Picture Thursday 2: Battle with Trogdolytes by Darlene Pekul

Darlene Pekul is responsible for a lot of artwork in AD&D. In addition to the iconic unicorn which graces the inside cover of the Dungeon Master’s Guide, Darlene’s loopy signature shows up a few dozen more times elsewhere in the book, as well as on other products from that period. And while her personal website is down as of this writing, it had a lot of cool stuff on it when it was online. Hopefully it comes back soon. [Edit: It is back online, and you should check it out!]

I particularly like this piece from the back cover of In Search of the Unknown, because I love snapshots of adventuring parties. These characters aren’t iconic. You don’t know who they are, why they’re fighting Troglodytes, or even what class they belong to. The characters have no established personalities or traits. They are expressed entirely through this piece of artwork, which gives the viewer a lot of leeway to imagine.

I also like that the majority of party members in this piece appear to be women. Rock on, Darlene!

Feat Slot System for Pathfinder

In a recent post I covered why I think feats are awesome, despite the significant problems with how they’ve been implemented in Pathfinder. In that post I also posited a couple of alternate systems which would avoid the flaws which D&D 3.X fell prey to. I quite liked some of the ideas I came up with, and based on feedback, so did many others. It seems as though this system would benefit from some further development. Below I’ve tailored the idea specifically to fit within the Pathfinder rules, since that is my primary system right now. However, I stand by the idea that the system could easily be adapted to work in just about any game. I’d be particularly interested to see how it would work in a retroclone compatible RPG.

The Feat Slot system would replace Pathfinder’s feats system. This might break a few minor rules, but none of it should be a significant impediment to the game. The only thing which comes to mind immediately is that Humans would lose one of their primary racial benefits. To compensate, humans will gain a feat slot at first level, while most races will not gain any until second level. In addition, when using this system I think it’s best (though, not necessary) to also remove the ability point which players gain every four levels. Feat Slots should be a net increase in player power, and remove the ability point will help mitigate that.

The rule itself is simple. At second level, and each level after that, characters gain a ‘Feat Slot.’ These slots start out empty, and they cannot be filled by the player. Instead, feats are determined by the GM in response to the character’s actions. The GM is under no obligation to fill these slots immediately, and is encouraged to wait until a feat has been properly ‘earned.’ Once a feat slot has been filled by the GM, it cannot be changed, and a character can never have more feats than they have feat slots available.

There are two ways in which feats can be earned. Individual GMs may develop their own criteria, though they are encouraged to avoid letting feats become part of a ‘build.’ One of the strengths of this system is that feats must be earned through play.

The first method of earning feats is for the character to spend time training with a specific task. The player and the GM should discuss what kind of training the player is doing, how they are facilitating that training (equipment, manuals, trainers…), and how long they intend to train for. 2 weeks is a good baseline, assuming that the character is not also spending that time in other tasks such as crafting magic items. Once the period of training is complete, the GM can grant the player a feat related to their training.

This method has a number of cool benefits. First, it doesn’t require a ton of attention or involvement from the GM. It also gives the players some sense of control over how their character develops, while still encouraging diegetic thinking. The player is not improving their character by finding a build online, or flipping through a sourcebook to find something which works for their character concept. They are taking actions within the game world, and gaining benefits based on those actions. This method also promotes a game where players need to manage time along with their other resources, which I like doing.

For the second method, the GM should take notes on the characters’ actions during game sessions. Specifically, the GM should record anything which a player attempts consistently, or which a player is particularly successful with. If, for example, George attempts a bull rush at the beginning of every combat, or Lindsay attempts something crazy and miraculously succeeds at it, then that should be noted down. When a feat slot becomes available (or immediately, if one already is available) the GM can award the player a feat based on those actions.

While the first method seems more strictly logical, I love how the second method allows character improvement to arise directly from play. In the past, I’ve rewarded players who succeed spectacularly at a given task by given them a permanent bonus to future attempts at the same task. In those cases it was an ad hoc ruling, but everyone enjoyed it, and I think it could function well in a more formalized system. The downside to the second method are that it requires a lot more of the GM’s attention. Players also have less involvement in deciding how their character progresses, but that can be viewed as a good or a bad thing.

The two methods are interchangeable, and no group is bound to use one method for all players, nor even to use one method for a single player. If the group is fine mixing and matching to fit their taste, then there should be no problem with that.

I still haven’t covered what the feats of this system would actually look like. By necessity, many or even most of them will need to be invented by the GM, and specifically tailored to what the player has done to earn the feat. As a general rule, feats should always make a character better at doing something they already had at least a chance to succeed at. (For detailed examples of this, read my original post on feats from November 2011). Balance between feats is something which the GM should be aware of, but not something they should stress over. In the worst case scenario where a feat is allowing one player to dominate the game, a reasonable player will be amenable to having the feat nerfed. If that is not an option, the GM can always opt to reduce the power of that player’s feats in the future, and increase the power of the other player’s feats, until everyone is on somewhat even footing once again. If balance between party members is a major concern for you (though, in my mind, it should not be), then use the core rulebook’s feats as a guide.

To further clarify how this system would function, I’ll run through some examples.

1. Noelle the rogue is extremely fond of fighting with the rapier. She has a feat slot available, and asks the GM if she can devote extra time to training with that particular weapon. The GM tells her that a trainer is available in town who will work with her for 300gp per week, and Noelle agrees. After two weeks of training, Noelle’s purse is 600gp lighter, but the GM grants her the Weapon Focus (Rapier) feat. (+1 to attack rolls with rapier). After reaching her next level, Noelle asks the GM if she can spend still more time training with her rapier. The GM agrees, but since the party has been exploring the wilderness lately, no trainers are available. Noelle instead describes how she stuffs some old clothes with hay, and practices her point accuracy, and delivering solid blows. It takes her 3 weeks of intense training, but Noelle is given the Weapon Specialization (Rapier) feat in exchange. (+2 to damage rolls with rapier).

2. Amber’s fighter stays on point whenever the party is delving into a dungeon. They don’t have a rogue, which means it’s usually Amber’s job to find traps. And by ‘find,’ I mean ‘absorb with her large pool of hit points.’ The GM notices that Amber gets hit with a lot of traps, and determines that she may be developing a better sense of how to spot and avoid them. The GM grants her the Trap Sense Rogue ability, as described on page 69 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook. It allows Amber to add 1/3rd of her level as a bonus to reflex saves and Armor Class against traps.

3. Hyde is a goodly wizard who is frustrated with undead creatures. The next time his party finds a large group of undead, Hyde captures a few dozen zombies, and takes them back to his magical laboratory. He tells the GM he would like to experiment on the undead creatures to see if he can make his spells more effective against them. The GM agrees, and Hyde spends 2 weeks cutting undead open, casting spells upon them, and doing everything he can to learn about this foe. When his research comes to a close, the GM informs Hyde that spells which can normally only be cast on living creatures can now (within reason) be cast on undead creatures as well. When casting a spell like that on an undead creature, however, Hyde must prepare the spell in a spell slot at least 1 level higher than the minimum required.

4. When one of her allies drops below 0 HP in a pitched battle, Jennifer the barbarian leaps forward to defend her fallen companion. The monster attacking her companion is fierce, but Jennifer bravely attacks it anyway, and rolls two twenties! One for each of the attacks she’s allowed to make this round. The extremely effective attack turns the tide of the battle, and saves the party. The GM notes that Jennifer still has a feat slot available, and grants her a permanent +4 to her attack rolls when any of her allies are at, or below, 0HP.

While it has not yet been playtested, I think the Feat Slot system has real potential. I’d be very interested to know what others think!

