tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.comments2024-03-15T06:32:11.237-06:00Gundobad GamesGundobadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comBlogger522125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-13809515556476259322024-02-27T20:58:52.214-07:002024-02-27T20:58:52.214-07:00Hola, late to the party, but digging these rules. ...Hola, late to the party, but digging these rules. Question - when a unit is downgraded does its HP reset? Thanks!Jasonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-61690785037405745212024-02-13T03:00:04.745-07:002024-02-13T03:00:04.745-07:00This seems workable to me as a classification sche...This seems workable to me as a classification scheme: I particularly like the framing of Chaotic Evil. The broad point about self versus collective wellbeing is well made and practical (and raises interesting philosophical questions). The natures of 'law' and 'chaos' might prove to be a thorny problem in itself. <br /><br />The practical questions are always 'what functions do the alignment system serve in play' and 'is alignment a meta-game tag, or a tag assigned within the fiction (or both), and if the latter, is it somehow objectively defined in the fiction (as it appears to be by spells like 'Detect Evil')? And how does one handle PCs in that context?<br /><br />I use explicit alignment only when playing D&D and when running D&D I only run variants of early D&D, which use the C-N-L axis in conjunction with an inconsistently defined concept of 'evil'. The key game function of alignment in that context is as a tag to determine how a handful of spells and magic items select either a) 'evil' entities; or b) like/ dislike entity alignments. (The rules also highlight (c) 'alignment languages', but I generally house rule those out). <br /><br />In rare instances, application of (b) to PCs is unavoidable. So it should be regarded as (at least a) 'guide to roleplaying' (i.e. the player should play in accordance with their character's alignment). But since (b) is rarely applied to PCs in my games, and player conduct mostly sticks to the Lawful-Neutral end of the swimming pool, it doesn't cause problems to ignore PC alignment for most purposes. I tend to regard alignment as a fuzzy and fluid property of 'Monsters' (i.e. not-PCs) relative to the PCs. If it's broadly inimical to the PCs or what they hold important, then it's 'evil'/ other-aligned.kenconoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-59360930150971177642024-02-11T19:32:08.868-07:002024-02-11T19:32:08.868-07:00I have published an excerpt of this on my blog (wi...I have published an excerpt of this on my blog (with linked attribution).<br /><br />"Violent Logic of Feudalism"<br />https://www.xenograg.com/904/web-excerpt/violent-logic-of-feudalism<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-74677387121258988922024-02-10T01:24:53.754-07:002024-02-10T01:24:53.754-07:00I've of the more understandable takes on align...I've of the more understandable takes on alignment I've seen. The nine point system has never sat particularly well with meSleeperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01766126451610921325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-76399037706129353182024-01-19T12:04:42.862-07:002024-01-19T12:04:42.862-07:00Thanks, Narmer - you too!Thanks, Narmer - you too!Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-34592462196713883032024-01-16T02:32:38.960-07:002024-01-16T02:32:38.960-07:00'Deep in the Wastes of Mechanisation' or &...'Deep in the Wastes of Mechanisation' or 'Return to the Mechanised Depths' would make quite good blog names.<br /><br />I thought your 'dim light' descriptions made a fair fist of representing the effects of that variability without requiring a mechanic.<br /><br />If I were to do something mechanical, I think it would involve spot checks rather than (or in addition to) a routine roll. Light variability could be regarded (as no doubt many have previously thought) built in to search, surprise, hide in shadows, initiative rolls, to hit rolls, saving throws etc. But a lot of this material serves the combat phase and doesn't address information acquisition during exploration.kenconoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-71429438161503766682024-01-15T07:01:36.087-07:002024-01-15T07:01:36.087-07:00That "juice ain't worth the squeeze"...That "juice ain't worth the squeeze" analogy sums up my current feelings quite evocatively.Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-81824294899732884762024-01-15T07:01:00.993-07:002024-01-15T07:01:00.993-07:00Thanks for that extended engagement. LBB are proba...Thanks for that extended engagement. LBB are probably the classic rules that I'm least familiar with, so those are interesting points. Re: your last point about variable light output - if one wanted to head back into the wastes of mechanizing everything :-D, perhaps this would be an interesting application for the Torch Usage Die or, alternately, the Overloaded Encounter Die - but instead of tracking when the torches run out, it might dictacte how far you can see from round to round as your torch gutters and flares. Hmm. That idea would be too granular for me but who knows!<br />Thanks again for your thoughts!Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-33071052354334832902024-01-15T06:57:34.032-07:002024-01-15T06:57:34.032-07:00Thanks! :DThanks! :DGundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-21809233047276290452024-01-15T05:01:23.317-07:002024-01-15T05:01:23.317-07:00That's roughly my experience with low level du...That's roughly my experience with low level dungeon crawling 'expeditions'. What matters is who is holding what kind of light source and who is carrying spares. I sometimes align the lifetimes of torches and lanterns to 'mandatory' rest turns. Then there's only one timer that has to be tracked for the whole party (until someone casts a spell). A properly organised expedition running out of light is seldom a consideration, unless you somehow lose the one character that was carrying all the spare light.<br /><br />Tracking torch life matters much more when the expedition is impromptu, e.g. hot pursuit of an enemy into an underground complex armed only with whatever you grabbed on the way out of the farmhouse.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-5631442872337213282024-01-15T04:54:53.828-07:002024-01-15T04:54:53.828-07:00The OSR obsession with inventory management seems ...The OSR obsession with inventory management seems to reflect a contemporary game design consciousness, perhaps influenced by CRPGs and other kinds of games, rather than early D&D editions.<br /><br />I'm glad to see you experimenting. Whatever works for the experience you want to create in play makes sense to me. <br /><br />I think the thing that really stood out to me in your previous post was the value of low-fi 'dim light' descriptions. I can see how introducing vague shapes, uncertain distances, unidentifiable movements, and partial information in general can add a lot of excitement, interest and focus to the exploration process. For my games I think I would handle this as a general property of low tech illumination at anything except very short distances. <br /><br />A binary low-light/ high-light mechanic, like the one you described, strikes me as a bit too abstract and gamified for my purposes. You would need a LOT of individually dim light sources to produce bright illumination in a significant radius. <br /><br />I think your +3 to encounter chance for bright light might have been a bit harsh. I suppose the underlying thinking was wanting something like an average 2-in-12, so dim light gets a mostly used 1-in-12 and bright light gets a less used 4-in-12. Apart from anything, it seems to me that many 'monsters' would be more likely to approach and interact with a low light party than a high light party. So the effect might work better as influencing which kinds of encounters prevail, and bright light as a 'raise the alarm in the lair' type effect rather than an immediate 'bring on a random monster right now' type effect. I guess this partly depends on how you play out the results of the roll.<br /><br />I'd also like to say that I think that LBB D&D & B/X RAW both cover the three points your group agreed after the play test: <br /><br />1) Who holds the light (in which hand)? (always an important question in both games); <br /><br />2) Illuminate small areas (30' torch/ lantern radius is less than a single move, inside short range for most missiles, much less than the typical random encounter distance, effectively reduced unless you force a front-rank character to 'waste' a hand on it; a Light spell gives you only 15'...) <br /><br />3) minimise inventory management. Both games abstract the weight of 'miscellaneous equipment' in a fixed size pool.<br /><br />(1) is absolutely standard. (2) depends on how you design your interior spaces, but a room 40' across looks the same as a room 140' across when your light only extends 30' from the entrance. (3) might be contentious, but I think it's quite defensible where light sources are concerned. Encumbrance is optional in B/X... <br /><br />Something I'd like to consider is natural variability in light output from the kinds of low tech sources involved. The light (and smoke) output and burn duration of a torch likely varies considerably over the life span of the torch, depending on wind conditions, angle held, user motions, precipitation etc. And this is without considering differences between individual instances hand-made from naturally variable raw materials. Or, for that matter, the effects of shadows and the movements of the light bearer and other party members and their gear. The idea that everything in the game produces a steady, uniform glow over a 30' radius is a vast abstraction.<br /><br />Time keeping, is a separate question!<br />kenconoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-33911834158305376502024-01-14T07:11:37.065-07:002024-01-14T07:11:37.065-07:00In my recent Dolmenwood sessions I've been try...In my recent Dolmenwood sessions I've been trying to track the party's torches properly, but it just doesn't matter enough - the juice just ain't worth the squeeze. Attrition of HP, spell slots and more active-use items has been absolutely enough to give players limited range and a sense of mounting tension as they push their luck going deeper.<br />Glad to hear your focus on sensory deprivation and exploring by a flickering island of light was well received! These 'soft' rules are just as impactful as more numerical/procedural elements of play, in my opinion.Illusory Sensoriumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17885061772129120848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-68863606833685035662024-01-13T18:23:47.133-07:002024-01-13T18:23:47.133-07:00Good on you for being willing to slaughter a sacre...Good on you for being willing to slaughter a sacred cow. Tinkering with the game to the delight of yourself and the other players is always a worthy process.Phloxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01517708967880262734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-79460652825392046802024-01-07T15:05:33.600-07:002024-01-07T15:05:33.600-07:00I was just sent a link to another relevant blog po...I was just sent a link to another relevant blog post on these issues, by GusL. It's lengthy but looks like a good read for me to add to the list!