Fantasy Friday: Some Thoughts on Domain Management...

Good Afternoon, All:

For today's Fantasy Friday post, I wanted to take a few minutes to collect some thoughts on domain management. I've recently been reading An Echo Resounding by Sine Nomine Publishing, and that sparked a thought in me to return to the concept of players involved in the original "end game" pursuit of developing lands and acting on a regional scale. I like a lot of the basic approach behind An Echo Resounding. Given that I'm an itinerant rules tinker, and that I'm currently playing Savage Worlds, I can't help but consider how I would approach such an issue. That has sent me in a mad scurry to read other domain management systems, such as Birthright and Kingmaker. Below are some of my initial thoughts:

First, I want a system that's fast and easy to use, particularly for the players. If it's easy for me, too, then that's even better. This pretty much means a system with one action per round (or multiple actions if you are willing to take a penalty to your efforts, in standard Savage Worlds fare.)

Second, I want something that mimics the general way that combat works, or at least how mass combat works, so that it is easy for the players to pick up. The more concept in common with existing rules mechanics, the better.

Third, I want something reasonably generic, so I don't have to generate a list of parts to buy, and add to it every time a player gets a wild idea. If they want a holding or asset that helps with trade, for example, they describe it and then we assign a category (such as Trade) and a rating (such as Medium) to determine how it integrates with the basic framework.

Fourth, I want enough options to provide flavor, but not so many that I drown in them. Too many options leads to Option Paralysis, which stalls the game. That's not good.

Fifth, I want a way that adventuring can integrate into the rules, so that I can replace a specific action with the results of an adventure, if the players decide they want to play something out. Everyone likes to see that their efforts impact the outcome, and that opportunity should be supported by the system I'm creating.

As you can probably guess, I've already got the majority of a system outlined, but not yet formalized. When it is ready, I'll post it here for your thoughts. Still, I thought I'd at least give you some insight into what's recently been bouncing around in my head.

Enjoy Your Weekend,
Flynn

Fantasy Friday: Sandbox Encounters From A To Z...

Good Afternoon, All:

For today's installment of Fantasy Friday, I wanted to discuss my plans for next month's A-Z Challenge. The goal for the A-Z Challenge is to write 26 posts in the month of April, one a day except for a given day per week (usually Sunday). The topic of each post starts with a different letter of the alphabet, creating a series of hopefully related posts that your readers will find entertaining or at least useful.

While I know that I'm moving most of this blog toward Traveller, the month of April is going to be all about fantasy, because it is admittedly easier to write for. In my case, I'm going to focus on Sandbox Encounters. I intend to write up 26 different encounter types I can use in my Madlands Campaign, to help when I need a random encounter in my game. Of course, these can be used by fantasy GMs with minimal changes, particularly if you're running a sandbox campaign or a game set in the Hammersong's Legacy campaign setting. With a little creativity, many of these encounters can be used in other genres as well. (Well, maybe not the supernatural encounters, but the rest should be good.)

The basics of Sandbox Encounters can be found in my post entitled Inspired by Red Tide: The Shadow Syndicate Encounters, although I'm changing it up just a little bit. In essence, I'm looking at the following write-up format, which is a simplified version of the Red Tide write-up, but suitable for my own purposes. Note that I'm not including stat blocks in my version, although I may, if I have the time and motivation to do so.

Sandbox Encounter Format:

1. Brief Description. This will be a paragraph describing the encountered creature or type in general.
2. Encounter Groups. This section provides three different encounters of escalating power levels: Novice (levels 1-3), Seasoned (levels 4-6) and Veteran (levels 7-10), to borrow terms from Savage Worlds. Each simply lists the members of such a group, and provides some basic treasure for the encounter.
3. Encounter Ideas. This d6 table will contain six different scenarios that the GM can either choose directly, randomly select, or use as inspiration for a given encounter.

I am currently looking at detailing the following Sandbox Encounters:

1. Adventurers' Expedition
2. Banth
3. Canker Hound
4. Dinosaur
5. Earth Drake
6. Fyrcat
7. Giant
8. Horror From Beyond
9. Iron Golem
10. Jackal Lord
11. Kelshani
12. Lupiscupine
13. Mantid
14. Night Hag Cult
15. Ogre
16. Pyrolisk
17. Quickling
18. Revenant
19. Serpentfolk
20. Troll
21. Unicorn
22. Vulturan
23. White Ape
24. Xenophobic Patrol
25. Yakshini
26. Zegoth

If you have any other suggestions than the ones above. please feel free to make them. I'm pretty open, and I'm sure my players would enjoy a few surprises, so long as they fit the flavor of the setting.