Deadly Dungeons 2: Ironbone Tower, Sublevel 1

Below are the notes I promised in yesterday’s post. If you haven’t read that post, they will doubtless seem sketchy and incomplete. Long story short: my new method of keying dungeons is to describe them on a single line of notebook paper, with one additional line each added for Monsters, Traps, Secrets, and Loot. These notes are meant to provide a starting point for the imagination, so the GM can come up with more detailed room descriptions during play.

This is going to be quite lengthy, but a few notes first:

1) If you are playing in my D&D&LB campaign, do not read any further than this line. I don’t think any of those players actually read my website. But on the off chance you see this post, do not read it. It’ll make the game pretty damned boring for you.

2) If you’re interested in how this system works, I’ve already played two sessions using this very dungeon. And I’ve finished a play report for the first of those sessions.

3) The rule-set I’m using is a hideous bastard child of OD&D, and my own rulings. You’re better off not trying to make sense of things, because I’m making a lot of it up as I go. Though if you’re curious, monsters which show up commonly have their stats on index cards, which is why most don’t have listed stats.

4) Courtney of Hack & Slash recently pointed me to a post of his where he described a method very similar to the one I’m using here. I’m certain his ideas will work their way into how I prepare my own dungeons in the future.

5) Bear in mind these are my personal gaming notes, transcribed word-for-word from my notebook. They’re not pretty, and perhaps this will not be interesting to read. But it’s okay if I post something that isn’t interesting to read sometimes, because there’s just gonna be another post up soon anyway!

And with that out of the way:

Ironbone Tower Dungeon: Sublevel 1

Room 1: Stone room, simple wooden doors. Piles of refuse in corners. 3 skeletons worth of bones scattered around.
T: SE door is locked.

1-W1: Tables to left and right. Chairs on north and south. Dead goblin in center with arrow in head.
T: Square 10×10 pressure plate in center of room. Crossbow bolt from ceiling. THAC2: 17

1-W2: Four rough chalk circles are drawn on the stone floor. Hay and scraps of cloth are piled in the corner like a bed.
M: 3 goblins wrestle with one another in one of the circles. Weapons are nearby.
L: In one of the hay piles is a small leather purse with 40 silver coins.

1-W3: Two bookshelves. Floor covered in torn books. Large piles of charred books 2ft high. Was bonfire.
L: Under charred bonfire pile is an intact scroll of cure light wounds.

1-W4: Room is filled with counters and broken class. Two cabinets against the wall.
T: Right cabinet shoots a crossbow bolt when door is opened. THAC2: 16
L: Right cabinet. Potion of +1 attack for 1 turn. Ruby worth 20gp.

1-W5: Crates block the entrance. Goblins have made a tiny fortress of crates here.
M: 10 goblins w/ swords and bows.
T: Tripwire 5ft from the entrance causes crossbow above door to fire. THAC2: 16
L: Chest with 40 gold coins, 3 rubies worth 20gp/ea, & wood cat worth 100gp

1-W6: A well stocked alchemical lab. Extremely dusty. Single long counter with chairs around it.
L: 2 cure light wounds potion, 1 invisibility potion.

1-W7: Torture chamber. Iron maidens, thumb screws, racks, southern wall lined with cells.
L: One of the iron maidens has a body in it. Clutching jade statue worth 120gp.

1-W8: A small room with hay and a tin plate on the floor.
M: Skeleton. Only animates when secret door in 1-W9 is opened.

1-W9: Completely bare stone room.
S: Stone wall is mounted on a wooden door. Slides away if trigger in 1-W11 activates.

1-W10: Used as storage. 2 crates with rotted grain, moldy rope.

1-W11:Stone cell. Chains & manacles mounted on the wall.
S: Pulling chains on wall opens secret door in 1-W9

1-W12: Bare stone sell. Hay in the corner.

1-W13: Four suits of full plate are on display here, each holding an axe.
T: If the armor is jostled, axe will swing. THAC2: 17
L: Each of the four has an emerald worth 50gp behind visor.

1-W14: Targets set up near the entrance. Arrows all over the floor.
M: Two goblins with shortbows up on the catwalk.

1-W15: Small armory. Simple swords, boxes of arrows, some bows. Spears on a rack across from the stairs.
T: First step depresses. Rack angles down, and all 4 spears shoot at the stairs from behind. THAC2: 15

1-W16: Workshop filled with stonecutting tools. Life sized statue of a woman in the center.
L: In a box on the shelf are 2 sapphires cut to look like eyes. 60gp each.

1-W17: The outside edge of the hallway is straight. Inside edge is rounded.
S: Pressing on a stone at foot level on the door marked S opens it.

1-W18: An active smithy. Anvil in center. Forge on west wall. Racks & raw materials.
M: 3 goblin smiths. Will spill molten iron on the floor.

1-W19:Fountain against north wall. Dry, but small bit of standing water at bottom.

1-W20: Small altar on south wall. Broken pews fill the rest. Torn drapes cover stone walls.
T: 5x5ft pressure plate north of the altar. Flame from above. Save V. Breath, 1d6+1
L: Behind torn drape is small alcove. Gold holy symbol of bloody jaw. 30gp standard/100gp collector.

1-W21: Small table and chairs on right side of the room.
M: Two goblins play cards at the table.

1-W22: South door is iron. Faded mosaic of bloody jaw above door. Circular carpet.
T: Poison needle trap on door handle. Save V. Poison. Fail: 1d2 con per turn, 5 turns.
S: Under rug is a pressure plate. It is very small, and must be pressed intentionally. Opens 1’x1′ in east wall.
L: Secret alcove in east wall contains chest. 60gp in there.

1-W23: Four statues, one in each corner, all depict a woman. Each is a different age. All are defaced.
T: Each statue’s pedestal can be opened. If opened, the statue comes alive.
M: Four faceless statues. HP 7, AC5, DR: 3, THAC2: 16
L: Statue 1,2,3,4: 200gp, +1 short sword, Diamond worth 100gp, Scroll of Fireball

1-W24: A library apparently filled with ancient text, in an old dialect. (Tongue Before The Fall)
S: Texts are religious worship of Neve Canri, though never mentioned by name. One contains a “Hymn of Release”

1-W25: A formerly elegant bed chamber. Torn apart by goblins. Defaced paintings, rotted mattress, etc.
M: Two giant snakes under the bed. AC: 6, THAC2: 15
L: In the snake’s nest is an exquisitely carved silver crown worth 300gp.

1-W26:A faded mural covers the walls of this room. With an empty pedestal in each alcove.
S: The part of the mural over the S door shows a woman in profile. Her eye strangely looks directly out into the room. Press eye, open door.

1-W27: A sword in the center of this small room.
S: Sword can only be removed with the hymn from 1-W24
L: Longsword. Deals +1d6 damage v. undead.

1-W28: Vestebule. Racks for clothing, but empty. Double doors to the south.

1-W29: I apparently forgot to add 1-W29 to the map. Whups.

1-W30: Statue of a kobold with a scythe. Head is smashed off, on the ground. Door is barred on this side.

1-W31: Stone stairs down into darkness.

1-W32: Cathedral. High ceiling. 3 altars. Statue of a woman, lich, and demon. Dry fountain in center w/ dark stains on it.
M: 10 goblins. 3 goblins +1.
T: Statue pedestals open, have poison gas inside of them. Save v. Poison 1d6 Wis damage/3 rounds.
L: Under demon: Ruby worth 200gp, Under Lich: dagger +1, Under woman: spellbook with 4 random level 2 spells.

1-W33: Side chapel. Large frame on west wall with tatters of canvas on edges.
T: When leaving the room, door has needle trap. 1d6 str dmg for 2 turns.
L: Strapped to the bottom of a pew is a silver dagger.

