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Post by vladtolenkov on Jan 28, 2010 14:56:09 GMT -6
Agreed. I don't think too many of would dispute that Matt's Primer is one of the best explanations regarding old school play.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jan 28, 2010 11:15:41 GMT -6
Hey all, I haven't posted in a while, but I was looking at the Story Games forum where they had a thread on advice for running Swords & Wizardry, and it got me thinking it would be nice to have a thread like that over here. I've been DMing for a long time, but I think we all like to hear what other people do when they run games (at least I do).
So, what secret DM-fu do you use at the table?
What sort of prep do you do?
What advice would you give someone who's never run OD&D before?
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Post by vladtolenkov on Oct 2, 2009 23:28:19 GMT -6
Fin: Yes, this is all going to slow down combat. Incorporating parry as a modifier to armor class might speed things up, and it certainly seems more in keeping with the D&D system. These charts just add a few more tactical bits.
Also: feel free to lose the extra modifiers at the bottom of the page if they're too fiddly. I think the defensive maneuvers chart and the combat procedure as outlined can work well without the extra modifiers.
coffee: Yes, the FB system has you move at the beginning of your turn. Maybe a polearm attack uses both actions?
irdaranger: I think that the idea is if you're fighting someone then the GM/DM decides what the opponent is doing and should have recorded the actions and revealed them at the same time as the player. I suppose if that process seems arbitrary then there's no reason you couldn't just randomly determin the opponent's strike.
You could also do what Ars Magica used to do: you use the default (and simpler) combat system for most encounters, but if you really want some good detail when you're fighting a main villain you can substitute the more complicated "dueling" system. Just a thought.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Oct 2, 2009 11:11:40 GMT -6
Okay, a while back I was playing around with running a version of the old Fantasy Games Unlimited game Flashing Blades, and I created an extensive house rules document so I wouldn't have to deal with the rulebook so much. It occured to me looking over this document that since the system uses a D20 it could easily be adapted to OD&D/AD&D/S&W etc. This changes the D&D combat system in some significant ways, but I think it could yield some interesting results. The key thing here is that the players must record their two actions for the round in some way. I made up a set of index card with the various actions on them and the players selected the ones they wanted and put them face down on the table. The actions are kept secret until the round begins. Defensive modifiers are applied as per the table below. Parry: If the character chooses to parry as their defensive action they must make a successful to hit roll against their opponent. If they are successful then they take no damage against the attack. They must also make a guess as to what strike their opponent is making (lunge, thrust, or slash). If they guess successfully they receive a +3 to their parry roll. Characters may also perform a reaction parry at a -6 to their roll. This a last ditch defense move, but it has the advantage of not counting as an action. Note: These modifiers subtract from the attacker's roll. If they choose no defensive actions then the modifiers on the defensive actions table obviously don't apply! Does this sound workable in OD&D? I'm not sure how this system might impact classes etc. Should fighting men (and maybe thieves) receive some sort of bonus? Attachments:
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Post by vladtolenkov on Sept 28, 2009 13:58:20 GMT -6
This thread inspired me to look through my old gaming stuff, so I started digging through some old folders of mine hoping to find Ragnar the Ranger (1982-3)or Sir Lexur the Paladin (1983) or Lord Alchire (1983) but no luck.
I found all sorts of crazy Gamma World stuff though and a bunch of stories I wrote when I 13. (Best lines from one of the stories: "He had caused the deaths of over four million Terran soldiers. He had single handedly defeated the entire military force of four planets.")
I did find some Native American NPC guy named Hector Plainsrider who was clearly inspired by the American Indian Mythos from DDG.
Crap. I'll keep looking.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Sept 23, 2009 13:32:27 GMT -6
I've been pounding away (trying to do at least 1 page a day) on a pulp science fantasy novel, but maybe I'll take a break for a few days to write something for Weird Enclaves and Black Pits.
Great title btw.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jun 13, 2009 21:43:36 GMT -6
Wow.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jun 7, 2009 16:27:49 GMT -6
Fin--that's the only OD&D supplement I don't have (and thanks to WOTC looks like I won't be getting a PDF anytime soon). I didn't even realize that Elric was included!
The AD&D stats do seem a bit overpowered though (like most of the stuff in Deities & Demigods).