With Regards,
Flynn

Fantasy Friday: On Mind Mapping...

Good Afternoon, All:

For this Fantasy Friday, I wanted to talk about a GMing tool that I've recently discovered and started using for campaign and adventure development. It's called mind mapping. A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid to studying and organizing information, solving problems, making decisions, and writing. You can make them using pen and paper, or you can use software like FreeMind.

Mind mapping works best as a form of brainstorming. You are getting ideas out there as quickly as you can, using the branching lines to help you organize the ideas in some form of structure. You may not use all of the ideas you capture. However, in the early stages of campaign development or adventure design, getting everything out there is very important.

One possible use for mind maps might be to capture notes and thoughts on adventure ideas for individual PCs without your campaign. Simply create a new mind map for each character in the game, and spend 5-15 minutes reviewing the character's character sheet and backstory, making notes on adventure ideas as you do so. An hour's worth of your time may produce some great ideas for adventures and even campaign seeds that will give you many sessions of enjoyment. I think that's a great return on your investment.

If you'd like to know more, you might check out the following links:
http://www.campaignmastery.com/blog/freemind-tips-for-game-masters/
http://blog.lemmi.at/?p=456

Hope This Helps,
Flynn

Fantasy Friday: Sword & Planet RPG, First Draft...

Good Afternoon, All:

I've posted the first rough draft of the Sword & Planet RPG for your review. You can download the file at:
https://sites.google.com/site/flynnsfiles/my-gaming-files/SwordAndPlanetRPG.pdf?attredirects=0&d=1

Bear in mind that it is still a work in progress, and that there's a lot of data and layout work that is still missing. However, since I said I'd have it up today, I figured I should at least post what I have.

Please feel free to check it out, and give me any feedback you might have. I'll work on getting an updated version up next week.

Enjoy,
Flynn

Fantasy Friday: Free Sword & Planet Ruleset Coming Soon...

Good Afternoon, All:

For Fantasy Friday today, I thought I'd mention that I'm pulling together all the Sword & Planet material I've posted into a single document, along with material I hadn't posted previously. I will make this document available sometime next week (probably around my birthday on March 8th.) This document will be available for free, simply to share those creative efforts with others. I'm doing this in part to honor or celebrate the new movie "John Carter of Mars", but mostly because I just love Planetary Romance gaming. I hope that my contributions will help others enjoy more of it themselves.

The book itself will contain all the rules needed to play a game in this exciting genre, as well as a small bestiary of foes inspired by the Barsoom series of novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I will be releasing the entire thing under the Open Gaming License, so other publishers can use it as they see fit.

The list of character races will be simple, and will likely include one or two species from different planetary romance series. Obviously, human (Earthmen) will be the preferred race, but local humans of varying skin colors, as well as a large multi-limbed giant (ala the Green Martians), and one or two other options would be good to have in the rules for creativity purposes. Any suggestions on this particular point would be greatly appreciated.

Anyway, I just wanted to share the news of my intentions with you, and ask for your thoughts, concerns and feedback on the idea. I will likely have no artwork in the document unless I can find some good public domain art that inspires a Sword & Planet game. If any of you have any suggestions of where I might find something of that ilk, please feel free to let me know.

With Regards,
Flynn

Fantasy Friday: Cultural Analogs and World Consolidation...

Good Afternoon, All:

Earlier this week, I started looking over my go-to general list of cultural analogs for fantasy world creation, and made a few notes regarding the Consolidated World concept I've been slowly working toward. The basic list of cultural analogs (and I include the traditional AD&D/D&D racial stereotypes as analogs as well) that I like to use can be found below. I've also included names of kingdoms or regions for my Consolidated World as a reminder to myself of campaigns in the past that I should be stealing from to help put this personal campaign setting together. In some cases, I'm using names newly created, for those instances where I haven't developed cultural analogs in that direction as yet. Obviously, I'm still reviewing my options for some of these.

In your own campaign worlds, do you use cultural analogs? If so, how many do you use, and what have you named them? (Warning: I may steal some of the better names for my own personal use, if they resonate with me.)

