The Place of Shields

Traditionally, the lowly shield garners a basic bonus to Armour Class, as needn't be explained here. The problem many outcry is simply how little an impact one of the most useful tools of war has, in foot melee in the realm of Fantasy Role-play.

The shield is cried to uselessness, after all, it's guaranteed the higher-level monsters will beat non-modern AC practically every round of combat. Some are fine with the small bonus of a shield, given that getting hit is so inevitable, but that the bonus is still useful against the more common and mundane foes expected to combat in the original game.

How can we fix or circumnavigate this issue? Simple; a new mechanic, and one that is very simple. But is it really necessary, especially when combat is supposed to remain abstracted by game design? What would a chance of blocking individual blows mean for this concept? especially when it would apply equally to the already disputed nature of arrows and bolts in the abstract combat (should we exacerbate the problem further?).

For some time now, how I've run shields is a bit different from the norm, so I shall make them known. Shields provide a bonus of +1, as the norm, though wooden, hide, and wicker faces do not benefit plate armour, instead requiring a metal shield (preferably kite). Without other armour worn, shields count as AC7, and tower shields as AC6 (normally complementing armour by +2 AC). Archers' shields and other small types counted as normal shields, except without bonus against missiles. Shields could be worn across the back for their bonuses against rear attacks.

This original effort varied their place somewhat, but it still was mostly aesthetic. There wasn't a strong effort to make shields too good in the game, considering the other options available to Fighting Men; two-handed weapons rolled two dice, taking the better with +1 in Hits; and using a second one-handed weapon to deke for a +1 To Hit. So I couldn't lean too much favour. This changed somewhat with the design of offensive shields (tweaked from the tail sweeping mechanic I gave dragons).Shield-barers (excluding bucklers) could opt out their shield bonus to bash with the shield, and any time a '6' turned up, the roughly-man-sized and smaller foe was flattened and stunned for one round. Tower shields did so 1/3 of the time.

Now, this finally brings me to my point and suggestion for shields. Keeping them with their +1 bonus (or dropping it), any hit against a shield-barer is reduced to minimum damage (1 if 1-6, 2 if 2-7, etc.) 1/3 of the time (rolling a 2 in 6 chance). Tower shields could do so 1/2 the time. It's simple, elegant, and best of all, continues finding more uses for those sexy six-siders. The reason it doesn't outright negate an attack's damage is to reflect the savagery the guy behind the shield is feeling regardless. A missed roll to reduce could be seen as not bracing his shield arm well and getting battered around, even if the shield is being hit.

I'd like to thank that Paladin in Citadel for inspiring this post.

For those interested in that dragon attack; the tail swipe was randomly determined (and depended on how the party was fighting it), and dealt one die of damage per age category (!), chopping all in a certain radius (distance in inch spaces by category). Every time a '6' turned up for each person hit, was how many rounds he was stunned and flat. I wanted very dangerous dragons, and the older ones could batter down wooden walls and swaths of forest with ease, so be wary.

A Little Something For The Eyes

I don't believe I've much referenced any such capacity in myself here, but occasionally as fancy strikes me, I draw. This is both in traditional and digital mediums. My plan has been for a while now to eventually make a sister site, under the title of 'Cobalt Blue'. There I would display various works of both fantasy and science-fiction both.

All the same, while I do consider my strength moreso to be with a simple Bic pen, I've rather enjoyed my hand with a program called Painttool SAI. Below is the most recent piece, and I trust you hobbyists will enjoy both the visual and subjective values.

Click to Enlarge.

The image is best viewed at 100%, and now folks, the world finally gets to see what I envision Mind Flayers to seem. And for those wondering, both my avatar picture and banner are elements from other illustrations of mine. In a future time, both will be made available to see; either here or at the aforementioned web log.

The pencil and pen drawings will not make an appearance 'till after I acquire a scanner that doesn't butcher the image quality.

A to Zed - the rest of 'em

For those keeping track, I ended off with the Elder Scrolls in this challenge. I've been absent for quite some time. Between just not being around and a curiously dodgy internet connection, there's been little time for the web, or Blogger for that matter. Now, instead of spamming everyone's blog watch I'll condense the rest of my list into one post, that you may at least know where I was going to go.

Frank Herbert - the mastermind behind Dune and various other works of science fiction. Besides my long-standing love for Dune, his Destination: Void (The Jesus Incident being my favorite) series and The Dragon in the Sea are some of my favorites of his works.

