benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Dec 2, 2012 17:56:36 GMT -6
That price is reasonable, but there are more than 4 days of bidding remaining. The final bid is going to be higher, perhaps much higher. No problem.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Dec 2, 2012 15:32:18 GMT -6
About getting an original D&D White Box, I got my first copy from Monte Cook, and the second from a user of the RPG Site who never used his. I would advise searching on eBay for "Original Dungeons & Dragons 1974" to see if there are any floating around for sale lately.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Dec 2, 2012 15:31:05 GMT -6
Thanks for the compliments about the shelf, guys. That's the part I use the most these days. It represents about ... a quarter of my collection, all things considered. Most of my 3rd ed and Pathfinder stuff isn't on this pic, I have another, similar shelf with more general content, plus CoC, Old and new Worlds of Darkness and the like, some GURPS, Aces & Eights, and so on.
In any case, right there on the second row of the shelf on the pic, that's the stuff I use the most these days, by far. It includes OSRIC, First Edition AD&D stuff, a bunch of modules including the original Bottle City and other Pied Piper stuff (hi, Rob), C1, S4, T1-4 and the like, OD&D and supplements, including Carcosa and the Majestic Wilderlands, and AS&SH of course.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Dec 2, 2012 12:35:55 GMT -6
It's recognizable alright. ;D
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 28, 2012 17:58:29 GMT -6
For reference, since I've been asked: the scale of the map of the Cove is one hex for 160 feet, approximately.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 28, 2012 17:28:34 GMT -6
Session 3-4Friday, November 9, 2012; Friday, November 16, 2012. Players and CharactersAurélien C. – Mercurio Drakonos, Hyperborean Warlock, level 1. Alexandre P. – Ankh Su Namun, Ixian Sorcerer, level 1. Jean-Yves E. – Unknown female Hydro/Cryomancer, level 1. These two sessions are lumped together because session 3 lasted half an hour, enough to introduce a new character into the game. I had talked to another old friend of mine, from my high school/university days, actually, and invited him to join our game, which he was eager to do. Knowing the player, his inclination for magic users in AD&D, his love of water, boating, fish, Pink Floyd and all things related to the French Bretagne, and also knowing we wouldn't have the time to create a character organically together before the game began, I proposed the idea of playing an Hydro- or Cryomancer, a character class I would kitbash from the Pyromancer as its polar opposite, as it were. Jean-Yves eagerly approved. I thus went to work and came up with the first level of the class, including its spell list, which you can read about in its dedicated thread. I came up with the stats and everything, and brainstormed about a proper way to introduce the character into the game, having to deal with the fact that the current Pcs were prisoners of Edmund at the time. I chose to go for a rather direct approach... The EscapeThere is a sensation of pain, of cold isolation somewhere in the dark, beyond a veil of dreams and half-forgotten memories. A feeling of coming to life for the first time; a breath frozen, suspended in time and space, and yet still there, drawn endlessly into a void of nothingness. Some anger. Cries of frustration. The sounds of battle and fury, the sounds of despair far, far away, with their echoes resounding into a present that is already past, the urgency of a fleeting moment which already died to her conscience as she came to notice it. She tries to move, and finds her movements are limited, slow, imprecise. Hampered. She is drowning, or it feels like it. She holds her anchor tight against her chest, and feels its organic, hard surface against her naked breast. She opens her eyes and finds herself dazzled by the surrounding blackness. She tries to fight the numbness, fight the oblivion, and starts to see... Mercurio Drakonos, Ankh Su Namun and their viking companions are the “guests” of Edmund Vilios, Lord of Kusu's Cove. They have been led to a hut on one of the village's floating platforms to think about Edmund's deal, and come up with an answer for him. Who are they? What time and place are these? Why? The conscience tries to understand, but cannot. She floats around the scene, tries to take cover into a corner but finds none; the place is round, wooden, foreign to her. As soon as the adventurers are left alone in the hut they start searching the room, which has precious few pieces of furniture here and there, some curtains and carpets. Nothing of value, obviously, but they both decide its time for them to escape. They move the carpets and start pulling loose boards from the floor. They hear the water's ebb and flow about twenty feet below and soon spot its shimmering movement in the dark of the cave surrounding the hut and village around them. Mercurio looks down, and sees something there, something like a pair of eyes looking right back at him from under the surface of the water, begging for him to help, attentive, reaching out to seize him. She cannot explain it. She is floating here, right next to the tall slender man looking down at the surface of the water. And yet, yet... she is looking at him from down below at the same time, right in the eyes, desperate to move, to exist, to come into being. She reaches out and tries. She feels a movement, an acceleration, propelled forward by the sole power of her will as the shards of her broken spirit all rush back into her to form a new whole that is not her, and yet very much is.The body comes flying out of the water, pierces through the floorboards like a canon ball, hits the beams sustaining the roof of the hut above, and falls back on the floor with a crashing sound. Mercurio was knocked off his feet and finds himself on his back, not far away. Ankh Su Namun must have suffered the same fate, for she too now lies in the room, unconscious. The vikings are still standing, holding their weapons close at the ready, not sure what to make of this new deviltry. Mercurio gets up and inspects the new comer. A woman. Young. With a smooth, tanned skin. Plain lips. Dark brown hair that seems to have been died with some form of orange mud or clay. Gills on the sides of her neck. She is naked, lying