New Horizons on an old and stitched together horse... (Inactive)

Game Master Helaman

Thanks for running the game, and for being very, very patient with all my “help”.

You're helping me. I've found a few edits already thanks to you, to say nothing of potential updates and changes.

Gimme a bit. Lots of long nights and short sleeps. I'm a bit fried today BUT have a big break in another 6 hours or so.

No stress, and no rush Helaman ;)

No worries. Take care of yourself.

Gimme a bit. Lots of long nights and short sleeps. I'm a bit fried today BUT have a big break in another 6 hours or so.

As above, take your time, no rush. If you are anywhere near me it is hot right now, and making it harder to do most things. Then again, I think it is hot if I can see the sun.

Lol... nah. Family dramas plus shift work.

Any pre mission purchases, just post em here. Any equipment prices just convert to silver.

Is there an online link for equipment? I wouldn't mind some standard adventuring gear like oil, tinderbox, etc

Here....

Just saw the price of a Grappling Hook :O

How much money do we start with?

Depended on your starting pack

Starting Equipment (Pick One)
A): Backpack, 2 Large sacks, 6 Torches, Tinderbox, 10 ft Pole, 50 ft Rope, Waterskin, 1 Week Rations, 1 Gold Crown

B): Backpack, Large sack, Lantern, 3 Oil Flasks, Tinderbox, 12 Iron Spikes, Small Hammer, Waterskin, 1 Week Rations, 5 Silver Shillings.

C): Backpack, 4 Small sacks, Fancy Holy Symbol (Cleric) OR Thief's Tools (Specialist) OR Spell Components Pouch (Wizard), 1 Vial of Holy Water (Others), Tinderbox, Silvered Mirror, Waterskin, 1 Week Rations, 10 Copper Pennies

Will bump the game along in a bit.

We're gonna have another stab at zoned combat before moving to a map for movement and for future combats

Any purchases are assumed to be in the downtime earlier.

I also forgot the potion of healing the gnome gives you. Heals D6+1 hit points. Just let me know who is carrying it.

Any purchases are assumed to be in the downtime earlier.

I also forgot the potion of healing the gnome gives you. Heals D6+1 hit points. Just let me know who is carrying it.

Let someone other than Sarn carry it. That way, if he goes down, someone will know where it is and can apply it!

Din can carry it if no one else wants to.

Have we lost Eddrikk?

I think he mentioned his posting might not be optimal for a bit. I'm okay with that. I can bump him along if we get stuck.

Depended on your starting pack

Quote:

Starting Equipment (Pick One)
A): Backpack, 2 Large sacks, 6 Torches, Tinderbox, 10 ft Pole, 50 ft Rope, Waterskin, 1 Week Rations, 1 Gold Crown

B): Backpack, Large sack, Lantern, 3 Oil Flasks, Tinderbox, 12 Iron Spikes, Small Hammer, Waterskin, 1 Week Rations, 5 Silver Shillings.

C): Backpack, 4 Small sacks, Fancy Holy Symbol (Cleric) OR Thief's Tools (Specialist) OR Spell Components Pouch (Wizard), 1 Vial of Holy Water (Others), Tinderbox, Silvered Mirror, Waterskin, 1 Week Rations, 10 Copper Pennies

Got it. No purchases for Terion!

Take the pot Din ;)

In retrospect I'll work on those starting packs a little in terms of coins.

The packs themselves are a rip off from module B4, with some mods.

THESE COMMENTS DO NOT CHANGE THE GAME AS IS... it's just me vomiting thoughts on paper.

These are much notes to me as it is for discussion.

Skills:
I think I'll move these for non experts to levels 2,4,6 etc but include the possibility of adding training in a specific weapon in lieu of language/skill etc. I want characters to be able to build sideways.

On the flip side, removing ability bonuses to skills.

Shields will be broken is a definite keeper.

Armor. I still want Damage resistance of a sort in game but IF current ruleset is a PitA for damage etc, might just do a static number like 2 for medium and 3 for heavy with a minimum of 1 pt... ie sword hits chainmail dude for 5 damage. He takes 3. Had the attacker rolled 2 damage, the defender still takes 1 pt. In any case, autohit would still bypass this.

Customising classes and boons. I'll write a new page for that but I like the idea of war priests picking up the same benefit of combat training at 3, 6, 9 that elves etc have access to. I also like the idea of a fighter who gives up heavy armour to gain... well something else. Probably be just a few paragraphs on negotiation and collaboration with players. There's another OSR style game out there that encourages that sort of negotiation with the players.

New Classes: Plague Doctor/Alchemist type and Mystic/Monk type

Weapons page: add a new page with more details on special weapons like firearms. Also need additional pages for general equipment.

DEFINITELY need a page on movement on grid, flying etc.

Insomnia is a beeeyatch.

:D

Maybe it is a good time to ask your opinion about Castles & Crusades? I have been reading some stuff about it.

(Note: I will get back to you on your post about possible rules changes)

I have a pretty good opinion of it. It made the must read list.

So are we scouting around/avoiding them?

I think this is a point where one can easily see how PbP can be crippled by option paralysis. I have heard that PbP’s can be killed by….a door. There are threads hereabouts on how to play and run a better PbP, I’ll see if I can find some links. But generally, there are some ways to help the story along.

There is the rule of 3, where if three people agree to something the decision is made.

Or there is a leader, who hears out the options and makes a decision.

I’m easy with the slow pace of us discussing things and working by consensus, but I’m also happy with the rule of 3 or by following a leader, because it certainly isn’t Sarn, wise as he is. He’s just not bright enough.

