Tuesday, July 12, 2022

New Release Tuesday: Blue Rose Six of Cups

I have been waiting a bit to share this one with you all.  I have an adventure in the newest Blue Rose RPG book, Six of Cups!

Blue Rose: Six of Cups

Yes, that is my name at the bottom. 

I am quite excited about this really. There are a lot of great adventures here from a lot of great authors/designers.  Working with Green Ronin was a joy really. I am honored to have been able to contribute even just a small part to the World of Aldea.

My adventure, appropriately named "Witching Weather" deals with the birth of five children all of who have some sort of magical power and the forces of darkness that are closing in around them.

In addition to the adventure, I was given the privilege to add a bit more detail to the City of Garnet. 

I have seen the world of Blue Rose described as "fantasy Seatle" which may or may not be true, but Garnet as I have written it is "Fantasy Alton, IL."  Alton is a blue-collar riverside town with some great history, some unexpectedly good restaurants, and the shadow of the Piasa Bird everywhere you go.  Vyon Bloodwing, one of the adversaries of the adventure, is my homage to the Piasa Bird.  

So grab this book. It has my adventure in it and a bunch of other great adventures and guides to lesser-traveled places in Aldea.  When you are walking along the "Riverwalk" or "Restaurant Row" in Garnet please don't forget to raise your drink, be it a hearty stout or an equally strong tea, to both the Sovereign and the famous Admiral Celeste Vorcolio. Both the pride and joy of Garnet.  

Monday, July 11, 2022

Monstrous Mondays: Basic Bestiary Movement (& updates)

Basic Bestiary
It has not only been a while (nearly a year) since I last talked about the Basic Bestiary, it has been a while since I have actually worked on it.  That is too bad really because while I have been sitting on my thumbs and doing whatever the hell else I have been doing others (at least three I can think of) have gotten their monster books out or into Kickstarter. And there is a lot of overlap in monsters here.  

Frankly, I could not be happier!

I love monster books. I have said this here a thousand times. And more monster books are always welcome. I'll spend some time with these other books later this week.

But I still want to get my own book out.

I am NOT going to do a Kickstarter for it. Nothing against it, but I don't want want to go there yet. So that means the art will be what I can buy when I can buy it with money from my other books. So that means it will be a bit longer.

I also believe that my monster book will be a value add to all the other monster books out there.  There are a lot of great monsters and monster books out there. Mine will be influenced by what I have read and played over the last decades. 

Also, instead of saying mine is "Labyrinth Lord" or "Swords & Wizardry" compatible or even the very popular "Old-School Essentials" compatible, I am sticking with my own "Basic-Era Compatible."  That might end up costing me some sales or promotions, but my stat block here is not something that is pure for any one system. In truth, I could very well put "Advanced-Era Compatible" on these books as well since I am designing the stat block to cover both systems, even if the style esthetic is going to be Basic-era.  I talked a bit about this in my "Detailing a 'Universal' Stat-block" post and that is where I want to go today.  All based on the question "how many miles per hour is that?"

Movement

One of the things that always tripped me up moving from Holmes Basic to Moldvay Basic and then to AD&D was movement rates.  Let's go back to my universal stat block breakdown and look at the movement rates for the Orc.

Holmes: 90 feet
Moldvay: 120' (40')
Mentzer/BECMI/RC: 120' (40')
AD&D 1st ed: 9"
AD&D 2nd ed: 9 (12)
D&D 3: 30 feet (6 squares)
D&D 4: 6 (8 while charging)
D&D 5: 30 feet

These speeds all are "per round" though what a round is can differ.  Holmes' speed is more in line with AD&D. D&D 3 to 5 are all the same despite different notation.

In my Basic Bestiary I note it like this:

Movement: 120' (40') [12"]  

With "AD&D" notation in the brackets. Note that my orcs then look faster. Rounds in Basic are 10 seconds and rounds in AD&D/D&D3-5 are all 6 seconds.  This means that my 120' movement rate orc in Basic has a different "Real-time" speed in AD&D.  My converted orc moves at 12" and not the 9" listed.  Is this a problem?  Actually, no. I don't feel that it is.

According to the Labyrinth Lord RPG book, 120' is the exploring speed per turn and 40' is the combat speed per round and 120' is the full running speed per round. So my question. How fast is this in MPH?