Cultural Analog	Kingdom/Region Name
Aboriginal	Kurai Tribes
Afrikaner	Akirfa/Kwankala
Ancient Egypt	Sudan/Badari Dynasty
Ancient Greek	Synovia
Arabic/Moor	Al-Morava
Aztec	Mazteklan
Babylonian/Sumerian	Ubedian City-States
Caribbean	Stefari Islands
Carthage	Kenaani League/Sydonian Hegemony
Chinese	Husan/Legacy of Krang/Rokim
Dwarven	Duar Triumvirate
Elven	Arcadia
England/Camelot	Britannia/Valeria
France	Massalia
Gaul	Galatos/Keltos
Gorean	Port Kar
Halfling/Valefolk	Vale of the Lady
Ice Age/Inuit	Frigea
Inca	Tawantin
Indonesia	Bengkali
Japanese	Isles of Zai
Korean	Gojosan
Maya	Yukatesh
Mongols	Donghan Hordes
Native American Tribal	Merokee Lands
Norse	Vinland
Orcish	Malnoth Tyranny
Persia	Media
Roman	Achea
Russian	Gardariki/Khazarea
Slavic	Pasalovakia
Spain	Iberia

Enjoy,
Flynn

Fantasy Friday: The City of Skulls...

Good Afternoon, All:

Here's a location that I'm using in my current Madlands Campaign. This particular site was inspired by the City of Human Skulls described in Edgar Rice Burrough's Out of Time's Abyss. Of course, I had to jazz it up and introduce several campaign elements, basically making the locale my own as I integrated it into the campaign.

My campaign world includes Hawkfolk in the mountain ranges, taking the place of such avian species as the aarakocra or the raptorans. However, the name aarakocra is just too cool and too classically D&D not to find its way into my game. That's why this clan of warped Hawkfolk are called the Kokora, and their aerie-city thus becomes the Aerie Kokora. It was fun to watch the faces of the players that got it when I first gave them the lore as part of an earlier adventure.

My players have gathered a majority of the information below, so I don't feel bad about posting this for your thoughts and insights. As always, your thoughts, comments and constructive feedback are always appreciated.

Aerie Kokora
Location Name: The City of Skulls, The Aerie of Clan Kokora
Ambiance: The Aerie of Clan Kokora resembles adobe pueblos with humanoid skulls in the walls, along ledges and eaves, etc. Built for an avian race, most upper rooms have opening in the ceiling to the outside. On roofs, one can see columns topped with human skulls, painted white and blue/red/yellow (mostly blue).
History: Once a city of Hawkfolk, its citizens converted to the worship of Kalima, Mistress of Murder. The Hawkfolk of Clan Kokora are now corrupted and twisted by demonic influences. Assassination and murder are now the defining characteristics that determine social position and advancement.
Encounters: Encounters in this area are generally with Kokora or dinosaurs (in underground caverns and surrounding jungle regions).
Treasures: The Holy Anvil of Dworkin is kept within Kalima's Tower. Chests of treasures taken off of victims captured via fly-by attacks at night are also abundant throughout the city.
Hooks and Hotspots: The River of the Dead flows beneath the city, where remains are dumped for removal. Several caves and caverns along the path of the underground river serve as lairs for creatures such as otyughs and vermin. Kalima's Tower (a Temple to Kalima) serves as the palace for 'He Who Speaks For Kalima', the Priest-King of Clan Kokora. The Kokora do take slaves, which they frequently sacrifice to Kalima at the new moon.

Life Level: Medium (High outside the city, but Low inside the city)
Hazard Level: High
Difficult Terrain Density: High (built for flying people)
Resource Level: Low

Herbivores: Stegosaurus, triceratops
Predators: Tyrannosaurs
Scavengers: Pterodactyls, osquip, scavenger worms, velociraptors
Hazards: See humanoids
Humanoids: Kokora, humanoid slaves/sacrifices
Exotic: Otyughs

2d6	Encounter
2	Otyugh
3	Humanoid Slaves/sacrifices
4	Kokoran Priest/ess
5	Scavenger Worms
6	Osquip
7	Kokoran Clan Patrol
8	Velociraptors
9	Pterodactyls
10	Triceratops
11	Stegosaurus
12	Tyrannosaur

With Regards,
Flynn

Fantasy Friday: A Lordly Petition (A One Shot Adventure)...

Good Afternoon, All:

It's time for another installment of Fantasy Fridays. Today, I thought I'd write up a brief One Shot using a pretty major variation of the my One Page Plot format. I'm in the process of writing up some adventures to put in my GM Notebook, and figured that sharing one of them might be helpful, particularly in terms of getting feedback and additional suggestions. As inspiration, I am using Polti's 36 Dramatic Situations to inspire this particular round of adventure creation. The theme for this One Shot is Supplication.

