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Tuesday, December 10

USR Sword & Sorcery After Action Report


I DM'ed my second game in over twenty years via Google+ Hangouts. It was a Sword & Sorcery game using Scott Malthouse's USR rpg rules. True to all rules-lite systems, the DM is required to embellish the sparse rules with the flavor of the genre you wish to play. For my game I modified character creation by limiting players to human characters. They cannot start with magic capabilities, though this may be acquired through game play. Random rolls on a background table are also required, but the players are free to choose the arrangement of their attribute dice, and their three specialisms. My two players ended up with a Hunter/Hunting Site, and Craftsman(Blacksmith)/Poverty. I encourage the players to embellish these sketchy details, and come up for a reason they find themselves together in the desert city of Dipur mingling with the wine sellers, lotus peddlers, dancing girls, and thieves which are found in the busy South Bazaar. To explain the Blacksmith's poverty the player stated he once had a blacksmith shop in the city, but his competitor had run him out of business by bribing the tax collector to close him down. The Hunter was coming from his prized hunting site in the Zorab mountains with a mountain lion skin to trade for silver. The Blacksmith is a friend who he usually visits to have his hand axes sharpened. 

The story hook revolved around a cairn the Hunter had discovered near his hunting site. Wrought with undecipherable glyphs, the Hunter hopes the Blacksmith knows someone in the city who could explain these strange signs. Of course a city dweller such as the Blacksmith would know that Avant the Failed, an aged scholar, might be able to shed light on such archaic symbols. Another story hook I floated was that the Game Master of the gladiator arenas was paying a princeley sum for exotic animals from the "Spires" found northwest of the city deep in the unholy Ash Plains. I was prepared to pepper the group with other prepared rumors, and story hooks if they spent more time in the city, but they were happy with the scholar's grim tale of Rakoss the Undying, and his supposed tomb sealed and forgotten in the Zorab Mts. Could this cairn with the long ago defeated necromantic lord's symbol indicate the location of this tomb? The aged scholar was most anxious to confirm such a discovery. Such a historical discovery would revive his dim reputation among his peers. The party negotiates for additional muscle, some expedition supplies, and strike a deal; treasure and loot for the players, relics which prove the place is the last resting place of Rakoss for the scholar.

In the morning the party heads due east towards the towering mountains with Gomar the man-servant, and a compliant donkey loaded with supplies in tow. The trek is not uneventful. A wandering monster check brings the degenerate hill men of Zorab down upon them in the night. Since this is the first combat I had run in a dogs age I only sent three of these desperate savages at them. The man-servant was grievously wounded while the ax wielding Hunter chopped all in front of him down. He chased down the last fleeing hill man, and split his skull with ease. In the morning the small group pushes on to the Hunter's prized hunting site to rest, and heal.

Inspection of the weird cairn by Avant's man-servant suggests that the writings are a warning, and indicate the location of the tomb is due east against the towering walls of the mountains a short distance away. After hours of exploration the Hunter locates a narrow ravine which opens up into a large chamber, and behold, at the end of the chamber is a large sturdy door! While the door is locked with no visible means of opening it does help to have a Blacksmith, and a donkey in your group. It takes some time, but the group is able to pry the door open enough to slide on in. 

So far the party has survived the initial horrors found within, but they have just scratched the surface. What terrors lay withing the unexplored chambers, well, we shall see!

Saturday, December 7

Equipment List for my USR Sword & Sorcery Campaign

Equipment List for the World of Xoth

The common coin of the realm is silver, and following equipment list costs are in silver. 10 silver pieces make for one gold. Copper is the lowest coin, needing ten of these beggar chips to make one silver. Copper is usually only good for buying moldy bread, and cheap clothing. The sourest of wines can be had for a few copper, but only slaves would be found drinking such foul fare.

Gems are the most concentrated form of wealth, ranging in value from 100 to 1,000 gp’s and up! Most cutthroats would sell their soul for a chance to steal but a few gems.

Player characters start with basic equipment relative to their character backgrounds, and therefore get to list three such items for free. They also get to roll 3d6x20 starting silver to purchase some additional gear. Remember to keep some silver on your person to by that first nights round of ale, and mutton.

Rules for the game using Scott Malthouse's USR mechanics can be found here!

