Proving I can multitask on several big projects, I am working on releasing a small preview of the rule set for Gunpowder and Black powder weapons based on the work by Ernest Mueller. This of course will be for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the upcoming Pirates of the Bronze Sky, an Eberron / Spelljammer inspired setting mash-up. Look for it to be released sometime in January 2010.
Do you have an eta for the book itself? I'm chomping at the bit here to take a look. The setting sounds almost exactly like the "Sky Realms" home campaign I am currently running.
Do you have an eta for the book itself? I'm chomping at the bit here to take a look. The setting sounds almost exactly like the "Sky Realms" home campaign I am currently running.
No date exact, but think "January 2010" and you will be right.
Will your book also contain rules for Airships, both creating and modifying?
Will your book also contain rules for Airships, both creating and modifying?
The core rulebook Pirates of the Bronze Sky will. But its release date is TBD.
<begins pacing anxiously awaiting the announcement>
Cool! I remember seeing Ernest's version when he brought it up and you asked about its OGL availability. Curious to see what you did with it.
I'm thinking this specific release won't cover it, but along the same lines, will there be anything in the rules covering magic and guns? Namely, enchanting guns or cannons or how magic-users might be able to pull some tricks with them.
As an example, in a homebrew airship campaign I used to run, instead of messing with spell-casting ranges or having mages sit on their thumbs in a ship-to-ship fight, I worked up a rough system for spell artillery. The mage would poke a spell into a special shell which would be fired and then range would work from the point of shell detonation.
I am eagerly awaiting this product. LOVE Spelljammer, and would like to see how well this would be in updating that setting for my home play.
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Seeing as you're going to be giving away the rules for guns and such with this preview I was wondering why not just declare it a beta and let people give feedback and discuss the rules? I think everyone will agree that the implementation of guns into fantasy roleplaying has been one of the harder machinations to make in d20. Thoughts?
Seeing as you're going to be giving away the rules for guns and such with this preview I was wondering why not just declare it a beta and let people give feedback and discuss the rules? I think everyone will agree that the implementation of guns into fantasy roleplaying has been one of the harder machinations to make in d20. Thoughts?
That is a good idea. That is something I could do. I will have to think about it.
I'm thinking this specific release won't cover it, but along the same lines, will there be anything in the rules covering magic and guns? Namely, enchanting guns or cannons or how magic-users might be able to pull some tricks with them.
I don't know. Right now I am working on the setting background (AKA fluff) the game mechanics (AKA crunch) will most likely developed by so incredibly talented writer (PS: We have no writer for this setting so far so if you are a freelance writer you should contact me about this. Hint! Hint!)
As an example, in a homebrew airship campaign I used to run, instead of messing with spell-casting ranges or having mages sit on their thumbs in a ship-to-ship fight, I worked up a rough system for spell artillery. The mage would poke a spell into a special shell which would be fired and then range would work from the point of shell detonation.
Hmmm.... something to think about. I will have to get back to you about this.
I'm thinking this specific release won't cover it, but along the same lines, will there be anything in the rules covering magic and guns? Namely, enchanting guns or cannons or how magic-users might be able to pull some tricks with them.I don't know. Right now I am working on the setting background (AKA fluff) the game mechanics (AKA crunch) will most likely developed by so incredibly talented writer (PS: We have no writer for this setting so far so if you are a freelance writer you should contact me about this. Hint! Hint!)
Last thing I wrote was a collaboration on GURPS Grimoire. Everyone loves my Ecstasy spell ;) I'm retired now, wonder if I should pick up the pen and start again
As an example, in a homebrew airship campaign I used to run, instead of messing with spell-casting ranges or having mages sit on their thumbs in a ship-to-ship fight, I worked up a rough system for spell artillery. The mage would poke a spell into a special shell which would be fired and then range would work from the point of shell detonation.
Hmmm.... something to think about. I will have to get back to you about this.
In my airship campaign, the ships are made out of Airwood (original eh?) This wood allows an airship to float but not really move. Then we have movement methods, sails being the cheapest, and Core's being the most expensive. A Core simply allows a magic using character to move the ship without setting sails or the like. Higher power Cores actually allow minor level spells to be cast as if the ship cast it. We've had ship fights with Shield spells, MM bolts, Scorching Ray's. All good times.