Plot Name: A Lordly Petition

Synopsis: The Lord-Mayor of a frontier town must send the PCS to present a request for assistance before his Liege to protect his lands from a Raiding Warlord.

NPC Goals: The four primary NPCs involved in this adventure follow.

• Lord-Mayor: A retired guardsman, the Lord-Mayor is a wiry, loyal warrior. Given the ferocity of the recent attacks by the Raiding Warlord, the Lord-Mayor seeks to hold out long enough for the Liege's reinforcements to arrive. If he cannot hold out, then he will stay behind to hold the raiders off while guards escort his wife and daughter to safety.
• Liege: A gluttonous man, the Liege is a rotund yet competent administrator of the lands under his control. The Liege desires to conserve as much of his resources as possible, so that there's more money in his coffers for fine wine and epicurean delicacies.
• Raiding Warlord: A talented tactician turned rogue, the Raiding Warlord is a stern, cruel warlord. Leading his band of mercenaries, the Raiding Warlord has been secretly hired by the Neighboring Lord to raid the lands of the Lord-Mayor and create havoc. Unbeknownst to the Neighboring Lord, the Raiding Warlord also seeks a magical relic that is rumored to be in the possession of the Lord-Mayor.
• Neighboring Lord: An ambitious, scarred fencer, the Neighboring Lord inherited his title from his father. The Neighboring Lord desires the Lord-Mayor's daughter, and hired the Raiding Warlord in the hopes that the raids will force the Lord-Mayor to send his daughter to him for protection. In addition, the Neighboring Lord is willing to hire an assassin to kill the Lord-Mayor and his wife using the Raiding Warlord as the scapegoat for the murders, so that he can petition the Liege for the Lord-Mayor's daughter's hand in marriage. If push comes to shove, he'll even volunteer his own guards as reinforcements to put himself in the position to make that happen.

Locales: The four primary locations that may potentially be involved in this adventure follow.

• Frontier Town: This small walled village holds the manor of the Lord-Mayor, and has been recently filling up with refugees from the outlying farms impacted by the Raiding Warlord.
• Liege's Court: The high court of the region, this is the place where petitions are made and justice is meted out.
• Boar Woods: This small forest is owned by the Liege, and serves as his private hunting reserve. A minor trade route leads through the woods from the Lord-Mayor's lands to the Liege's castle; and might make a good place for ambushes from either the Raiding Warlord or the Neighboring Lord.
• Raider's Camp: The base camp for the raiders, this hidden location on the frontier holds most of the treasures captured by the Raiding Warlord, as well as the bulk of his mercenary forces when they are not out raiding.

Plot Hooks: The player-characters may become actively engaged in this scenario through the plot hooks that follow.

• Hired To Deliver The Petition: The party might be hired by the Lord-Mayor (or they may volunteer after a raid) to deliver the petition and secure reinforcements against the forces of the Raiding Warlord.
• Hired To Recover The Magical Relic: The Raiding Warlord may hire the party to infiltrate the Lord-Mayor's township and recover the magical relic believed to be in the Lord-Mayor's possession.
• Hired To Stop The Petitioners: The Neighboring Lord or the Raiding Warlord may hire the party to stop the petitioners from delivering the petition to the Liege.
• Hired To Kill The Lord-Mayor: The Neighboring Lord may hire the party to enter into the Lord-Mayor's good graces and then assassinate the Lord-Mayor and his wife. They must make it look like the Raiding Warlord is behind the assassination.

Possible Challenges: Some possible non-combat challenges that empower the party to attempt either a roleplaying or skills-based resolution instead of a combat resolution can be found below.