in foetal position, holding something tight against her. As Mercurio reaches to try and grab it, she awakes. She looks afraid, forlorn. She doesn't seem to know where she is. She is holding a conch shell against her breast. A conch shell which suddenly vibrates, takes off from her hand and levitates around her, separating into pieces swirling fast around her like so many miniature shields protecting her from harm. Mercurio attempts to speak with her using an Atlantean dialect. She seems to understand him. He tells her not to worry, that everything is going to be okay. The conch shell gets back together in the palm of her hand. Mercurio uses the curtains to cover her naked body. She seems thankful. She asks: “ Who am I?” The door of the hut opens. A few guards enter the room abruptly: “ What is this? Explain yourselves!” The newcomer doesn't wait. She jumps through the hole in the water below. The guards are too late to stop her, and return their attention to Mercurio who now holds the unconscious Ankh Su Namun in his arms. “ This is it. You will be coming with us and explain all this to Rel.” Mercurio nods silently to his viking men. They understand him. They move slowly towards the guards, simulating a surrender, and are about to hit them when the hut suddenly shakes on its fundations. “ What the...?” The hut shakes again, and loses its stability. The entire structure crashes downward at a 45-degree angle, door first, towards the ocean. All the guards are instantly ejected from the platform, hit the surface of the water and sink like stones in a puddle, weighted as they are by their protective gear. Two of Mercurio's men follow them to the depths. Three of them can hold on to the walls of the hut, the same as Mercurio who still manages to keep Ankh Su Namun secure in one of his arms. She awakes, and tries to help, but to no avail. The whole platform is soon going to collapse entirely. There is not much more time left for them to save their lives. Twiddla screenshot as we were playing the player characters' escape.The vikings cut the leather straps of each others' suits of armour, and soon do the same to Mercurio's. They all can hear the commotion outside, the cries and shouts of alarm on the neighbouring platforms. They all jump from the platform and notice that two of its stilts have been partially changed to ice and shattered. The young girl who just plunged before them is floating nearby. She lost consciousness, somehow, but is still holding on to her conch shell. Ankh Su Namun and Mercurio grab her and swim away, to the east, as fast as they can. They can feel spears being thrown at them splashing into the water nearby. They even see a glowing magic missile flying past them, fired at random to provide some light to the guards remaining on the platforms behind them. But this isn't of any use: they swim away, and escape finally. They soon make it to one of the platforms near the great pillars of the Cove which separate the village area from the rest of the gigantic cave and its entrance – location (6) on the map. One of the vikings fumbles as they climb the stilts leading to the guard post. As they make it onto the platform, one of the guards runs towards them and asks what is going on. Ankh Su Namun tells him they are followed by men who want to assault them. “ Here, look into the water: this drunken viking! This is one of these men!” The guard looks down at the viking... and Ankh Su Namun pushes him overboard. He sinks and drowns with his suit of armour on. She turns and winks at Mercurio's attention: “ That's already one down.” As they prepare to investigate the guard post another soldier comes to meet them: “ What is going on, here? Where is my brother?” Ankh Su Namun responds: “ Oh! He just fell trying to help us climb up here! There he is!” She points to the water. The guard has a look. She tries to push him... and fails. The guard turns to face her: “ What is the meaning of this?” Mercurio and Ankh Su Namun look at each other, then respond: “ Look. We are five. Us two, plus three very mean viking warriors. You're alone here, aren't you?” The guard looks at them both, swallows noisily, and nods. “ Right. So you know we could kill you right now if we wanted to.” He nods again. “ Alright. Now we might need more men. Men like you, who are willing to switch sides and would work to keep themselves alive. Do you understand?” The guard nods again. “ Very well. Pick up your weapons, and show us all the equipment you have here.” The guard leads them to the equipment in question. They find a lantern, some oil, hooked poles, rope, and even a healing potion which belonged to the guard who perished drowned a moment ago. Ankh Su Namun turns to their new recruit: “ Where is yours?” The guard looks sheepish, then puts his hand in the back of his pants and pulls his potion from there. “ That's all I got.” Ankh Su Namun picks it up with the tips of her fingers and makes a face. “ Well... thank you... I guess.” They take the next few moments to plan their next move. They ask if there are just two guards at the other guard post north of this position, and the new recruit, Schwarzy, tells them that is so. They plan on taking a skiff here left for the guards to use and make their way there to loot the other guard post – location (7) on the map. They hope to get back on the beach afterwards and find part of the viking crew still there to then take their ship back by force if necessary. They take a few moments to rest, recuperate, pack up their equipment, and make their way to the skiff with their three surviving viking hirelings and Schwarzy behind them. DebriefingFun sessions. We had quite a few laughs, particularly when I made up some silly names for the guards. The first one from the post at (6) was “Arnulf”, and then when his brother showed up I just brain-farted when he was asked for his name as well, and just blurted: “Me? My name is Schwarzy.” It'll be a running gag with next session. These are the kind of hilarious, non-scripted, silly moments which are hard to communicate in a written format like here, so I didn't even try. Likewise with the healing potions. They found one, and when Ankh Su Namun asked for the other which surely was in the possession of the survivor, Schwarzy, they had just recruited, I brain-farted again and he just pulled it up from the back of his pants. The idea of an arse-smelling healing potions sent me laughing so hard that my ribs ached and I had to take a break to calm down. It was hilarious, but then again, that's the kind of infantile, laughing for the sake of laughing moments that you can't really translate into a “story” like this here, on a forum. One thing I noticed when I did the experience points totals was that the healing potions amounted to some healthy rewards of the PCs. Since they had been playing some pretty combat-less sessions the bump was actually quite welcome, and appropriate in light of what surely was to come.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 26, 2012 11:22:14 GMT -6
