Friday, November 28, 2014

The Valley: A Part of the "Burning World" Setting for Mutant Future


First thing to know: The Valley is a hard place--a dead waste of deep canyons, jagged mountains, and open desert filled with radiation and weirdness, all created by "The Final Showdown" the Old Fucks keep going on and on about. Most of us around here live in one of two settlements:


New Haven

Black Sun Union Soldier


In the west there’s New Haven, a clutter of small towns and communities, shadowed beneath a massive complex of steel and concrete we call Tower. New Haven is the domain of Ghost. Nobody has met this Ghost fella, but his Black Sun Union (BSU) is brutally effective at policing New Haven. Life in New Haven isn't all that bad, as long as you do what you’re told. Did a BSU soldier just ask for your gun and jacket for no apparent reason? Just give it to him. Don’t ask questions, got it? If you’re ever sent to Tower, you won’t be coming back. Nobody knows what goes on up there...


Sanctuary

The Witch Lady

Across the canyon wilds to the east lies Sanctuary. Looks like a nice place. Everyone lives in these tall buildings, and they even have trees! How’s that even possible? They also say Sanctuary doesn't have to deal with attacks from strange mutants and other freaky things that live out in the wilds. The Witch Lady’s got some kinda magic or something keeping those creatures out. Folks from Sanctuary worship her like a goddess. They’re good enough people, albeit a bit strange. Must be something in the water…



The Wilds

One of the many colorful fauna awaiting you out in the wilds.



So what else is out there? Well, like I said before, there’s all kinds of strange, mutated creatures wandering outside--after "The Final Showdown", people, animals, everything changed. And not necessarily for the better. You’ve got the Reclaimers, who scavenge everywhere looking for relics of the old world. They prance around, wherever they happen to be, in their power armor like they own the damn place. Rumor is they’re building something. Something big. What else? There are those brave (or insane) caravan traders coming by every now and then. They’ve always got useful things to barter for or interesting tidbits to share about the outside. Sometimes, you’ll see someone selling their child off to some creeps wearing dark robes. These faceless strangers come by more often than we'd like. The Phoenix Society, they call themselves. Not sure what they’re about; don't really want to know, to be perfectly honest. Once in a while we also have to deal with raids by gangs holing themselves up in caves out in the wilds. I heard there’s a big turf war happening between the New Monsters and the Phantoms. Right smack in the middle of the Valley, we’ve got the Lake of Fire in case you feel like contracting radiation sickness or picking up a new mutation.



Someone from the Phoenix Society. I really hate it when they show up.




A member of the Phantoms


And that, ladies and gentlemen, concludes our tour. Enjoy your stay in The Valley.




"Burning World" A setting for Mutant Future



In an instant, everything was gone. A blast of hot white, like a giant eraser on the face of the world--except for those outside the pages of conflict. Nobody really knows what happened, save the Old Fucks. Who listens to them, though? Their brains have turned to mush, and their advocacies are just fantasy...right? Hope? Peace? These words are just a luxury nobody can afford. Sounds beautiful, but who's got time for that when there are blood-thirsty mutants stalking around, or mothers willing to sell their own children for a sip of water or a pinch of bita-min? The Old Fucks say everything went to hell because people couldn't see eye-to-eye. Doesn't sound much different than our situation. I remember hearing someone found a book talking about an "eye for an eye." That sounds much more like the world we live in now. Seems like things never change. Bang bang, baby. Watch your back. Welcome to the Burning World.


Friday, November 7, 2014

"Sorrowfrost" A sandbox setting for Labyrinth Lord



      This originally started out as a little sandbox for some of my Korean middle school students who expressed interest in tabletop rpgs. They would come in during lunch recess every now and then, and I would run them through simple dungeons and wilderness encounters. It was a fun mix of English, Korean...and a lot of body language. Eventually, being kids, they lost interest after a few weeks, but the look on their eyes when I showed them the various mystical polyhedral dice used in this game was enough to tell me they had been changed and realized there is more to gaming than Starcraft and League of Legends.
      I've also been running a pretty successful campaign on the odd weekend here and there for other expat English teachers. I call this setting "Sorrowfrost", which has been written for 1st to 3rd level characters. I won't provide the crunch (on the very, very small chance any of my players find and read this), but here's a little breakdown of each area.

Yeah, I drew this myself... almost immediately after hearing my Korean students express interest in tabletop gaming.




