Free RPG Day 2016

Just a quick take on the Free RPG Day 2016. This time, Joseph Goodman forced me into the situation where I had to bring along my entire family. Why? Well...

While Goodman Games put out one item for Free RPG Day 2016, it was actually several different things for me to acquire - because he put a different cover on them; five different covers to be exact. This meant I had to get five things. The only barrier being that the rule at Games Plus (I'm not sure what it is elsewhere) is two items per person.

Since last week was my birthday, and the day after Free RPG Day 2016 was Father's Day, I had a little pull within the family unit. So my son and I drove down early in the morning (Games Plus opens at 10:00 AM on Saturdays - we were there somewhat earlier) and started the line. A while later, my wife and daughter joined us. However, being conscientious of others in line, they went to the end of the line.



Now there were four of us! This meant we could get up to eight things! 8 > 5! I win!

So it was that we were able to grab one of each of the covers...and a couple extra for good measure. But the last item I received was a die - I was worried that there might not be too many more of the Goodman Games items and I didn't want to clean them out. Turns out, they hadn't unpacked everything - so there was plenty to go around.

I know this because, aside from FREE STUFF, one of the reasons I go to Free RPG Day is to support Games Plus. I've been going to Games Plus since it was on the other side of the tracks (something like 35 years or however long they've been open). It truly is one of the great FLGS left in the country.

So we stayed and shopped for about an hour or so. My daughter, who is slowly getting a couple of her friends into playing, bought them each a set of dice and a little dice bag. My wife found a set of dice she has deemed the "Captain Amercia Set". My son decided he wanted to pull the trigger on a starter set for Flames of War. I found a couple of old d20 books on deities and cults and such - as that is something I'm focusing on developing for our little campaign world - for only a couple of bucks each.

So this was our final tally for Free RPG Day 2016 (minus the d20 books which I forgot to get in the pic):




I wish I could have stayed to play or run something - but we had friends coming over later on Saturday to play DCC in what is becoming our regular Saturday Night Game...more on that later.

Miss Points III - After Action Report

We finally saw some combat, so I wanted to take a moment to give a quick after-action report.

Our intrepid adventurers only made it through the first few encounters of this location. Because of some bad planning, however, my daughter's character got caught out alone approaching the front door. The battle/mad-dash-back-to-her-group that ensued caused her character Ella to face two opponents alone for a couple of rounds.

She was quickly reduced to 0 HP/MP (actually, she was reduced to -10...but not with these rules!) We consulted the Death, Dismemberment, and Injury chart. She rolled a 12 - Minor Injury! I asked her to roll a d6 to see if it affected movement - a one in six chance. She rolled a 1 - so movement was affected by the injury. I used these results to narrate how her opponents the large sword crashed flat side of the blade into her lower leg, breaking her tibia.

In the second round, one of the opponents was wrapped in a rope (Rope Trick FTW!) so only one could attempt strike her - and it was successful. Since she was still at 0 HP, instead of damage, we again consulted the Death, Dismemberment, and Injury chart. This time she rolled a 15! Lucky Girl! This meant she was stunned. A couple of d6 rolls to determine if she was knocked down - she was - and/or knocked out - she was not. Again using the results to narrate, I described how the weapon crashed awkwardly into her helmet and brained her but good.

So when her group finally caught up to her and dispatched the opponents, she was lying on the ground, head shaken, with a broken leg.

This is where things got dicey. At the last minute, to mesh these rules with DCC (they were originally written for a 0E-ish game) I added the column representing the number if dice needed in a Lay Hands On attempt in order to heal each category of injury. We have two clerics in the party - one of them the character that had just been injured. Between that and the rule book, there were three different sets of numbers for Lay Hands on results - each character sheet was different and both were different than the rules. I sorted it out and we proceeded.

The first attempt failed. But the second attempt - a bit later - did the trick and her bones were miraculously mended.

