Dyson over at Dyson's Dodecahedron is running a sale on his two big products Magical Theorems & Dyson’s Delves.
http://rpgcharacters.wordpress.com/2013/07/15/magical-theorems-dysons-delves-discount/
I reviewed Magical Theorems & Dark Pacts last month so no is your chance to grab a copy.
Showing posts with label magic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label magic. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Review: Magical Theorems & Dark Pacts
Finally picked up Dyson's Magical Theorems & Dark Pacts.
Magical Theorems & Dark Pacts (MT&DP) is an Old-school reference for all things Magic-user.
The book is designed with what I call "Basic Era" in mind, so the rules from right around 1979-1981 where "elf" is a class, not just a race. Overtly it is designed for Labyrinth Lord. That being said it is still compatible in spirit to 99% of all the OSR and books from that time.
The book itself is 6"x9", black and white interior and 161 pages. So for a "Class" book there is a lot here. There are 5 Chapters covering Classes, Spells, Magic Items, Monsters and a section on using this book with the "Advanced Era" books (and their clones), along with an Introduction and OGL page.
The introduction covers the basics. What this books, what it is for and it's very, very open OGL declaration.
Chapter 1 is the heart of this book really. It details 13 Magic using classes. The two two core classes, Cleric and Magic-User (Wizard) and 11 new classes.
From the product page:
Clerics are as you know them, but Magic-Users are now Wizards (since everyone here is a magic user) and they get 10 levels of spells. The "Elven" classes replace the "Elf" class in the book. The others are as they are described, but there is more (much more) to them than re-skinned Magic-Users (not that there is anything wrong with wrong that). The classes are re-cast with many new spells, some powers (but nothing out of whack with Basic Era) and often different hit-dice and altered saving throws.
Nearly a third of the book is made up in these new classes.
Chapter 2 covers all the spells. Spells are listed alphabetically with class and level for each spell noted (like newer 3.x Era products). There are a lot of spells here too. Many have been seen in other products, but some are new. In any case they are a welcome addition.
This section makes up slight more than a third of the book.
The last three chapters take up the last third or so of the book.
Chapter 3 covers Magic items. There are 28 new magic items with these spellcasters in mind.
Chapter 4 covers some magical creatures. These are monsters listed in many of the new spells for summoning. There are not a lot, but needed.
Chapter 5 is the Advanced Edition conversion materials. It covers HD changes, racial limits and multi-class options.
So what are my thoughts. Well you get a lot of material in 160+ pages to be honest. At 10 bucks it is a good price. For me it is worth it for the classes. Sure we have seen variations of these over the years, but it is here all in one place and they all work well together. The spells are good. At first I balked at 10th level spells, but really they are for the most part other people's 9th level spells, so they work for me.
The magic items are nice, but for me the value is in the classes and the spells.
Who should buy this? If you play old-school games and enjoy playing different sorts of Magic-Users then this is a must have book. If you are looking to expand your class offerings or even add a few new spells then this is also a good choice. Personally I think it is a great book and I am glad I picked it up.
Does it Play Nice with The Witch?
Honestly I debated doing this section since it is tacky really to use a review to pimp your own product. But in this case I decided to do it for the simple reason that people who liked my book will find things to like in this book as well. MT&DP works great with the Witch. The obvious and easy cross-over are the spells. Spells from one book can be used EASILY with the other. So easy I would consider even putting up a list of the Witch book spells with the spell levels of the various classes.
There is some of that now for the Wizard and the Cleric, but the rest of the classes too. In terms of classes the Pact Bound is closest in theme to the witch, so what is true for one is true for the other.
In fact you could take the Pact Bound and turn it into a Witch Tradition, say the Pact Bound Tradition. The Pact Bound's "Twisted Gift" becomes the The Witch's "Occult Power".
I like that Dyson did more or less the same thing with the Wizard that I did in my book. No surprises at all, it seems like the logical progression.
So I will say this. If you liked and use my book in your games, then this is a great book to have. There is a enough overlap to make them complementary but not so much that you think you are buying the same materials twice.
Of course if you are reading this because you own MT&DP and don't yet have the Witch, then it would be a 5 bucks well spent!
The book is designed with what I call "Basic Era" in mind, so the rules from right around 1979-1981 where "elf" is a class, not just a race. Overtly it is designed for Labyrinth Lord. That being said it is still compatible in spirit to 99% of all the OSR and books from that time.
The book itself is 6"x9", black and white interior and 161 pages. So for a "Class" book there is a lot here. There are 5 Chapters covering Classes, Spells, Magic Items, Monsters and a section on using this book with the "Advanced Era" books (and their clones), along with an Introduction and OGL page.
The introduction covers the basics. What this books, what it is for and it's very, very open OGL declaration.
Chapter 1 is the heart of this book really. It details 13 Magic using classes. The two two core classes, Cleric and Magic-User (Wizard) and 11 new classes.
From the product page:
- Cleric (warrior-priests)
- Wizard (classic magic-users with 10 levels of spells)
- Elven Swordmage (elves from the core rules – arcane warriors)
- Elven Warder (wilderness elves, guardians of their kin)
- Enchanter (artists, con-men, and masters of… duh… enchantments)
- Fleshcrafter (twisted magic-users that work with flesh)
- Healer (compassionate and tough hearth-healers)
- Inquisitor (ecclesiastic investigators and master intimidators)
- Merchant Prince (elite merchants with spellcasting support)
- Necromancer (you know exactly what these guys do)
- Pact-Bound (magic-users who sell their souls for power)
- Theurge (divine casters who learn from liturgical texts)
- Unseen (thieves with an innate knack for magic)
Clerics are as you know them, but Magic-Users are now Wizards (since everyone here is a magic user) and they get 10 levels of spells. The "Elven" classes replace the "Elf" class in the book. The others are as they are described, but there is more (much more) to them than re-skinned Magic-Users (not that there is anything wrong with wrong that). The classes are re-cast with many new spells, some powers (but nothing out of whack with Basic Era) and often different hit-dice and altered saving throws.
Nearly a third of the book is made up in these new classes.
Chapter 2 covers all the spells. Spells are listed alphabetically with class and level for each spell noted (like newer 3.x Era products). There are a lot of spells here too. Many have been seen in other products, but some are new. In any case they are a welcome addition.
This section makes up slight more than a third of the book.
The last three chapters take up the last third or so of the book.
Chapter 3 covers Magic items. There are 28 new magic items with these spellcasters in mind.
Chapter 4 covers some magical creatures. These are monsters listed in many of the new spells for summoning. There are not a lot, but needed.
Chapter 5 is the Advanced Edition conversion materials. It covers HD changes, racial limits and multi-class options.
So what are my thoughts. Well you get a lot of material in 160+ pages to be honest. At 10 bucks it is a good price. For me it is worth it for the classes. Sure we have seen variations of these over the years, but it is here all in one place and they all work well together. The spells are good. At first I balked at 10th level spells, but really they are for the most part other people's 9th level spells, so they work for me.
The magic items are nice, but for me the value is in the classes and the spells.
Who should buy this? If you play old-school games and enjoy playing different sorts of Magic-Users then this is a must have book. If you are looking to expand your class offerings or even add a few new spells then this is also a good choice. Personally I think it is a great book and I am glad I picked it up.
Does it Play Nice with The Witch?
Honestly I debated doing this section since it is tacky really to use a review to pimp your own product. But in this case I decided to do it for the simple reason that people who liked my book will find things to like in this book as well. MT&DP works great with the Witch. The obvious and easy cross-over are the spells. Spells from one book can be used EASILY with the other. So easy I would consider even putting up a list of the Witch book spells with the spell levels of the various classes.
There is some of that now for the Wizard and the Cleric, but the rest of the classes too. In terms of classes the Pact Bound is closest in theme to the witch, so what is true for one is true for the other.
In fact you could take the Pact Bound and turn it into a Witch Tradition, say the Pact Bound Tradition. The Pact Bound's "Twisted Gift" becomes the The Witch's "Occult Power".
I like that Dyson did more or less the same thing with the Wizard that I did in my book. No surprises at all, it seems like the logical progression.
So I will say this. If you liked and use my book in your games, then this is a great book to have. There is a enough overlap to make them complementary but not so much that you think you are buying the same materials twice.
Of course if you are reading this because you own MT&DP and don't yet have the Witch, then it would be a 5 bucks well spent!
Monday, April 15, 2013
M is also for Migraine, MRIs, May, Mars and Majus
So what's on my mind lately? Well. Have a look for yourself.
Yeah that's my brain stuff. I have had migraines my entire life, recently though (two weeks in fact) they have been turned up to 12. So we are trying to figure out what is causing them.
My posting will be sporadic It's hard to think with a constant pain in your head. Harder when I am taking the drugs to dull the pain.
But that is a cool picture though. I still remember enough of my psych to id all major parts. Good news is that my doctor does not expect to see anything "devastating" in his words. But who knows. The pain sucks.
Anyway...other things are going on.
I am SO woefully behind in reviews that I am going to spend a lot of time in May catching up.
I'd also love to detail a Mars/Barsoom game using OD&D or S&W. That would be awesome really.
Something like this, Warriors of Mars.
Don't forget that the Majus Kickstarter is still going on.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1895361773/majus-a-magic-noir-pacesetter-game
Yeah that's my brain stuff. I have had migraines my entire life, recently though (two weeks in fact) they have been turned up to 12. So we are trying to figure out what is causing them.
My posting will be sporadic It's hard to think with a constant pain in your head. Harder when I am taking the drugs to dull the pain.
But that is a cool picture though. I still remember enough of my psych to id all major parts. Good news is that my doctor does not expect to see anything "devastating" in his words. But who knows. The pain sucks.
Anyway...other things are going on.
I am SO woefully behind in reviews that I am going to spend a lot of time in May catching up.
I'd also love to detail a Mars/Barsoom game using OD&D or S&W. That would be awesome really.
Something like this, Warriors of Mars.
Don't forget that the Majus Kickstarter is still going on.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1895361773/majus-a-magic-noir-pacesetter-game
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Zatannurday: the Amazing Adventures of Zatara!
The cool thing about the "Pulp Era" is it more or less coincided with the "Golden Age of Comics". There are a lot of reasons for that which I will leave to others more knowledgeable than me. There is one thing I do know pretty well that covers both the Pulp and Golden Age of Comics and this blog.
Giovanni "John" Zatara.
Giovanni Zatara is the father of Zatanna Zatara. I have talked about and stated him up before, but this might be my favorite version. It seems to fit rather nicely. Again, I started with his M&M3 stats as a base line. I also wanted to make him a CHA based Arcanist since I felt that it worked best, given his career as a stage magician wold have mostly been about illusion. I also felt the description of a CHA-based Arcanist fit my idea of who Zatara, and Zatanna, are.
Giovanni "John" Zatara
Human* Male, Lawful Good
hp: 50
MEP: 120
AC: 14 (dex, ring of protection)
Move: 30'
STR: 12 (0)
DEX: 16 (+2)
CON: 10 (0)
INT: 16 (+2)
WIS: 14 (+1)
CHA: 19 (+4)
*Zatara is a member of the Home Magi race. He gains a +1 to CHA and a -1 to CON.
Zatara, as a quirk of his own style of magic, must speak all his spells backwards in order to wrok.
Languages: Italian, English, Latin, Greek (native language is Italian)
Background: Entertainer (Actor) +4,
Traits: Spellgifted (transmutation), Spellgifted (illusion)
Skill: Knowledge (Arcana)
Gear: Top hat, cane (magical focus +2), tux
Spells 9/5/5/4/3/2/1
0: Arcane Mark, Detect Illusion, Detect Magic, Influence, Light, Mage Hand, Message, Prestidigitation, Stun
1: Change Self, Charm Person, Daze, Obscuring Mist, Sleep, Silent Image
2: Alter Self, Blur, Detect Thoughts, Hypnotic Pattern, Misdirection, Pyrotechnics
3: Blink, Clairvoyance/Clairaudience, Hallucinatory Terrain, Major Image, Suggestion
4: Confusion, Dispel Magic, Mirage Arcana
5: Major Creation, True Seeing
6: Mass Suggestion
I am very, very pleased with this. So pleased in fact that if I ever get a chance to play AA I want to play Zatara.
