[Interest Check] RPG and Roguelike Fans for Something a Little Different?


Recruitment

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I think this could be really cool.

As far as loot goes, I think it could easily be resolved via PM? Overall I think with the treasure distribution it'll be very much determined by the players themselves and the group they're in rather than a specific sort of ruleset.

While that may be annoying, having that variety allows for people to just decide things on their own. However, it does put more responsibility on the players to make sure that loot distribution goes quickly, so overall... I'm not sure.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

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Good news: our game-in-theory has a name (well, a working title) and a FAQ!

Development on GuildMaster continues, and my next goal will be to put enough content together to create an "example of play." After that, a proper playtest.

Read up, interested parties, and ask questions if you've got 'em.

GuildMaster PFAQ (Presumably-Frequently-Asked Questions)

Q: What is GuildMaster?
A: GuildMaster is a roguelike-inspired play-by-post game (that you can also play at home, at the table). You will direct adventurous characters into all sorts of dungeons, trying your best to overcome various monsters and hazards in order to escape with both the treasure and your life. Like a tabletop RPG, GuildMaster features a GM (a game-master) and some number of players.

Q: What are the player’s roles?
A: You, the player, represent a sort of Adventurer’s Guild Headmaster. Your characters represent the members of your guild, and you will dispatch them (alone or alongside members of other “guilds,” or players) to conquer dungeons, bring back treasure, and gain experience. You could manage a “guild” of characters all on your own, or share characters with partners and friends, sharing a pool of characters that you and the players you include can draw from and play with.

Q: What is the GM’s role?
A: Like a GM in a traditional tabletop game, a GuildMaster GM controls the monsters and the environment. Unlike a GM in a traditional tabletop game, a GuildMaster GM is absolutely trying to kill you! Your GM is playing to win – the same as you are. The game wants you dead - just like any true-to-form roguelike would.

Q: That’s not fair! The GM controls all the monsters AND the dungeon.
A: That’s not a question! But yes; you’re right. The GM controls the bad guys, but that doesn’t mean he can always do whatever he wants with them. Dangers (along with just about everything else in the game, in true roguelike fashion) spawn randomly, and the number of resources that a GM has to play with is dependent on the number of players in the game. And if one player drops out of the game, the difficulty of the next-and-subsequent encounters are adjusted accordingly.

Q: If the GM is playing to win, does that mean that stupid or mindless creatures like ogres and zombies will be using clever and organized tactics to beat the players?
A: No. Some monsters will have restricted actions, limiting the GM to only the most obvious and predictable choices. For example, an ogre might not be able to withdraw from a melee once engaged, unless his opponent is dead. Zombies may only be able to move toward the players closest to them, and so on. The game is still very much in development, so these examples are subject to change – but you get the idea.

Q: Can’t the GM just cheat?
A: Nope! Both sides of the game are transparent, and basically cheat-proof.

Q: Alright, so what are the central mechanics?
A: Encounters are strung together by exploration phases. An encounter is a conflict or danger (usually involving monsters) that your characters must overcome in order to advance or survive (though characters built to do so may have the option of escaping or avoiding an encounter which has gone – or is likely to go – south). All characters (PCs and NPCs both) spend Action Points (AP) on their turns to perform various actions. When your turn is over, any AP that you saved contributes toward your defense – which you’ll need while the other guys are taking their turns.

Q: How does character creation work?
A: A character is comprised of five building blocks: race, class, skills, abilities, and faith. A player will create a race, class, and faith, and then allocates a few skill and ability points. Players may choose a faith as well; this choice may be of great importance (for devout characters and members of divine classes, such as priests) or of virtually none at all.

Q: How do races and classes work?
A: Your characters race and class determine your base AP, the AP cost of your “move” action, and what sorts of things your character is good at. Each race and class also offers unique skills that your character may choose to invest skill points into as they grow in experience.

