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

Latest Release - MyD20 Lite Bestiary: Common Creatures...

Good Afternoon, All:

MyD20 Lite Bestiary: Common Creatures, the latest release from Samardan Press is now available!

Running a game of MyD20 Lite just got a lot easier!

The MyD20 Lite Bestiary: Common Creatures is intended to provide the Referee with a basic list of more than sixty different monsters that are common to many fantasy campaigns, some of which have multiple stat blocks for variant monsters, leading to almost seventy-five different unique monsters ready to populate your adventures! In addition, you'll also find rules on how to create your own monsters in the MyD20 Lite system!

MyD20 Lite's small, spartan rule-set frees up your creativity to create a fantasy role-playing experience without the hassles found with larger, more complex gaming systems.



You can find the eBook/PDF at Lulu or RPGNow:
http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/myd20-lite-bestiary-common-creatures/18167675
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=95870

You can obtain a physical copy via Print-On-Demand at Lulu:
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/myd20-lite-bestiary-common-creatures/18172392

Please check out the MyD20 Lite Player’s Guide as well!

With Regards,
Jason "Flynn" Kemp

Change of Plans: MyD20 Lite Referee's Guide...

Good Morning, All:

At the moment, I am preparing to release my next MyD20 Lite product, which I am calling MyD20 Lite Bestiary: Common Creatures. It is a small collection of more than sixty monsters that can be used with any MyD20 Lite campaign. A majority come from the work I've done on the Referee's Guide, some from Hammersong's Legacy (updated to MyD20 Lite, of course), and some are introduced just to cover some of the bases regarding common creatures. This 40-page supplement should be available before the end of the week, in both PDF and Print-On-Demand.

In essence, I'm looking at breaking the Referee's Guide up into smaller parts so that I can get more of it out there now, and then add the parts that are still missing as I go along. Expect to see a Treasure supplement in the next few weeks, as well as Referee Advice. Other bits and pieces will follow, and eventually, I'll compile them all into a single book, once I've finished everything. While this doesn't give the MyD20 Lite fans a complete book all at once, at least it gives them something that they can use right now. Eventually, I may even create my own version of the D&D Rules Compendium and bring it all together into one giant hardcover book.

Of course, if the MyD20 Lite stuff doesn't sell well, then I know that the material isn't in high demand and I can stop beating myself up about not getting it done. If that's the case, I will wait until I have an actual MyD20 Lite gaming group instead of the Savage Worlds game I'm running right now before I finalize the whole system. Since I tend to write more for things that I can use in my game, in one form or another, that will probably be the biggest motivator toward getting things done. Right now, though, my Savage Worlds game is going strong, and I'm really enjoying it, so I wouldn't expect that additional external motivation just yet. But if there are a significant number of people waiting, I'm more motivated to get it finished and out there where it can be used and enjoyed.

Hope This Helps,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite: Basic Rules (or Levels 1-5)...

Good Evening, All:

I've finally got off my duff and created a rough draft of a "Basic Rules" PDF for MyD20 Lite that focuses on just character levels 1-5. I've done what I can to remove elements above 5th level, but I'm hoping that there's still enough here to show the merits of the system for those that might be interested.

You can find the MyD20 Lite Basic Rules here:
MyD20 Lite - Basic Rules

And best of all, it's free!

Enjoy,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite: Three New Monsters...

Good Evening, All:

I've been suffering a little bit of writer's block of late, and when that happens, I like to take a randomly generated element (such as a monster or an adventure plot, or in the case of Traveller, a Universal World Profile) and try to build a cohesive gaming idea around it. Sometimes, in the process of working with such random items, a spark of creative thought inspires me, and I find myself back in the driver's seat, so to speak.

Other times, however, I start with an image, a picture or some other visual medium, and work backwards from there. For today, I went with a picture out of one of the later Monster Manuals from the 3E Era, and took it from there. (Since I can't use the monsters as they are because they are not Open Game Content, I may as well use my own home-brewed creatures inspired by their images, and run with that idea.) With that in mind, I'm going to start by offering up for your perusal the following trio of infernal animals for use with MyD20 Lite.

Dread Scavenger
The Dread Scavenger has the appearance of a mange-ridden hyena the size of a horse, with black, viscous poison dripping from its deadly teeth. Dread Scavengers are fierce beasts, but would much rather feed on carrion than hunt living prey, and will often disengage from combat if they can safely withdraw with a corpse to feast upon.

Dread Scavenger: Large Planar Monster (Unholy); CR 3; XP 600; HD 3d8 (14 hp); MV 8; AC 16; AT +5 bite (2d6+3, plus poison); SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +3; SA poison (1d6, Fort DC 13 negates); SQ darkvision, half damage from acid and cold, immune (poison, raise dead, resurrect), scent.

Infernal Prowler
An Infernal Prowler resembles a hairless wolf with a thick grey-green hide and a bony ridge running the length of its spine. The Infernal Prowler tends to skulk along the ground ahead of unholy forces, sneaking up on outlying guards and scouts to strike from surprise.

