What if spells took up inventory space?
Spells must be imbued into appropriate material. Each spell has an associated "typical material".
Higher level spells require bigger or heavier materials.
A magic-user preparing spells somewhere civilized can procure materials at no cost.
When preparing spells, the magic-user must imbue the spell's material with the spell.
The material must then be brought out to cast the spell.
Other than that, no changes to the magic system.
Example: Welby the Wizard (level 1 MU) is in town, preparing for adventure.
He decides he wishes to prepare Light, which he knows and has a spell slot for.
Light requires a bundle of incense (about 1 kg) which he procures, imbues, and puts into his inventory.
In the wilderness, Welby carries the bundle of incense around. When he reaches the dungeon, he takes it out to cast the spell, rendering the incense inert.
Potential advantages :
1) I feel like it'd be really nice to have all of a character's options in the same list. Rather than flipping between a spell page and an inventory page, Welby knows he has "Light-spell Incense" written down along with, "vial of glowing poison-fungus juice".
Encouraging the use of spells for "item problems" and items for "spell problems" sounds like a good idea to me.
2) It'd also make spell-users more burdened than other classes, which I like.
A high level MU or Cleric could have an apprentice tasked with carrying all those imbued materials.
3) Flavor. I don't think I need to elaborate why it'd be cool to require incense, odd ingredients and the likes for a spell to take effect. Uh... I don't think I'd require guano for Fireball though.
4) Balancing factor. If you think Charm Person is too good and needs to be toned down, but don't want to mess with the numbers, then making its ingredient take up five times as much space as the usual spell could be an answer. If you think Ventriloquism just isn't appealing, make it use lightweight cloth in the shape of a sock puppet.
Hey wait, isn't this exactly like that old ugly concept of "spell materials"?
Hopefully not! Here are the main differences in the way I'd handle it:
1) No fetch quests. If you're in civilization, you can get the item. If you're not, you can't. No having the game devolve into guano gathering. (In my house rules at least it doesn't matter whether you can grab the material in the wilderness, anyway, because you need to be somewhere civilized to prepare spells, in any case. Wizard's lab and all that.)
2) Actually taking up space. No copper coins or weirdly shaped twigs or whatever. No, those are actual heavy items that should, hopefully, matter.
3) Focus on the spell AS the imbued item. You don't "have Fireball prepared", you carry a large piece of volcanic rock. You don't "use Hold Portal", you bring out a fitting lock and key.
4) Flexibility. If you can procure the item, and it's thematically fitting, and it takes up enough inventory space (the spell has to fit!), you can use it. An ice-based spell may use actual ice in a mountain, and night-time oasis-water in the desert.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
Friday, September 13, 2019
Number-crunching : How many with class levels among ordinary folk?
I use a really simple formula to figure the demographics of classed characters among ordinary people:
Which means:
1) Characters with class levels are literally the 1%.
2) If you go by 1200s demographics (300 million people worldwide), there are 12,000 name-level-and-up characters worldwide (a single guy holds the record at level 17).
Which seems like a lot, obviously, but scale that back to, say, medieval France (approx 12 million people, largest European country by then) and that's 400 name-level-and-higher characters in the entire country. That sounds good to me.
If you assume 25% are fighters and 25% are magic-users, then there's about 100 lordly strongholds and 15 wizard towers in the country (taking into account the harsher tower-building requirements). 15 guys with the ability to sling 6th level spells in the whole country feels like it's just enough.
Something the size of Languedoc (1/25th of the country's area, approx. the area of the Isle of Dread for comparison) has 4 lordly strongholds and 0.5 wizard towers.
If you go with 1600s demographics you can just double the numbers above (barring the fact that France's population didn't double, plague and all). And have a guaranteed wizard tower I guess!
3) With all of this I can eyeball how many classed characters a location has.
Village with 300 people? One level 1 character, probably a knight and his squire. It took about 150 to fully support 1 trained dude in armor and all that; numbers check out.