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jun 6, 2009 0:27:42 GMT -6
Elric's initial summoning of his patron Arioch is accomplished by a long and difficult ritual. Once that relationship is established Elric occaisionally calls on Arioch for aid--but it must be noted that Arioch leaves him in the lurch about half the time (or more).
None of the above exactly suggests a D&D style Cleric, but I suppose if somebody chooses to worship a capricious and evil chaos deity they might not be terrible reliable, so you could play it that way. Need a heal? Sorry you're screwed cause Arioch's decided to ignore you today just for kicks.
Elric also invokes aid for all sorts of other mystical entities as well due to pacts established by his ancestors around the Ring of Kings or perhaps because they feel neglected by humanity (I'm thinking here particularly of Straasha and Grome).
My sense is that the Melniboneans did not so much as "worship" these entities as they made bargains with them in order to increase their own power and authority.
Cleric? Magic-User? Well the real answer is that its a bit of both. Moorcock was drawing a bit on real world occultism when he created the magic of Elric's world, and in those sorts of traditions magicians deal with "gods" all the time. So those D&D style distinctions get pretty messy.
BTW in terms of classes the AD&D Deities and Demigods lists Elrics classes and levels as:
10th level cleric/5th level druid 15th level fighter 19th level magic-user/10th level illusionist 10th level assassin
Actually the older editions of Chaosium's Stormbringer RPG allowed characters to build up Elan--which was a point system that measured your general favor with your patron. You gained and lost Elan depending on the behaviors which your patron god favored. It occurs to me this system could easily be ported right into OD&D.
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Post by vladtolenkov on May 20, 2009 13:57:06 GMT -6
I've been thinking about designing something with a simple "old school" vibe in the vein of Arthurian adventures.
This has got me really thinking.
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Post by vladtolenkov on May 19, 2009 12:11:58 GMT -6
We played a few sessions of 4E last summer after it first came out. I bought a bunch of dungeon tiles and D&D plastic minis. I dig 4E's tactical "boardgame" aspect, but I'm less enamored of it for campaign play.
I'm not sad I bought the dungeon tiles and minis though 'cause I can use those with just about any edition. We later played a game or two of OD&D and Moldvay Basic using my tiles.
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Post by vladtolenkov on May 19, 2009 0:33:17 GMT -6
Kesher: Thanks for posting that link.
I printed those out a few months ago and it led me to toy with creating a clone version of the Heritage miniature rules which I was calling Dungeon Battle.
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Post by vladtolenkov on May 19, 2009 0:18:26 GMT -6
Hey, Knights of the Roundtable looks like it was a proto-rpg/wargame that was released in 1976. Its clearly riffing on the success of the little brown books. It looks like a cool little game. Check it out: www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/24333 Anybody here played it? Any information or recollections are welcome.
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Post by vladtolenkov on May 17, 2009 15:21:24 GMT -6
Arnold Henrick was, I believe, the primary designer behind Heritage's miniatures rules like Knights & Magick. He also designer their Paint and Play sets like Caverns of Doom and Crypt of the Sorcerer (which I quite like). I think he later went on to work in the video game industry.
It's funny because those sets were also explicitly sold as being compatible with D&D! (I guess he finally figured out how to play. . .)
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Post by vladtolenkov on May 1, 2009 10:37:23 GMT -6
Just started (re)reading King's The Gunslinger. I read it about twenty years ago and never got past the first book--despite the fact I found it interesting and evocative. I'm going to give it a another go. We'll see if I ever get to the Dark Tower. . .
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Post by vladtolenkov on Apr 23, 2009 12:43:10 GMT -6
I bought Points of Light a few months back in PDF, and it was quite inspiring. Sign me up for the sequel.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Apr 20, 2009 16:52:58 GMT -6
Amityvillemike,
It is entirely possible this was something that was laying dormant in my system. Maybe it just happened to coincide with my download.
BTW The Fane looks cool!
Nick
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Post by vladtolenkov on Apr 20, 2009 11:13:28 GMT -6
Hey all--I opened the above file on last wednesday and when I did I immediately started getting pop-ups, and my antivirus program started alerting me about all sorts of threats. To make a long story short: my computer coughed blood and died as a result of this.