Fairview - A village of roughly 500 human inhabitants living in thatch-roofed homes, surrounded by lush whitewood trees.  Fairview is well known for its elegant spider silks collected from the appropriately named Spider Hills to the southeast.

Fairview Outpost - Where “The Stormchasers” mercenary band - comprised of Barandon Kellegan and his 20 men hired by Sorrowfrost - rest, keep guard, and trade shifts protecting the various villages of Sorrowfrost.  Lately, however, most just sit around drinking or playing cards, as they claim they have not received this month's pay.

Hun Mountains - Mountains forever covered in snow.  The human barbarians of the White Lynx tribe occasionally battle with the Varl, a slowly dwindling race of all-male horned and bearded giants, said to be the first inhabitants of this realm.

Dragon’s Peak - Said to be the highest mountain in the world of Antediluvia.  The summit is also said to be the lair of a large, ancient red dragon.

Wellwind - A village of roughly 200 halflings. They have been known to charge outrageous prices to “tall folk," These ain’t your jolly ol’ Tolkein hobbits!

Laketown - A small village of darkwood homes and buildings, well known for its pumpkin-flavored foods and ale.  Nobody has seen a villager from Laketown since last winter... 

Whispering Hills - An ominous place indeed, shrouded with mist, cries, and whispers.  It is said that you may ask the voices any questions you like, at the possible cost of losing your mind.  A place only the foolish venture to.

Kailind - A coastal stone-walled town for trading vessels. Kailind is known for its exotic goods and diversity. Many an adventurer has started - and ended! - their career on the docks of this precarious locale. Sightings of a massive sea dragon have stopped many ships from leaving or entering Kailind recently, however.

Ghost Fields - It is said the dead remains of ancient warriors from a long-forgotten battle lie buried beneath these rolling hills.  Some say their magical weapons and armor can be dug from the ground, but it is also said the dead will rise if their rest is disturbed.

Kailind Outpost - Another outpost of “The Stormchasers." They were last known to be dealing with a roaming clan of goblins, orcs, ogres, and trolls.

Glades of Elvenspring - A forest of rich greens, reds, and golds.  Said to be the home of elusive elves, brownies, and other Sylvian creatures.

Simon’s Break -A shortcut when traveling between western and eastern Sorrowfrost. Rumors say there it is occupied by vicious bands of gnolls and venomous Tabitha spiders.

Swamp of Troos - Gypsies, fortune tellers, and lizardfolk.  Maybe a wyvern or two.  It is rumored to be the home of a nefarious black dragon and his lizardfolk worshippers.

Deep Rock - Home of the dwarves. Once trading with the other towns and villages, they have currently isolated themselves in their mountain home.

Shadowfell Woods - Said to be inhabited by monsters created by a maniacal wizard long ago who once ruled these lands.  His tower is said to still be located somewhere within these woods.  

Blackfell Keep - Nobody knows much about its past aside from once being a large dungeon where only the most vile criminals were locked away.  

The open road - Everything from roaming goblins and giants to shrines of The Seven are said to be found by anyone brave enough to travel the open roads and wilderness of Sorrowfrost.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Musings 6,000 Miles From Home