A fort like Flint Castle (guarded by 120 men)? Let's say they're half ordinary folks, half men-at-arms or higher. That's 30 men-at-arms, 15 level 1s, 7 level 2s, 3 level 3s, two level 4s, and one level 5.
A large army or really big castle like Krak des Chevaliers or Kerak Castle would house hundreds if not thousands of classed characters and a half- or full dozen of name level PCs. In my opinion, that's alright. Those castles were involved in the Crusades, isn't that perfect high-level-play material?
4) I get to tell my players exactly how rare those hard-earned levels are. Might be cool to know you're a one-in-ten-thousand deal when you finally retire.
The article lists its own sources.
- A man-at-arms (i.e. someone with just enough training to use armor and weapons) : 1 in 100
- A level 1 character: 1 in 200
- A level 2 character: 1 in 400
- A level 3 character: 1 in 800
etc.
Which means:
1) Characters with class levels are literally the 1%.
2) If you go by 1200s demographics (300 million people worldwide), there are 12,000 name-level-and-up characters worldwide (a single guy holds the record at level 17).
Which seems like a lot, obviously, but scale that back to, say, medieval France (approx 12 million people, largest European country by then) and that's 400 name-level-and-higher characters in the entire country. That sounds good to me.
If you assume 25% are fighters and 25% are magic-users, then there's about 100 lordly strongholds and 15 wizard towers in the country (taking into account the harsher tower-building requirements). 15 guys with the ability to sling 6th level spells in the whole country feels like it's just enough.
Something the size of Languedoc (1/25th of the country's area, approx. the area of the Isle of Dread for comparison) has 4 lordly strongholds and 0.5 wizard towers.
If you go with 1600s demographics you can just double the numbers above (barring the fact that France's population didn't double, plague and all). And have a guaranteed wizard tower I guess!
3) With all of this I can eyeball how many classed characters a location has.
Village with 300 people? One level 1 character, probably a knight and his squire. It took about 150 to fully support 1 trained dude in armor and all that; numbers check out.
A fort like Flint Castle (guarded by 120 men)? Let's say they're half ordinary folks, half men-at-arms or higher. That's 30 men-at-arms, 15 level 1s, 7 level 2s, 3 level 3s, two level 4s, and one level 5.
A large army or really big castle like Krak des Chevaliers or Kerak Castle would house hundreds if not thousands of classed characters and a half- or full dozen of name level PCs. In my opinion, that's alright. Those castles were involved in the Crusades, isn't that perfect high-level-play material?
4) I get to tell my players exactly how rare those hard-earned levels are. Might be cool to know you're a one-in-ten-thousand deal when you finally retire.
Sources:
https://web.archive.org/web/20060113004308/http://www.io.com/~sjohn/demog.htmThe article lists its own sources.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Underworld trail equipment
Anonymous writing prompt.
Underworld trail equipment:
1. A horrible-looking bird mask, between witch doctor and plague doctor's, beak filled with blessed herbs to filter the poisonous gas that fills some of the tunnels.
2. Spiked boots, to keep your footing in the frozen passages, fitted with distinctive treads unique to you, so that you may leave tracks and find your way back
3. An iris flower, known among scholars as the "underworld's compass". It will help you find the right way, avoiding illusions and traitorous paths. It'll last for a few days until it withers. After that, you're on your own.
4. Memories of home. Absolutely necessary to muster enough willpower to make the trip back. Can take the form of delicious food (but see below), a letter from a loved one, or just a depiction of something you love on the surface.
5. Underworld rations. Does not contain the flesh or bone of once-living beings. You really don't want to bring the flesh or bones of once-living beings down there. Trust me on this one.
6. Stone tablets and chisels. The waters down there will try to erase your mind and ruin your scrolls when you cross them, so keep your knowledge on something they cannot touch.
Underworld trail equipment:
1. A horrible-looking bird mask, between witch doctor and plague doctor's, beak filled with blessed herbs to filter the poisonous gas that fills some of the tunnels.