1-W34: Opulent, trashed, bedchamber. Bookshelf north, bed south, fireplace east, dresser west.
M: Ash monster in fireplace. Activates if ash disturbed. Killed w/water. THAC2: 16
L: In fireplace, obsidian orb worth 60GB. Bookcase: Scroll with Wizard Lock

1-W35: Dormitory. 3 Bunkbeds. Fireplace on east wall.
L: Bag of gold under top mattress on 1 bed. 40gp.

1-X1: Large fountain in center. Mirrors on angled walls. Fountain has stagnant water.
L: Press on the SW mirror. Clicks & swings open on hinges. Box w/20gp behind.

1-X2: Kitchen. Tables, knives, rotting food. Large counter down center.
M: 2 Zombies

1-X3: Storage room. Boxes filled with rotted grain. Barrels of old wine.

1-X4:Weapons storage. Rock of swords, spears, bows, shields.
L: One longsword is silvered.

1-X5: Guard room. Table & chairs, piles of bones.
M: Bones form into 2 skeletons when people leave the room.

1-X6: Painting of a noble warrior hangs on wast wall. Broken bed.

1-X7: Slabes which are meant for dead bodies. 3ft wide walkspace between each.
M: 6 zombies. Have difficulty moving between slabs.

1-X8: Alchemy lab. Shelves & broken glass. Rug on the floor in the center.
T: Rug covers a pit 10ft deep w/ spikes at the bottom.
L: Bookshelf has wand of magic missile on it. 3 charges.

1-X9: Bodies hang from hooks on the ceiling. Magic circle in center.
L: Bodies each have some gold. 10 bodies, 40gp total.

1-X10: Dirt floor, dead plants. Room is lit very dimly from above magic spell. Dry fountain to the north.

1-X11: Mirrors on every wall, except walls w/doors. Pillows & couches.
M: 1 Skeleton
S: Press on mirror on S wall. It swings open to reveal a door.
T: Press on any mirror aside from S mirror. Spear launches from behind mirror. THAC2: 15

1-X12: Parlor, couch, chair, fireplace on east wall. Sword hangs above fireplace.
T: If sword is removed from hooks, flame shoots from fireplace. Save v. Breath, 2d6
L: Sword is +1 v. goblinoids. Says “Goblinbane” on blade.

1-X13: Dusty wineracks with only 4 bottles remaining.
L: Wine is old & very fine. 50gp for each bottle.
T: Snake living behind winerack. Poison bite deals 1d2 con damage for 6 turns.

1-X14: Toilet area. Very dirty.
T: Crossbow bolt activated by sitting on toilet. No save.

1-X15: A small, hidden armory.
L: 1 set of silvered full plate armor, 3 vials of poison (1d6 str for 3 turns), Crossbow w/ Bayonet & 30 silver bolts.

1-X16: A small library with a few shelves of books written in old common.
L: One of the books is a spellbook with 3 first level spells, and 4 second level spells.

1-X17: A large dining hall with 3 long tables. Tapestries cover the walls.
M: 3 Skeletons
L: Tapestries are worth 100gp each. 4 of them total.

1-X18: Room is filled with tables stained darkly. Large cleavers present.
M: 2 zombies.
T: East door has needle trap. 1d2 Con for 6 turns.

1-X19: Chains on wall & floor restrain long-dead bodies. East has shrine to demon.
L: Demon’s eyes are obsidion gems worth 50gp each.
T: If eyes are removed, all 15 bodies animate. Still chained, though. Zombie stats.

1-X20: Statue of woman w/ wings dominates center. She points with spear at entrance of room.
S: Statue can be turned. Point at S door, and it opens.
M: 2 Zombies behind S door.

1-X21: A clerical workspace. Symbol of bloody jaw all over. Books, and kneeling bench.
S: If you kneel on the bench, a small door opens in the wall, revealing box.
L: Box contains +1 dagger w/ ruby in hilt.
T: If box is removed, trap door opens beneath. 10ft down, rusty spikes.

1-X22:Large, pool-sized bathhouse. East door is locked.
M: 3 Zombies are wandering around under the water.
L: A locked safe fell into the water. Contains amazing silver cup worth 170gp.

1-X23: Music hall. Couches face a large organ. Broken instruments scattered about.
M: A wight sits at the organ, slamming hands on keyboard.
S: Playing song from 1-X24 on organ opens trapdoor in floor.
L: Trapdoor contains 100gp, Scroll of Lightning Bolt, 2 potions of Cure Light Wounds, Key to 1-X26

1-X24: Room is filled with papers & scattered music notes.
L: One piece of paper has a complete score on it, signed by Vastug Stutt, famous composer. Worth 300gp.

1-X25: Storage. Cleaning tools for the organ, other rusted and broken instruments.

1-X26: Stairs lead up to an empty throne. Statue of woman on one side, lich on other.
T: Sitting on throne causes spikes to come out of it. Drain life. Turn player into zombie. No save.

1-Y1: Small anteroom of simple stone.

1-Y2:Mural covers wall. Faded. Figures staring angrily into the room are clear.
T: 10×10 center of the room is a plate. Drops boulders from ceiling. No save.

1-Y3: Junk covers the floor in big piles, most is soft.
M: 3 dire rats are nested in this room, protecting broods.
T: SW Door is locked.

1-Y4: Toilet is here. Very dirty.

1-Y5:Torture chamber. Racks, iron maidens. In the stocks is half eaten body.
M: 2 dire rats are under the racks.
S: Opening one of the iron maidens reveals a lever among the spikes.
L: Pulling the lever opens small alcove with 15gp stashed there.

1-Y6: Tapestry on the wall. Rug on the floor.
S: Behind tapestry is small circular button. Opens S door.

1-Y7: Tapestry on the wall. Rug on the floor.
T: Rug covers 10ft pit filled with spikes

1-Y8: Shelves have glass bottles on them. Jeweler’s work bench in center.
M: Large snake hides in this room. AC: 6 THAC2: 15
L: Shelves have 3 cure light wounds potions. Bench has necklace worth 100gp.

1-Y9:Bed chamber. Statue of halfling on west corner. Fireplace in east corner.
M: Dire bat lives in chimney. Doesn’t like to be disturbed.

1-Y10: The room’s purpose is difficult to determine. Wall has collapsed, opens into cavern.

1-Y11: Large cavern. Extends high. Some openings back into manmade areas.
M: Ever 10 minutes, 50% chance of being attacked by 1d4 dire bats.

1-Y12: Foyer. Couches and a painting of a wealthy family on E wall.
M: A dire spider hides behind the stairs.
L: A diamond is under the stairs, worth 200gp.

1-Y13: Hallway with nice carpet on the floor. 3 Paintings hang on the wall.
L:Each painting is worth 50gp.
T: center painting holds down a pressure plate. THAC2: 14

1-Y14: Bedchamber. Still in decent shape. Armoire, safe.
T: Save has needle trap. Poison is dry, but deals 1 damage.
L: Armoire contains 2 fine gowns worth 100gp/ea. Safe contains land deed to “North Tower.”

1-Y15: Parlor. Fireplace on the west wall. Bookshelf of rotted books on south wall.

1-Y16: Miniature bath house. Shelf filled with scented oils and bath salts.
M: Large water snake in the fetid water. AC: 6 THAC2: 15

1-Y17: Bedchamber, well furnished. 2 dead dire rats. Stripped.
L: Under bed is a case. Contains 100gp and a glass orb.
T: Needle trap on case’s latch. Save v. Poison. 1d2 con for 3 turns.
Glass orb: If you stare into it you see blackness. It is linked to an orb on sublevel 2.

1-Y18: 3 cages hang from the ceiling. 2 have skeletons in them. 1 is open & empty.
T: If there is weight in the cage, it will close and lock.
L: One of the skeletons is hiding a gold pendant worth 80gp.

