[osr Challenge] Just a reminder!

There's a little more than a month to get involved in the osr Challenge: A September of Short Adventures. Sign up now and start planning your adventures!

No. 4 to sign up is Servitor Ludi! Excellent! I look forward to reading all your posts!

[Characters] Neville Longbottom

Neville Longbottom rocks. Though I had no real plans to see the latest Harry Potter movie in the theatre (I'll wait for Netflix or my local library), I do have to say that this still picture of Neville holding that extremely magical Sword of Godric Gryffindor in a two-handed grip makes me want to see it just for that scene alone.

He looks like someone just kicked the holy crap out of him yet he's still standing. He's not going to sit down and quit. Oh, no, that won't do at all. He's got that sword and he's ready to finish it. No matter what.

Amazing for a character that starts as a goof and throughout the series (both books and movies), grows into something more, a hero in his own right.

So next time you look to a character for your next PC to emulate, try out Neville and the growth he experiences over the course of his adventures. He won't let you down.

[Savage Worlds] 7 House Rules

When I run a Savage Worlds game, I usually implement the following house rules:

1. Free Common Bond edge. Everyone has Common Bond as a free edge. In fact, they don't have to even write it down or have the minimum requirements for the edge. They can share bennies as they wish, following the rules of the Common Bond edge. Previously, I had used a pool of "team bennies" that the players had access to but realized that giving the players an opportunity to engage in each others' PCs was more direct when they handed their own bennies out, rather than taking one from a common pile.

2. Changing Soak Rule. Normally, the Soak Rule has the player spend a bennie to remove the shaken conditoin and it allows a roll v. Vigor to recover from wounds. However, a side effect of that is if the player doesn't remove all the wounds and the shaken with the roll, then the shaken condition still remains.

So, for example, a PC received a shaken and 2 wounds and the player spends a bennie to remove the shaken, rolls to soak, requires a minimum roll of 8 (one standard success at TN 4 and 1 raise at TN 8) to remove the wounds. A roll less than 8 but greater than 3 leaves the PC still shaken.

With this rule change, a roll of less than 8 but greater than 3 removes at the minimum the Shaken condition and whatever wound recovery was rolled.

3. Changing Notice rolls. In order to add some player agency to the game, when I have the players roll v. Notice, I describe the scene they see and if the player gets a raise, they get to define a fact about the scene. I limit it to two facts for the player that received the highest roll with raises and one fact for the two other players that receive the second and third highest rolls with raises.

The fact can be about anything and I reserve the right to veto the fact, but I try not to do that unless it really is going to mess things up for me. This has provided my players with the ability to add props or characters or even landmarks and buildings to a scene and I figure that I should be flexible enough to roll with the changes they make to the game.

4. Requesting scenes from the players. I've started doing this to get an idea what the players are interested in seeing in a game. I hand out 3x5 cards and ask them to write a scene down and hand it back. I try to incorporate the scene into the game at some point. I've received many different possible scenes, including farcical ones and they generate great ideas to run.

5. Spending bennies on facts in the game. Normally, the bennie used to reroll or to recover from wounds. Not so in my game. I've instituted a rule where players can use bennies to define info about the setting or situation. I reserve the right to veto but, as I mentioned above, I rarely do unless there's a real problem. I won't let the players simply resolve conflicts with a bennie but I do allow them to add info that could (and often is) used to gain an advantage for the players.

6.Adding questions to the game. I've lately tried a new technique - allowing the players to spend a bennie on a question about the upcoming situation (e.g. in an upcoming battle, do you have a plan? Does the enemy captain have any vulnerabilities? Is surprise on your side?).

Each player gives me a question and a bennie and I write it down. Once I have them all, I turn to another player and ask him one of the questions (one he didn't ask) and offer him a bennie if it inconveniences the player characters. If he wants to define the answer that doesn't cause the PCs any problems, he doesn't get the bennie. But if he does, and defines the problem added, he gets the bennie. If several players don't accept the bennie, I usually try to bribe the players who receive the last questions (sometimes the harder ones) with more bennies. So far, it's worked pretty good.