Infernal Prowler: Small Planar Monster (Unholy); CR 1; XP 300; HD 2d8 (9 hp); MV 7; AC 15; AT +4 2 claws (1d4-1); SV Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +3; SA sneak attack (+4 attack, +1d6 damage vs flanked or unaware opponents); SQ darkvision, immune (raise dead, resurrect).

Ravenous Glutton
The three-legged, three-armed round body of the Ravenous Glutton is topped by a single gaping maw, into which this ever-hungry beast stuffs anything slow enough to be caught. The Ravenous Glutton takes a particularly fiendish delight in rending the flesh of the recently fallen and feeding on the remains.

Ravenous Glutton: Medium Planar Monster (Unholy); CR 1; XP 300; HD 2d8 (9 hp); MV 6; AC 15; AT +4 bite (1d8); SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3; SA rend fallen (1d8 damage vs dropped opponent); SQ darkvision, immune (raise dead, resurrect).

Any feedback on the above would be appreciated. In particular, if you have any suggested name changes, I'm definitely open to such, so long as they sound appropriately flavorful, of course.

With Regards,
Flynn

Flaws, Hindrances and Disadvantages: How Do Character Personalities Evolve?

Good Evening, All:

One of the things I really enjoy about Savage Worlds is that characters are built with Hindrances, which are flaws with a game mechanical impact which helps define the character. I find that systems using such a mechanic, such as the aforementioned Savage Worlds or the Storyteller System by White Wolf, tend to promote roleplaying characters with distinctive personalities among the players of that system. While I've seen some great RP done by players of games that do not have such a system, I've found the use of flaws/Hindrances/character disadvantages to more consistently remind players that the character is more than just a set of game stats.

For a time, I considered adding this game mechanic to MyD20 Lite, but in the end, I decided to fall back on the majority of my D&D experience and not include such. Simply put, aside from a brief period where AD&D 2nd Edition Player's Options provided us with such a system, D&D just doesn't have a consistent non-class-related game mechanic that promotes roleplaying through varied personality traits. (It has alignments, but more often than not, alignment became a indicator of what the character was doing rather than a guide to character behavior.) Since MyD20 Lite is intended to be my go-to system for D&D games, I kept to the core experiences I wanted to build on and recapture when I want that particular level-based fantasy gaming experience.

Fortunately, characters do tend to take on a personality of their own as a result of the gaming experiences the GM sends them through. While you might not always get interesting quirks or distinctive character traits from the player-characters, you definitely find yourself dealing with characters that have specific enemies, hatreds and prejudices based on what you've presented to them over the course of a long-lived game. A good group involved in a detailed game can't seem to resist character evolution and development over the course of a campaign (for the most part; there are always exceptions.)

So, what kind of things do you do when playing in a gaming system that does not offer such clear-cut game mechanics to promote roleplay? Are you a gamer that creates characters around a concept, which then adjusts itself as it interacts with the game world? Or do you start with a character sheet that's a blank slate, and just let the character evolve over the course of the game? Or does every character you play have the same core personality, whether it's an elven ranger, a human mage or a wookie co-pilot? And more importantly, why is it that you build and portray your character in your particular manner, rather than one of the other choices? I'm curious, and yes, part of this may end up in the MyD20 Lite Referee's Guide, paraphrased, of course.

With Regards,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite: The Role of Gods...

Good Evening, All:

Here's another snippet from the MyD20 Lite Referee's Guide. In this particular case, I'm exploring the role of Gods and Pantheons from the perspective of the Referee. Please read through this and let me know if you have any questions, comments and concerns.

The role of Gods in most fantasy campaigns tends to fall into one of four basic categories: monotheism/dualism, one common pantheon, multiple regional pantheons and the use of religious organizations instead of individual gods. As the Referee, one of your decisions is to decide on which approach to take for your campaign. A great majority of campaign settings typically promote the concept of one common pantheon. For the purpose of discussion, however, the other three types are also presented in this section.

Monotheism and Dualism
Campaign settings cast in this particular model typically reflect the monolithic presence of a single church devoted to one God, much as the Roman catholic Church existed in the late Middle Ages in Europe. In such a setting, those spellcasters that do not worship the single God of the setting are arcanists, and do not have access to divine magic. The social role of arcane spellcasters is seriously impacted by this association, even if they are devoted to the single God of the setting.
As an interesting variant of this concept, two Gods vie for the souls of the mortal world, each diametrically opposed to one another. This alleviates the social pressure on arcane spellcasting characters, as now there are two sources for divine magic. Due to their opposed nature, one of these Gods is often portrayed as Good, while the other is seen as Evil.
Before making a decision to develop a campaign setting under this model, Referees should discuss the matter with their players. Some people may feel that this arrangement reflects their own personal beliefs, and may have strong feelings regarding the depiction of something resembling their own beliefs within the context of a fantasy game.

