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[Let's Look At] Mutants & Machine-Guns: A Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic RPG, Part 2: Character Creation
Several weeks ago, I was delighted to find a couple friends of mine in my hometown have been up to something exciting, and I thought what better way than to launch a new series of posts to revive this long-dead blog. [Let's Look At] is where I try to read through and dissect every chapter and corner of a new RPG that I have yet to play, and explore it with all of my musings about its design, some notes, and experimental plays to better understand it. I don't really intend these examinations to be a review of the game, but rants and raves may seep through the seams at times.
The first thing to learn about every RPG, and could also be the most complex part of the game, is the character creation. So after giving an overview of the game in my previous post, it's only natural to start the rest of this series at the character creation rules for [Let's Look At] for Mutants & Machine-Guns.
Abilities
The basis of each character is governed by four simple Abilities; Physical, Mental, Combat and Social, with the descriptions of each ability pretty much self-explanatory.
Players are given a pool of 8 points to distribute among each ability with a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 3 for starting characters. Basically for each point added to an ability, it becomes a modifier for the task resolution rolls, which is done with 2D6 plus each point of the related ability, against a target number (ranging from 5 to 15). The task is successfully accomplished if the roll is higher than the target number. This is a very straightforward application of stats as it can get, though the game does shake things up a little with a Critical Fumble and Success rule for doubles even if the description for them are vague at best.
Race
Another aspect of character creations is picking your character's Race. The game offers three which are: Pure Human, Mutant Human and Evolved Animal. Each Race defines the character's HitPoints (HP) and any additional perks they may get such as starting mutations.
Every character starts with a fixed Defense score of 9, which can be modified with armor or mutations. Though I feel that one of the ability stats (Physical? Combat?) should also be able to modify this, but having everyone with the same number does make combat easier.
For characters of the Mutant Human and Evolved Animal races, they start with 2 random mutations which they determine by rolling 2D6s. More on that in the next [Let's Look At] post on Mutations.
In addition, the Evolved Animal race gain an additional mutation based on the animal they evolved from. The game does offer some specifics such as cats, dogs, and bears get the Natural Weapon mutation, while birds have the Wings mutation and turtles gain the Natural Armor mutation. Though the list of animals are a little short and non-comprehensive, I think it is quiet fair to give any animal the Natural Weapon mutation by default, unless the animal or insect is one that is more inclined to either being winged (an Evolved Bee, perhaps?) or has natural hides to be considered as armor.
What do Pure Humans get then? If not without the cool mutations? Well firstly, they are balanced with having the most starting HP out of all the races at 12+D6 HP (followed by Mutant Humans at 10+D6 HP, and Evolved Animals being the lowest at 8+D6 HP). Secondly, Pure Humans also start off with an additional 2 gold pieces when everyone rolls 2D6 for their starting wealth. Lastly, they also gain one additional point XP at the end of an adventure than his counterparts, which helps to speed up their advancement through their abilities instead of having mutations.
XP
Without a level-up system, XP becomes a form of currency for players to advance their characters. Players can spend their XP either to increase their HP (at a cost of 1XP per point), an Ability (2XP per point), or their Defense (at 3XP per point), which cannot pass 13 without wearing any armour.
So that's it pretty much it for the Character Creation rules. It's relatively simple, but there is some number crunching involved if you are weighing your options as to whether it is worth being a Pure Human or a Mutant Human. I would be generating a sample character of each race in a future posts for [Let's Look At] to see how this system works out, so keep looking out for more posts on Mutant & Machine-Guns.
Next up, I'll be looking at Mutations!
The first thing to learn about every RPG, and could also be the most complex part of the game, is the character creation. So after giving an overview of the game in my previous post, it's only natural to start the rest of this series at the character creation rules for [Let's Look At] for Mutants & Machine-Guns.
Abilities
The basis of each character is governed by four simple Abilities; Physical, Mental, Combat and Social, with the descriptions of each ability pretty much self-explanatory.
Players are given a pool of 8 points to distribute among each ability with a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 3 for starting characters. Basically for each point added to an ability, it becomes a modifier for the task resolution rolls, which is done with 2D6 plus each point of the related ability, against a target number (ranging from 5 to 15). The task is successfully accomplished if the roll is higher than the target number. This is a very straightforward application of stats as it can get, though the game does shake things up a little with a Critical Fumble and Success rule for doubles even if the description for them are vague at best.
Race
Another aspect of character creations is picking your character's Race. The game offers three which are: Pure Human, Mutant Human and Evolved Animal. Each Race defines the character's HitPoints (HP) and any additional perks they may get such as starting mutations.
Every character starts with a fixed Defense score of 9, which can be modified with armor or mutations. Though I feel that one of the ability stats (Physical? Combat?) should also be able to modify this, but having everyone with the same number does make combat easier.
For characters of the Mutant Human and Evolved Animal races, they start with 2 random mutations which they determine by rolling 2D6s. More on that in the next [Let's Look At] post on Mutations.
In addition, the Evolved Animal race gain an additional mutation based on the animal they evolved from. The game does offer some specifics such as cats, dogs, and bears get the Natural Weapon mutation, while birds have the Wings mutation and turtles gain the Natural Armor mutation. Though the list of animals are a little short and non-comprehensive, I think it is quiet fair to give any animal the Natural Weapon mutation by default, unless the animal or insect is one that is more inclined to either being winged (an Evolved Bee, perhaps?) or has natural hides to be considered as armor.
What do Pure Humans get then? If not without the cool mutations? Well firstly, they are balanced with having the most starting HP out of all the races at 12+D6 HP (followed by Mutant Humans at 10+D6 HP, and Evolved Animals being the lowest at 8+D6 HP). Secondly, Pure Humans also start off with an additional 2 gold pieces when everyone rolls 2D6 for their starting wealth. Lastly, they also gain one additional point XP at the end of an adventure than his counterparts, which helps to speed up their advancement through their abilities instead of having mutations.
XP
Without a level-up system, XP becomes a form of currency for players to advance their characters. Players can spend their XP either to increase their HP (at a cost of 1XP per point), an Ability (2XP per point), or their Defense (at 3XP per point), which cannot pass 13 without wearing any armour.
So that's it pretty much it for the Character Creation rules. It's relatively simple, but there is some number crunching involved if you are weighing your options as to whether it is worth being a Pure Human or a Mutant Human. I would be generating a sample character of each race in a future posts for [Let's Look At] to see how this system works out, so keep looking out for more posts on Mutant & Machine-Guns.
Next up, I'll be looking at Mutations!
[Let's Look At] Mutants & Machine-Guns: A Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic RPG, Part 1: Overview
Several weeks ago, I was delighted to find a couple friends of mine in my hometown have been up to something exciting, and I thought what better way than to launch a new series of posts to revive this long-dead blog. [Let's Look At] is where I try to read through and dissect every chapter and corner of a new RPG that I have yet to play, and explore it with all of my musings about its design, some notes, and experimental plays to better understand it. I don't really intend these examinations to be a review of the game, but rants and raves may seep through the seams at times.
Mutants & Machine-Guns A Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic RPG by Robertson Sondoh Jr. & Daniel Marcus of Experimental Playgrounds
Mutants & Machine-Guns: A Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic RPG is a post-apocalypse roleplaying game made by Robertson Sondoh Jr. and Daniel Marcus, who form the duo of Experimental Playgrounds. If you haven't heard of Experimental Playgrounds, these guys are from my far-away homestate of Sabah in Malaysia and they have been up making simple and free print-and-play boardgames/minigmaes that have gained some small notoriety on BoardGameGeek (check out their games that are available on BoardGameGeek) until now.
Mutants & Machine Guns is the first RPG from Experimental Playgrounds and I'm excited to see a local RPG made by local talents. While it is still very much still in-development, the Experimental Playground folks were kind enough to send me a free copy of their latest version, which you can acquire at their website.
