Tuesday, December 31, 2019

OSE Class: Goblin

So there are a lot of different versions of goblin classes but I wanted to go ahead and throw my hat in the ring as well. The approach I took was using the Halfling class as a base and working off of that. I find "weird" classes to be appealing and the idea of being able to do an all Goblin group is especially interesting to me. Without further ado, here is the Goblin!


Goblin
You are not like the others in your clan. For one reason or another, you didn't fit and it was leave or die. So you left and now are trying to find your place in a world that loathes you.
Requirements: Minimum DEX 9 and CON 9
Prime Requisite: DEX
Hit Dice: 1d6

Armor: Appropriate to Size
Weapons: Appropriate to Size (no 2 handed weapons)
Languages: Common, Goblin
Saves: Halfling
Level Progression: Halfling
Features:
  • Defensive Bonus: Due to small size, they gain +2 bonus to AC when attacked by large opponents (larger than human sized).
  • Hiding: 
    • Dungeons: Goblins can hide with a 90% chance of success. 
    • In the Woods or Undergrowth: 2-in-6 chance of success.
  • Detect Trap: 2-in-6 Chance.
  • Infravision: Can see 60’ in the dark.
  • Light Sensitive: -1 to-hit in full daylight.
  • Outsider: Goblins suffer -1 on Reaction Rolls when interacting with NPCs if their true nature is revealed.
  • Compulsion: Goblins have poor impulse control. Choose or Roll 1d6 to determine their compulsion- 
    • 1- Eccentric Speech: Speaks strangely such as only in 3rd person, sentences out of order, only in rhyme or riddle. 
    • 2- Borrower: “Borrows” small things from places they visit and people they meet. 
    • 3- Raw: Only eats raw bloody meat. 
    • 4- Dysmorphic: Believes that they are something other than a goblin.
    • 5- Fear: Afraid of non-threatening things such as children, small dogs, dolls, etc. 
    • 6- Superstitious: Holds strange personal beliefs and rituals that must be appeased or suffer -2 to all Mental checks each day they do not do it.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

OSE Class- The Could-Have-Been

*It's been a little bit since I last posted. New job adjustments and what-not.  But now things have calmed down again so let's jump back into it with a new class!*


The Could-Have-Been
You do not know where you came from or what your purpose is. Your clothes are not your own but you do not know where you got them. Fully dressed, you might look sick but otherwise “normal”. But beneath the thick coat and long tangled hair, something is amiss. You are the unnatural product of mixing magic and life. How that is expressed differs from setting to setting whether it be stitched together parts from various bodies or a clockwork heart. Requirements: Minimum STR 9 and CON 9 Prime Requisite: STR Hit Dice: 1d8 Armor: Leather, Chainmail, Shield. Weapons: Any Weapon Languages: Common and Random Language (You do not know why you know this) Saves: Fighter Level Progression: Fighter Features:
  • Amnesia: You do not know where you come from or who made you. You carry around a memento without context in the pocket of a strangers coat.
  • A Doom that Walks: Unless care is taken to conceal it, your unnatural state will be noticeable to others who encounter you and they will be uncomfortable. -1 on Reaction Rolls for anyone who realizes what you are.
  • Unsettled Husbandry: Animals sense that you are unnatural. -1 when trying to ride or handle animals.
  • Sensitive to Magic: Due to your unnatural beginnings, you are more sensitive to magic than most. 30% chance to be able to detect the direction and general strength of an enchantment within 60'. Requires that you do nothing else but "sense" for one Turn. Ability needs to recharge for a Turn after using.
  • Resistant to Poison: Lvl 1-3: +2 to Saves to Resist Poison; Lvl 4-10: +4
  • Resistant to Charm:  Lvl 1-3: +2 to Saves to Resist Charm; Lvl 4-10: +4

Monday, October 21, 2019

Working with Dangerous Power

The one thing that I have always felt lackluster about most Adventure Games that I've played is how the magic systems work. The requirements to cast spells felt a little video game-y and there wasn't really a lot of risk to harnessing and manipulating what seemed to be strange and wonderous power. You fail the roll, you might hit an ally instead and lose the spell for the day. That's kinda it.
Dungeon Crawl Classics handles their magic is a very interesting and scary way. If you are a wizard, you are going to inevitably end up kinda fucked up the more you use your abilities. Mercurial Magic aspects combined with vicious corruption tables after failure make for a very haunting combination.
The only issue I have with using DCC is that the whole thing is so damn big and overwhelming in both scope and sheer amount of table searching so I've been looking elsewhere for an alternative that can satisfy my desire for weird fantasy with a brutal magic system. The conclusion that I came to is that Old School Essentials (OSE) would be a great choice as it is lightweight, deadly, and easy to learn so why not just bolt on the corruption table to that? And that is exactly what I did. Many of the below entries are from DCC's core book with minor changes or omissions to make it fit OSE better but it can easily be used for any OSR system out there.
Before I drop the table, a few clarifications. The list is 26 entries long. I've made Minor, Major, and Greater Corruptions into a range of results as opposed to individual tables and laid all of the entries into one, easy to reference table. The breakdown is simple, spells of level 1-3 would be considered Minor, 4-6+ would be considered Major/Greater (Referred to as Major from this point on) for easy of porting.
The process is quick and simple. If your Magic User critically fails their roll, depending on the level of their spell, you have them roll either a d10 or a d20. Spells of level 1-3 are open to Minor Corruptions and are a d10 is rolled on the table. Spells level 4+ are open to Major Corruption and therefore are rolled with a d20. The level of the spell is then ADDED to the result of the roll and the table is referenced. This helps gate lower level spells from getting really bad results and also allows higher level casters the chance to get lucky and get a possibly less shitty outcome for their hubris.