Q: What sorts of races and classes will there be?
A: Well, that’s a question with a two-part answer. At release, the game will feature the basics (or the classics, if you prefer): races like humans, elves, dwarves, and hobbits, and classes like warriors, sorcerers, thieves, and preists. With those bases covered, the game will continue to develop. With enough success, GuildMaster might expand to include hundreds of races and classes for players to choose from. Troglodytes, gnomes, vampires, trolls, dragonkin, goblins, and hobgoblins. Abjurers, elementalists, assassins, hunters, bards, spies, witchdoctors, and on, and on, and on.

Q: How do skills and abilities work?
A: Skills represent how well your character performs at various tasks. Skills range from the broad and basic (like Strength, Dexterity, Exploration, Mobility, or Perception) to the very specialized and specific (like Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Locksmithing, Piety, or Stealth). As a character gains skill ranks, he or she also unlocks abilities which require various skill prerequisites. Abilities offer options and upgrades thematically related to the skills that unlock them, and may allow characters to use those skills in new ways. Strength abilities might improve a character’s damage, while Stealth abilities might offer a character new ways to gain advantages over ambushed enemies.

Q: What are faiths, and how do they work?
A: Each faith offers a small suite of faith-based skills and abilities that a character may invest ranks into. The effectiveness of these abilities are largely dependent on the user’s Piety skill. Some characters may invest quite a lot into faith-based skills and abilities, while less devout characters (characters with no use or preference for the Piety skill) will have almost no use for them.
In addition to offering optional skills and abilities, each faith includes two rules elements: a divine bane and a divine boon. These banes and boons have relevance only to members of certain divine spellcasting classes (like priests), and modify the way certain class abilities work. For example, the divine bane for the God of Fire and Forge might cause creatures to catch fire, while the divine bane for the God of Life and Healing might cause damage to undead creatures. This would mean that when a priest of the God of Fire and Forge uses his “smite” spell to harm an opponent, that opponent may catch fire. When a priest of the God of Life and Healing uses his “smite” ability (a member of the exact same class, casting the exact same spell), the target receives extra damage if it is undead. Each god may also impose the dogma of their church on their followers, rewarding and punishing certain behaviors. Because of this, because faith-based skills and abilities will differ wildly, and because a character’s choice of deity will alter the way their divine class abilities work, priests of different deities will almost feel like members of different classes.

Q: How do combat rolls work?
A: Each character (PC and NPC alike) will have “passive” (static) and “active” (rolled) values for each of their skills. When it’s your turn to post or play, you’ll roll your “active” values, and compare them to the “passive” values of your opponents. For example, when attacking you’ll roll your attack modifier against the passive defensive value of your opponent. When your opponent attacks YOU, he’ll do the same, rolling his attacks against your defenses. This ensures that you’ll never have to wait to see whether or not your attack hits. The entire game is designed to make sure that you never have to “wait” for another poster to tell you what the results of your actions are.

Q: How do weapons and damage work?
A: Weapons have AP Costs, accuracy, and damage values. Weapons (and all other types of equipment) also have encumbrance values, which count against a character’s encumbrance capacity. The accuracy of a weapon, combined with the wielder’s skill levels with the relevant weapon skill, determine how much a character may add to his roll, when attacking. A successful hit prompts the attacker to compare his damage value to his opponent’s Endurance value. If the opponent’s Endurance value is higher, the defender receives a bruise, which effectively lowers his Endurance value. If the attacker’s damage value is the higher value, the defender receives an injury level instead (or two injury levels if the value is twice as high, three if the value is three times as high, and so on). There are six levels of health and injury: uninjured, lightly injured, moderately injured, seriously injured, critically injured, and dead.

Q: How does armor work?
A: Armor adds additional “layers” of protection over a character’s health. A character loses armor levels before injury levels. Heavy armor adds more levels than lighter armor does, but also have higher encumbrance values. A character over his or her encumbrance capacity finds the AP cost of his move action increased. Thus, a character with greater levels of protection is also slower, and has less AP to spend or save after moving.