Links for Amazing Adventures
http://www.trolllord.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=211
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/106153/Amazing-Adventures%21?affiliate_id=10748
Friday, October 26, 2012
Witches and Protectors: John Dee
I am always very proud of the books I work on. Whether it is a small amount or an entire book each one is pretty special to me.
So it is a rare treat when I can do something that covers multiple books. It is even rarer when it happens to be these two books.
I was going down my list of potential witches and I realized that one of the names stood out. John Dee.
John Dee was a real person in Elizabethan times.
He is sort of what I had in mind when I created the Aquarian Tradition.
He also was the Protector of Albion. That's not just me making that one up, that was part of the early conversations I had with Christopher Golden and Amber Benson about former Protectors.
I will keep his "known" background the same. His Occult background was that he was a witch/Protector that used the power of the stars, planets and other heavenly bodies to fight the enemies of Albion for his Queen. He worked with Occult Poet William Shakespeare to protect Albion from evil witches, demonic forces and vile necromancers. He guided Queen Elizabeth during her long and successful rule.
Most of the magical protections around Albion are a result of Dee's magic.
John Dee
20th Level Witch Aquarian Tradition
From The Witch
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 17
Wisdom: 18
Charisma: 16
Saves
Death Ray or Poison: 5
Magic Wands: 6
Paralysis: 5
Dragon Breath: 8
Rods, Staffs and Spells: 7
To Hit AC 0: 14
Hit Points: 42
Alignment: Lawful
AC: 8 (talisman of protection)
Occult Powers
Familiar: Angelic Spirit
7th level: Astromancy
13th level: Moon Blessing
19th level: Planetary Blessing
Spells
Cantrips: Alarm Ward, Animate Tool, Dancing Lights, Ghost Sound, Object Reading, Warm
First: Comprehend Languages, Everlasting Candle, Fey Sight, Light, Magic Circle Against Evil, Consecration Ritual (Ritual)
Second: Augury, Detect Thoughts, Guard Watch, Mind Obscure, Rite of Remote Seeing, Calling the Quarters (Ritual)
Third: Astral Sense, Dispel Magic, Scry, Spirit of Albion (Avalon), Imbue Witch Ball (Ritual)
Fourth: Analyze Magic, Divine Power, Ethereal Projection, Remove Curse, Drawing Down the Moon (Ritual)
Fifth: Calm Weather, Dream, Greater Command, Seeming
Sixth: Anchoring Rite, Greater Scry, True Seeing, Legend Lore (Ritual)
Seventh: Ball of Sunshine, Greater Arcane Eye, Binding Ritual (Ritual)
Eighth: Astral Projection, Discern Location, Mystic Barrier
John Dee
Protector of Albion
Very Experienced Master
From Ghosts of Albion
Life Points
Drama Points 10
Attributes
Strength 2
Dexterity 2
Constitution 3
Intelligence 6
Perception 5
Willpower 5
Qualities
Charisma
Contacts (Royal Family, Government) 4
Contacts (Supernatural) 5
Hard to Kill 2
Fast Reaction Time
Magic 10 (Protector of Albion)
Magical Family
Nerves of Steel
Occult Library (Amazing)
Resources 8
Situational Awareness
Supernatural Senses (the Sight)
Status 5
Drawbacks
Adversaries (Lots) 7
Honorable (Minimal)
Love, Romantic (Tragic) (Two wives)
Obligation (Albion, Important)
Obligation (Queen Elizabeth, Important)
Rivals 2
Useful Information
Initiative +2
Actions 1/2
Observation 1d10 + 12
Lesser Sensing +21
Fear +12
Skills
Armed Mayhem 2
Art 4
Athletics 2
Crime 1
Drive / Ride 1
Engineering 3
Fisticuffs 2
Influence 8
Knowledge 7 (Science, Mathematics, Astronomy)
Languages 7 (English, Italian, Latin, Greek, Egyptian, French, Enochian)
Marksmanship 2
Notice 6
Occultism 9
Physician 2
Wild Card
Combat
So it is a rare treat when I can do something that covers multiple books. It is even rarer when it happens to be these two books.
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I was going down my list of potential witches and I realized that one of the names stood out. John Dee.
John Dee was a real person in Elizabethan times.
He also was the Protector of Albion. That's not just me making that one up, that was part of the early conversations I had with Christopher Golden and Amber Benson about former Protectors.
I will keep his "known" background the same. His Occult background was that he was a witch/Protector that used the power of the stars, planets and other heavenly bodies to fight the enemies of Albion for his Queen. He worked with Occult Poet William Shakespeare to protect Albion from evil witches, demonic forces and vile necromancers. He guided Queen Elizabeth during her long and successful rule.
Most of the magical protections around Albion are a result of Dee's magic.
John Dee
20th Level Witch Aquarian Tradition
From The Witch
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 10
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 17
Wisdom: 18
Charisma: 16
Saves
Death Ray or Poison: 5
Magic Wands: 6
Paralysis: 5
Dragon Breath: 8
Rods, Staffs and Spells: 7
To Hit AC 0: 14
Hit Points: 42
Alignment: Lawful
AC: 8 (talisman of protection)
Occult Powers
Familiar: Angelic Spirit
7th level: Astromancy
13th level: Moon Blessing
19th level: Planetary Blessing
Spells
Cantrips: Alarm Ward, Animate Tool, Dancing Lights, Ghost Sound, Object Reading, Warm
First: Comprehend Languages, Everlasting Candle, Fey Sight, Light, Magic Circle Against Evil, Consecration Ritual (Ritual)
Second: Augury, Detect Thoughts, Guard Watch, Mind Obscure, Rite of Remote Seeing, Calling the Quarters (Ritual)
Third: Astral Sense, Dispel Magic, Scry, Spirit of Albion (Avalon), Imbue Witch Ball (Ritual)
Fourth: Analyze Magic, Divine Power, Ethereal Projection, Remove Curse, Drawing Down the Moon (Ritual)
Fifth: Calm Weather, Dream, Greater Command, Seeming
Sixth: Anchoring Rite, Greater Scry, True Seeing, Legend Lore (Ritual)
Seventh: Ball of Sunshine, Greater Arcane Eye, Binding Ritual (Ritual)
Eighth: Astral Projection, Discern Location, Mystic Barrier
John Dee
Protector of Albion
Very Experienced Master
From Ghosts of Albion
Life Points
Drama Points 10
Attributes
Strength 2
Dexterity 2
Constitution 3
Intelligence 6
Perception 5
Willpower 5
Qualities
Charisma
Contacts (Royal Family, Government) 4
Contacts (Supernatural) 5
Hard to Kill 2
Fast Reaction Time
Magic 10 (Protector of Albion)
Magical Family
Nerves of Steel
Occult Library (Amazing)
Resources 8
Situational Awareness
Supernatural Senses (the Sight)
Status 5
Drawbacks
Adversaries (Lots) 7
Honorable (Minimal)
Love, Romantic (Tragic) (Two wives)
Obligation (Albion, Important)
Obligation (Queen Elizabeth, Important)
Rivals 2
Useful Information
Initiative +2
Actions 1/2
Observation 1d10 + 12
Lesser Sensing +21
Fear +12
Skills
Armed Mayhem 2
Art 4
Athletics 2
Crime 1
Drive / Ride 1
Engineering 3
Fisticuffs 2
Influence 8
Knowledge 7 (Science, Mathematics, Astronomy)
Languages 7 (English, Italian, Latin, Greek, Egyptian, French, Enochian)
Marksmanship 2
Notice 6
Occultism 9
Physician 2
Wild Card
Combat
| Maneuver | Bonus | Damage | Notes |
| Dodge / Parry | +4 | - | Defense Action |
| Grapple | +4 | - | Defense Action |
| Punch | +4 | 4 | Bash |
| Magic | +24 | per spell | Usually graphs a horoscope first |
| - Counterspell | +21 | Special | Magic defense action; dispels spell |
| - Deflect | +24 | Special | Deflects spell 45 degrees |
| - Hold | +23 | Special | Magic defense action; delays spell SL turns |
| - Deflect | +18 | Special | Magic defense action; returns spell to caster |
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Rabbit's Foot and other Lucky Charms
Adventurers live a dangerous and sometimes short life. They are constantly looking for any edge they can fine. Many spend years questing for even the most minor of magics, others though turn to older magic to aid them. For these characters these older, simpler magics provide them with the edge they need.
Many times these minor talismans can be purchased, but more often than not they are nothing more than a gaff or a non-magical variety. Unfortunely these items posses such minor magics that they are difficult to detect with the use of the standard Detect Magic spell.
4-Leaf Clover
These naturally occurring, but rare variety of the common three-leaf clover provide a minor luck bonus.
Once per day it can provide a +1 bonus to any roll the player makes. The player must state this intent before the roll is made. The clover can be used 4 to 7 (1d4+3) times before it becomes inert.
GMs have to decide how rare these are but typically a roll of "00" on a percentile die.
Horse Shoe
If blessed by any priest or cleric (not necessarily by a Bless spell), this item gives the processor a +1 to all rolls (attacks and saves) vs. Fae folk. This includes all sorts of nymphs, pixies, dryads and even elves. It is not effective in the hands of an elf or those with elfish blood.
Rabbit's Foot
A specially prepared left hind foot of a white rabbit killed during a full moon and enchanted by a witch using her Create Talisman power (or feat). This item provides a +1 to anyone one type of roll per day. So in one 24 hour period it can add +1 to an attack, +1 to a save, +1 to damage and so on.
Witches cannot use these items themselves.
Lucky Copper
Adventurers can be a superstitious lot. One of the more common ones is to keep the first copper piece from their first treasure hoard. If they do they gain a +1 to any roll till they gain their next treasure. The +1 can only be used once.
OGL statement Section 15 "Lucky Charms. 2012 Timothy S. Brannan"
Many times these minor talismans can be purchased, but more often than not they are nothing more than a gaff or a non-magical variety. Unfortunely these items posses such minor magics that they are difficult to detect with the use of the standard Detect Magic spell.
4-Leaf Clover
These naturally occurring, but rare variety of the common three-leaf clover provide a minor luck bonus.
Once per day it can provide a +1 bonus to any roll the player makes. The player must state this intent before the roll is made. The clover can be used 4 to 7 (1d4+3) times before it becomes inert.
GMs have to decide how rare these are but typically a roll of "00" on a percentile die.
Horse Shoe
If blessed by any priest or cleric (not necessarily by a Bless spell), this item gives the processor a +1 to all rolls (attacks and saves) vs. Fae folk. This includes all sorts of nymphs, pixies, dryads and even elves. It is not effective in the hands of an elf or those with elfish blood.
Rabbit's Foot
A specially prepared left hind foot of a white rabbit killed during a full moon and enchanted by a witch using her Create Talisman power (or feat). This item provides a +1 to anyone one type of roll per day. So in one 24 hour period it can add +1 to an attack, +1 to a save, +1 to damage and so on.
Witches cannot use these items themselves.
Lucky Copper
Adventurers can be a superstitious lot. One of the more common ones is to keep the first copper piece from their first treasure hoard. If they do they gain a +1 to any roll till they gain their next treasure. The +1 can only be used once.
OGL statement Section 15 "Lucky Charms. 2012 Timothy S. Brannan"
Thursday, September 13, 2012
I am not afraid to admit this,
But I am in constant awe over the level and depths of research J. K. Rowling did for the Harry Potter series.
Just even the care and attention that went into the names of, well, everyone.
Doing some research on some other topics and it keeps coming back to something I read in Harry Potter. That then leads me somewhere else.
I think what I need to do know is re-read all the books and I will also admit that I am looking forward to her new book, The Casual Vacancy. It sounds, as my friend Andrew puts it, Fab". It sounds like a good British black comedy.
I also think it is a crime there is no official Harry Potter RPG.
Just even the care and attention that went into the names of, well, everyone.
Doing some research on some other topics and it keeps coming back to something I read in Harry Potter. That then leads me somewhere else.
I think what I need to do know is re-read all the books and I will also admit that I am looking forward to her new book, The Casual Vacancy. It sounds, as my friend Andrew puts it, Fab". It sounds like a good British black comedy.