• Petitioning the Liege: The party may have to present the petition to the Liege in court, and argue on behalf of the Lord-Mayor to receive reinforcements. Failure: No reinforcements. Partial Success: Reinforcements offered by the Neighboring Lord. Success: Reinforcements from both the Liege and the Neighboring Lord.
• Searching the Lord-Mayor's Manor: The party may have to stealth into the Lord-Mayor's manor in search of the magical relic sought by the Raiding Warlord. Failure: The Lord-Mayor attempts to arrest and imprison the party as thieves. Partial Success: The party does not find any relic, but does have a chance to obtain some treasure; the Lord-Mayor puts a bounty on the head of whoever stole from him. Success: The party discover a treasure map that points to where the relic is buried.
• Learning the Petitioners' Plans: The party may have to somehow figure out the petitioners' plans if they are going to intercept the Lord-Mayor's petition. Failure: Must follow the petitioners and hope they catch up; alternately, may be hired to assassinate the Lord-Mayor and his wife instead. Partial Success: Learn of the petitioners' plans in time to arrange an ambush, but the petitioners become aware someone is following them and are more wary. Success: Learn of the petitioners' plans in time to arrange an ambush, and the petitioners do not suspect a thing.
• Finding the Raider's Camp: The party may attempt to track down the Raider's Camp through a combination of tracking and interviewing survivors. Failure: Find an abandoned camp that was used by the raiders until a week or two ago. Partial Success: Find the Raider's Camp, but are detected in the process. Success: Find the Raider's Camp without being detected.

Possible Confrontations: This scenario may include combat encounters that are most easily resolved through warskill and prowess, such as those that follow.

• Ambushed By Raiders: En route to the Liege's castle, the party may have to fend off an ambush by raiders. Alternately, the party may be the ambushers that are attacking the petitioners. Failure: Those not slain are captured and interrogated for information. Partial Success: At least some members of the party survive to continue the mission. Success: As Partial Success, plus receive a clue that the Neighboring Lord and the Raiding Warlord are in league with one another. (In the alternate scenario, the party gets what they came for, in addition to surviving.)
• Obtaining the Buried Treasure: In following the map, the party discovers that the relic has been buried in a cave that has since become an animal lair. Failure: At least one member of the party gets eaten, and no one can access the buried treasure. Partial Success: The party slay the beast(s), but cannot locate the buried treasure. Success: As Partial Success, except they also recover the buried treasure.
• Attacked By Assassins: The party may  have to deal with assassins sent by either the Neighboring Lord or the Raiding Warlord, depending on their past actions and successes/failures. Failure: At least one member of the party is incapacitated or slain, and the assassins accomplish their goal. Partial Success: The party fights off the assassins, who flee to report back to their employer. Success: As Partial Success, except no assassin survives.
• Attacking the Raider's Camp: The party may attempt to attack the raiders. Failure: At least one member of the party is incapacitated or slain, and the party is unable to stop the raiders. Partial Success: The party slays enough of the raiders to break their morale, who flee the camp to report back to the Raiding Warlord. Success: As Partial Success, except no raider survives to report to the Raiding Warlord.

Possible Complications: This scenario may include encounters that embody a plot complication that must be overcome, such as the ones that follow.

• Boar Woods Bridge Is Out: In an effort to hinder the movement of the party, an enemy has burned the Boar Woods Bridge, leaving the party to figure another way across the river.
• Angry Refugees: A small camp of refugees left homeless by the Raiding Warlord and kicked out of the Lord-Mayor's village for disruptive behavior attempt to take out their anger on the party.
• The Lord-Mayor's Daughter: Impressed by the stories of her father's adventures, the Lord-Mayor's Daughter is looking for a dashing adventurer to develop a crush on. She will sneak into his room when she can, or follow him when he leaves, only to get into trouble and need to be rescued. This won't settle well with the Lord-Mayor.

Possible Climaxes: The final encounter that should represent the biggest and most dangerous encounter of the adventure. This section should also include some notes on possible consequences of success and failure, and a sentence on how to tell when the adventure is over, whichever path the players decide to take.

• The Big Battle: The forces of the Raiding Warlord and the Lord-Mayor meet in a final, climactic battle. During the battle, efforts are made to assassinate the Lord-Mayor and his wife.
• Attack on the Lord-Mayor: The party is involved in either defending the Lord-Mayor and his family, or trying to kill them, depending on who hired them. This should be a big fight in the Lord-Mayor's manor, possibly involving more than two factions in the fight (Lord-Mayor, Raiding Warlord, Neighboring Lord).

The adventure is over when any of the following conditions are met:

• The Raiding Warlord is defeated (or pretends to be defeated after acquiring the relic.)
• The Lord-Mayor is slain and his daughter delivered to the Neighboring Lord.
• The party demonstrates that the Neighboring Lord has hired the Raiding Warlord to attack the Lord-Mayor, and the results of that action has been resolved.
• The party delivers the petition, then elects not to return with them to defend the village.
• The party obtains the magical relic, then elects not to take it to the Raiding Warlord and flees.

