I am enamored with the new RPG Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures, published by Flatland Games. They start from the sub-genre of young adult fantasy novels involving characters that have grown up together, best represented by Ursula LeGuin and Lloyd Alexander.
In the character creation process, which the entire party does together, the players will create details of the village they live in, as well as impact the life histories of the other characters. A significant event for one character also involves another character in the group. Each player picks a 'playbook' which contains the character generation process for one character type, such as the Untested Thief or the Witch's Prentice.
A group of other interested bloggers and I are planning on building characters together on our blogs. +Rob Barrett, +Henry Wong, and I will sit around a virtual table, pick playbooks, and create characters.
If you are interested in joining the group, you better hurry up and contact +Rob Barrett. We have one or two seats left at the table.
WATCH THIS SPACE!
Friday, May 24, 2013
Friday, May 10, 2013
Obscure RPG Appreciation Day
Thus was born The Obscure RPG Appreciation Day blogfest on May 30th, 2013. Covering games from the beginning up to 1989.
I've picked my game that I'll blog about -- the Midkemia Press Sunken Lands campaign books: Tulan of the Isles, Carse, Jonril, Towns of the Outlands, and Heart of the Sunken Lands.
If you want, join in. Click on the link above to find out how to sign up.
Monday, May 6, 2013
A Stellar Kickstarter
I contributed to the FATE Core KS from Evil Hat Productions. This is an example of a superbly run campaign.
All contributors got to see the drafts of the rules before the campaign even ended. The company accepted comments from contributors to improve the game. This is something I haven't seen in any other KS campaign.
As the success of the campaign mounted, Evil Hat created more and better incentives to push it up higher, culminating the FAE edition of The Dresden Files. (FAE is FATE Accelerated Edition -- essentially a lighter version of FATE.)
Because of this, even $10 contributors will be receiving a metric buttload (again, not the punt Imperial buttload) of material: the three system books (Core, Toolkit, and FAE) and twenty different worlds/campaigns from some hot authors. Oh, and Dresden.
They are a little late, but they received far more feedback on the Core draft than they expected, and added an extra round of review and playtesting. So, they delay is generating a better product.
I must say that I'm very impressed.
All contributors got to see the drafts of the rules before the campaign even ended. The company accepted comments from contributors to improve the game. This is something I haven't seen in any other KS campaign.
As the success of the campaign mounted, Evil Hat created more and better incentives to push it up higher, culminating the FAE edition of The Dresden Files. (FAE is FATE Accelerated Edition -- essentially a lighter version of FATE.)
Because of this, even $10 contributors will be receiving a metric buttload (again, not the punt Imperial buttload) of material: the three system books (Core, Toolkit, and FAE) and twenty different worlds/campaigns from some hot authors. Oh, and Dresden.
They are a little late, but they received far more feedback on the Core draft than they expected, and added an extra round of review and playtesting. So, they delay is generating a better product.
I must say that I'm very impressed.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Random Medieval Backgrounds
In my youth, I had a sweet tooth for Chivalry and Sorcery. It had extensive character background tables. I present here a set of tables inspired by those
old C&S d100 charts, which use the "Roll Them All" style that uses one of each type of die (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20). The complexity is handled
by using two sets of "Roll Them All" tables. The usage of each die in the second set of rolls varies depending on what you get in the Social Status Table.
So, first look up the character's base social class, then apply all the die rolls according to the tables for that social class. Some classes only use a
few of the various dice. There is one extra roll needed if your parent is a prince, princess, or the monarch.
Enjoy!
Part II: Social Status
Serf
Yeoman
Townsman
Guildsman
Noble
Royal
Example
Let's call this character, Isabeau. My first Roll Them All (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20) comes up: 2, 6, 8, 10, 1, 9. (Yes, I really rolled that.) So checking on each of the first set of charts we get:
Family Status: Average
Children: 6 (flip a coin for the gender of each)
Parents: both dead
Astrology: Aries (unfavorable)
For the next Roll Them All roll, I get: 2, 5, 4, 5, 6, 14. First off, check the Social Status Table with the d12. That makes Isabeau's father a yeoman. Now we check the Yeoman Occupation Table. The d4 roll is a 2, putting Isabeau into the Rural Freeman column. The d20 came up 14, so we have to check the d6 to choose between Forester and Fisherman, leaving Isabeau's father a rural freeman forester. Probably knows how to shoot a long bow. Might have taught his daughter, perhaps?