I'm the player who embodies the character Mercurio Drakonos. I'm very proud to play with Benoist as a GM, and we both have fun creating the background of my character. I'm eager to continue playing in this Campaign. Thanks Benoist. You are more than welcome, monsieur Mercurio! I thank you for the good times past, present and future, my friend.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 24, 2012 16:35:51 GMT -6
In short, I think we'll have to agree to disagree on the paladin front, my friend, which is fine -- I want folks to make their own Hyperboreas. If that means Benoist creating a hydromancer (cryomancer) or sorcerer class, Jason developing or adjusting monsters to fit his dungeon concept, Morgan creating his own island with unique racial admixtures, and you reconceptualizing the paladin class, then I think it is all excellent. I think this goes right to a fundamental of what I'd consider old school gaming. The idea of considering the game books not as word of law, or "canon", or anything of the sort, but as a framework, an aid, a structure that in the end real people around real game tables will grab and modify and tweak so they get THEIR games off the ground with them. It's the idea that what matters is the people using the books, and not whatever the books say, that is in the end very important, that the guy behind the GM screen is a referee, with all that implies of discretionary powers, responsibilities of fairness and leeway thereof, rather than a mere "applier of the rules as the LAW". So whether we are talking about different takes of paladins, about hydro and cryomancers, about sorcerers in Hyperborea, what it's really about is using the framework provided by AS&SH and each shaping a campaign with it that is truly ours, in every possible sense of the word. And I think that's one thing game designers have forgotten: that RPG gaming isn't about "one size fits all", not about shaping behavior around game tables with rules, not about scripting the game play in every possible way to create what they think of as a "consistent", predictible experience. It's about providing gateways to the imagination. About providing the tools for each and every gamer out there to play whatever it is they want to play. If you get that (not "you, Jeff", you ... "general you", anyone, everyone), if you really internalize that fundamental of role playing games, that this is a game of THEIR imaginations, out there, then you can create some great games and modules and exchange ideas and appreciate where everyone's coming from on this board. If you don't get it, then you're bound to recreate the same mistakes that have been done by various game companies over years and years of narrowing of the role playing experience and well, that'd be another lost opportunity, really. That's how I see it, anyway. Hope that post isn't too off-topic for you guys. It's a bit of a rant, maybe. I think it has to be said and repeated, though.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 23, 2012 9:21:58 GMT -6
What could happen as well is to have someone like Holger from Three hearts and three lions end up going through a gate to Hyperborea like Holger emerged in Faerie. Hyperborea, by its very nature, as a world beyond the world, and by its makeup, with various tribes or ethnicities of people who arrived to, or were taken by, the continent coming from different historical eras and so on, is very welcoming of such devices, IMO.
I think the theme of the time or dimension traveler is a fairly strong trope in the pulp fantasy AS&SH itself emulates, or pastiches. Whether it's the Eternal Champion of Moorcock, or the characters of Clark Ashton Smith who accidentally stumble into gates to Saturn, or those of HP Lovecraft that regularly visit the Dreamlands, there is a strong tradition of these kinds of mixes and travels there. I wouldn't take it off the table for potential players' characters.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 21, 2012 20:46:24 GMT -6
I hear you Colin. I think that constitutes a serious thematic basis to house rule the alignment in the game with Law, Neutrality and Chaos without the Good-Evil axis at all, actually (which does NOT invalidate the take of the game as written at all in my mind, but is a matter of vibe of particular, personal campaigns thereof). This would trickle down into the system though with spells like Protection from Evil becoming "from Chaos" and the like. Maybe some matter for another thread? I'd love to brainstorm on that possible change.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 21, 2012 17:07:51 GMT -6
Both excellent suggestions, Colin!
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 21, 2012 11:44:16 GMT -6
The "Fire and Ice" theme is extremely relevant to my mega-dungeon and campaign. The mountain that hosts the dungeon itself is a volcano. The area around, the valley proper and its climate, can get really cold in some parts of Helios' cycle. There are Frost Giants in the area as well, and some of them tried to make it in the dungeon in ages past... and that had some interesting consequences to say the least. Ahhhh! Must... resist... saying... too... much!
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 21, 2012 11:39:26 GMT -6
The whole question of the Hyperboreans still dedicated to Apollo versus today's ubiquitous Xathoqqua worship is something that made it into my campaign already. The first character created for the game, Mercurio Drakonos of the Hyperborean House of the Drakon, is the descendant of a line that kept the worship of Apollo alive. Mercurio will find that this is relevant in the context of the Boreal Coast, around the mega-dungeon in particular, once he gets there. I don't want to spoil it for you guys, in case we play together at some point and whatnot, but you'll see what I mean in the future, hopefully.