Rewards: In addition to whatever payment is negotiated for the party's service, the equipment carried by their enemies adds to their reward. If they track down the Raider's Camp, then the raiders' treasure becomes part of their reward. If the party decides to track down the relic and keep it for themselves, that also becomes a part of their reward.

Obviously, this approach is much more open than normal, with a very fluid suggested structure that does not dictate the actual flow of events. After reading the above, do you have any suggestions on improving the core scenario? What do you think of the organization of data?

Thanks In Advance,
Flynn

Fantasy Friday: Thoughts on Character Themes...

Good Afternoon, All:

It's time for another installment of Fantasy Fridays. Today, I'd like to discuss the concept of character themes. I believe I've mentioned them before, when discussing Background Abilities, although not necessarily by that name. From the interviews I've read regarding the seminars at DDXP last weekend, it seems that themes will potentially play a significant role in 5th Edition D&D (5E) character development, at least optionally so. Similar in concept to AD&D 2nd Edition's character kits, the theme provides certain abilities to a character based on its origin, background or affiliation.

Under 4E, themes provide the following benefits:

• You automatically gain the theme’s granted power.
• You can choose to take additional theme powers when you reach the appropriate level.
• You unlock feats or paragon paths that use the theme as a prerequisite.

Offered in comparison, the character kits of AD&D 2nd Edition offer the following potential benefits:

• You might gain access to bonus languages.
• You might have changes to forbidden or permissible weapons.
• You might gain bonus non-weapon proficiencies.
• You typically gain one or two special abilities.
• You might gain one or two hindrances.

Looking at the common elements, I'd guess that 5E character themes will likely grant the following:

• You automatically gain some bonus to skill checks or ability checks related to your theme.
• You may gain a special ability specific to your theme.
• You may gain access to special abilities as your character develops, which replace special abilities that you would normally get.
• You may also gain a special hindrance or two, depending on your theme.

Translating that to MyD20 Lite, a character theme would provide the following:

• You gain a bonus skill related to your theme.
• You gain a talent related to your theme at 1st level.
• You gain access to talents at higher levels that are reserved for the theme.
• You gain a special hindrance related to your theme.

Note that in my version, a special hindrance is mandatory. I believe that character flaws enhance roleplaying. If I'm going to give away a free skill and a free talent, I feel it's only fair to promote character roleplay that emphasizes the nature of the character's theme, and a flaw is a good way to capture that, game mechanically.

I doubt that I'll do much in terms of exploring this concept in MyD20 Lite until I have a group that wants to play D20 again (as we are currently enjoying Savage Worlds. However, if I design a new MyD20 Lite campaign setting, I'll definitely explore the concept. I may decide in the end not to do anything with it, but I'll at least put some cycles to the concept.

What are your thoughts regarding character themes?

With Regards,
Flynn

Fantasy Friday: Thoughts on 5E...

Good Afternoon, All:

It's time for another installment of Fantasy Fridays, and today I'd like to talk about the new kid on the block, D&D Next aka D&D 5E. I suspect that there will be some similarities between 5E and my own creation, MyD20 Lite. Both are based on the concept of integrating elements from all editions to create a game that is considered by its designers to be the best of all worlds. While MyD20 Lite is a lot more static than the modular approach presented by 5E, it may come to pass that I can play a 5E game that is very similar to MyD20 Lite in terms of complexity and play experience, simply by choosing which modules I implement in my games. If that happens, I won't be upset by that at all. If it doesn't, I still have MyD20 Lite, so I'm not that worried about it.

When I consider the role of modularity that has been proposed for 5E, a number of things come to mind. From a game design perspective, almost all of the differences between editions in terms of characters boils down to using different names and different mechanics to represent one concept: character abilities. Whether it is the special abilities of a character class, race, kit or theme, as well as feats, powers or spells, they are all just different types of character abilities. (In MyD20 Lite, I call these talents and spells.) I can easily imagine that 5E will capture character abilities in one or two basic formats, making it easier to consistently present them to the players. I don't know what Wizards of the Coast (WOTC) will call these abilities, and they may make different subsets for different modules. I'm sure that calling them by the name associated with a specific edition will alienate those who do not like that edition while potentially gaining some traction with those who do support that edition. Thus, I wouldn't be surprised if we see class substitution levels, racial substitution levels, skills, feats, spells and powers, all listed as different modules yet operating under the same kind of underlying game mechanic. That way, no matter what we may call it to soothe its integration into the game, it is still the same game mechanic underneath.