Enjoy!
Medieval Background Generator
Part I: Circumstances of Your Birth
Roll one of each (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20)
Family Status Table
|
||
d4
|
1
|
Favored child |
2-3
|
Average child | |
4
|
Family rebel or disgrace | |
Family Size Table
|
||
d6
|
1
|
Only child |
2
|
2 children | |
3
|
3 children | |
4
|
4 children | |
5
|
5 children | |
6
|
d4 + 5 children | |
Sibling Rank Table
|
||
d20
|
1-4
|
Bastard |
5-7
|
6th-9th Son/Daughter (d4+5) | |
8-10
|
5th Son/Daughter | |
11-13
|
4th Son/Daughter | |
14-15
|
3rd Son/Daughter | |
16-17
|
2nd Son/Daughter | |
18-19
|
1st Son/Daughter | |
20
|
Inheritor | |
| If the rolled Rank is higher than the number
of children, the character is the last child. If Bastard, roll a d6: 6 = acknowledged. Unacknowledged bastards take the Social Status of their mother and her father. First roll father's status, then roll mother's status. |
||
Parents Mortality Table
|
||
d8
|
1-5
|
Both Parents Alive |
6
|
Father Alive | |
7
|
Mother Alive | |
8
|
Both Parents Dead | |
Horoscope Table
|
||
d12
|
1
|
Aries |
2
|
Taurus | |
3
|
Gemini | |
4
|
Cancer | |
5
|
Leo | |
6
|
Virgo | |
7
|
Libra | |
8
|
Scorpio | |
9
|
Sagittarius | |
10
|
Capricorn | |
11
|
Aquarius | |
12
|
Pisces | |
Astrological Influence Table
|
||
d10
|
1-3
|
Favorable horoscope |
4-7
|
Neutral horoscope | |
8-10
|
Unfavorable horoscope | |
Part II: Social Status
Roll one of each (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20)
Social Status Table
|
|||
d12
|
1-5
|
Serf | |
6-8
|
Yeoman | ||
9-10
|
Townsman | ||
11
|
Guildsman | ||
12
|
d8 = 1-7 | d8 = 8 | |
| Noble | Royal | ||
Serf
Serf Occupation Table
|
||
d4
|
1-2
|
Farmer |
3
|
Herder | |
4
|
Castle Servant | |
Castle Servant Table
|
||
d10
|
1-2
|
Stablehand |
3-4
|
Kitchen Wench | |
5
|
Blacksmith’s Assistant | |
6
|
Armorer’s Assistant | |
7
|
Animal Trainer's Assistant | |
8-10
|
Other Servant | |
Yeoman
Yeoman Occupation Table
|
|||||
d4
|
Rural Freeman ( 1-2) | Liveried (3-4) | |||
d20
|
1-10
|
Farmer | Man-at-Arms | ||
11-13
|
Livestock breeder | d6 Even | d6 Odd | ||
| Townsman Occupation | Guildsman Occupation | ||||
14-16
|
d6 Even | d6 Odd | d6 Even | d6 Odd | |
| Forester | Fisherman | Armorer | Blacksmith | ||
17
|
Miller | Animal Trainer | |||
18
|
Cartwright | Falconer | |||
19
|
d6 Even | d6 Odd | Cook | ||
| Carpenter | Mason | ||||
20
|
Rural Innkeeper | Forester | |||
Townsman
Townsman Type Table
|
||
d6
|
1-2
|
Master |
3-6
|
Employee | |
Townsman Occupation Table
|
||||
d20
|
1
|
Innkeeper |
11
|
Miller |
2
|
Brothel Owner |
12
|
Taverner | |
3
|
Blacksmith |
13
|
Moneylender | |
4
|
Baker |
14
|
Stable owner | |
5
|
Butcher |
15
|
Tinker | |
6
|
Cobbler |
16
|
Haberdasher | |
7
|
Cartwright |
17
|
Fueler | |
8
|
Beer Seller |
18
|
Wine Seller | |
9
|
Grocer |
19
|
Landlord | |
10
|
Peddler |
20
|
Spicer | |
Guildsman
Coastal Town Table
|
||
d8
|
1-3
|
Ship Man's Guild |
4-8
|
Other Guild | |
Guild Type Table
|
||
d6
|
1-4
|
Craft/Trade Guild |
5-6
|
Professional Guild | |
Professional Guild Table
|
||