But yeah (getting sidetracked here), I totally see your point of not necessarily sticking to the "Three hearts and three lions" conception of the Paladin in Hyperborea, for sure.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 21, 2012 11:33:08 GMT -6
I thought about that and I'm not sure the half-bloods would call themselves that, in fact. In my campaign I thought about them having a word to designate themselves regardless of Clan. While working on the mega-dungeon, before the idea of using it with AS&SH came up to me, I had translated the native culture around here and called it the Nu'ana, (or Nu'axhna), which would translate roughly to "Us, people", "the people", "the Folk". I liked it because it sounded like a word that could really exist around here (in BC) on one hand (though it's totally fictional, my invention), and had this slightly European, Celt sound to it (like the Tuatha de Danaan).
Now I already have the El'Kut in my campaign, which are a Clan of half-blood Picts. The Clan in the valley hosting the mega-dungeon has another name, obviously.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 21, 2012 11:22:41 GMT -6
Hey Jason! No worries, man. It shouldn't be a chore, and you shouldn't think we would be vindictive if life gets in the way. These things happen. It's cool. You should take it one day at a time, as it comes. The stuff you come up with ends up getting better if you respect your imaginative ebb and flow, so to speak.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 21, 2012 11:17:20 GMT -6
Having a great time, that's for sure!
Sounds like you guys will have to keep an open mind with this game as well LOL. I already told you about the Hydromancer. That was my suggestion to the player, Jean-Yves, who didn't have time the look through the rules before playing: he's one of my French friends who's actually played First Ed and is a huuuge fan of magic users. He also loves the ocean, water, Pink Floyd (Echoes) and all that. So I knew that the prospect of playing some type of water elementalist would please him. Since I had thought before "hey, it wouldn't take that much to flip the Pyromancer to its polar opposite!" I just proposed it right off the bat and Jean-Yves loved the idea. The character will be introduced soon in this write-up.
We played yesterday as well and Alexandre, after considering shifting Ankh Su Namun to a Shaman who would worship the ancient spirits that gave birth to the Egyptian et al polytheism in ancient times, finally came up to me wanting to play a Sorcerer.
Yes. A Sorcerer as in "3.5 D&D Sorcerer." Now, I played myself a Sorcerer in my 3rd ed period and that's one of the additions to the game I thought would be interesting to convert back to the First Ed paradigm if the occasion presented itself. So after considering the aims of this game and campaign around it, the basic idea that we should grab the framework and shape it to make it resonate with us at the game table won: I agreed. We basically discussed some aspects of the class, the player chose his initial spells from the AS&SH Magician list, we converted a few things, and on we go.
Alex always had a problem with Vancian magic. He loves Rolemaster, however, and loves the way 3rd ed took that "LEGO" aspect out of it. I explained that there are some things which, I think, are not reconcilable with a game like AS&SH. I had in mind things like the grid-based combat, the feats-within-feats, the "rules are the game" aspect of 3rd ed, in particular. But the Sorcerer's class principle, that you have a magic user that can cast spells without memorization but is limited by a VERY narrow number of spells known, is something I thought would work well as an additional advanced character class.
So we settled on that yesterday, and we'll see how it goes.
Talk about kitbashing the campaign, man. Hehe.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 20, 2012 12:23:46 GMT -6
The Hydromancer is a sorcerer who masters the control and manipulation of water and (by extension, in the context of Hyperborea post Ashen Worm) cold. It is basically a simple shift or variant based on the AS&SH Pyromancer, its polar opposite, if you will. This template is incomplete as of now. I basically came up with the first level stats for a character in my Savage Boreal Coast campaign. The Hydromancer is very similar to the Pyromancer in terms of hit dice, attribute requirements and the like. Here I list the rules elements where it differs: Hydromancer (Magician)Same as Pyromancer but... Favoured weapons: dagger, dart, quarterstaff, sword, trident. Hydromancer class abilitiesCreate Water: once per day per level of experience the hydromancer may create water as per the spell. Water breathing: the Hydromancer can breathe underwater for short periods of time (1 turn per CA total per day). Castings of the actual spell are cumulative with this ability (e.g. the effects stack in terms of duration). Cold Affinity/Fire Vulnerability: +2 saving throws versus Cold, ice and water effects. -2 saving throws versus fire-related effects. Read magic: as Pyromancer. Scribe scroll: as Pyromancer. Sorcery: as Pyromancer, but for the spell list. Additional abilities at higher level will be determined later (I don't foresee any change compared to the Pyromancer). Hydromancer spell listLevel OneChill Touch Cloudburst (SpC) Cold Resistance Decipher Language Detect Magic Floating Disk Ice Shard (like Flaming Missile but doesn't affect undead, plus 1 point splash damage/CA) Identify Melt Ice (can be reversed to Freeze Water) Mirror Gaze Protection from Evil Purify Food & Drink Sorcerer Mark Sorcerous Armour Wall of Vapours Wings of the Sea (SpC) Write Spell Cloudburst and Wings of the Sea are actually Spell Compendium spells (from 3.5 D&D) adapted to the game. One (Cloudburst) allows the Hydromancer to summon rain, and the other (Wings of the Sea) augments his swimming movement rate. The Ice Shard name and principle of splah damage are from Spell Compendium also. Since the class is less offensive than the Pyromancer, I basically replaced "Candle" by two different abilities, including water breathing, which in itself is awesome. That evens things out I think. Anything jumping out as wrong to you?
