A Return to the Savage World

After a year or more (I can't remember how long exactly) of only playing versions of old-school D&D, I played in a Savage Worlds game yesterday.

I had a SW period a while back, both running and playing in regular campaigns, and enjoyed it for a while, before the siren's call of old-school D&D lured me back to my roots. So it was very interesting to return to my once-regular gaming system, and to look at it with fresh eyes.

I guess I have a weird relationship with Savage Worlds now. On the one hand I basically really like the system. I find it clean and well designed, without being bland, complex enough for some nice character options, without the number crunching that comes with D&D 3, and it comes in a nice slim rulebook. I also really like the concept of a core system -- which can be expanded and tweaked for each campaign -- as opposed to generic / universal system -- which is supposed to cover everything out of the box.

However, playing the game again yesterday brought up two really major things I don't like about it:

1. The dice system. On paper I find the dice system in Savage Worlds really cool. Roll your trait die (a d4 to a d12) and a wild die (a d6). Take the highest then apply any situational modifiers. If you get 4 or more you succeed. Higher results in multiples of 4 (so a result of 8, 12, etc) are called "raises" and sometimes get you additional levels of success. All dice "explode", meaning that if you roll the highest number on the die then you roll again and add.

A nice system. The trouble I have with it is that it can take so bloody long to resolve a single action! There's lots of different die types involved, lots of adding, lots of re-rolling (which leads to more adding), lots of comparing (the wild die and the trait die can explode separately). This is, of course, especially problematic with players who are new to the system, but even for experienced Savage Worlders the fact is that it's just a slow and pretty fiddly resolution mechanic compared to what I'm now used to (to attack: roll a d20 and look up the result on a table*).

2. The use of miniatures. Of course the use of miniatures is theoretically optional in most roleplaying games, including Savage Worlds, but SW is one of the more mini-oriented games I've come across. There's a lot of talk of things like adjacent squares, blast radii (in squares), squares of movement rate, etc etc. It lends a skirmish / wargame feel to the game (which, if I remember correctly, is actually its origin). This is fine for certain sorts of game (I'd consider using Savage Worlds for an explicitly battle oriented game, for instance), but for general roleplaying I prefer to not use minis at all, and can't be bothered with all this counting out squares of movement, ranges, and so on.


The tagline of Savage Worlds is "Fast, Furious Fun!". I think this is very relative. Compared to basic (old-school) D&D, for example, it's not fast at all. Compared to more modern D&D 3 derived games, I guess it probably is fast. I'd say it's about the same as 1st edition AD&D played with individual initiative, segments, the full monty.

Once again I come away internally praising the glory of the sleek OD&D or B/X rules!

* I'm beginning to wonder whether a simple table lookup is actually faster than rolling a die and adding a modifier. You know, one of the main proposed benefits of the ascending AC system is that it doesn't require a table lookup. It does, however, replace that lookup with an addition or subtraction of the d20 result with the attack modifier. I'm not sure that's quicker.

Supporting My First Kickstarter

Over the last six months or so, we've seen many many RPG kickstarter / indiegogo / crowd-funding campaigns come and go. Up till now, though I've been very close to supporting a few, I've never "bitten the bullet".

My first support has gone to John Adams' Appendix N Adventures kickstarter!

Why this campaign? ...I want adventures! After a lifetime of only running adventures I've written, I've recently started running bought modules as one-shots, outside of the on-going campaign, and have really enjoyed it! I don't own the DCC RPG (well, I have the beta PDF), so I guess I'd run the adventures with Labyrinth Lord or Swords & Wizardry, assuming they're easily compatible.

John / Brave Halfling is a trusted name in the old-school scene, and from everything I've seen of him around on forums and so on, seems like a super nice guy. Even if only the basic goal had been met, we'd be getting two modules for $20, which is pretty good value I think. Now the campaign's nearing its end, we're getting six modules for $20 (the minimum pledge required to get everything), and possibly a campaign setting tying them all together, if the final stretch goal is reached! Now that's what I call amazing value!

