Jianghu GLOG

 

Roleplaying in the Lakes and Rivers

This is an attempt to incorporate the GLOG role-playing toolkit to allow players to inhabit the Wandering Heroes of chinese fantasy.

Characters have a base Background template taken from 20 Backgrounds.

May add 4 Templates from any of the following when they Cultivate

Cultivate when you...Defeat a powerful enemy, consume a Cultivation Pill and meditate for a week somewhere secluded…

Five Animals Kung Fu

Take a template from Dragon, Ox, Crane, Mantis or Tiger

Five Elements

Learn to Move, Throw and Shape the 5 elements of Fire, Earth, Wood, Water and Metal

You gain up to your Templates+1 Focus when resting and drinking tea or wine.

Use Focus Dice to move the Five Elements.

According to Feng Shui, some elements are Strong, Good or Bad in certain places.

Add or subtract Focus Dice depending on the element you use.

E.g. a Desert is Strong (+1) in Fire, Good (+0) in Metal and Earth

and Poor (-1) in Water and Wood.

However a Desert Oasis might be Strong (+1) in Fire and Earth but Good (+0) in Metal, Water and Wood.

When Wanderers build a house, ask them, what are the Floors, Walls and Furniture made of?

For example, a room with wooden walls, a stone floor and bronze braziers is

Earth +1 Fire +1 Wood +1 Metal +1 and Water -1

A room with light silkscreen walls, wooden floor and a coy pond is

Water+1 Wood +1 Earth +0 Metal -1 Fire -1

Don’t worry too much about exact details, this is an art, not a science.

When you Shape one or more Elements to craft a weapon or item, roll (Dice) =the Feng Shui strength of those elements + any Focus you commit.

You need a Background template that would allow you to create such and item.

A Smith should not write Scrolls, nor should a Scholar forge Swords.

If you roll 3 or more 6’s, the object is Masterwork. Infuse it with the power of one of your Kung Fu templates, or an Element that you can Shape. When someone uses this object they may use that Kung Fu template, or gain +1 Dice to that element.

If you roll 3 or more 1’s, the object becomes Awakened, it can think and even speak to it’s user.

Especially if mistreated, the object may refuse to help you, or even fly around and play pranks.

Such objects may follow the path of Cultivation, and gain Templates of their own.

For example, Blind Arrows uses clay (Earth) to shape a wine drinking-jug. He is sitting in his forge, with stone walls and a stone floor, by a clay-firing kiln.

This gives him Earth +1 and Fire +1. He commits all 3 of his Focus Dice and rolls 5D6.

He rolls 6,6,4,2,6. This means the wine-jug is a Masterwork. He infuses the jug Earth+1.

Now as long as he is drinking from it, he will have +1 Dice when using the Earth Element.

Now suppose Blind Arrow decides to make a Harp (After resting and regaining Focus.)

But instead of working somewhere more advantageous, he builds the Harp in his stone room.

Here Wood is Poor (-1), he will be rolling only 2 Dice even if he spends all his Focus.

Fortunately he is able to borrow his friend Golden Robin’s Masterwork Knife to shave and shape the Wood. This gives him +1 Dice. He rolls...1,1,1.

This is highly unlikely, and seems quite disastrous. Not only does this Harp have no masterwork qualities, it has an attitude! Perhaps it will refuse to play music, or only make rude sounds. Perhaps it will insist on playing only for a large audience or a famous personage.

And yet, the harp may choose to Cultivate itself and in time may develop some useful abilities.

Diegetic Mechanics in Role-Playing Games

 This essay outlines some tools and tips on how to promote diegetic advancement. It presents a broad view that is relevant with most TTRPG’s. I hope to soon present longer essays that focus on specific genres of Role Playing Games like Fantasy and Science Fiction.

1. What is Diegetic Advancement?

2. What can it do?

3. How can I use it to improve my games?

Diegetic: especially : existing or occurring within the world of a narrative rather than as something external to that world.

-Merriam Webster Dictionary

Non-Diegetic advancement is any way that characters in an rpg improve that is not tied to the in-game world. E.G. Leveling up, increasing stats, getting a +2 to certain rolls.

Diegetic advancement is how characters improve within the game’s fiction. E.G. Finding a new, more dangerous weapon, buying a horse, befriending a mayor or studying a new magic spell.