Disclaimer: While I do know both of the creators on a personal level, I do intend to view this RPG as objectively as any roleplayer would, giving my views that would hopefully be taken as constructive criticism to improve this game further.
Overview:
Sticking true to their love for simple to play games, Mutants & Machine-Guns is designed in the pocketmod format, which means that it is printable on an A4 paper and folded in 8 pages (10, if you include the character sheet and battlegrid). This makes it quite literally a very light RPG with all the rules (and then some) that can be fitted into a piece of paper to read through and learned almost at a glance.
Describing itself as a Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic RPG, the introduction to Mutants & Machine-Guns says that it takes its inspirations from classical post-apocalypse materials (movies and games) such as Thundarr the Barbarian, Gamma World, Mutant Future, Mad Max and Fall Out.
All you need to play this RPG, other than the necessary stationery and players, are just the easy to find D6s, which makes it friendlier for most gamers because polyhedral dices aren't a common thing you will see from where I come from.
Given it's format, I would generally breakdown the 'chapters' of this game down to the following, though they do not appear in that order:
Mutants & Machine-Guns A Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic RPG by Robertson Sondoh Jr. & Daniel Marcus of Experimental PlaygroundsMutants & Machine-Guns: A Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic RPG is a post-apocalypse roleplaying game made by Robertson Sondoh Jr. and Daniel Marcus, who form the duo of Experimental Playgrounds. If you haven't heard of Experimental Playgrounds, these guys are from my far-away homestate of Sabah in Malaysia and they have been up making simple and free print-and-play boardgames/minigmaes that have gained some small notoriety on BoardGameGeek (check out their games that are available on BoardGameGeek) until now.
Mutants & Machine Guns is the first RPG from Experimental Playgrounds and I'm excited to see a local RPG made by local talents. While it is still very much still in-development, the Experimental Playground folks were kind enough to send me a free copy of their latest version, which you can acquire at their website.
Disclaimer: While I do know both of the creators on a personal level, I do intend to view this RPG as objectively as any roleplayer would, giving my views that would hopefully be taken as constructive criticism to improve this game further.
Overview:
Sticking true to their love for simple to play games, Mutants & Machine-Guns is designed in the pocketmod format, which means that it is printable on an A4 paper and folded in 8 pages (10, if you include the character sheet and battlegrid). This makes it quite literally a very light RPG with all the rules (and then some) that can be fitted into a piece of paper to read through and learned almost at a glance.
Describing itself as a Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic RPG, the introduction to Mutants & Machine-Guns says that it takes its inspirations from classical post-apocalypse materials (movies and games) such as Thundarr the Barbarian, Gamma World, Mutant Future, Mad Max and Fall Out.
All you need to play this RPG, other than the necessary stationery and players, are just the easy to find D6s, which makes it friendlier for most gamers because polyhedral dices aren't a common thing you will see from where I come from.
Given it's format, I would generally breakdown the 'chapters' of this game down to the following, though they do not appear in that order:
- Character Creation - the four main stats, combat-related stats, and task resolution
- Mutations - possible mutations that you can have as a character
- Combat - combat rules, actions and healing
- Wasteland Economy - equipment
- GM rules - radiation and critters.
[Let's Look At] Mutants & Machine-Guns: A Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic RPG, Part 1: Overview
Several weeks ago, I was delighted to find a couple friends of mine in my hometown have been up to something exciting, and I thought what better way than to launch a new series of posts to revive this long-dead blog. [Let's Look At] is where I try to read through and dissect every chapter and corner of a new RPG that I have yet to play, and explore it with all of my musings about its design, some notes, and experimental plays to better understand it. I don't really intend these examinations to be a review of the game, but rants and raves may seep through the seams at times.
Mutants & Machine-Guns A Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic RPG by Robertson Sondoh Jr. & Daniel Marcus of Experimental Playgrounds
Mutants & Machine-Guns: A Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic RPG is a post-apocalypse roleplaying game made by Robertson Sondoh Jr. and Daniel Marcus, who form the duo of Experimental Playgrounds. If you haven't heard of Experimental Playgrounds, these guys are from my far-away homestate of Sabah in Malaysia and they have been up making simple and free print-and-play boardgames/minigmaes that have gained some small notoriety on BoardGameGeek (check out their games that are available on BoardGameGeek) until now.
Mutants & Machine Guns is the first RPG from Experimental Playgrounds and I'm excited to see a local RPG made by local talents. While it is still very much still in-development, the Experimental Playground folks were kind enough to send me a free copy of their latest version, which you can acquire at their website.
Disclaimer: While I do know both of the creators on a personal level, I do intend to view this RPG as objectively as any roleplayer would, giving my views that would hopefully be taken as constructive criticism to improve this game further.
Overview:
Sticking true to their love for simple to play games, Mutants & Machine-Guns is designed in the pocketmod format, which means that it is printable on an A4 paper and folded in 8 pages (10, if you include the character sheet and battlegrid). This makes it quite literally a very light RPG with all the rules (and then some) that can be fitted into a piece of paper to read through and learned almost at a glance.
Describing itself as a Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic RPG, the introduction to Mutants & Machine-Guns says that it takes its inspirations from classical post-apocalypse materials (movies and games) such as Thundarr the Barbarian, Gamma World, Mutant Future, Mad Max and Fall Out.
All you need to play this RPG, other than the necessary stationery and players, are just the easy to find D6s, which makes it friendlier for most gamers because polyhedral dices aren't a common thing you will see from where I come from.
Given it's format, I would generally breakdown the 'chapters' of this game down to the following, though they do not appear in that order:
Mutants & Machine-Guns A Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic RPG by Robertson Sondoh Jr. & Daniel Marcus of Experimental PlaygroundsMutants & Machine-Guns: A Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic RPG is a post-apocalypse roleplaying game made by Robertson Sondoh Jr. and Daniel Marcus, who form the duo of Experimental Playgrounds. If you haven't heard of Experimental Playgrounds, these guys are from my far-away homestate of Sabah in Malaysia and they have been up making simple and free print-and-play boardgames/minigmaes that have gained some small notoriety on BoardGameGeek (check out their games that are available on BoardGameGeek) until now.
Mutants & Machine Guns is the first RPG from Experimental Playgrounds and I'm excited to see a local RPG made by local talents. While it is still very much still in-development, the Experimental Playground folks were kind enough to send me a free copy of their latest version, which you can acquire at their website.
Disclaimer: While I do know both of the creators on a personal level, I do intend to view this RPG as objectively as any roleplayer would, giving my views that would hopefully be taken as constructive criticism to improve this game further.
Overview:
Sticking true to their love for simple to play games, Mutants & Machine-Guns is designed in the pocketmod format, which means that it is printable on an A4 paper and folded in 8 pages (10, if you include the character sheet and battlegrid). This makes it quite literally a very light RPG with all the rules (and then some) that can be fitted into a piece of paper to read through and learned almost at a glance.
Describing itself as a Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic RPG, the introduction to Mutants & Machine-Guns says that it takes its inspirations from classical post-apocalypse materials (movies and games) such as Thundarr the Barbarian, Gamma World, Mutant Future, Mad Max and Fall Out.
All you need to play this RPG, other than the necessary stationery and players, are just the easy to find D6s, which makes it friendlier for most gamers because polyhedral dices aren't a common thing you will see from where I come from.
Given it's format, I would generally breakdown the 'chapters' of this game down to the following, though they do not appear in that order:
- Character Creation - the four main stats, combat-related stats, and task resolution
- Mutations - possible mutations that you can have as a character
- Combat - combat rules, actions and healing
- Wasteland Economy - equipment
- GM rules - radiation and critters.
10 Stories for My Future Lover
Dear future crush/girlfriend/fiance/wife,
I love science fiction. I believe in time travel. This is my past self sending you a missive into the future.