I think John's honesty is what attracted me to the campaign. It seems he's got these modules he wants to get out there, has worked out a realistic amount of money he'd need to get things going, and that's that. Here's what he writes on the subject:

"Lots of folks have asked me why I set the “sweet spot” for this Kickstarter so low ($20) and how could I possibly be making any money off of it? That is a fair question and I would like to answer it here. In my 4+ years of hobby publishing I have learned a few things by trial and effort, by researching the industry, and by making many mistakes. This new line is exactly the kind of products I love to create! And this Kickstarter will enable me to create each of them in the quantities and at the level of quality I desire for them. For the first couple of years of BHP, I was able to fund projects out of my own pocket. But like so many people in our culture, I ended up being unemployed and underemployed for 13 of the last 24 months - and that reduced my ability to fund new projects. On the bright side, as our budget became tighter and tighter, my family and I have ended up spending more and more time playing games around the kitchen table. I know other families have as well. Times are still hard for many people. Each of these digest modules will retail anywhere from $5.95 to $8.95 (depending upon their size) and provide a session or two of gaming. That is very affordable. My goal for this Kickstarter has never been about making as much money as possible. Honestly, I am not sure using Kickstarter that way is very ethical. No, from the beginning, my goal has been to raise enough money to get this new line of products going and I am more than happy to provide all the modules and bonus goals in this Kickstarter to supporters at a greatly reduced rate (compared to the retail price) as my way of thanking them for providing me with the funds to release these modules in the quantities and at the level of quality they deserve."

D&D Mine: The Slayer

Following the Magus and Fighter, next up in the class roster (and, yes, I am just sticking to the "classic four") is my take on the Cleric.

Regular readers and/or players in my games may be surprised to hear that I would even want to include a Cleric style class, as I am usually a notorious fun-spoiler where the class is concerned. However, I've always said that if I were to run a campaign in a setting which would suit some kind of holy warrior class, then I'd allow them.

As I noted originally, these rules for D&D Mine are specifically tailored to a campaign setting which I'm working on. The setting is very much historically inspired, and, while it has fantasy elements like wizards, demons and undead, a Catholic style Church is an important element. Thus: what better excuse for an inquisitor / witch-hunter type Cleric class!

I've had some trouble coming up with a good name for the class, and am as yet unsure about the name "Slayer". "Cleric" and "Paladin" are right out, as they bring too many expectations from traditional D&D, and imply an ordained clergyman or a knight in shining armour, neither of which describe this class very well. Other names I've considered include "Hunter" (thought that sounds like a woodsman), "Seeker" (but of what?), "Warden" (again, a bit too game-keepery), "Arbiter"... If anyone has any suggestions, please go ahead!

The rest of this post is designated Open Gaming Content according to the Open Gaming License.

The Slayer

You are a warrior zealot, serving the Church in order to battle the evil forces of the world. Slayers often specialise in the rooting out and eradication of one particular kind of foe, taking on roles such as vampire slayers, witch-hunters, demon exorcists, inquisitors, etc. Slayers are typically not ordained priests, but can often receive aid and advice from the clergy.

As warriors imbued with a holy purpose, Slayers are very capable combatants, being able to stand shoulder to shoulder with Fighters. Their faith also grants them access to a variety of miraculous abilities to help fight against evil.

Table 3: Slayer Advancement

Level	XP	d6 HD	BHB	ST
1	0	1	+0	14
2	1,500	2	+0	13
3	3,000	3	+1	12
4	6,000	4	+1	11
5	12,000	5	+2	10
6	24,000	6	+2	9
7	48,000	7	+3	8
8	96,000	8	+3	7
9	192,000	9	+4	6
10	384,000	10	+4	5

Slayer Class Abilities

XP Modified by Wisdom: The Wisdom Modifier applies to XP gained by this class.

Saving Throw: Slayers get +1 on saving throws vs. death and poison.

Weapon/Armour Restrictions: Slayers have no armour or weapon restrictions.

Divine Blessings: Slayers gain a number of divine blessings based on their Wisdom attribute.

Wisdom	Divine Blessings
13 - 15	1
16 - 17	2
18	3

Blessings are chosen at 1st level and can never be changed. They are usable at will, without any limitation of a specific number of uses per day.

Immunity to Disease: The Slayer is guarded by the divine, and is immune to all normal diseases. He or she also gains a +4 bonus to saving throws vs. magical diseases.

Protection from Evil: The character gains a +2 bonus to saves against the powers of evil supernatural creatures, and has an effective armour class one point better than normal against their attacks.

Reveal Charm: Possession or magicks of charm or mind control can be detected within 30'. One round's concentration is required.

Sense Evil: The presence and magnitude of evil supernatural creatures can be detected within 30'. This takes one round of concentration.

Smite Evil: The Slayer gains a +1 bonus on to-hit and damage rolls against a chosen type of foe.

Succour: When resting, characters in the Slayer's presence regain one additional hit point, up to the maximum allowed per Hit Die (see Hit Points in the game rules chapter).

Banishing Evil: Slayers can “turn” evil supernatural creatures such as demons and the undead, making them flee from the Slayer's holiness. See the chapter on Game Rules.