Gyrojet - Gyrojet were a unique family of weapons back in the 60's that utilized gyroscopically stabilized microjet bullets for projectiles. Poor manufacturing and design dashed their chances of becoming any more than a curiosity. I first encountered these weapons in the role-playing game, Star Frontiers. Curious as to the nature, I did some research and was very pleased with what I had stumbled upon. The designs of the real world Gyrojets even had the visual aesthetics of fire-arms in Traveller.

Hivers - Given my fixation with non-human sapients, the hivers of Traveller fame were a welcome discovery. Their bodies are fine examples of symmetry, with a distinct society and culture.

Illithid - The Mind Flayer, the brain lasher, cutter, devourer, alhoon, and et cetera ad infinum. They're freaking aliens that eat fantasy adventurer brains; what's not to like? These practically build adventures on their own.

Jason and the Argonauts - Any person considering inspirational flicks to watch prior to running a game should see this beauty. The combat isn't retardedly choreographed, the monsters are mean, and the stop-motion animation still looks fluid.

Knights -I would have prefered to have done a bit on armsmen, or "men-at-arms," though knights are these things. Though there has been, I believe, two paladins throughout our group's entire history together, not one knight has ever truly graced its collective chronicles. Whether it be an errant knight, or merely nobility.

Lüscher -My family name; a Swiss name. I like pole-arms, but no, I'm not some autist with a thing for tables and charts. There is history behind this name, though I know so little of it. My grandfather came to North America after his stint as a missionary and eventually married, then later moved to Canada where when he retired, he took up farming. I've seen pictures of the Lüscher homestead in Aargau, somewhere near Muhen in Switzerland. It was a thatch-roof structure that I believe has since been torn down decades ago. Should I ever get a chance to see Europe I would much like to meet his family, and also give Mr. Giger a good handshake, and buy a pint. My name means roughly "he who lives near reeds."

Marathon Series - One of Bungie Software's flagship series. Originally for the personal Macintosh computer, the games were later ported to Windows. Totaling three games, each starts right where the previous left off; going from first contact with a hostile (aren't they all?) collective of races, the generation ship, Marathon, and its colony on Tau Ceti, is assaulted, to later adventures near the galactic core in a stolen vessel with a rampant AI, (and a good supply of expendable human meat-bags). The first game was instrumental in story-telling within first-perspective video games. For those even remotely interested, I heartily recommend going to Bungie.org and downloading Aleph One (all Operating Systems), and the three accompanying games. Marathons RED, Evil and Morgana's Revenge are also available there, and while fan projects, each are built to a high standard, almost befitting professional standards.

Non-Humanity - This is a recurring interest of mine. Sapient life of any matter, form, or environment, that is by definition alien. It could think completely different and apply obscene logics that make sense only to themselves, and it could be bizarre anatomy and senses that stand apart from ours. Basically, while I do enjoy 'men in rubber suits' aliens, I get a figurative hard-on, (pardon my vulgarity), just guessing at and musing how life not like our own would function.

OD&D - When I first encountered Dungeons & Dragons, it was as AD&D 2nd Edition, and that was just before 3rd started doing the rounds. I've never had a real copy of the three Little Brown Books, but once their realm was known to me, and I made my first step past the threshold, I knew what Arneson and Gygax had done, was lost with time, and edition. There is no purist here; I play anything set before me (except 4th Ed., once was enough!), but I am lessened for knowing too few do or want to play the game as it was. As a result, I also became quite interested in the history and development of the game, and later found things like a copy of the First Fantasy Campaign, and the lovely sites Hidden in Shadows, and Philotomy's OD&D Musings.

Pathways into Darkness - Before there was Marathon, there were pathways into darkness, and they  were full of things that go bump in the night. Though most certainly not fantasy, this was a dungeon crawl; with guns, the dead, Nazis, aliens, and skinny Buddha monks. Popular oppinion says Marathon shares more than just a few easter eggs with this gem of a crawler. As of yet though, still no Windows port or source game.

Querulous - And I don't mean the adjective. Arne of Querulous, his blog, has been to some manner of degree an inspiration to me when it comes to visual design, and just video games in general. Through his web log, there is often re-imaginings of various old game series, and other media icons. He is also responsible for Android Arts and Prometheus Spawning Grounds 7. For anyone simply interested in just looking at pretty pictures, or interested in something to ruminate over if video games are an interest of theirs, I heartily suggest taking a gander. His material on Exile is some of my favorite, given how he somehow makes an awesome game better!

Robert A. Heinlein - If you couldn't already guess, I dig science fiction, and the older stuff moreso. Mr. Heinlein is no exception. And I don't care what claim Games Workshop supposedly has to 'space marines', given that this guy (and a coupla' others) all beat those toads to it, (and can make more interesting space marines to boot!)