Beyond that, I can imagine taking either the 3E or 4E engine as the basis for the core system, and streamlining it to cover the bare basics of game play: combat, task resolution, character creation, basic magic items, and the like. Really, at its core, D&D is about using a d20 with modifiers to equal or exceed some target number, and if successful, good stuff happens. The rest is simply well-structured window dressing. What we call the whole gaming experience is really the result of how good the DM is, how well the players click with one another, and how much structure the window dressing provides. The twin mechanics of Ascending AC/Descending AC found in Swords & Wizardry shows us that we can include both approaches to satisfy either desired approach. Assuredly, there are other means by which the math can be juggled to provide reasonably similar experiences for the various approaches used by different editions, although task resolution using d6s, d20s and d% make that goal a bit more complicated. That being said, I really expect the core system for 5E to be easily expressed in under 32 pages, excluding character creation, monsters and any encyclopedia-like collection of character abilities.

This weekend is DDXP 2012, which will be the first time that the common gamer will experience the current draft version of 5E. By the end of this weekend, we should have a better idea of the direction things are currently going. The gaming community will likely be abuzz with the ideas they like, the things they hate and uninformed opinions born of knee-jerk reactions. The more vocal minority, often the extremists of any group, will rattle their swords, eager to be heard over the clangor of their peers. I only hope that WOTC finds a balance between all of the disparate opinions, perhaps with a multi-modular approach, so that I can get the game I'd like to see, without a lot of extra stuff getting in my way. (There's a reason I don't play Pathfinder, although I did give it a go. Pathfinder is just a more complex version of v3.5.)

I am making every effort to remain open-minded to the concepts we've heard so far about 5E. I did the same thing for 4E; this time around, I hope that I'm not disappointed by that choice. So, what are your thoughts regarding the next edition of Dungeons & Dragons?

With Regards,
Flynn

Fantasy Friday: Quick and Dirty Template Inspirations...

Good Afternoon, All:

I was fortunate enough to catch an article on Gnome Stew this week entitled Quick and Dirty Overland Encounter List Template, which referenced another article entitled Quick and Dirty Location Template. Together, these make for a very interesting way to capture a location's data on one page. If you are the type to create lots of notes on your campaign setting as inspiration strikes, having a template that you can use is often very helpful. I've combined these together into one template below, and added my own version of the encounter table format as a reference.

Location Name: What is this location called? (Official name may be different.)
Ambiance: How does this location look and feel?
History: What elements of this location's history provide adventure ideas?
Encounters: What flavor of encounters could be found here?
Treasures: What special treasures may be found here?
Hooks and Hotspots: What adventure hooks and special sub-locations can be found here?

Life Level: How much diversity exists in plants and animal life in this area? (High, Medium, Low)
Hazard Level: How dangerous is it to live here? (High, Medium, Low)
Difficult Terrain Density: How difficult is it to move around in this area? (High, Medium, Low)
Resource Level: How significant and desirable are the local resources? (High, Medium, Low)

Herbivores: What eats the environment here?
Predators: What eats the other creatures here?
Scavengers: What eats the dead here?
Hazards: What makes it lethal to live here?
Humanoids: What humanoids live here?
Exotic: What supernatural or unusual creatures exist here?

2d6	Encounter
2	Rare
3	Uncommon
4	Uncommon
5	Common
6	Common
7	Common
8	Common
9	Common
10	Uncommon
11	Uncommon
12	Rare

Here's an example of the template filled out for a location I may be using in a future fantasy campaign.

Location Name: Mazhtekha Valley
Ambiance: The ruins of a crumbling granite ziggurat break through the foilage of lush jungle valley.
History: Many generations ago, a blood cult brought captured vampires to this isolated site to sacrifice them to a dark blood god. A failed summoning ritual cursed the cultists with an overriding lust for blood, and they destroyed one another trying to sate their thirst.
Encounters: Many encounters in this area focus on the twin themes of blood and ancient curses.
Treasures: The Blood Rubies of Mazhtekha, a collection of five enchanted fist-sized rubies, are hidden within the ziggurat.
Hooks and Hotspots: A huge vampiric blood ooze patrols the jungle floor at night, retreating to the ziggurat during the day. A cabal o vampires seek the remains of their former sires (or perhaps an item he was known to carry), and the sire was rumored to be among the vampires used in the failed rite.

