Monster Conversion: The Malniatu (Type I Demon)...

Good Afternoon, All:

Let's try something else with monster conversion. Back in the day, one of my favorite settings came from Mayfair Games, the Demons Campaign Setting. Since I like using these creatures in my own games, I should see what it would take to translate them into MyD20 Lite. Besides, it would make for an interesting test of the conversion process.

For reference, here are the gaming stats from the Demons Campaign Setting for the Malniatu, the lowest of the common demons in that setting:

Type I Demon - Malniatu

Rarity: Common
# Appearing: 2-24
Wander Chance: 80%
Intelligence: Average of 8
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
HD: 4
THAC0: 17
Armor Class: 3
# Attacks: 3 (claw/claw/bit)
Damage: 1-6 (claw), 1-8 (bite)
Special Att: Darkness
Special Def: +1 or better to hit
Movement: 12" land/20" air
Magic Tolerance: None
Size: S
XP Award: 420

Combat:
Malniatu are fierce fighters. Their favored tactic is to swarm around a foe and shred him to pieces with their razor sharp claws.

Sphere:
Almost exclusively, Type 1 demons function as servitors and soldiers.

Special:
Malniatu have the ability to create a field of magical darkness at will. These fields extend over a ten foot radius.

Role Playing:
Malniatu are near-mindless creatures that speak in shrieks and howls. Generally, when one malniatu begins chattering, all others within earshot will join him, producing a deafening cacophony of whines and shrieks.
Malniatu are usually interested only in earning the respect of their superiors in the diabolical hierarchy. Most will do anything to achieve this goal.

And here's the process:

Name
The creature's name is, obviously, Malniatu (Type I Demon).

Size
I will call this a Small creature, considering the Role-Aids size stat as shown above.

Type (Subtype)
Since the Malniatu is a Type I demon, I will use the MyD20 Lite type of Planar Monster.

Hit Dice
Reading through the stats above, I can see that the Malniatu is a 4 HD creature, so we let that stand for our conversion here.

Move
Since the Malniatu has 12" land/20" air under movement, that translates roughly to a MyD20 Lite move of 6 and a fly rate of 8.

(EDIT: For clarification purposes, I use a Savage Worlds standard that essentially halves the difference in movement rate above or below human norm. This shrinks the battlefield somewhat, and allows an easier time using a battle mat and minis. Dragons no longer fly off the edge of the battlefield every round. Now it takes them two rounds. ;) )

Armor Class
The Role-Aids stat for the Malniatu's Armor Class is a 3, which translates via OSRIC conversions to a 17. Since the average AC for Small creatures with 4 HD is 15, and this is within four points of that, we can stay with an AC of 17 for this conversion.

Attacks
The Malniatu has two claw (d6) attacks and a bite (d8) attack listed. The attack bonus for a Malniatu is +4 for hit dice, with a +2 bonus for being a Planar Monster, for a total of +6. The damage for each attack is modified by a +2 bonus based on hit dice, and a -1 bonus due to size, for a total of +1. Thus, the Malniatu's attacks are: two claws +6 melee (1d6+1), bite +6 melee (1d8+1).

Saving Throws
Each of the Malniatu's saving throws are +2 due to hit dice and +2 due to being a Planar Monster, for a total of +4. From its Small size, we know that the Reflex save gains a +1 bonus, but the Fortitude save suffers a -1 penalty. That means that the Malniatu's saves are: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +4.

Special Attacks
Malniatu possess the ability to create darkness within a 10 feet radius at will, so we can define it as a magical darkness up to two squares radius around the demon, which can be activated as a Swift Action. Second, Malniatu have the ability to create a deafening chatter, presumably as a Standard Action, which requires a Fortitude save against a Difficulty of 16 or go temporarily deaf for one hour. Finally, demons in the setting have the special attack of possession.

Special Qualities
In terms of special qualities, the Malniatu has damage reduction (half damage from non-magical weapons). In addition, demons in the setting have the following abilities: alter self, immune (disease, poison), plane shift, protection from extraplanar creatures, see in darkness, temptation.

Magic Resistance
Malniatu do not possess magic resistance.

Challenge Rating and XP Value
The Malniatu has a effective hit dice total of 11, which translates to a Challenge Rating of 3. That means that the Malniatu is worth 600 XP.

The Final Product
Here's the final entry for the Malniatu. You won't see this in an official MyD20 Lite book, simply because the name and basic details are copyrighted. However, it may inspire other creations, and so I provide the following for your pleasure.

Malniatu (Type I Demon)
Malniatu are near-mindless creatures that speak in shrieks and howls. Generally, when one malniatu begins chattering, all others within earshot will join him, producing a deafening cacophony of whines and shrieks. Malniatu are usually interested only in earning the respect of their superiors in the diabolical hierarchy. Most will do anything to achieve this goal.

Malniatu are fierce fighters. Their favored tactic is to swarm around a foe and shred him to pieces with their razor sharp claws.

Malniatu (Type I Demon): Small Planar Monster; CR 3; XP 600; HD 4 (18 hp); MV 6, fly 8; AC 17; AT two claws +6 melee (1d6+1), bite +6 melee (1d8+1); SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +4; SA darkness (at will), deafening chatter (Fort DC 16 negates), possession (Will DC 16 resists); SQ alter self, damage reduction (half damage from non-magical weapons), immune (disease, poison), plane shift, protection from extraplanar creatures, see in darkness, temptation.
Special Abilities:

• Temptation: Demons have the power to tempt mortals to sin. Basically, this magical ability allows a demon to magically manifest any circumstances it needs in order to propagate the sin it represents. A demon of gluttony, for instance, can magically locate a monstrous quantity of food or a barrel of wine whenever he needs one in order to assist in tempting some mortal. Limits are up to the Referee, and the temptation is resolved through roleplay. Once a character has succumbed three or four times, their soul becomes forfeit to the king of demons.

Enjoy,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite Optional Classes: The Dungeoneer...

Good Afternoon, All:

The Dungeoneer is the last of the three optional character classes left out of the original MyD20 Lite rules. It embodies the Mage-Rogue concept as a single class, with a greater emphasis on skills in exchange for a slower spell progression.

Dungeoneer

The Dungeoneer embodies the arcane thief, trading some of the Mage's aptitude for arcane magics in order to gain some of the Rogue's skill expertise. Dungeoneers are commonly found among cultures that emphasize both magic and education, and tend to resolve conflicts through a balance between reasoning and evasion.
Hit Dice: d6 (12 + Con Modifier at 1st Level, 4 + Con Modifier per level from 2nd to 9th level, gain 1 hp/level at 10th and later levels)
Prime Attribute: Intelligence
Saving Throw Bonuses: +2 Reflex, +1 Will
Starting Skills: 4 + Int Modifier. The following skills are suggested for a Dungeoneer character, but not required: Acrobatics, Athletics, Commerce, Crafts (any), Deception, Legerdemain, Lore (Arcana, Geography, History, Local, Nature), Perception, Perform (any), Persuasion, Stealth.
Starting Weapon Groups: 2.
Starting Armor/Shields: Light Armor, Light Shields
Class Features: The following are considered class features for the Dungeoneer. When a target is required to make a saving throw against a given class feature, the Difficulty of the saving throw is equal to a base of 10, plus the Dungeoneer's Class Level Modifier and his Intelligence bonus, if any.
Arcane Spells: The Dungeoneer has developed the ability to cast arcane spells, in a manner similar to the Mage. The Dungeoneer table below captures the Spellpoints and Maximum Spell Level for this class.
Talents: At 1st level and every three levels thereafter, the Dungeoneer may select a talent from the lists given under "Talents for Everyone", "Talents for Spellcasters", Mages and Rogues.

Table: The Dungeoneer

Level	HD	BAB	Max Lvl	SPs	Class Features
1	2d8	+0	1	0*	Talent, Arcane Spells
2	3d8	+1	1	1
3	4d8	+2	1	3
4	5d8	+3	2	6	Talent
5	6d8	+3	2	9
6	7d8	+4	2	13
7	8d8	+5	3	18	Talent
8	9d8	+6	3	24
9	10d8	+6	3	30
10	10d8+2	+7	4	37	Talent
11	10d8+4	+8	4	45
12	10d8+6	+9	4	54
13	10d8+8	+9	5	63	Talent
14	10d8+10	+10	5	73
15	10d8+12	+11	5	84
16	10d8+14	+12	6	96	Talent
17	10d8+16	+12	6	108
18	10d8+18	+13	6	121
19	10d8+20	+14	7	135	Talent
20	10d8+22	+15	7	150

NOTE: A 1st level Dungeoneer can cast spells only if he has bonus spellpoints due to a high Intelligence.

