More Outlaw Press BS

Not only does Shipman decide to auction off his collection of collectible T&T stuff (and, by the way, the description he gave of the product is now gone, where he once purported it to be Ken's old copy) - he then rewards the bidding winner with a new copy of it instead.

Wow. He really must think he's teflon. Just wow...

stopping solo play

I'm sorry Timeshadows I'm gonna have to stop running this for the time being. I think I'm probably gonna be off the internet for a while - there's a lot of personal shit going on over here right now and I just don't have the headspace right now. Thanks for playing though, it's been fun and helpful. Real world just took some ugly turns and I think I am not going to be on the net so much.

(podcast link fixed)

oops.
Here, The Trollgod really does chat it up for a good hour or so.

Good Ken St. Andre podcast

The Trollgod chats it up for a good hour or so.[EDIT: fixed the link noisms, oops!]

(solo playtest) HT:7 Timeshadows

X). While watching the statuette, cautiously collect the coins only on the ground, and if successful, then go up the new stairs.

---

Roll 2d6 for amount of gold pieces collected. (Rolled 10).

Up the stairs, you arrive in the main room of the mausoleum, a small stone building with an open passage facing the town center. There are tattered tapestries and faded frescoes on the walls - it seems obvious that this place sees little traffic, just enough to keep a few torches lit.

A) go down to the shrine
B) go out to the town center.

balance vs trade-offs

Trade offs win again!

There's a lot said (pro and con) about "game balance", and I think that most of the arguments in the pro column use 'character-power-equanimity' as a benchmark. I sit pretty comfortably in the con column here. I like the fact that there's not a strict 1:1 relationship between benefits/restrictions, possibilities/limitations of early D&D classes (and races if they are decoupled in that version).

The idea that a 4th level thief should be (by some metric I don't think I've understood) 'just as good' in some way as a 4th level Cleric/Fighter/etc is. In the end, I don't get it. Different classes are different...

The thought process leading up to this match up was to open up the PHB Attacks/round for fighters to the other classes too. On an abstract level, I like it

Class	1/round	3/2 rounds	2/round
Cleric	1-9	10-17	18+
Druid	1-8	9-13	14
Fighter	1-6	7-12	13+
Paladin	1-6	7-12	13+
Ranger	1-7	8-14	15+
Thief	1-8	9-16	17+
Assassin	1-7	8-14	15
Magic User	1-10	11-20	21+
Illusionist	1-10	11-20	21+
Monk	1-3	6-8	9-10

...but does this 'rob' the fighting man of something too iconic, class defining? I dunno - not so much for me. Fighting men will still be more effective in their attacks (to-hit progression, strength bonuses, etc) than the other classes, and I like to think of thieves and assassins (especially) as being more 'fighter-ly'... Moreover, fighters have the 'attack as many <1 HD as levels' thing which no other classes get... I dunno - just an idea, something nice to have around if some 12th level wizard thinks they should have gotten better at fending scaly goblins off with their dagger... at least I'll have a little logic already in place...

So, anyway - balance vs trade off? I doubt that anyone chooses their character's class based solely on the criteria of multiple attacks at higher level.

Ugh. another ramble.

(solo playtest) HT:6 Timeshadows

x). Take a torch and head for the stairs, padding quietly but quickly up.

---

You hear no noise from above and climb the wide stairwell, adding none. You find yourself facing another set of stairs leading up, on the far side of a small shrine room. Against the right wall is a pedestal holding several unlit candles and a small statuette - a forearm and hand clenched in fist, the thumb sculpted to extend and become a serpent rearing to strike. You see several coins on the pedestal and scattered on the floor nearby.

A) Go up the new stairs
B) Go down the old stairs
C) Collect coins
D) Light candles
E) Examine shrine & statuette more closely
X)

(solo playtest) HT:5 Timeshadows

A). Stick to the space behind the statues and go the exit.