Thoughts: it did not slow down play at all in the midst of battle. What caused us more of an issue was the recovery aspects. There were other basic HP loss situations that occurred with other characters in the next few encounters - but they soon reached a point to barricade for an hour and rest, so they all got a recovery die back for that. The largest question I see is - between miraculous healing of injuries and complete rest - how fast does one regain hit/miss points? What does it take? That's what I'm kicking around at the moment....

Miss Points - Part II

So this is what we'll be using this weekend as the Stumblebums strike out from Hirot...

I tried to simplify a few things...and add some class-based aspects to give it a little more..fun?

Hit Point Damage and Recovery

Damage is determined using the same rules described in DCC RPG. But in The Broken Earth, hit points represent the ability of the character to avoid serious damage through a combination of influences including, but not limited to, luck, skill, and stamina. It does not represent significant physical damage. A character with only a few hit points remaining might be exhausted, just a split-second slower, and/or at wit’s end; but the character has only taken minor cuts, bumps, and bruises.

Hit Point “Damage”

“Damage” is applied directly to hit points. This does not necessarily mean the character has taken actual physical damage…yet.

For each successful attack against a character that drops the character to 0 hit points, as well as for every successful attack against a character when that character is currently at 0 hit points, the Death, Dismemberment, and Injury table is consulted (See Below).

Hit Point Recovery

No matter the method, a character’s hit points cannot recover beyond the character’s maximum hit point score. 

Each class has a Recovery Die, or RD. It is, in general, one half of the class hit die:

Cleric: 1d4

Thief: 1d3

Warriors: 1d6

Wizards: 1d2

Dwarf: 1d5

Elf: 1d3

Halfling: 1d3

Recovery During Combat

When in combat, a character can regain hit points – a representation of regaining composure, catching one’s breath, or otherwise restoring the ability to avoid serious physical damage. This is handled through the Step Back mechanic. The Step Back mechanic allows a character to burn, or reduce, an attribute in order to regain hit points during combat.

The Step Back Mechanic

No other actions can be taken in a round in which the Step Back – it accounts for all action die use for the round. The character does not disengage from combat. Therefore, any enemy can continue to engage in combat with the character.

In general, the Step Back works as follows:

1. Choose an attribute to “burn”. This serves not only as a source, but as a Base Target Number.
2. Add your current Luck modifier and Level to the base target number – this is your final Target Number (TN).
3. Roll 1d20 Under your Target Number.
4. Reduce the selected attribute by the number of attempts in a day (cumulative).

The algorithm is as follows:

• A = number of attempt today.
• Roll = 2 to TN: Success! You gain 1 RD + Level hit points. Reduce the chosen Attribute by A.
• Roll = 1: Critical Success! You gain 1RD per level hit points. Reduce the selected Attribute by A.
• Roll > TN +1  < 20 : Failure! You do not gain hit points. Reduce the selected Attribute by A.
• Roll = 20: Fumble! You do not gain hit points. Reduce the selected Attribute by 2A.
• A = A + 1

Attributes you can burn

In addition to Stamina, each character class can burn one other attribute to regain hit points:

Cleric: Personality

Thief: Agility

Warriors: Strength

Wizards: Intelligence

Dwarf: Strength

Elf: Intelligence

Halfling: Personality


Not Today: This represents the character drawing on sheer physical strength to continue to avoid taking damage. The character can reduce Strength to recover hit points.

Rub Some Dirt On It: This represents the character ignoring the accumulated fatigue of battle to continue to avoid taking damage. The character can reduce Stamina to recover hit points.

Not So Fast: This represents [[INSERT SOMETHING HERE]] to avoid taking damage. The character can reduce Agility to recover hit points.

Come On, Focus: This represents the character ignoring the mind-fog of combat to continue to avoid taking damage. The character can reduce Intelligence to recover hit points.