By this time, you'll know that I'm horrible with words. But I do love stories, and if there's anything you can take away from our relationship, hopefully it's these:
Who I Was Missing Before I Met You
"Say Zucchini, and Mean It" by Peter M. Ball
Why I Never Gave Up
"On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning" by Haruki Murakami
Is it Too Good to be True?
"The Empire of Ice Cream" by Jeffrey Ford
For The Days When We Drift Apart
"The Rapid Advance of Sorrow" by Theodora Goss by Theodora Goss
When You Leave Me for the First Time
"The Sugilanon of Epefania's Heartbreak" by Ian Rosales Casocot
I'll Support You
"For Solo Cello, op.12" by Mary Robinette Kowal
Making Sense of It All
"26 Monkeys and the Abyss" by Kij Johnson
Hopefully It Never Comes to This
"Spar" by Kij Johnson
Read In Case of Emergency
"Little Gods" by Tim Pratt
All of This is an Illusion
"L'Aquilone du Estrellas (The Kite of Stars)" by Dean Francis Alfar
Love,
The Butcher Boy
I love science fiction. I believe in time travel. This is my past self sending you a missive into the future.
By this time, you'll know that I'm horrible with words. But I do love stories, and if there's anything you can take away from our relationship, hopefully it's these:
Who I Was Missing Before I Met You
"Say Zucchini, and Mean It" by Peter M. Ball
Why I Never Gave Up
"On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning" by Haruki Murakami
Is it Too Good to be True?
"The Empire of Ice Cream" by Jeffrey Ford
For The Days When We Drift Apart
"The Rapid Advance of Sorrow" by Theodora Goss by Theodora Goss
When You Leave Me for the First Time
"The Sugilanon of Epefania's Heartbreak" by Ian Rosales Casocot
I'll Support You
"For Solo Cello, op.12" by Mary Robinette Kowal
Making Sense of It All
"26 Monkeys and the Abyss" by Kij Johnson
Hopefully It Never Comes to This
"Spar" by Kij Johnson
Read In Case of Emergency
"Little Gods" by Tim Pratt
All of This is an Illusion
"L'Aquilone du Estrellas (The Kite of Stars)" by Dean Francis Alfar
Love,
The Butcher Boy
Tales From the Other Side of the Screen #6: Splittin’ Headache
“Tales From the Other Side of the Screen’ is a weekly response to Darkwarren’s DM Dispatches column, providing a Player perspective to my DM’s viewpoint.” Today we’re rebutting his article about...
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Tales From the Other Side of the Screen #5: Please DM, may I have some more?
“Tales From the Other Side of the Screen’ is a weekly response to Darkwarren’s DM Dispatches column, providing a Player perspective to my DM’s viewpoint.” Today we’re rebutting his...
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] 
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Essay: Teaching Science Fiction
Julia Rios posed a question the other day: What would you consider the most important texts to teach in a class about SF/F? (Strangely enough, I didn't see the fantasy part, and interpreted it as limited to just science fiction.) Assume the reader is unfamiliar, and that you are limited to 5 novels/novellas and 5 novelettes/short stories.
There were, of course, the standard disclaimers (scope, audience, agenda, etc.), but what Julia was asking was really a person question: if you were given a chance to create a curriculum, without limits aside from the parameters above, what texts would you select? It's your choice on which particular topic to select, whether it's the classics, gender, colonialism, etc.
Again, I neglected to notice the fantasy part, so as I pondered the question, I limited myself to science fiction (despite the fact that I believe fantasy and science fiction aren't that different from each other).
What appeals to me are stories that tackle human nature so if there's an agenda behind my selection, is that. And since we're given limitations of 5 novels/novellas and 5 novelettes/short stories, I want to juxtapose them and show readers how the form of one interacts, and how different (or similar) it is to the other.
"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin and The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
I'd start with Le Guin's short story: it's brief, concise, and there's lots of elements for the reader to parse out. It's a dystopian story but that's left for readers to decide (and an important question is whether they would want to live in such a world). The Dispossessed, on the other hand, is its opposite: it's probably a more difficult read but Le Guin is more direct here. You have two supposedly utopian/dystopian societies, but is that really the case?
"Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
There's three points I want to highlight by this selection. The first is the story itself: do the ends justify the means? Is ignorance truly an excuse? Is there such a thing as an innocent killer? The second is the format: in the transition from novelette to novel, what were the elements that were added? Does this enhance the story or detract from it? And then there's my third point: knowing Card's homophobia, how does this change the way you react to the text or shape the way you read it?
Foundation by Isaac Asimov and "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang
In the first pair of texts, what's discussed is society; in the second, the individual, and how they are manipulated into their role. For this choice, I wanted to transition to determinism. Foundation is an interesting choice for me because it's really a bunch of short stories rebranded as a novel. Would the readers consider them as short stories or novels? The way society is manipulated in the stories is also an interesting talking point. "Story of Your Life," on the other hand, shifts from the larger society to the individual (and it's a stark contrast from the detached point of view of Asimov to the very personal story that Chiang chooses to employ). And Chiang brings up several important points, especially language.
"The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary" by Ken Liu and "Spar" by Kij Johnson
What I like about these stories is that they're modern and they're very personal. Liu's protagonist rebels against prevalent society, and the narrative is told in such a way that it's viewed from different perspectives. Which is apt given the omniscient, single view a lot of stories have. And it's a story that revolves around society. "Spar" also requires reading the text beyond the surface, and digging deep into it. It's also a story where there's an implied society (whether the protagonist or the alien), as opposed to being at the forefront. And in both pieces, there's a return to the individual, although the choice of perspective differs.
The Next Continent by Issui Ogawa and "The Pelican Bar" by Karen Joy Fowler
I chose The Next Continent because it's society viewed from the lens of the Japanese, and makes different assumptions while still retaining the sensibilities of utopian science fiction. On the other end of the spectrum is "The Pelican Bar," and it's a story that some might question whether it's science fiction, but also why for me genre boundaries are more interstitial than set in stone.
What would your curriculum look like? And perhaps more interesting is to ruminate this question with fantasy in mind as well (maybe a future blog post?).
There were, of course, the standard disclaimers (scope, audience, agenda, etc.), but what Julia was asking was really a person question: if you were given a chance to create a curriculum, without limits aside from the parameters above, what texts would you select? It's your choice on which particular topic to select, whether it's the classics, gender, colonialism, etc.
Again, I neglected to notice the fantasy part, so as I pondered the question, I limited myself to science fiction (despite the fact that I believe fantasy and science fiction aren't that different from each other).
What appeals to me are stories that tackle human nature so if there's an agenda behind my selection, is that. And since we're given limitations of 5 novels/novellas and 5 novelettes/short stories, I want to juxtapose them and show readers how the form of one interacts, and how different (or similar) it is to the other.
"The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin and The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
I'd start with Le Guin's short story: it's brief, concise, and there's lots of elements for the reader to parse out. It's a dystopian story but that's left for readers to decide (and an important question is whether they would want to live in such a world). The Dispossessed, on the other hand, is its opposite: it's probably a more difficult read but Le Guin is more direct here. You have two supposedly utopian/dystopian societies, but is that really the case?
"Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
There's three points I want to highlight by this selection. The first is the story itself: do the ends justify the means? Is ignorance truly an excuse? Is there such a thing as an innocent killer? The second is the format: in the transition from novelette to novel, what were the elements that were added? Does this enhance the story or detract from it? And then there's my third point: knowing Card's homophobia, how does this change the way you react to the text or shape the way you read it?