Example: Mork the Wizard attempts to cast Magic Missile and rolls a 1. Since Magic Missile is a level 1 spell, Mork will roll a d10 and add the spell level. He rolls a 6, so his entry would be 7 after adding the spell level (+1). The result is that one of his legs has now grown 1d6" and he walks with a strange gait from now on. Simple!



Corruption Table:
When a spell casting roll critically fails, roll on the table below.
Minor Corruption (1d10+Spell Level): Level 1-3 Spells
Major Corruption (1d20+Spell Level): Level 4-6+ Spells

2. Character passes out. He is unconscious for 1d6 hours or until awakened by vigorous means.
3. Character’s hair is suffused with dark energy. Roll 1d4: (1) hair turns bone white; (2) hair turns pitch black; (3) hair falls out completely; (4) hair sticks straight up.
4. Character’s facial appearance is permanently disfigured according to the magic that was summoned. If fire magic was used, his eyebrows are scorched and his skin glows red; if cold magic was used, his skin is pasty white and his lips are blue. If ambiguous magic was used, his appearance grows gaunt and he permanently loses 5 pounds.
5. Ears mutate. Roll 1d6-1: (1) ears become pointed; (2) ears fall off (character still hears normally); (3) ears enlarge and look like an elephant’s; (4) ears elongate and look like a donkey’s (character also gains braying laugh); (5) ears shrivel and fold back.
6. Eyes affected. Roll 1d4: (1) eyes glow with unearthly color; (2) eyes gain light sensitivity (-1 to all rolls in daylight); (3) character gains infravision (sees heat signatures at range of 60’’); (4) eyes become large and unblinking, like a fish.
7. One of the character’s legs grows 1d6”. Character now walks with an odd gait.
8. Character’s teeth all fall out over the course of 1d4 days.
9. Character develops horrid pustules on his face and body. These pustules do not heal and impose a -1 penalty to Charisma.
10. Character’s tongue forks and his nostrils narrow to slits. The character is able to smell with his tongue like a snake.
11. Small horns grow on the character’s forehead. This appears as a ridge-like, simian forehead for the first month; then buds for the second month; goat horns after the third month; and finally, bull horns after six months.
12. Character’s skin changes to an unearthly shade. Roll 1d8: (1) albino; (2) pitch black; (3) clear; (4) shimmering quality; (5) deep blue; (6) malevolent yellow; (7) ashen and pallid; (8) texture and color of fishy scales; (9) thick bear-like fur; (10) reptilian scales.
13. Demonic taint. Roll 1d4-1: (1) character’s fingers elongate into claws, and he gains an attack for 1d6 damage; (2) character’s feet transform into cloven hoofs; (3) character’s legs become goat-like.
14. Character’s height changes by 1d20-10 inches. There is no change in weight; the character’s body grows thin and tall or short and fat.
15. Character crackles with energy of a type associated with the spells he most commonly casts. The energy could manifest as flames, lightning, cold waves, etc.
16. A duplicate of the character’s face grows on his back. It looks just like his normal face. The eyes, nose, and mouth can be operated independently.
17. Febrile. Character slowly weakens over 1d4 months, suffering a -1 penalty to STR for each month.
18. Character grows a beak in place of his mouth. Transformation starts as a puckering of the lips that slowly turns into a full-fledged bird or squid beak over the next 1d12 months. Character gains a bite attack for 1d3 damage.
19. Bodily transformation. Roll 1d6: (1) character grows scales across his entire body; (2) character grows gills; (3) character’s teeth fall out and are replaced by horrifyingly sharp ones (1d4 biting attack); (4) character develops webbed toes and feet.
20. Character grows a tail over 1d8 days. Roll 1d6: (1) scorpion tail that can attack for 1d4 damage plus poison (Save versus Poison or target loses 1d4 STR permanently); (2) scaly snake tail; (3) forked demon tail (grants +1 for DEX checks); (4) fleshy tail ending in a useable third hand; (5) fused cartilaginous links ending in spiked stump that can attack for 1d6 damage; (6) bushy horse’s tail.
21. Fingers on one hand fuse while the thumb enlarges. After one week, the hand has transformed into a crab claw. Character gains a natural attack for 1d6 damage and can no longer grasp normal weapons and objects.
22. Third eye. Roll 1d4 for location: (1) middle of forehead; (2) palm of hand; (3) chest; (4) back of head.
23. Small tentacles grow around the character’s mouth and ears. The tentacles are maggot-sized at first, but grow at rate of 1” per month to a mature length of 12”.
24. Character’s limbs are replaced by suckered tentacles. One limb is replaced at random each month for four months. At the end of four months, it is impossible to hide the character’s inhuman nature.
25. Character’s head becomes bestial in a painful overnight transformation. Roll 1d6: (1) snake; (2) goat; (3) bull; (4) rat; (5) insect; (6) fish.
26. Decay. Character’s flesh falls off in zombie-like chunks. Character loses 1d4 hp per day. Only magical healing can stave off the decay.
27. A sliver of soul energy is claimed by a demon lord. Character experiences unearthly pain, suffering 3d6 damage, and a permanent -2 penalty to all ability scores.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