With Regards,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite Optional Classes: The Crusader...

Good Afternoon, All:

The Crusader is the second of the three optional character classes left out of the original MyD20 Lite rules. It embodies the Priest-Warrior concept as a single class, with a stronger martial prowess over a Priest in exchange for a slower spell progression.

Crusader

The Crusader embodies the militant divine spellcaster, trading some of the Priest's aptitude for divine magics in order to gain some of the Warrior's combat prowess. Crusaders are commonly found among cultures that promote both divine power and martial prowess, and tend to resolve conflicts through a balance between enlightenment and strength.
Hit Dice: d10 (20 + Con Modifier at 1st Level, 6 + Con Modifier per level from 2nd to 9th level, gain 3 hp/level at 10th and later levels)
Prime Attribute: Wisdom
Saving Throw Bonuses: +2 Fortitude, +1 Will
Starting Skills: 3 + Int Modifier. The following skills are suggested for a Sorcerer character, but not required: Athletics, Beastkeeping, Crafts (any), Heal, Lore (Engineering, Geography, History, Nature, Nobility, Religion, Tactics), Perception, Perform (Oratory), Survival, Transport (Land Mounts).
Starting Weapon Groups: 4.
Starting Armor/Shields: All Armor, All Shields
Class Features: The following are considered class features for the Crusader. When a target is required to make a saving throw against a given class feature, the Difficulty of the saving throw is equal to a base of 10, plus the Crusader's Class Level Modifier and his Wisdom bonus, if any.
Divine Spells: The Crusader has developed the ability to cast divine spells, in a manner similar to the Priest. The Crusader table below captures the Spellpoints and Maximum Spell Level for this class.
Talents: At 1st level and every three levels thereafter, the Crusader may select a talent from the lists given under "Talents for Everyone", "Talents for Spellcasters", Priests and Warriors.

Table: The Crusader

Level	HD	BAB	Max Lvl	SPs	Class Features
1	2d10	+1	1	0*	Talent, Divine Spells
2	3d10	+2	1	1
3	4d10	+3	1	3
4	5d10	+4	2	6	Talent
5	6d10	+5	2	9
6	7d10	+6	2	13
7	8d10	+7	3	18	Talent
8	9d10	+8	3	24
9	10d10	+9	3	30
10	10d10+3	+10	4	37	Talent
11	10d10+6	+11	4	45
12	10d10+9	+12	4	54
13	10d10+12	+13	5	63	Talent
14	10d10+15	+14	5	73
15	10d10+18	+15	5	84
16	10d10+21	+16	6	96	Talent
17	10d10+24	+17	6	108
18	10d10+27	+18	6	121
19	10d10+30	+19	7	135	Talent
20	10d10+33	+20	7	150

NOTE: A 1st level Crusader can cast spells only if he has bonus spellpoints due to a high Wisdom.

Next time, I'll finish up with the Dungeoneer, the Mage-Rogue class.

With Regards,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite Optional Classes: The Sorcerer...

Good Afternoon, All:

When I originally conceived of MyD20 Lite, I pictured some additional classes beyond the four core concept classes. In essence, they captured the Mage-Warrior, Priest-Warrior and Mage-Thief multiclass concepts as single classes, at least in terms of the rules. All of them were partial casters, meaning that they shared a slower spell progression, but the trade-off was that they advanced faster than standard multiclass characters.

The next three posts contain the basic rules for these classes, in case you are interested in using them for either your MyD20 Lite games or modifying them for other retro-variants.

Sorcerer

The Sorcerer embodies the militant arcane spellcaster, trading some of the Mage's aptitude for arcane magics in order to gain some of the Warrior's combat potential. Sorcerers are commonly found among cultures that emphasize both magic and martial prowess, and tend to resolve conflicts through a balance between reasoning and strength.
Hit Dice: d8 (16 + Con Modifier at 1st Level, 5 + Con Modifier per level from 2nd to 9th level, gain 2 hp/level at 10th and later levels)
Prime Attribute: Intelligence
Saving Throw Bonuses: +1 Fortitude, +1 Reflex, +1 Will
Starting Skills: 3 + Int Modifier. The following skills are suggested for a Sorcerer character, but not required: Athletics, Beastkeeping, Crafts (any), Lore (Arcana, Engineering, Geography, History, Nature, Tactic), Perception, Survival, Transport (Land Mounts).
Starting Weapon Groups: 2.
Starting Armor/Shields: Light Armor, Light Shields
Class Features: The following are considered class features for the Sorcerer. When a target is required to make a saving throw against a given class feature, the Difficulty of the saving throw is equal to a base of 10, plus the Sorcerer's Class Level Modifier and his Intelligence bonus, if any.
Arcane Spells: The Sorcerer has developed the ability to cast arcane spells, in a manner similar to the Mage. The Sorcerer table below captures the Spellpoints and Maximum Spell Level for this class.
Talents: At 1st level and every three levels thereafter, the Sorcerer may select a talent from the lists given under "Talents for Everyone", "Talents for Spellcasters", Mages and Warriors.

Table: The Sorcerer

Level	HD	BAB	Max Lvl	SPs	Class Features
1	2d8	+0	1	0*	Talent, Arcane Spells
2	3d8	+1	1	1
3	4d8	+2	1	3
4	5d8	+3	2	6	Talent
5	6d8	+3	2	9
6	7d8	+4	2	13
7	8d8	+5	3	18	Talent
8	9d8	+6	3	24
9	10d8	+6	3	30
10	10d8+2	+7	4	37	Talent
11	10d8+4	+8	4	45
12	10d8+6	+9	4	54
13	10d8+8	+9	5	63	Talent
14	10d8+10	+10	5	73
15	10d8+12	+11	5	84
16	10d8+14	+12	6	96	Talent
17	10d8+16	+12	6	108
18	10d8+18	+13	6	121
19	10d8+20	+14	7	135	Talent
20	10d8+22	+15	7	150

NOTE: A 1st level Sorcerer can cast spells only if he has bonus spellpoints due to a high Intelligence.

Next time around, I'll cover the Crusader, the Priest-Warrior mix.

With Regards,
Flynn

Thoughts On A MyD20 Lite Quick Start...

Good Afternoon, All:

I'm thinking about putting out a free Quick Start version of MyD20 Lite, and was curious as to your thoughts on the matter. I was thinking something along the lines of the first few levels for each character, and enough information to create a character and play in a few low-level adventures. What do you think?

With Regards,
Flynn

Review: OwlCon 2010...

Good Evening, All:

In the midst of our first snowfall in over six years, I finally get to sit down and write up a brief report on my experience this last weekend at OwlCon. In short, I had a blast! While I got tired of eating the same food throughout the Con (there's really only the sandwich shop in the Student Center that serves anything I felt like eating), the non-stop gaming was fantastic.

I ran my first adventure for the Con on Friday night to a group of four gamers, including one that used to be in my Savage Worlds game before a new job took him from Austin to Houston. In Pavilion of the Dragon King, the goal was to escort a young prince to a magic throne within a hanging garden that had been warped by the blood of a fallen goddess. The party did pretty well in the warm-up combat against a slew of minions, Moss Men from the Fantasy Companion. Having conquered these plant-men mooks, the party made their way to the main gate of the overgrown garden, only to find a treant guarding the way. As one member of the party went to parlay with the tree-man, another climbed a nearby tree and decided to throw a lit torch at the guardian before I could even get to the riddle they were supposed to answer. Thus, the party had to deal with an irate creature much more powerful than they, and only the death of two of the party members provided an opportunity for the other half of the party to escape. It was touch and go for a little bit, but since the hour was late, I rounded out the story without too many additional complications, and the two survivors emerged victorious. Strangely twisted, yes, but victorious. The players had fun, though, and that's what counts.

Saturday, I got to play in three games. In the first game, I tried a system that I'd never picked up before, Hollow Earth Expedition. The setting the GM chose was based on the concepts behind Buckaroo Bonzai. Think New Wave music mixed with Doc Savage pulpy action, with a heavy dose of MTV videos and over-the-top action, and you have some idea of what we went through. I got to play a character based loosely on Billy Idol, and it was a blast. He had anger issues, and a not-so-secret love for the keyboardist in the rock band/secret agent cadre that was Arms Akimbo. We all had a great time, from our run-in with the "skyrates" (think Sky Pirates, and you'll get it) to the ninja assault during the news conference, from the secret labs of an evil corporate anti-aging super-spa (complete with brain-washing absolutely free) to the pyramid of an evil cult trying to summon a demon from the eighth dimension. It was a madcap, wild adventure, and I even won the roleplay award for that session (no doubt due to my really bad English accent and vivid portrayal of an angry British cricket player turned drummer). :)

The second game was a Deadlands Reloaded session, and it continued the trend of awesomeness. I played a Blessed preacher, and got to draw upon all those years growing up in a Southern Baptist church for inspiration. As before, I stayed in character throughout, this time with a thick Southern accent and perpetual condemnation of Satan. We resolved the roleplay award (and the prize that went with it) through random card draw instead of voting, and I lost, but I got several compliments saying that I made the game for several of the other players. That was some high praise, considering the talented roleplayers I was gaming with.