Life Level: Medium (mostly plants, as creatures with blood must be very quick or flyers to avoid being eaten)
Hazard Level: High
Difficult Terrain Density: Medium
Resource Level: Medium

Herbivores: insect swarms, flying snakes, bats
Predators: stirges, jaguars, assassin vines
Scavengers: ghouls, carrion crawlers
Hazards: huge vampiric blood ooze
Humanoids: degenerate cultist descendants (treat as cavemen),
Exotic: vampires

2d6	Encounter
2	Vampire(s)
3	Carrion Crawler(s)
4	Ghouls
5	Stirges
6	Bat Swarm
7	Centipede Swarm
8	Flying Snake(s)
9	Assassin Vine
10	Jaguar
11	Cavemen
12	Vampiric Blood Ooze

The nice thing about this particular template is that it really isn't locked into the fantasy genre, so you could, in theory, use it for any setting you may be working on. Ultimately, it should be used for locations that are fairly homogenous. If you use this in a Sci-Fi campaign, I'd suggest that you not use the template for a planet, and instead use it for a region on the planet's surface, or perhaps a complex or settlement instead.

Hope This Helps,
Flynn

Fantasy Friday: Six Monsters From South America...

Good Afternoon, All:

Welcome to Post #400 on "In Like Flynn," and an introduction to Fantasy Fridays. As I mentioned before, going forward, this blog will focus more on the 2d6 Open-Gaming System referenced in the Traveller System Reference Document. While a majority of my efforts will be focused on that goal, since that's what has proven to be the most profitable overall, we all know that I need outlets for other activities. Thus, I'm creating a new weekly feature for my blog which I am calling Fantasy Fridays. Every Friday, I will post something not related to Traveller, but fitting in with the Old School fantasy vibe that I enjoy. The system for such discussions may vary, but the content will always be rooted in fantasy.

I sometimes find inspiration for new monsters and flavorful encounters by reading Wikipedia entries on the mythological creatures of a given culture. While D&D has many of the creatures common to the Greek and Roman myths, there's a lot of unexplored territory in other cultures of the world. For example, let's look at South American mythology. The following six creatures sound like they'd make for a memorable encounter in one of my games.

Alicanto: The Alicanto is a bird with wings that glow at night with beautiful, metallic color and eyes that emit strange lights. It feeds on gold and silver; miners have followed them to undiscovered riches in times past. However, if an Alicanto discovers that it is being followed, it will lead its greedy pursuers to their death. For stats, I'd treat the Alicanto as an eagle with an eyebeam ranged attack that inflicts 2d6 damage if it hits.

Caipora: A mischievous fey, the Caipora resembles a dwarf with the head of a fox, and often rides a wild boar. It loves to play pranks on people that enter into its forest, and viciously protects the forest from the destructive actions of civilization. For stats, I would treat the Caipora as a satyr with a confusion ability instead of charming pipes, and a vicious bite instead of a head butt.

Cherufe: The Cherufe is a evil giant made of rock and magma that inhabits volcanoes. They have the power to induce earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and thus are feared by villagers living near volcanoes. The only way to abate the Cherufe's appetite for destruction is to offer it a sacrificial victim, preferably a virginal maiden. For stats, I'd probably start with a large fire elemental, and add the ability to cast earthquake and meteor storm three times per day or something like that.

Luison: Resembling a dire wolf with humanoid features, a shaggy mane and dagger-like teeth, the Luison reaks of death and decay. Luisons inhabit cemeteries and other places of death, where it feasts on corpses and rotting flesh. For stats, I'd use the dire wolf, and give it the fetid stench associated with the troglodyte. You could even add a fear effect, if you so desired.

Muladona: The ghost of a woman cursed for tempting priests with lust, the Muladona resembles a fire-spewing headless mule. Its coat is a deep purple, and its silver-shod hooves produce a hideous sound as it trots. Despite being headless, the Muladona can still wail like a banshee and can breathe fire from its neck like a hellhound. For stats, I'd treat the Muladona as a banshee with the hellhound's fiery breath and the movement of a mule.

Peuchen: The Peuchen is a shape-shifting creature that can assume any animal form instantly. In its native form, however, the Peuchen resembles a gigantic flying snake with a gaze that can paralyze its victim, allowing the beast to suck its blood. For stats, I'd start with a giant constrictor snake, add some form of flying movement, add the basilisk's gaze attack (except that it only paralyzes instead of petrifies the target) and perhaps add the stirge's blood drain ability.

Looking through the pages on Wikipedia, I'm sure you'll find other inspirations. However, these should prove useful if you are looking to create a different gaming experience for your players.

Hope This Helps,
Flynn