2. Spiked boots, to keep your footing in the frozen passages, fitted with distinctive treads unique to you, so that you may leave tracks and find your way back
3. An iris flower, known among scholars as the "underworld's compass". It will help you find the right way, avoiding illusions and traitorous paths. It'll last for a few days until it withers. After that, you're on your own.
4. Memories of home. Absolutely necessary to muster enough willpower to make the trip back. Can take the form of delicious food (but see below), a letter from a loved one, or just a depiction of something you love on the surface.
5. Underworld rations. Does not contain the flesh or bone of once-living beings. You really don't want to bring the flesh or bones of once-living beings down there. Trust me on this one.
6. Stone tablets and chisels. The waters down there will try to erase your mind and ruin your scrolls when you cross them, so keep your knowledge on something they cannot touch.
Sunday, August 11, 2019
2d10 magic item stories
ORIGIN
What makes that +1 thingy or Orb of Whatever special?
1. It was worn by a champion of far-away lands.
2. It was created to prevent a great disaster.
3. It was a hero's belonging, before the hero fell to evil.
4. It belonged to an ancient man or creature that terrorized the land.
5. It is from a long lost empire, fallen into ruin.
6. It was created to end a specific problem (monster, disaster...)
7. It is a heirloom of an order, passed from one grandmaster to the next.
8. It was gifted to a worthy wielder by a spirit or power.
9. It comes from another reality or time. (An intelligent weapon may wish to flee from, return to, cause the genesis of, or prevent this time/reality.)
10. It was property of the dungeon's creator, caretaker, or previous owner.
And now it's here, in the dungeon. Why?
1. Roll again. Then roll once more: instead of "here", pick a random location. This is an extra step in the item's journey from its original owner to the PCs' hands.
2. It was lost here.
3. The wielder died here.
4. It was given as a gift to a creature here.
5. It was given as a bribe to a creature here.
6. A creature here stole it.
7. It was lost here in a duel or contest of wits.
8. It was left behind by its owner as they fled from here.
9. It was hidden here, its owner planning to return some day.
10. It was partially or entirely created here, actually.
What makes that +1 thingy or Orb of Whatever special?
1. It was worn by a champion of far-away lands.
2. It was created to prevent a great disaster.
3. It was a hero's belonging, before the hero fell to evil.
4. It belonged to an ancient man or creature that terrorized the land.
5. It is from a long lost empire, fallen into ruin.
6. It was created to end a specific problem (monster, disaster...)
7. It is a heirloom of an order, passed from one grandmaster to the next.
8. It was gifted to a worthy wielder by a spirit or power.
9. It comes from another reality or time. (An intelligent weapon may wish to flee from, return to, cause the genesis of, or prevent this time/reality.)
10. It was property of the dungeon's creator, caretaker, or previous owner.
And now it's here, in the dungeon. Why?
1. Roll again. Then roll once more: instead of "here", pick a random location. This is an extra step in the item's journey from its original owner to the PCs' hands.
2. It was lost here.
3. The wielder died here.
4. It was given as a gift to a creature here.
5. It was given as a bribe to a creature here.
6. A creature here stole it.
7. It was lost here in a duel or contest of wits.
8. It was left behind by its owner as they fled from here.
9. It was hidden here, its owner planning to return some day.
10. It was partially or entirely created here, actually.
Saturday, August 10, 2019
Slot based encumbrance (D&L edition)
Everybody and their grandmother has their own version of this, right?
If you have a backpack, you have slots equal to your Strength score. Otherwise you've just got your hands, sorry. (Hands are separate from your inventory.)
Double slots for big or beefy creatures: orcs, ogres, mounts. Half for tiny things like familiars.
You can carry a little over your max with slight penalties, double that with big penalties, or triple that and be practically useless. (I just reuse exhaustion rules.)
With a few exceptions, everything takes up 1 slot, from a club to a day's ration to a book. A slot is something between 1 and 10 kilograms, 5 on average. It's supposed to be abstracted, so don't look too closely.