One Common Pantheon
This is the most common model used to depict deities in published campaign settings. In essence, these campaign settings describe the presence of five or more (sometimes over a hundred more) deities, all worshiped individually as part of one gestalt pantheon. Each deity in the pantheon embodies one or more archetypes or aspects of the world, and are often drawn from or inspired by historical and mythological pantheons from various Earth cultures. In some cases, archetypes unique to fantasy settings have evolved to handle the presence of races and professions that are common to fantasy literature, but did not exist historically.
As a Referee, should you decide to use one common pantheon, it is suggested that you identify ten to twenty different archetypes you wish to include in your campaign and then build from there. As mentioned previously, you could easily review historic and mythological pantheons for inspiration, and possibly even use the deities you find directly.

Multiple Regional Pantheons
Another common practice in published campaign settings is the use of multiple regional pantheons. For example, many settings have one large common pantheon, supported by smaller racial pantheons. (Frequently, fantasy races are divided into separate regions with their own cultures, which lends itself well to a regional pantheon concept.) Alternately, a setting that emulates different Earth cultures will also include regional pantheons, one for each culture, to give these regions their own unique identity.
When using multiple regional pantheons, it is recommended that each region have a fairly small pantheon, to make it easier for you as the Referee and for your players to keep things straight. Too many gods in too many separated pantheons can easily lead to confusion.

Religious Organizations
As a final note, a few published campaign settings have forgone the use of deities and pantheons, and instead used religious organizations in their place within the context of their worlds. Such organizations may be modeled after real-world religions, or may take a more fantasy-oriented bent to them. The influence of such organizations tend to be much less pervasive than a divine pantheon, extending only so far as the originating culture has spread. This particular model suggests adventures based on political intrigue within the hierarchy of an organization, as well as the interaction between various organizations. With no omnipotent, omnipresent deity actively involved in the matters of mortal men, there's a lot more room for story lines that involve the darker aspects of human nature where secular power is concerned.
Bear in mind, however, that should you, as Referee, decide to pursue such a setting, you should check first with your players to make sure that they are comfortable with the religious organizations you decide to implement in your setting. As with the One God concept above, fantasy game elements that bear too much of a similarity to strong personal beliefs may make one or more player-characters uncomfortable.

Enjoy,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite: Guilds...

Good Evening, All:

In working on MyD20 Lite Referee's Guide, I started gathering together information regarding guilds in a fantasy setting, in the hopes that it would make for a good addition to the book. I've included the basics of what I've found below. A version of this text will likely appear in the final book. I may also include a sample stat block for use with such organizations, much like I've shown elsewhere on this blog and utilized in the Hammersong's Legacy Campaign Setting.

For more information on guilds in a fantasy setting, I've found references to the following products that might be helpful: Guilds by AEG, Guildcraft by Bastion Press and Guilds & Adventurers by Mystic Eye. If you have any other suggestions, comments or concerns, I'm open to them as always.

Guilds
Much like the medieval guilds that inspire them, guilds in most fantasy settings evolve primarily to protect local and regional trade within specific occupations. Guilds are best described as exclusive, regimented organizations created to preserve the rights and privileges of their members separately and distinctly from the local government. In a world where individuals are often defined by their occupation and livelihood, the union of local craftsmen and merchants offers a degree of economic protection that the law of the land does not always provide. Thus, guilds fill an important role in urban life.

Most guilds in fantasy settings fall into one of two categories: merchant guilds and craft guilds. Traders form merchant guilds for the mutual protection of their horses, wagons, and goods when traveling. Many townships have been founded when a merchant guild obtains a charter to do so from the local sovereign or governing body, so that caravans would be protected at the end of a day's travel along trade routes between major markets.

Groups of artisans and craftsmen engaged in the same occupation associate themselves together as craft guilds for protection and mutual aid. As the craft guilds rise in power within the local government, they tend to enforce a monopoly, denying the ability to practice their craft without being a member of the guild. In this way, the craft guild could protect their local business from outside trade.

While guilds are often portrayed in fantasy settings as protecting their own members, they also provide protection for consumers (such as the average adventuring party) as well. Craft guilds often have regulations on the quality of work produced by their membership, and may even require that all works be examined and approved by the guild before they can be sold. Prices are regulated (though rarely fixed), at least within a given city or region, so that local merchants are not able to drastically under-sell one another. Guilds often promote laws and decrees that forbid foreign artisans from selling their work within the guild's domain. Secrets regarding the production processes of a guild are guarded from discovery, and those who sell such secrets or train others in forbidden techniques are often hunted down and slain for such actions. Within a guild, monopolies are maintained through the control of the number of masters, and resources are protected to avoid impacting the guild members' ability to perform their craft.

In addition to the obvious trade-related services, guilds also perform other services for its members. They provide funeral expenses for poorer members and aid to survivors of disasters, provide dowries for the daughters of poorer members, provide assistance for the care of sick or injured members, build and/or support shrines and temples dedicated to a guild's patron deities, monitor the impact of members who indulge in non-ethical behavior such as gambling or usury, and promote education among the families of their membership.