7. Hand out lots of bennies. It's necessary to prime the pump and keep it primed. I try to get bennies out there all the time. After each conflict, I toss out more. I bribe players to do things against their PCs (and the rest of the party's) best interest. I use them to push players in scenes and play their PCs off one another (in a good natured way). I have found that by doing this, the players are more than willing to spend bennies on themselves and each other and add to the game, sometimes for foolish reasons because they know that more bennies are going to be available soon (though there are usually points in the game where people are scrimping and saving those precious bennies, rest assure).

[Atomic Thursday] Galtar!

Another gem from the 80s, mixing fantasy and science in a setting filled with monsters, machines and glowing swords (couldn't say lightsabers back then, even though that's what they were).

[1938] Body Armor

Body armor in 1938: A Very British Civil War is pretty limited. The most the majority of armed forces can field are helmets but a few groups have access to more than that.

Most body armor in use was scrounged from formal military dress (like the Household Cavalry) or from museums (like the Imperial War Museum) or other collections, including German pieces that returned to England after WWI.

The most common that is fielded is a cuirass (breast only) or a corselet (breast and back). Neither are bullet-proof but they may offer some protection against grenade fragments. Most users believe that something is better than nothing.

Savage Worlds stats
Helmet: Armor +4 (50% chance v. head shot), Wt. 5#
Cuirass  (breast only): Armor +3 (from front), Wt. 15#
Corselet (breast and back): Armor +3, Wt. 25#

[osr Challenge] Another set of ideas for my short adventures

I'm working steadily on the 25 short adventures for the osr Challenge: A September of Short Adventures.

This time, I've got:

Wild Dogs (after seeing some coyotes in my neighborhood).

A Butterfly (plenty of them around this time of year).

A message delivered by knife.

Running (and what character hasn't been in that position?).

We'll see how the adventures turn out in September.

Joining the Challenge here!

[Resources] Tintin

I've been a fan of Tintin since I was a child. I have most of the books (still have a few that I have to find), I recently received the vids from 1990s from a family member who's also a fan and have been enjoying them immensely.

Tintin had all the adventures that I wanted to have - traveling to the moon and back, racing across the desert in a car-chase, flying planes to the North Pole, meeting up with Yeti in Tibet. Many scenes and situations in the books could easily be ported over to RPGs.

I hope the new Tintin movie is worth the wait and stays true to the characters. Even if they suck it up, on a plus side, you can talk like Captain Haddock if you want to learn all the curses.

[Blogs] A Bunch of Savages

A Bunch of Savages is a Savage Worlds blog I read. Slaine started the blog in 2007 and it remained active through 2010 but seems to have petered out this year.

Still, it's pretty cool, with cyber-characters, space-vehicles and info on his setting Future Perfect.

Check it out!

[Resources] Simunition

Simunition is ammunition made by General Dynamics used in realistic training to simulate real ammo, creating full-recoil for standard military weapons without the full-velocity for the bullets. There's a half-dozen types of this ammo by the maker.

In addition to these simulated ammos, there are a host of others, including rubber bullets, plastic bullets, and wax bullets.

Savage Worlds stats
Simunition in Savage Worlds does half damage to regular ammo (due to reduced-recoil).

Rubber and plastic bullets are treated as single (non-burst template) applications of the Stun power.

Wax bullets do no damage unless striking the face (half damage).

[osr Challenge] Some ideas for my short adventures

As the host of the osr Challenge: A September of Short Adventures, I've got to be on top of the writing - it's 25 short adventures - so for the past several days, I've been thinking ideas, ideas, ideas.

Here's what I've come up with so far:

Crazy chefs (after watching Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares on Netflix instant).

A Wild Boar (after posting the About a Boy example adventure).

and Spider Webs.

Whether these will coalesce into one adventure or three, we'll see.

If you are interested in joining the Challenge, sign up here!