Quiet Reserve: This represents the character digging down deep through sheer force of will to avoid taking damage. The character can reduce Personality to recover hit points.

Recovery Outside of Combat

For each full turn (1 Hour) of rest, a character regains 1 RD per level.

Physical Damage and Recovery

If a successful attack (or similar) takes a character to 0 hit points, or if an attack is successful on a character who is already at 0 hit points, a roll is made on the Death, Dismemberment, and Injury Table.

Physical Damage

3d6	Result	Description	Effects of Multples (optional)	Natural Healing	Dice Equivalent
3-	Death	If Critical Hit, decapitated. Otherwise, a grievous wound (snapped spinal column, stabbed Aorta, Brain Penetration) that causes death before the end of the round.	NA	NA	5
4-5	Mortal Wound	Gutted, stabbed through lung, broken back, severed limb. Die in 4d4 Rounds.	Two Mortal Wounds results in Saving Throw; failed Saving Throw increases effect to Instant Death	NA	4
6-8	Major Wound	Major broken bone, severe laceration, or other injury. Results in -3 (cumulative) to all rolls; 1 in 2 chance the injury affects movement.	Third Major Wounds results in Saving Throw; failed Saving Throw increases effect to Mortal Wound.	Will heal 3d4+4 Weeks. If unattended, 1d6 additional weeks and 30% chance of healing improperly.	3
9-12	Minor Wound	Minor broken bone, minor laceration, or other injury. Results in -1 (cumulative) to all rolls; 1 in 6 chance the injury affects movement.	Four Minor Wounds results in Saving Throw; failed Saving Throw increases effect to Major Wound.	Will heal in 1d4+4 weeks.  If unattended, 1d2 additional weeks.	2
13-15	Stunned	Stunned for 1d4 rounds; 1 in 2 chance of being knocked down; 1 in 6 chance of being knocked unconscious.	Fifth Stun results in Saving Throw; failed Saving Throw increases effect to Minor Wound.	1d4 rounds	1
16-17	No Effect	Your Luck has saved you once again.	NA	NA	NA
18+	Adrenaline Rush	A flood of adrenaline flows through your system returning 1d4 Hit Points per level. In 2d6 rounds, this effect fades and the character is reduced to 1d6 hit points and must make a saving throw or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.	NA	NA	NA

Recovery

Miraculous Healing TBD

When are Hit Points Misses

I’ve been kick around my hit point alternative lately – now that I’m running a game once or twice a month, I’m thinking of implementing a different approach. This is nothing new – it’s cobbled together from a bunch of different sources including the original sources of the Death and Dismemberment tables I talked about over a year ago, as well as rules discussions in the DCC communities and Land of Phantom/Scott Mathis’ Transylvanian Adventures.

This is a first draft…pretty bare bones. But I think it gives the general idea of where I see this going. I’m really curious to see if this makes characters nearly indestructible or introduces an interesting choice in combat that could add to the tales told round the fire.

With some minor tweaks (mostly to adjust some DCC-specific things), it could be used in a number of D&D-esque games.

I’d love to hear what you think about it…good or bad.

Hit Point Damage and Recovery

Damage is determined using the same rules described in DCC RPG. But in The Broken Earth, hit points represent the ability of the character to avoid serious damage through a combination of influences including, but not limited to, luck, skill, and stamina. It does not represent significant physical damage. A character with only a few hit points remaining might be exhausted, just a split-second slower, and/or at wit’s end; but the character has only taken minor cuts, bumps, and bruises.

Hit Point “Damage”

“Damage” is applied directly to hit points. This does not necessarily mean the character has taken actual physical damage…yet.

For each successful attack against a character that drops the character to 0 hit points, as well as for every successful attack against a character when that character is currently at 0 hit points, the Death, Dismemberment, and Injury table is consulted (See Below).

Hit Point Recovery

No matter the method, a character’s hit points cannot recover beyond the character’s maximum hit point score. 