The exceptions are as follows:
Some things take up space in your inventory to convert other, existing slots to quick slots, like quivers, big pouches, ammo belts... (Generally, something like a quiver takes up 1 slot and turns 3 slots into quick slots.)
(I'm not so sure about the "quick slots" rule. I feel like it might discourage inventive use of items stored in one's backpack.)
If you have a backpack, you have slots equal to your Strength score. Otherwise you've just got your hands, sorry. (Hands are separate from your inventory.)
Double slots for big or beefy creatures: orcs, ogres, mounts. Half for tiny things like familiars.
You can carry a little over your max with slight penalties, double that with big penalties, or triple that and be practically useless. (I just reuse exhaustion rules.)
With a few exceptions, everything takes up 1 slot, from a club to a day's ration to a book. A slot is something between 1 and 10 kilograms, 5 on average. It's supposed to be abstracted, so don't look too closely.
The exceptions are as follows:
- Trinkets. Ten trinkets take up one slot, otherwise they take up no space. Anything that fits in your mouth is a trinket. (I don't remember where that's from, but I like it.) If it's really light it's also a trinket. Examples: a piece of ammunition, a fruit, a pendant, a set of light clothes, a sheet of parchment.
- A single coin or sheet of paper is 1/10th of a trinket
- d4 weapons are trinkets.
- Weapons take up 1 extra slot per die size above d6. (2 slots for d8, etc)
- Worn armor takes up 1 extra slot per category above "none". (1 slot for light armor, 2 for medium, etc) Double if it's not being worn.
- If it's got a long melee reach or qualifies as furniture, it takes 4 slots regardless.
- Human size things weigh 20 slots: a statue, a man with no possessions. You can carry them but you're basically guaranteed to get huge penalties.
Some things take up space in your inventory to convert other, existing slots to quick slots, like quivers, big pouches, ammo belts... (Generally, something like a quiver takes up 1 slot and turns 3 slots into quick slots.)
(I'm not so sure about the "quick slots" rule. I feel like it might discourage inventive use of items stored in one's backpack.)
1d10 categories of treasure
Could work for lairs or for wandering humanoids. Odds not intended for actual play.
1d10:
1. Weapons, armors, ammunition (in lair, maybe even a siege engine).
2. A prisoner, slave, or the likes. Could offer help, information, expertise...
3. Water and/or food
4. Non-vital supplies (rope, torches, adventuring gear)
5. Job supplies (artisan's tools, etc)
6. Medicine. (healing herbs, bandages)
7. Trade goods. (stone, lumber, glass)
8. Actual treasure (gold, ore, gems, coins, art objects)
9. Knowledge (map, letters, theories, secrets)
10. Magical material (ingredients for crafting, alchemy, or spellcasting) or magic item
Modifiers (opposite entries cancel each other out)
1d5:
1. Shoddy quality/fake/imitation/disliked source
2. Fragile
3. Exotic
4. Well-made/masterwork/100% the genuine thing/trusted brand
5. Slightly magical (or slightly more magical)
1d10:
1. Weapons, armors, ammunition (in lair, maybe even a siege engine).
2. A prisoner, slave, or the likes. Could offer help, information, expertise...
3. Water and/or food
4. Non-vital supplies (rope, torches, adventuring gear)
5. Job supplies (artisan's tools, etc)
6. Medicine. (healing herbs, bandages)
7. Trade goods. (stone, lumber, glass)
8. Actual treasure (gold, ore, gems, coins, art objects)
9. Knowledge (map, letters, theories, secrets)
10. Magical material (ingredients for crafting, alchemy, or spellcasting) or magic item
Modifiers (opposite entries cancel each other out)
1d5:
1. Shoddy quality/fake/imitation/disliked source
2. Fragile
3. Exotic
4. Well-made/masterwork/100% the genuine thing/trusted brand
5. Slightly magical (or slightly more magical)
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Settlement and faction events
In one of the games I'm DMing, my players are settlers on a tropical island. To spice things up a bit, there is a 2 in 6 chance of a settlement event happening every day, as an alternate result to an encounter. This can kick off a quest, give or take resources away, or simply breathe life into the settler NPCs. They just can't be weather or encounters.