In some instances, guilds are required to perform public services, such as taking turns with one another policing the streets or constructing public buildings and walls to defend the city.

Guild Ranks
Although there are exceptions, most guilds are organized into different ranks, or levels of membership and authority. These are typically, from lowest to highest: apprentice, journeyman, master and Guildmaster.

Apprentice: Most apprentices live with a master and his family, as the apprentice's parents have paid to have their child taken on. Apprentices work for free and are subject to the whims and teachings of their master. During their apprenticeship they are often not allowed to marry. This learning period might vary from 2-7 years depending on the craft. The apprentice's training included the rudiments of the trade. When the apprentice has mastered the basics of the guild's craft, they may be promoted to journeyman.

Journeyman: Journeymen are entitle to earn a salary as they continue to work in service to the guild. In addition to their day-to-day work, a journeyman must produce a masterpiece that will satisfy the Guildmaster of their mastery of the craft and hopefully earn the rank of master. The journeyman must work on his own time to produce this masterpiece, using his own tools and raw materials he has purchased himself. Once the work is completed, the journeyman may receive a vote of acceptance, so long as the economy is sufficient to support the addition of a new master. If times are tight, a journeyman may not receive their vote of acceptance immediately.

Master: Once the masterpiece is complete, the Guildmaster has approved it, and the guild has voted to accept the journeyman as a master, he then joins the ranks of the masters and enjoys all the rights and responsibilities of that position.

Guildmaster: While a guild can have many masters, it can typically only have one Guildmaster. Often a person of political and social importance given his role in the guild, the Guildmaster often sets or guides the policies of the guild and their enforcement. While a guild is still subject to the law of the land and the decrees of the local sovereign or governing body, within those strictures, the Guildmaster often possesses great power.

With Regards,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite: Referee's Guide Update...

Good Evening, All:

I'm almost done with the section on Magic Items in the MyD20 Lite Referee's Guide, which is good news. I feel that I have the following sections that are still outstanding on the book:

1. Common Fantasy Elements: I need to finish my discussions on various fantasy elements that are often depicted in fantasy campaign worlds.
2. A Basic Bestiary: I need to complete the common special abilities, although I may limit them to only those covered by the monsters provided. I also need to complete the Monsters & Combat subsection.
3. Non-Player Characters: I need to decide how I'm going to proceed with the Stock NPC section and then finish that up. Most of that will be dealing with stat blocks.
4. Adventure Creation Advice: I need to finish my discussions on elements of a good dungeon design, and finish my example. I also need to flesh out the wilderness adventure section.
5. The Appendices: I need to finish up my conversion notes from various fantasy game systems into MyD20 Lite.

While I am unsure if I'll be done by the end of January, I do feel like I'm making significant progress. Truthfully, there's a lot more I'd like to do with this book, but I think getting something out now is better than waiting another year while I create the tome I'd actually like to release. Perhaps I can continue my work on the side, and eventually release another supplement of Referee advice.

With Regards,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite Bestiary: Looking Ahead...

Good Evening, All:

Today, I'm just taking a few moments to look ahead at the third book of the MyD20 Lite product line, the Bestiary. While it would be pretty easy for me to simply redo the SRD monsters for MyD20 Lite, I think that this is an opportunity to create the kind of bestiary that I'd really like to have for my campaigns. I've always been a big fan of having many, many monsters at my disposal, so that I have options in the adventures that I run. The more monsters I have, though, the longer it will take to compile and finalize the book's content.

In 1st Edition, Monster Manual had over 350 monsters, while Monster Manual 2 added 250 more to the list. (I don't know how many Fiend Folio had.) This implies about 600 monsters to have some good selections.

I don't have an accurate count of 2nd Edition monsters, so I'll have to guess. Based on Echohawk's incredible spreadsheet of monsters, 2nd Edition appears to tag about 7901 monsters, but that includes EVERYTHING, not just the core monsters (and may include duplicates). Using just the Monstrous Compendium Volumes One and Two, it comes up to around 580, while the compiled Monstrous Manual that came out later to replace the monstrous compendia offers 779 monsters.

3E jumps up the offering yet again. Between the five 3E/v3.5 Monster Manuals and the 3E Fiend Folio, there are over 2200 monsters available for selection, which averages out to about 370 monsters a book. Not every monster manual contained that many entries, of course, particularly toward the end of the series. However, if I recall correctly, there are more than 600 monsters in the first Monster Manual alone.

With these figures in mind, I'd venture to guess that, at a minimum, a good, solid core Bestiary should contain at least 600 monsters, and possibly offering up to 800 monsters or even more. Other third-party bestiaries brag in their advertisements when they have 200 or more monsters, but they aren't replacing the core monster manuals. Instead, they are supplementing the core with additional monsters. At a minimum, the 550+ monsters found in the SRD are likely to be the least I could reasonably offer and still provide enough diversity to meet my own gaming needs, much less the needs of others.

What do you think? What's a good target number of monsters for the MyD20 Lite Bestiary to cover? What would you want to see in a monster book of this ilk?