Diegetic advancement is useful, because it gives your game world a feeling of verisimilitude and increases player immersion. When the world presents problems, players will feel motivated to solve the problems in-world.

Weapons

Weapons are designed to do damage. Basic weapons are usually light and flexible but deal little damage. 

Advanced Weapons deal more damage and/or have longer range, but are often bulky, requiring two hands and are very difficult to conceal.

Expert Weapons are very destructive and will often have special properties such as setting fires or having a large area of effect. However, they come with a large range of drawbacks such as being heavy, very expensive, often illegal, slow to reload and consuming a large amount of ammunition.

Armor

This equipment keeps characters safe from attack. Basic Armor is cheap, discrete and light, but provides little protection.

Advanced Armor is more expensive and heavy, but provides good protection.

Expert Armor is tremendously expensive, often made to order. It provides amazing protection, but at a serious cost to mobility. Often it has extra features, hidden compartments, integrated weapons or complete immunity to a type of damage, such as fire or electricity.

Transportation

Being able to move quickly and/or carry a large amount of cargo can be extremely useful to your characters.

Basic Transport can carry twice as much weight as a character and allow faster movement over good terrain.

Advanced Transport can carry ten times as much weight as a character and/or carry multiple characters quickly over good terrain. It is often heavy and expensive. 

Expert Transport is specialized. It can haul enormous amounts of materiel at high speeds, often through the air. Enormously expensive and often requiring trained crews to operate. Military models may mount heavy weapons and have reinforced armor.

Followers

Followers are Non-Player Characters (NPC’s) run by the Game Master.

Basic characters may hire one or two Followers, who will provide basic services for them, but will rarely enter combat or risk their lives for their employer. They ask for very reasonable wages.

Advanced characters may hire a full dozen npc’s. They may hire specialists with advanced skills, or military types willing to risk their lives in battle. However these specialist Followers require substantial payments for their services.

Expert characters may hire entire regiments of Followers and world-renowned experts in certain fields. This is of course tremendously expensive, but the Followers will be quite reasonable, as their employers are famous and powerful persons.

Strongholds

Characters will rarely take control of a stronghold until they are at least Advanced. A Basic stronghold would be a simple shelter or small business.

Advanced Strongholds are often subservient to local authorities, but they are a safe place for characters to rest and recover. They provide room for a few followers and can be improved with simple additions such as a workshop or cellar.

Expert Strongholds are large complexes. They often exert control over the local population, who pay taxes or other compensation in exchange for security guarantees and assistance. These taxes normally provide for the upkeep of the Stronghold. A regiment of Followers may be garrisoned here, and work stations built for all manner of experts and craftsmen. 

Influence

A Character’s fame, reputation and wealth change how they are generally treated. Those with Basic Influence are largely ignored. People in their home town or group of associates will generally show them respect.

Advanced Characters may receive discounts from merchants. The Rich and Wealthy are more likely to grant them audience and common folk within the city or county will treat them respectfully. However fame will get them attention from unsavory individuals such as criminals or warlords. Advanced Characters are eligible to establish a Faction, uniting their followers in a particular cause or goal.

Expert Characters are known all over the known world(s). The wealthy and powerful treat them as equals. However, many people will ask for their help or favor, and they will be expected to bear responsibility for those in their service. If they have a Faction, it will generally become very influential and generate additional income and power.

Psionics, Magic, Kung Fu etc.

Some characters have access to strange powers. Normally your game rules will explain how these powers work, but when in doubt, you can follow this guide.

Basic Powers should have temporary effects (lasting a few seconds) and be focused on utility. Mobility, to reach a difficult area, Advantage, to get a tactical edge in combat or Communication, sending and receiving messages further or faster than normal.

Advanced Powers have effects that can last up to a few hours. Some focuses include Damage, concentrated on one target or in an area. Illusion, fooling the senses of targets. Force, moving objects to far away or heavy for normal manipulation and _____

Expert Powers can sometimes last indefinitely. They have Focuses such as Transformation, turning one thing into another. Annihilation, destroying an entire city or stronghold. Control, manipulating a creature or object and _____

*Always remember that special powers are made more interesting when they have Drawbacks. Constraints on powers such as Can only be used X times per day, Takes X amount of time to use or Consumes X rare resources make the game more interesting and make game balance easier.