The third game that evening was a Necropolis session, which was awesome, but in a different way than the first two games I'd played in. This one had a very tactical "Vietnam War Meets Zombieland" vibe going for it, and didn't offer much in the way of character portrayal opportunities, but the game was fun and I could easily see the allure of the setting. I was starting to fall off the top of my game by this point, having little more than four hours of sleep and a full day of gaming, but it was still a blast. I even got to control some mooks on our side, which let me do some tactical stuff for the team, since half the players were new to the system and the setting. Again, we resolved the roleplay award through random card draw, and again I lost, but I still won in the "Having Fun" department.

Another night of short sleep got me through to Sunday morning, where I got to run my second adventure at the convention, The Cairn of the Blood God. I had one experienced Savage Worlds gamer (my friend that now lives in Houston), and three gamers new to the system, one of whom was a young girl probably around twelve years old. She was joined half-way through by her friend, and I was surprised with both of their ability to get into the game and keep up in terms of rules and such. The adventure centered around them exploring a small burial mound, looking for a large ruby called the Eye of the Blood God. They fought dungeon rats as a warm-up, and loved killing the beasts so that they could take my little miniatures (some rubber mice I picked up at Halloween) and tie their tales to their badges to make a necklace of their kills. I followed that up with a nasty fight with a giant scorpion straight out of the Fantasy Companion book, and then wrapped up the session with a final climactic fight against a Lasher Demon and some basic undead (using the Skeleton stats from the FC). We ran out of time, so we had to fast-track the ending, but the players enjoyed this session as well. Of the two, I think this session is probably more likely to gain more converts for Savage Worlds and some Old School flavored campaigning in the future.

All told, it was a great experience. OwlCon remains my favorite regional convention, with a heavy focus on gaming and good roleplay. I like the fact that they give prizes to the best player at each table, and how that seems to promote more involvement in the scenarios. Now, if they could only get some diversity in the food choices, I'd be one happy camper.

Hope This Helps,
Flynn

More On Monster Conversion: New Numbers...

Good Afternoon, All:

After going back over the math, and using MyD20 Lite assumptions instead of 3E analysis, I came up with the following values for the Combat Values by Hit Dice table. Also, I'm going to drop the part in the D20 conversion about adding extra hit dice due to Constitution, etc. Finally, I've decide to make Magic Resistance based on hit dice (9+HD) instead of CR (10+CR), for the sake of consistency in the use of HD for determining most features.

HD	Base BAB	Avg AC	Base SV	Base DC	Bonus Dmg
1/2	+0	10	+0	13	+0
1	+1	11	+0	13	+0
2	+2	12	+1	14	+1
3	+3	13	+1	15	+1
4	+4	14	+2	16	+2
5	+5	15	+2	16	+2
6	+6	16	+3	17	+3
7	+7	17	+3	18	+3
8	+8	18	+4	19	+4
9	+9	19	+4	19	+4
10	+10	20	+5	20	+5
11	+11	21	+5	21	+5
12	+12	22	+6	22	+6
13	+13	23	+6	22	+6
14	+14	24	+7	23	+7
15	+15	25	+7	24	+7
16	+16	26	+8	25	+8
17	+17	27	+8	25	+8
18	+18	28	+9	26	+9
19	+19	29	+9	27	+9
20	+20	30	+10	28	+10
21	+21	31	+10	28	+10
22	+22	32	+11	29	+11
23	+23	33	+11	30	+11
24	+24	34	+12	31	+12
25	+25	35	+12	31	+12
26	+26	36	+13	32	+13
27	+27	37	+13	33	+13
28	+28	38	+14	34	+14
29	+29	39	+14	34	+14
30	+30	40	+15	35	+15

That lets me step back to the Sovereign Orb stats, and come up with the following new, improved version:

Sovereign Orb: Large Monster; CR 8; XP 3,600; HD 11 (49 hp); MV 1, fly 6; AC 23; AT two lashes +12 melee (1d6+7); SV Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +6; MR 20; SA gaze attacks (choice of charm monster, confusion, inflict critical wounds, flame strike, hold monster, flesh to stone or sleep, Fort or Will DC 21 negates); SQ all-around vision, darkvision, damage reduction (half damage from physical attacks), energy reduction (half damage from acid, cold, electricity, fire and sonic attacks), mystic sight, telepathy.
Special Abilities:
* All-Around Vision: The Sovereign Orb can see all around itself, and so cannot be flanked.
* Gaze Attacks: The Sovereign Orb may only use a specific gaze attack effect for one round, and then must wait for 1d4 rounds before using it again. The Sovereign Orb may change from one gaze attack effect to another as a Swift Action.
* Mystic Sight: The Sovereign Orb can see magical emanations naturally. It is constantly treated as though under the effects of detect magic. Furthermore, it is treated as though it had spend three full rounds examining anything it sees, for purposes of recognizing the strength of auras, the school of magic, and the like. Additionally, the Sovereign Orb is also treated as though under a constant see invisibility affect.

Please let me know what you think.

With Regards,
Flynn

Off To OwlCon!

Good Morning, All:

Not much to report today, save that I'm heading out to OwlCon sometime soon. While there, I'll be running two events under the Savage Worlds rules, but with a heavy Old School flavor to them.

Pavilion of the Dragon King
Lying at the center of the Hanging Gardens of Shar'dan, the Pavilion of the Dragon King protects a magical throne said to confer sovereignty upon all who sit upon it. A daring band of adventurers must defeat the dangers of the Hanging Gardens as they escort a young Prince to fulfill his birthright.
Friday evening, 8pm-12pm

The Cairn of the Blood God
The Cairn of the Blood God has remained hidden from the eyes of men for centuries, protecting its many secrets. Now a band of daring adventurers must brave its aberrant defenders in search of the famed ruby known as the Blood God's Eye.
Sunday morning, 10am-2pm

I'll post a quick report on Sunday evening to let you know how the convention went, and in particular how the two events played out. I'm meeting a few of my old gamer buddies there, too, so I'm doubly excited about this weekend's gaming prospects.

More On Sunday,
Flynn

An Example of Monster Conversion: The Sovereign Orb...

Good Morning, All:

Here's an example of my first steps as working up a conversion process for bringing D20 System creatures into the MyD20 Lite system. This is likely not the final process, as there is still room for refinement. However, it's what I've come up with after looking over several similar methods out there for converting D20 System creatures into retro-clone and original D&D rules sets.

From the Product Identity declaration in the Legal section of the D20 System Reference Document, Revised, you can see that the following monsters are declared Product Identity and are thus considered closed content: beholder, gauth, carrion crawler, tanar’ri, baatezu, displacer beast, githyanki, githzerai, mind flayer, illithid, umber hulk, yuan-ti. Legally, no OGL-based retro-clone should have any of these monsters present in their books, and when you check them out, you can see that none of them do.

However, there is hope for Open Content monsters that are reminescent of these "forbidden" creatures. The Iconic Bestiary: Classics of Fantasy, by Ari Marmell of Lion's Den Press, provides 3E statistics for seven new monsters, fully ready for use. Each one of these creatures correlates to one of the iconic monsters not included in the SRD. They are not the same creatures in disguise, but rather occupy the same niche, and possess comparable though not identical abilities. Given that these stats are Open Content, I can easily include them, or creatures inspired by them, in MyD20 Lite without a problem.

For example, let's look at the creature known as the beholder, the first on the list of Product Identity from the SRD's declarations. While I cannot release the beholder as part of my system's bestiary, I can take a page from The Iconic Bestiary. Ari Marmell wrote up a creature called the Evil Eye to replace the beholder. Given that I don't like the name "Evil Eye", since alignment is not a required part of MyD20 Lite, I have decided to call this creature a "Sovereign Orb".

In order to create the Sovereign Orb, we can start by converting the Evil Eye OGL stats from the D20 System into MyD20 Lite. The basic process for doing so is outlined below.

Name
The new creature's name is, obviously, Sovereign Orb.

Size
In order to convert the size of the creature into MyD20 Lite stats, I simply use the D20 System version, since the creature is not smaller than Tiny nor larger than Gargantuan. The Sovereign Orb is thus a Large creature.