Foundation by Isaac Asimov and "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang
In the first pair of texts, what's discussed is society; in the second, the individual, and how they are manipulated into their role. For this choice, I wanted to transition to determinism. Foundation is an interesting choice for me because it's really a bunch of short stories rebranded as a novel. Would the readers consider them as short stories or novels? The way society is manipulated in the stories is also an interesting talking point. "Story of Your Life," on the other hand, shifts from the larger society to the individual (and it's a stark contrast from the detached point of view of Asimov to the very personal story that Chiang chooses to employ). And Chiang brings up several important points, especially language.
"The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary" by Ken Liu and "Spar" by Kij Johnson
What I like about these stories is that they're modern and they're very personal. Liu's protagonist rebels against prevalent society, and the narrative is told in such a way that it's viewed from different perspectives. Which is apt given the omniscient, single view a lot of stories have. And it's a story that revolves around society. "Spar" also requires reading the text beyond the surface, and digging deep into it. It's also a story where there's an implied society (whether the protagonist or the alien), as opposed to being at the forefront. And in both pieces, there's a return to the individual, although the choice of perspective differs.
The Next Continent by Issui Ogawa and "The Pelican Bar" by Karen Joy Fowler
I chose The Next Continent because it's society viewed from the lens of the Japanese, and makes different assumptions while still retaining the sensibilities of utopian science fiction. On the other end of the spectrum is "The Pelican Bar," and it's a story that some might question whether it's science fiction, but also why for me genre boundaries are more interstitial than set in stone.
What would your curriculum look like? And perhaps more interesting is to ruminate this question with fantasy in mind as well (maybe a future blog post?).
Promoting Filipino Comics
I've been disheartened lately when it comes to promoting Filipino comics due to a series of unfortunate incidents: a Fed-Ex package sent to a friend abroad encountered a mishap (and it's a tragedy not because of the financial costs, but rather because those were two dozen comics that's difficult to obtain due to the nature of indie comics), the company website's database goes down on the day I started plugging a comic I enjoyed (I suggest Registering first, filling out all the forms, then Logging in before checking out your order), and despite my best attempts to get more female comic creators (you can hear my rant about the lack of female name recognition in this podcast) to participate in the day job's Free Comic Book Day, a lot declined.
But feeling sorry for myself gets no one anywhere, so here's my last ditch effort. I think there's a lot of interesting, diverse work being done in local comics, but due to small print runs, lack of distribution, and absence of digital copies, it's a huge hurdle to spread awareness of Philippine comics outside of Metro Manila. So it dawned on me to get various comic creators to distribute their work at the day job's eBookstore for Free Comic Book Day. You can read more about it at the company blog, but I wanted to highlight some comics that I think will be of interest to my readers (and what I'll be picking are in English, so you don't have to worry about the translation hurdle):
Kuting Magiting by Robert Magnuson
Despite the title, this is mostly a wordless, all-ages comic in English and highlights the strengths of the comics medium, whether it's the beats, the panels, or the effective use of imagery. If there's one comic I want you to try out, it's this one.
Confused Volume 1 by Trizha Ko
While admittedly not the most polished work in terms of visuals, there's a rawness and willingness to tackle taboo subjects in this comic. It has a solid feminist bent that's lacking in the local comics scene, and hopefully others will give it a chance.
Bakemono High: Recess by Elbert Or
This one's an all-ages comic from my best friend. I wouldn't say it's high art, but definitely one that features amusing, self-contained strips.
Skygypsies by John Raymond Bumanglag & TJ Dimacali
It's not often that I encounter Filipino science fiction stories, so here's a comic that's just that.
Mythspace: Free Comic Book Day Sampler 2013 by Paolo Chikiamco, Koi Carreon, Cristina Rose Chua, Jules Gregorio, Paul Quiroga, Borg Sinaban, Mico Dimagiba
My main problem with this is that it's a sampler (rather than a self-contained comic), but if you're interested in a Filipino folklore-inspired science fiction comic, here's a preview of what we're capable of.
But feeling sorry for myself gets no one anywhere, so here's my last ditch effort. I think there's a lot of interesting, diverse work being done in local comics, but due to small print runs, lack of distribution, and absence of digital copies, it's a huge hurdle to spread awareness of Philippine comics outside of Metro Manila. So it dawned on me to get various comic creators to distribute their work at the day job's eBookstore for Free Comic Book Day. You can read more about it at the company blog, but I wanted to highlight some comics that I think will be of interest to my readers (and what I'll be picking are in English, so you don't have to worry about the translation hurdle):
Kuting Magiting by Robert Magnuson
Despite the title, this is mostly a wordless, all-ages comic in English and highlights the strengths of the comics medium, whether it's the beats, the panels, or the effective use of imagery. If there's one comic I want you to try out, it's this one.
Confused Volume 1 by Trizha Ko
While admittedly not the most polished work in terms of visuals, there's a rawness and willingness to tackle taboo subjects in this comic. It has a solid feminist bent that's lacking in the local comics scene, and hopefully others will give it a chance.
Bakemono High: Recess by Elbert Or
This one's an all-ages comic from my best friend. I wouldn't say it's high art, but definitely one that features amusing, self-contained strips.
Skygypsies by John Raymond Bumanglag & TJ Dimacali
It's not often that I encounter Filipino science fiction stories, so here's a comic that's just that.
Mythspace: Free Comic Book Day Sampler 2013 by Paolo Chikiamco, Koi Carreon, Cristina Rose Chua, Jules Gregorio, Paul Quiroga, Borg Sinaban, Mico Dimagiba
My main problem with this is that it's a sampler (rather than a self-contained comic), but if you're interested in a Filipino folklore-inspired science fiction comic, here's a preview of what we're capable of. DM Dispatches #6 – Spilttin’ Treasure
DM Dispatches is a weekly column that shares stories and reflections from Darkwarren’s experience dungeon mastering his weekly group’s Rise of the Runelords campaign that started in January 2013. The...
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] 
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Mounting CIFS Not working in Ubuntu 13.04? Here's how to fix it!
After updating to 13.04 all my awesome pam_mount CIFS volumes to my Novell SUSE servers stopped working. Here is how I fixed it. It should also work for you if you are having issues. There is an undocumented (at least in the man page) option for CIFS mounts called sec. You can set it to ntlm or lanman. Try using either one and see if it can help fix your issue.
mount -t cifs -o sec=ntlm,uid=userhere,gid=100,dir_mode=0700,username=userhere,password=passwordhere //server/share/path /media/userhere/path
I you use pam_mount (I highly recommend it, especially in a business/educational environment) here is my default pam_mount.conf.xml file that I use. This file should go in /etc/skel so that all users use the file. You will also have to update this for all of your existing users.
.pam_mount.conf.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<pam_mount>
<volume user="*" options="sec=ntlm,uid=%(USER),gid=100,dir_mode=0700" fstype="cifs" server="server" path="share/%(USER)" mountpoint="/media/%(USER)/share" />
</pam_mount>
Save your Game
Hey there Loyal Reader. Our last article was supposed to be another ‘Tales From the Other Side of the Screen” where I respond to Darkwarren’s DM Dispatches about hit points. You may have noticed...
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] 
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Tales From the Other Side of the Screen #4: Please DM, I want some more
“Tales From the Other Side of the Screen’ is a weekly response to Darkwarren’s DM Dispatches column, providing a Player perspective to our DM’s view. ” I was having a great gaming night. Lem...
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] 
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Not a Review: Summer Komikon 2013 Stash (Part 1)
Not to be confused with a review, here's my initial thoughts on some comics I got during the recent Summer Komikon:
Hero Kitten: Kuting Magiting by Robert Magnuson
It's simple and straight-forward in terms of plot, but Kuting Magiting is nonetheless heartwarming. Don't let the simplicity fool you, however, as this elegance is proof of how meticulous and skillful Magnuson is when it comes to the comics format, best illustrated by this panel:
Who is AC? by Hope Larson (writer) and Tintin Pantoja (illustrator)
Black-and-white with a touch of pink is a nice touch, but what caught my attention is how modern and apt Who is AC? feels. While there's lots of formulaic elements, what turns it around is Larson's mastery of characterization and voice of her teen characters. This graphic novel however is a setup for a series, and I hope it gets continued. Besides, where else do we get to read an American comic that a) is targeted at teens, b) prominently features a female person-of-color as a protagonist, c) written and drawn by female comic creators.