Q: How about shields?
A: Shields have AP costs, and encumbrance and size values. A character must save an amount of AP at least equal to the AP cost of his or her shield in order to attempt to block with it, with larger shields sporting higher AP costs. Larger shields also tend to have larger size values, which is a good thing. A shield can only block a certain range of attacks; a creature’s size value (or the encumbrance value of a character’s weapon) must be equal to or less than a shield’s size value in order for that shield to stand any chance of blocking it. Thus, a light shield is easier to use, and may be used more often (because it has a lower AP cost), but cannot block attacks against large weapons like warhammers, ogre’s clubs, or dragon’s fangs. Conversely, a large tower shield might have a size value high enough to block such attacks, but the AP cost of such a shield would be much higher.

Q: What about spells? How does magic work?
A: Spells are just abilities with magical themes and keywords, and abilities can take just about any form. A warrior’s proficiencies, a thief’s thievery, a sorcerer’s sorceries, or a priest’s prayers. Spells and abilities have AP costs and varied effects. Each class will manage different resources and call upon wildly different abilities in order to survive.

Q: Is there a map, or a grid?
A: There is no grid. There might be a map, but it’s more of a flowchart than anything else. Movement is an abstract system. Each encounter will be divided into a small handful of “zones,” and any number of PCs and NPCs might occupy a zone.
For example, the players might enter an underground graveyard. The graveyard is divided into three sections, a narrow cavern, and the eastern and western halves of the graveyard itself. The GM will announce that the narrow cavern is adjacent to the eastern yard, and the eastern yard is adjacent to both the narrow cavern and the western yard. Characters can spend AP to move from zone to adjacent zone, or to move (or attempt to move) into or out of melee with other characters in their zone. The players and GM will track and announce who is moving where, and who is in melee with whom. This system frees the players from having to rely on a graphical map (which can be difficult and time-consuming for GMs to maintain), while still providing opportunities for dynamic and tactically-interesting combats, and tactical choices related to movement and position.


You could have it just be "loot" until after a fight, then each person gets 1 or 2 "loot" or whatever and rolls randomly to determine what it is. It's like the old infinity engine computer games, you can't use something until you've identified it. Even if it's obviously a sword.

Mundane (non-magical) loot need not work this way.

What kind of idiot would run into a room and just pick up an item/read a scroll without knowing what it did first? Especially in a perma-death world. Unless there are no cursed items?

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

Oh, no, there absolutely will be cursed items. Lots of them - that's the only thing keeping players from just slapping on weapons and armor to identify them.


Hmm. Daron to be honest it sounds a lot less like a roguelike if there isn't a map. The map is central for me. If you just use "zones" it starts to sound like a strategy game with some nod toward RPG. I get that the R in RPG here is also not a core necessity, that's ok becaise it isn't for roguelikes either.

It's also sounding a lot more complicated than it possibly is. I do like the Action Point costs though.

As for treasure, it feels to me like you are overthinking it, even for the purposes of a PbP. I do like the random attribution of treasure we can just redistribute as we see fit.

@DM Jelani - in many roguelikes, running into a chamber and reading a scroll named fjfdintididnne i fkdosmsi that you have no idea what it means or does, or quaffing a chartreuse potion you also have no idea about is just what you had to do when down to 1 hp without healing spells or potions or any other realistic option and being followed by a monster or band of monsters. Sometimes, very rarely, such actions saved your life.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

Including a map means including a lot of work on the part of each player and GM - updating the map on their turns, counting spaces and showing the routes they took, etc. These are problems which constrain games like D&D and the Pathfinder RPG when those games are adapted for play-by-post gameplay.

I think that the question of the number of "spaces" between you and the monsters is less important than the question of "is the monster far away, nearby, or engaging me?"