120' per round is 120 feet per 10 seconds or 720 per minute or 43,200 per hour or 8.18 repeating.  I opt to make the miles an easier 5400* feet to get 8 miles per hour.  So an orc can run full-on at 8 miles per hour. 
(*5400 is divisible by 2 and 3 so it gives me better numbers to work with.)

This brings up an interesting notion.  How fast can a particular monster move?

I looked at my entry for Archangel and see they fly at 360', which translates into 24 MPH. Not very fast from our point of view, but fast when compared to a mundane horse.  Maybe they have a Haste at-will spell and can fly at 48 MPH?  If it is a "Greater Haste" say at x3 then 72 MPH feels a little more respectable. Fantasy creatures don't always translate well into the real world.

Ideas like this have been helping drive my design philosophy.  When working on a monster I often ask "how do they relate to the PCs?" or "what sort of situations will this monster be in with the PCs?" since the Player Characters are the focus of all adventures.  Now I do also ask "How does this monster relate to Normal Humans?" and this has shifted my view on many creatures, in particular the undead.  There are consequences to both of these.

On the PC-centric side, we get the Succubus/Whispering Demon issue I mentioned a while back when I covered the BECMI Immortal Rules.  To quote:

A Succubus in AD&D is a 6+6 HD creature (average hp 33), her physical attacks are not great, but her kiss drains 2 life energy levels. In BECMI a Whispering Demon has 15* HD and 70 hp! Oh and her AC is -6.

A 6 HD creature is more than enough of a challenge for normal humans, it is also a pretty good (and scary) challenge for low-level characters. But a 15 HD succubus? That is a challenge for many!  But I do notice that in nearly every movie or tale about a succubus the demon is defeated in the end.

6 HD is what you get when you aim for Normal Humans.  15 HD is what you get when you aim for PCs.

The Basic Bestiaries will take on the point of view of Normal Humans for the most part. So my succubi (I have a couple) will be more along the lines of 6 HD.  My Archangels however will likely be flying at 72 MPH.

Friday, July 8, 2022

Friday Night Videos: Stranger Things Season 4

You all know I am a huge music fan AND I am a huge fan of Netflix's Stranger Things.

So in celebration of Season 4 here are some songs great for fighting monsters.

These would be the songs on my playlist 1986 that is for sure. Where would I have been on a Friday in July in 1986? Playing AD&D of course!

We need to start with the biggest comeback hit ever. Kate Bush's (who was already a D&D meme) Running up That Hill.

Seriously, could not have happened to a better person.

I grew up in the 80s. I played AD&D. I listened to metal. So I relate to Eddie Munson. I KNEW Eddie Munson, or at least people that had aspects of him.  I thought his "and that is why we play." line about D&D was going to be his signature line.  

No.

His "Chrissy. This is for you." got me where I live.  If "Running Up That Hill" was the song for Part 1, then "Master of Puppets" owns Part 2.

To quote Dustin, "Dude. Most. Metal. Ever!"

Another song from the time, Journey's Seperate Ways, got a spooky sounding remix.  

This isn't a song about two people drifting apart as much as it is now a song about our heroes all fighting their own personal battles.

It is really difficult to express how much "classic rock" was part of the 80s, especially in middle America. I mean think about what was popular vs. to what you were listening too.  For me 1986 was a combination of The Police (who had promised us new songs in 86), Dire Straits, Peter Gabriel, to Beastie Boys, Run DMC, as well as Pink Floyd, The Who, and Joe Walsh. So seeing a couple of classic rock songs make the series feels right.


Now we have to wait nearly two years until the next and final season. The ending credits left us with none other than the transcendent Siouxsie Sioux and The Banshees' "Spellbound."


Follow Friday: Wobblies & Wizards

Wobblies & Wizards
I like Podcasts. I can't keep up with all of them out there, but I do enjoy them and you get a different feel from them than you get from say a blog post.

Here is one of my new favorites.

Wobblies & Wizards

Run by Shane Thayer aka Logar the Barbarian. It is an old-school, new-school, and all-around cool geek-based podcast.

If anything he leans more into old-school and the OSR scene, but that is a matter of these are the game he enjoys. You certainly get the vibe here that all games are welcome AND all gamers are welcome.

I was on (should be up soon) and we spent time talking about The Misfits and Black Flag. He has some great OSE content, Satanic Panic, and talks a lot about world-building.