       Sometimes it's good to get away for a while, from both your comfortable corner of the world, where you know all the sidewalk cracks and routine faces like the back of your hand, and also from your complacent notions and assumptions, where those familiar mental avenues invariably lead you to your incontestable brilliance (in your mind's eye, at least).  I have never claimed to know a lot;  however, I can unquestionably at times get set in my ways.  As I write this, I have spent nearly half a year "getting away for a while." I'm currently residing in South Korea, having left behind my carne asada burritos, delicious local IPAs, cozy brown recliner aside my shelf of gaming books only an arm's distance away, and my hilarious group of Labyrinth Lord and Dungeon Crawl Classics gaming buddies back in sunny Southern California. These magic items have been replaced by extreme weather (it's only a little after nine o'clock in the morning now, and I'm already sweating my nards off),  spicy food creatively prepared from nearly every component of an animal's anatomy, watered-down beer or rice fermented alcohol, a mattress that might as well be made of stone, and a new group of fellow expatriate gamers who have introduced me to gaming systems and philosophies both foreign and intriguing. Sometime's it's good to get away for awhile.
     Admittedly, this isn't the first time I've lived in this country (or abroad, even).  This is actually my fourth year in South Korea--after a two-year hiatus back home in the US.  Actually, I got my feet wet gaming here with 4th edition.  It never really did that much for me, but it did lead me to the discovery of earlier editions of the game, and for that, I'll always be thankful.  This is how I eventually found my niche with Basic D&D and AD&D, eventually leading me to Labyrinth Lord.  While I have run a few sessions of LL here, I've spent more time playing in other people's games.  So far I've played games of Burning Wheel, Mouse Guard, Apocalypse World, Call of Cthulhu, and most recently, Dungeon World. Some I've enjoyed, and some I've found overly complicated. But Dungeon World is a piece of pure brilliance in my opinion.  Will I be a convert, completely changing my gaming system of choice?  No.  Will I take advantage of the neat quirks and mechanics and apply them to my own?  You betcha. While the purpose of this blog is not about discussing travel and experiencing new cultures, I'd just like to say that it's inevitable that by doing so, you will change as a human being.  You begin to lose your "frog in the well" mentality. And while I have had many real-life experiences running the gamut from mind-numbing frustration to holy-guacamole-this-is-amazeballs wonder--some days are reminiscent of a scene right out of Lost in Translation-- my experiences from a purely gaming perspective have not taken a back seat at all during this time, and have, in fact, run parallel with them. My only explanation for this is that while living abroad, one is almost forced to change one's mindset on a daily basis, allowing an influx of new ideas and influences to be absorbed into a mind that would normally eschew them.
      "What's so great about Dungeon World, anyway," you ask?  Well, a lot of things.  But what I am really excited about borrowing and  incorporating into my Labyrinth Lord and Dungeon Crawl Classics games has to do with the idea of 'failure', or rather, spicing things up a lot more when the dice rolls don't go your way, making 'failure' an interesting component to the game. I'm not going to go into detail about the mechanics but  essentially, there is a target number needed to succeed in a skill or attack.  When hitting the target number or above, you achieve your goal -- you stab the ogre, find the secret door, or seduce the busty barmaid.  Rolling below that number, on the other hand, is where things get interesting; hitting a little below the mark grants you success. But not completely --  you hit the ogre, but damage your weapon; you find the secret door, but make a helluva lot of noise; you seduce the barmaid, but her big, hairy, and barrel-chested lover breaks down the door and comes after you with an axe, etc.  Rolling really low, well, that's where you actually gain XP.  Now I can't see myself incorporating that last bit. As we already know, most XP is gained from finding treasure (in Labyrinth Lord, at least), and I'd like to keep things that way.  Nevertheless, I think I will start incorporating a similar mechanic in my games where a result of 1-3 -- or 4...or 5, if there's good beer flowing at the table -- below the target number for a skill check grants a success, but with an evil little twist.  Fumbles will, of course, still only happen on critical failure -- a 'natural 1' in my games.
        ...Whew, are you still there?  If you've made it this far, I applaud you.  I'm aware that this is an awfully long post to explain one tiny little change I will apply to my own games, but I've been making a lot of subtle changes as of late (you can see a bunch of new editions to my list of House Rules here: http://ominousentries.blogspot.kr/2014/02/house-rules.html ), which got me thinking. These changes must stem from the fact that I've been taken out of my homespun surroundings, allowing me to add new and commoving constituents to a previously all-too-familiar homebrew. I can only await the changes to come in another six months time.


Tuesday, July 15, 2014

The Heptad (The Gods of Law for 'Sorrowfrost' a Labyrinth Lord Campaign)


I've got a new group of players, and I was inspired to make a new world for them to run around (or, at least, a realm of a new world: The Free Realm of Sorrowfrost).  I've got maps and dungeons too, and I'll be posting those as well.  This is the first time I've come up with a pantheon, but I'm having fun with it.  It's nothing too crazy; I actually told myself I wanted to make this world a fairly "standard" fantasy affair since my new group of players are first-timers (squee!)

The Temple of The Heptad (in Fairview)

  

The Temple:

Monsignior Leywin, an elderly priest of the Church of The Heptad, revered for his devotion, kindness, and wisdom, serves as the spiritual leader for the inhabitants of Fairview. Beside him, a tall and stern man of dark skin, amber eyes and brooding face, dressed in shining plate male along with a beautiful longsword at his side, can be seen accompanying Monsignior Leywin at all times. This is the paladin, Sir Leoril Tarmikos.  A holy warrior under an oath of silence, he is sworn to protect Monsignor Leywin and the other acolytes of the Temple of The Heptad.  The temple welcomes those who are weary and in search of physical and spiritual sustenance.