1-Y19: Stinks. Bed, table, rat carcases on hooks. Several crates.
T: Door locked.
NPC: Prisoner escaped from 1-Y18. Put here for food for orcs below. Been here 6 months.

1-Y20: Narrow stairway leads down side of cliff into large dark cavern below.
T: First stair flips up when weight is put on it, flinging w/e is on it off the cliff.

1-Y21: Parlor. Empty pedestals in corners. Statue in the center with arms out, palms up. Floor covered w/ rug.
T: Right hand has dagger pointing towards fingers carved on it. If pushed down, fire from statue eyes, Save v. Breath 1d6
S: Left hand has dagger pointing towards wrist carved in it. If pushed down, S door opens.

1-Y22: Stone hands are mounted on the wall. They hold a warhammer.
T: If the hammer is taken, statue in previous room comes to life. HP6 DR2 THAC2:16 AC:8
L: +1 warhammer. For a cleric it is +2 v. evil. Hammer is engraved and bejeweled.
M: 1 dire bat flies out of the room when it is disturbed.

1-Y23: A dining room. Large table, chairs, fireplace on south wall.
M: Four dire rats have a nest under the table, and will scurry out if the room is disturbed.
L: Silver plates and goblets worth 300gp (total) adorn the table (6 plates, 6 goblets)

1-Y24: A kitchen. Counters, icebox, racks, knives, cupboards.
L: In icebox, jar containing red spheres. Rare spell component worth 500gp. Only lasts 4 hours out of ice.

1-Y25: A very simple bedchamber. Corner of the room collapsed.
L: Off ledge, a bag of 25gp fell. Rests 8ft below, on lower ledge.

1-Y26 Sitting room. Rotted couches, fireplace on North wall.
M: Giant centipede lives in couch. AC: 7, THAC2: 15, Poison: 1d6 con/ 4 turns

1-Y27: Study. Shelves w/books (ancient common. Law books) Large oaken desk.
S: Locked drawer on desk. Drawer has button to open S door.
L: Drawer contains bag of 40gp, small hand held crossbow, vial of poison (1d6 con/4 turns)
M: 1 dire rat is under the desk.

1-Y28: A storage space. Very dusty. Cleaning tools, old clothing, all moth eaten.

1-Y29: A small shrine with a pedestal. Atop it is an ancient bust of Neve Canari
T: Lifting the bust from the pedestal Freezerburns exposed flesh. Will drop. 60% chance to break.
L: Bust is worth 1000gp.

1-Y30: A sculptor’s workshop. Chisels of different sizes, half-formed humanoid shape.
L: On a shelf is a small box of assorted gems worth 200gp.

1-Y31: A large room with a dirt floor, and a pentagram made of salt.

1-Z1: A large open Plaza area. Troughs of sitting water & dry fountains w/ benches.
M: 6 beetle people are on patrol here. They all hold spears and crossbows.

1-Z2: Nesting chamber for guards. Cloth & pillows. 3 chests with personal items.
L: One chest has a false bottom, hiding 40gp.

1-Z3: Armory. Swords, spears, shields, 2 chests on west wall.
T: Chests have needle traps. 1d2 con over 6 turns.
L: Chests contain mundane leather & chain armor.

1-Z4: Secondary armory. Anvil and forge here, but not in use. 2 Chests.
T: Chests have needle traps. 1d2 con over 6 turns.
L: Chest 1: Silver shield 2/ Spike. Chest 2: 4 silver ingots worth 100gp/ea.

1-Z5: This room is filled with dirt, and stones, and water. An artificial environment for growing moss & algae for food.

1-Z6: Guard post. Barricade in center.
M: 4 Beetle People guard here. All have crossbows.
T: Space in front of barricade (center 10×10) activates flame. Save v. Breath, 2d6.

The ‘Z’ wing of the dungeon isn’t yet finished. If this post proves to be of interest, I may post the rest of the Beetle-People’s caverns when they are finished. Otherwise I think the four completed wings of the dungeon above get the point across sufficiently!

Changing my Dungeon Notation

I’m a long-winded kind of guy. When you get me talking, I tend to go on for a little bit longer than anybody wants to listen. It’s a failing which has often crept into my game mastering. When it’s time for me to make a dungeon, I’m inclined towards writing detailed descriptions for each room. Sometimes these descriptions can be a paragraph long or longer, noting what’s in the room, where that stuff is, what the room smells like, what it’s used for, and so on. It takes forever for me to finish a dungeon. And because of the time it takes, I’ve often had difficulty keeping to a gaming schedule. If I’m being honest, the paragraphs I write about rooms aren’t even that useful to me at the table. Every time the players enter a new room I need to flip through a large stack of papers, and once I find the description I need, reading it takes even more time. All the while my players wait, twiddling their thumbs and making dice towers.

My saving grace has always been improvisation. I’m good at figuring out what comes next while my players are describing what they’re doing right now. In fact my verbose note taking has given me many opportunities to practice my improvisation. I’ve sunk so much time into my notes in the past, that I often don’t have time to finish everything which need to be finished by game day. When the players arrive, I’ve often needed to come up with more content on the fly just to keep the game rolling. It doesn’t help that I have a penchant for games which last until everyone is exhausted of playing. One of my fondest memories is a ~14 hour overnight game session. I think I ran out of prepared material for that session within ~2 hours.

A couple months back whilst I was improvising a dungeon, it occurred to me that I’ve been a fucking moron. As much as I may personally enjoy writing comprehensive notes for my dungeons, this strategy has obviously not served me well, while improvisation always has. Why in the world have I wasted all of this time trying to write notes so detailed that I would never need to improvise? What I should have been doing instead is writing brief notes which give me structure, but still allow me to do most of my elaboration at the table.

Thus was born my new rule: Dungeon room descriptions must fit on a single line of handwritten notebook paper. One additional line each can be added for traps (T), secrets (S), monsters (M), and loot (L) if any (or all) of those are present. The descriptions need not be complete, because anything missing can easily be filled in during play.

If the descriptions says “Bedroom in bad shape. Rotted. Bed, Armoire Fireplace, Painting of a woman.” then when the players enter the room I might say “It looks as though this bedroom was once very fine. The bed appears to be made of oak, but the mattress sags to the floor and emits a stench of mold. From the bed’s canopy you can hear the skittering of vermin. An ornately carved Armorie rests against the north wall, while on the east wall is a fireplace filled with ash. Above it is a painting of a woman.” And if, for some reason, my players decide they want to smash the bed and ask if there are any blunt object nearby, I may say “There’s an iron firepoker laying next to the fireplace.”

Additional lines are just as easy, and might add bits of detail to the room which were omitted in the original description. For example, in one octagonal room I have mirrors on every wall which doesn’t have a door on it. The S line says only “If the mirror on the wall marked with an S is pressed, it swings open revealing a locked safe.” The T line reads “Safe has needle trap [relevant numbers]. If any mirror other than that one is pressed, a spear is launched from behind the mirror. [relevant numbers].” Finally, the L line reads “Safe contains bag of 200gp, and a small bronze statue of a cat. Non-magical. Worth 50gp.”

I’ve already run 3 sessions using this notation system, and I’ve found it to be remarkably effective. I’ve never found dungeons more fun to run, or more fun to create, in all my years of GMing. I expect that the system will continue to evolve the more I use it. Tomorrow I’ll post the first sublevel of The Ironbone Tower dungeon, to serve as a full example of how I’m currently using this method.

Lively Locals 11: The Ironbone Tower

Far outside the rest of human civilization, near elven territory, is the frontier town of Haetrope. In most respects Haetrope is unremarkable. It has a town council, and a town guard. The citizens of Haetrope enjoy their ales in the tavern, get their pack animals shod at the blacksmith’s shop, and purchase their tools from the general store. The only thing that Haetrope has which most towns do not is the tower. The really old, really tall tower.