I also think it is a crime there is no official Harry Potter RPG.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Review: Rogue Mage (2012)
What if someone held an apocalypse and nobody came?
That is an over-simplification, but it is the jist of what I get from reading a little bit of the Rogue Mage series by Faith Hunter. Now I need to be upfront here about a few things.
1. I have never read the Rogue Mage books, but they are something I have been aware of and I have been meaning to check out.
2. I know Christina Stiles and have worked with her (somewhat) in the past.
That out of the way, lets look at this game.
Rogue Mage is a new RPG from Christina Stiles and Faith Hunter, published by Misfit Studios.
It is a modern supernatural game, so I am already inclined to like it, but also inclined to be critical of it. I will work to balance this for this review.
The game is a d20 based one, but not 100% d20. There is a list of changes for those of us that pick up a d20 game and try to go as we always have. So no attacks of opportunity, no hp, no classes, no levels and so on. Mostly this resembles Mutants & Masterminds 2nd Ed quite a bit. The damage tracker is similar, but simpler. There is a Toughness save (like M&M) and Combat is a skill (like other games). So mechanics wise this is really an elegant system, but it doesn't add a lot of new material.
So like M&M all you need is a d20 to play.
Also this is the Player's book only. The Game Master's Guide will be out later.
Chapter 1 covers the basic rules of the game. I thought this was a touch odd, since we have not rolled up any characters yet, but I think the reasoning is that the rules are so simple that leading off with them allows you to read them once and then easily refer back to them as needed.
Chapter 2 covers the setting. You don't need have read the Faith Hunter books to use this game, something I think is very important. The books look good and I am looking forward to reading them, but I have this book now. Briefly the world changed with the return of the Seraphs on June 12, 2011. Day before my birthday. The war that follows engulfs the world and leaves it in shambles; in fact it is known as the Last War. The present day is 2117 (or 105 PA, post ap). Given Rush is in concert as of this writing 2112 would have been cooler for me, but hey. Immediately I am drawn to the parallels between this game and Eden's Armageddon. Except in Armageddon the war is still going on and it's 2018 (that seemed SO far away back when I was playtesting the game). The world though in Rogue Mage is more messed up with the new Ice Age and all the plagues. Tech is all over the place with advanced technology in the regions away from the ice to steam powered retro-tech.
Chapter 3 is Character Creation. There are abilities and skills familiar to most d20 games. Characters though have points in which to buy these similar to many other non-d20 systems and M&M. In addition there are Talents, Drawbacks and Magic. First up are the character races; neomage, third-generation kylen, human, seraph-touched, rogue daywalker, and second unforeseen (mule). These are detailed in the book and fit into the cosmology of the game. Races can be bought with character points, or in the case of humans, character points are awarded back to you. Attributes and skills are bought with points. Talents can either be normal, special or supernatural and have varying point costs. Drawbacks give you back points. There are also Luck points (think Hero or Drama points) and a virtue/taint tracker which is a new twist.
There is a character creation walk-through and many sample characters.
Chapter 4 deals with abilities; Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom and so on and saves.
Chapter 5 deals with skills. The list is a familiar one for anyone that has played a d20 game in the last 12 years. Of note though, Combat is a skill now. I rather like that to be honest. A trainable skill instead of a built in aptitude.
Chapter 6 covers Talents. Think of these as something similar to Feats or Qualities, or most like the Powers in True 20. Many of these are Feats from the SRD, but that is fine because they still work here. As you can imagine there are a lot of them here, a little more than 30 pages worth. Then we also get the Drawbacks. These are like negative feats. They take something from you, but you get Character Points in return. We get 10 pages of those.
ASIDE: While this game diverts a bit from the d20 mainstream, there is enough here that is the same to make you wonder if your other d20 resources might work with it. For that answer I would have to say I see no reason why not. Sure you are deviating from the source material more, but mechanically speaking, unless it relates to levels, classes or HP I can't see why it wouldn't work.
Chapter 7 is Magic. There is a lot here, not just in terms of rules for magic, but the spells themselves. Over 46 pages. Again some spells from other games could be converted and used here. One would need to figure out the point cost for casting them. I wonder if the spells from the d20 Call of Cthulhu would be compatible? Or even BESM d20 Advanced Magic. If so, then this game would open up a wealth of playing options.
Chapter 8 details Virtue, Money and Luck. Virtue and Taint stand in for the basic alignment system, but this also has more in-game effects. Virtuous characters are more resilient to some magics for example.
Wealth is a score, rather than a track-able resource like gold pieces. And Luck Points, like I mentioned are like Hero or Drama points.
Chapter 9 discusses Secondary Characters, aka NPCS.
Chapter 10 has equipment. It is an interesting mix of future and past tech and high tech and magic.
Chapter 11 details combat. Combat normally gets it's own chapter, but I would have figured it a little closer to skills. No matter, it is here and it tells you what you need to know. Of importance here is the damage track and conditions rules. Remember, there are no HP here, so this is how you know if you are good or about to die. This combat makes this game a bit more deadly than your typical d20 game.
We end with some fiction from Faith Hunter (each chapter had some too) and an Index.
The layout is clean and easy to read. The art is really good as well and really captures the feel of the game well I think. It is all black and white so it won't kill your printer.
There is a lot I really like about this game. First it has so much potential with things I am already doing. Secondly the fact that is also seems to fit in mechanically with a bunch of books I already have is also great.
I think I would have loved to have seen this as a Unisystem game. But I know there are a lot of reasons why that could not have been done. Plus the rules from Mutants & Masterminds, as I have done in the past, can be tweaked to give you a Unisystem like experience. To be 100% honest if there is anyone out there that could be trusted to do that it is Christina Stiles and Misfit Studios.
Something though is keeping me from absolutely loving this game though. I think it is because I have not read the books it is based on yet. I also think there is not enough information here on how to run a game. That is not a big deal for me really, I have 100s of books that tell me that. I don't know how to run one in this universe.
But these are not the shortcomings of this book; only my understanding of the world of this book.
I do hope the Game Master's Guide comes with a sample adventure.
Here is what I do know. Misfit Studios has done a a great job in the past with Unisystem products and Mutants & Masterminds ones. This rule set seems to be a perfect middle ground for them and I hope that we get to see it for more games.
1. I have never read the Rogue Mage books, but they are something I have been aware of and I have been meaning to check out.
2. I know Christina Stiles and have worked with her (somewhat) in the past.
That out of the way, lets look at this game.
Rogue Mage is a new RPG from Christina Stiles and Faith Hunter, published by Misfit Studios.
It is a modern supernatural game, so I am already inclined to like it, but also inclined to be critical of it. I will work to balance this for this review.
The game is a d20 based one, but not 100% d20. There is a list of changes for those of us that pick up a d20 game and try to go as we always have. So no attacks of opportunity, no hp, no classes, no levels and so on. Mostly this resembles Mutants & Masterminds 2nd Ed quite a bit. The damage tracker is similar, but simpler. There is a Toughness save (like M&M) and Combat is a skill (like other games). So mechanics wise this is really an elegant system, but it doesn't add a lot of new material.
So like M&M all you need is a d20 to play.
Also this is the Player's book only. The Game Master's Guide will be out later.
Chapter 1 covers the basic rules of the game. I thought this was a touch odd, since we have not rolled up any characters yet, but I think the reasoning is that the rules are so simple that leading off with them allows you to read them once and then easily refer back to them as needed.
Chapter 2 covers the setting. You don't need have read the Faith Hunter books to use this game, something I think is very important. The books look good and I am looking forward to reading them, but I have this book now. Briefly the world changed with the return of the Seraphs on June 12, 2011. Day before my birthday. The war that follows engulfs the world and leaves it in shambles; in fact it is known as the Last War. The present day is 2117 (or 105 PA, post ap). Given Rush is in concert as of this writing 2112 would have been cooler for me, but hey. Immediately I am drawn to the parallels between this game and Eden's Armageddon. Except in Armageddon the war is still going on and it's 2018 (that seemed SO far away back when I was playtesting the game). The world though in Rogue Mage is more messed up with the new Ice Age and all the plagues. Tech is all over the place with advanced technology in the regions away from the ice to steam powered retro-tech.
Chapter 3 is Character Creation. There are abilities and skills familiar to most d20 games. Characters though have points in which to buy these similar to many other non-d20 systems and M&M. In addition there are Talents, Drawbacks and Magic. First up are the character races; neomage, third-generation kylen, human, seraph-touched, rogue daywalker, and second unforeseen (mule). These are detailed in the book and fit into the cosmology of the game. Races can be bought with character points, or in the case of humans, character points are awarded back to you. Attributes and skills are bought with points. Talents can either be normal, special or supernatural and have varying point costs. Drawbacks give you back points. There are also Luck points (think Hero or Drama points) and a virtue/taint tracker which is a new twist.
There is a character creation walk-through and many sample characters.
Chapter 4 deals with abilities; Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom and so on and saves.
Chapter 5 deals with skills. The list is a familiar one for anyone that has played a d20 game in the last 12 years. Of note though, Combat is a skill now. I rather like that to be honest. A trainable skill instead of a built in aptitude.
Chapter 6 covers Talents. Think of these as something similar to Feats or Qualities, or most like the Powers in True 20. Many of these are Feats from the SRD, but that is fine because they still work here. As you can imagine there are a lot of them here, a little more than 30 pages worth. Then we also get the Drawbacks. These are like negative feats. They take something from you, but you get Character Points in return. We get 10 pages of those.
ASIDE: While this game diverts a bit from the d20 mainstream, there is enough here that is the same to make you wonder if your other d20 resources might work with it. For that answer I would have to say I see no reason why not. Sure you are deviating from the source material more, but mechanically speaking, unless it relates to levels, classes or HP I can't see why it wouldn't work.
Chapter 7 is Magic. There is a lot here, not just in terms of rules for magic, but the spells themselves. Over 46 pages. Again some spells from other games could be converted and used here. One would need to figure out the point cost for casting them. I wonder if the spells from the d20 Call of Cthulhu would be compatible? Or even BESM d20 Advanced Magic. If so, then this game would open up a wealth of playing options.
Chapter 8 details Virtue, Money and Luck. Virtue and Taint stand in for the basic alignment system, but this also has more in-game effects. Virtuous characters are more resilient to some magics for example.
Wealth is a score, rather than a track-able resource like gold pieces. And Luck Points, like I mentioned are like Hero or Drama points.
Chapter 9 discusses Secondary Characters, aka NPCS.
Chapter 10 has equipment. It is an interesting mix of future and past tech and high tech and magic.
Chapter 11 details combat. Combat normally gets it's own chapter, but I would have figured it a little closer to skills. No matter, it is here and it tells you what you need to know. Of importance here is the damage track and conditions rules. Remember, there are no HP here, so this is how you know if you are good or about to die. This combat makes this game a bit more deadly than your typical d20 game.
We end with some fiction from Faith Hunter (each chapter had some too) and an Index.
The layout is clean and easy to read. The art is really good as well and really captures the feel of the game well I think. It is all black and white so it won't kill your printer.
There is a lot I really like about this game. First it has so much potential with things I am already doing. Secondly the fact that is also seems to fit in mechanically with a bunch of books I already have is also great.
I think I would have loved to have seen this as a Unisystem game. But I know there are a lot of reasons why that could not have been done. Plus the rules from Mutants & Masterminds, as I have done in the past, can be tweaked to give you a Unisystem like experience. To be 100% honest if there is anyone out there that could be trusted to do that it is Christina Stiles and Misfit Studios.
Something though is keeping me from absolutely loving this game though. I think it is because I have not read the books it is based on yet. I also think there is not enough information here on how to run a game. That is not a big deal for me really, I have 100s of books that tell me that. I don't know how to run one in this universe.
But these are not the shortcomings of this book; only my understanding of the world of this book.
I do hope the Game Master's Guide comes with a sample adventure.
Here is what I do know. Misfit Studios has done a a great job in the past with Unisystem products and Mutants & Masterminds ones. This rule set seems to be a perfect middle ground for them and I hope that we get to see it for more games.
Friday, June 15, 2012
World of Darkness and Mage the Awakening
World of Darkness and Mage the Awakening
One of the most influential games to ever hit the market was Vampire the Masquerade. I have talked about this game quite a bit in the past, but never addressed directly. Well a while back they “rebooted” the entire universe and now we have the “New World of Darkness” and with it a revised vampire game, Vampire the Requiem.