One thing I do remember is that a good post, whether by the GM or a player, is a leading post, that offers a way for the next poster to move the story forward, whether that be with RP or action.And not every post needs to be a leading post, but if none of them are them are then the pace and flow becomes stilted…

Sounds like we are going around.

I am fine with any of the consensus/decision methods Sarn suggested (or a combination of them) but prefer the rule of three. If there are any other ideas I’d love to hear them.

Terion would have just plowed through them - that might get us killed, but would be fast pacd :D

The great thing about OSR (as a 'philosophy/old school mindset') is it does in fact reward creativity in problem solving and conflict avoidance.

And yeah, rule of 3 is enough for me to move the game forward.

Yesterday I was slurring my words exhausted and got some sleep... not enough as it turns out but hey.

I'll post in the next hr or so.

Darkvision etc.

Monsters have it... Players don't.

Its something that caught my fancy from some other OSR style games. Five Torches Deep really hammers home the whole "In the dark" and "Need for light" angle.

I thought the “demihumans” had infravision etc in OSR…

Most but not all. OSE its yes.

FTD is probably my favorite OSR style game.

FTD is probably my favorite OSR style game.

I got a LOT of class tweak options ideas from FTD and the Race supplement they put out.

I have heard a lot of good things about FTD, mainly for people more familiar with (or coming from) D&D5e? I saw a review about it, and the Class system seemed pretty interesting, with base class and archetypes with easily replaceable features. Also it felt like it would be 'easy' to create other archetypes, using the same simple approach/logic.

I am an OSR noob looking for a more 'recent/evolved/modern' system to run some old D&D modules, so yeah, been reading/watching a lot of reviews on the www. At the moment I am going through Advanced OSE and Castles & Crusades.

I have heard a lot of good things about FTD, mainly for people more familiar with (or coming from) D&D5e? I saw a review about it, and the Class system seemed pretty interesting, with base class and archetypes with easily replaceable features. Also it felt like it would be 'easy' to create other archetypes, using the same simple approach/logic.

Yes, I think it’s allure is that it will be easier for people coming from 5e to learn. The class/archetype system is nice and allows for mechanical differentiation for archetypes that share the same chassis.

The good thing about most OSR games is their affordability and the abundance of material for adventures already out there.

Din Ilvaran wrote:

FTD is probably my favorite OSR style game.

I got a LOT of class tweak options ideas from FTD and the Race supplement they put out.

Good choice. I like the variation you put together.

I will be posting today BUT might be delayed.

Will give it to close of the US day and then bot...

Me screw up... it's a common theme :) I blame my working hours and shift work. I'm generally up well before the birds but it does have the benefit of putting me in US hours for gaming most of the time. The downside is I am bloody tired a lot of the time.

Where did I screw up?

The combat, surprise round, started from the 2nd spell.

Prepared spells go first, the the rest of the party.

I didn't clarify the combat and so Din cast again (this time MM). I would have given it to him because of the screw up but as it's not needed? Happy for him to maintain the Arcane Font/spell slot.

I love PbP but it's easy to miscommunicate or miss things.

No worries. I thought that might be the case but posted anyway just in case I was wrong (and didn’t want to hold the game up if you were waiting on me).

Regardless, I think the game is going well (except for your incredible saves, lol).

I am enjoying it.

Mind you I am going back to the drawing board on a few things. I caught myself getting too clunky.

Stripping stuff back again is interesting as I am working on two sections for Weapons and Armor. One is bare bones ala BECMI/OSE and then there's an optional section. Why would I do this if I don't plan to publish? I honestly don't know. I might discard the more fiddly bits, I might not.

I'll post my changes (these will NOT impact current game at all) later and get cracking on the Alchemist and monk/mystic concepts around Christmas time. I don't get much time off but I do get some.

I am keen to run a proper published module (this is also a published adventure but I was thinking more grandiose like the original TSR BECMI modules or a Goodman Games adaptation) after I've sanded the problem areas off.

Don’t sand the problem areas off! There’ll be nothing left!?! Nothing I tell you!!!

Just kidding. I have a lot of good memories of the B-series and X-series. Even with all the jaggy bits…

I like the old ones where they don't even give the slightest crap about trying to make the dungeons cohesive, and just something totally off the wall and random is inside each and every room.

Yep. That’s pretty much what I meant.

I like the old ones where they don't even give the slightest crap about trying to make the dungeons cohesive, and just something totally off the wall and random is inside each and every room.

Then you'll LOVE what I have in mind assuming we get that far.

Okay... rules rewrite (again, does not affect current game) for firearms.

-Firearms-

All firearms use a flintlock mechanism.
Firearms bypass armor damage thresholds.
Firearms misfire on a roll of '1', which cannot be rerolled. weapon is unusable until cleaned out.
If attempting a combat maneuver firing a firearm, guns misfire on a '2' and explode on a '1' and does normal damage to the firer. This cannot be rerolled.
Firearms can be used in Melee. One handed firearms are as per clubs, and two handed as per quarterstaff. If using a bayonet, treat as a spear that cannot be thrown.

I'm either a) reload at 4 rounds/actions for pistols and 8 for rifles OR b) Can only be fired once per combat (makes it simple because relatively speaking, no one in an RPG is spending 4+ rounds reloading.

Sick as a dog... will post tomorrow

Sick as a dog... will post tomorrow

Yep, there’s…something…going around. Take care mate.

Yep, it’s making its rounds in the US too. Get well.

Take care Helaman - just grab some rest!

Also wanted to let everyone know I will be traveling from the 19th December until the 3rd January, visiting family and so forth. I expect to get some chances to post, but will most likely be busy wit other stuff, so bot me if needed ;)

Enjoy! I will also be traveling December 22-27. I should be able to post most days but apologies in advance if I can’t.