Ang Maskot by Macoy
Snappy and upbeat, Ang Maskot captures an element of the Filipino zeitgeist and weaves an adult narrative around it without falling into the temptation of cynicism. While it doesn't have as much depth as School Run (and appropriately so since this is a self-contained story), it highlights many of the strenghts of Macoy's comics.
School Run (Part 1 ~ 5) by Macoy
There's a lot to love about Macoy's School Run. The art alone is an interesting juxtaposition between the bleak setting and iconic characters. But don't let the simplicity fool you: over the course of each issue, Macoy packs depth into his characters, at the same time imagining a setting that organically resonates with Philippine pop culture, such as the parallelism between the zombie outbreak and typhoons ("Signal #1 Laaang? Sayang!"). Or something as simple as naming a cat as Catniss.
Mikey Recio & The Secret of The Demon Dungeon by Budjette Tan, Bow Guerrero, J.B. Tapia
The art is undeniably gorgeous and the setting makes great use of the Philippines, but ultimately, this IS a prologue, so the question is whether the team of Tan, Guerrero, and Tapia can sustain the momentum and flesh out the narrative before George R. R. Martin releases the last novel of A Song of Ice and Fire.
The Filipino Heroes League Book Two: The Sword by Paolo Fabregas
The previous volume was honestly problematic and this book still has its flaws, such as its indulgence when it comes to the wish-fulfillment aspect. But that aside, there's a significant improvement in terms of the art (and consistency), and with secret origins done away with, Fabregas keeps the ball rolling and creates an atmosphere similar to a thriller novel. What's interesting for me is how the focus on the political is amped up, and is quite appropriate since this is an election year.
Hero Kitten: Kuting Magiting by Robert Magnuson
It's simple and straight-forward in terms of plot, but Kuting Magiting is nonetheless heartwarming. Don't let the simplicity fool you, however, as this elegance is proof of how meticulous and skillful Magnuson is when it comes to the comics format, best illustrated by this panel:
Who is AC? by Hope Larson (writer) and Tintin Pantoja (illustrator)Black-and-white with a touch of pink is a nice touch, but what caught my attention is how modern and apt Who is AC? feels. While there's lots of formulaic elements, what turns it around is Larson's mastery of characterization and voice of her teen characters. This graphic novel however is a setup for a series, and I hope it gets continued. Besides, where else do we get to read an American comic that a) is targeted at teens, b) prominently features a female person-of-color as a protagonist, c) written and drawn by female comic creators.
Ang Maskot by Macoy
Snappy and upbeat, Ang Maskot captures an element of the Filipino zeitgeist and weaves an adult narrative around it without falling into the temptation of cynicism. While it doesn't have as much depth as School Run (and appropriately so since this is a self-contained story), it highlights many of the strenghts of Macoy's comics.
School Run (Part 1 ~ 5) by Macoy
There's a lot to love about Macoy's School Run. The art alone is an interesting juxtaposition between the bleak setting and iconic characters. But don't let the simplicity fool you: over the course of each issue, Macoy packs depth into his characters, at the same time imagining a setting that organically resonates with Philippine pop culture, such as the parallelism between the zombie outbreak and typhoons ("Signal #1 Laaang? Sayang!"). Or something as simple as naming a cat as Catniss.
Mikey Recio & The Secret of The Demon Dungeon by Budjette Tan, Bow Guerrero, J.B. Tapia
The art is undeniably gorgeous and the setting makes great use of the Philippines, but ultimately, this IS a prologue, so the question is whether the team of Tan, Guerrero, and Tapia can sustain the momentum and flesh out the narrative before George R. R. Martin releases the last novel of A Song of Ice and Fire.
The Filipino Heroes League Book Two: The Sword by Paolo FabregasThe previous volume was honestly problematic and this book still has its flaws, such as its indulgence when it comes to the wish-fulfillment aspect. But that aside, there's a significant improvement in terms of the art (and consistency), and with secret origins done away with, Fabregas keeps the ball rolling and creates an atmosphere similar to a thriller novel. What's interesting for me is how the focus on the political is amped up, and is quite appropriate since this is an election year.
Not a Review: Summer Komikon 2013 Stash (Part 1)
Not to be confused with a review, here's my initial thoughts on some comics I got during the recent Summer Komikon:
Hero Kitten: Kuting Magiting by Robert Magnuson
It's simple and straight-forward in terms of plot, but Kuting Magiting is nonetheless heartwarming. Don't let the simplicity fool you, however, as this elegance is proof of how meticulous and skillful Magnuson is when it comes to the comics format, best illustrated by this panel:
Who is AC? by Hope Larson (writer) and Tintin Pantoja (illustrator)
Black-and-white with a touch of pink is a nice touch, but what caught my attention is how modern and apt Who is AC? feels. While there's lots of formulaic elements, what turns it around is Larson's mastery of characterization and voice of her teen characters. This graphic novel however is a setup for a series, and I hope it gets continued. Besides, where else do we get to read an American comic that a) is targeted at teens, b) prominently features a female person-of-color as a protagonist, c) written and drawn by female comic creators.
Ang Maskot by Macoy
Snappy and upbeat, Ang Maskot captures an element of the Filipino zeitgeist and weaves an adult narrative around it without falling into the temptation of cynicism. While it doesn't have as much depth as School Run (and appropriately so since this is a self-contained story), it highlights many of the strenghts of Macoy's comics.
School Run (Part 1 ~ 5) by Macoy
There's a lot to love about Macoy's School Run. The art alone is an interesting juxtaposition between the bleak setting and iconic characters. But don't let the simplicity fool you: over the course of each issue, Macoy packs depth into his characters, at the same time imagining a setting that organically resonates with Philippine pop culture, such as the parallelism between the zombie outbreak and typhoons ("Signal #1 Laaang? Sayang!"). Or something as simple as naming a cat as Catniss.
Mikey Recio & The Secret of The Demon Dungeon by Budjette Tan, Bow Guerrero, J.B. Tapia
The art is undeniably gorgeous and the setting makes great use of the Philippines, but ultimately, this IS a prologue, so the question is whether the team of Tan, Guerrero, and Tapia can sustain the momentum and flesh out the narrative before George R. R. Martin releases the last novel of A Song of Ice and Fire.
The Filipino Heroes League Book Two: The Sword by Paolo Fabregas
The previous volume was honestly problematic and this book still has its flaws, such as its indulgence when it comes to the wish-fulfillment aspect. But that aside, there's a significant improvement in terms of the art (and consistency), and with secret origins done away with, Fabregas keeps the ball rolling and creates an atmosphere similar to a thriller novel. What's interesting for me is how the focus on the political is amped up, and is quite appropriate since this is an election year.
Hero Kitten: Kuting Magiting by Robert Magnuson
It's simple and straight-forward in terms of plot, but Kuting Magiting is nonetheless heartwarming. Don't let the simplicity fool you, however, as this elegance is proof of how meticulous and skillful Magnuson is when it comes to the comics format, best illustrated by this panel:
Who is AC? by Hope Larson (writer) and Tintin Pantoja (illustrator)Black-and-white with a touch of pink is a nice touch, but what caught my attention is how modern and apt Who is AC? feels. While there's lots of formulaic elements, what turns it around is Larson's mastery of characterization and voice of her teen characters. This graphic novel however is a setup for a series, and I hope it gets continued. Besides, where else do we get to read an American comic that a) is targeted at teens, b) prominently features a female person-of-color as a protagonist, c) written and drawn by female comic creators.