Let’s start basic; both games are all perfectly playable as they are. All the games cover much of the same ground and allow you to play similar types and styles of games. All the games have similar backgrounds, realities and even to some degree futures. Characters created in one game can easily be thought of as having an analogue in the other game. In fact recently White Wolf created a “Translation Guide” to allow you to move characters from Vampire the Masquerade to the newer Vampire the Requiem. It was an insanely popular book spending many months in DriveThruRPG's top 10. They also now have a Werewolf Translation now. I am waiting for them to do one for Mage.
The same could be thought of when comparing *WoD with Unisystem. For every Unisystem character there is an analogue in the World of the Darkness (either). Both games cover a lot of the same ground, just in different ways.
Translations between the two different systems it bit hard than between oWod and nWod, but it can be done. So the question then is why would I want to?
Well there are many reasons. Maybe you want something new a unique to spring upon your players. Zombies with more “life” in them, vampiric ghouls, conspiracies from either game. Given that the in-game realities allow many permutations the question become more of Why not?
Maybe you have tons of books of one system, but want the new challenge of a new system, but don’t want to loose your investment in a world.
Or, lets face it SOME ONE out there want’s to see what happens when a Slayer goes up against the Ordo Dracul, or who really is more powerful, a Mage or a Witch.
For the sake of this post I am going to concentrate on nWod or new World of Darkness and the "Storytelling" system and the WitchCraft and Ghosts of Albion flavors of Unisystem. Given that, I am going to focus mostly on Mage the Awakening.
Worlds of Darkness
What is different between the two WoD games and why should I care? To start with the rules have been cleaned up to allow greater playability across all the lines and a new focus has been placed on “normal” humans; something the old World of Darkness sorely lacked. All in all the rule changes are an improvement. They are, if I dare say it, more Unisystem-like. Also the meta-plot and background has changed. In many respects the meta-plot of old is gone, this allows Storytellers great freedom. But it also seems they purposefully did what they could to make differences more pronounced. In Vampire this is a good thing, in Mage I am less pleased with the results.
Mage: So What’s New?
Well in many ways much is the same. Characters are still magic wielding humans that can change the nature of reality through the effort of their will and a butt-load of d10s. There are still traditions of sorts (now called Paths) and there are still spheres of control (10 total).
The authors really took time to think about the myths of Mage. The results will vary in the eyes of the beholder, but there is no doubt that they craft an interesting world. It is almost like they took all the myths of the world and thought “what are the root truths to all of these”. The result is something I describe as looking at the world from a perpendicular or a sideways glance; it looks familiar and yet oddly strange. Everything is familiar and still new and different. Also there seems to be a general fondness for the 70’s occult revival or the trippy acid-induced hangover of the 60’s. For example the five mages of the watchtowers look like something out of a Black Sabbath album.
Mage the Awakening system wise is much closer to WitchCraft. Mage: The Ascension is more compatible with WitchCraft thematically.
nWoD: Second Sight
In many ways this the Mystery Codex of the new World of Darkness. It is also the new “Sorcerer: The Hedge Wizard’s Handbook”. It deals primarily with psychic powers and phenomena as well as “low magic”. It is a good addition to any WoD game and a decent enough primer of psychic ability for any game if you can’t get your hands on the Time-Life Books series. It does do something that the old WoD was never able to do adequately for me, and that is answer the question of what happens if an already powered character gains vampire, werewolf or mage powers. Full of ideas of new Supernatural Qualities, Seer Metaphysics, and even Taint based powers. This book is actually quite useful as is for Unisystem gamers.
What Do Users of Each Game Get?
For the Unisystem player the answer should be quite obvious, a variety new and interesting powers for Vampyre characters. Most Vampire powers can be converted to Qualities. But beyond mere crunchy stuff, there is the thing that makes both games so appealing; the back stories. Both the new WoD and the old WoD had very interesting back stories and meta plots to their game, it really gave the feeling of living in a real, living (unliving?) world.
Unisystem Games are not as detailed for another good reason, to allow players the freedom to make the worlds their own. WitchCraft also assumes that there are many different kinds of magic, not just paths to one ultimate truth. These magics can coexist with each other and the world.
Conversions to Unisystem
Normally when doing a game to game conversion I like to think these are the same characters in the same world, with just a different way of looking at things. Conversions between Unisystem, d20, BESM, Chill, and even Kult have worked out fine in this regard. Sure there are some differences in world mythos and ways and means of magic, but all in all conversions can be (and have been) done.
This one is a little more tricky. While converting the actual numbers is not a difficult task really, it is determining if the numbers mean the same thing. Then there is the dice pool mechanic vs. the stat+roll compare to a target number mechanic of games mentioned above.
In most cases a direct conversion may not be possible so instead one should try to stat the character using the same concepts. So my Wicce Seeker of Knowledge ends up being a witch on the Thyrsus Path and a member of the Mysterium. Not exactly the same thing really, but close.
I am viewing this then as separate but equal (which, thanks to the Kansas Board of Education we know really isn’t) characters; alternate universe versions of each other. So the characters are largely the same, just the worlds are different.
Points to Points
We can look at conversions two ways; a point for point conversion or some external correlation. In WoD (most) everything is on the same 1 to 5 point scale. In Unisystem everything is also on an equal pointing scale.
This is good, so let’s start with the Attributes. The new WoD still has nine Attributes in 3x3 categories, with Willpower which is removed from the attribute list and has it’s own scoring. Unisystem has 6 attributes in 2 categories (mental and physical). So not everything is going to convert nicely.
Intelligence, Strength, Dexterity and Stamina (WoD) line up well to Intelligence, Strength, Dexterity and Constitution (Uni). Willpower and Perception in Unisystem are slightly different in WoD.
The Social triad, Presence, Manipulation and Composure can best be handled by Qualities and Skills. In particular Charisma (which can be positive or negative in Unisystem) can handle Presence and Composure to some extent. Others Qualities and Skills include Influence and Attractiveness, as well many supernatural qualities.
If we count the “free” point everyone gets in WoD for all nine attributes and add the amount allocated we get 30 points total and an average of 2.333 per attribute.
In Cinematic Unisystem Heroes get 20 points for 6 attributes, this amounts to a 3.33 per attribute. So on the average 1 point higher per attribute.
Going to the external validation let’s do what I did with the Chill conversions; compare the max lift of both games. At a strength of 1 a character can lift 50 lbs in Unisystem or 40 lbs in WoD. In both systems a strength of 2 will allow a character to lift 100 lbs. But it is at Strength 3 that the systems differ. At Strength 3 a WoD character can lift 250 lbs, a Unisystem character 150lbs. This continues and gives us the following table.
There is a built in error factor of ± 10% of the weight on Unisystem’s side.
Continuing our look at external validation let’s compare what each system calls their human maximum (* above). In WoD this is 5 (at a higher point cost) and in Unisystem it is a 6 (also at a higher point cost).
All three of these combined point to one overwhelming conclusion:
WoD scores = Unisystem – 1
Very nice. A quick and dirty look at skills, metaphysics, merits and flaws and this seems to hold true.
Vices and Virtues
This is new to the new WoD game and it is an interesting role-playing twist. By having your character role-play one of the seven deadly sins and the seven virtues they gain Willpower points. My suggestion is to retain these when converting to Unisystem and have players gain or loose Essence Points (for Classic games) or Drama Points (for Cinematic games) in place of Willpower. In the case of following their virtue they gain a 1 to 3 Essence points or 1Drama point instead regaining all lost.
Of course Experience points can always be given, but by giving Essence or Drama points they take on a different feel. My personal preference is to use this with Essence.
This is most similar to Kult’s Mental Balance mechanic or the Karma mechanic of other games. My trouble is often my characters do not fit well into the seven virtues or vices.
Skills
Skills seem a bit easier. Classic Unisystem has more skills than WoD, but CineUnisystem has less. Five dots is the human maximum in the WoD, 6 is the human max in Unisystem, but some can go to 9.
Use the same conversion formula here, WoD score = Unisystem score -1.
If converting to CineUnisystem, use a wild card for skills not covered (like politics).
Metaphysics
Ah. Now here is the meat of the matter, what makes both games unique. Mage and WitchCraft’s magic systems are not only very different from each other, they are also largely different from most other games out there. The magic system is often one of the big reasons why people choose one of these games over the other.
In Mage one immerses themselves in a Path and learns (by spending points) Arcana. These are then utilized by Rotes and powered by Mana (Quintessence in old Mage). In WitchCraft one immerses themselves into metaphysics and learns the invocations (by spending points) of that area. In some cases these are also call Aracana. These metaphysics are powered by Essence.
Converting Rotes to Classic Invocations
In Mage magic exist in Arcana and are powered by Mana. WitchCraft invocations are likewise grouped and are powered by Essence. So they do have surface similarities.
Since invocations have mostly set effects, it is often easier to use Mage rotes as the path of conversion. But it should be noted that purchasing 7 levels in any WitchCraft invocation often has the same effect as becoming the master of an Aracana (5 dots), again the WoD = Unisystem -1 formula (more or less) comes into play.
For WitchCraft I would take each Mage Sphere and make them a sub category under a new grouping of Metaphysics called “Mage Arcana”. What separates these from other invocations is the only way to learn them is to be a member of one of the Mage associations. Mage Arcana might just be a long hiden type of Atlantian Arcana (something both games have) or it might something completely new. Lost texts from ancient Lemuria come to surface full of this new type of magic for example.
Now certainly there is (and should be) overlap. The Mind sphere should be accessible to anyone with the Sight, and Death and even some Life and Time should be available to Necromancers.
Converting Rotes to Cinematic Spells
When converting to Cinematic Unisystem, Rotes are the way to go. The dots of the Rote add up to give the Cinematic Power Level. In many cases this will have to be adjusted by -1.
Witches and Magicians that have more than 9 levels of Sorcery or Magic (respectively) can use the Improvised casting rules in Mage.
Let’s start basic; both games are all perfectly playable as they are. All the games cover much of the same ground and allow you to play similar types and styles of games. All the games have similar backgrounds, realities and even to some degree futures. Characters created in one game can easily be thought of as having an analogue in the other game. In fact recently White Wolf created a “Translation Guide” to allow you to move characters from Vampire the Masquerade to the newer Vampire the Requiem. It was an insanely popular book spending many months in DriveThruRPG's top 10. They also now have a Werewolf Translation now. I am waiting for them to do one for Mage.
The same could be thought of when comparing *WoD with Unisystem. For every Unisystem character there is an analogue in the World of the Darkness (either). Both games cover a lot of the same ground, just in different ways.
Translations between the two different systems it bit hard than between oWod and nWod, but it can be done. So the question then is why would I want to?
Well there are many reasons. Maybe you want something new a unique to spring upon your players. Zombies with more “life” in them, vampiric ghouls, conspiracies from either game. Given that the in-game realities allow many permutations the question become more of Why not?
Maybe you have tons of books of one system, but want the new challenge of a new system, but don’t want to loose your investment in a world.
Or, lets face it SOME ONE out there want’s to see what happens when a Slayer goes up against the Ordo Dracul, or who really is more powerful, a Mage or a Witch.
For the sake of this post I am going to concentrate on nWod or new World of Darkness and the "Storytelling" system and the WitchCraft and Ghosts of Albion flavors of Unisystem. Given that, I am going to focus mostly on Mage the Awakening.
Worlds of Darkness
What is different between the two WoD games and why should I care? To start with the rules have been cleaned up to allow greater playability across all the lines and a new focus has been placed on “normal” humans; something the old World of Darkness sorely lacked. All in all the rule changes are an improvement. They are, if I dare say it, more Unisystem-like. Also the meta-plot and background has changed. In many respects the meta-plot of old is gone, this allows Storytellers great freedom. But it also seems they purposefully did what they could to make differences more pronounced. In Vampire this is a good thing, in Mage I am less pleased with the results.
Mage: So What’s New?
Well in many ways much is the same. Characters are still magic wielding humans that can change the nature of reality through the effort of their will and a butt-load of d10s. There are still traditions of sorts (now called Paths) and there are still spheres of control (10 total).