Consumables

These are extremely useful when you want to give your players a boost of power without seriously changing the power level of your game.

Food, water and light are all common consumables that most characters will need to survive.

Some Basic Consumables include, but are not limited too.

Healing items

Poison+alcohol

Lockpicks

Smoke Grenades

Light Sources

Basic Tools and equipment

Advanced Consumables include…

Explosives

Complex Tools

Expert Consumables may include…

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Masterwork/Specialist Tools

Skills and Training

Characters may meet or seek out specialists who can train them in a variety of skills.

Basic skills can be taught by ordinary craftsmen. This takes a short amount of time and is often simply paid for in unskilled labor. This will allow characters to attempt complex tasks that would be impossible without training.

Advanced skills can be learned from specialists. A Character will often need to pay the specialist a substantial amount of money or have an impressive enough reputation to secure training. The training takes a considerable amount of time and dedication to master. This training can make some complex tasks easy to accomplish and may even give a Bonus to a character trying to accomplish a difficult task in hazardous conditions.

Expert skills can only be learned from Masters of their trade. These professionals will require either a considerable reputation or a great amount of money in return for their services. Often, you must make certain social connections to even meet these persons.

This training does not normally take long, as it assumes you have the baseline skills to learn these advanced lessons.

Masters will refuse to even try teaching a character, if they have no previous training in the field.

For example, a Famed Surgeon will not teach heart transplant techniques to a character who has never studied medicine. An Elite Swordsmaster will not teach their special Twin-Sword Technique to a character who has never studied swordsmanship or tactics.

*Skills are often learned during the “off screen” time between adventures.

*If a character trained as a craftsman, then at Basic level they can repair relevant items. At Advanced they can build these items from basic materials and conduct repairs easily. As Experts they can invent new and cutting edge versions of common items, or even entirely new technologies. They still need access to all the relevant materials.

Seven Part Combat

 

Would Indiana Jones beat Boba Fett?

The combat system of 7 Part Pact
on a car ride with your little brother

In my years of gaming, I have run across plenty of “My dad would beat your dad!” ‘Games.’

Games like SuperFight sell the fantasy of you pitting your favorite fictional characters

against those of your friends in an epic struggle.

(For a board game that actually pulls that off, check out the Unmatched series.)

At the end of the day, all these so-called games are merely a degenerate shouting match as you all argue about who would win, one person gets more votes and feels vaguely triumphant, and one person feels sorely put-out.

I have always wanted something with more structure, that still allowed that free-form experience. How do we decide if Captain-America’s shield can withstand Darkseid’s Omega Beams? And how do I know if I have won or lost the battle?

During his excellent series on the revolutionary role-playing game / board game / cosplay

7 Part Pact, A Knight at the Opera: Seven-Part Pact: Combat Knight at the opera describes the combat system.

Immediately I was intrigued. This combat was largely narrative. But it ties the narrative to a specific procedure that dictates the Narrative Flow. Basically, who gets to say what happens.

This is ‘roughly’ how it works, with notes on modifications I made.

At the start of the fight, determine who is fighting and where the battle will take place.

Each player controls either a character, group or even army in the case of an actual Battle between nations.

They each answer these questions to determine what Assets their character has.

What weapons do you wield? Each weapon is a separate Asset.

Do you wear Armor or use a Shield? Armor is a single Asset.

Do you have any Treasures? ‘In my testing, treasures were e.g. jetpack, healing potion etc.’

Do you have any Magical Abilities? For Darth Vader, this was the Dark Side of the Force

Are there any trained beasts or henchmen fighting with you? Each is an Asset.

What are your relevant Skills or Training? ‘Being honest, I completely missed this one...oops’

Can you use the Landscape here to your advantage? If so, it is an Asset.

Are the winds, seas, a higher power etc. on your side? ‘This one never came up in testing’

Are you committed to winning this fight? If you are, that is an Asset.

Whoever started the fight in the fiction goes first.

When you have the initiative, you have 4 possible Actions:

Strike at (Character) with (Asset). Defender must Respond with a Defence Action

Use my (Asset) to destroy your (Asset). The Defender loses the Asset, but gains the Initiative.

I step back and gather my strength. You lose the initiative, but may Repair an Asset, create a new Asset in the fiction, or flee. If you Step Back three times in a row, you must Flee.