[Savage Worlds] Winter War Campaign, Session 8: Understand Your Man

The PCs returned to the smugglers' cave and the trouble that had befallen the villagers while they were gone. The water gate was up on the cave entrance, causing some consernation among the party.

Gliding silently into the cave, they saw no signs of life - the cave was hushed and eerie. Tying up their boats, they explored, spotting a body behind a rock pillar. Rick, Sir Aerik and Nostro headed towards it, finding a villager dead - his body ravaged by foul sorcery!

Sir Aerik called out to the villagers and they suddenly appeared, surrounding the PCs with shouts, screams and cries. Sir Aerik managed to calm them and found out what happened.

A few days ago, one of the villagers ended up dead. They searched the cave but found nothing and instituted a buddy system. Unfortunately, three more (including the one over there) have either disappeared or been killed.

The PCs searched around and found the other two bodies, skillfully hidden. No one else appeared to be missing from the village and they figured the evil entered with the survivors of the caravan from episode 2.

The PCs laid a trap, figuring that the creature could shapeshift. In fact, Mort's skillful knowledge of myth and folklore helped quite well with determining what kind of creature this was.

They determined that it needed to breathe (so it wasn't hiding in the water - a difficult prospect). They also figured it could be hidden in a crowd of people and that it didn't have any (known) vulnerabilities.

They staged a funeral in the ruins of the manor for the dead and took some time observing the villagers during the ceremony. Several PCs counted those present and each came up with 1 extra body, so managed to corral the creature in a smaller section of the ruins. It made a break for it and the chase was on.

Down into the cave it went, pausing long enough to lay an explosive trap (which the PCs stumbled into) on it's way down. The creature was effectively invisible so Mort used his Weird Science powers to illuminate the area (reducing it's effective invisibility). Nostro as well cast light, further increasing the chance to see the thing and Father Ashlyn did the same.

The fighting at the end was feirce, with the PCs prevailing and the creature dead at their feet, reducing to a puddle of goo. Whether the creature revealed the location of the smugglers' cave remains to be seen.

Next session: The Doorway!

[osr Challenge] First two victims, er, I mean, contestants!

Porky's Expanse and netherworks have joined the osr Challenge: A September of Short Adventures - and they plan to have 25 short adventures for their blogs. Already, the dwarves working for them have formed committees to filter the ideas coming in fast and furious, taking the best to create minimalist adventures for you!

Thanks for joining and good luck!

For those of you who've not yet joined, click on the mustache-dragon image above and add your blog to the list!

[Savage Worlds] Empire of Bone

Be on the lookout for a new Savage Worlds game called Empire of Bone. Well, here's hope that it will be printed (after all, the few things I can learn about it are from 2005 and from Cheyenne Wright's Savage Sheets).

Supposedly, the game will be in a gothic fantasy, with loads of undead. Supposedly, it's going to be done by Randy Mosiondz (on Champions Online fame). And supposedly, it will come out "in the future."

The PC sheet is very cool, providing spots for Eldritch Edges, Skills of Suspicious Note and Minions, Lackeys and Hunchbacks. In fact, I'm using this character sheet for a Victorian-Era campaign that a friend and I are running jointly.

[osr Challenge] A September of Short Adventures

"Oh, no! It's the dreaded mustache-Dragon!"

(UPDATED: October 1st)

The 2011 osr Challenge: A September of Short Adventures has successfully completed. In all, over 20 blogs with more than 300 adventures are represented here, using nearly 30 different game systems.

For your convenience: 

• The adventures by blog is linked here.
• The adventures by system is linked here.

Asshat Paladins, in association with the Mustache-Dragon, thank all the participants for accepting this challenge. We hope that you, the reader, enjoy the imagination, creativity and just-plain-weirdness that went into these adventures. If you use any of these adventures, be sure to let us know as we are all interested in how the 2011 osr Challenge: A September of Short Adventures are used at your table!

Look for the return of the challenge in 2012!