An Adorable Infestation


So I came to D&D late in the game and therefore have huge holes in my knowledge about it's lore. This means that for longer than I prefer, I thought that a Bug Bear was literally a huge hairy bug and not the weirdly quiet goblinoid creature that looks more like a huge goblin than a bear or a bug. I like my version better btw. The point is that once I realized my mistake, it kicked some things off in my head about other misconceptions I had relating to what is commonly used from the various D&D Monster Manuals. I'm now in the process of reading through AD&D 2nd editions Monster Manual as it offers the most in-depth entries on those classic monsters. It's been a good read so far.



This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is bearbug.jpg
Bear Bug (An Encounter)
These are small 3" tall bears. They feed on skin flakes and blood. They often move in packs, riding the coat tails & luggage of travelers. They are the scourge of taverns and inns. Some wiley entertainers have taken to catching and taming these creatures and can often be found traveling the world, putting on Bear Bug Circuses where they perform tricks for the amusement and confusion of children and adults everywhere.

Use: When renting a room in a popular inn, the player has a 1-in-6 chance of a Bear Bug infestation. 1-in-10 during the winter as they often will be hibernating.
Effect: Sleeping in a Bear Bug infestation site often results in tiny bites and scratches. Most people are highly allergic to the bear bug. -2 for all Mental checks for 24 hours from incessant itching. Duration resets if issue is not taken care of and they stay in the same room again.
Notes: If group is sharing a room, only roll once and it affects everyone sharing the room.
There are ways to avoid bites such as not sleeping on anything with fabric where the bear bugs might be sleeping. Or fire. Fire always works.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Gambling: Simplified


I hate gambling in games. It always ends up being a minigame between the referee and the player while everyone else sits around the table and waits or looks at their phone. In the end, the back and forth ends up being something as simple as "You lost X amount." or "Hey, you won X amount. Congratulations." Everyone goes "ooh" and we move on. Now, mind you, gambling can be a wonderful chance to make connections, look for information, and provide opportunities for world building and RPing. But if your player just wants to make a shit-load of money, gambling is one of the most boring ways to go about it.

This exact thing happened in my home game. First session, one of the players wants to bet all their money on a fight. We haphazardly roll some dice based on his character sheet and just as haphazardly divy out the winnings. He didn't get burned and we moved on but it felt hallow and weird to me. We are playing Stars without Number but really, this mechanic can be bolted onto any game that uses d20. The idea of the mini-system is to bring gambling to a fast abstraction so you can get in and get out quickly and move on to the fun stuff. It also takes into account assumed skill and provides opportunities for the rest of the group to get involved. Mind you, the spread for this is based on the idea that they are playing a game of chance or relying on an outside party's skill. Knowledge and experience can help you so far but at the end of the day, Lady Luck will have her say. So enough patter, let's get to it:


Abstracted Gambling System
Roll a d20 and if you get under...
08 -- (Rookie)
10 -- (Hobbiest)
12 -- (Shark)
14 -- (Pro)

...then you win!!! Or lose.

Winnings:
Figure for everyone amount they bet, they have the chance to get back what they bet plus an additional 1/2 of that amount. If they want to double or nothing then add a +1 modifier to their roll. They can keep pushing their luck and it'll add a +1 for each step. So the steps would be Double or Nothing, Triple, Quadruple, etc, etc.

Assistance:
Preparations/Research can provide -1/-2 modifiers depending on the amount of work that went into it. This includes things like learning someone's tell, the medical history of a horse, etc.
Cheating can provide -3/-4 modifiers but will come with consequences if you are not caught. Either the house will bar you from the gambling den for being suspicious or you are just not a good investment. Cheating includes things like having another person looking over your opponents shoulder and signalling you, doping the other horse/fighter you are betting against, hiding a spare Ace, etc.
Luck can also be subtracted from your roll if you are using a system that accounts for it.

Advancing
:
Now, a player's starting ability is obviously subjective and determined mostly through a negotiation between them and you. Figure that their gambling acumen is no different than any other skill in that the more that they use it, it'll probably get better. Figure it'll improve a step every two levels of character advancement if they utilize it often enough.

And there you go! Simple enough. Obviously it can be tweaked to meet the kind of tone you are aiming for.


Above Image: Master of the Haintz-Narr. Gamblers in the Ship of Fools. 1494. Woodcut