I'm hoping that this system of abstract movement will allow me to capture the feel of a roguelike game without sacrificing much; still able to create the moment when a big, bad monster you'd really rather not deal with right now turns the corner. The moment when you know you only have time to take one or two actions before the enemy will be right next to you. The moment when you realize that an invisible creature has popped up right in your face... all without a map or a system of "space-by-space" movement.

As for the treasure, you might be right. Random distribution, and let the players distribute it how and when they choose.


For the "picking up things during the encounter" thing, you could always just reduce the amount of loot used during the encounter from the loot distributed at the end of the encounter. For example, if there were six potions in the room and Fred the Fighter used one of them during the encounter, then he'll get only one of them after the encounter whereas Wally the Wizard and Cecilia the Cleric get two.

Also, the combat system looks a bit convoulted. Why not use HP like just about every roguelike out there? Could you tell us a little more about blocking? Do you have to roll to block or does the attacker need to roll to overcome your block?

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

@ GM Coluber

About picking items up - that's not a bad system; definitely worth thinking about as I design the actual looting tables and systems.

About hit poings - honestly, I've been working with the bruises-and-injuries system because it's both more realistic and it makes it a little more easy to design attacks and spells. Effectively, there IS a hit point system... everyone has 7 hit points (injury levels). It keeps the numbers small while also sort of hiding them. It also makes it easier for everyone to see at a glance how hurt a character is.

Do people feel attached to or in love with the idea of a hit point system?

About blocking - blocking works like dodging (which is the default defense value for avoiding attacks), except that it's only rolled if you saved enough AP on your turn, and only if your attacker (or his weapon) isn't too large for your shield to block.

Let's say you're attacking an orc with a shield. The shield has a SIZE value of 4 and the orc has a BLOCKING value is 13 and a DODGING value of 11. You always have to roll against your target's highest defense value, so - if the orc saved enough AP to use his shield, and if your weapon's SIZE value is equal to or less than the shield's SIZE value - you make your attack roll and compare it to the orc's BLOCKING value.

If he didn't, you compare your attack roll to his DODGING value, instead.


I'm kind of ambivalent about the HP thing. There's pros and cons in both systems.

Instead of more than one defensive value, I'd just have the shields add a fixed amount to the Dodging value and have the Blocking skill decrease the AP cost of using shields. Or maybe I wouldn't, depends on how the skills work.

Speaking of which, how does character advancement work? Since everything seems to be skill-dependent, am I right in assuming that there will not be experience levels, but the characters will just gain more skill ranks? If so, how you're planning to keep people from putting too many ranks into one skill too early?

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

Correct, and good question.

There's actually not even an "XP" system. Or rather, there is... but it's hidden, like the "hit point" system is (though not hidden quite as well). Skill ranks are purchased with gold pieces, in the form of "training." The number of gold pieces that it takes to improve a skill is dependent on the number of ranks already invested in that skill; each skill rank costs considerably more than the last one.

Furthermore, each character has a "training level." A character's training level is the maximum number of ranks that he or she may invest in any skill. So... not only does increasing your skill level from 6 to 7 cost a whole lot more than it did to increase it from 5 to 6, but you must have a training level of 7 in order to raise any skill that high. And - as you can imagine - increasing your training level also costs gold pieces. A lot of them. Once you've saved and spent enough gold to increase your training level, and then improve one or two skills up to that training level, you'll end up having spent enough gold to have put SEVERAL skills up to slightly lower levels.

So: what stops a character from investing all his gold and skills into skyrocketing his defenses, or attack values, right out of the gate? The answer is "gold pieces." Not to mention, such a character would be pretty wildly unbalanced. It's kind of like when you make a Pathfinder character using the point-buy system. If you buy an 18, you've probably got one of the highest scores in the party, but your sum of your ability score values is going to be much smaller than it could've been, overall.