(ORIGINAL POST: July 14th)
This September, I challenge the osr blogosphere to present a month of short adventures, one a day for 25 days. And not just any short adventures, either. Adventures that don't require maps or too much descriptive text or even huge NPCs lists. I challenge you to write minimalist adventures that can be used straight from the post.

Can you write a bare-bones adventure that allows the GMs to add their own fluff? Can you avoid piling it high with extras that they're not going to be interested in using? Can you minimize wasted material that'll never even be show-cased in the game? Then take the osr Challenge!

How does the osr Challenge work?

The premise of the osr Challenge: A September of Short Adventures is to post a short game adventure to your blog every day in September, except for Thursdays. In doing this you will have 25 blog posts of adventures. It's up to you to determine whether these adventures link together.

What is an osr and do I have to use one?

Old School Renaissance (osr) roleplaying games are D20 games that harken back to the late 70s/early 80s style of play. Many, like Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry and OSRIC, are similar to the J. Eric Holmes Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (Blue Box), while some are not.

Do you have to use one of these? Not in the least - use whatever system you want (or no system at all). If you do use a specific game system, be sure to identify which one.

Can I put the mustache-dragon image on my blog?

Yes! Right-click here and Save Link As ... to copy the jpg file to your computer. Place it on your own blog and be sure to link to this post!

The osr Challenge starts on September 1st, right?

The osr Challenge is over the whole month of September. Since the month unfortunately begins on a Thursday (and I'm keeping my traditional Atomic Thursday posts), feel free to post on the 1st if you'd like. My first short adventure will be on Friday, September 2nd. If you want to choose a different "day off," do it. Just post 25 adventures over the month!

What format should I use for the adventures?

Use whatever one you want. You only need to keep it short, simple and easy to read. Avoid maps, pages and pages of descriptive text and massive NPC lists. Personally, I'll be using the Get Ready, Get Set, Go! format that I've used in a number of previous posts.

What is the Get Ready, Get Set, Go! format?

A simple format that breaks an adventure into a title, three adventure sections and NPC notes.

(Title): A Get Ready, Get Set, Go! (Game System) adventure set in (Campaign Setting)

• Fill out the title, what game system you are using and what, if any, campaign setting you're using.

Get Ready:

• A short, two-sentences maximum situation description. It's your elevator pitch opportunity to tell us about your adventure.

Get Set:

• Add more information here, including why the PCs are involved, more details on the situation, and some starting NPCs and why they are doing what they're doing.

Go!:

• Here's where the PCs are getting to the meat of the problem. Include twists, turns and additional complications to the situation.

Notable NPCs:

• Provide a detailed, yet short, NPC stat block. Include any special abilities as well as any notes for further play if the adventure is part of a continuing campaign.

Can I see a Get Ready, Get Set, Go! example?

Sure! Here's an abridged example of one I did a while ago:

About a Boy: A Get Ready, Get Set, Go! Labyrinth Lord adventure set in the Ashford Valley

Get Ready:

While the PCs are at a rural farm, a traumatized boy stumbles through the fields, clutching a Bugbear longsword.   

Get Set:

The PCs could have any reason to be at the farm. The farmer, a Ferndok Eastfield, is friendly and invites the PCs for drinks and food, showing good hospitality. When the boy shows up, Ferndok is noticeably concerned. If the Bugbears are raiding, his family is in danger. 

 

Go!:

The trip to the Westfield farm (the boy's home) is picturesque, no matter what time of year it is. Along the way, the PCs will encounter a wild boar and a roadside shrine to a local spirit. 

Notable NPCs:

Wild Boar; No. Encountered: 1; Alignment: Neutral; Armor Class: 7; Hit Dice: 3d8, Hit Points: 16; Attacks: tusk (2d4); Save: F2; morale: 9.

How do I sign up and take the osr Challenge?

Sign up below (I'm using Linky Tools 2 so you can add your blog page to this post), copy the mustache-dragon image from above, and post a link to this post from your blog!

That's it and good luck (Oh, and tell your friends about the challenge, too).