With Regards,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite: Player's Guide Errata...

Good Evening, All:

With the changes in math behind the monster stats, it occurs to me that I need to update the monster stats found in the MyD20 Lite Player's Guide under the various Summoning spells. This post should serve as some basic form of errata until I am ready to post an official errata update.

Summoned Monster I: Small Planar Monster; CR 1; XP ––; HD 1 (4 hp); MV 5; AC 12; AT melee +3/+3 claws (1d4-1) or melee +3 bite (1d6-1); SV Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +2; SA ––; SD Darkvision or Low–light vision, half damage vs. acid and cold, smite foe (1/day), one bonus defense, one special feature.
* Bonus Defense: Select a bonus defense ability from the following: +1 AC, +2 Fort, +2 Ref, +2 Will or +3 hitpoints.
* Bonus Special Feature: Select a bonus special feature from the following: +1 attack and +1 damage, +1 hitpoint/HD and +1 on Fortitude saves, +1 AC and +1 on Reflex saves, +2 AC, burrow (MV), climb (MV), constrict, fly (MV), poison (1d4), pounce, powerful charge, rake, rend, swim (MV), trample, or trip.
* Smite Foe: When using this ability, the summoned monster gain a +4 bonus on its melee attack roll, and inflicts an additional +2d6 damage if the attack is successful.

Summoned Monster II: Medium Planar Monster; CR 2; XP ––; HD 2 (9 hp); MV 6; AC 13; AT melee +4/+4 claws (1d6) or melee +4 bite (1d8); SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3; SA ––; SD Darkvision or Low–light vision, half damage vs. acid and cold, smite foe (1/day), one bonus defense , one special feature.

Summoned Monster III: Medium Planar Monster; CR 3; XP ––; HD 4 (18 hp); MV 6; AC 14; AT melee +6/+6 claws (1d6+1) or melee +6 bite (1d8+1); SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +4; SA ––; SD Darkvision or Low–light vision, half damage vs. acid and cold, half damage vs. non–magical weapons, smite foe (2/day), one bonus defense, one special feature.

Summoned Monster IV: Large Planar Monster; CR 4; XP ––; HD 5 (22 hp); MV 7; AC 13; AT melee +5/+5 claws (1d8+3) or melee +5 bite (2d6+3); SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +4; SA ––; SD Darkvision or Low–light vision, half damage vs. acid and cold, half damage vs. non–magical weapons, smite foe (2/day), one bonus defense, one special feature.

Summoned Monster V: Large Planar Monster; CR 5; XP ––; HD 9 (40 hp); MV 7; AC 16; AT melee +10/+10 claws (1d8+5) or melee +10 bite (2d6+5); SV Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +5; SA ––; SD Darkvision or Low–light vision, half damage vs. acid and cold, half damage vs. non–magical weapons, smite foe (2/day), one bonus defense, two special features.

Summoned Monster VI: Large Planar Monster; CR 6; XP ––; HD 13 (59 hp); MV 7; AC 15; AT melee +15/+15 claws (1d8+6) or melee +15 bite (2d6+6); SV Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +8; SA ––; SD Darkvision or Low–light vision, half damage vs. acid and cold, half damage vs. non–magical weapons, smite foe (3/day), one bonus defense, two special features.

Summoned Monster VII: Large Planar Monster; CR 7; XP ––; HD 16 (72 hp); MV 7; AC 22; AT melee +18/+18 claws (1d8+7) or melee +18 bite (2d6+7); SV Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +10; SA ––; SD Darkvision or Low–light vision, half damage vs. acid and cold, half damage vs. non–magical weapons, smite foe (3/day), one bonus defense, three special features.

Summoned Monster VIII: Large Planar Monster; CR 9; XP ––; HD 22 (99 hp); MV 7; AC 26; AT melee +24/+24 claws (1d8+9) or melee +24 bite (2d6+9); SV Fort +14, Ref +12, Will +13; SA ––; SD Darkvision or Low–light vision, half damage vs. acid and cold, half damage vs. non–magical weapons, smite foe (4/day), one bonus defense, three special features.

Summoned Monster IX: Large Planar Monster; CR 11; XP ––; HD 30 (135 hp); MV 7; AC 28; AT melee +27/+27 claws (1d8+10) or melee +27 bite (2d6+10); SV Fort +15, Ref +13, Will +14; SA ––; SD Darkvision or Low–light vision, half damage vs. acid and cold, half damage vs. non–magical weapons, smite foe (5/day), one bonus defense, four special features.

Other errata for the MyD20 Lite Player's Guide includes:

Initiative: Monsters and NPCs use their Reflex save modifier on their Initiative rolls, since they do not have Dexterity scores and thus cannot make Dexterity-based ability checks.

Similar logic will be included in the Referee's Guide for monsters making ability checks. Strength- and Constitution-based ability checks will use a monster's Fortitude save modifier; Dexterity- and Intelligence-based ability checks will use a monster's Reflex save modifier; and Wisdom- and Charisma-based ability checks will use a monster's Will save modifier.