The base of the tower is circular, and about 200ft in diameter. The bottommost levels are completely open, the walls having long since crumbled away, leaving only a ring of off-color stone to indicate that the space was once the base of a mighty structure. Iron structures remains in place, ascending high into the sky, and through the clouds. The tower can be seen from miles around, and many travelers in the area rely on it as a guiding marker.

A handful of the towers levels do remain intact, with the lowest being about 200ft above the ground. The few who have successfully ventured up to those areas say that the stones are incredibly unstable. A wrong step can send a piece of the floor crashing to the ground far below, along with the adventurer who foolishly put their weight on that floor. It has been said, though, that any who dare to climb the tower and survive to explore its many levels could return with fabulous and untold treasures. This brings a steady flow of adventurers to Haetrope who wish to attempt the climb. So much so that watching someone make the attempt—and placing bets on when they will fall—has become a local pastime. The few who do make it to the top often return empty handed, if they ever return at all.

A far safer and more reliable expedition is to explore the numerous sublevels of the tower, which extend deep beneath the earth. Perhaps descending even further below the ground than the tower rises above it. These sublevels are not without danger of their own—fearsome monsters and deadly traps still claim the lives of most adventurers who dare venture into the depths. But at least it does not require a treacherous climb to the heights of a long since crumbled tower.

The razed bottom level of the tower allows easy access to the first sublevel via an open staircase, making the tower a popular destination for those whose lust for gold is sufficient to drive them into danger.

Nobody knows when the tower was built, or for what purpose. Not even the greatest historical sages can name a time when the town of Haetrope did not lay in the shadow of the tower. And while it is true that much of history has been lost, it is also certain that both the tower, and the town of Haetrope beneath it, have existed together for millenia.

Beyond when and why, it cannot even be determined how the tower was built, or why it still stands. Numerous kings over the ages have sent their royal architects to learn from the tower, so they too could have a castle which rose above the clouds. But even the most talented architects humankind has produced have been unable to replicate the materials or the construction techniques used by whatever ancient people built the tower. And more than one twisted wreck of a tower can be found throughout the human lands to prove it.

Picture Thursday 1: Floating Keep by Teddy Wright

I’ve often wanted to find something I could do on Tuesday and Thursday each week. I’ve had a lot of various ideas in the past year, but ultimately none of those ideas worked out. This, however, seems simple enough that I can keep up with it easily, and interesting enough that my readers ought to enjoy it. Every Thursday I’ll post artwork which inspires me in my writing or my tabletop gaming.

I’m not sure if this will be popular or not, so consider it a trial run for now. Let me know how you feel about it so I know whether I should keep it going, or drop it as a regular feature.

This piece is from Teddy Wright, who does a lot of fantasy artwork. In early 2010 he did a few different pieces like this one, where everything is a stark contrast of black and white. I’ve featured his work on Papers & Pencils before, but with the start of this series I wanted to do so again. I’ve come to really appreciate simple black-and-white paintings, and this one (along with the Succubus linked above) are among the most memorable pieces I’ve encountered.

If you have any ideas for artwork or artists I could post on Picture Thursday, you can let me know in the comments, or send me an email. And, incidentally, if I’ve posted your artwork and you’d like me to remove it, just let me know! I want to respect your rights to your work.

The Awesome Thing about Feats

Over a year ago I wrote a post called The Problem with Feats. It was the first piece of my tabletop writing which got much attention, thanks to Courtney of Hack & Slash. In many ways that post represents a significant shift in my thinking about game mechanics, and serves as a signpost for how I developed over the following year. Even though I would probably write it differently now, it stands among my favorite posts from those first few tentative months of writing. But as I mentioned in that post, I don’t hate feats. I was, and am, highly critical of the way feats have been implemented in the various iterations of D&D 3.X, but I hold that the concept is sound. Feats bring a lot more to the table than increased complication and power creep.

The most obvious benefit of feats is that they allow for greater mechanical character customization. I will not argue that player options aren’t highly overvalued in D&D 3.X, because they are. The overwhelming bloat of these customization options becomes particularly apparent when you notice that players are often using ‘builds’ they found online, because the number of options available is too great for most players to reasonably grasp them. But it would be fallacious to assume that just because something is overvalued, that means it has no value at all. Simplicity is good, but it should not be the ultimate goal of a game. The ultimate goal of a game should be to facilitate fun. And people have fun when they can personalize their stuff. That’s why people decorate their cubicle, or put knick knacks on the dashboard of their car. Personalization is important to us.

Maybe it’s presumptuous of me, but I can already hear the response to that statement from my OSR-leaning readers: “But LS, you sexy pile of fat folds” they will cry out in unison. “Customization is achieved through play! It’s about the goals you pursue, the loot you find, and the stronghold you build!”

To which I respond: yes. You are correct. But feats offer a level of personalization to players which none of those elements can match. Because gold can be stolen, and magic items can be destroyed. Friendly NPCs can be killed, conquered towns can be burned to the ground, and even the mightiest castle can be razed. But so long as the player’s character lives, a feat can never be taken away from them. There’s something to be said for an inherent ability. One which you cannot lose any more than you could lose your racial or class abilities.

That’s why I love feats. At least, I love them in theory. But theory’s just half of the equation. The other half is finding a way to implement feats in practice. A way which highlights the strength of this kind of player option while avoiding the common pitfalls which can reduce player agency by placing arbitrary limits on what players are allowed to attempt. It must also avoid complicating the game by introducing endless lists of possible feats to be combed through and analyzed by players who ought to be playing. What I wrote a year ago still rings true to me. A good feat is one which makes a character better at something they can already attempt. In Pathfinder, many of the combat maneuver feats are examples of how feats should be designed. Improved Trip, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, etc. Anybody can attempt to disarm their opponent, but someone who has the Improved Disarm feat have learned how to keep their guard up when they do it, so they don’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Their enhanced disarming skill also grants them a +2 to disarm attempts, and to defending against disarm attempts.

Ultimately, I would like to see the endless list of feats which fill the pages of every new rulebook replaced with a comprehensive system for creating feats. Something which players and GMs could work out together. Perhaps a sliding scale where the bonuses granted by a feat can be more powerful, the more specific of a situation that feat could be used in. As a simple example, characters could take a feat which gave them a +1 to attack rolls when using axes, +2 to attack rolls when fighting undead, or +4 to attack rolls when fighting vampires. Since “using axes” is very general and could potentially be applied to every attack roll the character ever makes, it receives a very small bonus of only +1. Undead aren’t going to be part of every combat, though, so a feat which only works against them won’t come into play quite as often. Since its use would be less frequent, the bonus can be higher. And vampires are just a more extreme example of that. Fighting vampires is likely to be very uncommon in a standard campaign, so the bonus to fighting them can be quite large.

I don’t mean to imply that the above system should be implemented, mind you. In order to be made workable, such a system would require a lot of mathematical tinkering, and a lot more thought than I’ve given it. That’s just a suggestion for how the current Pathfinder feat system might be modified and replaced to avoid the problem with feats which I described in my earlier post.

A more workable, and dare I say, retroclone compatible feat system would be as follows:

At each level after first, a character gains one feat slot. This slot confers no immediate advantage, and players are not able to select a feat to fill the slot themselves. For the time being, they should simply indicate that a feat slot is available, and it will remain available until it is filled. During play, if a character with an open feat slot excels with a certain type of action or style of play, the GM can reward the player by granting them a feat to represent & enhance that excellence.