I'm not attached to HP but it is simple. I think "realism" is moot if you have reduced reality by removing the map. ;)

I dislike training by gold pieces, I'd prefer to have levels and caps, this would inhibit overstacking skills too soon. Similar to the skill rank max equal to level in PF.

Generally, as I said earlier this is all seeming quite complicated or as GM Coluber said, convoluted. The prime attraction to me of roguelikes is simplicity. For example: I'm completely unsure how spellcasting works in DC:SS with regard to some abilities - are they spells or Invocations? or are Invocations spells? What skill weight should I put my percentages in?

This shouldn't be an issue, but it makes me less interested in playing it compared to Angband. Just wish Angband had dungeonshops like earlier roguelikes did (and DC:SS does). Maybe i'm yearning for something different than what you are proposing - there should be minimal character sheet stuff and a simple resolution of combat and skills.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still very interested. Both for the roguelike nature/theme and to see a great PbP-able system.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

Oceanshieldwolf wrote:
I'm not attached to HP but it is simple. I think "realism" is moot if you have reduced reality by removing the map. ;)

The removal of the map should actually create a MORE realistic - or at least a more narrative - sense of movement and position. No "squares," or characters moving on an invisible grid, just characters naturally moving from one "set piece" to another, engaging and disengaging from one another in combat.

In practice, it will be MUCH simpler than counting spaces and showing your routes. I'm tempted, as I work on class and race designs, to rush things so that everyone can SEE the system in play. I understand it may not sound as elegant as I'm hoping for it to feel, in play.

Oceanshieldwolf wrote:
I dislike training by gold pieces, I'd prefer to have levels and caps, this would inhibit overstacking skills too soon. Similar to the skill rank max equal to level in PF.

If I do my job well enough, the price (in terms of what you could've had instead) for overstacking one or two skills should be so steep that players won't want to do it. As with most roguelikes, you won't want your character to have any glaring weaknesses - those'll get you killed, eventually.

With regards to "skill caps;" how would you feel about class-and-race-dependent skill caps? So maybe there is a skill cap, but it's different (potentially very different) for everyone?


Skillcaps? Lame. Unless they are high enough that it's very very hard to reach.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

As it stands, there is a definite cap to "training level." The game should be hard enough (and the gold costs high enough) that characters really will have to earn them.


Hmm, I would think that perhaps having a party might ameliorate glaring skill gaps.

Skillcaps? Maybe, but perhaps not class and race dependent. Level dependent might make sense.

As for the map, it really is an iconic part of a roguelike. It just won't feel like one without it. That said, I'm still very interested.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

There hasn't been much interest on this front, so I've been working on my more conventional products the last few days. This project is still ongoing, though. If there's any interest out there, let's keep talking.

So... one of the gimmicks I plan to use to keep replay value high (and to incentiveize players to buy add-on products once they've decided that they like the free, base product enough to do so) is to implement an absolutely ridiculous number of races and classes.

I'm going to spoiler these, because the lists are so long. Basically, I have design notes on 120 classes, and on 300 classes.

Races:

Amazon
Arachnos
Archon
Asura
Avian
Boggard
Brownie
Catfolk
Centaur
Cephaloid
Changeling
Clay Golem
Cyclops
Dark Elf
Desert Elf
Dhampir
Djinn
Doppleganger
Draconian
Draugr
Dryad
Duergar
Efreeti
Ettin
Faun
Fiend
Firbolg
Flesh Golem
Formorian
Frost Dwarf
Frost Giant
Frost Gnome
Gargoyle
Ghoul
Gnoll
Gobbledygook
Goblin
Gremlin
Grindylow
Grippit
Grogoch
Gwyllion
Hag
Half-Elf
Half-Ogre
Half-Ork
Half-Troll
Harpy
High Elf
Hill Dwarf
Hill Giant
Hill Gnome
Hobbit
Hobgoblin
Homarid
Homunculus
Human
Ignan
Imp
Insectile
Iron Golem
Kappa
Kitsune
Kobold
Lamia
Leprechaun
Lich
Lizardfolk
Loxon
Lycanthrope
Medusa
Merfolk
Minotaur
Morlock
Mountain Dwarf
Mountain Giant
Mountain Gnome
Mummy
Myconid
Naga
Noctus
Nosferatu
Nymph
Octopod
Ogre
Oni
Ophidian
Ork
Pigmin
Pixie
Ratfolk
Redcap
Revenant
Rhinon
Sahuagin
Sand Giant
Sasquatch
Satyr
Shade
Shyft
Sidhe
Spriggan
Stone Golem
Swampling
Sylph
Titan
Tortle
Treant
Triton
Troglodyte
Troll
Vampire
Wight
Wood Elf
Wood Giant
Wood Gnome
Wood Golem
Woodwose
Wretch
Yeti