Recovery During Combat

When in combat, a character can regain hit points – a representation of regaining composure, catching one’s breath, or otherwise restoring the ability to avoid serious physical damage. This is handled through the Step Back mechanic. The Step Back mechanic allows a character to burn, or reduce, an attribute in order to regain hit points during combat.

The Step Back Mechanic

No other actions can be taken in a round in which the Step Back – it accounts for all action die use for the round. The character does not disengage from combat. Therefore, any enemy can continue to engage in combat with the character.

In general, the Step Back works as follows:

1. Choose an attribute to “burn”. This serves not only as a source, but as a Base Target Number.
2. Add your current Luck modifier and Level to the base target number – this is your final Target Number (TN).
3. Roll Under your Target Number.
4. Reduce the selected attribute by the number of attempts in a day – cumulative.

The algorithm is as follows:

• A = number of attempt today.
• Roll = 2 to TN: Success! You gain 1d5 + Level hit points. Reduce the chosen Attribute by A.
• Roll = 1: Critical Success! You gain 1d5 per level hit points. Reduce the selected Attribute by A.
• Roll = TN + 1: Fumble! You do not gain hit points. Reduce the selected Attribute by 2A.
• Roll > TN +1: Failure! You do not gain hit points. Reduce the selected Attribute by A.
• A = A + 1

Attributes you can burn

Not Today: This represents the character drawing on sheer physical strength to continue to avoid taking damage. The character can reduce Strength to recover hit points.

Rub Some Dirt On It: This represents the character ignoring the accumulated fatigue of battle to continue to avoid taking damage. The character can reduce Stamina to recover hit points.

Not So Fast: This represents [[INSERT SOMETHING HERE]] to avoid taking damage. The character can reduce Agility to recover hit points.

Come On, Focus: This represents the character ignoring the mind-fog of combat to continue to avoid taking damage. The character can reduce Intelligence to recover hit points.

Quiet Reserve: This represents the character digging down deep through sheer force of will to avoid taking damage. The character can reduce Personality to recover hit points.

Recovery After Combat

Immediately after combat, when a character has a chance to rest for at least six (6) rounds (1 minute), that character recovers 1d3 + Level hit points.

For each full turn of rest, a character recovers 1d4 + Level hit points.

For each full night of rest, a character recovers 1d5 hit points per level.

Physical Damage and Recovery

Death, Dismemberment, and Injury

Insert Table here (seeprevious post)

Recovery

Miraculous Healing TBD

GaryCon VII.0

Day 0....Wednesday.

For me, Wednesday at GaryCon has a certain pattern to it. Things just sort of fall into place. My family and I have done this enough that even when slight changes come up, things still flow reasonably well.

As background, it might be helpful to know that I live very close to Lake Geneva, relatively speaking. Prior to last year, GaryCon seemed to fall just before the kids' Spring Break - that is the first Friday of GaryCon fell on their last day of school before a week-long vacation. Even though GaryCon's VI and VII have occurred during Spring Break, a kind of tradition built up around those earlier years when the kids were still in school...or were at least supposed to be.

Tuesday night I start to get...well...I suppose, giddy. I start smiling more. This year I actually clapped like a little kid getting ready for a Disney trip, "GaryCon is tomorrow!" But Tuesday night is still work - only it's the kind that I know will be worth it in just a few short hours. So things get put on lists, organized, packed, and crossed off lists.

Then Wednesday comes, and though officially we are all on vacation, there is work to be done...this pattern doesn't happen by accident.

First we put the final touches on the packing, check lists, and make sure the car is properly loaded. Then comes one of the little traditions from earlier years when my kids were still in school at the start of the convention. In years past, we drove up without the kids because, well, we didn't let them take Wednesday through Friday off - usually because there were tests aligned with the end of term. Often my wife and kids would come up Thursday night; Friday was a free-for-all at school due to cabin fever and the impending vacation. For GaryCon VI and VII, while out of school, they are old enough to be alone for a few hours and to clean and get the house ready for our return at convention's end. My wife and I head north, get checked-in as early as possible, and get everything unloaded. Then my wife returns home to pick-up the kids and take the dog to her sister's house to be cared-for in our absence. I remain and get the room settled - put all of the clothes away, stow all the snacks and drinks we bring, etc.