Excellence can be demonstrated a number of ways. Players showing preference for a specific tactic is the most obvious choice. For example, a character who frequently throws flasks of lantern oil might be granted a feat which gives them +1 to throwing grenade-like projectiles. Other ways to demonstrate excellence would be for the character to devote a certain amount of in-game time to training. In this way, players could more directly choose their feats. By finding a vampire hunter and training under her for 3 weeks, a thief might be given a feat which allows their backstab attack to function against vampires. GMs could also reward game-changing rolls with a feat. I once wrote a post describing how a level 1 goblin successfully defeated a much higher level monster by making an excellent roll to throw a bomb into the creature’s mouth. From then on we allowed that particular goblin to add a +4 anytime they wanted to throw an item into a small space, and that’s a perfect example of how this feat system could work.

One might argue that this undermines the virtue of customization which I espoused earlier in this post, but it does not. At least, not necessarily. First, most of the methods for receiving feats are dictated first by the player’s actions. The GM merely interprets how those actions should be rewarded. Second, even if the player is not making the decision directly of which feats they would like to have, their character still becomes progressively more unique. The character evolves not only according to their class, but also according to the adventures they’ve had, and the way they’ve lived their life. That seems like an excellent supplement to traditional class-based progression in my view.

Guest Post: Favored of the Great Pumpkin, by Jeff H.

After my recent post about a deity named The Great Pumpkin, regular commenter Jeff H. was inspired to write up a monster entry for the god’s favored servant. He shared it with me, and it felt like a shame to keep it to myself. So presented below is Jeff H.’s Gaping Grin.

When the final body of the last child taking part in the apotheosis of the Great Pumpkin shuddered out her final breath and the evil deity rose from his birthplace to take his place among the divine, there was a lingering aura of palpable evil about the place. The land was blasted of all life save for that favoured by the Great Pumpkin and remains so to this day, an excessively large field of the ripest and most healthy pumpkins ever seen. Unfortunately for all who might desire one of the gourds, the field is teeming with a variety and number of spiders unheard of, to the point where as the night comes on every pumpkin seems to vanish from sight as the deadly arachnids clamber forth in a teeming carpet to shield their charge. No-one has ever managed to retrieve a pumpkin from this patch and survive for more than a week’s time, whether slain by unfortunate circumstance or more chillingly by the bite of a spider never seen before in that land.

From this field the Great Pumpkin gathers the residual fear and regret that he uses to form his most favoured champion, The Gaping Grin. Crafted from the souls harvested during the previous year into an avatar of the Grin in the Dark’s unholy will, The Gaping Grin knows nothing of solidarity or loyalty, only pain, loss and regret. Unreasonable and unreasoning, The Gaping Grin does suffer from flashes of insight from time to time whereupon it may deviate from its masters plans briefly, though in almost all instances of this facet of the legend those who were spared find themselves hunted for the remainder of their days whether they know it or not.

The Gaping Grin appears as a suit of full plate armour of impossibly fine artistry, seeming to have been woven from the vines and leaves of pumpkin plants though upon close inspection it is simply worked steel. Within the armour is a horrible tangle of limbs and mangled organs that have been mashed into place to fill the void within the armour in much the same way as a healthy body might have, though there is no suggestion of eyes, ears, or anything about heads. Rather than a head, The Gaping Grin wears what appears to be a hollowed out pumpkin carved with a wickedly leering face and monstrous grin. Similarly to its master’s, the face upon its head changes whenever nothing is looking at it.

Little more than a tool for the Great Pumpkin’s inscrutable aims The Gaping Grin rides forth from the 402nd layer of the Abyss to places unseen and unknown by many save those who inhabit them. The only thing that is ever recalled with certainty in the myriad of legends surrounding this being is that there is always death in its wake and it always slays at least one person before it is stopped. Legend has it that if the pumpkin that serves as The Gaping Grin’s head is stolen and hidden away beneath the roots of a dryad’s tree, it will not trouble the world for a hundred years.

The Gaping Grin CR 17 XP 102,400

CE Medium undead

Init +2; Senses blindsight 60 ft.; Perception +23

Aura frightful presence (30 ft, DC22), aura of cowardice (10 ft.), aura of despair (10ft.)

Defense

AC 29, touch 12, flat-footed 27 (+12 armour, +1 Dex, +5 natural armour, +1 dodge)

hp 190 (10d8+40 plus 10d10+40); fast healing 5

Fort +18, Ref +12, Will +21

Defensive Abilities unholy resilience, channel resistance +4; Immune undead traits; SR 28

Offense

Speed 50 ft. (50 ft. in armour)

Melee +4 keen bastard sword +23/+18/+13/+8 (1d10+10/17–20×2 plus 2d8 cold plus disease) or +4 keen bastard sword vital strike +23 (4d10+10/17-20×2 plus 2d8 cold plus disease)

Special Attacks aura of evil, detect good, smite good, touch of corruption, great pumpkin’s blessing, great pumpkin’s will, sin with a grin

Spellcasting (3/2/1/0)

3 – Deadly Juggernaut

2 – Bull’s Strength, Desecrate

1 – Bane (Will DC15), Death Knell (Will DC15), Murderous Command (Will DC15)

Statistics

Str 22, Dex 14, Con —, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 18

Base Atk +17; CMB +23; CMD 35

Feats Mounted Combat, Trick Riding, Vital Strike, Improved Vital Strike, Greater Vital Strike, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Mounted Skirmisher

Skills Handle Animal +14, Intimidate +24, Perception +23, Ride +22 (+17 in armour), Spellcraft +12, Stealth +22 (+17 in armour)

Languages Common, Sylvan, Druidic

Ecology

Environment: any

Organization: solitary

Treasure: double (+3 full plate, +4 bastard sword, other treasure)

Appearing in a thick cloud of unnaturally spawning mist on a clear night around harvest time, The Gaping Grin charges forth from the Great Pumpkin’s layer of the Abyss to sow terror and chaos on the Material Plane in the name of its dark master. Sometimes sent to destroy the enemies of this secretive faith, as often The Gaping Grin is sent to cleave the withered stalks from the healthy to keep the faith strong. Occasionally this chaotic being slips its leash and rampages across vast swaths of wilderness, going from settlement to settlement reaping souls and lives for its master whether mortal or otherwise. Even demons and devils take note when the spectral hooves of The Gaping Grin’s charger strike near to their spheres of influence, for it is said that whenever the hoofbeats stop there has been a death, and who so much as hears The Gaping Grin’s voice is fated to die that very night.

In Combat

The Gaping Grin is first and foremost a skirmisher, preferring to fight on the move rather than settle for any particular spot on the battlefield. Often working alone to demoralize enemies before sweeping through like a killing scythe, it tends to pick a cluster of targets to get the most out of its frightful presence while also singling out potential spellcasters. Anyone wilful enough to resist the palpable fear aura surrounding it registers as the most likely magical threat and thus the primary target. Before combat The Gaping Grin likes to cast Bull’s Strength and Deadly Juggernaut on itself to augment its already prodigious martial prowess, wading into the thick of combat while trusting its armour to deflect mortal blows while it deals with supernatural threats. Formed from the Great Pumpkin’s will, it often

fights to the death as it trusts that when it is next needed it shall be reformed by its terrible master.

Special Abilities

Aura of Evil (Ex) The power of The Gaping Grin’s aura of evil (see the detect evil spell) is equal to its antipaladin level+7. A paladin who uses smite evil on The Gaping Grin deals 2 points of damage per paladin level on his first successful attack.

Detect Good (Sp) At will, The Gaping Grin can use detect good, as the spell. The Gaping Grin can, as a move action, concentrate on a single item or individual within 60 feet and determine if it is good, learning the strength of its aura as if having studied it for 3 rounds. While focusing on one individual or object, The Gaping Grin does not detect good in any other object or individual within range.

