4th ed (kind of) Campaign

[Hogscape]

Hi folks,

Here's the play rules for my Dark Isles campaign. It has some locations named after Trollbridge posters but you'll see those shortly.

The rules are based on 4th ed but borrowed liberally from 5th, 6th and 7th edition (don't have 7.5 yet).

They are designed for the players to understand so hopefully they are straightforward enough.

hogscape.googlepages.com/DarkIsles.pdf

Feedback, as ever, much appreciated (they're a bit rough at the moment with spells only up to 4th level)

Attachments:

DarkIslesSupplement.pdf (455.86 KB)

[Porkbelly]

My lord, an instant exalt for such a great piece of work - this is practically a new Edition.

I've been toying with so many of these ideas but could never have put it together so well.

I'll need to read it more carefully but some initial points that stand out:
Attributes - Back to the basic 6, no SPD necessary and WIZ is derived. I like.
Kindred - Modifiers are + / - adjustments. I like (probably only D&D type mechanic I carried into T&T).
DEX and STR requirements are actually thought through. I like.
Experience and Advancement - Very interesting - Has short term rewards which can be achieved in a good session plus longer term rewards. Nice. I do still like to gather AP awards as we go through play so the timing thing wouldn't be my choice.

Will have a good read through over the weekend. Thanks very much for sharing!

[ragnorakk]

Man! That's lovely!
If you decide to run a play-by-post or email or somesuch, I'll hop aboard
the first barque, barge, kayak, pontoon, seaweed clutch, or passing
piece of driftwood! (maybe it's a focus someone decided not to bother
ritualizing to return...)
Really good game! I've not looked at 4th edition, but this document stands
on it's own (at least to me with some prior knowledge of T&T) - the explantions
and examples (!Veteran of the Kilaqi Saga!) are awesome!

[ProfGremlin]

May 22, 2009 10:06:06 GMT -5 Hogscape said:

Feedback, as ever, much appreciated (they're a bit rough at the moment with spells only up to 4th level)

I do like that, Hogscape. I'm reminded of an old cartoon, The Pirates of Dark Water. I want to give it a closer look over but I have to admit that the derived attributes seems a good idea.

[ProfGremlin]

May 22, 2009 14:20:56 GMT -5 ragnorakk said:

If you decide to run a play-by-post or email or somesuch, I'll hop aboard the first barque, barge, kayak, pontoon, seaweed clutch, or passing piece of driftwood!

Rogue Surfer Dude with a Valley accent? "Trolls messin' up the village? Dude, that's like, y'know, bogus!" and a battle cry of "Hang Ten for Justice!"

[machfront]

Mike,
More good work, my man.
I haven't looked at it as closely as I should, but it sure looks super-cool.

A few quick points.
I wonder why you didn't use the full warrior armor bonus from your Mythical Sixth Edition? Too much for the smaller 4th ed. numbers? But what do the unarmored barbarians, swashbucklers and buccaneers do?

Power as derived = very cool.

I far prefer the Talents being gained only every four levels. The standard 7th ed. 'every level' thing was just way too...well...weird.

Oh, no! You used 4th ed.'s rather unfortunately emasculated rapier stats. I'm so glad 5th ed. fixed this.
<aside> I've never understood why so many games undersell the rapier. It's a weapon that could easily go through the entirety of your body or head for F's sake.</aside>
Now, I don't know about your specific setting, but something called Dark Isles (cool name, btw) and you'll have grim swashbucklers with no effective way to defend themselves and ineffective rapiers? Madness, man. Madness. ;D

Experience is...something.
I like it a lot and I don't.
At first it would seem nice and quick and easy. Then again, you have to keep track of real world time...for the game. Annoying.
Though, of course, I do like the quicker advancement and smaller attribute point alotment as in M6E. And I do dig the advancement chart with everything being laid out all at once. Helpful.

What's up with the reasoning for the extra +5 to the necessary attributes for two-weapon fighting? Isn't it already difficult enough?
You're harsh GM, man.

I can't wait to see more.
Oh, and you and Order99 get huge Cool Points for actually playing 4th ed.

[Hogscape]

Folks!

Thanks so much for the really encouraging and supportive feedback.

Porkbelly00 - I've never really used SPD so it was easy to drop. I only went with the +/- attribute mods for non-humans because of the human-centric setting and ease (my math is dire). I give out experience points during play too :-)

Ragg - I'd love to PBEM but have no idea how it would work. I see you BB board game flying along and it makes my head spin, I don't know how I would cope? You should get 4th ed - it's a hoot!

Prof - you have the memory of an elephant! No wonder they call you the Prof!

Mach - time based EP is a sinch, I know what time we start and what time we collapse! :-) I will review the rapier and cutlass but did you notice that both weapons grant extra armour protection? Advancing armour bonus from 6th ed is too powerful for this game (I had to cut armour burn in half too) but you're right, I have to revisit some sort of extra bonus - perhaps it kicks in only when you're not wearing other armour due to increased mobility etc? I went with the +5 for 2 weapons because I have grim memories of 5th ed where all the warriors ignor swords in favour of the matching kukri daggers (4 dice + 10 right off the bat)... But with hindsight I think I'll drop it.