Classes:

Abjurer
Acrobat
Adventurer
Aeromancer
Aeronaut
Aethermancer
Alchemist
Alienist
Animist
Antihero
Apothecary
Arbalester
Arbiter
Arcanist
Archer
Archivist
Armiger
Artificer
Assassin
Astrologer
Bandit
Barbarian
Bard
Battlemage
Beastlord
Beast-Rider
Beguiler
Berserker
Binder
Bishop
Blackguard
Blacksmith
Bladesinger
Blighter
Bloodmage
Bomber
Bravo
Brawler
Brewmeister
Brigand
Brute
Cannoneer
Cavalier
Cavalryman
Cestus
Champion
Channeler
Charioteer
Chevalier
Chirurgeon
Chronomancer
Cleric
Cloudweaver
Conjurer
Corsair
Crossbowman
Crusader
Cursebearer
Deathknight
Defender
Demolitionist
Demoniac
Dervish
Diabolist
Diplomat
Dirgesinger
Diviner
Djinncaller
Dominus
Doomsayer
Dragonrider
Dragoon
Dreadnaught
Dreamwalker
Druid
Duelist
Earthspeaker
Elementalist
Enchanter
Engineer
Evoker
Executioner
Exorcist
Falconer
Fearmonger
Fencer
Firebug
Fire-Eater
Flamedancer
Forcemage
Forrester
Frostmage
Fusilier
Gadgeteer
Gendarme
Geomancer
Geometer
Gladiator
Grappler
Gravecaller
Grotesque
Guardian
Guerilla
Gunslinger
Gypsy
Halberdier
Harbinger
Harlequin
Harpist
Harrier
Haruspex
Healer
Heirophant
Herbalist
Hermit
Hero
Hexmage
Highwayman
Hivemaster
Hoodwink
Hospitalier
Houndmaster
Hunter
Hydromancer
Hymnist
Hypnotist
Illusionist
Incanter
Inquisitor
Invoker
Janissary
Javelineer
Jester
Jinx
Juggernaut
Justicair
Kensai
Knight
Lancer
Lasher
Lich
Lightbringer
Lorekeeper
Machinist
Mageknight
Magician
Magus
Malconvoker
Malefactor
Malus
Maniac
Marauder
Marksman
Marshal
Masque
Mastermind
Mauler
Medium
Mentalist
Mercenary
Merchant
Mesmerist
Mindbender
Miner
Minstrel
Monk
Musketeer
Mycologist
Mysterion
Mystic
Necromancer
Nethermancer
Ninja
Noble
Occultist
Oracle
Outlaw
Outrider
Paladin
Paragon
Phantasmist
Pikeman
Piper
Pirate
Plaguemancer
Planeshifter
Poisoner
Priest
Prophet
Psionicist
Psychic
Pugilist
Puppetmaster
Pyromancer
Qabalist
Raider
Raindancer
Rake
Ranger
Ratcatcher
Reaper
Reaver
Rhymer
Riddler
Rifleman
Ritualist
Rogue
Ronin
Royal
Runesmith
Runic
Saboteur
Sage
Saint
Samurai
Sanctifier
Sandman
Sapper
Savage
Scholar
Scourge
Scout
Scrier
Seasinger
Sensei
Sentinel
Shadowmancer
Shaman
Shapeshifter
Sheriff
Shieldbearer
Sibyl
Siegemaster
Siren
Skald
Skirmisher
Slayer
Slimelord
Slinger
Sneak
Sniper
Soothsayer
Sorcerer
Soulblade
Spearman
Spellbinder
Spellbreaker
Spellknife
Spiritualist
Spy
Stalker
Stormlord
Strategist
Strider
Striker
Summoner
Swashbuckler
Swordsman
Tactician
Tarotist
Taskmaster
Telepath
Templar
Thaumaturgist
Theosophist
Theurge
Thief
Tinkerer
Tormentor
Totemist
Transmogrifist
Transmuter
Trapsmith
Trickster
Ur-Priest
Valkyrie
Vanguard
Viking
Vitalist
Vizier
Voidcaller
Wanderer
Warchief
Warden
Warlock
Warlord
Warpriest
Warrior
Wayfarer
Weaponmaster
Wilder
Windcaller
Witch
Witchdoctor
Wizard
Wonderworker
Wormtongue
Wyrd
Wyrmcaller
Zealot