Syd Mead - A futurist artist of great repute and resume. A good chunk of his early days were doing futuristic paintings for Ford. If I were to look at a non-dystopic future, I would see it in his worlds. The stylings have 50's leanings, but with the right counter of post-modernism to balance it out. The new world look may not be to everyone's tastes, but there's hope, and a bright future to be had in each of his works, and it is things like his paintings that keep my hopes for the future high. That sounded pretty corny, no? All the same, this man is my favorite visual artist ever.

Tales from Earthsea - Or Gedo Senki, is an animated film by Studio Ghibli roughly(?) based on a collection of stories under the same name, as I recall tell. I've only ever watched it a few times, but the setting, along with various other objects and designs that persist about the world made it special. And definitely a setting I would enjoy running or playing a campaign to.

Unobtainium - Phlebotinum, handwavium, et cetera. This is the magical sauce, the stuff, and the E-99 that makes the latest gadgets, gizmos and reactors run on all cylinders. Often a plot point or enabler in any piece of fiction, without Unobtainium we would instead have to rely on real world materials that wouldn't work as well, either stretching plausibility, or completely throwing adventure out the window.

Vallejo, Boris - If Syd Mead is my fondness for the future, Boris is my fondness for monsters and babes in the company of monsters. A maker of very fantastical illustrations, but I'm sure we already know who he is.

Wipple Shields - Science has told me that wipple shields are a very important asset to spacecraft. So what made them get this spot? Simple: it's one of the first realizations of space armour, and is almost as important as radiation shielding. How wipple works, is that it is a very thin layer of ablative material designed to take hits from micro-meteorites, using their own kinetic energy against them, disintegrating the particles with little more than superficial damage to the surfaces below the shield.

X-Files - One thing I've  humored myself with repeatedly is how much this show is an inverse to Scooby-Doo. They kept thinking it wasn't so, yet always found the supernatural. Scoob and Crew are always on the hunt for a monster, but it's always that old man Jenkins. Incidentally, this post is moreso aimed at my general paranormal interests, and the title music still invokes an emotional response from me.

Yazirians - These anthropomorphic, gliding apes are positively my favorite of the main races in Star Frontiers. I couldn't really tell you why, and it definitely is not the battle rage ability, but the idea of power gliding across some moon with bubble goggles might have some say in the matter.

ZOrk - You wouldn't believe how hard I had to think of, and remember, the only interest of mine that starts with a zed. So, Zork. The text adventure role-playing game. Where being eaten by a grue was punishment for trying to not find a lamp. Originally, as I recall, the eponymous grue was added to replace the fallible logic of stumbling into a bottomless pit in the dark, given that this pit could happen in nonsensical locations. I had the gameboy version, not the original.

Kickstarter: Champions of Zed

Hello to you lot.

Just stopping by to say that the Champions of Zed is up on Kickstarter, and could use your help, if you've not already. It's all well set out and nicely explained on there what CoZ is if you don't already know.

I'm pretty excited for it and hope it gets enough support. A hard-cover copy would be aces to me.

As for A to Zed. I've been lagging terribly behind schedule, and thankfully this isn't some established, or official, establishment, otherwise I'd have been shit-canned earlier this week, haha! After I go to see the Avengers flick tonight, we'll see about getting me caught up in full.

Oubliette Magazine

For those of you that haven't heard, it's a mag that focuses mainly around the Labyrinth Lord game system, but any of its articles would be a fine fit for other systems and editions of maze mastering.

Now I suppose I'm not the most informed individual on the net, nor do I ever seem to have my ear to the ground regarding matters even closer to home, but what immediately had my attention about this magazine was the fact that it was an OSR magazine! Many of the older hobbyists have or at least once had magazines such as The Space Gamer, Polyhedron, The Dragon, and others to get their fix of fresh ideas and general hobby reads. Very few options remain these days that aren't just product ads under the guise of a monthly issue. (I'm looking at you, White Dwarf.)

In this day where so much is available across the digital medium, many can just as easily subscribe to a website, or a web log, and be about their merry way without a coin from their pocket. But for folks like me, who like to hold it in their hands; the grit of paper; the smell of new book; and the stack of reading always on-hand, it's a god-send. I would use a Kindle if given one, but the yellowed page is still strong in me.

Not only is it something I can hold physically that draws me to Oubliette, otherwise I'd have a hoard of books I don't like to read, but also that each issue brings with it wide and varied content, pictures, and even adventure modules with maps! There's always something new and exciting to be found within each issue, and I'll dare say that Regan and crew know how to please.

The only thing I regret was accidentally not purchasing issue #5 along with the rest when I did!

