Onward into Peril

Other than honing my MS paint skillz this morning, thoughts of the full Peril RPG book fill my head.  You can download the sample pocket rules for the Peril RPG here.

1. I am contemplating either using only 2 classes (Adventurer/MU) or possibly 3 (Fighter/Specialist/Wizard)

2. No clerics, their turn ability will be put into holy symbols/ magical items and the spells will be integrated into spell list choices

3. Demi-humans: While I prefer race as class, I also see value in having them being antagonists.

4. I want the core rules to be about 24 pages in booklet form. Something I can print and mail out from home in envelopes. I don't want any item to be more than 24 pages, and the range should be 12pg to 24 pg

5. Color code the releases: Red cover for rules, Silver for supplements and Amber (orange) for adventures.

More to come...

 

PERIL RPG and other free RPG's from me!

Well just in time for FREE RPG DAY I am happy to announce the PERIL RPG sample is now available as a FREE DOWNLOAD! I even made character sheets for download too!  Just click on the PERIL RPG image in the column to your right to put yourself into more PERIL!

Over the past few years I have made quite a few RPG's and on this Free RPG day, I offer you links to the entire dragon's horde of RPG treasures!

BUCKSHOT A western RPG
FAR TREK An original series (TOS) inspired RPG
Heroes & Other Worlds, a TFT inspired RPG & a miniatures skirmish game
Rogue Space, a Science Fiction RPG & a miniatures skirmish game rules
Zombies Attack! A Zombie Apocalypse RPG & a miniatures skirmish game

Enjoy the games!

More Peril

Thanks for those interested in Peril for commenting. I have an idea for player weapon damage in Peril.  As is the case in most of my game I like to classify weapons and armor as Light, Medium and Heavy.  Then classes are limited to certain classes of weapons and armor--such as wizards only light weapons and light armor.

Now comes the interesting (to me) potential twist for weapon classification and damage in Peril:

Poor Class weapons (cheap, stone, or sketchy)
Light-d4, Medium 1d4+2, Heavy 2d4

Average weapons
Light d6, Medium d6+2, Heavy 2d6

Superior weapons (dwarven, elven, mastercraftsman)
Light d8, Medium d8+2, Heavy 2d8

OR...we just use the basic polyhedral value from B/X.

Please take a second and Vote for the weapons damage you prefer.

Then there is experience.  I plan on using monster HD as the XP value for slaying a beast.  Yup it will markedly slim points needed for level achievement but its a lot simpler to figure out.  Oh and gold and treasure do not give you XP, they are their own reward.

Last with each level you gain get 1 point to spend either adding +1 to an ability or spell you already have OR learning a new one.  Clean simple and insures every character is unique.

Peril RPG: What's it like?

M.J. asked a very good question-in a nutshell-how is Peril different from Sword & Shield (or I guess from any other game design I have done.)

M.J. I am glad you asked.

1) It will be compatible with D&D stuff.

2) Standard 3d6 Attribute roll up, but only 3 attributes Body, (STR/DEX) Mind (INT/WIS), and Will (CON/CHA).

3) Characters will also gain abilities with each level. These add bonuses to doing things and allow each character to be built uniquely over the course of play.

4) It will use ascending AC which acts the "to hit" target number in combat

5) It will use classes, hit points, standard SRD spell lists and monsters.

5) Magic will work a bit differently in Peril.  No Vancian magic system, but something different instead.  In a nutshell your MIND attribute is your target number.  To cast a spell you roll a d20 and add the level of the spell being cast to the d20 number rolled. Compare the resulting sm to your MIND attribute.

 If the sum is equal to or under your MIND score-the spell is cast, and can be cast again!  If not the spell failed and cannot be cast until 8 hours rest and study of the spell again.

In the end its my own spin on creating an easy, fast and fun entry to playing the grand old game while allowing use of a lot of great stuff out there.  I want my "Basic rules" to come in at 24 pgs and the free Pocket version will be 8 pgs.

Pocket Full of Peril RPG

Who is designing it? Me

What's it like? Searchers of the Unknown mashed up with Microlite and a pinch of my own madness. 

Where can I find it? Here, first as an 8 pg pocket mod sample, and probably a more robust bootleg, homemade booklet version for sale.  

When will it be ready? I am hopeful the first pass pocket mod booklet will be out this weekend.

Why should I care? Not sure you will or should, but people who say they don't care really do so it's all the same to me. :)

Question for you: Which name do you prefer Peril or Pocket Full of Peril? Let me now in the comments section please.

Ignore cover images, they are Frazetta's and won't be used for the game cover of course.

Ever see this?

I thought I knew every FGU game--but clearly I am wrong as I had never seen nor heard of this game?  Anyone know anything about it?

Review: D30 DM Companion

New Big Dragon just released their first for sale product, the D30 DM Companion.  In brief it is a book filled with d30 friendly tables to use for any older D&D based game system.  Available in Hard copy for $7.95 or PDF for $3.00.