Type (Subtype)
Since the Evil Eye is an Aberration, I will use the MyD20 Lite type of Monster. There are no subtypes listed, so I don't feel the need to select a subtype for this creature.

Hit Dice
Many of the basic values for a creature in MyD20 Lite are determined by the creature's Hit Dice. To properly convert a creature's HD from the D20 System to MyD20 Lite, start by taking the creature's base hit dice from the stat block. The Evil Eye has 11 hit dice, so that becomes our starting value. We then adjust the number of hit dice by taking the additional hit points (such as the Evil Eye's additional 33 hitpoints), dividing that number by 4.5 (to get 7.333), rounding the result down (which gives us 7), and adding that to the base hit dice (11 + 7 = 18). If the new total is more than double the base hit dice, limit yourself to double the base hit dice.

In this case, the Sovereign Orb will have 18 hit dice. That means that the average hit points for the Sovereign Orb would be 81.

Move
Under the D20 System, the Evil Eye has a base movement of 5 ft. and a fly movement of 30 ft. In MyD20 Lite, this translates to a movement rate of 1 square and a fly rate of 6 squares for the Sovereign Orb.

Armor Class
Looking at the Evil Eye's AC, after adding in size, Dexterity, natural armor, and deflection modifiers, we see that it has an armor class of 25. When I look at the average AC for an 18 HD monster in MyD20 Lite, I see that it should have a value of 27. Since the AC of the Evil Eye is within five points of the average value by Hit Dice, we can set the armor class of the Sovereign Orb at 25.

Attacks
Under the D20 System, the Evil Eye has two lash attacks, at +8 melee for 1d6–1 damage. Converting to MyD20 Lite, we need to first calculate the Sovereign Orb's basic combat values. Starting with 18 HD, we see that the Sovereign Orb starts with a +18 to attack and +9 on damage. When we modify these values for size, we see that the damage adjusts upward to +11, and the base damage for large creatures is 1d8. Monsters gain a +1 bonus on attacks, bringing the creature's attack value up to +19. I'd consider the lash to be somewhat equivalent to a wing buffet, as it is not as strong an attack form as a slam would be. This drops the damage for the lash attack down to 1d6. Taking all of this into account, the Sovereign Orb has the following attacks: two lashes +19 melee (1d6+11). This is a rather strong improvement over the Evil Eye's attacks, but for an 18 HD creature, this makes a certain kind of sense.

(As an aside, if I had decided to stick with the original 11 HD and not increase them for bonus hit points, the end result would have been: two lashes +12 melee (1d6+7), which is a little closer to the original. If that's the course you as a Referee would prefer to take, that would be okay, and in fact could be used to create a good Lesser Sovereign Orb stat block.)

Saving Throws
In MyD20 Lite, a creature's saving throws are based primarily on hit dice and monster type. In this case, the Sovereign Orb would have the following: Fort +16, Ref +16, Will +16. So far, the Sovereign Orb is looking a lot stronger in terms of game mechanics than the beholder that inspired it.

Special Attacks
Now we get down to the meat of the conversion: converting special attacks and qualities from the D20 System to MyD20 Lite. Looking over the Evil Eye's special attacks, I can easily see that it has gaze attacks as the only special attack listed. These gaze attacks can be noted in the MyD20 Lite stat block for the Sovereign Orb as: gaze attacks (choice of charm monster, confusion, inflict critical wounds, flame strike, hold monster, flesh to stone or sleep, Fort or Will DC 23 negates). You could even follow that up with notes that indicate the Sovereign Orb can only select one gaze attack per round as a Swift Action, the gaze attack lasts for only one round and once the Orb uses a given gaze attack, it can't be used for another 1d4 rounds.

Special Qualities
In terms of special qualities, the Sovereign Orb should have the following common special qualities: darkvision, damage reduction (half damage), energy reduction (half damage from acid, cold, electricity, fire and sonic) and telepathy. In addition, the All-Around Vision and Mystic Sight special qualities could also be added, along with descriptions for these uncommon abilities.

Challenge Rating and XP Value
A creature's Challenge Rating should be determined after the creature has been converted. In this case, we can determine that, according to MyD20 Lite, the Sovereign Orb now has a CR of 12. From that, we can determine that the XP Value for overcoming a Sovereign Orb is 14,400 XP.

For the curious, here's how I determined the Challenge Rating. The Base HD for the Sovereign Orb is 18. Using the CR Hit Dice Modifications Table, I determined the following CR HD Mods: Armor Class +6.25, Damage Reduction +1, Energy Reduction vs. five energy types +1.25, Gaze Attack +3 (based on the highest level spell that could be active at one time), All-Around Sight (moderate ability usable only some of the time) +0.25, Mystic Sight (moderate ability usable only some of the time) +0.25, Flight +1.25, Attacks (two 1d6 attacks) +1.5, Large Size +0.5, Magic Resistance +4, Very Limited Movement (Major Vulnerability) -1. These total +18.25. Since that is more than the Base HD, any excess is halved. The adjusted CR HD Mods is now +18.125, for a hit dice total of effectively 36.125. Consulting the Challenge Ratings by Total Hit Dice Table, a range of 36-38 hit dice equates to a Challenge Rating of 12.

Magic Resistance
Since the Evil Eye has spell resistance under the D20 System, the Sovereign Orb has magic resistance in MyD20 Lite. Typically, this is determined by adding the Challenge Rating of the creature to a base of 10. Therefore, this has to be calculated after the Challenge Rating, but knowing about it ahead of time helps in the calculation of the creature's CR. Thus, the Sovereign Orb has a Magic Resistance of 22.

The Final Product
Wow, that's a lot for a conversion, but the good thing is that for most of the basic monsters, this work will be done for you in either the MyD20 Lite Referee's Guide or MyD20 Lite Bestiary. Here's the final entry for the Sovereign Orb, including some descriptive text.

Sovereign Orb
The Sovereign Orb appears as an enormous floating eye, apparently ripped raw from the skull of some giant beast, with lengths of optic nerve that writhe and thrash behind it like tails, fading away after several feet into thin wisps of white mist. These "tails" are fully prehensile, allowing the Sovereign Orb to manipulate objects as well as human hands. Some are perfectly white, some yellowed, and some bloodshot. An Sovereign Orb’s iris can be of any color, from standard blues, greens and browns, to inhuman violets, golds and reds.

Sovereign Orbs have no concern for any living being other than themselves (and sometimes other Sovereign Orbs). They are capable of fighting with their optic nerve "tails," but prefer to remain at a distance and make use of their gaze attacks. Unless an Sovereign Orb believes itself overmatched, or believes it can bargain with or intimidate potential foes, it attacks without provocation. This is partly due to their obsession with acquiring magic, but also because they enjoy the kill.

Sovereign Orb: Large Monster; CR 12; XP 14,400; HD 18 (81 hp); MV 1, fly 6; AC 25; AT two lashes +19 melee (1d6+11); SV Fort +16, Ref +16, Will +16; MR 22; SA gaze attacks (choice of charm monster, confusion, inflict critical wounds, flame strike, hold monster, flesh to stone or sleep, Fort or Will DC 23 negates); SQ all-around vision, darkvision, damage reduction (half damage from physical attacks), energy reduction (half damage from acid, cold, electricity, fire and sonic attacks), mystic sight, telepathy.
Special Abilities:

• All-Around Vision: The Sovereign Orb can see all around itself, and so cannot be flanked.
• Gaze Attacks: The Sovereign Orb may only use a specific gaze attack effect for one round, and then must wait for 1d4 rounds before using it again. The Sovereign Orb may change from one gaze attack effect to another as a Swift Action.
• Mystic Sight: The Sovereign Orb can see magical emanations naturally. It is constantly treated as though under the effects of detect magic. Furthermore, it is treated as though it had spend three full rounds examining anything it sees, for purposes of recognizing the strength of auras, the school of magic, and the like. Additionally, the Sovereign Orb is also treated as though under a constant see invisibility affect.

Enjoy,
Flynn

The Players' Feedback...

Good Evening, All:

As I mentioned last week, I posted a GM Feedback Questionnaire to my gaming group's mailing list, and gathered feedback from my five players over the next few days. The following quote is the body of the email I sent the group including the analysis of their comments.

Here's a brief synopsis of the information you provided via the GM Feedback Questionnaire survey.

In regards to last week's session, everyone seemed to have a good time. The session rating ranged from 5 to 7, with 6 being the average, of course. It seems that you guys enjoyed the coordinated party combat options, as well as Dartanon's sudden efforts to wrangle a wyvern into submission, at least for the moment. Many of you found yourselves distracted somewhat, for various reasons, but no one complained about the quality of the game, simply the distractions. The session could have been improved with a better definition of the group's goals and a greater focus on the game, as well as more moments of cool for more characters.