Mage the Awakening system wise is much closer to WitchCraft. Mage: The Ascension is more compatible with WitchCraft thematically.
nWoD: Second Sight
In many ways this the Mystery Codex of the new World of Darkness. It is also the new “Sorcerer: The Hedge Wizard’s Handbook”. It deals primarily with psychic powers and phenomena as well as “low magic”. It is a good addition to any WoD game and a decent enough primer of psychic ability for any game if you can’t get your hands on the Time-Life Books series. It does do something that the old WoD was never able to do adequately for me, and that is answer the question of what happens if an already powered character gains vampire, werewolf or mage powers. Full of ideas of new Supernatural Qualities, Seer Metaphysics, and even Taint based powers. This book is actually quite useful as is for Unisystem gamers.
What Do Users of Each Game Get?
For the Unisystem player the answer should be quite obvious, a variety new and interesting powers for Vampyre characters. Most Vampire powers can be converted to Qualities. But beyond mere crunchy stuff, there is the thing that makes both games so appealing; the back stories. Both the new WoD and the old WoD had very interesting back stories and meta plots to their game, it really gave the feeling of living in a real, living (unliving?) world.
Unisystem Games are not as detailed for another good reason, to allow players the freedom to make the worlds their own. WitchCraft also assumes that there are many different kinds of magic, not just paths to one ultimate truth. These magics can coexist with each other and the world.
Conversions to Unisystem
Normally when doing a game to game conversion I like to think these are the same characters in the same world, with just a different way of looking at things. Conversions between Unisystem, d20, BESM, Chill, and even Kult have worked out fine in this regard. Sure there are some differences in world mythos and ways and means of magic, but all in all conversions can be (and have been) done.
This one is a little more tricky. While converting the actual numbers is not a difficult task really, it is determining if the numbers mean the same thing. Then there is the dice pool mechanic vs. the stat+roll compare to a target number mechanic of games mentioned above.
In most cases a direct conversion may not be possible so instead one should try to stat the character using the same concepts. So my Wicce Seeker of Knowledge ends up being a witch on the Thyrsus Path and a member of the Mysterium. Not exactly the same thing really, but close.
I am viewing this then as separate but equal (which, thanks to the Kansas Board of Education we know really isn’t) characters; alternate universe versions of each other. So the characters are largely the same, just the worlds are different.
Points to Points
We can look at conversions two ways; a point for point conversion or some external correlation. In WoD (most) everything is on the same 1 to 5 point scale. In Unisystem everything is also on an equal pointing scale.
This is good, so let’s start with the Attributes. The new WoD still has nine Attributes in 3x3 categories, with Willpower which is removed from the attribute list and has it’s own scoring. Unisystem has 6 attributes in 2 categories (mental and physical). So not everything is going to convert nicely.
Intelligence, Strength, Dexterity and Stamina (WoD) line up well to Intelligence, Strength, Dexterity and Constitution (Uni). Willpower and Perception in Unisystem are slightly different in WoD.
The Social triad, Presence, Manipulation and Composure can best be handled by Qualities and Skills. In particular Charisma (which can be positive or negative in Unisystem) can handle Presence and Composure to some extent. Others Qualities and Skills include Influence and Attractiveness, as well many supernatural qualities.
If we count the “free” point everyone gets in WoD for all nine attributes and add the amount allocated we get 30 points total and an average of 2.333 per attribute.
In Cinematic Unisystem Heroes get 20 points for 6 attributes, this amounts to a 3.33 per attribute. So on the average 1 point higher per attribute.
Going to the external validation let’s do what I did with the Chill conversions; compare the max lift of both games. At a strength of 1 a character can lift 50 lbs in Unisystem or 40 lbs in WoD. In both systems a strength of 2 will allow a character to lift 100 lbs. But it is at Strength 3 that the systems differ. At Strength 3 a WoD character can lift 250 lbs, a Unisystem character 150lbs. This continues and gives us the following table.
| Strength | nWoD | Unisystem |
| 1 | 40 lbs | 50 lbs |
| 2 | 100 lbs | 100 lbs |
| 3 | 250 lbs | 150 lbs |
| 4 | 400 lbs | 200 lbs |
| 5 | 650 lbs* | 250 lbs |
| 6 | 800 lbs | 450 lbs * |
| 7 | 900 lbs | 650 lbs |
| 8 | 1000 lbs | 850 lbs |
| 9 | 1200 lbs | 1050 lbs |
| 10 | 1500 lbs | 1250 lbs |
There is a built in error factor of ± 10% of the weight on Unisystem’s side.
Continuing our look at external validation let’s compare what each system calls their human maximum (* above). In WoD this is 5 (at a higher point cost) and in Unisystem it is a 6 (also at a higher point cost).
All three of these combined point to one overwhelming conclusion:
WoD scores = Unisystem – 1
Very nice. A quick and dirty look at skills, metaphysics, merits and flaws and this seems to hold true.
Vices and Virtues
This is new to the new WoD game and it is an interesting role-playing twist. By having your character role-play one of the seven deadly sins and the seven virtues they gain Willpower points. My suggestion is to retain these when converting to Unisystem and have players gain or loose Essence Points (for Classic games) or Drama Points (for Cinematic games) in place of Willpower. In the case of following their virtue they gain a 1 to 3 Essence points or 1Drama point instead regaining all lost.
Of course Experience points can always be given, but by giving Essence or Drama points they take on a different feel. My personal preference is to use this with Essence.
This is most similar to Kult’s Mental Balance mechanic or the Karma mechanic of other games. My trouble is often my characters do not fit well into the seven virtues or vices.
Skills
Skills seem a bit easier. Classic Unisystem has more skills than WoD, but CineUnisystem has less. Five dots is the human maximum in the WoD, 6 is the human max in Unisystem, but some can go to 9.
Use the same conversion formula here, WoD score = Unisystem score -1.
If converting to CineUnisystem, use a wild card for skills not covered (like politics).
Metaphysics
Ah. Now here is the meat of the matter, what makes both games unique. Mage and WitchCraft’s magic systems are not only very different from each other, they are also largely different from most other games out there. The magic system is often one of the big reasons why people choose one of these games over the other.
In Mage one immerses themselves in a Path and learns (by spending points) Arcana. These are then utilized by Rotes and powered by Mana (Quintessence in old Mage). In WitchCraft one immerses themselves into metaphysics and learns the invocations (by spending points) of that area. In some cases these are also call Aracana. These metaphysics are powered by Essence.
Converting Rotes to Classic Invocations
In Mage magic exist in Arcana and are powered by Mana. WitchCraft invocations are likewise grouped and are powered by Essence. So they do have surface similarities.
Since invocations have mostly set effects, it is often easier to use Mage rotes as the path of conversion. But it should be noted that purchasing 7 levels in any WitchCraft invocation often has the same effect as becoming the master of an Aracana (5 dots), again the WoD = Unisystem -1 formula (more or less) comes into play.
For WitchCraft I would take each Mage Sphere and make them a sub category under a new grouping of Metaphysics called “Mage Arcana”. What separates these from other invocations is the only way to learn them is to be a member of one of the Mage associations. Mage Arcana might just be a long hiden type of Atlantian Arcana (something both games have) or it might something completely new. Lost texts from ancient Lemuria come to surface full of this new type of magic for example.
Now certainly there is (and should be) overlap. The Mind sphere should be accessible to anyone with the Sight, and Death and even some Life and Time should be available to Necromancers.
Converting Rotes to Cinematic Spells
When converting to Cinematic Unisystem, Rotes are the way to go. The dots of the Rote add up to give the Cinematic Power Level. In many cases this will have to be adjusted by -1.
Witches and Magicians that have more than 9 levels of Sorcery or Magic (respectively) can use the Improvised casting rules in Mage.
Up next, conversions in practice.
Friday, April 6, 2012
F is for Faery's Tale
Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist.
Children already know that dragons exist.
Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.
-G. K. Chesterton (attributed)
The biggest Fantasy RPG of history, Dungeons and Dragons, shares many of the same elements of faerie tales, but D&D can be hard to learn, difficult to master and sometimes even scary. Not the game you might want to introduce a 6-year old to.
Well thankfully there has been a trend in the last few years in gaming; the trend to write games for a younger audience. Faery’s Tale represents one of the best of this trend.
Published originally by Firefly Games, http://www.firefly-games.com/, and presently by Green Ronin, Faery’s Tale is an enchanting game great for kids, and sophisticated enough for adults.
For starters you play a faery, a denizen of the Bright Wood. You can play a Friendly Faery like a pixie, sprite, brownie or a pooka. Or you can play a Dark Faery like a fallen faery or a goblin. You can encounter intelligent animals, other faery types, hags, witches, trolls, even humans and dragons.
Characters are defines, stat wise by their Attributes (Mind, Body and Spirit) and Gifts (magical abilities). There are also boons, titles and charms. Archetypes are called “Patterns” and think it gives it a nice mystical feel. Some faeries have natural gifts, others can be “bought”. Titles can likewise be bought.
The rules themselves are very easy. It is a simple dice-pool system based on the number you have for your necessary Attribute and Gift. So sneaking past a sleeping dragon might need Body and Acrobat. So if your faery has a Body of 2 and Acrobat 3 you roll 5 dice. Odd numbers are not counted and evens are a “Success”. The Narrator or Game Master decides how man Success are needed to complete the task. So she decides 3 Success are need to sneak past the dragon then they need at least 3 dice to come up to even numbers. A 6 “explodes”, allowing you to roll it again for maybe another success. That simple. All sorts of contests can be resolved this way.
The book gives all sorts of examples of play and suggestions, all the while never forgetting that the target audience for this is children and their adults.
Frankly. I love this little game. Like many I think I bought it to see what I could mine for other games, but finding not only a good little game but an extremely well written and though out one that works for both children and adults.
If you have young children that you want to introduce to gaming, then this is the game for you.
I also have to add. The art in this book is fantastic. It captures the feel of the game perfectly.
I can see using this in conjunction with or even as a part of another game. Something like Witch Girls Adventures, Ghosts of Albion or even D&D 4.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
E is for Eldritch
Eldritch
I love that word. So much cooler than "magic" or even "arcane". Eldritch implies something old, even occult. If you put the word Eldritch in your book's title, chances are not just good I'll look at it, it is nearly a guarantee.
Eldritch Wizardry
This is one of the first books I ever got for OD&D. It took me a bit to realize that OD&D was essentially the same as Holmes Basic D&D (I had not gotten my 3 LBBs yet). But I loved this book all the same. It introduced Druids (which I played like a witch), psionics and demons to D&D. I had of course already seen all of these in AD&D, but to have this little book was like finding some lost, eldritch even, treasure.
Of course I could never buy this one near me. The cover prevented that, heck even the game store I ordered it from (which would late go on to become my Favorite Local Game Store) even kept it behind their counter. Thankfully I had parents that didn't mind me spending my hard earned money on this stuff and I think I paid 18.00 for my old copy. Which at the time seems insane for such a small book! (1985).
Today, good copies are much more expensive and even fair quality ones go for more than twice what I paid.
Despite the fact that the "D&D" I play now is fairly far removed from this book, and other books have super-ceded and surpassed it, I still like to pull it out every so often and remind myself of the wonder it used to bring me and how can I capture that same feeling for others. Plus I am convinced that this cover inspired this newer picture of Demogorgon (who was introduced in this book) from Hordes of the Abyss.
Eldritch Secrets Vol 1.
This extremely attractive book is full of all sorts of new spells, feats and magic items for all the spell-casting classes in Pathfinder (or the 3.x product of your choice).
The vast majority of this book is devoted to spells and there a spells here for every need and situation. There a few new feats and some magic items, but the spells here are the main course.
There are several useful Appendices including Spells by Descriptor, School and use.
At 12 bucks this product is not exactly a steal, but really, really close. The art and layout is fantastic and you get a printer friendly version as well.
Eldritch Witchery
This is the only book in my list here I have not bought. That is because I wrote it!
It is due out from Elf Lair Games sometime (it's still in editing and layout).
With this book I wanted to capture everything eldritch about the witch class. So unlike some of my other books, this book also has a Warlock class. It is also different from my Basic D&D book "The Witch". Though all three classes together would make a nice full picture of the witch as she has appeared through out the history of RPGs.