Furthermore, Tales from Hell is my kind of cartoon.

Curses to the Cursed!

Reading through some of 'The Book of Marvelous Magic' earlier rekindled a pet peeve of mine: cursed items in fantasy role-play. Why, say you? Simple: they're nothing but a dick move by the DM unless handled properly.

Now before we get far I want to point out that I have nothing wrong with the idea of the cursed item, but rather how it is implemented. Just like any good magic item, a good cursed item needs to have a reason for its existence. Otherwise it is little more than DM fiat and the source of sour expressions turning to the crook behind his screen.

Furthermore is the cursed item a dick move when we have this item not only "just" in a pile of assumed loot, but it also appears exactly like a very useful and beneficial magical artifact. Sure, this is a fun lure for your resident meta-gamer, but there is no reason for it to imitate another object, if only to make player characters suffer.

In my worlds, even if the players lack a wizard or other source of discovering, or recalling the lore of magic items, I will refrain from placing any magical object in the world that doesn't have a reason for existing. It could be a simple sentence of description for a minor thing, or a good paragraph dedicated to the wizard, Pelacelcus the Dimple-Foot and his need for a ring of martini summons. But all the same, there is essence to the object, and not just a convenient/inconvenient item drop.

But what this means for cursed items is a reason for why they are cursed to begin with. Perhaps they were mundane possessions in times passed, later saturated with hateful magicks in an ancient battle against a mage. We could even apply this logic to items that appear as others to explain their dastardly trickery. And maybe yet, some of these items aren't truly cursed in the sense, but act as so when wielded or in possession of those that shouldn't have such things. Like Sauron's One Ring.

Or yet still, a small number of these evil objects were simply made to cause havoc for the victims of circumstance. Like a necklace of strangulation, or barrel of poverty. These are the lamest excuses for killing characters ever; a player should be the death of themselves, not the determination of the one other player, the DM.

Maybe it's just 'cause I'm not the sort that uses lurkers above and floor and wall mimics, nor executioner's hoods, and am rather conservative in my application of killer bed sheets?

Building Better Blades

An idea I've always fancied for representing "masterwork" and other such high-quality weapons is something more dynamic than a simple +1 to hit. Because while in theory, a masterwork weapon may be easier to wield and use, or aim, I was never very keen on the constant and infinite scalability of modifiers in Third Edition and newer. It just seems too lazy and repetitious.

So instead, my idea is that in place of adding a 'to hit' modifier, that the masterwork weapon, rather shift how it deals damage when it hits. Take for example, a weapon that normally deals 1d8 damage by itself, will deal 2d4 damage as a masterclass weapon. This allows weapons to deal greater averages in damage, which if using hit points similarly to how I do, this still works out as making it easier for the attacker to hit. If only because the attacked need dodge harder to avoid a lethal blow, wearing themselves out faster.

And if nothing else, it just makes for more dynamic weapons; though the potential for making attacks tedious becomes a possibility for weapons that already use two dice in attacking. As an advantage for magic-scarce games, the fighter can have a slightly better sword without it having to be a +1 or better magic sword.

Now How to Lose Hit Points!

Instead of sleeping I decided I should throw this next bit up too.

Now where we had previously left off was discussing my view of hit points and how they work, along with what happens when unfortunate adventurers and mooks run out of them. So, naturally, we must figure out how to go from the prior to the latter.

While I prefer one method of handling hit points, the game itself or even the players may ultimately determine what is what and where. For example, games like Metamorphosis Alpha and Gamma World both assume hit points are a character's physical capacity to survive damage, so we usually would stick to that when playing those. But when I'm having my way, a character's hit point total is divided in half. Monsters, however don't apply to this rule, unless they're hominids.

One side of this division represents a character's ability (in a combination of the facets mentioned last post) to completely avoid damage in combat. Any damage suffered to this value will completely generate post-encounter after five minutes rest.

The second part of hit points represent the character slowing and tiring as they once again avoid any meaningful injury, with the worst damage being light nicks, glances, and blows completely deflecting off or dragging along armour without harm. Despite this, the character is still not surviving injury with this other set of hit points in the standard sense, but is only fatigued enough to take minor superficial damage that at worse makes a conversation starter. The catch with this second value however, also as a way to balance the automatic regeneration of the first number, is that it regenerates like hit points traditionally do, based on the system being played. Which gives magical healing spells and potions the illusion of being more potent.

On the subject of critical hits and massive damage, my system turns away from hit points, as they do not represent physical damage threshold for characters. Instead, a critical is a roll on the critical chart, with the potential of maximum attack/weapon damage directly to a character's Constitution score, which is indeed threatening. Similarly, falling damage is dealt as 1d4 damage to Constitution per 10 feet, with a 2d10 roll against current CON or get knocked unconscious afterward.