In regards to overall campaign satisfaction, people seem pretty satisfied. There are plenty of minor quests, but no strong, overarching plot lines as dictated by me, which can lead to some confusion. However, since we are in endgame mode (given that the baby is coming in three or four months), things appear to be going well.

In regards to the other characters in the party, you guys seem to enjoy the diversity of the group, and you all contribute toward the party's success. There are some minor adjustment issues for both Tom and others with integrating a new personality into the mix, but no one seems bent out of shape about it. Those that have mentioned it do not feel it is a huge issue, but it does explain some of the confusion about the direction of the game, as he comes up to speed on the campaign. As an aside, I appreciate you guys taking the time to help him along, and hope that you can continue to do so as we go along.

In regards to what you guys consider to be my strong points as a GM, my portrayal of NPCs wins, hands down. (4 out of 5 of you mentioned that.) Coming in at a close second and third are the depth of the setting and the epic feel of the adventures. Honorable mention is also given to combat and descriptions.

My current weaknesses as a GM appear to be with the lack of focus that comes from the sandbox style of this campaign. In the past, I've always run railroading story arcs that sometimes restricted the players too much. I may have swung too far over into the other side of things. Also, everyone mentioned that I need to help keep the group focused on the game, as opposed to the tangential conversations that distract us on occasion.

Everyone likes the adventures I run, although one person mentioned that he would like to see things just a little bit harder. However, the depth of story is well rated.

I asked specifically about the NPCs in my game, as I know that's the primary means by which the players interact with setting. Everyone enjoys the voices, facial expressions and personalities. There was a request for a campaign level "arch villain", but at this stage in the game, it's hard to whip one up with any true meaning. Next campaign, however, I'll definitely consider it.

And last but not least, you guys felt that I could improve in the following: more action, less talk (aka better pacing); more GM-derived direction, less player-derived direction; and maintain better control of the group for the purposes of improving the speed of the game (i.e. improve my ability to herd cats, er, uh, I mean gamers).

Things I'm Still Doing Okay On: good NPC exchanges and portrayal, strong plot lines with consistent interconnections, good world depth and good adventures. These remains consistent with the past, with world depth being an area I improved in within this arena.

Things I Have Improved On: This campaign, no one has had any issues with downtime. Cities and cultures are distinctive without being overdone. The size of my dungeons, and their general experience, has improved with this campaign. From the feedback, I have overcome my old problem of too many overarching story lines and created more PC-oriented mini-adventures. However, as I'll note below, I may have gone one step too far. (Finding a happy medium here is hard to do.)

Things I Need To Improve On: I need to work on pacing my stories, finding a better balance between overarching plot lines and PC-oriented mini-adventures, and improve the focus of the group during the game session itself.

So, how does that sound to you guys? Any questions or comments?

Thank you, everyone, for your participation. Your feedback is appreciated, and allows me to see what I need to focus on in order to continue to improve my abilities as a GM. Hopefully, that will lead to a greater gaming experience for you guys in the future as I take your feedback and implement it going forward.

As you can tell, I gain a lot of information from the players when I run these surveys. For example, morale overall is pretty high, but I can see that the pressures of ending the campaign in the next few months (my wife is due in late May/early June) is starting to create some tension in regards to the usual diversions that our gaming group is plagued with. Like many other groups, we talk a lot about movies, TV shows and so on, occasionally interrupting the flow of the game for our brief exchanges. I try to keep them minimized without coming off as a jerk, but I think the added tension of wrapping things up satisfactorily means that I haven't been doing the best of jobs in these regards. Add into the mix that we recently gained a new player who is still adjusting to the group and the setting, and it becomes a little more pronounced.

I can also see, from comparing these results to the past, that I've actually gotten better as a GM since my last campaign. In addition, I can see that, while I enjoy shifting to a sandbox style game, perhaps I may need to provide more blatant adventure guidance if I sense things are getting slow. As I would probably have phrased it, I should consider an occasional increase in the use of "clue fairy" musk.

I was really surprised at the level of commentary on both my world depth and my NPC portrayal. I've worked hard on both of them over the years, and apparently I've found a group of players that enjoy and appreciate that effort. It really means a lot to me as a GM to get that kind of feedback.

Now, if you are running a game, you might consider sending out this questionnaire to your players. If you are a player, you might even consider sending these questions and your answers to your GM, if you think he can handle it. If you've got a good GM, I'm sure he can.

Hope This Helps,
Flynn

Hammersong's Legacy: Rynoc's Reach, An Overview...

Good Afternoon, All:

What follows is a brief write-up of Rynoc's Reach, the "home base" settlement that I'm developing for the Hammersong's Legacy Campaign Setting. Given that it is designed to be a starting point for a campaign in this setting, the section on Rynoc's Reach will be a bit more detailed than the average village in the setting. I'm not looking at doing the whole Hommlet treatment from TSR's T1 module, as I think that's too much detail. Instead, I'm figuring on a few pages to detail some areas and some NPCs, paint some rumors, and perhaps create a few adventure scenarios to help kick off some exploration of the setting. However, it all starts with some basic information on the village itself.

Rynoc's Reach (Duar Protectorate)
Rynoc's Reach is a small village in the Black Hills on the southwestern border of the Duar Protectorate. Originally founded in the later years of the War of All Gods as the first in a series of strongholds against the incursion of twisted abominations forged by the Drakon Empire and the Elder Gods themselves, in recent decades the village has settled into a subdued and almost sleepy existence. Its sole claim to fame currently is its proximity to the ruins of the Vaults of Celebrus, where an archmage once trapped a number of powerful beasts in the latter years of the War of All Gods.
Population: 800. The population of Rynoc's Reach is predominately Duar, although a significant minority of the population are Humans, Eldeblooded and Wyrmblooded.
Government: Feudal Lordship. The village of Rynoc's Reach is considered the fief of Baron Ulric Bloodstone, who received the land for services rendered to the Most Righteous Sovereign, King Ollum Hammersong. Baron Bloodstone named the settlement he founded for his brother Sir Rynoc, a pikesman that fell in battle defending the king.
Defense: The baronial keep, Greymeadow Point, looks over the wooden walls of Rynoc's Reach, providing a safe haven in times of war and monstrous assault. In addition, Baron Bloodstone can field eighty well-trained swordsman without tapping into the local militia, which numbers over one hundred fifty men.
Commerce: Rynoc's Reach is known for its timber production and local mining efforts. Much of the agricultural needs of Rynoc's Reach are met by outlying farms, despite the dangers of carving a homestead out of the surrounding wilderness.
Organizations: While no organizations are based out of the village of Rynoc's Reach, the Mage-Librarians of Lorak maintain a small tower beyond the walls of the village. Given the rather high number of adventurers that come through the area seeking the treasures of the Vaults of Celebrus, the Circle of Mithril maintains a feast hall and training grounds for their members.

The population of Rynoc's Reach is primarily Duar (Dwarven) because the setting assumes that dwarves are the dominant race of the region. I chose humans, the eldeblooded (half-elves), and the wyrmblooded (dragon-folk/lizardfolk) as the three secondary races because of their relative percentages of appearing based on my random encounter charts. As humans tend to be the race most frequently selected by gamers in my campaigns, this gives me a strong foundation for using the village as the home base for a majority of the common character types I tend to notice.

The Eldeblooded allows me the opportunity to introduce the fact that the Elde (elves) are a dying race. I think I'll have a single Elde in the township, perhaps as a curator for the tower belonging to the Mage-Librarians of Lorak, for additional roleplay opportunities. In the notes for that character, I will mention that he gives Eldeblooded preferential treatment, because they are his race's only hope of carrying on the legacy of the Elde.

Wow, I just had another thought here: one of the secondary story arcs for the setting could be a group of Elde who are seeking a way to remove the curse that renders them infertile. The curator could be part of that organization, and may even have some adventures to hand out to the players if they are interested in seeking such.

The presence of the Wyrmblooded also allow me the chance to tie in to the story arc surrounding the next Great Expedition southward into the Madlands and beyond, as the Wyrmblooded seek to regain the city of Wyrmanthis which was once their home.

As I develop Rynoc's Reach further, I will work in elements for the other major story lines of the setting, to give players a "jumping off" point for exploring the setting. For example, Baron Ulric Bloodstone is perfect for introducing elements associated with tracking down the lost heir of the Duar Protectorate. Having served with King Hammersong before his death, the baron could very well be a strong loyalist interested in preserving Hammersong's Legacy by finding the wayward heir.

Writing this blog entry has definitely sparked a few ideas. I hope you enjoy this, and I look forward to any thoughts, questions or concerns that you might pose via your comments to this post.