Plus this book is designed to be used with the Spellcraft & Swordplay game. It *can* be used with OD&D/S&W, but you would need to modify somethings a touch.
Obviously this is my homage to Eldritch Wizardry, though there is plenty more to my EW. No psionics.
Other "Eldritch" Games
I also bought these games based on the title alone.
Monte Cook's Book of Eldritch Might and The Complete Book of Eldritch Might.
The definitive sources for magic in the 3.x game. I have these, but never really used them very much. They were great reads though.
Eldritch Role-Playing System
I agree with what some others have said, cool concept, cool game, bad layout. Still though. There is some very cool ideas here. I enjoyed it and can mine it for ideas for other games.
Eldritch Ass Kicking
This is a rather cool game of magical battles. I got it when it first came out, but forgot about it. I looks like a very fun game or maybe even ideas for a sub-game in a larger magical based one. I do like how the skills were used and how it is expected that wizards do everything with magic. So this not a magic-lite game!
I also love the art work, but I have been a fan of Thomas Denmark's art for a long time.
There are even some add-ons for the game.
I love that word. So much cooler than "magic" or even "arcane". Eldritch implies something old, even occult. If you put the word Eldritch in your book's title, chances are not just good I'll look at it, it is nearly a guarantee.
Eldritch Wizardry
Of course I could never buy this one near me. The cover prevented that, heck even the game store I ordered it from (which would late go on to become my Favorite Local Game Store) even kept it behind their counter. Thankfully I had parents that didn't mind me spending my hard earned money on this stuff and I think I paid 18.00 for my old copy. Which at the time seems insane for such a small book! (1985).
Today, good copies are much more expensive and even fair quality ones go for more than twice what I paid.
Despite the fact that the "D&D" I play now is fairly far removed from this book, and other books have super-ceded and surpassed it, I still like to pull it out every so often and remind myself of the wonder it used to bring me and how can I capture that same feeling for others. Plus I am convinced that this cover inspired this newer picture of Demogorgon (who was introduced in this book) from Hordes of the Abyss.
Eldritch Secrets Vol 1.
This extremely attractive book is full of all sorts of new spells, feats and magic items for all the spell-casting classes in Pathfinder (or the 3.x product of your choice).
The vast majority of this book is devoted to spells and there a spells here for every need and situation. There a few new feats and some magic items, but the spells here are the main course.
There are several useful Appendices including Spells by Descriptor, School and use.
At 12 bucks this product is not exactly a steal, but really, really close. The art and layout is fantastic and you get a printer friendly version as well.
Eldritch Witchery
It is due out from Elf Lair Games sometime (it's still in editing and layout).
With this book I wanted to capture everything eldritch about the witch class. So unlike some of my other books, this book also has a Warlock class. It is also different from my Basic D&D book "The Witch". Though all three classes together would make a nice full picture of the witch as she has appeared through out the history of RPGs.
Plus this book is designed to be used with the Spellcraft & Swordplay game. It *can* be used with OD&D/S&W, but you would need to modify somethings a touch.
Obviously this is my homage to Eldritch Wizardry, though there is plenty more to my EW. No psionics.
Other "Eldritch" Games
I also bought these games based on the title alone.
Monte Cook's Book of Eldritch Might and The Complete Book of Eldritch Might.
The definitive sources for magic in the 3.x game. I have these, but never really used them very much. They were great reads though.
Eldritch Role-Playing System
I agree with what some others have said, cool concept, cool game, bad layout. Still though. There is some very cool ideas here. I enjoyed it and can mine it for ideas for other games.
Eldritch Ass Kicking
This is a rather cool game of magical battles. I got it when it first came out, but forgot about it. I looks like a very fun game or maybe even ideas for a sub-game in a larger magical based one. I do like how the skills were used and how it is expected that wizards do everything with magic. So this not a magic-lite game!
I also love the art work, but I have been a fan of Thomas Denmark's art for a long time.
There are even some add-ons for the game.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Zatannurday: Marvel Heroic Roleplaying
We worked this the same night as Justice. Again, I am happy with this build and see it as a nice compliment to the DCA/M&M3 stats. Both have a place in my world.
Name: Zatanna
ID: Zatanna Zatara (public)
Affiliations: Solo d10, Buddy d8, Team d6 (Zee is not a team player, but she has teamed up with John Constantine, Hawkman and Batman)
Distinctions:
Most Power Magician in the World (she is. And all the supernatural baddies know it too)
Celebrity in the Spotlight (Everyone knows who she is and she likes that)
Shades of Grey (Zee sees more grey than most Supers, even ones in the Marvel-verse)
Power Sets
Magic/Sorcery d12
Magical Spells d12, Blast d10, Senses (magical) d10, Teleport d10
Limit: Must be spoken backwards
SFX: Tantric Healing (can reduce stress)
SFX: Area Attack
Specialties
Mystic d10 (pretty much knows it all)
Cosmic d10
Menace d8
Psych d8
Milestones
"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic"
1xp You uncover some plot that is magical in nature.
3xp You discover some new magical tome or artifact.
10xp You defeat the main villain without magic.
Daddy Issues
1xp You meet someone from your father's past.
3xp You take trauma from one of your father's old enemies or friends.
10 xp You must send your father's soul back to the afterlife to defeat the bad guy.
Friday, January 6, 2012
La Befana The Christmas Witch
 |
| La Befana at Disney World |
This year I remembered, but had set the date wrong. Oh well.
You can read more about her here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Befana
The most common tale is she directed the Three Wise Men to the new baby Jesus, but declined to go with them till her housework was done.
Like St. Nick/Santa, she gives out gifts to Children on Epiphany Eve. Befana, like many other Christianized myths has her origin in an older story of the Goddess Strenua. So she is seen a protector figure in myth.
Given that she is such a complex character it would be difficult to do her justice in a write-up.
But I can talk about her broom.
Her Broom seems to be perfect as a powerful witch artifact that you can drop into your games.
The following is released as Open per the OGL.
La Befana’s Broom
La Befana was a great and powerful witch. Legend says that she once helped three great and powerful Magic-Users find their way when they were lost, search for a young king. They had asked La Befana to go with them, but she declined telling them she had cleaning to do. In reality she did not want to go because she had lost her own baby and seeing this new one would have made her sad.
The Magic-Users on their return brought La Befana a gift, a magical broom that would clean her home for her if she uttered the proper word. It would also render her invisible and allow her to enter the home of anyone unnoticed as long as her intentions were good and pure. La Befana used this magic to go into people’s homes on the eve of the Magic-Users' return to her each year to clean the homes of the good people in her village and leave a small present, usually a bit of candy for the good children or a bit coal for the bad ones.
She has let the broom go now so it may continue to do good in the world where she can’t go.
In the hands of a Good witch this broom will manifest the following powers:
- Act as a Broom of Flying
- Act as a Broom of Protection, Threshold
- When held it will render the witch Invisible
- When used to knock on a door the door will open as if a Knock spell was cast on it. Inhabitants will not be able to hear the knock.
Neutral witches can also use these powers, but only if their intent is pure and good. If they attempt to do anything that is considered harmful or against those pure intentions then the Broom treats them as if they were Evil.
Evil witches cannot use the Broom at all. Once they touch it it becomes a Broom of Animated Attack. The broom will attack for 1 round (it gets the initiative due to surprise) then it disappears.
Typically the Broom will remain with any given witch only for one year then it will disappear to find another worthy witch.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Magical Near Talents in Ghosts of Albion
The child looked at me in obvious fear and trepidation. I tried to win the young lad over with my most winninest smile. "Its ok dear. I am not going to hurt you." I said, but he shook his head.
"Beggin' your pardons Mum, its not you I'm worried about, but that ghost lady behind you."
Not everyone in the Ghosts of Albion game is a ghost, powerful Protector or vampire. In fact the vast, vast majority of people in the world are not only ignorant of the supernatural, but so far removed from it that it has no impact on their lives whatsoever. Generally speaking this line is easily demarcated with the possession of either the Magic quality (in humans) or the Innate Magic quality (in supernaturals). If you have one or the other then the world of the supernatural is open to you and you to it.
There are some that have no magical talent to speak of, yet the world of the supernatural is open to them, in a limited state. They see ghosts, hear strange creaking where others hear nothing and sometimes even are able to cast a spell.
These folk are known as Near Talents and they are have a zero (0) level of Magic.
Magic 0
3 points or Special
Prerequisite: Must be human
Characters with 0 levels of Magic have a small bit of magical talent. They can cast a spell (typically they know only one) of PL 1 (and no higher). They cannot quick cast any spells and will always cast their spell at the end of their round.
Characters with Magic 0 are treated as if they have Lesser Sensing, but they typically need a Perception + Notice roll in order to see any magic or magical creature. The Director can make exceptions to this, typically making it easier to see some things like a familiar ghost.
Characters can "upgrade" to a full level of Magic with the Director's approval only. Directors are encouraged to find an "in story" reason for this manifestation of the character's full potential and either grant them Magic 1 or allow them to buy it for 1 or 2 points (never more than 2).
Spellcasting is treated the same, except the Magic modifier is 0. Characters with Magic 0 have no magical defenses, they need to be Magic 1 at least for that.
Uses of Near Talents
Near Talents can be used to provide a nice middle ground. Ordinary humans with one toe in the supernatural world. The obvious choices are NPC and Guest Stars, but Cast Members can also benefit from this quality. In particular Magic 0 also acts like a low level magic sensitivity that can be given to otherwise normal humans so they can be part of the adventuring world. If this is the case then the director is encouraged to give these Cast Members Magic 0 for free, but not give them a spell to use. If they later find one that can be up to the Director.
"Beggin' your pardons Mum, its not you I'm worried about, but that ghost lady behind you."
-From The Journal of Tamara Swift
Not everyone in the Ghosts of Albion game is a ghost, powerful Protector or vampire. In fact the vast, vast majority of people in the world are not only ignorant of the supernatural, but so far removed from it that it has no impact on their lives whatsoever. Generally speaking this line is easily demarcated with the possession of either the Magic quality (in humans) or the Innate Magic quality (in supernaturals). If you have one or the other then the world of the supernatural is open to you and you to it.
There are some that have no magical talent to speak of, yet the world of the supernatural is open to them, in a limited state. They see ghosts, hear strange creaking where others hear nothing and sometimes even are able to cast a spell.
These folk are known as Near Talents and they are have a zero (0) level of Magic.
Magic 0
3 points or Special
Prerequisite: Must be human
Characters with 0 levels of Magic have a small bit of magical talent. They can cast a spell (typically they know only one) of PL 1 (and no higher). They cannot quick cast any spells and will always cast their spell at the end of their round.
Characters with Magic 0 are treated as if they have Lesser Sensing, but they typically need a Perception + Notice roll in order to see any magic or magical creature. The Director can make exceptions to this, typically making it easier to see some things like a familiar ghost.
Characters can "upgrade" to a full level of Magic with the Director's approval only. Directors are encouraged to find an "in story" reason for this manifestation of the character's full potential and either grant them Magic 1 or allow them to buy it for 1 or 2 points (never more than 2).
Spellcasting is treated the same, except the Magic modifier is 0. Characters with Magic 0 have no magical defenses, they need to be Magic 1 at least for that.
Uses of Near Talents
Near Talents can be used to provide a nice middle ground. Ordinary humans with one toe in the supernatural world. The obvious choices are NPC and Guest Stars, but Cast Members can also benefit from this quality. In particular Magic 0 also acts like a low level magic sensitivity that can be given to otherwise normal humans so they can be part of the adventuring world. If this is the case then the director is encouraged to give these Cast Members Magic 0 for free, but not give them a spell to use. If they later find one that can be up to the Director.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Zatannurday: Zatanna as an RPG Character
I have been thinking about magic using characters a lot of late. Partially as I wrap up my new Witch books and as I look forward to maybe working on my own system/modern system.
So here are some of the links I have been using of late to help research her character for various games I might want to add her to.
Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zatanna
Comic Vine, http://www.comicvine.com/zatanna/29-5691/
DC Wikia, http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Zatanna_Zatara_(New_Earth). This has a good list of her powers
DCAU Wikia, http://dcanimated.wikia.com/wiki/Zatanna
Smallville Wikia, http://smallville.wikia.com/wiki/Zatanna_Zatara. I'll need to talk about Smallville soon.
