Wednesday, June 13, 2012

A quick thought experiment...

So, I was wondering around the WotC article homepage.  I found three articles that caught my eye and I downloaded them (even though I could have just cracked open a copy of the 1E player's handbook or monster manual).

The last one was about a theme, which is an interesting idea that they have slipped in the D&D Next playtest.  

(Yes, if you don't have a DDI subscription, you won't be able to look at them.  Sorry if you do not.)

The three things got me thinking and I came up with a real quick adventure setup.  Enjoy.


We have a savage beast, whose name I do not think I can use.  This savage "swamp beast" is marauding the swamps of a region of your campaign world.  This is complicated by a group of pirates who have come to the riverside town looking for an ancient ship called the Osprey.  The PCs could also be hunting for the ship, they could have overheard them looking for this treasure laden ship or are drawn in by the pirates who hire them on for protection.  And, the further complication, a bard that has gone mad from his loneliness and wonders around the swamp, using her songs of charm to entice PCs and NPCs both into the jaws of the swamp beast or to drown in the swamp.

I know this is real quick, but this is what I would use for a map.  I just recently stumbled onto the Black Marsh campaign setting and have fallen in love with it.  I could see this description above as a very large entry for a hex.

 If anyone would like more, I would be glad to work on this more.  Or, if you want to try a challenge yourself, attempt it.
Also, if you want to challenge me, go for it.  Would love to try this more often.

Pondering thngs...

So, first off, no podcast this week.  (Unless I can corral some of my various gaming circles together that is.)

Second, been thinking of a few things for my own heartbreaker D&D game.  One thing that I have come to is about magic-users.  Wizards.  Mages.  Twinkle fingers.  Clerics.  Druids, illusionists and Priests, oh my!

Sorry if this is a random list of thoughts, to tired to go back and go through this again.  (What is new?)

The idea that I have for this game is to encompass as much of the Old School games as possible.  The idea is you could play a 1E magic-user, a 2E specialist,  a OD&D elf or a 1E illusionist and be able to play all together in some semblance of a game together.  (I am sure that some of you are thinking this sounds much like the first rumblings of D&D Next.  It does, I will admit.)

The big question was, well, how are you going to get everything to work?  The answer is, I'm not.  There are going to be thing that don't work.  Yet, I also have a big problem with gamer ADD as well as a bit of ADD when it comes to writing as well.

One thing I stumbled upon, while looking for my Arms and Equipment guide for a 2E game I am playing on Mondays, was the Necromancer handbook.  This was an amazing splatbook, in my opinion.  It made me realize that there might be room for a straight out necromancer from the very beginning, instead of building them up as you would with other specialists.  The necromancer is very different.  He can;t be played by just anyone.  Their spell selection is smaller and more focused, yes I know that is for all of the 2E specialists.  Yet, the necromancer is special and unique.  He is one who dabbles with the forces of life and death, light and dark.  That is not something to be taken lightly.

What about the illusionist?  Or the druid?  My design goal is to use spells from the 1E handbook for these two specialists.

What about specialty priests?  Well, I had an interesting thought about that.  In OD&D, a cleric didn't cast a spell at first lvl.  What if a specialty priest can cast at first level?  But, it is only those who have high wisdom.  (I think I might have to fudge the numbers a little to make it more OD&D-like for those things.)  Also that is a priest, someone who can cast at first lvl.  A cleric is someone who is more martial in status.

Anyway, just a few random thoughts for today.  Enjoy!

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

New podcast...and some thoughts

First off, the podcast is here.

Second, been mulling over and starting to put together some rules for my own D&D heartbreaker.  My idea is to basically make this a "kitchen sink" model.  I am going be throwing in as much as I can from Original to 2E.  However, I am going to use the OGL as a baseline.

But, I am also going to be throwing in house rules.  All kinds of house rules.  Rules I have garnered from friend and from the OSR blogsphere.  And, that is the one issue.  I plan to have a page, or more, thanking everyone for putting out their ideas.  I know I will probably never be able to sell the thing, yet would there be any issue from anyone else if I did publish it?  Even if I did thank the people, do I have to be specific?  Or could I just have the page thanking all of my fellow bloggers for their helpful ideas?

I ask because there is a two or three page pdf out there in the OSR that had a bunch of house rules and it was specific on who and where the rule was from.

Anyone have any thoughts?