Holy Benedictions: As a devoted servant of the Church, a Slayer of 2nd level or higher is able to receive benedictions by praying at shrines dedicated to the saints. Each shrine is dedicated to a certain saint, and each saint is able to grant a different benediction upon the faithful. See the chapter on Game Rules for further details.

Many shrines and the benedictions of their patron saints are detailed in the Saints and Shrines booklet.

Dying Earth Spell Name Generator

An excellent and amusing random generator I just came across:

http://generators.christopherpound.com/dyingearth.html

D&D Mine: The Fighter

Following on from Wednesday's post about the Magus, here's may take on the Fighter class.

One point which might be noted here is how I'm giving each class some kind of benefit based on the prime requisite. These class-specific extras use the B/X style modifiers (+1 for 13-15, +2 for 16-17, +3 for 18), whereas the standard ability modifiers are of the Swords & Wizardry style (+1 for 13-18). So, for example, any character with Strength above 12 gets a +1 to-hit bonus, but only Fighters also get a bonus to damage from a high Strength attribute.

Also note that the Fighter starts with a +1 base hit bonus.

The rest of this post is designated Open Gaming Content according to the Open Gaming License.

The Fighter

You are a warrior, trained in battle and in the use of armour and weapons. Perhaps you are a ferocious raider, a roaming mercenary, or a noble knight. Whatever type of Fighter you choose to play, you will probably end up on the front lines of your adventuring party, going toe-to-toe with the enemy, hacking your way through them and taking the brunt of their attacks.

The Fighter character class is best equipped of all the character classes to dish out and absorb damage.

You’re going to serve as the party’s sword and shield, protecting the weaker party members and taking down the enemies before you. Perhaps one day they will tell legends of your battle prowess, and followers will flock to your castle stronghold – where you revel in your fame, riches, and newly earned nobility. Fail, of course, and you will die – just another forgotten warrior in a dangerous world.

Table 5: Fighter Advancement

Level	XP	d8 HD	BHB	ST
1	0	1	+1	16
2	2,000	2	+2	15
3	4,000	3	+3	14
4	8,000	4	+4	13
5	16,000	5	+5	12
6	32,000	6	+6	11
7	64,000	7	+7	10
8	128,000	8	+8	9
9	256,000	9	+9	8
10	512,000	10	+10	7

Fighter Class Abilities

XP Modified by Strength: The Strength Modifier applies to XP gained by this class.

Saving Throw: Fighters get +1 on saving throws vs. death and poisons.

Weapon/Armour Restrictions: Fighters are trained in warfare and as such have no armour or weapon restrictions.

Combat Might: Fighters are trained to use their strength to inflict extra damage in melee combat.

Strength	Melee Damage Bonus
13 - 15	+1
16 - 17	+2
18	+3

Combat Specialisations: Fighters gain special bonuses in combat, due to their intensive training. Some possible areas of specialisation are listed below. At 1st level a Fighter can choose one of these specialisations. A further specialisation is gained at 3rd, 6th and 9th levels.

Heavy Armour Specialist: The Fighter is so accustomed to wearing armour that he is less encumbered by it. He can reduce the encumbrance category of his armour by one (thus, heavy armour counts as medium, and medium armour counts as light). See Movement in the game rules chapter.

Parry: The character fights with a defensive stance – his armour class in melee improves by 1, and he gains an additional +2 bonus when purely defensive in combat (see Parrying in the game rules chapter). These advantages are only gained when the Fighter is armed with a melee weapon.

Resilience: The character has been through so much hardship that his body has toughened up. He gains an additional wound point.

Shield Expert: When using a large shield (see equipment) the Fighter's armour class improves by an additional point.

Specialist Weapon: +1 to hit and damage with chosen type of weapon.

Surprise Attack: When making a melee attack by surprise, the character inflicts an additional die of damage.

Two Weapon Fighting: Training in this fighting technique allows the Fighter to choose to gain an armour class bonus of 1 instead of the usual +1 to-hit bonus for wielding two weapons (see Two-Weapon Fighting in the game rules chapter). This option may be chosen on a round by round basis.

Theorems & Thaumaturgy: Nearly There!

I've just received a batch more illustrations from Cadanse D, and added them into the document for the book. Above is her gorgeous illustration for the spell spying sigil.

Having included all this new artwork, I exported a PDF of the book and scanned through it to get an overview of how many illustrations there are now, and how well distributed they are through the text. I was delighted to find that no more than two pages pass now without an illustration! And I'm still expecting ten or so more illustrations from another artist. It's going to be a very good looking book!