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 19, 2012 18:53:32 GMT -6
Nice work so far, mate, and I have to echo the love for the lumpen mockery. Colin Thanks Colin! We're not quite in the full-on "weird" yet as far as the game's concerned, but we're slowly getting there... hehe.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 19, 2012 18:49:24 GMT -6
I agree with you. As far as the (D&D) game's history and tradition goes, the Paladin is a descendant of a subset of inspirations, namely Poul Anderson with Three Hearts and Three Lions, that are not the main focus of AS&SH (i.e. Clark Ashton Smith, Howard etc.) as far as its Appendix N predecessor in the 1e DMG is concerned. There is room in such a world of "Dungeons & Elder Things" for the Paladin as "the exemplar of the Lawful Good alignment", the champion that has the deck stacked against him in a world of gritty, weird Swords & Sorcery, but this is a character that will be really rare to say the least.
That'd be a bit like playing a Paladin in Ravenloft. You can do it, and such characters can be really exciting to play, but they shouldn't be a cultural standard by any means (unless you have a fallen Paladin or Anti-Paladin as the Lord of a particular Domain but that's another story, let's go back to Hyperborea).
Hyperborean knights still dedicated to Apollo, Amazons upholding the virtues of Artemis and keeping the natural order from the taint of Evil (or maybe trying to restore said natural order in this supernatural world instead), Ixian Judges guarding the edicts of the Great Serpent and having a very particular spin on necromancy, sorcery and resurrection as possible sources of Good in the world (!), all these are possibilities of course, but you can see how I'm already stretching the original intents and bending the concepts to create particular cases and characters.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 19, 2012 14:51:02 GMT -6
I like the set up thus far. I was grossed out by the thing behind the throne as well! The players reeeally didn't like the sound of this guy, and how Edmund seemed to seek silent approval from him. I role played him making mostly some sounds, a bit like Jabba, like "Hmmm..." "Whooa...", licking its lips at the sight of Ankh Su Namun and the like. LOL Though you only have two characters I like the fact that a warlock and a cleric can go off adventuring together. I'm not much on enforced party balance. Being able to change you character class later is a good way to get folks to try something a little different as well. That's my thought as well. For a campaign start, and new characters in general, you don't have to be all "oh no you chose that, that's it, you're stuck with it now." It can be straining to the suspension of disbelief if that happens too often, and thus, at some point, you have to say "OK you tried this this and this, now's the time to settle for something once and for all, and don't forget you can play multiple characters etc etc," but all in all it's welcoming to new players trying the game, getting interested, and wanting to just adjust a couple of things with their character before going on with the campaign. As for party "balance," average party level, encounter levels, X amount of encounters per day and all that jazz. Yeah... that's basically the invention of theory wankers that thought WAY too much about the game in a complete vacuum trying to distill a game play they thought would be "one size to fit them all". It's been going on since 3rd ed. It was crap thinking then, and it's still crap thinking now, as far as I'm concerned. I look forward to the next installment! Morgan Thanks a lot Morgan. Much appreciated.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 19, 2012 12:32:33 GMT -6
Session 2Friday, November 2, 2012 Players and CharactersAurélien C. – Mercurio Drakonos, Hyperborean Warlock, level 1. Alexandre P. – Ankh Su Namun, Ixian Cleric of Yig, level 1. We gathered at 12:00 PM on Skype and loaded map and tokens on Twiddla.com. I placed everything and Alex informed me he had chosen a name for his character in the meantime: Ankh Su Namun, a name the fans of the Mummy series of movies will surely recognize. We also talk about weapons options. Alex settles on a Khopesh sword (which I rule is fine) and a whip at the moment. He hasn't had a chance to have a look over the various class options in the game yet, but asks me if he'd be possible to switch classes later on. I tell him it's okay with me: either he switches Ankh Su Namun to the class he might prefer later on (soon, preferably, so as to not create too many continuity problems), or he creates another character and relegates Ankh Su Namun to a status of “henchman” to his new character. Either way, we'll just work things out just fine. When Aurélien shows up both players start sharing pictures of what their characters look like on the Twiddla white board. I'm liking this online application more and more: it's actually fairly easy to use, and once you've done so a couple of times, you start knowing your way around and have a pretty good idea what it is you are doing with it. You can also share both ways, not just one DM to the players, but the players to the everyone as well, which is pretty cool in practice. It's not a flawless site by any means, but very cool nonetheless, especially considering it's free for anyone to use. The BargainNjord's Pride made it to Kusu's Cove. The men are exhausted. The captain, Arsulf, despite his own claims he knew all along they would make it safely there, cannot quite believe they actually did. Svein, his second, is much more pragmatic, and knows when the winds have turned. The conversation unfolds rather quickly: blame is thrown around, the crew obviously has lost confidence in their captain's ability to command, and a resolution must be found before they actually disembark and meet the people of the Cove. Svein sides quickly with Mercurio Drakonos (Aurélien's character) when the Hyperborean warlock makes his move to strip Arsulf of his rank. The crew is hesitant at first, but ends up backing Mercurio as well. From now on, Mercurio shall act as the captain of the ship, with Svein acting as his second, and Arsulf demoted to the rank of mere leader of the fighting men amongst the crew. It might seem strange for who is not a viking, perhaps, but after some initial protests Arsulf accepts his fate: he knows he has failed his men, and knows the gods would make him pay the price if he did not make amends and lead them to victory in whatever capacity he could still claim as a man. Maybe this was his Wyrd, his fate as a warrior. If