It's been working nicely so far, and in the future I'll be rolling events for nearby NPC factions too.
Numbers have been pulled out of my nose and have yet to be playtested. Changes to morale last until the end of the next day unless otherwise noted.
1-3. An atmosphere of camaraderie. +1 to morale.
4-6. Festival, birthday, similar attempt to lighten the atmosphere. +2 to morale. Settlers will work less 7-9. or not at all.
10-12. Religious or cultural fervor. +1 to morale, +2 if the settlers have a proper place of worship/culture.
13-15. Great talent revealed. Random settler advances in their job or gains an additional job. 10% chance of gaining a level instead.
16-18. Bountiful land. Difficulty of food-gathering decreases. This will restock nearby over-exploited hexes.
19-21. Exotic resource found: unusual plant, strange ore... (worth 1d100 gp)
22-24. Treasure found (worth 1d4 x 1d100 gp). +1 to morale.
25-27. Strange mood. A settler is inspired by a beautiful or significant sight and creates a work of art worth 1d100 gp. +1 to morale.
28-30. Peculiar mood. A settler does an exceptional job and creates a masterwork (tool, weapon, building...).
31-33. Fragments of an ancient map. A random hex's obvious and hidden features are revealed, and so are the obvious features of the surrounding hexes.
34-36. Rise in loyalty. 1d10 settlers are now willing to risk life and limb to help their leaders (they will go into dungeons).
37-39. Good health. There's something in the air. In the settlement, double HP recovery rates and reroll failed saving throws against disease for the next week.
40-42. Hard at work. Rather than resting, 2d10% settlers spent the day on a random activity benefiting the colony, in addition to normal work-hours.
43-45. A miracle. Something small yet incredible happens. DM rolls on favorite blessings table.
46-48. Internal tensions. -1 to morale.
49-51. Depressing event, like the death of a beloved mascot. -2 to morale. Settlers will work less or not at all.
52-54. Splinter colony. 2d10% settlers contest the local authority and plan to leave the colony to make their own, with blackjack and hookers, or join an existing splinter colony if there is one.
55-57. A settler has an accident or breakdown and can't work for a week.
58-60. Local ecosystem collapse. Difficulty of food-gathering increases. This can empty nearby hexes of resources.
61-63. Cursed object or poisonous plant found. A random settler rolls on the DM's favorite curse table or poison table.
64-66. Shoddy work. 2d10% settlers automatically fail their job for the day.
1d6 rooms of a random building collapses from a quake, fire, other hazard, or wear. 50% chance of injuring 2d10% settlers. -1 to morale.
67-69. Addiction. 2d10% settlers turn to alcoholism or addictive substance from the DM's favorite drugs table.
70-72. Betrayal. A member or sub-faction of the settlement or an allied faction betrays you or them. Roll twice on this table to determine what they sabotaged. The effect of these rolls will happen very soon, but not immediately, and may be stopped.
73-75. Crime. A settler commits a crime for selfish, petty, or noble reasons, or simply out of incompetence. Roll on this table to determine what the settler is responsible for.
76-78. Logistics disaster. Resources are misplaced due to error, lack of care, theft, simple rotten luck, or some other reason. Lose 1d100gp of resources. These may be recovered with enough effort.
79-80. A quake, fire, other hazard, or wear closes a nearby route. Travel time in a random nearby hex is doubled until 100 work-hours are put into fixing the problem.
81-83. Heresy or false prophet. 2d10% settlers now follow a splinter of the dominant religion or have turned to another.
84-86. Hearsay. Roll 1d4 times on a random location's rumor table.
87-89. A settler writes a biography or a book about the settlement. Perhaps one day it might sell or become historically significant.