D&D Mine: The Magus

Here's a small sample from the work-in-progress with my early Modern inspired D&D Mine. The Magus class is fairly close kin to the standard magic-user, but has altered, non-Vancian, mechanics for spell casting, and a simple system of spell acquisition. 

The rest of this post is designated Open Gaming Content according to the Open Gaming License.

The Magus

The Magus is a mysterious figure, a student of arcane powers and spell casting. Usually cloaked in robes woven with mystical symbols, Magi can be devastating opponents. However, they are usually physically weaker than other adventuring classes, and are untrained in the use of armour and weapons.

As Magi progress in level, they generally become the most powerful of the character classes, but at lower levels they are quite vulnerable and must be protected by the other party members. Perhaps one day, though, you will rise to such heights of power that you can build a mystically protected tower for your researches, create fabulous magic items, and scribe new formulae for hitherto unknown spells. Such arch-mages can sway the politics of kingdoms, and command respect and fear across the realms.

Table 6: Magus Advancement

Level	XP	d4 HD	BHB	ST
1	0	1	+0	15
2	2,500	2	+0	14
3	5,000	3	+0	13
4	10,000	4	+0	12
5	20,000	5	+0	11
6	40,000	6	+0	10
7	80,000	7	+0	9
8	160,000	8	+0	8
9	320,000	9	+0	7
10	640,000	10	+0	6

Table 7: Magus Known Spells

	Spell Level
Level	1	2	3	4	5
1	2	–	–	–	–
2	4	–	–	–	–
3	6	2	–	–	–
4	8	4	–	–	–
5	8	4	2	–	–
6	8	4	4	–	–
7	8	6	4	2	–
8	8	6	6	4	–
9	8	6	6	4	2
10	8	8	6	4	4

Magus Class Abilities

XP Modified by Intelligence: The Intelligence Modifier applies to XP gained by this class.

Saving Throw: Magi get +2 on saving throws vs. magic.

Weapon/Armor Restrictions: Magi tend to spend their waking hours in study of arcane tomes and scrolls, and as such tend to not have much training in combat. They may use any weapons, but suffer a -2 penalty to hit with all weapons except daggers or staves. Likewise, while Magi may wear whatever armour they choose, their lack of training means that they gain no benefit from it – the protective benefits being negated by the unaccustomed bulk.

Spell Casting: A Magus has mastered the formulae for a number of spells depending on his level. These spells may be cast freely, but each time a spell is cast it fatigues the Magus, draining his hit points (see Game Rules).

Starting Spells: A starting Magus has learned his initial spells either from an Arch-mage or from studying a spell book or arcane library. The player should choose one of the spell books, libraries and Arch-mages which are described in the magic booklet. The Magus' initial spells are then determined randomly by rolling on the list of spells available from the chosen source.

Learning New Spells: Upon gaining a level a Magus is able to learn new spells, according to the known spells table, from any available sources. If a Magus has no available sources he will have to wait to learn new spells.

Specialist Knowledge: Magi spend much of their lives absorbed in the study of obscure and esoteric areas of knowledge. From his education, a Magus character can choose a number of specialist areas of knowledge, based on his or her Intelligence attribute. These are fields of study which the character has researched during his or her education, and represent learning far beyond what is common knowledge. Instead of an area of specialist knowledge, an additional 1st level spell can be chosen, if the player wishes.

Intelligence	Areas of Specialist Knowledge
13 - 15	1
16 - 17	2
18	3

Some example areas of specialist knowledge are given below, but players and Referees should feel free to invent others. The use of these areas of expertise is left open to interpretation and improvisation.

Alchemy: The study of the physical substances of the world, and how their admixture and transformation can give insight into the world of spirit.

Ancient History: Detailed knowledge of the history and legends of one or more ancient cultures.

Ancient Languages: A Magus with this specialism would not be penalised when making Language skill rolls to understand ancient or dead languages.

Arcane Languages: Various esoteric languages, which fall outside of the scope of the Languages skill, are possible areas of study for a Magus. Examples would include Faerie or angelic tongues, or the languages of birds or burrowing animals.

Astrology / Astronomy: An intimate knowledge of the stars, planets and constellations. The Magus may be able to perform minor divinations by studying the night sky.

Demonology: Study of the various types and ranks of demons, and their powers and vulnerabilities.

Herbalism: Knowledge of wild and cultivated plants, and their effects on the human body.

Medicine and Anatomy: The study of the human body, its organs and their functions.

Undead: Study of the various types of undead creatures, and their powers and vulnerabilities.