<br />https://dungeonofsigns.blogspot.com/2015/02/luceat-lux-vestra-making-light.html? Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-11673981376233115762024-01-07T15:01:06.688-07:002024-01-07T15:01:06.688-07:00Thanks! A quick initial glimpse at your blogpost s...Thanks! A quick initial glimpse at your blogpost suggests that I'm covering ground you've already trodden well. :-) I'll read this with interest. Nice to know more of us are thinking in the same directions. Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-16941054417404383592024-01-07T14:44:34.940-07:002024-01-07T14:44:34.940-07:00Nearly five years! Wow! I hope 2024 is a good ye...Nearly five years! Wow! I hope 2024 is a good year for you.Narmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08635665594860371230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-26672317131384654682023-12-02T01:20:16.315-07:002023-12-02T01:20:16.315-07:00Congrats again! I'll have to download the upd...Congrats again! I'll have to download the updated file and give it a look.Narmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08635665594860371230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-28026128858971641882023-12-01T23:19:44.826-07:002023-12-01T23:19:44.826-07:00Congrats! I know I've enjoyed it.Congrats! I know I've enjoyed it.Narmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08635665594860371230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-71585808360910529062023-11-16T11:41:22.510-07:002023-11-16T11:41:22.510-07:00No doubt - though that kind of *profound* system m...No doubt - though that kind of *profound* system mastery isn't something my players or I were looking for. Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-72853971413342339532023-11-16T11:40:23.011-07:002023-11-16T11:40:23.011-07:00They're now at level 14 (leveling up to 15). Y...They're now at level 14 (leveling up to 15). Yeah, advancement does slow things down a bit, though I'd cautiously agree with statements that PF2e can handle higher levels pretty well (along the continuum of its rules always being slower and crunchier than many other games, regardless of level). Combat already seemed very slow when they were level 10, too (PC advancement goes up to 20). Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-56854249094677502012023-11-16T11:08:12.940-07:002023-11-16T11:08:12.940-07:00What level are your PCs at? I assume combat has go...What level are your PCs at? I assume combat has gotten slower as they leveled up.Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10254609348013694357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-3437775939345283352023-11-15T23:11:18.404-07:002023-11-15T23:11:18.404-07:00I came to 5e and Pathfinder 1 from GURPS & Run...I came to 5e and Pathfinder 1 from GURPS & Runequest. Really combat is one of the least interesting things your player can be doing and there is this vast gulf between the casual player and the "professional" players who have encyclopaedic knowledge of all the feats and buffs and other stuff that can be used to create megadeath characters. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-50690160306762236482023-11-11T21:42:30.555-07:002023-11-11T21:42:30.555-07:00Good point, Nick - I imagine one way around that p...Good point, Nick - I imagine one way around that problem would be to impose a narrative reset when leveling up to a new tier; "time passes," advance the campaign clock by a year or so, and then resume with a fresh start, with a few changes in the setting. And now it would make sense for the PC suddenly to be more competent. Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-87415882632741734422023-11-11T21:31:35.789-07:002023-11-11T21:31:35.789-07:00This is a very cool idea. The only issue I see wit...This is a very cool idea. The only issue I see with it off the cuff is the same issue that exists with voting, drinking, and driver's licenses: When you level up there is suddenly a paradigm shift. The things you couldn't do yesterday are suddenly possible in a binary capacity. Last night you went to bed and they were impossible. You woke up today and not only are those things possible, but everything you struggled with are meaningless afterthoughts now.<br />I'm not sure it's really a huge problem, but it could sometimes cause a bit of ludonarrative dissonance.Nickhttps://dice.camp/@nickdrawthingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-9317287710536266352023-09-29T15:28:20.788-06:002023-09-29T15:28:20.788-06:00Well, *sure*, Dwiz - but does it kill you with tac...Well, *sure*, Dwiz - but does it kill you with tactical sophistication? <br /><br />Can't a nerd just demand some verisimilitude in an epic about people with tentacles on their heads using invisible force powers to fight space fascists after acting as a dental applique for space whales en route to another galaxy? C'mon, it's not like I'm asking for a lot!!!!Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.com