d20
|
1-2
|
Scholars and Scribes Guild
(in Royal Bureaucracy) |
3-6
|
Scholars and Scribes Guild | |
7-11
|
Mercenaries Guild | |
12-14
|
Thieves Guild | |
15-16
|
Lawyers Guild | |
17-18
|
Physicans Guild | |
19
|
Military Engineers Guild | |
20
|
Wizards Guild | |
Craft/Trade Guild Table
|
||
d20
|
1-5
|
Builders Guild |
6-8
|
Artists and Entertainers Guild | |
9-10
|
Merchants Guild | |
11
|
Clothiers Guild | |
12
|
Bankers Guild | |
13
|
Perfumers Guild | |
14
|
Goldsmiths and Silversmiths Guild | |
15
|
Glassblowers Guild | |
16
|
Shipbuilders Guild | |
17
|
Armorers Guild | |
18
|
Foundry Man's Guild | |
19
|
Chefs Guild | |
20
|
Cabinetmakers Guild | |
Noble
Noble Title Table
|
|||
d20
|
1-14
|
Landed Knight | |
15-16
|
Bannerette | ||
17-18
|
Baron | ||
19
|
d10 < 6 | d10 >= 6 | |
| Earl | Count | ||
20
|
d10 < 8 | d10 >= 8 | |
| Marquis | Duke | ||
Royal
Parent's Relationship to Monarch
|
|||
d10
|
1-7
|
Cousin | |
8
|
Uncle | ||
9
|
d6 Even | d6 Odd | |
| Brother-in-law | Father-in-law | ||
10
|
Prince/Princess/Monarch | ||
| If Prince/Princess/Monarch, roll d20 on
Sibling Rank Table above. Reroll Bastard result. Inheritor result = Father is King. |
|||
Royal Title Table
|
||||||
d20
|
Cousin
|
Uncle
|
Brother
-in-Law
|
Father
-in-Law
|
Title | |
1-12
|
1-4
|
1-8
|
Landed Knight | |||
13-15
|
5-8
|
9-11
|
Bannerette | |||
16-17
|
9-13
|
12-14
|
1-8
|
Baron | ||
18
|
14-16
|
15-17
|
9-15
|
d6 Even | d6 Odd | |
| Earl | Count | |||||
19
|
17-18
|
18-19
|
16-17
|
Marquis | ||
20
|
19
|
20
|
18-19
|
Duke | ||
20
|
20
|
Neighboring King | ||||
Prince/Princess Table
|
||
d4
|
1
|
Mother is a Princess |
2-4
|
Father is a Prince | |
Princess' Husband's Title Table
|
|||
d20
|
1-8
|
d6 Even | d6 Odd |
| Earl | Count | ||
9-12
|
Marquis | ||
13-16
|
Duke | ||
17-19
|
Neighboring Prince | ||
20
|
Neighboring King | ||
Prince Title Table
|
||
| Birth Order | Title | |
| 5th or 6th Prince | Baron | |
| 4th Prince | d6 Even | d6 Odd |
| Earl | Count | |
| 2nd or 3rd Prince | Marquis | Duke |
| 1st Prince | Duke | |
Additional Prince Title Table
|
|||
d20
|
1-12
|
Landed Knight | |
13-14
|
Bannerette | ||
15-17
|
Baron | ||
18-19
|
d6 Even | d6 Odd | |
| Earl | Count | ||
20
|
Marquis | Duke | |
Example
Let's call this character, Isabeau. My first Roll Them All (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20) comes up: 2, 6, 8, 10, 1, 9. (Yes, I really rolled that.) So checking on each of the first set of charts we get:
Family Status: Average
Children: 6 (flip a coin for the gender of each)
Parents: both dead
Astrology: Aries (unfavorable)
For the next Roll Them All roll, I get: 2, 5, 4, 5, 6, 14. First off, check the Social Status Table with the d12. That makes Isabeau's father a yeoman. Now we check the Yeoman Occupation Table. The d4 roll is a 2, putting Isabeau into the Rural Freeman column. The d20 came up 14, so we have to check the d6 to choose between Forester and Fisherman, leaving Isabeau's father a rural freeman forester. Probably knows how to shoot a long bow. Might have taught his daughter, perhaps?