---

You pad your way quietly, stickling close to the wall, and come to a short passage leading to a larger hall. The unoccupied hall, lit by several torches at 20' intervals, extends to your left, and contains many plaques, honorariums, statues and scenes of relief carving, detailing the lives and adventures of the First Lords of the Keep. From your position, you see a stairwell leading upwards in the center of the opposite wall, and suspect another passage in the same wall, on the far side of the chamber.

A) Take a torch and examine the details of the chamber
B) Make for the stairs
C) Approach the far side of the room for a clearer view
X)

(solo playtest) HT:4 Timeshadows

X + A). Wait to make certain I am not being watched by local guard, then arm myself (if possible) with a broken piece of wood, and make my way outta' there.

---

You find the remains of a frame beneath the pallet, and extract a sturdy board (use as a 2-die club).

Not long after you see the guard nodding into sleep, you widen the hole and begin to crawl through, into a cramped darkness. After a long gradual tendency to the left, and an abrupt turn right, you see a circle of dim blue light ahead.

You cautiously approach, and find yourself looking down into a room - the floor seven feet below, the ceiling four or five above. You cannot see much of the interior of the room immediately though - the tunnel ends behind a large statue with broad shoulders. The source of the dim blue light is unknown to you, but fills the room with steady light. You can see other statues along the walls - tall mustachioed warriors in mail with broadswords point down before them.

You quietly climb down from the hole in the wall and peer around the beltline of the statue you stand behind. There is a 7' long sarcophagus of marble in the middle of the chamber and a considerable layer of dust. A crystal set into the lid provides the steady glow - by which you see an open exit on the far side of the small room. The statues line all of the walls.

A) Stick to the space behind the statues and go the exit.
B) Walk across the room to the exit.
C) Examine the sarcophagus.
D) Go back to your cell.
X)

(solo playtest) HT:3 Timeshadows

Make a L2 SR on IQ.
(Rolled 9, failed) The pallet is a nest of nest of spiders, and you have disturbed a large one which scuttles out to attack you. You are weaponless, doing 1d6 plus adds in melee. If the spider succeeds in damaging you, make a L1 SR on Strength, and reduce you strength by the amount the save was failed by for this combat.

[Round 1:] Spider(MR 7(1+4) = 7 damage) You (d6+6 = 13 damage) - spider takes 6
[Round 2:] Spider(MR 1(1+1) = 5 damage) You (d6+6 = 11 damage) - spider crushed!

Behind the pallet, there is a crack in the wall where it joins the floor. The spider you killed came from there. Examining it closer, you see it is a hole large enough to worm into.

Do you
A) Contort yourself into the hole in the wall?
B) (return to options from HT:2, but keep option of returning to spider's hole)
X)

File under "Constant Vigilance"

The continuing story of James Shipman and Outlaw Press
A fantastic summary of the whole story up to JAN 7 2010 far more coherent than I could have done and a fantastic set of links. Thanks mxy!

And today, was informed by Lulu (along with several others) that all things Tunnels and Trolls were being removed from storefronts, due to "litigation". Ugh. Lulu's policy is "pull first, ask questions later", and I can see the wisdom of this policy - so no feathers ruffled on that account.

Shipman's created a really absurdly hostile atmosphere to work in.

(solo playtest) HT:2 Timeshadows

You are transfered to a few guards inside the gate, and walked to the town's center - where stands the Keep, a magnificent fountain of sculpted marble undines, a mausoleum bearing former lords of the Keep, the headsman's block, and behind that, a squat stone building holding trapdoor entry to the prisons.

Inside sits the half-lame jailer, who takes possession of your goods without much thought. Guardsmen keep their short swords hedged at your throat. You judge resistance futile and refrain from it. The jailer looks you over briefly and says to himself "...doubtless Uraja will put your head on my block, if Darhas don't free ya first..." while you are locked into a windowless cell. In the cell is a straw pallet against the wall and an empty basin - and you noticed four other cells down here. The jailer returns slowly to ground level, leaving a guard below with you.