90-92. Local opinion-setter changes. Settlers' opinion on a random number of factions adjust at random.
It's been working nicely so far, and in the future I'll be rolling events for nearby NPC factions too.
Numbers have been pulled out of my nose and have yet to be playtested. Changes to morale last until the end of the next day unless otherwise noted.
1-3. An atmosphere of camaraderie. +1 to morale.
4-6. Festival, birthday, similar attempt to lighten the atmosphere. +2 to morale. Settlers will work less 7-9. or not at all.
10-12. Religious or cultural fervor. +1 to morale, +2 if the settlers have a proper place of worship/culture.
13-15. Great talent revealed. Random settler advances in their job or gains an additional job. 10% chance of gaining a level instead.
16-18. Bountiful land. Difficulty of food-gathering decreases. This will restock nearby over-exploited hexes.
19-21. Exotic resource found: unusual plant, strange ore... (worth 1d100 gp)
22-24. Treasure found (worth 1d4 x 1d100 gp). +1 to morale.
25-27. Strange mood. A settler is inspired by a beautiful or significant sight and creates a work of art worth 1d100 gp. +1 to morale.
28-30. Peculiar mood. A settler does an exceptional job and creates a masterwork (tool, weapon, building...).
31-33. Fragments of an ancient map. A random hex's obvious and hidden features are revealed, and so are the obvious features of the surrounding hexes.
34-36. Rise in loyalty. 1d10 settlers are now willing to risk life and limb to help their leaders (they will go into dungeons).
37-39. Good health. There's something in the air. In the settlement, double HP recovery rates and reroll failed saving throws against disease for the next week.
40-42. Hard at work. Rather than resting, 2d10% settlers spent the day on a random activity benefiting the colony, in addition to normal work-hours.
43-45. A miracle. Something small yet incredible happens. DM rolls on favorite blessings table.
46-48. Internal tensions. -1 to morale.
49-51. Depressing event, like the death of a beloved mascot. -2 to morale. Settlers will work less or not at all.
52-54. Splinter colony. 2d10% settlers contest the local authority and plan to leave the colony to make their own, with blackjack and hookers, or join an existing splinter colony if there is one.
55-57. A settler has an accident or breakdown and can't work for a week.
58-60. Local ecosystem collapse. Difficulty of food-gathering increases. This can empty nearby hexes of resources.
61-63. Cursed object or poisonous plant found. A random settler rolls on the DM's favorite curse table or poison table.
64-66. Shoddy work. 2d10% settlers automatically fail their job for the day.
1d6 rooms of a random building collapses from a quake, fire, other hazard, or wear. 50% chance of injuring 2d10% settlers. -1 to morale.
67-69. Addiction. 2d10% settlers turn to alcoholism or addictive substance from the DM's favorite drugs table.
70-72. Betrayal. A member or sub-faction of the settlement or an allied faction betrays you or them. Roll twice on this table to determine what they sabotaged. The effect of these rolls will happen very soon, but not immediately, and may be stopped.
73-75. Crime. A settler commits a crime for selfish, petty, or noble reasons, or simply out of incompetence. Roll on this table to determine what the settler is responsible for.
76-78. Logistics disaster. Resources are misplaced due to error, lack of care, theft, simple rotten luck, or some other reason. Lose 1d100gp of resources. These may be recovered with enough effort.
79-80. A quake, fire, other hazard, or wear closes a nearby route. Travel time in a random nearby hex is doubled until 100 work-hours are put into fixing the problem.
81-83. Heresy or false prophet. 2d10% settlers now follow a splinter of the dominant religion or have turned to another.
84-86. Hearsay. Roll 1d4 times on a random location's rumor table.
87-89. A settler writes a biography or a book about the settlement. Perhaps one day it might sell or become historically significant.
90-92. Local opinion-setter changes. Settlers' opinion on a random number of factions adjust at random.
93-99 Roll twice more.
100 Roll thrice more.
100 Roll thrice more.
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