With Regards,
Flynn

For The Readers: A Copper For Your Thoughts...

Good Evening, All:

In lieu of another post into one of my projects, I decided to ask you guys what kind of posts you'd like to see in the coming weeks. Please feel free to provide your thoughts in the comments of this post, and I will attempt to create entries to address your inquiries in the near future. I can even handle Traveller and Savage Worlds requests, as well as requests for reviews. :)

So, do you like background articles, game mechanics, monsters, characters, spells, items, or what? Are you interested in my thoughts on game design, adventure design, Convention event design, or campaign development? I definitely want to offer up interesting posts for you to read, and so I figure that asking you about your thoughts is the best way to find out.

Also, I've recently picked up a number of OSR products which I intend to review as I have time. Among them are the rules for OSRIC, BFRPG, Labyrinth Lord, Original Edition Characters for LL, Swords & Wizardry White Box, Dungeon Alphabet, Random Esoteric Creature Generator, and Points of Light II.

Thanks In Advance,
Flynn

Hammersong's Legacy: The Censors of Patranos...

Good Evening, All:

Here's another secret society from Hammersong's Legacy for you to peruse. The only Elder Goddess known to have survived, Psyche, Lady of Dreams, has isolated herself to her own island home, calling her followers to her. Now, a century after the War of All Gods has ended, Psyche's children, the Ordathi (i.e. gnomes), are beginning to return to the continent of Cameria. Some of them have been trained in a new form of magic. These Mages of Psyche, also known as Psychic Mages or Mind-mages, specialize in divinatory and enchantment magics. Being a new form of magic, these mind-magics invoke a variety of reactions among the populace of the mainland. The following secretive order is one such reaction.

The Censors of Patranos
The Censors of Patranos is a secretive order of mage-hunters that undertake the self-imposed mission of hunting down and assassinating known practitioners of Psyche's mind-magics. With fanatical devotion to their cause, the Censors of Patranos are highly skilled at effectively handling mind-affecting magics and those that practice it.
Headquarters: A secretive order, the Censors of Patranos officially do not exist, and thus do not have an official site that serves as the headquarters for their organization. Among those few that have managed to learn something of the order, however, there are rumors that the largest group of Censors gather in Port Salvation, where it is said the best recruits are found.
Members: Again, as most Censors work alone or as part of a small cell, it is hard to determine how many members belong to this order. It is almost certainly more than two hundred, but some estimate that there are almost a thousand members scattered throughout the Shattered Territories.
Organization: Members of the order operate either as individuals or as members of a small cell of assassins. Members with a verified mind-mage kill bear the title of True Censor, while those yet to prove themselves are called Novitiates.
Goals: The Censors of Patranos desire to reduce or remove the influence of Psyche from the Shattered Territories. Operating from the belief that the War of All Gods is not over while Psyche's influence yet extends beyond her self-imposed island prison, the Censors have taken it upon themselves to remove the taint of her strange magic and those who practice it, before it can establish a foothold among the Followers of the Gods of the New Order.
Symbol: While the order has no official symbol, as they do not officially exist, most True Censors prefer to use a krystite dagger to deliver the final blow to a mind-mage. This practice has led to the Censors of Patranos being identified in some areas as the Order of the Krystite Dagger.

And here's some behind-the-scenes information for those who are interested: I don't like gnomes, and I don't like psionics mixed into my fantasy worlds. However, I know that there are some people that like both. In order to make the best of both worlds, and provide an interesting story element I can get behind, I put the gnomes, er, I mean, the Ordathi, into exile, and they are only now returning to the mainland. Thus, GMs like me who dislike them can simply under-emphasize them, and there a reason why you never see them in those particular campaigns. However, those GMs that love gnomes can bring them into the game and even make them the focus of a number of story lines dealing with their new "magic" (aka psionics) and those that hunt them.

The Censors provide that bit of conflict that emphasizes the perceptions that some have of the Ordathi and their new ways. In addition, given the fanatical nature of the Censors, they can easily fall victim to the same fate that afflicts other zealots: the order can become so obsessed in destroying the evil they perceive that they could easily become another face of evil in the process. I think that there's a lot of opportunity for great stories and adventures with this kind of set-up. The coolest part of all, of course, is that I get to kill off gnomes and psions with these guys. Now, that's fun!

Enjoy,
Flynn

The Kelshan - A New S&W Race...

Good Evening, All:

The following is a racial write-up for the Kelshan, another new race for the Hammersong's Legacy campaign setting, written in support of Swords & Wizardry. As always, your thoughts and input are most welcome.

The Kelshan
Servitors of Sandamos, the Great Tyrant, Lord of Demons, these red-skinned humanoids bear a strong resemblance to devils. Along with their general tendencies towards cruelty and sadism, their physical appearance has earned the Kelshan the nickname of "devil-men."

Character Advancement: Kelshan characters may advance in the same manner as Elves, under the Elven Adventurer class as described in the Core Rules, or the Variant Elf class in the White Box rules.

Weapon/Armor Restrictions: Whether advancing as a Magic-User or a Fighting-Man, the Kelshan are trained in the use of a whip in addition to other weapons based on his advancement.

Sadistic Reputation: The Kelshan as a race are known for their cruel and sadistic natures, which imposes a -2 penalty on all reaction rolls involving a Kelshan character. However, foes of the Kelshan also suffer a -1 penalty on morale checks for the same reasons.

Saving Throw: Kelshan are resistant to enchantment and charm magics; they get +4 on saving throws to resist such effects.

Languages: For campaigns that give each race its own dialect, the Kelshan should be able to speak with demons, humans and hyrknoff.

With Regards,
Flynn

The GM Feedback Questionnaire...

Good Afternoon, All:

Every year or so, I like to have my players appraise my abilities as a Game Master, in the hopes that their feedback can help me improve and become a better GM for them. Since I've been doing this for awhile, I can also compare this year's answers to those in previous years and see where I've improved, what I've lost focus on, and where I still need to grow.

I will be posting the questionnaire this week, and thought this would make a good post for the blog. Some of you out there may find it rewarding to get feedback on your GMing as well, and so I felt I would share. I always ask them to take their time over the next week, and let them know that they can post either to the group's mailing list or respond to me directly. I also let them know that honesty is appreciated, as their answers help shape my efforts in running games in the future. I've found the resulting feedback to be quite rewarding, and has helped me become a better GM over the years.

For those interested, here is the questionnaire I send out:

GM Feedback Questionnaire

* What did you like most about last session?
* What did you like least about last session?
* On a scale from 1-10, how was last session compared with the best gaming night we've had? What were the differences?
* How satisfied are you with the direction the campaign is going? Why?
* How do you feel about the other characters in the party?
* What do you think I GM the best? (NPCs, combat, descriptions, plots, pacing, monsters, dungeons, cities, wilderness, whatever you'd like to answer...)
* What do you think I could improve upon as a GM?
* How do you feel about the adventures I run?
* What do you think of my NPCs, in general?
* If there was anything you could improve about our game sessions, what would it be?

Here's some of the feedback I've gotten out of these informal surveys:

From what you guys said collectively, I gather that you like the following (ie Things I'm Doing Okay On):

* Gaming with good friends. :)
* Opportunities for RP exchanges with NPCs.
* NPC portrayal. Big thumbs-up all the way around.
* Plotlines seem well-thought out and complete, with some consistent interconnections.

And that the following needs improvement (ie Things I Need To Work On):

* At least one person feels like he can't point out rules or have mechanics questions, and feels like there's a DM vs PCs attitude going on. This same player answered consistently with a lower morale on all questions.
* Remembering allied NPC activity in combat.
* Forward motion and progress in-game (aka downtime), though it was recognized that some of that is due to the PCs, as well.
* Shift of focus on plotline material away from the overuse of demons and the Infernus.
* Enjoyable combat encounters with a mix of creatures and interesting terrain types.

And a few years later:

From what you guys said collectively, I gather that you like the following (i.e. Things I'm Doing Okay On):

* Descriptions
* World detail and dynamics
* NPC portrayal and roleplaying (including mention of voices and consistent mannerisms)
* Plots and adventures

Honorable mention was given to the combat scenarios being tough but balanced, in general. Since my last campaign, I've worked on providing mixed combat encounters and moving away from single powerful enemies in an encounter. The diversity has been great, and I've gotten a few appreciative comments on that, too.

From your feedback, I gather that the following needs improvement (i.e. Things I Need To Work On):

* Pacing, including character awards. Characters are still growing too quickly in-game time (need more downtime), but not consistently in out-of-game time (XP award system a hindrance).
* Cities are nebulous; an overview of city layout in play would be appreciated.
* Dungeons can be too long. ;)
* Less overarching storylines, more PC-oriented mini-adventures.