Her IMDB page, http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0035273/
Interestingly enough, while in some comics Zee is seen to need to use her voice to cast spells (or be rendered helpless if she can't talk) sometimes, like the above screen shot, she can do magic without needing to vocalize at all. Or, as in the past Paul Dini run, she can write the word backwards.
The DC Adventures game has all her spells as "vocal" ones. But even recent comics has shown her writing a spell backwards to get the desired effect.
I'll spend some time looking over her RPG stats for DC Adventures and Mayfair's old DC Heroes.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
New Witch Magic items, Protection items
In most games witches and wizards seriously lack anything like melee skills and protection. This actually does not make much sense. I see the logic in not allowing them to wear armor; there is the training needed to wear it properly and the interference with movements, but if you are going into a situation where arrows, claws and swords are all around you and often pointing at you then I think you would come up with some ways to better protect yourself.
Well the witches in my books typically do. They create a variety of magic items that look like regular bits of clothing that can provide protection of one form or another. I have taken a lot of these from fairytales, legends and other places.
I am releasing these under the OGL, but they should be fine for any version of the "world's oldest fantasy role-playing game". All content is open and is copyright 2011 Timothy S. Brannan. Art copyrights are retained by their owners and are used here by permission (the broom) or public domain (hand of glory).
Broom of Protection: This broom appears to be an ordinary witch’s besom or other mundane broom. It’s magic is revealed when the witch uses it to sweep.
This broom provided protection as a Sanctuary spell when the witch sweeps a clockwise circle around herself and others. The effects last five rounds and may be repeated 3d6 times.
Broom of Protection, Threshold: This broom also appears as a normal broom. It’s magic is evident when placed across a door as a bar or propped up against a door to hold it closed. Once so placed the door cannot be opened save via magic. If placed across a threshold where there is no door then no one can pass through also save via magic or by making a save vs. Rods, Staves and Wands (or a Will save).
Charm Bracelet: This silver chain is worn on the wrist and has a number of metal charms attached. The number of charms, 1 to 4, indicates the level of protection the bracelet will provide. So 1 charm is +1 to AC and Saves, 2 charms are +2 to AC and Saves and so on.
Charm Bracelet, Luck: This silver chain appears to be a charm bracelet, but instead of providing protection directly it provides a +1 to any one roll. The number of times it can be used in a day is indicated by the number of charms, 1d6. The luck bonus must be announced before the roll is made. It may only provide a single +1 bonus per use.
Cingulum: This nine-foot long cord in often wrapped many times around the waist as a belt. Magical varieties confer +1 to +5 bonuses to AC. The material to make this cord maybe anything the witch has on hand (leather, hemp rope, cotton, silk) but the manufacture must be of high quality. The cingulum typically has a number of knots equal to its bonuses. The magic does not become active till it is wrapped around the waist and knotted.
Garters
Garters are bits of clothing, usually cloth or leather, but can be made of more exotic materials such as snake skin, used to hold up a pair of stockings or socks. Some garters are also worn without supporting any other item of clothing or on the arm. Only one garter may be worn per appendage.
Garter of Protection, Red: This garter is almost always red. It confers a natural armor protection of +1 to +5. Normally worn on the upper arm this garter is made of the finest leather available.
Garter, Snakeskin: This garter is made of the recently shed skin of a large snake (less than 24 hours old). The skin is treated and infused with the witch’s magic. The end product is a bright snakeskin garter that allows the wear to escape any bonds as if they had escape of the snake cast on them.
Hand of Glory: This was a right hand of a murderer that was severed while the corpse was still hanging from the gallows. This mummified human hand hangs by a leather cord around a character’s neck (taking up space as a magic necklace would). When the hand was ready, candles were fitted on it between the fingers. These were called the “dead man’s candles” were made from another murderer’s fat, with the wick being made from his hair. Another method of curing the severed and dried hand was to dip it in wax. After this process the fingers themselves could be lit. If a magic ring is placed on one of the fingers of the hand, the wearer benefits from the ring as if wearing it him or herself, and it does not count against the wearer’s two-ring limit. The hand can wear only one ring at a time.
Even without a ring, lighting the hand itself allows its wearer to use daylight and see invisibility each once per day.
The following phrase is spoken to invoke the hand:
“Let those who rest, more deeply sleep;
Let those awake their vigils keep.
Oh, Hand of Glory, shed thy light
And guide us to our spoil tonight.”
Mantel of Protection: This leather mantle can be worn over cloaks, coats or armor. It provides +1 protection to AC and a -1 bonus to saving throws.
Oil of Death Armor: This oil is rubbed onto the user’s body. Anyone touching the user with bare skin must save vs. Death or take 2d4 points of damage (save negates). This spell lasts a number of rounds equal to 2d6. Many Patrons could consider use of this potion evil.
Sky Clad Oil: This oil is rubbed on the body to protect the user from the elements while sky-clad (nude). The oil is only effective on bare skin. The user can survive temperatures of -60 degrees to +200 degrees Fahrenheit, but only when uncovered. Any part of her body covered by clothes will not receive the magical protection.
Any other class can use this oil, but witches are very secretive about its nature (reflected in the price). This oil can also be safely used with any other type of body potion or oil, in particular Flying Ointment.
The oil’s effects last 6 hours, typically midnight till dawn.
Talismans
Talismans are small items that can have any spell of third level or lower. The talisman can be made of paper, wood, clay or even metal. Often they are worn and kept till evoked. To evoke a talisman takes only an instant and the effects are instant. The command word or gesture to evoke the talisman is often inscribed on the talisman itself.
Unless otherwise noted a talisman can only be used once.
Hand of Fatima: A small brass talisman in the shape of a hand. Provides protection against any evil spell or spell like effect directed at the wearer, in particular the evil eye. These talismans may only be used once per day.
Isis’ Talisman of Protection: This talisman confers a +1 protection bonus to saves and AC. Effects last as per level of creator. This talisman is usually in the form of a fine crafted gold ahnk. These talismans may only be used once per day.
Talisman of Good Luck: This talisman is one of the most often found. This minor magic item provides +1 to any single roll. The talisman must be invoked before the action is taken (before the roll is made).
Typically luck talismans are in the form of a four-leaf clover, a rabbit’s foot, a horseshoe or a copper coin. Any other small item maybe use. The item is not consumed in the invocation, but it useless after the first use.
Talisman of Protection Against Conception: Even in historical times there were means of birth control practiced, this is one of the magical ones. Worn by tantric witches during their worship practices, witches during the rites of Beltane or any woman that wishes to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.
The talisman provides protection for one full lunar month (one moon phase to the next) then it becomes inert. This is if the talisman is used or not.
Mundane (non magical) pregnancies are completely blocked and magical ones (via a fertility spell) give a +1 to any saves.
Since they only last one month regardless of if it is used or not the materials are often not the highest quality. Also an owner can return to the witch to have the talisman “recharged” at the same price.
Note: A lot of these talismans are sold that are completely useless. Only the witch’s reputation, or the ability to detect magic, can one be sure. In places where witchcraft. is outlawed possession of these talismans is also considered a crime.
"Witch Protection Items", Copyright 2011 Timothy S. Brannan
Well the witches in my books typically do. They create a variety of magic items that look like regular bits of clothing that can provide protection of one form or another. I have taken a lot of these from fairytales, legends and other places.
I am releasing these under the OGL, but they should be fine for any version of the "world's oldest fantasy role-playing game". All content is open and is copyright 2011 Timothy S. Brannan. Art copyrights are retained by their owners and are used here by permission (the broom) or public domain (hand of glory).
Broom of Protection: This broom appears to be an ordinary witch’s besom or other mundane broom. It’s magic is revealed when the witch uses it to sweep.
This broom provided protection as a Sanctuary spell when the witch sweeps a clockwise circle around herself and others. The effects last five rounds and may be repeated 3d6 times.
Broom of Protection, Threshold: This broom also appears as a normal broom. It’s magic is evident when placed across a door as a bar or propped up against a door to hold it closed. Once so placed the door cannot be opened save via magic. If placed across a threshold where there is no door then no one can pass through also save via magic or by making a save vs. Rods, Staves and Wands (or a Will save).
Charm Bracelet: This silver chain is worn on the wrist and has a number of metal charms attached. The number of charms, 1 to 4, indicates the level of protection the bracelet will provide. So 1 charm is +1 to AC and Saves, 2 charms are +2 to AC and Saves and so on.
Charm Bracelet, Luck: This silver chain appears to be a charm bracelet, but instead of providing protection directly it provides a +1 to any one roll. The number of times it can be used in a day is indicated by the number of charms, 1d6. The luck bonus must be announced before the roll is made. It may only provide a single +1 bonus per use.
Cingulum: This nine-foot long cord in often wrapped many times around the waist as a belt. Magical varieties confer +1 to +5 bonuses to AC. The material to make this cord maybe anything the witch has on hand (leather, hemp rope, cotton, silk) but the manufacture must be of high quality. The cingulum typically has a number of knots equal to its bonuses. The magic does not become active till it is wrapped around the waist and knotted.
Garters
Garters are bits of clothing, usually cloth or leather, but can be made of more exotic materials such as snake skin, used to hold up a pair of stockings or socks. Some garters are also worn without supporting any other item of clothing or on the arm. Only one garter may be worn per appendage.
Garter of Protection, Red: This garter is almost always red. It confers a natural armor protection of +1 to +5. Normally worn on the upper arm this garter is made of the finest leather available.
Garter, Snakeskin: This garter is made of the recently shed skin of a large snake (less than 24 hours old). The skin is treated and infused with the witch’s magic. The end product is a bright snakeskin garter that allows the wear to escape any bonds as if they had escape of the snake cast on them.
Even without a ring, lighting the hand itself allows its wearer to use daylight and see invisibility each once per day.
The following phrase is spoken to invoke the hand:
“Let those who rest, more deeply sleep;
Let those awake their vigils keep.
Oh, Hand of Glory, shed thy light
And guide us to our spoil tonight.”
Mantel of Protection: This leather mantle can be worn over cloaks, coats or armor. It provides +1 protection to AC and a -1 bonus to saving throws.
Oil of Death Armor: This oil is rubbed onto the user’s body. Anyone touching the user with bare skin must save vs. Death or take 2d4 points of damage (save negates). This spell lasts a number of rounds equal to 2d6. Many Patrons could consider use of this potion evil.
Sky Clad Oil: This oil is rubbed on the body to protect the user from the elements while sky-clad (nude). The oil is only effective on bare skin. The user can survive temperatures of -60 degrees to +200 degrees Fahrenheit, but only when uncovered. Any part of her body covered by clothes will not receive the magical protection.
Any other class can use this oil, but witches are very secretive about its nature (reflected in the price). This oil can also be safely used with any other type of body potion or oil, in particular Flying Ointment.
The oil’s effects last 6 hours, typically midnight till dawn.
Talismans
Talismans are small items that can have any spell of third level or lower. The talisman can be made of paper, wood, clay or even metal. Often they are worn and kept till evoked. To evoke a talisman takes only an instant and the effects are instant. The command word or gesture to evoke the talisman is often inscribed on the talisman itself.
Unless otherwise noted a talisman can only be used once.
Hand of Fatima: A small brass talisman in the shape of a hand. Provides protection against any evil spell or spell like effect directed at the wearer, in particular the evil eye. These talismans may only be used once per day.
Isis’ Talisman of Protection: This talisman confers a +1 protection bonus to saves and AC. Effects last as per level of creator. This talisman is usually in the form of a fine crafted gold ahnk. These talismans may only be used once per day.
Talisman of Good Luck: This talisman is one of the most often found. This minor magic item provides +1 to any single roll. The talisman must be invoked before the action is taken (before the roll is made).
Typically luck talismans are in the form of a four-leaf clover, a rabbit’s foot, a horseshoe or a copper coin. Any other small item maybe use. The item is not consumed in the invocation, but it useless after the first use.
Talisman of Protection Against Conception: Even in historical times there were means of birth control practiced, this is one of the magical ones. Worn by tantric witches during their worship practices, witches during the rites of Beltane or any woman that wishes to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.
