10pt;">Will
we be seeing more of Mussold? The party are hitting the high seas to
chase Barnabold into the new world, but if they ever come back who
knows? Mussold may be waiting around, sitting pretty.</span></div>
Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1978284852148025209.post-51669709075830158862017-01-26T18:30:00.000-08:002017-01-26T18:30:35.331-08:00Thoughts on Into the Odd<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I know I'm late to the party, but I finally got a chance to run Into the Odd. </div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Into the Odd
frustrates me in that every rule seems obvious in a way that is
vaguely insulting, but presented with the sincerity of my grandmother
trying to describe to me whatever strange new gadget she recently saw
at the store, which makes it very hard for me not to like it. It
aligns with my aesthetic sensibilities, but reminds me of times when
a loved one would stay over and I couldn’t get a moment’s peace,
even when peace was less desirable than their company. It seems the
closer I get to my ONE PERFECT RPG, the more despondent I’ll become
to the point where quotes falsely attributed to Buddha will no longer
raise my spirits.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Not everything here
is a completely new idea, but we get a lot of smart concepts packaged in
a digestible way without any kind of nefarious pretense or
<i>edge</i>. The book is usable, with setting taking up a minimal
amount of real estate, with the bulk of detail laced into the
starting equipment table. There’s no sections defining role-playing,
and nothing about how the game itself is different (which it doesn’t
need because it simply <i>is</i>).
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
There lack of to-hit
rolls jumped out at me considering how old-school the game feels otherwise. Players only roll damage, and my
players can’t decide if they like it or not. I’m fine with this.
I sometimes feel like knee-jerk reaction blog/forum posts have become
the dialect of the RPG proletariat, and I was proud of my friends for
engaging the game with an open mind. It would have been really easy
to dismiss the rule outright, or (almost worse) embrace it without
thought.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The saving throws
work because the values are liquid, and because they’re only
intended to be used in response to the world. I despise d20 roll
under with 3-18 ability scores for aesthetic reasons, but in ItO your
numbers are less about who you are and more about what is happening.
Those numbers are on your sheet because they have to be, but they
only play a small part in what measures the worth of your character.
Your Strength might be 18 right now, but it could just as easily be 1
by the time you make it to the next room. In the same vein, you can
choose to define yourself by your stuff, but at the end of the day
even your most fantastical artifact is a <i>thing</i> that can be
broken or lost.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
My Bastion was
designed with the aid of Vornheim, MS Paint, and a healthy amount of
overthinking. The streets are littered with bums, wild animals,
raccoons in trench coats, and nerds dressed up as elves. Miles and
Poco wake up in their single room apartment in the slums, elbow to
knee with their seven other roommates every day. Nobody’s hiring,
student loan payments are through the roof, and the only prospects
are out there where the Odd things are.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I ran the example
dungeon included in the book, but instead of using some fishing town,
I decided that Bastion was so unthinkably huge that an entire section
of the city could sink into the water and nothing could be done about
it. The players traversed the murky drowned quarter in wooden
bathtubs. The dungeon went well, with the players triggering
absolutely every trap, despite complaining about their low HP and the
constant danger they were in. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Note: one thing I love about saving throws
is that people want to dip their toe in—to properly fuck up and see
if they can make it out in one piece. I think the game understands
that, and the dice system ensures that the probability of success or
failure is always evident.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If it seems Odd that
I’m writing about a game that came out years ago I must state that,
in my defense, I am relatively new to this hobby. I wish I had more
to say at the moment, but after only one session I’m still on the
fence. I won’t say I’m in love yet. It’s more like a little
crush. </div>
Sluggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04114774462907884388noreply@blogger.com0