Featuring Hit Points, and Having None!

Perhaps for all it is a completely different idea and representation, or simply abstraction, but for I, the concept of hit points is very much so the concept of 'not-getting-hit points', as someone else so eloquently put it. Furthermore, I like the idea of "death" at zero hit points. Lower down shall I expand my opinions.

For a hero that can't possibly become more sturdy with each level earned, the hit point, by itself is a representation and manifestation of the individual's luck, die-hard attitude, combat aptitude, and quite possibly his standing with the gods. This model goes well with the chaotic action of battle and oracular nature of the dice, and by their extension, the gods themselves. This is why fighters, followed by clerics, have better hit dice than other characters, as each demonstrates strong points in some of these elements, with backing in the others. Compare the unnatural and unlawful (in the stealing and meddling sense) ways of thieves and magic-users for why they don't fare as well. Through this angle, note I did not mention dexterity; this is a no-word. Dexterity already is used in a different abstraction known as Armour Class, or why mooks can't hit shit.  Contrast with the hit points of a war elephant, or other massive and non-maneuverable beast, that is instead a value of physical fortitude.

Moving on to our other topic: zero hit points, or why I didn't cry for mommy. Completely disregarding Third Edition and newer, hitting zero hit points, as the rules read, meant dead. Now, why is that so? And how is it that if hit points measure a character's ability to avoid injury, that they're just plain out dead and dead at the total of the dreaded big '0'? Simple: it's easy to kill someone, or at least think you've killed someone. We assume here that coming with a fantasy setting is often coming with a pseudo-medieval intellect. Something often considered very ignorant by modern Man's standards (which is pretty ignorant just by thinking that). Back in "Ye Aulde Adventurre Lande", medicine and physical know-how weren't exactly up to snuff, especially after the witch hunts destroyed hundreds of years of learned healing practices, and it was very easy to mistake someone for dead, especially if the healer wasn't all that knowledgeable in their field. Clerics can cast divine healing miracles like a Pez dispenser, but they're no physician, nor paladins with their magic fingers, and definitely not the man trained solely to kill! Those thought dead may very well perish from lack of attention, infection, or simply from being abandoned by the straining and hurting party. Even a proper alkaline poison might leave ya' stone dead-ish, but not in truth. All yerr frens know is ya' failed yer damn save!

So maybe this was insightful, and maybe it wasn't. But either way it's quarter after three o' the morn'. Peace out!

Surplus Spells & Slings

And now, for another exciting installment of Surplus Spells & Slings!

    Ricocheting Orb of Distraction
Looking as if a large ball of glass filled with metallic flecks of multicolour, though pliable as rolled sap. When thrown, the ball bounces off all solid surfaces emanating a bright flashing light of colours all across the spectrum. When the blink seemingly is off, it is in fact displaying colours in spectrums invisible to the human eye. Beings exposed to this light are blinded for 1-2 rounds at start, and subsequently take -2 to hit so long as the ball continues to bounce around until resting to a halt or caught in hand.
    -rumors speak of the original being a full set of 2d8 balls, though most were lost by the original owner, a gnome from Derkschlund

    Fabricator's Pen
A bizarre fountain pen with a handle carved from a single piece of carnelian. The ink cartridge is thin glass with golden butt. When drawn upon paper, the pen will physically manifest any being drawn within with up to 5 HD. If the drawn thing does not physically exist, the DM must quickly design the creature based on his player's drawing, rolling 1d6-1, where a modified result of 0 means a less than 1 HD monster. Each cartridge may draw up to 2d4 images. The manifested images act as their monster, but is friendly toward the creator, and the creator alone, appearing as an inky mockery of the original creature. Each image lasts the inverse of its HD, with 1 HD creatures lasting 5 minutes, and 5 HD lasting 1 minute.

    Stones of Promotion
All products of a long-forgotten culture buried with time. Stones of Promotion are palm stones which each grant different and unique properties to the possessor, and are activated by the sweat of a clasped hand. These stones should be regarded as very rare and special by the DM, and not to be easily found, nor in any volume.