This is an improvement from two years ago. Then, the comments focused on such things as the DM forgetting allied NPC activity in combat, too high a focus on the use of the infernal as bad guys, and bland combat encounters. A lack of downtime and long over-arcing plotlines are still problems of mine as a DM, and represent great opportunities for improvement in the future of this campaign, and in campaigns to come.

I can't wait to see what I find out this year.

With Regards,
Flynn

Random Chart: Quick NPC Concepts...

Good Afternoon, All:

It's been a while since I've posted a Random Chart, and so I thought I'd post this quick little table for the quick creation of basic NPC concepts. This table uses the d66 method made popular by Traveller. Roll two six-sided dice and read them like percentile dice; the first die represents the tens digit, and the second die represents the ones digit. For example, if you rolled a 2 and a 5, then you would read the result as "25" and consult the table.

This table requires three rolls to create a basic character concept for your NPCs. These rolls generate a physical trait, a social trait and a base concept, in order. For example, you could roll a d66 three times, coming up with a 14, 23, and 45. This would indicate that the Quick NPC Concept is a bald, delusional scholar. The physical trait gives you, the Referee, a visual hook that can be used to connect to the character. The social trait is intended to give you some kind of roleplaying opportunity. Finally, the base concept would hopefully help you in the determination of system mechanics and the character's role within the setting.

While you are not bound by the results of this table, I would highly encourage you to at least consider the generated NPC concept before discarding it. You may find yourself inspired by a concept related to the one you initially generated, and as a result, you could take your adventure or scenario in a whole new direction that's more fun for you and more memorable for your players.

Table: Quick NPC Concepts

d66	Physical	Social	Concept
11	agile	angry	acrobat
12	alert	arrogant	adventurer
13	attractive	boisterous	assassin
14	bald	cautious	bodyguard
15	blind	clueless	commoner
16	branded	cowardly	courtier
21	brawny	curious	crusader
22	bumbling	deceitful	cultist
23	clumsy	delusional	druid
24	crusty	determined	explorer
25	dark	envious	gladiator
26	deaf	flirtacious	illusionist
31	deformed	generous	knight
32	elderly	greedy	magus
33	elegant	heroic	martial artist
34	enormous	honest	mercenary
35	hirsute	honorable	monk
36	lame	humble	necromancer
41	nimble	immoral	noble
42	obese	insecure	outlander
43	one-armed	kind	priest
44	one-eyed	loyal	ritualist
45	one-legged	meticulous	scholar
46	pallid	moderate	scout
51	robust	over-confident	serf
52	scarred	pacifistic	shaman
53	scrawny	pious	slave
54	sickly	proud	sorcerer
55	skinny	prudish	spellsword
56	small	ravenous	spy
61	swift	slovenly	thief
62	ugly	stoic	trader
63	weatherbeaten	stubborn	tribesman
64	wild-eyed	traitorous	weaponmaster
65	youthful	vengeful	woodsman
66	Referee's Choice	Referee's Choice	Referee's Choice

Enjoy,
Flynn

Developing my own Black & White icon set for Hexographer...

Good Evening:

I've taken the plunge and investing in a lifetime license of Hexographer, so that I can use my own icon set for the creation of regional maps. I'm working on the graphics for such, pulling images from various sources as inspiration, so that I can go back and create my own unique look. I like the look and feel of the black and white icons, as Chgowiz recently demonstrated in one of his posts this weekend. They look cleaner, they'll print out better in POD products, and they stand out, at least in my opinion. Now, I just need to complete my own look and feel, so that the maps look awesome in their own right.

If you have any suggestions, by the way, I'm open to hearing them.

Wish Me Luck,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite Referee's Guide: New Draft Posted...

Good Morning, All:

I have posted V3.0 of the MyD20 Lite Referee's Guide draft document to my gaming files site. This version adds 18 pages to the previous draft. The following areas have seen some additions, but are not yet complete (I do tend to skip around a bit):

Under "Running the Session":
* Text under the Character Development, Multiple Characters and New Characters sections.

Under "Common Elements":
* Text under Alignment, Allegiances & Nature and Alternate Dimensions & Other Planes sections.

Under "A Basic Bestiary":
* Text under Common Special Abilities, Elite and Solo Monsters, and some descriptive text under specific monsters.

Under "Stock NPCs":
* Text under Reading NPC Descriptions.

Under "New Monster Creation"
* Text under the Combat Values and Challenge Ratings sections.

Under "Adventure Creation Advice":
* Text under Designing a Dungeon Adventure, including the beginnings of a One Page Dungeon.

Under "Treasures and Other Rewards":
* Text under Treasure, Mundane Items (including Special Materials), and Magic Items sections.

While I would appreciate feedback on the entire document, if you want to limit yourself to the above, anything would be greatly appreciated.

With Regards,
Flynn

Hammersong's Legacy: The Cosmology...

Good Evening, All:

As part of the setting for Hammersong's Legacy, I have had to consider what kind of cosmology I want to use, as such can shape higher level challenges and extraplanar storylines. I've never been big on the Great Wheel cosmology espoused by TSR and WOTC. Instead, I've pretty much used variations of my own since 2nd Edition AD&D back in the early 90s. It has been influenced by the Great Wheel in part, but I think a bigger influence has been Mayfair Games' Demons Campaign Setting and the cosmology of White Wolf's World of Darkness v1.0. Below are my raw notes on the cosmology I'm currently using in my own game, which I will likely clean up for inclusion in Hammersong's Legacy. Please let me know your thoughts.

* The Plane Prime
The home dimension of Terantha, the Plane Prime is considered by planar scholars and sages (at least those native to the Plane Prime) to be the center of the universe, and defines what is considered normal. All other planes are evaluated using the Plane Prime as the basis for comparison.

* Alternate Primes
Other realms that exist in a manner similar to the Plane Prime. Most alternate primes do not differ significantly in terms of planar traits, although they may be significantly different in other regards. Planar scholars note that alternate primes have different Patrons, whose clerics have power in those realms, but have no power in this, our Plane Prime. These scholars use this point to justify their stance that the Plane Prime is the center of the universe.

* The Grey Mysts
The Grey Mysts are a transitive plane of swirling grey mists which connects the various other planes together.

* Chorus of the Four Winds
A realm dedicated to the element of air.

* Deepmantle
A realm dedicated to the element of earth.

* Emberrealms
A realm dedicated to the element of fire.

* Everysea
A realm dedicated to the element of water.

* Arborea, The Faerie Courts
The natural realm of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, this plane seems closely affiliated with the Plane Prime.

* The Lands of Light
A plane of spiritual ascension, the Lands of Light are marked by the presence of saintly Servitors and spirit creatures dedicated to selfless deeds and the protection/preservation of others. The Lands of Light are the common gateway to more holy planes, such as the Manors Divine.

* The Manors Divine
Individual realms that serve as the home planes of the Patrons.

* The Shadowlands
A realm of restless spirits, trapped herein upon their death by the more vile Servitors and tormented by the twisted creatures that call this realm their home. The Shadowlands are the common gateway to more unholy planes, such as the Infernus or the myriad of demi-planes known as the Ten Thousand Hells.

* The Infernus
A most vile realm, the Infernus is the home plane for demons and similar Servitors. Some scholars refer to the Infernus as the Manors Infernal for that reason, though the term is rarely used outside of academia.

* The Ten Thousand Hells
A collective name for countless vile demi-planes, the Ten Thousand Hells are the home realms of numerous unholy Servitor races. Each plane is distinctive from the others, but their inhospitable environments do not support easily support life normally associated with the Plane Prime, causing them to be classified together by sages when the need for generalization arises.

Enjoy,
Flynn

Hammersong's Legacy: Of Gods and Mortal Souls...

Good Afternoon, All:

Below are some thoughts on the general nature of the Gods in the Hammersong's Legacy setting.

There is no individual god or goddess that governs death, as all deities govern the souls of the mortals that follow them. Those unfortunates that choose not to follow a god or goddess of the Manors Divine find their souls forfeit. Such aimless souls are one of the two major sources of the undead that haunt the realms of Terantha. (For the curious, I would like to mention that the second major source of undead on the Plane Prime are those who die while cursed. There are a number of minor sources of undead as well, too numerous to list here, but these two are the most prolific of reasons behind the existence of undead.)

Among the more scholarly of sorts, it is known that other gods and goddesses do exist, but they hold no power within the Plane Prime. Priests of such divine powers may be encountered on other planes of existence, but are rarely found in the realms of Terantha, unless they have had occasion to become lost among the planes, and have found their way to Terantha as opposed to their own native plane of existence. Such mortals, if unable to return to their own native realms, are typically forced to court a god or goddess of the New Order, unless they have some heretofore unknown means of maintaining contact with their previous divinity of choice.