Really worth checking out. Give him a listen and follow him on social media.

https://anchor.fm/wobbliesandwizards

https://twitter.com/LogarHailCrom

https://www.facebook.com/wobbliesandwizards

https://www.patreon.com/wobbliesandwizards

Thursday, July 7, 2022

Mail Call: Call of Cthulhu Classic Edition

Drive-by today. I backed the Call of Cthulhu Kickstarter a while back and received my books in the mail a few days ago.

I am rather pleased with what I got to be honest.

Call of Cthulhu boxed setCall of Cthulhu boxed set

The box is thick and sturdy.

Call of Cthulhu boxed set contents

Call of Cthulhu boxed set contents

Call of Cthulhu boxed set contents

Call of Cthulhu boxed set contents

Call of Cthulhu boxed set contents

Call of Cthulhu boxed set contents

There is enough material here for a life-time of play.

It also works nicely with my leather Anniversary edition from a couple years back.  

Call of Cthulhu boxed set and anniversary editions

The dice that came with the boxed set even match my leather edition.

This works out well for me.  My son is all about Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition. He has a ton of material for that. I get all the pre-6th edition material.  Sure they are still largely compatible, but it makes for a nice cut.  Plus this is the edition I like to play Cthulhu by Gaslight with.

Tuesday, July 5, 2022

It's July!

I can't believe it is July already.  I don't have an overall theme for this month except to get to some games I have wanted to try out.  Not sure if those will be reviews, play reports, or characters.  Maybe a little bit of all the above.

Other updates.

Posting might be light here for a bit. My oldest sister Terrie passed away due to an aggressive glioblastoma. She had already lived longer than the doctors had given her.  I am ok (ish) but I feel bad for her kids and her husband tom.  I also feel sad for my dad and my oldest brother Pat. My older brother Mike died about 10 years ago. He, Terrie, and Pat were all closer in age and very close. Now there is just Pat.  Not sure when the service will be.

top: Mike, Terrie, Pat, Joey, middle: me, Dad, Lori, bottom: Brian, Daniel, Jessica
Brannans Christmas 1979.
Sadly everyone in the top row except for my oldest brother Pat (beard, glasses) are now gone.

I have some projects I really must get done.  My creativity has been in a serious lull and I need to figure out how to get those ideas flowing again.

I have a thing coming up for Halloween I am excited about. I have picked out a lot of "good" horror movies for my October Horror Movie marathon.  I will also participate in Dave Chapman's #RPGaDay for 2022.

Let's see where the month takes us.

Monday, July 4, 2022

Monstrous Mondays: The D&D 4th Ed Monster Manual (Overview & Review)

A few months back I went through a number of the AD&D 2nd ed Monstrous Compendiums and talked about the advantages and disadvantages it had over the 1st ed Monster Manual. Also at the time, I mentioned the design choices made that also separated them from their 1st edition counterparts. 

Since today is the 4th of the month, I figure it is a good time to talk about the Fourth Edition Monster Manuals and what also made them special.  

Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Monster Manuals

To begin with, I was and am a fan of 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons. I know it was not everyone's favorite edition, to put it mildly, but there are some really great things about it.  For starters, I applaud the design team for daring to try something new and different with the D&D game. Of course, most fans don't want new. They want the same thing, but even for the open-minded D&D 4 was a bridge too far.  Secondly, D&D 4 was a masterwork of modular design. You could take out and move around sections of it as you needed.  Yes, everything worked together, but many of the pieces could be swapped out for other pieces.  This design notion extended to the layout of the books. Nowhere is this better seen than with the Monster Manuals.

To me it seemed that 4th edition took the design elements that had made the Monstrous Compendiums successful; namely one monster per page, and all sorts of information on the monster's habitat, environment, and variations.  It is also one of the main reasons I still keep my 4th edition monster books. There is so much information here that I have been using them to inform details in my 5th edition game. 

In all cases here, I am considering my hardcover books and the PDFs from DriveThruRPG.

Monster Manual for D&D 4e
Monster Manual for D&D 4e

Hardcover and PDF. Color covers, full-color interior art. 288 pages.

This was the third book published for D&D 4th edition, though that is a mere technicality since all books were published at the same time in June of 2008. I picked mine up as a boxed set at the midnight release.