Weapons
Dagger                                  20           +1
Mace                                    50          +1
Sickle                                    60         +1
Club                                      2           +1
Heavy Mace                       120          +2           2H
Morning Star                       80           +1          
Spear                                  20           +1           ranged weapon
Long Spear                         50           +1           first strike opportunity, set against charge
Quarter Staff                      5              +1
Heavy Crossbow               500           +2           ranged weapon
Light Crossbow                 350           +1           ranged weapon
Dart                                    5                           ranged weapon
Sling                                    1                          ranged weapon
Throwing Axe                    80           +1            ranged weapon
Miners Hammer                 10          
Hand Axe                          60           +1
Light Pick                          40          
Short Sword                     100         +1
Battle Axe                         100         +2
Flail                                    80           +1           first strike opportunity
Long Sword                      150         +2
Scimitar                            150         +2
War Hammer                    120         +1/+3 vs. Plate
Pole Axe                            85           +2           2H, first strike opportunity, set against charge                   
Great Axe                          200         +3           2H
Great Sword                      500         +4           2H
Long Bow                         750         +2           ranged weapon
Short Bow                         300         +1           ranged weapon               

Armor
Leather coif                       100         +1           head only
Steel Cap                          100         +3           head only
Leather Jerkin                   600         +1           body and arms
Quilted Jerkin                   400         +1           body and arms
Chain Shirt                       600         +2           body
Leather Leggings               350         +1           legs
Quilted Leggins                 250         +1           legs
High Leather Boots           250         +1           legs
Chain Cowl                      250         +2           head
Full Helm                         350         +3           head
Chain Jerkin                     1,500     +2           body and arms
Hide Coat                         900         +1           body and arms
Scale Corselet                  1,500     +2           body and arms
Bracers                           100         +1           arms
Armored Gauntlets           200         +2           arms
Greaves                           100         +1           legs
Chain Skirt                      100         +1           legs
Breastplate                      900         +3           body
Banded                           750         +2           body

Fully Armor Suits
Quilted                          1,500     +1           all
Leather                         2,000     +2           all
Chainmail                     5,000     +3           all
Scale                            5,000     +3           all
Plate                            15,000   +4           all

Shields
Buckler                        150         +1           you may use a bow or crossbow while equipped
Small Shield                 70           +1
Large Shield                 100         +2
Tower Shield               300         +4           provides cover from aimed ranged weapons

Mundane gear can be bought using the same prices in the Dungeons and Dragons Player’s Handbook. Keep in mind that most of the prices there are listed in gold coins, so multiply the cost by ten to determine the price in silver!

Friday, November 29

USR Halberd Character Generator

Peter Gagliardi has made a fine character generator for Scott's USR fantasy rules. Link to the generator can be found at Gags Dev website here.

Gets one into a game quick!

Sunday, October 27

So I'm playing now

Instead of talking about how I want to play role playing games now.

Not truly face to face, but on line.

Outside of my face to face scrum of a railroad adventure mashing up B10 Night's Dark Terror with Chaosium game mechanics, I have not enjoyed face to face play since 1988.

But the live play via on line video chat has been really enjoyable, and has let me try these lovely games once again.

But answer me this. Why are people thirty years later playing D&D the same way I played it when I was eleven? Seasoned gamers wax poetically on player agency, sandbox play, collaborative story building, the thrill of open ended adventure and what if. Why role playing games are so off the hook when it comes to social entertainment compared to watching sports or pitching horseshoes with your buds. All sorts of heady stuff.

Finally, it seems to me, there are a plethora of experienced players loose on line available buying into the greatness of the medium. I find them blogging, playing, creating, publishing here on line.

While available technology such as video chat has allowed instant gaming opportunities gathering a good gaming group is still something to cherish, and takes work. I feel very lucky to meet complete strangers on line and get nothing but good vibes, good cheer, and a good time. Now lets play. Okay, we head to the caves. How many days travel? Okay, what do we hear? We rush in. What do we see? Faaack.  My first on line game with the OSR was a trip down eleven year old lane.

Yeah we were playing B2 Keep on the Borderlands, a well known adventure relic, but that whetted my appetite all the more. I looked forward to tackling a long ago played treasures with a more informed, and enthusiastic intent.

So I was completely mystified why most PC's were against any other plan than to march directly to the caves, charge in, and have to with whatever came our way. My PC has survived three hack and slash approaches. Just barely. Bumping and grunting against psychotic subterranean foes. Jabbing spears into each others vitals, letting the probability die fall where they may. It has left me with meager gains, and a character still breathing. Not much else. I ponder a better way to ring the caves like a blood soaked rag filled with diamonds. I ponder the absurdity of the economic system of the Keep itself. I ponder the validity of stumping into someone's home, slaughtering them and their family, and taking their valuables.