This would create virtually endless character and party combinations, and keep the game alive for years and years. If you see a race or class on one of these lists that piques your interest, ask about it and I'll share my design/concept notes.

Development continues on a demonstrable "example of play."


I don't think that's a very good idea. Quality over quantity etc. That being said, I'd like to see what a finished class/race looks like, to get an idea about how much they influence how your character turns out.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

I hear you, GM Coulber. That's why the base product would only contain 4 or 5 classes and an equal number of races. The add-ons would just keep the game fresh over the years, if it caught on.


Before you get too involved, I suggest you look into Descent: Road to Legends expansion, which allows players to play against an evil overlord.

The evil overlord is limited by having to draw cards to play abilities and move monsters around.

The Road to Legends with the many Descent Products runs about $200 altogether. I have thought of turning this idea into a mini PbP roguelike based on Pathfinder ruleset.


Abandoned Arts wrote:
I hear you, GM Coulber. That's why the base product would only contain 4 or 5 classes and an equal number of races. The add-ons would just keep the game fresh over the years, if it caught on.

Thanks for the clarification. Patiently waiting for more news. :)


Still watching this thread. Not enough class options in your list! ;)
Srsly, looks fantastic! I'll say it again though, without a map, even an ASCII/text map it won't feel like a roguelike.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

@Oceanshieldwolf: There actually is a "map," it's just not grid-based.

A "host" or GM might illustrate the game map if he or she chooses, but the layout of encounters is simple enough that you can envision them in your mind easily. Each "map" is just a series of connected "zones," usually no more than three to five.

Example: an encounter occurs on a small beach. The beach slopes up to a rocky shelf of stone, and there are wide wooden platforms and staircases bridging the two areas. The beach is one "zone," the wooden staircases are another zone, and the rocky shelf is yet a third zone. Characters in one zone may use various skills (mostly a "Mobility" skill) to move from zone to zone, or to move in and out of melee with other creatures in the zone that they occupy. Any character may simply move from the beach to the staircase, but a character with enough ranks in, say, the "Athletics" skill might be able to go straight from the beach to the rock shelf.

A further example: let's say there's a wooden crenelation - a low wall - on one of the wooden platforms. Rather than moving into melee with an enemy, a character on the "wooden platforms" zone can move "into melee" with the low wall, which provides cover (a defensive bonus) from enemies on the beach.

Every aspect of the game would take into account this abstract movement system. Area spells might be able to hit every character in a single zone, etc. This would make the game easy to illustrate, since a host could depict a "map" however they envision it, with the characters appearing anywhere the illustrator likes, within the zones that they occupy.