A) Wait to see if anything happens.
B) Plead with the guard.
C) Try to lure the guard close enough for ambush.
D) Investigate your cell.
E) Call out to see if other cells are occupied.
X)

(solo playtest) HT:1

OK - if you're game!
I'll give an X) option when I'd like to broaden the decisions, otherwise I'd ask you to stick to the scripted choices. Gracias!

---

You have arrived at the town's south gate. There are a few shanty shacks in the near distance huddled up against the town wall - which stands 16' tall, in general disrepair. The Keep looms above, from near the town center, its south face painted a pale (and now faded) orange. Two guardsmen stand watch, outside the gate.

What has brought you here?
A) You arrive at dusk with the nervous merchant
B) You arrive at dusk, captured and in chains
C) You arrive at night to try a stealthy entry
D) You arrive at night with your gang to raid the merchant's guild
E) You proceed to the guardsmen and offer a password to them

mythic underworld: Evolution vs. Intelligent design

Intelligent design wins again! (wait... has it won in real life? no, but they keep on trying... )

Fungi, slimes, oozes. Plants & animals. Bugs, rats, bats. Bears, wolves, lions.
VS
Sarcophagi, boxes, cases, chests. Barrels, urns, stone basins.
Cages, pits. Shelves, alcoves. Statues, idols, statuettes.

calling this on a draw on account of time-out.

Four doors at the Four Winds bar

Having seen sarkos

Been a BOC fan for 25 years, how many BOC-isms have slipped into my games? Not enough. There's a semi-consistant workshop of the telescopes, and astronomy plays an ambiguous but powerful force.
Characters have been attacked before by flaming telepaths... by goblins of Circe...
surely there's an arch-devil known by the title 'The Harvester of Eyes'...
...storms at land, storms at sea...
...gonna have to stat up a screaming diz-buster one of these days...
Cities on flame (with rock & roll)

Early BOC (the Stalk, Forrest Group/Soft White Underbelly) has got fantastic, elusive, evocative moments totally in-keeping with their development

2010? Why not!

One time I made a New Year's Resolution that I actually was able to keep. This was several New Yearses ago, but it was a resolution I was able to maintain for a long time: to whit, to read books constantly. It wasn't a huge stretch (as I'd given up TV and always had read a lot anyway), but it does stand as an actual resolution that I was able to actually implement - Hoorah!

One key to the successful resolution (indeed, just about any personal decision or goal) that I've found true in my own case is this - KEEP IT TO YOURSELF! The more people that know about it, the harder it becomes to keep. Makes for a pretty boring blog entry though... so I'll try to come up with my public gaming-related resolutions for shits & giggles...


1. Finish the translation of Epées & Sorcellerie by Nicolas Dessaux into human-readable english. A really wonderful game that languishes in a pseudo-english Babelfish form - Nico has continued to produce some fantastic output (Searchers of the Unknown being among my favorite games of 2009), but I'd still love for E&S to be appreciated by a wider audience.

2. Pimp Tunnels and Trolls. The Outlaw Press Fiasco really seemed to galvanize a number of us T&T fans to mush our brains together and get material out. I've got a T&T game scheduled at a local convention in February - maybe some of those folks will be interested in continuing to game with it...

3. The no-brainer resolution: to get an actual group of actual people to actually sit down and play some damn games this year! Pretty much all of my gaming in 2009 was via Internet. I'm glad - it's been a gods-send to play again at all - but the table-top's a'callin'

4. I gotta get some Zocchi dice. 4 real.

5. Massive dungeon and hexmap drawing. Another no-brainer, already spending a lot of free-time doing this.

6. Finishing my submissions for OSRIC's Dangerous Dungeons supplement by February.

7. Get myself (my hook/crook) out to the NTRPG convention.

Is that enough for now? I think so.