As always, your input on the above is always welcome and appreciated.

Hope This Helps,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite: Conditions Summary...

Good Morning, All:

In working on the condition summary page for the MyD20 Lite Referee's Guide, I developed the following from the 3E SRD. Most conditions are self-explanatory, in my opinion, or are found in the one or two areas where they are used, so I didn't include them. However, these are prevalent enough that I felt they needed to be covered, as they will likely come up under a greater variety of circumstances. Please feel free to review these rules and let me know your thoughts on the matter:

Condition Summary
If more than one condition affects a character, apply them all. If certain effects can't combine, such as different levels of the same category of conditions, apply the most severe effect.

Fear
There are three different stages of fear in the MyD20 Lite rules: shaken, frightened and panicked.
Shaken: A shaken character suffers a -2 penalty on all ability checks, including attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks. A character is typically shaken until they have rested uninterrupted for ten minutes.
Frightened: A frightened creature flees from the source of its fear as best it can. If unable to flee, it may fight. A frightened creature suffers a -2 penalty on all ability checks, including attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks. A frightened creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. A character is typically frightened until they have rested uninterrupted for ten minutes, at which point they merely become shaken.
Panicked: A panicked creature must drop anything it holds and flee at top speed, as well as any other dangers it encounters, along the most direct path away from the source of its fear. It can’t take any other actions. In addition, the creature suffers a -2 penalty on all ability checks, including attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks. If cornered, a panicked creature cowers, unable to act and suffering a -2 penalty to Armor Class. A panicked creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape.

Queasiness
There are two different stages of queasiness: sickened and nauseated.
Sickened: The character takes a -2 penalty on all weapon damage rolls and ability checks, including attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks.
Nauseated: A nauseated creature suffers from extreme stomach distress. Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move action per turn.

Tiredness
There are two different stages of tiredness: fatigued and exhausted.
Fatigued: A fatigued character can neither run nor charge and suffers a -1 penalty to Strength- and Dexterity-based ability checks, including attack rolls and Reflex saves. Eight hours of complete rest will remove a creature's fatigue. Doing anything that would normally cause fatigue increases their tiredness by one level, making them exhausted.
Exhausted: An exhausted character moves at half speed and suffers a -3 penalty to Strength- and Dexterity-based ability checks, including attack rolls and Reflex saves. One hour of rest shifts an exhausted character up one level of tiredness to fatigued. A fatigued character becomes exhausted by doing something else that would normally cause fatigue.

Part of me thinks there should be another level to tiredness, to cover the -2 penalty that lies halfway between fatigued and exhausted. I found this concept in True 20, where the intermediary condition was called fatigued and the -1 condition was called winded, and the idea still rattles around in my head from time to time. What do you think?

With Regards,
Flynn

Samardan Press: Looking At What Sells...

Good Morning, All:

This morning I looked through the sales numbers for various products I have sold under the Samardan Press label. Here's a rough breakdown of total PDF sales to date, by product:

Title	Total Sold
Book of Races	18
Fantasy Concepts Campaign Resource	125
Flynn's Guide to Alien Creation	149
Flynn's Guide to Magic in Traveller	71
Hammersong's Legacy	7
Modern Options: The Tome of Talents	18
MyD20 Lite Player's Guide	42
OGL Alternatives: Alternate Advancement System	55
One-Act Adventure: Vengeance By Proxy	12

From the numbers above, it really looks like my best sellers are my Traveller products (except adventures), followed closely behind by Fantasy Concepts. Obviously, campaign settings such as Hammersong's Legacy are not good sellers at all, followed closely behind by adventures. I'm not really looking at the singletons that I started off with. System-wise, my best avenue would be to pursue Traveller, followed by Fantasy Concepts. Swords & Wizardry does not appear to be my thing, product-wise.

With that in mind, I'm inclined to put my efforts toward the following directions with future products:

• I should focus on Traveller above other systems, because the rate of return is higher.
• Despite the fact that MyD20 Lite isn't doing well, I will continue to develop it, simply to make sure I have the version of D&D I want to use for future fantasy games.
• System books and supplements do better than adventures and settings, so I should focus on those.
• I should also try a few experiments into products of other types beyond just the basics I've tackled here.
• Stellar Quest will also make it out, just because it was fun to research and develop, and I know that there are a few fans of the project here among the readers.

I'm sure that this blog will continue to talk about Old School gaming, as that's the campaign style I prefer to run. I may also make a few more Traveller posts, if there's interest. While I'm not publishing with the goal of making a profit, but rather for the fun of creating works that others can enjoy, I have found that with today's economy, my Convention trips are easier if I have extra spending money earned from my product sales. So I suspect that I'll need to focus if I'm going to have a better Gen Con this year.

With Regards,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite: Designing a Trap...

Good Evening, All:

In working on the MyD20 Lite Referee's Guide today, I developed a quick section on designing traps that is similar to the section I have for creating new monsters. I’m providing a sneak peek at that section below. In addition, I’m providing some basic traps for simply plug-and-play use, and a few other tidbits as well.