Say “I don’t know” and pass the initiative.

When someone uses the first Action to Strike at (Character), the Defender must choose a Defender Action.

Defender Actions:

I parry your (Asset) with (My Asset). You must justify how your Asset could stop their attack. However, they Retain the Initiative and may ‘go again.’

I Take the Hit, but Strike Back. The attacker describes the damage they deal, and may destroy any Assets of yours as are justified by the fiction. If you take enough damage, you may become Incapacitated. Now the Defender takes the Initiative.

Say “I don’t know” and take the damage from the attack.

How this works in practice, is that players take turns destroying each other’s Assets until one person feels they have enough of an edge to attack the opposing Character directly.

It is not just a question of “I need to get rid of his Knight’s Armor, Valiant Steed and Love for the Princess to win.” But also “How do I destroy those things in the story, with my Pet Ooze, Black Sorcery and Bumbling Trio of Goblins?”

So I ran this system, just the combat, pretty much as-written on several car rides, just me, my brothers, some paper and a pen.

We did Indiana Jones versus Boba Fett (Indiana was not equipped to break into Slave I and had to retreat)

Darth Vader versus Popeye the Sailor

(I believe Vader won, but not before Olive Oyl tragically perished, and Popeye used his Rubberhose-cartoon powers and Spinach to trash a Super-Star Destroyer and beat Vader within an inch of his life.)

The Joker versus Kermit the Frog (Many Muppets and gangsters perished, but in the end Kermit had the Swedish Chef’s bazooka, and Joker was forced to flee.)

And Iron Man versus Syndrome, a high-intensity battle of lasers and missiles that ended quickly with the Omnidroid crushing the Man of Iron.

During play several questions came up, such as can you Parry with an Asset if that Asset would be destroyed? (We figure yes, its fine, and mathematically worse for the Defender.)

We would Step Back sometimes to move around the battlefield in the fiction, gaining assets like At the Fork in the Road or Taking cover behind a Car.

The beauty of this system, is that everything has a narrative power that cleanly translates into mechanical function.

If your group is extra fractious, I suggest that you rule that an Action or Defence Action can only take place if everyone agrees that if makes narrative sense. My brothers and I had no problems with resolution, but we are an agreeable lot and have been playing together forever.

Apocalypse World and other ‘Storygame’ RPG’s have always frustrated me, because they claim to get the mechanics out of the way and let players tell the story. Unfortunately, you still end up checking stats, adding bonuses and rolling to meet a target number. And the Game Master bears the brunt of all this, as the games give them no solid procedural support.

This in my opinion is an evolution, in a really good way.

There are so many more tests I want to do.
Group Combat between three or more players!

Superhero fights! Sieges and army battles!

And go read the original series of posts, KATO wrote it better, with prettier words and better grammar.

How to Beat (Classic) Dungeons and Dragons

 

Now I know what you are thinking. Surely you cannot “Win” at D&D.
It is an explicitly open-ended game, a sandbox where your character can
accomplish anything within the realms of fiction.

Allow me to enlighten you (or deceive you, gotta watch out for false prophets.)

Classic D&D* is a game about System Mastery, developing your Capabilities and Improvisation.

As a new player, you must first learn the Rules by which the game works. Hit points, Armor, making attacks, spell slots etc. This lets you play the game.

But then you begin to learn the diegetic rules of the game’s fictional world.

Getting ganged up on by Kobolds is bad news, treasure may be cursed, carry a 10ft pole so that pressure plates and other traps don’t ruin your day.

I believe that originally, before the days of Metagaming, players were expected to use their own knowledge to help their characters survive. Perhaps your Level 5 Fighter has never met a Ghost before. But you know what will happen if you go up against one unprepared. So you do the smart thing and run instead of fighting.

To fight a Ghost, your character needs to develop their Capabilities. This enables them to face and defeat in-game challenges and obstacles. To defeat a Werewolf, you need silvered weapons. To beat a Rust Monster, you will need a plan better than “I hit it with my sword.”

Fighters find magical weapons and armor. Magic-Users learn more powerful spells. Thieves become ever more skillful cut-purses and assassins.

The Monsters of D&D attack more than your Hit Points. Wights drain your experience levels, Ghosts age you, Disenchanters ruin your magic items.