The Heptad:

Formed from the eternal Maelstrom Storms of Chaos in the Age of Entropy, these Gods of Law are the creators of our world and its first beings, each having given a part of themselves - from with which we are all made .  Each day of the week is in recognition of one:  Sun, ‘The One of Light and illumination’, who grants blessings of divine wisdom and foresight; Mourn, ‘The Orb of Night’, who grants blessings of health; Tyoos, ‘The Opportunous One’, who grants blessings of luck and second chances.  Wynd, ‘The One of Nature and Mysteries’, who grants blessings of understanding and arcane intellect; Thors, ‘The Hero’, who grants blessings of strength and skill; Frie, ‘The Shielded Mistress’, who grants blessings of quickness and defence; Sityr, ‘The Seductive Dancer’, who grants blessings of charm and bewitchery.      





Praying to The Heptad:

Those of any alignment may pray for a blessing to one of The Heptad each day, but those of Chaotic alignment suffer a -5 penalty to their prayer check; The Heptad will seldom answer to those attuned to Chaos - they are in perpetual war with the Chaos Lords and, thus, are usually unwilling to grant aid to anyone sharing the alignment of their adversaries.

Characters may only attempt to pray to one of The Heptad once per day.  In order to pray to one of The Heptad, one must be in a temple or church of The Heptad, or wearing a symbol of The Heptad.  Clerics of The Heptad may pray anywhere and receive a +2 bonus when praying.  When praying, choose one of these Gods of Law, and attempt to roll your Luck score or under.  If you succeed, roll on that god’s Blessing Table.  If you pray to one of The Heptad on their day of recognition (praying to Mourn on Mournday, for example), you get a +2 bonus to your Luck roll.  If you pray to one of The Heptad on a day which is not of their recognition, then there is no bonus to your Luck roll. If you fail, you must wait another day to pray for a blessing.  A roll of a natural ‘1 is an automatic result of 00% - for whatever reason (the gods can be fickle at times), this God of Law desires to aid you as best they can.  A roll of a natural ‘20’ grants a disapproval.  Roll on ‘The Heptad’ Disapproval Table (located after ‘The Heptad’ Blessing Tables).






‘The Heptad’  Blessing Tables:

* blessings last for 24 hours unless noted otherwise.
*some blessings are for specific classes, and will be noted under each god’s
table.
*options with ‘or’ must be chosen by the player upon receiving blessing
*hp gained may go over total hp, but are lost after 24 hours.




Sun “The One of Light and Illumination”

Non-clerics: 01-75%: +1 WIS; re-roll one WIS check
             76-99%: +2 WIS; re-roll one WIS check
             00%: +3 WIS; automatically pass one WIS check

Clerics: 01-75% +1 WIS (bonus spells may be applicable);
                     re-roll one WIS check or Turn Undead check
        76-99%: +2 WIS (bonus spells may be applicable);
                     re-roll one WIS check or Turn Undead check
         00%: +3 WIS (bonus spells may be applicable);
                    automatically pass one WIS check or Turn Undead check
                     *cannot Turn Undead higher than cleric’s level allows; still must
                      roll for amount of HD turned*








Mourn “The Orb of Night”

All Classes: 01-75%: gain 1d3 HP; re-roll one saving throw.
            76-99%: gain 1d6 HP; re-roll one saving throw.
            00%: gain 1d10 HP; automatically pass one saving throw.






Tyoos “The Opportunous One”

Non-thieves: 01-75%: +1 Luck; re-roll one attribute/skill check
             76-99%: +2 Luck; re-roll one attribute/skill check
             00%: +3 Luck; automatically pass one attribute/skill check.

Thieves: 01-75%: +1 Luck; re-roll one attribute/skill check;
                   +5% to any thief skill (cannot exceed 99%)
         76-99%: +2 Luck; re-roll one attribute/skill check;
                   +10% to any thief skill (cannot exceed 99%)
         00%: +3 Luck; automatically pass one attribute/skill
                check; +10% to all thief skills (cannot exceed 99%)








Wynd “The One of Nature and Mysteries”

Non-magic-users/elves: 01-75%: +1 INT; re-roll one INT check
                         76-99%: +2  INT; re-roll one INT check
                         00%: +3 INT; automatically pass one INT check