Much like AD&D second edition, the monsters for D&D 4th edition are presented as one page per monster. More or less. Sometimes the monster runs two or four pages, but always a complete page.  Where 3e had monsters built exactly like characters, 4e monsters have their own rules, much like how 1st and 2nd Ed built them. 

Fourth Edition was most certainly a "miniatures" game or, as it was hoped, to have a lot of online support and content. That did not materialize in the way Wizards of the Coast wanted and strong sales of Paizo's rival "Pathfinder RPG" kept D&D sales low for the first in the history of RPGS.  Make no mistake, D&D still sold well, it just wasn't out selling everything else.  

That was too bad really.  D&D 4 had a lot about it I liked and still like.

Monster Manual 4e


The 4e Monster Manual is 288 pages with over 170 monster entries. Many entries have multiple monsters. For example, there are three different types of Aboleth, six types of kobolds, and seven types of orcs. Along with the stat blocks, we get an idea of the role each monster plays in combat, like Controller, Brutes, Skirmishers, or Leaders, and what tactics they can employ. All the monsters have Lore with appropriate DCs for learning more about them or what a particular die roll will bring up.  The monsters also include plot hooks and ideas for using them in adventures.  

Some interesting changes happened in 4e.  For starters, some major demons, like our cover guy Orcus here, got their own entry outside of the demons category.  He also had major henchmen listed with him. 

Orcus

Also, a conscious effort was made to redesign the cosmology of D&D. The effect here was to have Succubi now listed as "Devils" and not "Demons." 

not your typical devils

This caused some interesting in-game fluff with books like Erin M. Evans' "Brimstone Angels" trying to explain this "in-universe" from the perspective of the Forgotten Realms.  This lives on in 5e with succubi as now independent evil outsiders. Other changes were made to various monsters, Daemons/Yugoloths we moved over to the demons, including making them Chaotic Evil.  This might have messed with ideas of the Blood War, but there is no reason why there needs to be continuity between editions, it is just nice.

One of the things that irritated some people was not the monsters it had, but the ones it did not have.  It particular Demogorgon is nowhere to be found and many of the named devils are also not here. 

Monster Manual 2 for D&D 4e

Hardcover and PDF. Color covers, full-color interior art. 224 pages.

This book was published about a year later in May of 2009. This book also has over 170 monster entries. Some are expanded, like Giants (and I love what they did for giants in this edition) and more demons. This book also gives the impression that many monsters were held back for a second book.  Unlike previous books with the same name, Monster Manual 2, this one doesn't feel like added-on monsters. This feels more like the Vol 2 of the AD&D Monstrous Compendium.  In addition to some that are expected, there are some new monsters too.

Our cover guy this time is Demogorgon. He and all his minions get 9 pages. 

Monster Manual 3 for D&D 4e

Hardcover and PDF. Color covers, full-color interior art. 224 pages.  This is also the only book of the three that you can also buy as a Print on Demand softcover. 

This book was released in June 2010, another year after the MM2. Lolth is our cover girl this time. It would have been interesting to see Graz'zt, but Lolth makes sense too. Eclavdra also shows up in Lolth's entry.

Page for page, this one has a lot more new monsters. Not just new to D&D 4, but new to D&D.  These include the new Catastrophic Dragons which I had been looking forward to. There are a lot of new monsters and some additions to MM1 & MM2 ones, like new Fire Giants.  That is one of the features of this edition, each variation of a monster needs a new stat-block.  To be fair, D&D 3 and D&D 5 also did this a fair bit. 

Monster Manual 2 for D&D 4eMonster Manual 3 for D&D 4e

The layout is such, that like the AD&D 2nd Edition Monstrous Compendiums, the D&D 4th Edition Monster Manuals PDFs can be printed out with just the monsters you want and organized in a binder.  The modularity of the design is so well planned out that it really makes me want to print out these PDFs and just make my own Monstrous Compendium style binder for it. Sure the page numbering will be wonky, but that would not matter, everything will be perfectly alphabetized.  I could even re-integrate demons like Orcus and Lolth back to where they belong under demons. 

The art is amazing really. The visual style of the monsters flows from the 3rd Edition monster books to provide a sense of continuity even if the worlds do feel different. 

I am not currently playing D&D 4th Edition, but I find these monster books still so incredibly useful even in my D&D 5th Edition and Basic/Expert edition games.  They are also just great-looking books.  

If you are curious, there is a list of all the 4th Edition monsters