So... you COULD absolutely make a map out of the encounter, and update it as the game progresses... you just wouldn't have to. Tracking spaces, grid-based ranges and movement paths, and figuring lines of sight are really clunky concepts when translated to forum-based play.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

GENERAL UPDATE

The Bad News:
Interest for this project is still low, which means I can justify devoting less time toward the project than I could if I were able to expect a high-profit turnout once the paid products started rolling in. Progress continues, but somewhat slowly.

The Good News:
Much of the basic math and system legwork is done; hard and detailed design work has begun in earnest on the initial classes and races.


Also should point out that Quest Cards has illustrated cards of magic the gathering quality that can be set up in a dungeon format and one or more players can adventure solo.

Quest Cards


@Abandoned Arts: Is this roguelike PbP yours? LINK


Was also wondering that, but I don't think so. Unless he made a new account for it.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

If you can keep a semi-secret - yes. ; )

The rules are still inDev, but the thread you linked to is a playtest of sorts. In one sense, it's a playtest of the (still VERY under construction) mechanics, but in a larger sense, it's a playtest of the "open game" play structure and the play-by-post format.

The rolls, math, and most of the rules-crunch is being hidden (since the game hasn't been copyrighted yet), but many of the planned mechanics are being implemented there. Everything is subject to change, and most of the specific race and class mechanics (traits, spells, special attacks, and other things that haven't quite been designed to completion) are being implemented ad-hoc, on the fly, according to certain parameters. Part of the reason for that is actually that I want to see what people (suggest / think up / expect) each type of character to do.

Mum's the word. Go play if you're interested, though.

And no, DM Jelani, you can't suggest actions for the NPCs. : P


@AA - thanks for the heads up!

It's a bit too free-form at the moment - seems some folk are confused about who gets to control who when. Or at least I am. I'd rather see one PC/one player rather than a open forum/marketplace of yells/posts on/for any character.

* Love the implementation of the class names!

* Really seeing the Action points working. I actually really like that.

* Please PM me when this is more formalised/ready for a more formal playtest. I am still very interested, and this does actually capture the spirit of a roguelike. Well done.

P.S. I still think the random poster making one player brain the other player that used to be controlled by someone else is great stuff!

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

Oceanshieldwolf wrote:

@AA - thanks for the heads up!

It's a bit too free-form at the moment - seems some folk are confused about who gets to control who when. Or at least I am. I'd rather see one PC/one player rather than a open forum/marketplace of yells/posts on/for any character.

Well, the game will be playable in two formats: small-group, and open game. In an open game, the host takes suggestions from the player-base and implements (the most interesting / first / best / coolest / most amusing / most popular) suggestions as he or she sees fit. That way, literally an ENTIRE forum can all play one game together.

A small group game will function more traditionally, with each player controlling one character.

I'm running an open game for several reasons, the most obvious being that the rules are still "secret" (and copyright-devoid), and nobody knows or CAN know exactly how to build characters or even play, yet.

Oceanshieldwolf wrote:

* Love the implementation of the class names!

* Really seeing the Action points working. I actually really like that.

* Please PM me when this is more formalised/ready for a more formal playtest. I am still very interested, and this does actually capture the spirit of a roguelike. Well done.

Thanks! If you can stand the "open game" format, pop over and suggest some actions.

Oceanshieldwolf wrote:
P.S. I still think the random poster making one player brain the other player that used to be controlled by someone else is great stuff!

EVERYONE is actually controlling ALL the characters (or rather, the host is controlling them, as per everyone's suggestions)... and I totally WOULD have had Valariot thwack Norbyn with her mace for no reason if they'd been in melee together. : D

Scarab Sages

I just found all this.

Is the game filled up? If not, can suggest one of the PCs be a Lich Chronomancer (as per two entries in your wonderfully giant races/classes lists)???

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