 Stones of Promotion Table (d12)
    #  Stone                  Benefit
    01 Blue Calcite        Restores 1 INT/turn, +1 HP for ALL healing
    02 Pink Calcite        Calms the mind, brings happiness.
    03 Gold Calcite        +1 AC, +1d4 temp HP, brings joy.
    04 Green Calcite       Brings acceptance of the new.
    05 Clear Calcite        2x caster level for purpose of spell power, 1 in 6 chance of detecting magic
    06 Carnelian             Protection from ESP, +1 Against disease & poison protects against fear,
                                     increases libido.
    07 Cat's Eye             Preserves youthfulness, promotes luck.
    08 Cat Iron              50% spell really won't fizzle, 1 in 6 chance of finding the path.
    09 Celestite              Clears speech, makes true, heightens awareness.
    10 Cerussite             Read Languages 1/day, protection against bugs.
    11 Chalcedony         Dissolves illusions & fantasies, banishes fear.
    12 Coral                  +4 to saves against rays, +1 HP to ALL healing*
*+1 HP to ALL healing only benefits females.

    Stones of Promotion II
All products of a long-forgotten culture buried with time. Stones of Promotion are palm stones which each grant different and unique properties to the possessor, and are activated by the sweat of a clasped hand. Like the first set of stones, these should be regarded as very rare and special by the DM, and not to be easily found, nor in any volume.

 Stones of Promotion Table (d12)
    #   Stone              Benefit
    01 Charoite          True Seeing 1/day, +1 HP for ALL healing, releases and sobers from alcohol                                 consumption.
    02 Chrysoprase        Lifts emotions, banishes greed, envy, selfishness, tensions, stress.
    03 Cuprite               Access a past life, heals relationship with father.
    04 Diamond            +1 temporary STR, Protection From Evil.
    05 Dioptase            Cleanses ulcers, +5% to experience points.
    06 Dolomite            Soothes pain, reduces the effects of PMS.
    07 Eilat                   A feeling as if floating in tropical waters.
    08 Fluorite              Helps concentration & grasping abstract ideas.
    09 Fossil                 Improves business, doubles abilities of ESP.
    10 Golden Beryl        Scrying 1/day, protection from telepathy.
    11 Kyanite              Facilitates better travel between the planes.
    12 Malachite           Shatters if within 60 ft of threat of 8 HD or greater than possessor's HD                                   (whichever is more).

Surplus Spells & Slings

This will be an ongoing, though not necessarily consistent, series where I make up four random, and hopefully unique magic objects and devices each entry. These aren't things made for D&D 3 and up however, so it's up to those that do to come up with item prices and such. These things will also usually be quite vague, and are intended by the DM/GM/Ref/ML or whatever to make their own lore and reasoning behind the existence of these things.

Now for our first fun four.

    Esteem Band
A small gold band with a faint green sheen. When worn for more than 5 minutes, any sweat from the wearer leaves a thin, dark smudge where the ring had sat. While worn by its owner, the ring implants a firm feeling of self belief and general courage, treating their hit die as being one type greater than their current. This effect raises their maximum hit points by the difference per level, and drops it by the same number if removed. The "replacement" hit die is not used when rolling new HP during a level-up. If taken from the wearer in a most untimely manner, that the character will die if their hit points drop to '0' or less. For example, a 2nd level human fighter with d8 hit die with 14 HP counts as having a d10 hit die with 18 HP for the duration.
(This ring plays to the concept that HP represents the ability to avoid damage, as opposed to a measure of physical damage threshold)

    Bangled Boots
Garb once used in an ancient dancing tradition, and usually danced to the breaking point. This pair, apparently wasn't. While worn, the user feels an uplifting feeling, encouraging extraneous dancing whenever in the presence of polka (or other very happy tunes). Even when not in the presence of chippy muzak, the wearer may lightly hop about when in a good mood. Heroes gain the most use of these boots in any activity involving jumping, skipping and dodging. Dodge-ball was a main event in those ancient traditions. When jumping, the wearer can jump 10 feet farther than normal, horizontally and vertically; in combat, wearers can do zany maneuvers such as leaping attacks as bullywugs do, and are considered as +2 to DEX in combat only for the potential of increasing their armour class. It is up to the discretion of the DM when the cord of the bangles breaks, freeing both glass beads and magical powers.

    Mask of Mouse
Little more than a rough-hewn mask of petrified wood, this simple design is spartan at best. If worn across the face of any more flat-faced hominid, they and the mask suddenly merge, transforming the wearer into a tiny rodent as fitting their personality, as polymorph with no save against, nor chance of system shock. The transformation is permanent for 30 minutes; after which time the wearer may "peel" the mask from their face, an action only a wearer could find possible, though they are not alerted to any feeling that it can be removed now. Every 6 hours that the mask is worn roll against system shock, with a further penalty of -10 each attempt. Failure permanently fuses the mask and wearer, turning both into any other individual of the chosen race, erasing any identity or memory of who they once were. Attempting to dispel or remove curse gives the wearer a save versus death or be obliterated, leaving the mask behind. Passing the save separates the mask and wearer, permanently reducing the victim's intelligence by 2, though fused victims become a rodent in man's body.