Ang Maskot by Macoy
Snappy and upbeat, Ang Maskot captures an element of the Filipino zeitgeist and weaves an adult narrative around it without falling into the temptation of cynicism. While it doesn't have as much depth as School Run (and appropriately so since this is a self-contained story), it highlights many of the strenghts of Macoy's comics.
School Run (Part 1 ~ 5) by Macoy
There's a lot to love about Macoy's School Run. The art alone is an interesting juxtaposition between the bleak setting and iconic characters. But don't let the simplicity fool you: over the course of each issue, Macoy packs depth into his characters, at the same time imagining a setting that organically resonates with Philippine pop culture, such as the parallelism between the zombie outbreak and typhoons ("Signal #1 Laaang? Sayang!"). Or something as simple as naming a cat as Catniss.
Mikey Recio & The Secret of The Demon Dungeon by Budjette Tan, Bow Guerrero, J.B. Tapia
The art is undeniably gorgeous and the setting makes great use of the Philippines, but ultimately, this IS a prologue, so the question is whether the team of Tan, Guerrero, and Tapia can sustain the momentum and flesh out the narrative before George R. R. Martin releases the last novel of A Song of Ice and Fire.
The Filipino Heroes League Book Two: The Sword by Paolo FabregasThe previous volume was honestly problematic and this book still has its flaws, such as its indulgence when it comes to the wish-fulfillment aspect. But that aside, there's a significant improvement in terms of the art (and consistency), and with secret origins done away with, Fabregas keeps the ball rolling and creates an atmosphere similar to a thriller novel. What's interesting for me is how the focus on the political is amped up, and is quite appropriate since this is an election year.
Two Cultures Clash--Which Will Survive? Come to Zak's Show and Find Out!
On May 2, in NYC, +Zak Smith has a new art show at his gallery. Last time we had a decent turnout of DnD types, maybe 15 or so. It was a good time and a great way to connect with people in the area. But we were far outnumbered by the Hipsters. Let's change that.
We'll hit the bar, then hit the Compleat Strategist.
Then hit the bar again.
Then hit Zak's show.
Afterwards, I imagine we'll hit the bar again.
Just don't hit the hipsters. No matter how much you want to.
And believe me, you'll want to hit the hipsters.
Who's in!?!?
We'll hit the bar, then hit the Compleat Strategist.
Then hit the bar again.
Then hit Zak's show.
Afterwards, I imagine we'll hit the bar again.
Just don't hit the hipsters. No matter how much you want to.
And believe me, you'll want to hit the hipsters.
Who's in!?!?
Categories: Blogs, Dungeons and Dragons
DnD is Evil Again! Yes!!!
If Pat Robertson is wasting his last few breaths of life saying D&D is evil, someone at Pathfinder or WOTC ought to try to leverage that shit and bring back 1983 again.
Categories: Blogs, Dungeons and Dragons
For S&W Day: Anouncing a New G+ Hangout S&W Campaign!
So, last Saturday night playing in +Erik Tenkar 's game I was three sheets to the wind and asked him what this S&W day thing was all about. He told me, and I promptly forgot all about volunteering to do something. Until today when I saw 3000 posts. Shit.
Thinking about a topic all day, I realized that while I like S&W in general, I would never run it. Why? Same reason I would never run any AD&D game for a campaign---thief skills. The only thing I ever liked about 2nd edition was that they allowed thieves to adjust how their skills went up. AD&D never did that. S&W Complete doesn't do it. So that makes the system a deal-breaker.
I've been using LOTFP's Grindhouse for my Blood Island old school games I dm on G+. I like it's flexibility. I've used it to create a lot of different things in the game. However, as you've seen, the Blood Island games are few and far between these days. Lack of time, laziness, and focus on writing other stuff seems to be getting in the way of me creating games to run.
And I do miss running games on G+.
So I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone.
I changed the thief skills in S&W complete to be adjustable by the player as they level. This applies to all classes that use thief skills, like monk, ranger, and assassin. Also, I made some other basic houserules, as shown below. And I've decided to run a S&W Complete game every other Saturday, from noon EST to 3 pm EST, if enough people are interested.
I'm going to run TOEE, set in the time of the Greyhawk Wars, in a non-flailsnails game. I'm keeping BI as my flailsnails venue. This will be an interesting exercise for me, because I'm running the same game for the old college gang using Pathfinder rules, face to face on Sunday nights. This allows me to both compare and contrast games, playstyles, systems, and to be able to run the games without much prep work.
Houserules are below. Anyone interested? Looking for a pool of people who, although they may not make it every week, are enough of a pool to draw a group from every other Saturday.
House Rules for the Swords and Wizardry Complete TOEE/Greyhawk Wars Game.
Ability Scores:
Roll 4d6, drop lowest, arrange as desired.
Fighters get the str bonus to attack and dmg for melee weapons and bare knuckles. Rangers get it for bows. Halflings for slings. All classes get the dex bonus to hit with missile weapons.
Intelligence and MU's: 17 int gives 11 spells max, 18 gives 12 max.
Clerics get the bonus first level spell for wis 15+, can can use it at first level.
At first level only you get to roll twice for hp and take the higher of the two.
Classes:
Monks, rangers and thieves now get to decide how their thief-like abilities progress. See below.
Monk not allowed to hide in shadows or pick locks.
Rangers: Spells known are actually druid spells and mu spells, not cleric and mu. Rangers gain the strength bonus to att and dmg if using bows that fighters get if using melee weapons.
Druids don't have to beat the shit out of other druids as they get to higher levels.
Races:
Demi-human level limits in effect, but add 3 levels to all stated level caps.
Dwarves can play Fighter/Clerics, but only of the Dwarven God of Battle Clangedin.
Elven mu's have the ability to cast druid spells, but only if it is memorized as any other mu spell from their spellbook. Even if non-elven mu's find spellbooks or scrolls of these elven/druid spells, they are unable to learn them. Druid spells are considered to be two levels higher for these purposes—in other words, a first level druid spell counts as a 3rd level elven mu spell.
Halflings add str. att. and dmg. bonuses normally reserved for fighters in melee to any attacks made with a sling. This is in addition to dex or any other bonuses.
Other:
Single saving throws.
Alignment won't matter much unless the class demands you to specify one.
Initiative and order of battle: d6 for the group, first one from the winning side to yell out what they are doing does it. Must act fast, minimal time to debate actions in the group. Players who are casting spells must declare the spell they are casting before initiative is rolled. If you are hit before your turn in combat and take any damage, you lose the spell.
Ascending AC will be used.
Firing missile weapons into melee is dangerous for your allies. Random rolls to see who it might hit.
Natural 20 = max damage, natural 1 = you cannot take an action in the next melee round.
Unconscious at 0 hp, dead at -1
Spellbooks, Scrolls, Costs and Maintenance:
Spellbook costs 100 GP.
Spells are hard to purchase from other mages, but when available, the prices are negotiable. Roughly:
Costs to scribe spells into your spellbook: 100 gp per spell level.
Costs to buy scrolls: 1st -100 2nd -500 3rd-1000 4th -negotiable
Time to scribe spells from one thing to your book: 1 day per spell level
Thief abilities for Thieves, Monks, Assassins, and Rangers
Racial modifiers allowed. No dex bonuses. No armor penalties other than armor allowed by class/race.
Starting Scores by Class
Climb Walls
Delicate Tasks
Hear Noise
Hide in Shadows
Move Silently
Open Locks
Other Classes
20
5
20
5
5
2
Thieves
85
15
50
20
20
10
Assassins
50
10
30
10
10
10
Monks
75
10
60
N/A
10
N/A
Rangers
50*
N/A
50
20**
20**
N/A
Thieves and assassins get to distribute 30 percentage points per level wherever they want.Monks and Rangers get to distribute 20 percentage points per level wherever they want.