Designing A Trap
When building a trap from scratch, the following table offers some suggested values for use in the trap's stat block, based on the desired Challenge Rating (CR) of the trap.

CR	XP	Attack Bonus	Attack Dmg	Ongoing Dmg	Difficulty	Max Spell Lvl
1/2	150	+1	1d8	1d4	12	1
1	300	+2	1d8	1d4	13	1
2	450	+3	2d6	1d4	13	1
3	600	+4	2d6	1d6	14	2
4	900	+6	2d6	1d6	15	2
5	1,200	+7	3d6	1d6	15	3
6	1,800	+8	4d6	2d6	16	3
7	2,400	+9	4d6	2d6	17	4
8	3,600	+10	4d6	2d6	18	4
9	4,800	+12	5d6	2d6	18	5
10	7,200	+13	5d6	2d6	19	5
11	9,600	+14	5d6	2d6	19	6
12	14,400	+15	6d6	2d6	20	6
13	19,200	+16	6d6	3d6	21	7
14	28,800	+18	6d6	3d6	22	7
15	38,400	+19	6d6	3d6	22	8
16	57,600	+20	6d6	3d6	23	8
17	76,800	+21	6d6	3d6	24	9
18	115,200	+22	7d6	3d6	24	9
19	153,600	+24	7d6	3d6	25	9
20	230,400	+25	7d6	3d6	26	9

CR: The CR of a trap is equivalent to a monster of the same Challenge Rating.
XP: The XP value of a trap is equivalent to that of a monster of the same Challenge Rating.
Attack Bonus: For traps that utilize an attack roll, such as those involving weapons, this is the suggested attack bonus for such attacks.
Attack Dmg: For traps that utilize attack rolls or that inflict damage once after being activated, this is the suggested damage that could be inflicted by the trap.
Ongoing Dmg: For traps that inflict ongoing damage, such as poison traps, this is the suggested ongoing damage value.
Difficulty: For traps that require a saving throw instead of an attack roll, this is the suggested Difficulty of that save.
Max Spell Lvl: For traps that emulate a spell effect, this is the maximum level of spell suggested for a trap of this Challenge Rating.

The Attack Damage values are based on the Moderate Damage column I provided in a previous post when crunching the numbers on monsters, while the Ongoing Damage values come from the Least Damage column of that same post. These are, of course, based on CR, not Hit Dice. So, what do you think? Any suggestions, comments or other thoughts?

Enjoy,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite: Missing Topics in the Referee's Guide...

Good Evening, All:

As I work through the MyD20 Lite Referee's Guide, I'm finding a few topics that are not covered, but perhaps should be, if I want a more complete guide for the gamemaster. Here are the topics I am considering for addition to the guide:

• Traps
• Conditions
• Environment & Wilderness Exploration

There are almost certainly more topics that could be added, to provide a more well-rounded gaming experience, but I think these are likely to be the minimum needed for a good game. While Fantasy Concepts was a campaign resource designed to be used with existing 3E materials, MyD20 Lite is intended to be a complete stand-alone game in its own right. When all is said and done, I am hoping that I do not need to reference any other gaming material except when searching for ideas and inspirations. At least, that's my goal in terms of developing the core of this system.

The Inner Earth adventures of the World Within will use the core MyD20 Lite system, with an alternate spellcaster to replace the Mage and Priest classes. So, whether my next fantasy campaign is vanilla fantasy or the World Within, I'm looking to use this system for my next campaign. I am definitely looking forward to it.

With Regards,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite: Stock NPCs Revisited...

Good Afternoon, All:

I'm torn on the concept of stock NPCs. As I've done more reading into 4E, I've found that there's a different way that NPCs can be created instead of building PCs using the character classes. What 4E does is fairly simple, and easy to implement. In essence, 4E adds a small subset of a class's features to a monster through the use of a "class template". From the perspective of MyD20 Lite, that would be something as simple as:

Warrior, Experienced (approximately 4th level)
Hit Dice: +4 Hit Dice. (Be sure to modify BAB, Saves, Bonus Damage, Difficulties and other elements as necessary.)
Saving Throw Bonuses: +2 Fortitude, +1 Reflex.
Weapon Mastery: This creature has a +1 bonus on attacks and a +2 bonus on damage when using weapons from a single weapon group.
Warrior Talents: Choose two talents from the Warrior class.
Challenge Rating Adjustment: +4.

Or, for a spellcaster such as a Mage, something like:

Mage, Experienced (approximately 4th level)
Hit Dice: +2 Hit Dice. (Be sure to modify BAB, Saves, Bonus Damage, Difficulties and other elements as necessary.)
Saving Throw Bonuses: +1 Reflex, +2 Will.
Arcane Spells: This creature has 10 spellpoints, and carries a spellbook with up to five 1st level and five 2nd level spells.
Mage Talents: Choose two talents from the Mage class.
Challenge Rating Adjustment: +4.