    Idiot's Tablet (cursed)
Like a wax writing tablet, but of a jet pitch in appearance, with string-attached writing and erasing utensil. Those who come in possession of this tablet must make a save versus magic or become infatuated with the device. They will incessantly argue the object's worth at any mention of its being, even when they really are losing the argument, and will refuse to separate themselves from it. Driven far enough into anger, an owner will resort to lethal violence to stop anyone trying to remove them of, talk terribly of, or attempt to destroy the tablet.

Lovely cover illustration.

Just found this lovely dungeon over at the most interesting blog, Monster Brains. The cover to the book 'The Troll Book', by that Berenstain guy, 1980. Doesn't it just call out to the marauding Player Character in us all?

While you're at it, I suggest taking a gander at other posts over there. Lots of great illustrations and paintings from way back when, across multiple genres, that'll most likely prove inspiring for any manner of game or setting. If nothing else, it might be entertaining.

Under the Guidance of Will-of-the-Torch...

Mostly posting to say I've not died from alien face-eating disease yet.

But here's a little something I've been working on for my next stint as Game Master. In my continuation of expanding and testing my own little RPG system, I've started working on a teeny-weeny Swords & Sorcery-ish addition if we ever need it. Right now I'm working on the sorcery part. It's mostly just the working concept of spells right now, with 8 tiers (referred to as circinates) of spells. They aren't technically circles of magic, so much as just separate groupings of various schools of spell-casting. I'm not too happy with 'wanderlight's name, as it doesn't quite fit the naming scheme I'm going for. Hell, even the spell 'anemos' was a bit of a pain in the ass to name; you'd think there just was a single term for gill-/water-breathing that I could easily find. Each circinate is considered its own single 'skill' for the purpose of the system's skill structure; archetypes are as close as we get to classes in this game. Anyhoo, below is the basic skeleton of the cumulative list, devoid of proper costs, casting times and other inconveniences beyond a few notes of what each one does.

From the very start I wanted every magic-user to be capable of two things: inflicting harm, and healing it. Magic in this setting is supposed to generally be more primal and elemental in nature. Each spell should have its own aesthetic qualities as fitting to its caster. Another thing I wanted to try avoiding with these spells was make more flexible abilities that weren't as specific and cookie-cutter as D&D's spells tended to be. If outcomes or purposes were somewhat familiar, they would be merged together in the name of versatility.

Damage (1 BP* taken, damage objects)
Mend (1 BP* healed, mend objects)

    1st Circinate
Flare (spontaneous fire to target object or person, 1 damage/10 ranks)
Heal (1d6+1/10 ranks)
Lift (levitate one's self, or other things)
Cloak (minor invisibility and muffled movement)
Stamina (+1d6 max HP 1 minute/10 ranks)
Strength (+1 STR/20 ranks)
Wanderlight (floating orb of light/light spell)

    2nd Circinate
Anemos (allows water-breathing)
Coma (target or targets put in magic sleep)
Drain (drains target STR or HP to 1, DC is points spent)
Expedience (+1 action every second round/10 ranks)
Harm (1d6+1/10 ranks)
Shock (stun, effects increase/10 ranks)
Wallow (become relaxed in environment, mask scent, laugh at mosquitos)
Ward (minor force shields self)
Wealth (transmute material into food, drink, and simple objects)

    3rd Circinate
Open (open portal)
Warmth (resist cold, makes warm)
Cold (resist heat, makes cold)
Ground (resist electricity, makes slow)
Sanctuary (sanctuary)
Seal (arcane lock)
Fireball (fireball)
Fortitude (resistence to poison, disease and radiation)
Attor (envenoms target weapon, teeth or claws)

    4th Circinate
Wall (earth wall)
Noise (spell shield/radius dispell)
salubrity (+1d6 HP healed/10 ranks)
Shuck (ignore 2 damage/10 ranks each hit for duration)
Outstay (+1 CON/20 ranks)
Curse (-1/-5 to specified score/skill/10 ranks)
Wrack (elemental storm 1d6 damage/10 ranks)

    5th Circinate
Sting (enhance weapon or claw)
Hale (cure ailment, poison and diseases)
Shatter (intense vision/nightmare, 1d10 damage, instant fatigue)
Snare (holds individual)
Sending (personal message anywhere, only to reciever)
Vanish (turn invisible)
Raise (bring physical body to animation)