My mistakes in this situation are numerous. I've not asked other players around the virtual table what their expectations for the game are. I have not asked my DM what his expectations for the game are. I have not stated my expectations for the game at the outset. And I sure as shit did not think to make the Thief take a full wineskin of oil with him into the ogre cave. We could have easily torched the beast while he slumbered on his rancid bear skin bedding. Could have spared Anselm the retainer's poor life.

A lot of it probably has to do with going along to get along. Finding a game to play live, whether in the flesh or through the internet, with others which fits your time schedule isn't always easy. And I truly enjoy talking with all the players around the table trying to forge an exciting adventure.

But I find a lot of resistance from the group to. No one seems interested in, say, muck stables for three months at the Keep. Watch the coming and goings of the place. How many wagons of food a day does it take to keep people fed, how far do these goods come from, do the hired guards seem satisfied with their pay or is their a high turnover, is the Keep ever attacked by the monsters from the caves, do the people love their Lord, what relationships exist among the inhabitants of the Keep? Does anyone live outside its walls? If I'm working out of this place paying top dollar for food and lodging why doesn't the group start wholesaling to the Tavern, Provisioner, Smithy, etc? Why are players reluctant to approach the caves of chaos from above, and spend days watching the comings and goings of the place? To recon, gather information of the world in which our PC's inhabit so as to begin to find the tools we need to exploit our surroundings, satisfy our ambitions and goals? But I only find my character in front of some cave entrance trusting to the luck of a d20 roll.

It is most likely these interests of mine are just not the interest of anyone else in the group. Then clearly I am barking up the wrong tree. I'm sure I'm barking up the right game though :)

Thursday, October 10

New games, new posts, old music to my ears

Feeling to full of myself I demanded Treasure Island was the best adventure ever written. Pacing, dialogue, immersion, character development; the whole work is entirely off the hook. The electricity coming off the fingers while the quill dipped the inkwell, well, if I could capture that call me Stephen King!

This was orated in front of the television before a not too interested roommate who had just completed a Jules Verne story.

While Jules Verne illuminated great ideas Stevenson breathed stale breath in my face, forcing involuntary fingers to twist powder in the breach of my flintlock.

That is story telling. That is TRPG!

Sunday, September 29

Google Hangout blues

So I joined a Google+ Hangout to actually play TRPG's in earnest since finding players to sit across a table on the western slope of CO is impoooosible.

The advantages of such technology in which to play are wonderful. Besides no one has to smell your ass gas while you verbally flatulent fantasy nonsense for four hours at a time, and you never have to leave your own gaming sanctum; I imagine the ability to find the game you want to play becomes much easier.

But how does one begin to find additional gaming Hangouts? The current, and only Google+ Hangout game I am involved in was from a direct invitation. As is how I would want such a gaming invitation to come. I gingerly try and cultivate a quality gaming relationship through my blog, comment on people who post wonderful content and game theory, and look to play the game everyone seems to be shooting for

...but where are all these great games being played? Cause I waited two weeks for my next game, and while some great players showed up on time the DM was no where to be found. With such a disposable medium, and commitment is just a click away I got the distinct feeling I would have to spend just as much time on searching for a Google+ Hangout group I can relish in as much as playing the game I want to play.

Therefore, if anyone has some great sources for finding TRPG Hangouts let me know, I look forward to the play!

Saturday, September 14

Google Hangout

Played my first game utilizing Google Hangout, and I must say I am impressed with how well a live gaming session can be done.

The group total was nine, eight PC's and the DM. I have not used my video cam in forever, but all it took to join the game was just one click. Bam, game on! The interface has many features in which to modify the visual, and audio presentation. I particularly liked being able to post your name/character name/any text really on screen. Makes it easy to call each other by your character name when you don't have to ask for it first. There are probably a host of other features I am not aware of, but most importantly you are able to look and talk with everyone around the virtual table with ease. Especially fun is trying to see what everyone has on their bookshelf behind them. Games mostly!

Here is what I most like about this mode of play; not having to leave home. No drive time. Most likely there are endless opportunities through the hangouts to play games. Probably any game you want to play there are most likely a group getting it going. Completely disposable. Don't like the game or group just drop out and try another. Is it as good as sitting around a table live? Real close. Especially if you are like me and don't have many other options for gaming.

The Vanishing Tower recommends you give it a try. Great opportunity to meet and play with fellow gamers you would never be able to otherwise.