Thanks again folks. Without the Trollbridge crew I wouldn't be enjoying T&T so much after so many years!

PS - if anyone wants a non PDF version just drop me a PM with your email address. I use Pages '09 (Apple) but I'm pretty sure I can export to MS Word.

[Hogscape]

File updated with Trollbridge suggestions: hogscape.googlepages.com/DarkIsles.pdf

[machfront]

That's interesting what you did with the rapier and cutlass. I didn't notice that at all. Though, "basket" isn't the appropriate word for any rapier hilts (spiral or swept, cup, dish, shell, cage). But I'm a nitpicker like that. And also, I can see the need for brevity. Hm. I might have written "elaborate hilt". That's the only thing that seems to work. But it's no biggie. Everyone will know what it means.
In other words: Ignore me. ;D
I can totally dig the new damage, being that it's the same as short sword, spear and small bow.

As far as the armor bonus... I dunno. With the numbers being smaller it's tricky. The armor bonus was such an easy way to do it. You're right that it would be too powerful. That's too bad.
Well, if you think that extra warrior adds wouldn't be too powerful, then perhaps that would be another way, considering that adds are both offence and 'active' defense. Of course, I guess that puts you back at square one. I'm at a loss to think of a quick and easy way to implement it (since x point(s) per level is so easy).
Err...uumm....half level, round down?

My thinking cap is missing today.

[Hogscape]

Machfront, I went down the path of 'warrior receives a bonus armour point at the same levels he gets a new talent but it only works if he's unarmoured or just using a one-point shield'. Give him a cutlass or rapier and our swashbuckler's got armour coming out his ears.

[machfront]

Nice.
As much as a preference I have to that way of lighter armored characters/play, I'm always wary of how to implement it, as I don't want other players to see no reason to wearing armor, since, ya know...armor helps make you not dead.
Depending on the system, it's not always easy to balance while being fair to both 'sides' as well as keeping it fun. (The ease with which this is done in general was one of the reasons I started crossing over to T&T. That and missle combat.)

[ProfGremlin]

May 22, 2009 20:59:43 GMT -5 Hogscape said:

Thanks again folks. Without the Trollbridge crew I wouldn't be enjoying T&T so much after so many years!

Ok, Hogscape, I'm blaming this on you I haven't been able to get the idea of your island hopping campaign out of my head. That, coupled with my renewed interest in the landscape generating programs Terragen and World Machine have resulted in the images below. I'm tossing the inspiration back your way now. Take them if you like and have fun











The old sailor leans back in his creaky chair and ponders the question. "Aye, I've 'eard o' it." A stream of smoke escapes from his lips giving mute testimony that his pipe is still lit. "Canna be foun' on any chart I've e'er 'ad chance t'be lookin' o'er but she be ou'there she be." A gnarled hand grasps the tankard on the scarred table and he drains the rest of the foul brew masquerading as ale. "I crew'ed 'board Sirens Call back when I were but a deck'and. Cap'n foun' her, he did, in some ol' log book. Had us sailin' near on a sen'night 'fore we foun' her. I stayed shipboard whilst th'Cap'n took the secon'mate an' a few men in th'long boat an' rowed inta th'lagoon." The sailor pauses and reaches for his tankard only to put it back down with a hollow thump. A brief gesture to the serving girl and he's wiping the foam off his upper lip. He continues with a haunted look in his eye, "I'll be tellin' y'plain, the soun's I 'eard - howls an' calls an' such... they were unearthly. I've ne'er 'eard th'like since. Nor parrot nor monkey nor anyfin' else an' tha' be th'truth. Th'Cap'n, he returned hours la'er wif jus' th'secon'mate an' one other. Clothes torn t'shreds an' long welts on their skin. Had us up-anchor an' make for open seas e'en though th'tide were 'gainst us." The old salt shakes his head in memory and takes another draught of the swill before him. "Y'be fools if'n y'think t'go lookin' fer Broken Key Isle."


Edit: I forgot the attribution here. The terrain is completely my work but the atmosphere came from the Nethergrounds Atmospherique II package (Sincrime atmo I believe). The surface map was a heavily modified version of Varian's DreamView Tropical surface.

[Hogscape]

Flippin' 'eck Prof! That is just awesome. I'm there!

Any chance of you doing a crescent shaped isle for me?


PS: The Guild Registrar (Guild of Wizard's that is) in my game is called Professor Gremlyn... Hope you don't mind me borrowing you.

There's also a grim and dark fortress rising unbidden from the waves known only as Castle Machfrönt but that's another story.

[machfront]

Heh heh. I'm honestly honored.

[Hogscape]

:-)

Castle Machfrönt
One day’s sail due North of Spindlerift can be found Castle Machfrönt. It is a grim black stone fortress, completely out of place -- rising as it does unbidden from the jagged waves. The water surrounding the castle is always treacherous regardless of the prevailing weather and there seems to be no dock or entry at sea level. Occasionally lights are seen in the upper arrow slits but the rest is a mystery.