    6th Circinate
Bore (make holes in walls or form pits)
Sweep (obliterates mold, dust, poison and weak beings)
Field (invisible force blocks passage and projectile)
Sap (leeches mana or HP from nearby energies (magic things, people, etc.)
Conjure (1HD/something points, make entity shaped by maker's imagination)
Obscure (changes appearance)
Behold (allows true seeing)

    7th Circinate
Death (ethereal emenation kills the weak, weakens the strong)
Rend (attacks bypass defenses)
Mirror (turn invisible as fake double fools enemies)
Storm (calls forth lightning to strike enemies)
Portal (creates door through solid mass)
Phantasm (manifests spectral entity to assist combat)
Shift (alter appearance and change shape)

    8th Circinate
Petrify (gaze or grasp to turn target to stone)
Wither (inflict life-consuming curse)
Destroy (obliterates target entity)
Wish (alters reality to some degree)
Malign (alter appearance and change shape of others)

*BP stands for Body Point. Characters usually take damage to their BP instead of their CON scores for determining death that eschews hit points.

An excellent post...

...and I agree. No more overzealous paladins.

I hate d4 hit die.

Just took the time to take this lovely little personality test, "What D&D Character am I?", and a shout-out to David Macauley over at There's Dungeons Down Under to drawing this lovely thing to my attention. ANYHOO, le Results:

I Am A: True Neutral Human Sorcerer (3rd Level)


Ability Scores:

Strength-12

Dexterity-17

Constitution-12

Intelligence-17

Wisdom-16

Charisma-14

Alignment:
True Neutral A true neutral character does what seems to be a good idea. He doesn't feel strongly one way or the other when it comes to good vs. evil or law vs. chaos. Most true neutral characters exhibit a lack of conviction or bias rather than a commitment to neutrality. Such a character thinks of good as better than evil after all, he would rather have good neighbors and rulers than evil ones. Still, he's not personally committed to upholding good in any abstract or universal way. Some true neutral characters, on the other hand, commit themselves philosophically to neutrality. They see good, evil, law, and chaos as prejudices and dangerous extremes. They advocate the middle way of neutrality as the best, most balanced road in the long run. True neutral is the best alignment you can be because it means you act naturally, without prejudice or compulsion. However, true neutral can be a dangerous alignment when it represents apathy, indifference, and a lack of conviction.


Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.


Class:
Sorcerers are arcane spellcasters who manipulate magic energy with imagination and talent rather than studious discipline. They have no books, no mentors, no theories just raw power that they direct at will. Sorcerers know fewer spells than wizards do and acquire them more slowly, but they can cast individual spells more often and have no need to prepare their incantations ahead of time. Also unlike wizards, sorcerers cannot specialize in a school of magic. Since sorcerers gain their powers without undergoing the years of rigorous study that wizards go through, they have more time to learn fighting skills and are proficient with simple weapons. Charisma is very important for sorcerers; the higher their value in this ability, the higher the spell level they can cast.


Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)


And past that, below are my broken-down detailed results. Perhaps there is some philosophical merit to this test, given that while my highest scores weren't so by very much, that sorcerers, rangers, and the idea of warrior poets are some of my favorite classes. I must laugh at my extreme negatives for the paladin and monk. I do actually enjoy playing the strict and disciplined nature of monks, though paladins I outright despise.  I'm not too keen on the racial runner-up the gnome score had with human; I love the little people, but my regrettable stints as gnomes in times passed has left a reputation in my gaming circle I wish I would escape...

Alignment:
Lawful Good ----- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17)
Neutral Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (21)
Chaotic Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (19)
Lawful Neutral -- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (19)
True Neutral ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (23)
Chaotic Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (21)
Lawful Evil ----- XXXXXXX (7)
Neutral Evil ---- XXXXXXXXXXX (11)
Chaotic Evil ---- XXXXXXXXX (9)
Law & Chaos:
Law ----- XXXXXX (6)
Neutral - XXXXXXXXXX (10)
Chaos --- XXXXXXXX (8)
Good & Evil:
Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXX (11)
Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXXXX (13)
Evil ---- X (1)
Race:
Human ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (14)
Dwarf ---- XXXXXX (6)
Elf ------ XXXXXXXX (8)
Gnome ---- XXXXXXXXXX (10)
Halfling - XXXXXXXXXX (10)
Half-Elf - XXXXXXXX (8)
Half-Orc - XX (2)
Class:
Barbarian - (-4)
Bard ------ XX (2)
Cleric ---- (0)
Druid ----- (0)
Fighter --- (-2)
Monk ------ (-21)
Paladin --- (-19)
Ranger ---- XX (2)
Rogue ----- (-2)
Sorcerer -- XXXX (4)
Wizard ---- (-2)