When the room is set, and after I steal a quick nap, I head down to the lobby and, depending on timing, pick up my badges - plural as I get the kids' badges as well. It's usually about this time that David Temporado, diaglo to some (and apparently tempo to others), arrives and we share a meal together. During this meal we catch up - as we usually haven't seen each other face-to-face in a year, sometimes longer - and solve all of the world's problems. All through this phase, old friends are well met with handshakes and hugs, and new friends are made.

By 6 PM, latest 8 PM, on Wednesday - the night before the convention has officially started, I'm in a game. One year that was, if I recall correctly, one of the very early play-tests of Dungeon Crawl Classics. The past two years, GaryCon V and VI, it was a Gamma World game run by Michael Curtis. This year it was a Lankhmar game using Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea run by my friend Rich Franks. This included a scene wherein an attempt to hide in the shrubs around Grain Merchants Guild resulted in an unintended distraction, complete with a John-Belushi-trying-to-cross-campus-at-night-unnoticed imitation.

My wife returned with kids in tow, and they were immediately in the pool - another tradition wherein they forgo first-night gaming to enjoy the amenities of the resort. I spent the rest of the evening partaking of a few cocktails and running from the guards of the aforementioned Guild, while the kids spent the rest of the evening swimming in the indoor pool.

I think I finally stumbled in around 1 AM. The convention was only beginning...

GaryCon VII - Thanks

This is a bit late, as GaryConCrud felled me for a bit...

One should, nay must, begin any discussion of GaryCon with an appropriate demonstration of appreciation for all of the people that make it, still, the best convention and by far my favorite. Unfortunately, there is almost no way, with mere words, to do so. Regardless, I will endeavor to try.

First, thanks to Dale Leonard and Luke Gygax for all of the hassle they must put up with and all of the effort they expend to continue this tradition. I know they face many challenges each and every year, and every year by convention's end all of it is, to most that attend, clearly worth it. The future holds an abundance of opportunities and challenges, but I would, and have, placed my trust in them to navigate these sometimes-stormy waters.

Second, my thanks to all of the Gygax siblings and their families who allow us - really support us by their very presence - to honor their father. Grief is all too often a solitary thing. By allowing those of us who make the pilgrimage every March to congregate and share in the legacy their father left, that grief is turned into joy. Peruse the images from this convention posted across the Internet and witness the happiness. This is a living, breathing, smiling, laughing celebration of more than a life well-played; it is a legacy that reminds us that when we gather to play games, it isn't just about the games - it's about friends and family and laughter and joy.

Third, my thanks to the "Old Guard" - too many names to list them all. These folks continue to remind me, each and every year, that there is a heart and soul that goes beyond what Rule is in Paragraph 3 on Page 37 of Book 4 of Game System X. These men and women gave, and in many cases continue to give, of themselves to create and/or support hobbies that we enjoy - and we should thank them for it every time we see them.

Fourth, my great appreciation for those folks that give of themselves by running games and/or seminars, both on the grid and off. For me and my progeny, that would be:

• Rich Franks
• David Baity
• Jen Brinkman
• Guy Fullerton
• Bruce Heard
• Jim Wampler
• Edwin Stahlnecker
• Reid San Filippo
• Britainney Petrie
• Mike Reese
• Terry Kuntz
• Brendan LaSalle
• Michael Curtis
• James Smith
• Roy Snyder
• John Bobek

You all spent hours and hours and hours of your time to give myself and my kids hours and hours and hours of fun. I can't thank you enough.