The scope of D&D means that you will never have all the capabilities you need for every challenge. You may encounter a Vampire and find yourself without any garlic, mirrors or magical weapons. Perhaps you find a locked door that your Thief cannot open. Or a deep pool of water full of treasure when you cannot Breath Water.

This is where Improvisation comes into play. Fleeing or hiding from the Vampire, forcing the door with crowbars and mechanical advantage and fishing for treasure with a rope and magnet are all solutions which may work. Tactical Infinity means that you will always have an opportunity to change the situation in your favor, however slim the chance.

In conclusion, a player with deep and rich earned Knowledge of the game’s systems and monsters, along with the earned Wisdom of knowing what solutions do and do not work, has essentially “Beaten” Dungeons and Dragons.

And yet, the game is like an ever-opening onion, with layer upon layer. After mastering dungeon-delving, Domain level play awaits, and the player must learn alongside their character how to lead armies and rule a nation. And beyond that, the Immortal level, where they may change to very fabric of reality.

*(By which I mean generally TSR era D&D, AD&D and some OSR offshoots)

100 Magical Potions

 

100 magical Potions

Lasts 10 minutes unless otherwise stated.

Can be thrown on creatures to affect them.

1. Turn to Glass

2. Burning Head

3. Breath Fire

4. Grow fragile butterfly wings (can hover)

5. Leaping (x3 jump)

6. Anti-Gravity

(unaffected by gravity)

7. Giant’s Strength

8. Luck (Pass next Check automatically)

9. Stamina (+3D6 Dodge)

10. Must Laugh Loudly

11. Turns into a Random Monster,

Being or Beast

12. Grows powerful rabbit ears

13. Insomnia (24 hours)

14. Immortality (Permanent)

15. Sleep (Strength Check or fall asleep)

16. Formless

(Can stretch like gum, attacks are Impaired)

17. Immune to Fire and Smoke

18. Fear of The Sun

19. Fear of Fingers

20. Compulsive Lying

21. Temporary Amnesia

22. Wall Crawling

23. Speak With Animals

24. Animal Hatred (Towards you)

25. Become Invisible

26. Must speak the Truth

27. Blindness

28. Deafness

29. Shrink (1/12 size)

30. Grow (Triple Size)

31. Become Werewolf (Strength 18, immune to everything except silver)

32. Rusting

(Everything you touch rusts)

33. Regeneration

(+1 Strength every on your turn)

34. Animal Friendship

35. Speak with Plants

36. Extra Arm (Permanent)

37. Extremely Gullible

38. Read Languages

39. Become your character’s favorite animal

40. True Sight

41. Breathe Water

42. Telepathy

43. Telekinesis

44. Pyrokinesis (2D6 Armor Piercing damage)

45. Detect Thoughts

46. Healing (+2D3 Strength)

47. Restoration (Regain all Statistics, cures poison and disease)

48. Paralysis (Strength Check to resist)

49. Invulnerability

50. Summon Random Monster, Being or Beast

51. Intangibility (Passes through everything)

52. Poison (Lose 3D6 Strength)

53. Flying

54. Web Spinning

55. Light (You glow like a torch)

56. Haste (Take two turns in combat)

57. Hair Growth (1ft on your turn)

58. Breath Spores (1D6 Armor Piercing damage)

59. Shattering Shout

6 0. Become 10x as heavy

6 1. Enlightenment (Permanent +1 Maximum Will/Int)

62. Empowerment (Permanent +1 Maximum Strength)

63. Nimbleness (Permanent +1 Maximum Dexterity)

64. Stink (Like any smell you choose)

65. Fangs (Magical 1D6+1 Natural Weapon)

66. Eagle Splendor (+2 to Will/Charisma)

67. Protection from Missiles

68. Astral Projection

69. Ironskin (+2 to Armor/AC)

70. Fog Form (Can fit through cracks, blown by the wind)

71. Voice Mimicry

72. Lose Voice

73. Can only speak an animal language (Player chooses which)

74. Animal Senses (Player chooses animal)

75. Obedience (To first creature you see)

76. Delusion
(Roll again to determine which potion you believe you drank)

77. Feeblemind (Will/Int becomes 1)

78. Hallucinations

79. Vampirism (Heal 1D6 from drinking fresh blood. 
Drink some or lose 1D6 Strength)

80. Levitation

81. Slipperiness (Cannot be grabbed or bound. 2/6 chance of dropping something under stress.)

82. Focus (Your next attack deals maximum damage automatically)

83. You become two-dimensional for one scene.
Take only 1 damage from piercing attacks.

84. Stuttering/Lisping

(Cannot cast spells)