The talisman provides protection for one full lunar month (one moon phase to the next) then it becomes inert. This is if the talisman is used or not.
Mundane (non magical) pregnancies are completely blocked and magical ones (via a fertility spell) give a +1 to any saves.
Since they only last one month regardless of if it is used or not the materials are often not the highest quality. Also an owner can return to the witch to have the talisman “recharged” at the same price.
Note: A lot of these talismans are sold that are completely useless. Only the witch’s reputation, or the ability to detect magic, can one be sure. In places where witchcraft. is outlawed possession of these talismans is also considered a crime.
"Witch Protection Items", Copyright 2011 Timothy S. Brannan
Friday, June 17, 2011
Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows, Part 2
This is going to be great.
The scenes where knights come to defend the school is exactly how I imagined it would be.
And there is this, http://www.youtube.com/JKRowlingAnnounces
The scenes where knights come to defend the school is exactly how I imagined it would be.
And there is this, http://www.youtube.com/JKRowlingAnnounces
Thursday, June 16, 2011
End of an Era
We are coming up on the end of an era.
The last Harry Potter movie will be hitting theaters next month and it has been a fun 10 year ride.
Regardless of your thoughts on the books, or the movies or any of the hype there are a few things I think are very true.
1. It has been a worldwide phenomena, not just in terms of the "World of Harry Potter" but something that got kids to READ!
2. It has been a wonder watching these young actors grow up.
The books have been fantastic. The movies wonderful. I am for one sad to see them go, but all good things right.
Here is a really cool video.
The last Harry Potter movie will be hitting theaters next month and it has been a fun 10 year ride.
Regardless of your thoughts on the books, or the movies or any of the hype there are a few things I think are very true.
1. It has been a worldwide phenomena, not just in terms of the "World of Harry Potter" but something that got kids to READ!
2. It has been a wonder watching these young actors grow up.
The books have been fantastic. The movies wonderful. I am for one sad to see them go, but all good things right.
Here is a really cool video.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
More thoughts on the Witch
I was thinking about the witch class/archetype over this last weekend. In particular to D&D4 vs. Old School D&D.
One thing that D&D4 (and even Pathfinder) has is a simple basic magical attack for the witch/warlock. In D&D4 it is Eldritch Blast, Pathfinder has their hexes and since you can cast 0 level spells at-will there is a great one called Daze. Stun an opponent from far away so the fighter types can take care of them.
The one thing that magic using classes in old-school games lack is a basic magic attack. Something that is magic, does a little bit of damage and can be used repeatedly.
The Magic-User/Wizard has the infamous "Magic Missile" spell, but at one use per day it isn't the kind of thing I was thinking of. D&D4 splits MM into two basically two types, one that always hits and does a small amount of damage (like the older versions) and one that does more damage, but requires a to-hit roll.
In the Buffy RPG witches get a basic TK power, which can be used as a basic attack. In WitchCraft there is a skill called Magic Bolt that is basically a magical attack.
The issue I am having is that a basic attack like this is not very "witchy". Sure it features in a lot of modern supernatural books like The Dresden Files, but I have been wracking my brain all weekend to think of a time when say a witch from fairy tale or myth used one. Curses, hexes, evil eyes yes, some sort of blast? Not really. Harry is also a Wizard, not a witch, a difference that I have quite been able to tell in the books, but it has been mentioned. Compare that to Rachel Morgan of the Hollows Books. Rachel has a lot of magical fire power, but if she wants an "attack" spell she mixes up a potion and puts it into the balls of a paint ball gun.
I think if I wanted to add witches to any old-school game an attack spell would need to be of a non-active kind, like a curse, hex or even TK. Wizards would need something similar, but I think theirs would be more damage causing, sort of like an at-will magic missile.
I suppose this is one of the reason I do like newer games, it does give the lower level magic using types more to do. Sure the idea is that fighters are your low-level fire power and wizards are the high powered ones and that is great; from a group dynamic perspective. From an individual perspective it means a lot of time "doing nothing" (not really, but you know what I mean) during combats.
So thoughts everyone?
What do you think of an at-will style magical attack for magic-using types (not clerics though)? Something like a magic missile, but say does less damage, maybe only 1 pt per level?
Not very Old-School I know, but want to see what people think.
One thing that D&D4 (and even Pathfinder) has is a simple basic magical attack for the witch/warlock. In D&D4 it is Eldritch Blast, Pathfinder has their hexes and since you can cast 0 level spells at-will there is a great one called Daze. Stun an opponent from far away so the fighter types can take care of them.
The one thing that magic using classes in old-school games lack is a basic magic attack. Something that is magic, does a little bit of damage and can be used repeatedly.
The Magic-User/Wizard has the infamous "Magic Missile" spell, but at one use per day it isn't the kind of thing I was thinking of. D&D4 splits MM into two basically two types, one that always hits and does a small amount of damage (like the older versions) and one that does more damage, but requires a to-hit roll.
In the Buffy RPG witches get a basic TK power, which can be used as a basic attack. In WitchCraft there is a skill called Magic Bolt that is basically a magical attack.
The issue I am having is that a basic attack like this is not very "witchy". Sure it features in a lot of modern supernatural books like The Dresden Files, but I have been wracking my brain all weekend to think of a time when say a witch from fairy tale or myth used one. Curses, hexes, evil eyes yes, some sort of blast? Not really. Harry is also a Wizard, not a witch, a difference that I have quite been able to tell in the books, but it has been mentioned. Compare that to Rachel Morgan of the Hollows Books. Rachel has a lot of magical fire power, but if she wants an "attack" spell she mixes up a potion and puts it into the balls of a paint ball gun.
I think if I wanted to add witches to any old-school game an attack spell would need to be of a non-active kind, like a curse, hex or even TK. Wizards would need something similar, but I think theirs would be more damage causing, sort of like an at-will magic missile.
I suppose this is one of the reason I do like newer games, it does give the lower level magic using types more to do. Sure the idea is that fighters are your low-level fire power and wizards are the high powered ones and that is great; from a group dynamic perspective. From an individual perspective it means a lot of time "doing nothing" (not really, but you know what I mean) during combats.
So thoughts everyone?
What do you think of an at-will style magical attack for magic-using types (not clerics though)? Something like a magic missile, but say does less damage, maybe only 1 pt per level?
Not very Old-School I know, but want to see what people think.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
True Spell Casting: True 20
I have been enjoying playing with True20 off and on and it has really met my needs in a game, but there are still some things about it that I miss from other games. In particular is magic.
The True20 powers system is a very good one and it can emulate almost any magical system I have wanted to try, but there is one area where it falls short and that is in terms of spells. By spells I mean magical effects that are typically written down and can be learned or taught. Yes, very similar to D&D, but also spells that could be found in Call of Cthulhu or the Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPGs.
Why Spells?
Part of it is one of storytelling, sometimes I need a one-time magical effect and I don’t really need a new power to describe it or I need a way of transmitting the knowledge of magical effects in a portable means; ie. in books.
The other the is one of necessity. I have dozens of D&D 3.x/d20 books, many are filled with spells, so all in all hundreds if not thousands of spells.
Wouldn’t powers-as-spells work just as well? Well yes, and in fact it would work for I guess 80% or more of all the spells. With a limited power selection the difference between Adepts are often mostly cosmetic.
Also there are spells that there are not True20 Power equivalents, wish is a good example, and most of the spells in d20 Call of Cthulhu.
And finally, I like to run a magic-rich game. True20 is perfect for this low-magic game I am working on now, but less so to emulate say D&D or my modern horror/supernatural game.
How to Do it?
I do not want to abandon the Power structure in True20, nor do I want to adopt the d20 Spell system wholesale either, but a simple compromise seems to work out well.
To do this I have created a new Supernatural Power called simply enough, Spellcasting. An adept can take Spellcasting up to nine (9) times.
To actually cast the spell the adept uses the Spellcasting power just like any other power.
Spellcasting 1
Concentration
You can cast spells of the First Level. Read the spell description for effects and it the spell needs to be Maintained and if it is Fatiguing.
Spellcasting 2
Concentration
Prerequisite: Spellcasting 1
As Spellcasting 1 except now the caster can cast spells of Second Level.
And so on…
Learning Spells
Taking the power at a new level is not enough to cast spells. The adept must first take the power then learn the spell. This allows the Gamemaster to control which spells can be entered into the game. It also allows which spells can or can’t be learned. For example the Gamemaster can restrict Wizard spells or even “Ranger” spells to a particular group of casters, or even by schools or descriptors (Necromancy or “Fire”).
Spells could be learned via enrollment in specialized “Wizard schools” (D&D or Harry Potter), from occult libraries (Buffy) or found in ancient tomes (Army of Darkness, Call of Cthulhu).
To learn a spell requires a difficulty check.
DC = 15 + Spell Level (in magic rich games) or 20 + Spell Level (in magic rare game)
The bonus for this check is like a skill check. A d20 + Bonus
Bonus = Power Level (Adept Level + 3) + Key Ability (Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma)
Alternately you can make this a true skill check with Knowledge (Supernatural) or even bringing in the Spellcraft skill.
If the spells can be found the Adept can learn 3 + Key Ability number of spells per Spell level in total, though they can have as many spells in their library as they can.
For example, Taryn, a 1st level Charisma-based Adept takes Spellcasting 1 as a power. She has Charisma +2. She can cast 1st level spells and can learn up to 5 total 1st level spells (3 + 2). Even though she has a library full of 2nd level spells from her mother, they cannot be learned until she takes Spellcastng 2.
Casting Spells
To cast a spell the Adept needs to have appropriate level of the Spellcasting Power.
Casting a spell is not quite the same as using a Power. They often do require the movement of hands, saying special words and the use of material components. Because of this anytime a spell is cast, a spellcasting check needs to be made.
Spell Casting DC = 10 + Spell level
Bonus = Adept Level +3 + Key Ability.
So in our example Taryn our 1st level adept casts Color Spray, a 1st level spell.
The DC for her to cast this spell is 11 (10 + 1) this represents her getting her colored sand and saying the words.
Her bonus is +6 (Adept level 1, +3, +2 for Charisma). So she needs to roll a 5 or more on a d20.
To Save Against a Spell
DC = 10 + Key Ability + Spell’s Level
Converting Spells
D20 spells are not written like True20 powers, but there is enough similarity to allow conversion, for the most part the conversions are dealt with in the True20 book.
Healing or Damage that does 1d6 per caster level has a damage bonus of +1 per level of the Adept.
For the odd case where damage is 1d8 or more then use the follow conversions.
1d6 per caster level = +1 per adept level
1d8 per caster level = +1 per adept level then +1
1d10 per caster level = +1 per adept level then +2
1d12 per caster level = +1 per adept level then +3
Damage the effects abilities is dealt with the conversions below
1d3, 1d4 = 1
1d6 = 2
1d8 = 3
1d10 = 4
1d12 = 5
Converting Spells, Part 2: d20 Call of Cthulhu
The spells in the d20 Call of Cthulhu are mostly d20 compatible. What they lack are spell levels and most cause some sort of damage to the caster, usually damage to an ability, but often damage in terms of sanity loss.
For ability damage divide the listed damage by 2.
For HP damage use the conversions above.
For Sanity use the Mental Health track from the True20 Companion. Sanity damage effects the base Sanity Bonus (page 88, T20C).
To convert Sanity damage take the amount the of d6’s rolled as the loss. For example if sanity damage is 3d6 then the damage to the Sanity Bonus is -3. For any die other than a d6 then add +1. So Sanity Damage in d20 CoC that causes 2d8 would be 2+1 or -3.
Spells in d20 Call of Cthulhu are all considering to be 1st level in terms of learning and casting. But do not let that fool you. The CoC spells are all difficult to cast and often dangerous to both friends and enemies alike. The DCs to learn the spells are often given not with the spell itself, but the books in which they are written in (the Necronomicon, Nameless Cults, etc.)
Alternately you can consider CoC spells to be of level 10, thus requiring another level of Spellcasting in order to cast, but that removes the ability of the regular investigator to cast these spells.
Converting Spells, Part 3: BESM d20 Advanced Magic
Spells in BESM d20 Advanced Magic were another attempt to overhaul the magic system. Instead of levels the spells are given in terms of DCs.
To find the level of any spell take the DC divide by 10 and round up.
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