Smite Good (Su) Three times per day, The Gaping Grin can call out to its master to crush the forces of good. As a swift action, The Gaping Grin chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is good, The Gaping Grin adds +4 on his attack rolls and +7 on all damage rolls made against the target of his smite. If the target of smite good is an outsider with the good subtype, a good-aligned dragon, or a good creature with levels of cleric or paladin, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack increases to +14. Regardless of the target, smite good attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.

In addition, while smite good is in effect, The Gaping Grin gains a deflection bonus of +4 to his AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If The Gaping Grin targets a creature that is not good, the smite is wasted with no effect.

The smite good effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or has somehow evaded The Gaping Grin for an evening.

Unholy Resilience (Su) The Gaping Grin gains a bonus of +4 on all saving throws.

Touch of Corruption (Su) Nine times per day as a standard action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity, The Gaping Grin can surround its hand with an unholy flame, causing terrible wounds which deal 5d6 damage to open on those it touches. Alternatively, The Gaping Grin can use this power to heal undead creatures, 5d6 hit points.

Victims of the Touch of Corruption must also make a successful Fortitude save (DC19) or suffer one of the following effects;

Sickened: The target is sickened for 10 rounds.

Staggered: The target is staggered for 5 rounds.

Nauseated: The target is nauseated for 3 rounds.

Aura of Cowardice (Su) The Gaping Grin radiates a palpably daunting aura that causes all enemies within 10 feet to take a –4 penalty on saving throws against fear effects. Creatures that are normally immune to fear lose that immunity while within 10 feet of The Gaping Grin.

Plague Bringer (Ex) The Great Pumpkin has made his champion a beacon of corruption and disease. It does not suffer ill effects from diseases it carries, nor does it spread them to places/people blessed by its dark master. Typically The Gaping Grin arrives tainted with an especially active form of the Bubonic Plague, as follows.

Bubonic Plague – Type disease, injury or inhaled; Save Fortitude DC 17 – Onset Immediate; Frequency 1/day – Effect 1d4 Con damage and 1 Cha damage and target is fatigued; Cure 2 consecutive saves

Infected vermin and parasites spread this disease, also known as Daemon’s Touch or the Black Death, through their bites. Once contracted, the disease spreads quickly, polluting the victim’s body with toxins. As the disease reaches the lymph nodes, the victim suffers extreme inflammation of glands, and his skin might take on a black pallor. Symptoms include fever, headaches, nausea, fatigue, and swelling of the lymph nodes (called buboes) on the neck, underarms, and inner thigh areas, and eventually bleeding beneath the skin. A victim who takes any Constitution damage from the disease must immediately make a successful Fortitude save or become fatigued until all his Constitution damage is healed. Each time a victim takes 2 points of Constitution damage from Black Death, he also takes 1 point of Charisma damage.

Channel Negative Energy (Su) The Gaping Grin can channel negative energy. Using this ability consumes two uses of his touch of corruption ability and either deals 5d6 damage in a 30′ burst to all living things, or heals all undead within 30′ for 5d6. In either case, a DC 19 Will save is required to halve the effect.

Aura of Despair (Su) Enemies within 10 feet of The Gaping Grin take a –2 penalty on all saving throws. This penalty does not stack with the penalty from aura of cowardice.

Great Pumpkin’s Blessing (Su) The Gaping Grin is blessed in service to its master’s will. It is proficient with all simple and martial slashing weapons which when wielded inflict +2d8 cold damage and gains the keen weapon property. Further, any bladed slashing weapon in The Gaping Grin’s possession is treated as if sheathed within a Sheath of Bladestealth, becoming invisible until wielded in battle. This ability replaces the Fiendish Blessing that The Gaping Grin would otherwise have received.

Sin with a Grin (Su) As a standard action The Gaping Grin can summon a spectral heavy warhorse, which remains until it is slain or dismissed. It can only have one such horse in its service at a time. In addition, whether mounted or not, The Gaping Grin moves with soul-chilling rapidity and has a 50 ft. move speed, even when armoured.

Tavern Tales 1: Hot Rocks, High Rolls, Whores, and Higgins

I don’t like posting play reports on Papers & Pencils. It’s not that nothing worth sharing happens in my games, because that’s not true. My games are awesome and you would be lucky to play in one. But typically the really great stories I tell about my games cover maybe 10 minutes of play. And while I might get multiple 10-minute stories out of a single session, I don’t like retelling the other 8 hours of gameplay which surround those cool stories. Exploring rooms and successfully fighting monsters is a lot of fun when you’re doing it, not so much fun when you’re reading about it. If I wanted to dress it up and turn it into a story I could probably make it entertaining. But at that point I’m just writing fiction. And I’ve got The Girl and the Granite Throne to work on if I want to write fiction.

But I don’t see any reason why I can’t share shorter stories about the awesome stuff which happens in games. So pull up a chair, order a pint, and let me tell you about my recent adventures…

Hot Rocks

In the most recent session of my ToKiMo Pathfinder game, the players were exploring the largest dungeon they’ve encountered to date. They were prowling through the bottommost levels of the dungeon when they found a crazy guy who had been lost there since he was a child. He warned them to stay away from the “hot room” several doors to the south. He was very insistent that he didn’t like the hot room, and they would not like it either. Little did he know, he was talking to Player Characters. So the first thing they did was make a beeline for the hot room, and discovered that it was nothing more than a functioning sauna.

Curious as to why a sauna would function with no one around to care for it, the players tried to figure out how the place worked. They quickly discovered where the water was dripping into the room onto hot coals. The source of the water was unknown, but far more interesting to them was how the coals could possibly be hot. They hadn’t seen any living creatures in this area of the dungeon, aside from the crazy guy. And he clearly wasn’t responsible for maintaining the room. The players asked the sorceress, Phoenix Darkmatter, to take a look. And she discovered that the rocks were, indeed, magical.

Deciding that magically heated rocks would probably earn them some nice coin, the players asked if they could take some of them to the surface to sell. I told them the rocks were not held in place at all, but they were far too hot to hold, and would cause severe burns. Likewise, trying to put them in a backpack would be a lot like putting a lighted torch into a backpack. I was curious to see if my players could figure out a way to transport the stones, and they did not disappoint. After a few moments of discussing between themselves, Phoenix spoke up, and reminded me that since she had the Red Dragon bloodline, she had a minor resistance to fire damage. She asked if it would be safe for her to hold the rocks, and I said yes. In fact, the stones just felt pleasantly warm to her–but her clothing and equipment was still vulnerable.

This left the players to ponder some more, until Poker, the party’s rogue, suggested that Phoenix just swallow the rocks. Which she did.

The party plans to ‘retrieve’ the stones at a later date, so they can be cleaned, and sold. In the meantime, Phoenix has a pleasant warmth in her stomach, as though she’d just eaten a bowl full of hot soup after coming in from the snow. I was so impressed with their problem solving, I gave both Phoenix and Poker 1 point of experience.

Not That Kind of Corner!

A little earlier in that same ToKiMo session, I was describing a room to the players. It had been used as a library in the past, though most of the books here were burned and unreadable. Part of the room above had collapsed into this one as well. The only other notable feature in this room was a hole in the corner, which led deep down a winding shaft, into a sewer below.

While describing that last feature, for reasons I still don’t fully understand, I said “There’s a whore in the corner.”

Needless to say the next 10 minutes of play time were lost as the entire group tittered and joked about what kind of business she must get down here, and how they didn’t want to play ‘that kind of game.’

Sigh.