85. Disguise Self

(As someone you have seen)

86. Chameleon Camouflage

87. Aging (2D10 years, if over 70, Strength Check or lose -4 Strength Permanently)

88. Immunity to Poisons
(Cures all poisons)

89. Purify Water
(Enough to fill a castle moat)

90. Ancient/Youthful Appearance

91. Cat’s Reflexes (Re-roll failed Dexterity Checks)

92. Infrared Vision

93. Burrowing (3ft on each of your turns, through loose stone, soil
and sand)

94. Grow Eyes (1D20+5 anywhere you choose. 1D6 of them are permanent)

95. Magnetism (You pull everything magnetic towards you)

96. Reverse Magnetism

97. Triple Weight (Slows you to ½ Speed, attacks against you are Enhanced)

98. Immovability

99. Time Skip (Vanish from existence for 1D6+1 Rounds)

100. Glow in the Dark

Rethinking RPG Travel

 

Have you ever told your players that they must travel to the Farthest East, to the Palace of Night, and they simply nod and say “We start walking, how many days does it take us?”

Here are some suggestions for how to make traveling into an interesting challenge and allow players to use their problem-solving skills.

Remember, when players think outside the box, like building an improvised hang glider to cross a ravine, or capturing a camel to carry their supplies, reward their ingenuity.

Walking: Will get you anywhere within a day’s travel over easy terrain.

Map/Compass: Beyond the boundaries of civilization, away from common roads and high-ways, it is easy to become lost. Maps marking landmarks and navigation gear, or the assistance of a guide are vital for extended trips into the wilderness.

A Ranger would provide most welcome service here.

Climbing Gear: Steep cliffs, mountainsides and ravines may be impassible without proper equipment such as rope, pitons, crampons, picks and chalk. An experienced guide, preferably a local, can be of great help in this instance.

Light: To journey in the darkness, underground, through clammy, tight tunnels requires more than bravery. Without the light of torches, lanterns etc. even the most level-headed adventurer would quickly be lost, easy prey for nocturnal predators. Dwarves and Gnomes are valuable for their ability to navigate underground. Minotaurs also are never lost, but unfortunately are more likely to eat your party than give directions.

Donkey/Cart: Beyond several week’s journey, it becomes impossible to carry enough rations with you. A sturdy creature can carry supplies such as food, firewood and shelter, foraging as it goes.

Horse/Steed: To cross wide ranges of inhospitable terrain, a strong steed can lend it’s strength. Taking turns riding and walking, wide deserts, open plains and chilly steppes can be traversed without faltering in the face of the elements and exhaustion.

Ship: To cross large lakes, seas and oceans you need a large and sturdy ship, a capable navigator and a considerable crew to operate the oars, sails, rudder etc. Bring enough food, fresh water and repair materials. A carpenter, sailmaker and doctor would be welcome additions to the crew.

Flying: Some truly tremendous obstacles, such as a thousand-mile desert, sheer mountain face or floating castle in the clouds can only be reached by flight. This may be achieved by mechanical means, such as a hot-air balloon, or magical means, such as by a flying carpet, winged pegasi or winged boots.

Planar: Some locations, such as a pocket-dimension, another plane of existence or fairy realm can only be reached by means of powerful teleportation magic, or the assistance of a powerful being.

Three Role Playing Games that are important to me

 The Rule of Three

These are the 3 Role Playing Games that are important to me
what are yours?

Electric Bastionland: The system that stopped my unending search for the perfect system.
No roll to hit, you just deal damage. No variable DC numbers, just roll under your stat.
No rolling initiative, just roll under your Dexterity or skip acting in the surprise round.
It changed the way I game forever.

Basic Fantasy: Retro-DnD that made me appreciate systems with some crunch and delightful
old school rules at an incredible price point.

Classic Traveler: The Grandfather of sci fi rpg's. This wonderful 1970's retro-scifi vibe of enormous
computers, space truckers and blatant Dune ripoffs. Made me appreciate making your character
as its own push-your-luck minigame.