*Rangers can only climb walls at that rate if it is outdoors, like a cliff face or something natural. Otherwise their rolls are -25% for the types of walls thieves normally climb, like man-made ones.
**Rangers get move silently and hide in shadows, but all rolls are -10% if not outside in a wilderness or natural type of area.
Thinking about a topic all day, I realized that while I like S&W in general, I would never run it. Why? Same reason I would never run any AD&D game for a campaign---thief skills. The only thing I ever liked about 2nd edition was that they allowed thieves to adjust how their skills went up. AD&D never did that. S&W Complete doesn't do it. So that makes the system a deal-breaker.
I've been using LOTFP's Grindhouse for my Blood Island old school games I dm on G+. I like it's flexibility. I've used it to create a lot of different things in the game. However, as you've seen, the Blood Island games are few and far between these days. Lack of time, laziness, and focus on writing other stuff seems to be getting in the way of me creating games to run.
And I do miss running games on G+.
So I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone.
I changed the thief skills in S&W complete to be adjustable by the player as they level. This applies to all classes that use thief skills, like monk, ranger, and assassin. Also, I made some other basic houserules, as shown below. And I've decided to run a S&W Complete game every other Saturday, from noon EST to 3 pm EST, if enough people are interested.
I'm going to run TOEE, set in the time of the Greyhawk Wars, in a non-flailsnails game. I'm keeping BI as my flailsnails venue. This will be an interesting exercise for me, because I'm running the same game for the old college gang using Pathfinder rules, face to face on Sunday nights. This allows me to both compare and contrast games, playstyles, systems, and to be able to run the games without much prep work.
Houserules are below. Anyone interested? Looking for a pool of people who, although they may not make it every week, are enough of a pool to draw a group from every other Saturday.
House Rules for the Swords and Wizardry Complete TOEE/Greyhawk Wars Game.
Ability Scores:
Roll 4d6, drop lowest, arrange as desired.
Fighters get the str bonus to attack and dmg for melee weapons and bare knuckles. Rangers get it for bows. Halflings for slings. All classes get the dex bonus to hit with missile weapons.
Intelligence and MU's: 17 int gives 11 spells max, 18 gives 12 max.
Clerics get the bonus first level spell for wis 15+, can can use it at first level.
At first level only you get to roll twice for hp and take the higher of the two.
Classes:
Monks, rangers and thieves now get to decide how their thief-like abilities progress. See below.
Monk not allowed to hide in shadows or pick locks.
Rangers: Spells known are actually druid spells and mu spells, not cleric and mu. Rangers gain the strength bonus to att and dmg if using bows that fighters get if using melee weapons.
Druids don't have to beat the shit out of other druids as they get to higher levels.
Races:
Demi-human level limits in effect, but add 3 levels to all stated level caps.
Dwarves can play Fighter/Clerics, but only of the Dwarven God of Battle Clangedin.
Elven mu's have the ability to cast druid spells, but only if it is memorized as any other mu spell from their spellbook. Even if non-elven mu's find spellbooks or scrolls of these elven/druid spells, they are unable to learn them. Druid spells are considered to be two levels higher for these purposes—in other words, a first level druid spell counts as a 3rd level elven mu spell.
Halflings add str. att. and dmg. bonuses normally reserved for fighters in melee to any attacks made with a sling. This is in addition to dex or any other bonuses.
Other:
Single saving throws.
Alignment won't matter much unless the class demands you to specify one.
Initiative and order of battle: d6 for the group, first one from the winning side to yell out what they are doing does it. Must act fast, minimal time to debate actions in the group. Players who are casting spells must declare the spell they are casting before initiative is rolled. If you are hit before your turn in combat and take any damage, you lose the spell.
Ascending AC will be used.
Firing missile weapons into melee is dangerous for your allies. Random rolls to see who it might hit.
Natural 20 = max damage, natural 1 = you cannot take an action in the next melee round.
Unconscious at 0 hp, dead at -1
Spellbooks, Scrolls, Costs and Maintenance:
Spellbook costs 100 GP.
Spells are hard to purchase from other mages, but when available, the prices are negotiable. Roughly:
Costs to scribe spells into your spellbook: 100 gp per spell level.
Costs to buy scrolls: 1st -100 2nd -500 3rd-1000 4th -negotiable
Time to scribe spells from one thing to your book: 1 day per spell level
Thief abilities for Thieves, Monks, Assassins, and Rangers
Racial modifiers allowed. No dex bonuses. No armor penalties other than armor allowed by class/race.
Starting Scores by Class
Climb Walls
Delicate Tasks
Hear Noise
Hide in Shadows
Move Silently
Open Locks
Other Classes
20
5
20
5
5
2
Thieves
85
15
50
20
20
10
Assassins
50
10
30
10
10
10
Monks
75
10
60
N/A
10
N/A
Rangers
50*
N/A
50
20**
20**
N/A
Thieves and assassins get to distribute 30 percentage points per level wherever they want.Monks and Rangers get to distribute 20 percentage points per level wherever they want.
*Rangers can only climb walls at that rate if it is outdoors, like a cliff face or something natural. Otherwise their rolls are -25% for the types of walls thieves normally climb, like man-made ones.
**Rangers get move silently and hide in shadows, but all rolls are -10% if not outside in a wilderness or natural type of area.
Categories: Blogs, Dungeons and Dragons
For S&W Day: Anouncing a New G+ Hangout S&W Campaign!
So, last Saturday night playing in +Erik Tenkar 's game I was three sheets to the wind and asked him what this S&W day thing was all about. He told me, and I promptly forgot all about volunteering to do something. Until today when I saw 3000 posts. Shit.
Thinking about a topic all day, I realized that while I like S&W in general, I would never run it. Why? Same reason I would never run any AD&D game for a campaign---thief skills. The only thing I ever liked about 2nd edition was that they allowed thieves to adjust how their skills went up. AD&D never did that. S&W Complete doesn't do it. So that makes the system a deal-breaker.
I've been using LOTFP's Grindhouse for my Blood Island old school games I dm on G+. I like it's flexibility. I've used it to create a lot of different things in the game. However, as you've seen, the Blood Island games are few and far between these days. Lack of time, laziness, and focus on writing other stuff seems to be getting in the way of me creating games to run.
And I do miss running games on G+.
So I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone.
I changed the thief skills in S&W complete to be adjustable by the player as they level. This applies to all classes that use thief skills, like monk, ranger, and assassin. Also, I made some other basic houserules, as shown below. And I've decided to run a S&W Complete game every other Saturday, from noon EST to 3 pm EST, if enough people are interested.
I'm going to run TOEE, set in the time of the Greyhawk Wars, in a non-flailsnails game. I'm keeping BI as my flailsnails venue. This will be an interesting exercise for me, because I'm running the same game for the old college gang using Pathfinder rules, face to face on Sunday nights. This allows me to both compare and contrast games, playstyles, systems, and to be able to run the games without much prep work.
Houserules are below. Anyone interested? Looking for a pool of people who, although they may not make it every week, are enough of a pool to draw a group from every other Saturday.
House Rules for the Swords and Wizardry Complete TOEE/Greyhawk Wars Game.
Ability Scores:
Roll 4d6, drop lowest, arrange as desired.
Fighters get the str bonus to attack and dmg for melee weapons and bare knuckles. Rangers get it for bows. Halflings for slings. All classes get the dex bonus to hit with missile weapons.
Intelligence and MU's: 17 int gives 11 spells max, 18 gives 12 max.
Clerics get the bonus first level spell for wis 15+, can can use it at first level.
At first level only you get to roll twice for hp and take the higher of the two.
Classes:
Monks, rangers and thieves now get to decide how their thief-like abilities progress. See below.
Monk not allowed to hide in shadows or pick locks.