I'm sure this same concept can be used in other retro-clones. To determine the number of bonus hit dice to add, I would find the number that is closest to the attack bonus and base hitpoints for the class at that level. If those differ, I'd lean more towards hitpoints, I think, than attack bonus. After that, the rest is pretty easy.

But I'm still trying to decide exactly how I want to do it. I just had this thought and decided to share it, in case anyone had a comment on it, either positive or negative. So, what do you think?

With Regards,
Flynn

Online Gaming: Considering a MyD20 Lite Mini-Series...

Good Evening, All:

I am considering the possibility of running an online mini-series of 4-10 sessions in length, hopefully using my own MyD20 Lite rules as the foundation. It's my hope that I can break in the MyD20 Lite Referee's Guide with some actual in-game use, and I'm just wanting to try the system out in something longer than a single-session One Shot. Before I begin, however, I need to gather the basic elements needed to run a game online. I already have a great collection of token images for use as characters and monsters, so that's not an issue. However, I'm not sure what else I'll need.

I imagine that it would help to have maps of some basic encounter locations ready, such as a forested path, an inn or tavern, a small hovel, some ruins, two or three simple dungeons, and a campsite or two. Does anyone have any suggestions of where I could pick some of these up? Are there other maps you would suggest that I add to this basic list?

Also, what virtual tabletop would you suggest I use? I'm currently considering Fantasy Grounds, Screen Monkey and RPTools/MapTool (if I can find a proper Campaign Framework or create one quickly). I figure that the most likely source of volunteer gamers will come from the readers of this blog, so I thought I'd conduct an informal poll to see what you guys prefer to use when gaming online. If you have any thoughts on the matter, please feel free to share them in the comments below.

With Regards,
Flynn

MyD20 Lite: Ability Score Increases...

Good Evening, All:

For a while now, I've been considering whether I wanted to add automatic ability score increases to MyD20 Lite in a manner similar to 3E or Fantasy Concepts. It's not "Old School" rules, but I like having that as an option. On the other hand, it is an added complication.

Then an idea hit me: why not leave it up to the player as another choice they can make? I could create new talents that allow players the opportunity to increase a specific ability score instead of gaining another special ability. I don't know how well it would fly, but I figure that I should at least ask about it here and seek the input of my readers. My initial thought was to limit these talents to any class with a prime attribute in that ability score or race with a minimum required score in that particular ability score. As an exception, I can see allowing humans access to all of the improvement talents, because of their adaptability. I can also see opening Charisma improvement up to all races and classes, simply because it isn't a prime attribute for any of the core classes and it doesn't serve as a minimum requirement for any of the core races.

With that in mind, please feel free to read the six new talent write-ups below, and let me know your thoughts on the matter.

Improved Strength: The character gains a +1 to Strength. This talent allows characters to obtain ability scores over 18, but characters are still restricted by any maximums due to race. This talent can be selected multiple times. Prerequisite: 4th level; Warrior, Human or Orc.

Improved Dexterity: The character gains a +1 to Dexterity. This talent allows characters to obtain ability scores over 18, but characters are still restricted by any maximums due to race. This talent can be selected multiple times. Prerequisite: 4th level; Rogue, Halfling or Human.

Improved Constitution: The character gains a +1 to Constitution. This talent allows characters to obtain ability scores over 18, but characters are still restricted by any maximums due to race. This talent can be selected multiple times. Prerequisite: 4th level; Dwarf or Human.

Improved Intelligence: The character gains a +1 to Intelligence. This talent allows characters to obtain ability scores over 18, but characters are still restricted by any maximums due to race. This talent can be selected multiple times. Prerequisite: 4th level; Mage, Elf or Human.

Improved Wisdom: The character gains a +1 to Wisdom. This talent allows characters to obtain ability scores over 18, but characters are still restricted by any maximums due to race. This talent can be selected multiple times. Prerequisite: 4th level, Priest or Human.

Improved Charisma: The character gains a +1 to Charisma. This talent allows characters to obtain ability scores over 18, but characters are still restricted by any maximums due to race. This talent can be selected multiple times. Prerequisite: 4th level; any race or class.

With Regards,
Flynn

Working on MyD20 Lite Referee's Guide...

Good Evening, All:

Today I continued my work on the MyD20 Lite Referee's Guide. I added a rewritten synopsis of the 5x5 Method, with proper accreditation, and then included a link to the article for more information. As it turns out, you can't mix other licenses with the OGL, so I can't quote the actual text of the method verbatim or directly. In addition, I updated the monster stat blocks based on James' suggestion earlier about adjusting the damage done by large creatures. Finally, I did some more work on the magic items section, working on the Constant Items lists.

I’m also building a number of lists for different types of Spirit Lords that can provide Pact Gifts to Ritualists. So far, I have four major categories: Elemental, Primordial (for those Elder Gods of the Mythos), Profane and Sacred. I also have a fifth category called Universal, which are gifts open to all Ritualists. If anyone has any additional suggestions, I’m definitely open to them.

More Tomorrow,
Flynn