he wanted to get access to Valhalla and be lead by the Valkyries to the great hall beyond the Rainbow Bridge where could wait for the final days of Ragnarök, he had to accept it, embrace it, and run with it to the bitter end if need be. The Norns would smile on his fate then, and maybe he would die honourably in combat. As the crew settles the matter and, like their demoted captain, comes to terms with the idea of following the Hyperborean's leadership, a long skiff approaches with a few shadowy figures manning the oars and a single man holding a lantern at its prow. The man is tall but bent, as if very old. A hood covers his face. He hails the ship as he raises his lantern: “ A-hoy! You there on deck! What brings you to Kusu's Cove?” The party explains that they are en route for the Boreal Coast, describes the force of the storm they met while sailing along the Skarag Coast and how they finally decided they had to reach the Cove before they sank. The man holding the lantern listens intently. He uncovers his face. It is old and withered. He is bald, though long strands of silver hair hang from the sides of his skull. His grey eyes are deeply set under his brow. He seems to be hesitant at first, listening to the adventurers' tale, but ends up agreeing to lead them to a place where they could moor. Following the skiff after it turned around and showed the way, they finally secure the ship in a small enclave of the Cove – location (1) on the following map. Negotiations ensue as they reach the shore and talk to the old man who presents himself as Rel, representative of Edmund Vilios, lord of the village nearby. It is finally decided that most of the men that followed Mercurio Drakonos ashore will stay on the beach and wait for him there – location (2) on the map. In the meantime, Mercurio and Ankh Su Namun will follow Rel to the village and meet with his master there; five viking warriors from the crew are allowed to come along and protect them. Rel leads the way once again. The group finds out that a whole network of natural and artificial corridors link the beaches around the Coves – location (3) on the map. There, they see many alcoves and side passages which do not look like they have been recently carved from the rock surrounding the area. They have the feeling of being observed, and see the light of their torches reflect in the eyes of some creature somewhere in a side passage, but they do not have the time to investigate any further: Rel is evasive when asked, and advises to keep moving. As the group emerges on the beach at location (4), a couple of guards armed with spears and wearing great helms, aventails and chain hauberks rush towards them. They exchange a few words before Rel manages to stop them: “ Master. We did what we could! We couldn't stop them...” Rel lifts his hand to cut them before they say too much, but it is too late: behind them, Mercurio, Ankh Su Namun and the vikings can see a young girl trying to run away from a couple of sailors who seem to be drunk, or crazed. She cries for help, runs between the tents that have been raised on the beach... This is enough for Ankh Su Namun she avoids Rel and the two guards and rushes to the girl's help, soon followed by Mercurio while the vikings stay put and wait, ready to intervene if Rel and his men try to stop them. Ankh Su Namun and Mercurio reach the girl as she is held by one of the men. The other lies on the beach and seems to be having something of a seizure, his muscles convulsing uncontrollably. The priestess rushes to the girl's aid, trips the individual holding her. Mercurio approaches much more carefully and keeps an eye on the sick man who seems to change before his own eyes, as though his shape was morphing from that of a man into another, another shape which would not be human, which would be animal... something like a pig, or a boar! Ankh Su Namun helps the girl, but the other man holds her ankle, tries to keep her close. He swears, then shivers and starts to change as well! The priestess manages to free the girl and immobilizes the creature. Rel approaches with his men. He nods back at them. They then slaughter the beasts with their lances before either of the adventurers could get answers from them. Rel appears to be resigned. He looks at the priestess, then the warlock, and then explains himself: “ Nothing has been the same since my Lord Utgard died a few weeks ago. Edmund is not like his father. He does not respect the ancient pacts that kept this place safe from the Curse. He rejected the council of the El'Kuth, and preferred to deal with the orcs to not have this place invaded by them. But the Cove didn't like it. It ... awoke. Rejected Edmund's leadership. Doomed us all.” Rel looks at his guests, and recognizes surprise and incomprehension in their eyes. He sighs loudly. “ My Lord will explain. Please follow me now.” The adventurers follow Rel on a series of bridges made of ropes, and then on the platforms built on stilts and raised above the waters of the Cove. All the faces of the people they see as they walk seem tense, depressed, not happy at all. They finally reach what must have been an inn some time ago. All around the round structure built on a platform raised on stilts, there are warriors, mercenaries, sailors all more drunk and useless than the others. They enter the structure, and see a sign hanging at the entrance: a large, dark silhouette of pig made of iron is carved with the words “The Black Sow.” They step inside and witness a complete change of mood inside: inside the Black Sow, people seem to feast, drink, eat, screw everything that moves. People hang from the chandeliers. Naked women are lying on the bar covered in stinking ale, waiting to be serviced by the next men who would come around and lift them away. Rel follows the wall of the round inn and starts climbing a set of stairs leading up to a mezzanine overseeing the whole room. Ankh Su Namun tries to talk to one of the girls. She picks one at random, one who seems to have been left alone for a while. She might have lost consciousness. Ankh Su Namun carries her a moment and looks at her face: she cannot believe her eyes, for she is looking at her own! Everything about this girl looks like Ankh Su Namun: the skin tone, the eyes, the bare breasts, the full lips... it must be some type of copy, or double, some illusion perhaps. She is barely conscious. Ankh Su Namun asks: “ Wh... what? Who are you? What is your name?” “ I ... I am Nefertiri. I am the daughter of the sun...” Ankh Su Namun can see Rel standing at the top of the stairs looking down at her. She has no time to talk with Nefertiri. Maybe