Post by gaptooth on Nov 18, 2010 13:49:05 GMT -5
So, many of you know that I fell in with a Type IV D&D group at my local game shop-- the GM didn't show up, so I started running the game. We just completed Session 5 last night. At the end of Session 4, several of the players showed guarded interest in giving T&T a shot, and last night I brought in TT versions of their characters and I demoed some of the game concepts after our run, which met with some enthusiasm. Anyway, we're trying it out next time we meet.
Can't remember where, but I recently read advice to soften the risks when introducing players to a new game, and I think that's wise in this case. Type IV D&D starts characters off as pretty buffed up and seasoned adventurers, who can spend "healing surges" to recover between battles and recover all their hit points after an "extended rest". So here's what I'm thinking: I'll introduce the following house rules as temporary "training wheels" for the game, so they don't get themselves into a TPK in the first run:
Maybe I would reduce the AP rewards for combat to 1/3 or 1/4, while these rules are in force. Does that sound commensurate?
Here are some thoughts about converting the characters: For the most part, it was remarkably easy. The ability scores of Type IV D&D characters are generated by a standard array, so I made my own standard array: 16, 14, 13, 11, 10, and 8. I then put them in order of priority expressed by existing character sheets. Whenever it seemed appropriate, I switched the Wisdom & Charisma scores when converting to Luck & Charisma. Then I applied Kin multipliers, giving the one Human a multiplier of 4/3 in one attribute. I used Hogscape's 4th-edition method to derive Power (which some people call WIZ) from IQ and CH.
Then I looked at the type of weapon each character used and gave them each the best weapon they could use of that type for their ability scores. Cleric wound up with a mitre instead of a mace, Thief wound up with Dirks, etc.
Speaking of Types, the Fighters converted to Warriors and the Wizard converted to a Wizard. My daughter plays the party Thief, and I gave her the choice between a Rogue (magic potential), or a Warrior with Burglar talent (better Adds), and she picked Warrior, which is closer to the D&D Thief's role. The Cleric could have been any Type, but I decided to make her a Paragon (Wizard-Warrior) with the Holy Pilgrim talent: I set all her abilities to 12 before multipliers.
The toughest part was deciding on a method for picking spells: In D&D the Wizard and Cleric have very different roles, which I didn't want to collapse. What I decided on was to give the Wizard and Paragon each 10 spells. The Wizard got only spells from the core rules (v7.5), and for the Paragon I picked mostly spells from the Codex Incantatem that corresponded with her speciality.
The 7th edition rules allow characters to learn and cast any spell they can their ability scores will allow, at a higher casting cost, so I'm thinking about letting the Paragon start with Poor Baby, at a casting cost of 3 per hit healed. Is that the correct way to raise the cost in the case of Poor Baby?
Here are the spells for each:
Berrian: Wizard
Level 1 Spells
Sola: Paragon
Level 1 Spells
Level 2 Spells
Can't remember where, but I recently read advice to soften the risks when introducing players to a new game, and I think that's wise in this case. Type IV D&D starts characters off as pretty buffed up and seasoned adventurers, who can spend "healing surges" to recover between battles and recover all their hit points after an "extended rest". So here's what I'm thinking: I'll introduce the following house rules as temporary "training wheels" for the game, so they don't get themselves into a TPK in the first run:
- Any hit which reduces a delver to zero CON knocks her unconscious.
- No tracking negative hit points: Any hit that reduce a delver to less than zero hit points knocks her unconscious, at zero.
- Whenever an unconscious delver receives any successful healing, via first aid, physician skill, or magic, or something I can't think of right now, she will recover at least one hit point, and be ready to go again.
- An unconscious delver can be killed by any attack, but monsters will usually concentrate on the folks who are still standing before finishing people off.
- Flesh wounds: Anyone who survives a battle will recover 1d6 hit points. Their injuries weren't as bad as they seemed. Let the player narrate how the lucky acorn strung around her neck stopped the deadly arrow Tootles fired, or whatever. [Stole this idea from Sorcerer, which has pretty deadly combat.]
Maybe I would reduce the AP rewards for combat to 1/3 or 1/4, while these rules are in force. Does that sound commensurate?
Here are some thoughts about converting the characters: For the most part, it was remarkably easy. The ability scores of Type IV D&D characters are generated by a standard array, so I made my own standard array: 16, 14, 13, 11, 10, and 8. I then put them in order of priority expressed by existing character sheets. Whenever it seemed appropriate, I switched the Wisdom & Charisma scores when converting to Luck & Charisma. Then I applied Kin multipliers, giving the one Human a multiplier of 4/3 in one attribute. I used Hogscape's 4th-edition method to derive Power (which some people call WIZ) from IQ and CH.
Then I looked at the type of weapon each character used and gave them each the best weapon they could use of that type for their ability scores. Cleric wound up with a mitre instead of a mace, Thief wound up with Dirks, etc.
Speaking of Types, the Fighters converted to Warriors and the Wizard converted to a Wizard. My daughter plays the party Thief, and I gave her the choice between a Rogue (magic potential), or a Warrior with Burglar talent (better Adds), and she picked Warrior, which is closer to the D&D Thief's role. The Cleric could have been any Type, but I decided to make her a Paragon (Wizard-Warrior) with the Holy Pilgrim talent: I set all her abilities to 12 before multipliers.
The toughest part was deciding on a method for picking spells: In D&D the Wizard and Cleric have very different roles, which I didn't want to collapse. What I decided on was to give the Wizard and Paragon each 10 spells. The Wizard got only spells from the core rules (v7.5), and for the Paragon I picked mostly spells from the Codex Incantatem that corresponded with her speciality.
The 7th edition rules allow characters to learn and cast any spell they can their ability scores will allow, at a higher casting cost, so I'm thinking about letting the Paragon start with Poor Baby, at a casting cost of 3 per hit healed. Is that the correct way to raise the cost in the case of Poor Baby?
Here are the spells for each:
Berrian: Wizard
Level 1 Spells
- Detect Magic 0
- Hocus Focus 5(4)
- Knock Knock 3(2)
- Lock Tight 3(2)
- [Panic] Oh Go Away 5(4)
- Oh There It Is 4(3)
- Take That You Fiend 6(5)
- Teacher [Cost+Level]
- Vorpal Blade 5(4)
- Will-o-wisp 2(1)
Sola: Paragon
Level 1 Spells
- Alarum 4(3)
- Detect Magic 0
- Hello Sunshine 1
- Hocus Focus 5(4)
- Hold That Pose 4(3)
- Impress Idea 6(5)
- Know Your Foe 5(4)
- Power Strike 5(4)
- You Clot 1
Level 2 Spells
- Poor Baby 3:1