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Amulets for Empire of the Petal Throne
(I'm reposting this from my website.)
A million years ago, I wrote an amulet determination chart for use with EPT. It got published in the Imperial Military Journal (or the Journal of Tékumeli Affairs). The table was produced using the indications in EPT of which amulets are common or rare. The basic percentages are as follows:
I recently updated the percentages in the table, getting a mix that I like better. The Common amulets are more common, and the Rare ones are rarer. I also moved the Amulet of Power over the Undead from the Common category to the Average category, mostly because I think it fits better there, but also because it gives each category four entries, which tickles my "it all fits in a nice neat structure" compulsion. The new percentages are below:
A million years ago, I wrote an amulet determination chart for use with EPT. It got published in the Imperial Military Journal (or the Journal of Tékumeli Affairs). The table was produced using the indications in EPT of which amulets are common or rare. The basic percentages are as follows:
- Common - 11 to 13 percent
- Average - 8 to 9 percent
- Rare - 3 to 5 percent
Amulet Determination Table (Original)
| Roll (d100) | Amulet |
|---|---|
| 01-09 | Amulet Against the Iniquitous Nshé |
| 10-22 | Amulet of Finding Treasure in the Underworld |
| 23-33 | Amulet of the Good God |
| 34-41 | Amulet of Invincible Steel |
| 42-52 | Amulet of Mastery Over Rényu |
| 53-65 | Amulet of Perceiving the Scintillation of Metals |
| 66-70 | Amulet of Peace Amongst the Servers of Ksárul |
| 71-81 | Amulet of Power Over the Undead |
| 82-84 | Amulet of Protection Against the Grey Hand |
| 85-87 | Amulet of Ruling the Ru'ún |
| 88-92 | Amulet of Safety Amidst Putrefaction |
| 93-00 | Amulet of Warding Off the Thunrú'u |
I recently updated the percentages in the table, getting a mix that I like better. The Common amulets are more common, and the Rare ones are rarer. I also moved the Amulet of Power over the Undead from the Common category to the Average category, mostly because I think it fits better there, but also because it gives each category four entries, which tickles my "it all fits in a nice neat structure" compulsion. The new percentages are below:
- Common - 15 percent
- Average - 8 percent
- Rare - 2 percent
Amulet Determination Table (New)
Roll (d100) | Amulet |
|---|---|
| 01-08 | Amulet Against the Iniquitous Nshé |
| 09-23 | Amulet of Finding Treasure in the Underworld |
| 24-38 | Amulet of the Good God |
| 39-46 | Amulet of Invincible Steel |
| 47-61 | Amulet of Mastery Over Rényu |
| 62-76 | Amulet of Perceiving the Scintillation of Metals |
| 77-78 | Amulet of Peace Amongst the Servers of Ksárul |
| 79-86 | Amulet of Power Over the Undead |
| 87-88 | Amulet of Protection Against the Grey Hand |
| 89-90 | Amulet of Ruling the Ru'ún |
| 91-92 | Amulet of Safety Amidst Putrefaction |
| 93-00 | Amulet of Warding Off the Thunrú'u |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)