Seeing as you're going to be giving away the rules for guns and such with this preview I was wondering why not just declare it a beta and let people give feedback and discuss the rules? I think everyone will agree that the implementation of guns into fantasy roleplaying has been one of the harder machinations to make in d20. Thoughts?
One of the ideas I've been tinkering with is removing black powder weapons from a magitech world completely and working guns more as industrial magic weapons like with the cannon example above. It gives me a little more breathing room with 'realistism' mechanics and changing out magazines for different effects adds some more fantastical flavour to the point and shoot grind.
...spell artillery...
Hmmm.... something to think about. I will have to get back to you about this.
The main snag I ran into was tying the system into what the player is actually rolling to attack. If it's all the gunnery team firing, the PC isn't really relying on his own skills unless a charisma leadership type of bonus is used, but that's more exploitable by a sorcerer than a mage. If it's intelligence-based for using a weapon system, that favours the mage over sorcerer and prolly brings a skill use into the equation. If it's a dex check, that's assuming the artillery mage is splitting his time between enchanting a shell, aiming and firing and isn't entirely realistic. A straight reliance on the gun team's skills with player making the roll and PC providing the juice was the best I could come up with between mechanics and flavour.
The main snag I ran into was tying the system into what the player is actually rolling to attack. If it's all the gunnery team firing, the PC isn't really relying on his own skills unless a charisma leadership type of bonus is used, but that's more exploitable by a sorcerer than a mage. If it's intelligence-based for using a weapon system, that favours the mage over sorcerer and prolly brings a skill use into the equation. If it's a dex check, that's assuming the artillery mage is splitting his time between enchanting a shell, aiming and firing and isn't entirely realistic. A straight reliance on the gun team's skills with player making the roll and PC providing the juice was the best I could come up with between mechanics and flavour.
It would still be Dex based. This comes from being a Gunner on 155mm Field Artillery. Your Gunner, or Gun Chief in this case, actually does physically aim the weapon. He uses the teams muscles, but he places the shot. The teams skill is an aid another thing, as well as a speed thing.
The main snag I ran into was tying the system into what the player is actually rolling to attack. If it's all the gunnery team firing, the PC isn't really relying on his own skills unless a charisma leadership type of bonus is used, but that's more exploitable by a sorcerer than a mage. If it's intelligence-based for using a weapon system, that favours the mage over sorcerer and prolly brings a skill use into the equation. If it's a dex check, that's assuming the artillery mage is splitting his time between enchanting a shell, aiming and firing and isn't entirely realistic. A straight reliance on the gun team's skills with player making the roll and PC providing the juice was the best I could come up with between mechanics and flavour.It would still be Dex based. This comes from being a Gunner on 155mm Field Artillery. Your Gunner, or Gun Chief in this case, actually does physically aim the weapon. He uses the teams muscles, but he places the shot. The teams skill is an aid another thing, as well as a speed thing.
Traveller20 rules when using a weapon, running a turret weapon, pistol, rifle, anything ranged, the to hit is always based off of dex. When firing a weapon it's based off of BAB +dex, when using equipment like a turret or firing a shipweapon, if your not using a firing computer, then you have the skill (Gunnery) and add your Dex bonus to the gunnery skill.
Solid baseline, and how we use it.
I'm thinking this specific release won't cover it, but along the same lines, will there be anything in the rules covering magic and guns? Namely, enchanting guns or cannons or how magic-users might be able to pull some tricks with them.I don't know. Right now I am working on the setting background (AKA fluff) the game mechanics (AKA crunch) will most likely developed by so incredibly talented writer (PS: We have no writer for this setting so far so if you are a freelance writer you should contact me about this. Hint! Hint!)
As an example, in a homebrew airship campaign I used to run, instead of messing with spell-casting ranges or having mages sit on their thumbs in a ship-to-ship fight, I worked up a rough system for spell artillery. The mage would poke a spell into a special shell which would be fired and then range would work from the point of shell detonation.Hmmm.... something to think about. I will have to get back to you about this.
If your interested LPJ, we are running some smaller projects, but I have a ton of ideas and designs in the working dealing with situations you were talking about, dealing with guns and black powder. If you were looking at working with writers I would love to help. Not trying to impede in on your wonderful setting, but I love pirates and that era and would be happy to lend a hand if your looking IE hint..hint..
Xorial and Dredan, thanks a lot for the input. Dex would seem like the key modifier even with a team mechanic.
Note to LPJ: This is a problem for me with a lot of artillery rules: actually tying it in to what the players would actually be doing.