2009 was a pretty awesome year, and I have you of the blogosphere and forumlands to thank for that. Looking forward to seeing Swords & Wizardry on game store shelves, Planet Algol on my own shelves, and I will make one prediction (with my fingers crossed): World of Thool revival - the ruined domes shake, the winds shift in the sandy wastes, the pools of slime bubble and ooze back to life (I've just mutated a third arm so that I have more fingers to cross...)

2010's gonna be good! Happy new year!

Step away from the computer...

I'll be offline for a week, so I thought I'd offer all you RPG wackos my hopes that you enjoy (or endure if you're like me) the holidays. Take care!

Keep On Fightin' On!

Looks like the new issue of Fight On! has been taken off simmer and served up.
If you are looking to get it and save 10%, you can enter HUMBUG at checkout. This issue's dedicated to M. A. R. Barker and looks to have quite a bit of Tekumel content to it. (It also has some spells I penned - hence, my obligatory shilling)

Go Git It!

Fates worse than death

When I started getting back into gaming (say 2004), I went in head-first with my collection of Rolemaster books clutched tightly. Managed to convince a couple of my friends who'd never played to give it a shot, and honestly, it went pretty well for a couple of sessions - in that we were having fun.

The PC's came from a town on a lake. In the middle of the lake was a ancient magical gate which was held closed by three arcane brotherhoods, as it had in past times been used as a passage for horrible demons of the Void.

Ooops! Go figure - the first session began with something going wrong with the gate! One of the brotherhoods had become corrupted, and the town could no longer be guaranteed safe - and so, the PC's were given the task (by the non-corrupted Orders) of securing a tower in the wilderness nearby - in case the unthinkable happened, and control was totally lost.

As far as the 'story' goes, it is secondary to this post, sorry. The long and short of it is this: they go and get to the tower and explore the weirdness of it, and find that some of the local denizens have claimed it (Gratar - nasty toad-men). In battling against the Gratar, one of the PCs (a big trollish fighting machine of a character) receives a fluke critical hit from a far inferior opponent. The result of this hit is a broken leg. The other characters help him back to the tower after the combat is ended, but this was to be the last session we played.

Conclusion: broken legs are worse than death.

I admit that I waffle on the simulationist/gamist axis - but find myself more and more sympathetic to the gamist side when it comes to things like this. Two months of (game) time spend knitting bones is kinda a drag (assuming no MacGuffin Inc. Super Healing Wands are available...). I love the detail of systems like Rolemaster, but that night, when the percentiles came up with a broken bone, you could feel the 'fun' rush out of the room. I would have honestly rather had the roll come up double zero and present some hideous insta-death effect - there. Done. The character's dead. End of story.

Obviously there's a couple of 'solutions' here - use something other than Rolemaster, fudge the healing rules, ignore the 'unfun' effects, etc... but the general conclusion I've come to is that lingering game-mechanic effects of realistic wounds are kinda a drag.

I'm playing in a game of 1st edition Tunnels and Trolls right now, and two of my companions have recently lost appendages to horrible noxious slime attack. Sucks, yes. But it was handled really well in the sense of - OK - cauterize the wounds, get a fake foot and a hook to replace the lost hand, AND KEEP PLAYING! No weeks or months of convalescence - No "realistic" save vs. blood loss and shock, etc. This is the way to do it in my opinion. Facts are still facts (in the logic of the game) - Drugan's got a wooden foot and Melanthios has a hook instead of a hand - but these facts do not import a bundle of realistic assumptions that would detract from getting down to the playing of a game.

I like that.

Solo Playtest 7

from 6D(Timeshadows)

Help Kragn
As you rush to the fore, you suddenly realize that something is wrong. Make a L1 SR on LK (oof! rolled 1,2 - fail).
GOTO BASED ON SR FAIL
As you turn away, the now invisible merchant manages to sink his knife deep into your back... the scavengers of the hills will feed well tonight!

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Sorry about the bad roll there... (especially after the dalay) I'll get some more sections up for play pretty soon - thanks!