Magic-users/Elves:    01-75% +1 INT (bonus spells may be applicable);
                                   re-roll one INT check or an enemy must re-roll
                                   one passed saving throw against your spell
                       76-99%: +2 INT (bonus spells may be applicable);
                                    re-roll one INT check or an enemy must re-roll
                                    one passed saving throw against your spell
                       00%: +3 INT (bonus spells may be applicable);
                                  automatically pass one INT check or enemy
                                  automatically fails one saving throw against your spell







Thors “The Hero”

Non-fighters: 01-75%: +1 to hit *melee or ranged* (not damage);
re-roll one to-hit roll
               76-99%: +2 to hit *melee or ranged* (not damage);
re-roll one to-hit roll
               00%: +3 to hit *melee or ranged* (not damage);
                         automatically succeed one to-hit roll

Fighters:    01-75% +1 to hit and damage *melee or ranged*;
re-roll one to-hit roll
             76-99%: +2 to hit  and damage *melee or ranged*;
re-roll one to-hit roll
             00%: +3 to hit and damage  *melee or ranged*;
                       automatically succeed one critical hit (x2 damage).







Frie “The Shielded Mistress”

Non-dwarves : 01-75%: +1 to DEX (bonus AC may be applicable);
enemy re-rolls one to-hit roll against you
               76-99%: +2 to DEX (bonus AC may be applicable)
enemy re-rolls one to-hit roll against you
               00%: +3 to DEX (bonus AC may be applicable);
                      automatically negate one enemy’s successful to-hit roll.

Dwarves:    01-75% +1 to DEX or STR (bonus AC or to-hit/dam may be
                       applicable); enemy re-rolls one to-hit roll against you
             76-99%: +2 to DEX or STR (bonus AC or to-hit/dam may be
                        applicable); enemy re-rolls one to-hit roll against you
             00%: +3 to DEX or STR (bonus AC or to-hit/dam may be applicable);
                    automatically succeed one critical hit, causing (1d4):
                    1: x2 damage, 2: x3 damage, 3: x4 damage, 4: x5 damage.







Sityr “The Seductive Dancer”  

Non-halflings: 01-75%: +1 CHA (bonus CHA factors may be applicable);
re-roll one CHA check or one enemy/NPC reaction roll
               76-99%: +2 CHA (bonus CHA factors may be applicable);
re-roll one CHA check or one enemy/NPC reaction roll
               00%: +3 CHA (bonus CHA factors may be applicable);      
                      automatically pass one CHA check

Halflings: 01-75% +1 CHA or DEX (bonus AC or CHA factors may be applicable);
re-roll one CHA check or one enemy/NPC reaction roll
          76-99%: +2 CHA or DEX (bonus AC or CHA factors may be applicable);
re-roll one CHA check or one enemy/NPC reation roll
          00%: +3 CHA or DEX (bonus AC or CHA factors may be applicable);
                 automatically pass one CHA check; re-roll ANY die one time
                 (to-hit, saving throw, attribute/skill check, damage, etc.)





'The Heptad’  Disapproval Table:


01-30%:  ‘The Heptad’ will not answer your prayers for 1d3 days.

31-59%:  ‘The Heptad’ will not answer your prayers for 1d6 days.

60-74%:  ‘The Heptad’ will not answer your prayers for 1d4 weeks.

75-90%:  ‘The Heptad’ will not answer your prayers for 1d4 weeks, and you must
            donate ¼ of your wealth to a Church or Temple of The Heptad before
            your 1d4 week result.  Failing to do so will result in losing 1
            permanent random attribute point/day.

91-95%:  ‘The Heptad’ will not answer your prayers for 1d4 weeks, and you must
            donate ½ of your wealth to a Church or Temple of The Heptad before
            your 1d4 week result.  Failing to do so will result in losing 2
            permanent random attribute points/day.

96-99%:  ‘The Heptad' will not answer your prayers for 1d4 weeks, and you must
            donate all of your wealth to a Church or Temple of The Heptad before
            your 1d4 week result.  Failing to do so will result in losing 3
            permanent random attribute points/day.

00%:  ‘The Heptad'’ have glimpsed into your future and see that you may be
       tempted by agents of Chaos. They are compelled to end your mortal
       life with a preemptive strike. A blast of holy fires from the
       heavens, reaching you even if you’re indoors, causes you Xd10 damage.  
       (X = 1d10; a result of ‘4’ would be 4d10 damage, for example.)  If you   
       survive, then perhaps they were wrong in their judgement.