Fifth, the unsung heroes of GaryCon - The Volunteers. All of you that do all of the things that make the convention run smoothly. From registration to passing out the judges' snacks to helping run the charity auction to a thousand and one other things I'm forgetting or never see - these are the things that make the convention happen. Without you, we all don't get to celebrate.

And finally, on the personal side, to my awesome wife - who puts up with this craziness every year and supports me, and now our kids, in pursuing this passion. You are the Sun, the Moon, the Starlit Sky; without you, I dwell in Darkness.

The Death & Dismemberment Table

The inestimable Harley Stroh asked that I post my Death & Dismemberment table. Not that he was implying that it was, but I wanted to clarify that while I call it mine, I do not consider it anything less than a complete rip-off. So before I post what I started to test for a game a few years back, I wanted to give a shout out to the folks who gave it to me.

Back in 2010, fresh from GaryCon II, I was searching for ways to think differently about damage - I wanted a setting with little-to-no clerical healing and I wasn't sure how to pull that off. In stepped Aos of Metal Earth. This sent me down the path of seeing "Hit" Points as everything but significant physical damage. That path, it turns out, led back through an older Trollsmyth blog post (2008) to a post by one Robert Fisher (which might be even earlier - there's no date on that post). It might lead even further back, but that's as far as I investigated.

So those are my sources. On to the explanation...

There are a few fundamental pieces to the puzzle:

• "Hit" Points represent Stamina, Skill, and Luck.
• "Damage" from attacks reduces "hit" points as normal.
• When an attack reduces a character's "hit" points to 0, and for every successful attack while the character's "hit" points are at 0, the player makes a saving throw. If the saving throw is unsuccessful, the character rolls on the Death & Dismemberment table.
• Because "hit" points do not represent physical damage they are replenished very quickly after combat - roll the hit die type for the class of the character each turn after combat.
• Miraculous Healing, if it takes place, addresses injuries received on the Death & Dismemberment table.

The Death & Dismemberment table:

This was under development, hence the percentages and such. It is also missing the long term effects of letting some of the wounds heal naturally.

In my eyes, the benefits are:

• Avoidance of confusion with respect to the link between "hit" points and physical damage.
• Healing is more miraculous.
• Interesting lasting effects (we had characters with limps who moved more slowly, one blind in one eye, etc.)
• Deadly.
• Clerics, if even used, are not simply medics.

While the drawbacks might be:

• Complexity.
• Deadly.
• Reduces Role of Cleric.

What I'm not sure about it if this addresses Harley's original query. I think from the perspective of regaining "hit" points it does because after a battle you regain them so quickly. However, you are faced with the same issue only someone gets a wound and an attempt to miraculously repair it fails...I think...

As I'm writing this and reviewing things I did almost 5 years ago, I'm already thinking of clarifications, additions, changes, etc. For example, this table doesn't clarify how long the effects of the injury last. I think I assumed it was until healed. Also, I'd adjust the fourth column - the effects of multiples - to have more of a pattern. For example, 2 Fatal Wounds moves to Instant Death; 3 Major Wounds moves to a Fatal Wound, and so on up the line. I'd change from Fatal Wounds to Mortal Wounds.

Finally, you might have noticed Deadly shows up on both the pro and con lists. This is because for some folks it might be too deadly, others not deadly enough. When we started using this approach, we used 2d6 and a result of 12 was Instant Death. It ended up at 3d6 after some discussion about how deadly we wanted the campaign to be.. But even while remembering this, I thought about how the dice chain might be applied and how you could use that to shift the deadliness within the campaign. For example, some folks might feel that it's more devastating to lose a high level character - after all, a lot of time has gone into getting that character to achieve a high level, especially in a game like DCC. So perhaps the dice used could change and/or allow different tables for classes and levels making Mortal Wounds/Instant Death less likely.

Either way...there it is...lifted from a bunch of sources and it is to this day a work in progress...