the old man didn't notice their resemblance. Maybe if she let her rest here for now, she will be able to catch up later on and figure out why she would be here, now, in that particular state. “ Could we see each other outside, here, around midnight?” The nigh unconscious Nefertiri nods to indicate her agreement. “ Very well then. Here. Rest, and try to stay away from those men. I will see what I can do for you.” Ankh Su Namun lets go of Nefertiri for now. She follows Rel, Mercurio and the others upstairs. The mezzanine leads to a platform overlooking the common room of the Black Sow below. There, on a huge pile of cushions, lies Edmund, the Lord of the Cove, a somber, silent man with thick moustaches and no hair on the surface of his skull. Just behind him, a grotesque, hugely disproportionate mockery of a human being: the thing's body amounts to a huge lump of greasy, loose flesh. It's eyes are so deeply set under his brow as to be hard to find in the shapeless, hairless mass that must be its head. Only its belly seems to have enough coherence to be called “round” as in a shape, or a set form. It is probably seven feet tall, maybe more, and entirely naked. A sickening sight for Ankh Su Namun if there ever was one. The thing looks at the priestess, burps loudly, and licks its lips with a tongue covered with raw, diseased sores that grosses her out to the core. Edmund welcomes the adventurers with a weary, jaded and deep tone of voice. He then asks them why they have come to Kusu's Cove. They explain how they travelled through the storm and were forced to choose between sailing through it on one hand, the risk the reefs of the Skarag Coast represented then, and seeking shelter here at the Cove on the other. How to them it didn't seem like much of a choice, and how they hoped for the Lord's welcome. “ You are welcome here. Though... I must tell you... after I listened to your tale, I do not know if I can trust your men. How could you answer for their behaviour now if they just let you take over the ship at the first sign of a storm? Let us be... reasonable. I think you should be careful, and I shall assist you. I will keep an eye on your ship and your crew for you.” He smiles. “ Just to make sure everything is okay, you know...” He snaps his fingers. A few of his guards depart from the room. The adventurers realize they are his prisoners. “ In the meantime, you are my guests, of course, and maybe I could find something for you to do, if you were so disposed?” They do not know what to say. They do not even know what they would be agreeing of doing on Edmund's behalf. He looks briefly at the amorphous mass of flesh behind him, as if seeking for its approval, and then explains: “ My father was a fool. He left me to deal with a few thorns in my side, like these El'Kuth savages that keep hiding in the caves around the Cove and try to undermine my authority. Maybe we could find a way too... solve the problem once and for all. Or you might want to join your crew and remain our guests for a long time. Your choice.” He then signals Rel to take them away. He tells the old man: “ Lead them to their apartments. Let them rest and think about our offer. We will talk again in a few hours.” Rel, the old man, leads Ankh Su Namun, Mercurio and his viking men away from the Black Sow, to another platform in the village. They enter another round structure, much smaller than the inn this time, and are told to the wait there. They are trapped, the structure surrounded by Rel's men, and must now bide their time... Will the adventurers accept Edmund's offer? Will they refuse, or escape before they give him an answer? We will find out next time. DebriefingWe played until 4:00 PM or so. It was a good game session. I liked that the players started taking tools like Twiddla into their own hands to share their character pictures and the like. It made the whole experience all the more interactive. We had some excellent moments that were completely unscripted, like this part where Ankh Su Namun searched for a girl in the inn that would basically fit her measurements. I asked the player to roll a d100. This would have been a rough estimate of the percentile of compatibility she would find in a potential candidate. The player rolled a 100. So, remembering the name of the character and where it came from, I just extrapolated on a new NPC, Nefertiri, who would look exactly like her on the spot. Who is she? Why is she there? I have no idea yet. I'm just finding it out at the same time the players are. Now, the set-up of the ship and Kusu's Cove makes the game a lot more fluid and versatile, particularly considering the open table aims of our games. I didn't want to throw the players into the full sandbox of the mega-dungeon valley right away. I wanted them to get used to the game, experience the play style from the get-go, surely, but on a smaller scale which would give them more of an illusion of control and impact on their immediate surroundings. That's what the Cove represents: the sandbox on a smaller scale. I also wanted other characters, henchmen, hirelings, new PCs and the like to be able to join the game at a moment's notice, which influence the roster of characters present on the ship of course, as well as the rosters amongst the inhabitants of the Cove, guaranteeing that I could introduce new character types, including the weirdest ones, as quickly as possible at the game table. A note about Ankh Su Namun to conclude. The player doesn't know if he wants to stick with her being a Cleric. I don't want anyone to feel like they are stuck with a character they don't really want, especially since they are just discovering the game. I told him he had a number of options: keep playing her as she is, or shift the character class in the first few sessions, or just let her become a backdrop character and create a new one that would fit more what he wanted to play immediately, and more. The point is to welcome players in the campaign and drive home the idea that you don't have to get stuck with one character (or one group) at any one time in the campaign. We'll see what he – and the other players, too – ends up doing with the options offered to him.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 18, 2012 14:54:41 GMT -6
Far from me the idea of contesting the usefulness of your approach, mate! It's really great and useful, no question about it. I'll start by seeing what you come up with in terms of usual, traditional culture class combos, and then maybe we'll spin this into discussing the unusual combos and how they might make sense in the Hyperborean setting. How's that?