Then, I decided to expand on what happens to souls upon death:

Within the realms of Terantha upon the Plane Prime, the gods place significant value on preserving the souls of their faithful. Many mortals, to avoid their souls being lost forever to the curse of undeath upon the moment of their death, choose a particular god or goddess of the Manors Divine to follow. Indeed, in many communities, this choice is one of the first acts a child is allowed to perform of their own free will, although some allow more freedom of choice in these regards than other communities permit.

Ultimately, the divine relationship between a god and a mortal follower culminates when the mortal dies and passes from this world. The god or goddess often sends their sacred servitors to collect the soul of their fallen faithful shortly after the mortal has passed on. This usually occurs after three days have passed, either at dawn or dusk, depending on the whim and predeliction of the deity in question. For the undecided, undeclared, or accursed, their souls remain trapped within the Plane Prime, doomed to haunt the mortal realms Plane Prime until such time as they are eventually released their imprisonment on this plane through the works and deeds of others.

In the days before a god or goddess lays claim upon a soul, any priest with the appropriate spells can likely restore that person to life, should that soul so determine to return to the land of the living. However, once a god claims the mortal’s soul, only the devout priesthood of the deity that claims the soul can make such a request of the deity. Frequently, such requests of the god or goddess often come at a price, such that life is restored to the fallen mortal in exchange for a quest in service to the god and his followers. The god will typically place the raised mortal under the effects of a divine compulsion, which is only removed upon the completion of the deity's quest of service.

What, then, should one know about changing gods within the setting?

Although such efforts are rare, should a mortal decide to change his declaration of allegiance from one god to another, they must simply find a cleric of the god or goddess of their intended faith, and undergo a simple ritual of atonement that binds them from that point forward to the god of their choice. It is the nature of this ritual which allows the new god to acknowledge the mortal's decision, and accept the responsibility of harvesting the mortal's soul upon their death. The unwise should be warned, however, that the priest casting this spell may first assign a quest to the atoning mortal to allow them the opportunity to demonstrate their new convictions and dedication to their new god or goddess. It is unlikely that the quest will be easy for anyone who is returning to a god or goddess that they have once cast aside for another.

This shouldn't change the rules so much as provide some flavor and adventure opportunities regarding the relationship between gods and mortals. What do you think? How do you handle such elements in your game?

With Regards,
Flynn

Hammersong's Legacy: A Question of Slavery...

Good Afternoon, All:

In working on the Hammersong's Legacy campaign setting, I have introduced a significant amount of slavery into the setting. I feel that, in any post-apocalyptic world, there will be those that recover due to their strength, and have no qualms about using that strength to impose their will on the world around them. The beacon of light that is the PCs' home region should have something to fight against, and the presence of slavers and slavery in general gives them something to work against. Theirs is a more enlightened society, as it does not engage in the barbaric act of slavery (for the most part), and in presenting my material for this section in an in-character manner, I have tried to demonstrate that disdain.

I have made it known in no uncertain terms that I, like many others here in my adopted homeland of the Duar Protectorate, abhor slavery of any kind. Yet it is a harsh fact of life that many lands do not hold to the same enlightened philosophies themselves. Indeed, in many lands, slavery is a wide-spread practice, and as such, I mention it here simply to grant context for those raised with more delicate sensitivities.

I then go on to explain the four common sources of slaves (indentured servants, criminals, slaves by birth and slaves by capture) and the four common categories of slaves (laborers, craftsmen, scholars and experts). Although they are not explicitly called out in the text, pleasure slaves often fall into that last category. I then wrap up this section with a small paragraph on determining the market value of slaves.

In total, this section covers about a page of text in the rough draft. I figure that this should be enough focus on what might be a delicate subject for some, and I am using this simply to put the subject of slavery within context for the adventure potential that it provides. (Also, it helps paint the picture of the Aftermath of the War of All Gods as not being all peaches and cream, if you will.)

I'm curious: Is this an appropriate means of handling this subject within a campaign setting? If not, what should I change? I look forward to your comments, as they are often thought-provoking and insightful, to say the least.

With Regards,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite Online Appendix: Uniform Advancement XP Tables

Good Morning, All:

I realize now that in my rush to get the MyD20 Lite Player's Guide published, I forgot to include an appendix that included a uniform advancement XP table consistent with the assumptions underlying the 3E XP table. This post is in response to that request from a contributor on the initial discussion thread.

The base assumption for this XP table is simple. 3E and the D20 System assumes that each level requires the same number of encounters to advance. Basically, the D20 System assumes at its core that it takes 13 and one-third encounters per level to advance, whether you are going from 1st to 2nd or from 19th to 20th level. This is in response to market research that WOTC did back in 1998 during the development phase of 3rd Edition. (As an aside, MyD20 Lite does not follow this paradigm; instead, it starts with a base number of encounters and increases the number of encounters required at each level.)

Here's the process I used to create an XP table based on the basic 3E assumption of a consistent number of encounters per level. The step-by-step results of this work is captured in Table: XP Calculations, below.

First, I opened an Excel spreadsheet and created a column for character level, numbering each row from 1 to 20, since MyD20 Lite outlines the first 20 levels in terms of XP. Next to each level, I listed the base XP value for an encounter at that level.

Second, I created a new column where I determined the number of XP that each person gets for a single encounter. Since I seat a table of five, I divided that value by five. If you follow the WOTC standard, you'd divide by four here, but since this is for my table, I went with five. (In the long run, it doesn't matter what you use, but if you decide to change the logic I'm following should you wish to pursue a similar project, it may make a difference later on.)

Next, I calculated the number of encounters that the average first level character required to advance to second level. This became the number of encounters I would require at each level of advancement for this alternate XP table.

Then, I determined the amount of XP required to advance at each level by multiplying the Encounter XP Per Person by the Number of Encounters Per Level. This gave me the number of XP required to advance at that level.

Finally, to build the table, I created a column that gave me the cumulative XP totals at each level (basically looking at the previous level's total and adding the XP required to advance in the current level), which gave me the basic XP table using a uniform level progression, 3E-style, for a single-classed character in MyD20 Lite.

Table: XP Calculations

Level	Base XP Value	Encounter XP Per Person	Nbr. of Encounters	XP to Advance	Cumulative XP Totals
1	300	60	16.66666667	1000	1000
2	450	90	16.66666667	1500	2500
3	600	120	16.66666667	2000	4500
4	900	180	16.66666667	3000	7500
5	1200	240	16.66666667	4000	11500
6	1800	360	16.66666667	6000	17500
7	2400	480	16.66666667	8000	25500
8	3600	720	16.66666667	12000	37500
9	4800	960	16.66666667	16000	53500
10	7200	1440	16.66666667	24000	77500
11	9600	1920	16.66666667	32000	109500
12	14400	2880	16.66666667	48000	157500
13	19200	3840	16.66666667	64000	221500
14	28800	5760	16.66666667	96000	317500
15	38400	7680	16.66666667	128000	445500
16	57600	11520	16.66666667	192000	637500
17	76800	15360	16.66666667	256000	893500
18	115200	23040	16.66666667	384000	1277500
19	153600	30720	16.66666667	512000	1789500
20	230400	46080	16.66666667	768000	2557500

Since MyD20 Lite doubles the XP for multiclass characters with two classes, and triples it for multiclass characters with three classes, I simply had to multiply the XP totals at each level by two and by three to determine the charts for those multiclass conditions. Table: Final XP Chart, Uniform Advancement, below, provides the final version of the XP Table for uniform advancement. If this approach is more your preference than the standard tables provides in MyD20 Lite, please feel free to substitute this in your games.

Table: Final XP Chart, Uniform Advancement

Level	One Class	Two Classes	Three Classes
1	1,000	2,000	3,000
2	2,500	5,000	7,500
3	4,500	9,000	13,500
4	7,500	15,000	22,500
5	11,500	23,000	34,500
6	17,500	35,000	52,500
7	25,500	51,000	76,500
8	37,500	75,000	112,500
9	53,500	107,000	160,500
10	77,500	155,000	232,500
11	109,500	219,000	328,500
12	157,500	315,000	472,500
13	221,500	443,000	664,500
14	317,500	635,000	952,500
15	445,500	891,000	1,336,500
16	637,500	1,275,000	1,912,500
17	893,500	1,787,000	2,680,500
18	1,277,500	2,555,000	3,832,500
19	1,789,500	3,579,000	5,368,500
20	2,557,500	5,115,000	7,672,500

Hope This Helps,
Flynn