Rangers: Spells known are actually druid spells and mu spells, not cleric and mu. Rangers gain the strength bonus to att and dmg if using bows that fighters get if using melee weapons.
Druids don't have to beat the shit out of other druids as they get to higher levels.
Races:
Demi-human level limits in effect, but add 3 levels to all stated level caps.
Dwarves can play Fighter/Clerics, but only of the Dwarven God of Battle Clangedin.
Elven mu's have the ability to cast druid spells, but only if it is memorized as any other mu spell from their spellbook. Even if non-elven mu's find spellbooks or scrolls of these elven/druid spells, they are unable to learn them. Druid spells are considered to be two levels higher for these purposes—in other words, a first level druid spell counts as a 3rd level elven mu spell.
Halflings add str. att. and dmg. bonuses normally reserved for fighters in melee to any attacks made with a sling. This is in addition to dex or any other bonuses.
Other:
Single saving throws.
Alignment won't matter much unless the class demands you to specify one.
Initiative and order of battle: d6 for the group, first one from the winning side to yell out what they are doing does it. Must act fast, minimal time to debate actions in the group. Players who are casting spells must declare the spell they are casting before initiative is rolled. If you are hit before your turn in combat and take any damage, you lose the spell.
Ascending AC will be used.
Firing missile weapons into melee is dangerous for your allies. Random rolls to see who it might hit.
Natural 20 = max damage, natural 1 = you cannot take an action in the next melee round.
Unconscious at 0 hp, dead at -1
Spellbooks, Scrolls, Costs and Maintenance:
Spellbook costs 100 GP.
Spells are hard to purchase from other mages, but when available, the prices are negotiable. Roughly:
Costs to scribe spells into your spellbook: 100 gp per spell level.
Costs to buy scrolls: 1st -100 2nd -500 3rd-1000 4th -negotiable
Time to scribe spells from one thing to your book: 1 day per spell level
Thief abilities for Thieves, Monks, Assassins, and Rangers
Racial modifiers allowed. No dex bonuses. No armor penalties other than armor allowed by class/race.
Starting Scores by Class
Climb Walls
Delicate Tasks
Hear Noise
Hide in Shadows
Move Silently
Open Locks
Other Classes
20
5
20
5
5
2
Thieves
85
15
50
20
20
10
Assassins
50
10
30
10
10
10
Monks
75
10
60
N/A
10
N/A
Rangers
50*
N/A
50
20**
20**
N/A
Thieves and assassins get to distribute 30 percentage points per level wherever they want.Monks and Rangers get to distribute 20 percentage points per level wherever they want.
*Rangers can only climb walls at that rate if it is outdoors, like a cliff face or something natural. Otherwise their rolls are -25% for the types of walls thieves normally climb, like man-made ones.
**Rangers get move silently and hide in shadows, but all rolls are -10% if not outside in a wilderness or natural type of area.
Thinking about a topic all day, I realized that while I like S&W in general, I would never run it. Why? Same reason I would never run any AD&D game for a campaign---thief skills. The only thing I ever liked about 2nd edition was that they allowed thieves to adjust how their skills went up. AD&D never did that. S&W Complete doesn't do it. So that makes the system a deal-breaker.
I've been using LOTFP's Grindhouse for my Blood Island old school games I dm on G+. I like it's flexibility. I've used it to create a lot of different things in the game. However, as you've seen, the Blood Island games are few and far between these days. Lack of time, laziness, and focus on writing other stuff seems to be getting in the way of me creating games to run.
And I do miss running games on G+.
So I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone.
I changed the thief skills in S&W complete to be adjustable by the player as they level. This applies to all classes that use thief skills, like monk, ranger, and assassin. Also, I made some other basic houserules, as shown below. And I've decided to run a S&W Complete game every other Saturday, from noon EST to 3 pm EST, if enough people are interested.
I'm going to run TOEE, set in the time of the Greyhawk Wars, in a non-flailsnails game. I'm keeping BI as my flailsnails venue. This will be an interesting exercise for me, because I'm running the same game for the old college gang using Pathfinder rules, face to face on Sunday nights. This allows me to both compare and contrast games, playstyles, systems, and to be able to run the games without much prep work.
Houserules are below. Anyone interested? Looking for a pool of people who, although they may not make it every week, are enough of a pool to draw a group from every other Saturday.
House Rules for the Swords and Wizardry Complete TOEE/Greyhawk Wars Game.
Ability Scores:
Roll 4d6, drop lowest, arrange as desired.
Fighters get the str bonus to attack and dmg for melee weapons and bare knuckles. Rangers get it for bows. Halflings for slings. All classes get the dex bonus to hit with missile weapons.
Intelligence and MU's: 17 int gives 11 spells max, 18 gives 12 max.
Clerics get the bonus first level spell for wis 15+, can can use it at first level.
At first level only you get to roll twice for hp and take the higher of the two.
Classes:
Monks, rangers and thieves now get to decide how their thief-like abilities progress. See below.
Monk not allowed to hide in shadows or pick locks.
Rangers: Spells known are actually druid spells and mu spells, not cleric and mu. Rangers gain the strength bonus to att and dmg if using bows that fighters get if using melee weapons.
Druids don't have to beat the shit out of other druids as they get to higher levels.
Races:
Demi-human level limits in effect, but add 3 levels to all stated level caps.
Dwarves can play Fighter/Clerics, but only of the Dwarven God of Battle Clangedin.
Elven mu's have the ability to cast druid spells, but only if it is memorized as any other mu spell from their spellbook. Even if non-elven mu's find spellbooks or scrolls of these elven/druid spells, they are unable to learn them. Druid spells are considered to be two levels higher for these purposes—in other words, a first level druid spell counts as a 3rd level elven mu spell.
Halflings add str. att. and dmg. bonuses normally reserved for fighters in melee to any attacks made with a sling. This is in addition to dex or any other bonuses.
Other:
Single saving throws.
Alignment won't matter much unless the class demands you to specify one.
Initiative and order of battle: d6 for the group, first one from the winning side to yell out what they are doing does it. Must act fast, minimal time to debate actions in the group. Players who are casting spells must declare the spell they are casting before initiative is rolled. If you are hit before your turn in combat and take any damage, you lose the spell.
Ascending AC will be used.
Firing missile weapons into melee is dangerous for your allies. Random rolls to see who it might hit.
Natural 20 = max damage, natural 1 = you cannot take an action in the next melee round.
Unconscious at 0 hp, dead at -1
Spellbooks, Scrolls, Costs and Maintenance:
Spellbook costs 100 GP.
Spells are hard to purchase from other mages, but when available, the prices are negotiable. Roughly:
Costs to scribe spells into your spellbook: 100 gp per spell level.
Costs to buy scrolls: 1st -100 2nd -500 3rd-1000 4th -negotiable
Time to scribe spells from one thing to your book: 1 day per spell level
Thief abilities for Thieves, Monks, Assassins, and Rangers
Racial modifiers allowed. No dex bonuses. No armor penalties other than armor allowed by class/race.
Starting Scores by Class
Climb Walls
Delicate Tasks
Hear Noise
Hide in Shadows
Move Silently
Open Locks
Other Classes
20
5
20
5
5
2
Thieves
85
15
50
20
20
10
Assassins
50
10
30
10
10
10
Monks
75
10
60
N/A
10
N/A
Rangers
50*
N/A
50
20**
20**
N/A
Thieves and assassins get to distribute 30 percentage points per level wherever they want.Monks and Rangers get to distribute 20 percentage points per level wherever they want.
*Rangers can only climb walls at that rate if it is outdoors, like a cliff face or something natural. Otherwise their rolls are -25% for the types of walls thieves normally climb, like man-made ones.
**Rangers get move silently and hide in shadows, but all rolls are -10% if not outside in a wilderness or natural type of area.
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