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 18, 2012 14:15:08 GMT -6
This is an Octopus Mask carved by David Knox of the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation here in BC which I have used in the context of my mega-dungeon (see on that page Bandit Level Key part 2, area 33, in particular). Wearing this particular mask grants the use of ESP, Forget and Suggestion once a day. Other octopus masks could grant water-breathing, some greater movement underwater, or even see their tentacles animate to grab foes on command. Just an example of an animal mask with associated abilities that could be useful for a monk. In the dances and stories shared by the First Nations of British Columbia there is also a wide range of "transformation masks". These masks are used to represent some mythological creatures or beings able to change shape, to transform themselves from one state to another. Some of them are actually animated, and quite complex in their designs, such as this Haida mask from the 19th century I have animated here for you: Or this other mask which originates from either the Heiltsuk or Nuxalk Nations of British Columbia: Transformation masks might grant shapechanging abilities to their wearers, or combine different attributes from different animals associated with the mask which would grant a mix of magical abilities to their wearers.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 18, 2012 14:01:50 GMT -6
RE: the Esquimaux Cataphract.
I think we shouldn't get too tied up into historical, real world/Old Earth sources either. If a particular referee deems that the Esquimaux in some parts of Hyperborea did adapt to their environment (especially considering that such a thing as a "warm" season lasts years as part of the 13 year-cycle of Helios on the continent) and did domesticate some mounts, including horses, it could lead to interesting variants specific to the setting that would allow such a thing as a Cataphract.
Another possibility is for an Esquimaux to have lived and been trained in some other culture that does use horses and therefore, trained this particular individual who then became a Cataphract in his own right.
A third possibility would be the campaign specific Esquimaux Cataphract that doesn't use a horse or mount, but a sleigh, along with a pack of dogs. This would mean the referee would tweak the class slightly so that the concept works, and also that the environment would allow for the concept to work itself (i.e. including some wilderness, open air game play with snow, so that the Cataphract might use his sleigh effectively and not feel that his character concept is completely useless in the game). The same way, a specific attire mingling the pelts of seals and wolves and God knows what else might be classified as an exotic heavy armor with its own AC and specificities. I'd love to play a character like this, personally.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 17, 2012 21:46:22 GMT -6
It's all Morgan's doing! I want to write too, now. I'm going to use this stuff in my game. *grins* Oh no you are not giving me credit! But I am going to steal these items for my hapless players! Morgan ;D You be my guest, mister!
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 17, 2012 21:40:07 GMT -6
Yes, Colin! Awesome. I got a few pics too. I'll post them later along with a few ideas.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 17, 2012 19:14:10 GMT -6
It's all Morgan's doing! I want to write too, now. I'm going to use this stuff in my game. *grins*
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 17, 2012 19:00:52 GMT -6
Fleshing out some ideas:
Animal masks created by the ascetic half-bloods who touched the matter of myth and archetypes beyond the Veil of Consciousness through their endless meditations in the forests of the Savage Boreal Coast. Each of these masks is said to grant some specific abilities related to the animal or creature it depicts and the role it plays in the half-bloods' traditional dances and stories of Creation.
There are tales of Atlantean bracers which would include some strange needles piercing the arms' flesh as you wear them. By pressing the right jeweled commands, they would liquefy your bones while maintaining a plastic integrity to your body allowing you to bend your limbs at impossible angles, flatten yourself to pass through mere cracks in the walls, and more.
Or those Pictish tatoos of legend that are rumored to exist in the spaces between spaces, there where all known dimensions are bent, close to Azathoth's resting place, which cause the tatoos to seem to float out of phase with the arms of the monk, as if levitating away from the skin where they should have been etched, and strike at his foes as an extra set of arms that do not exist.
Or the living Black Heart of N'kai that appears to be a black gem the size of a golf ball which, if you hold it in your hand, eats its way into your skin, sets itself in your palm permanently, and can canalize your pulse to release your qi and shape it as the living matter of the abyss, slowly tainting your hands, and later arms, with the stuff of darkness corrupting your living being the more you use it...
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 17, 2012 16:09:03 GMT -6
Also consider the unharmed attacks of the monk as magical from 5th level on, a magical weapon that is always there, cannot be taken away, and so on, which in itself is a pretty significant advantage.
If you want to pump the monk compared to other particular PCs in your campaign, consider magical enhancements in the form of gloves, bracers, masks, ritual paintings and tattoos with various effects such as lightning strikes, extending reach, additional modifiers, the ability to strike hard surfaces, walls etc and shatter them, the ability to shape qi into a beam or projectile (kamehameha style) and so on.
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benoist
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
OD&D, AD&D, AS&SH
Posts: 346
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Post by benoist on Nov 17, 2012 13:12:01 GMT -6
I have pretty much the same opinion than Ghul on the question. I think that having some clear guidelines in that regards for physical abilities where results and probabilities should be known to be able to build challenges such as forcing open doors, bending bars, jumping over a chasm and so on are useful to build dungeons, set up traps in advance and the like.
Now, as far as role playing is concerned, I don't think that having hardline probabilities would really help. I think it's much more valuable to think on your feet as a referee and judge according to specific circumstances including the charisma, origins of the character, role play itself, disposition of the NPCs and so on to come up with a probability that works for each particular instance.
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