Badass Minotaur

Near the end of that session, the players freed a minotaur from imprisonment. It’s a bit of a long story as to why the minotaur was there, and why she didn’t rip them limb from limb the moment she saw them, but the important part is that she agreed to work along side the party until they found a way out of the dungeon. Also her name is Bessy, because I made the mistake of mentioning a joke name before giving her a real name. She stayed at the back of the formation, and didn’t really do much. She wasn’t a hireling–the players weren’t offering her any gold or any shares of treasure. All she wanted was to get out of there. Plus, I’m not too terribly fond of running NPCs along side my players. None the less when the party was under attack she would pull out her axe and help, while doing her best to stay out of danger.

In the last room that the players explored that day, they encountered a mummy. Mummies are a challenge significantly above the party’s level, and halfway through the fight things got even worse when a second mummy in an adjacent room shambled out, and immediately attacked a level 1 paladin PC, dropping her below 0 hit points. The situation was grim for the party. After a few rounds they’d gotten the mummies down to about 15 HP each, but several party members were in danger of being killed before the battle was over.

Then Bessy’s turn came up. She was trying to defend the injured paladin, and was already in position from a previous turn. Her high base attack bonus allowed her to make two attacks, so I rolled both at the same time using different colored dice. The party was in bad shape, and they were all watching this roll expectantly, hoping the NPC could pull their asses out of the fire.

A lot of gaming stories reach their climax with the line “and then I rolled a 20.” But that’s not what happened here.

I rolled two twenties.

It’s something I’d never seen before. It will only happen one out of every 400 times you roll two d20s together. It has a 0.25% chance of occurring. I was stunned. It was such a remarkable roll that Bessy not only cleaved straight through the Mummy she was fighting, but she also hurled her axe across the room and smashed the other mummy into dust as well.

Higgins

Come listen young adventurers, heed what you’re told. ‘Bout a wizard named Higgins, and his actions so bold.

Higgins was a magic user in the OD&D game “Vaults of Pahvelorn” which I’ve been playing every Monday for the past few months. Higgins was evil, but he knew he wasn’t powerful enough yet to get away with being blatant about it. He did his best to keep his evil private, while in public he cultivated an image of being both generous and heroic. He once donated an entire share of treasure to the town guard just to apologize for wasting their time when the party reported a crime that was covered up before the guard could arrive to confirm it.

I was proud of Higgins. Pahvelorn is a deadly game, and a lot of my fellow adventurers had died before me. But Higgins was smart, and he was lucky. His risks were calculated, and if he ever did something foolish, the dice were always willing to give him a second chance. Playing 3 hours a week for something like four months, Higgins slowly accumulated greater and greater power. It took me several months to gain access to any spell other than Read Magic, and I think I was among the first in the party to reach second level. I started to think that Higgins might be able the achieve the goals I had set for Margo, before he died. Perhaps Higgins could become the most powerful magic user this campaign world had ever known. Perhaps he would build a tower in the city of Zorphath, and rule over it as the lords of old had done. And he’d do it wearing stylish robes he’d sewn himself, and the 3 horned helm he’d taken from his master’s killer.

I assume you’ve guessed, from my use of past tense, that none of this will ever come to pass.

It all started when the party decided to go to a nearby haunted cathedral. We had been there once before, and survived only by fleeing with our tails between our legs. But most of us were level 2 by this point. We were also much better equipped, and better prepared for the kinds of challenges we would face. Truth be told I felt a little wary, but I was willing to go if my party would be there beside me.

We had a few tough encounters, but we were managing, until we reached a rather innocuous room with a ghost. He wasn’t hostile towards us. He barely even noticed us. He was on his hands and knees, searching for his cat. We thoroughly poked and prodded the room with our 10ft poles, and found the dry bones of his cat, along with several large rats, beneath a table. We prodded the rats in turn, but nothing seemed to happen, so we assumed the room was safe. We directed the ghost towards his cat’s location, and he moved to look. As he peered under the table, though, he reeled back and shouted something about demon rats.

It seems foolish now, but I thought we’d been as thorough as we could be in testing the room for danger. I announced that Higgins would step forward, punch and kick the rat skeletons into dust, pick up the cat skeleton, and return it to the elderly ghost. I was making a big show about being heroic, and the entire group was chuckling over it. Save for Brendan, who was flat-out laughing his ass off. For awhile I thought I was just a really funny guy, until Brendan managed to choke out:

“The rats actually animate and attack you.”

I’m sure my face turned as white as my character sheet as the dice were rolled. Three out of the four attacks hit me, and the damage dice rolled high, reducing me to -13 hit points. I was given a saving throw against death, which I failed.

And just like that, all of my plans to turn Higgins into an evil overlord who would rule for 100 years came crashing down…because he stopped to rescue an old man’s cat.

Rethinking Rations

At my game table I have a bowl filled with poker chips. At the start of every game, my players look at their inventory and pull out a number of white chips equal to their ammunition, red chips equal to their torches/lantern oil, and blue chips equal to their rations. As we play, chips go into the bowl when these consumables are used, and come out of the bowl when they’re purchased. When the game ends, the players count their chips, and update their character sheets. It’s an efficient system which allows me to be strict about consumable use, without requiring my players to perform a lot of annoying bookkeeping. I think I originally got the idea from Telecanter.

Prior to using this system I was the bad sort of GM who just hand-waved consumables out of the game because they were too much of a pain in the ass to keep track of. I find I enjoy the game much more since I’ve started using this system, though. Tracking ammunition has the largest impact on the game, since players need to be much more conscious about how frequently they use their bows. After a few hours of frequent combat, the ranger starts to get nervous, and that makes the game exciting. Tracking light sources has less of an impact, but it serves as a timer for how long your players can travel underground. Gods help them if they use more than half of their lantern oil on the way down into the dungeon.

Rations, on the other hand, have yet to play any important role in my games. My players track them because I’ve told them they need to do that. They dutifully toss a chip into the bowl at the end of each adventuring day, and when they free a prisoner or find someone in need, they share their poker chips with that person. But tracking rations has never served an actual purpose in the year or more that I’ve been doing it. It’s just a rote action of taking chips out of, and putting them back into the bowl. What is the point?

I don’t want to return to hand-waving rations because of this issue. Limited food resources has too much potential value. There’s a huge desert in the northern part of the continent my players are on. If they ever try to travel there, days away from any town, running out of food is going to be a serious concern. I’ve also begun work on a megadungon which extends dozens of levels beneath the earth. Again, in that situation, the possibility of starving is going to create excitement and urgency in the game. I won’t sacrifice that. But I also don’t want to continue tracking rations day-by-day, purchase-by-purchase for all the sessions where there’s no actual danger of food running out.

Starting with my next Pathfinder session in a couple weeks I’m going to switch things up. First off, I’ve been having players track 1 week’s worth of rations as 1 significant item using my encumbrance system. (A system which I intend to revisit and revise soon). Based on how much food actually weighs, rations in my game are far too light. Looking over military rations used by the U.S. within the last 30 years shows that a single meal can weigh as much as 2.7lb using relatively modern technology. Assuming three meals a day, a week’s rations is nearly 60lb! That’s hardly in line with other significant items, such as a greatsword, which might weight 10lb. Three days of food, at about 25lb, seems like a much more reasonable weight for a single significant item.

Having determined how a character’s carrying capacity converts into food, I’ll then have my players tell me how much of that carrying capacity they’re willing to devote to food. If they allocate 1 significant item to rations, then they have 3 days worth. If they allocate 2 SI, then they have 6 days worth, and so on. It will be assumed that any time the players visit civilization, (barring extenuating circumstances), they’ll find time to purchase food. The cost will be rolled into their standard upkeep costs. Using this method, the players can just write “6 days of food (2 SI)” on their inventory sheet. All I need to do is ask once every 3 days away from civilization if the players have enough food. If they do, we continue on without a hitch, if they don’t, then things start to get interesting.

Using this system should maintain all of the interesting aspects of tracking rations, but reduce the bookkeeping aspects to a minimum.