Good news is I've got a spiffy new computer now!
Just thought I'd post this as a caution.
I'm wondering if the download service has been compromised?
Anybody else had problems?
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Post by vladtolenkov on Mar 27, 2009 13:48:54 GMT -6
Just looked at the introduction to my copy of Empire of the Petal Throne (I've got the Different Worlds reprint) and Prof. Barker notes:
"Inspiration has been freely drawn from the works of the fantasy "greats" such as R.E. Howard, Jack Vance, and E.R. Burroughs, etc., but yet Tekumel remains very much my own creation."
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Post by vladtolenkov on Mar 17, 2009 14:06:40 GMT -6
Purchased!
BTW: that cover rocks.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Mar 4, 2009 18:44:06 GMT -6
Dave,
Thanks for everything you've contributed to this wonderful hobby were still obsessing about in 2009! We wouldn't be here without you!
Best Nick
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Post by vladtolenkov on Mar 2, 2009 15:53:25 GMT -6
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Post by vladtolenkov on Feb 24, 2009 10:06:56 GMT -6
I've got Nightshade's hardback edition of The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson, and I've told myself several times that I AM going to read it, but I haven't yet except for a few false starts.
I first became aware of it when I read Lovecraft's Supernatural Horror in Literature, and it sounded amazing. The archaic prose style puts lots of people off, but I am undaunted as I've waded my way through my share of 19th C. novels (I'm an English Major).
Just curious if anybody here has read it or even Hodgson's other famous story The House on the Borderland.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Feb 19, 2009 9:55:18 GMT -6
Geoffrey--
In the original post you mention the horrific possibility of giant real world insects being more disturbing than anything Lovecraft conceived.
I'm with you there--but remember that the Great Race from "The Shadow Out of Time" are said to later project their minds to a species of giant beetles that are said to follow man's extinction. Food for thought in your vision of GW's setting!
Just thinking.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Feb 12, 2009 17:03:31 GMT -6
BTW BeZurKur--
That room is some crazy %&$#.
Keep it coming.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Feb 12, 2009 16:58:44 GMT -6
I had a similar problem recently when I was stocking the Dungeons of Dragonscar Castle. I had drawn this rather large chamber, but I was at a loss as to what should be in this chamber, but the random monster table in Vol. 3 bailed me out: Giant Scorpions.
Okay. . .but they're just wandering around in this big space? Then I saw what I must do:
Giant Scorpions in Open Pits scattered throughout the room. Oh...and yes the Scorpions can easily climb out of the pits.
Its creepy just thinking about it.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jan 30, 2009 22:52:21 GMT -6
I just noticed you can buy it on itunes. . .hmm. . .
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jan 30, 2009 14:51:30 GMT -6
I found this reading the wikipedia entry on Traveller (I was trying to get all the editions straight in my head). Yes. . .somebody made a concept metal album about about a war between the Vargr and the Imperium. Behold: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH26F6kvhUY&feature=channel
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jan 30, 2009 14:35:16 GMT -6
After my original post I realized that you could also have a dungeon map and use the cards as a random key. Just another way of randomly stocking the dungeon.
Kesher: your idea about the dungeon generation cards sounds cool. It reminds me a little bit of Warhammer Quest.
If you want to avoid any hint of "railroading" just shuffle the cards and pull them right off the top. If you still want a "boss" encounter then just leave that one out of the deck and have the players reach it whenever you feel like it--or when you notice the session is winding down.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jan 29, 2009 16:52:29 GMT -6
I remember seeing Hero Quest back when it was out and thinking something very much like Philotomy commented above--i.e. isn't this just D&D but as a boardgame? Why would I want to play that?
However, looking back I now think: "why didn't I pick up that game?" I've recently got an itching to play some dungeon crawl boardgames and Hero Quest sounds like it would be fun. I looked at Warhammer Quest as well and that looks like an amazing game, but I was completely unaware it until recently, and WQ goes for crazy money on Ebay apparently. I may look into getting Descent when I've got some extra money.
A few months ago my friend James, and I played a game of Moldvay Basic with WOTC minis and dungeon tiles. I imagine that played very similarly to what Fin was suggesting above with Hero Quest & OD&D.
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