What's in it?  Take the old Monsters and Treasure assortment books, mash it up with the JG Ready Reference sheets. Then shake until some bits and bobs fall out and publish. For my money it is that good.

What's to like? MORE great random charts all combined into one book!  Room Traps, dungeon debris, mushrooms and molds, instant equipment loads for characters or NPC's, magic items and poisons and much much more. This books works with B/X editions or clones as well as AD&D 1/2 editions or clones.  Quite possibly it would work with DCC RPG, but I do not have my copy yet so I cannot confirm.

What I like is these charts are the sort of core random charts I would want to reference and use frequently in my DM bag of tricks during gaming.  Ready Reference has many more esoteric charts or even campaign level charts...but frankly I never used them frequently.  I guess it is closer to Monster & Treasure Assortment, but it has MUCH MORE variety and as a DM reference book, more overall utility.

I purchased 2 hard copies as I already learned from the need to have a bullpen book after abusing my M&T and Read Ref copies into Duct Tape patched vagabonds.

While I enjoy the book, I do have 2 gripes:

First, I dislike the use of the d30.  That alone ALMOST stopped me from purchasing.  d66 would have been better in my opinion, but it is not a deal breaker-just a prejudice on my part.

Gripe 2 is layout, ALL of the charts are presented in landscape format.  For me this keeps the book from being easy to use at the table while gaming.  Many of the charts are a terrific resource while gaming so this can be a hindrance to my using it as much as I think I would like to during games.

Overall this is a must buy for any DM designing adventures, someone who enjoys random charts and can be recommended to anyone who also needs to give their d30 a proper work out.  Get your copy 

 Inside these 30-something pages you'll find a host of d30-based resources, including:

• super-quick character generation for classed characters,
including: attributes, motivations and equipment/inventory

• general dungeon features, embellishments, debris, and
geological phenomena

• 27,000 mold/slime variants and 27,000 mushroom variants

• monster encounters for levels 1-9 (270 listings)

• single d30 determination for ranges of "no. appearing"

• monster stats for over 175 monsters and 14 types/classes of humans/humanoids

• 900 trap variants based on 6 trap categories

• treasure hordes (by type) in fewer rolls

• 27,000 unique gem-based treasure items

• 27,000 treasure variants of magical weapons and armor

• 27,000 variants of scrolls, potions, wands, staves, and rods

• over 1.45 billion potion variants

• 60 new miscellaneous magic items

+ a master mapping key and a reproducible Dungeon Crawl Worksheet to assist DMs in mapping and stocking the rooms of their dungeons! 

D&D Next: My 1,000 word take

Respite

Valkyrie by TheBastardSon

Reviews are in

 Rogue Space is almost 2 months old now and the reviews are pretty damn good.  For something that started as an 8 page pocket mod, it grew into a 64 page RPG...but retained all the simplicity and flexibility of the source rules.

You can read some reviews and a podcast look at the game, including using it for a Mass Effect RPG engine at the following links.

A Susurrus in Carcosa review

Mik's Minis Review

Minions of the Monster Monster Blog podcast

....and if any of that intrigues you, check out the free 8 pg core rules on the Rogue Space blog or buy the game for $7.10 at Lulu. I make ZERO profit from the sales, but if you like it and want to donate to future exploration you can do so on my Rogue Space blog.

18 month head start

For fans of D&D 4th or really D&D in general (outside the OSR stuff) the next 18 months are an epic wait. Sure there will be some 4th ed support, but sales will most likely be slow to both consumers and distributors, because WotC has announced 4th is dead already. News about D&D Next and play tests at various events will help keep buzz about the brand going, but not income for the brand. In fact at GAMA 2011, it was clear already D&D 4th had lost ground and Pathfinder had ascended the throne. Now another year plus will pass before the next iteration of the grand old game hits the market.

So lets look at the situation currently, not only has WotC given the golden goose (its rules through OGL) to Paizo and established its own worst enemy (strictly business speaking) but its now left the marketplace virtually vacant leaving current D&D players (wishing to stick with the familiar) with two choices: OSR or Pathfinder. Based on retailer shows and distributors I speak with, in the current retail market, there is only one true choice: Pathfinder.

That is not to say the landscape can't change, or that the vacancy in the market could not lead to an OSR game breaking out, but none of the current crop, good as they are, have achieved a sizable retail presence. So for 18 months there is really only ONE major D&D system based RPG game on the market, Pathfinder.

The next 18 months of Paizo's business will be extremely interesting, because I wonder if they see the same thing I do: an unprecedented window of opportunity. They beat WotC with their own game system and WotC left the market. It really is unprecedented.

To get a sense of what I a talking about: Imagine if Apple gave Microsoft the right to build iOS tablets and devices, MS produced better even more user friendly devices...and then Apple left the market for 18 months with a promise of iPad and iPhone next?? What do you think their stock and investors would do? Sure brand loyalist would stick by them and buy their release...but the world will have moved on.

 Or if Microsoft gave Xbox live and Xbox 360 tech to Sony and Nintendo, and each built a better game system and online experience than MS...and MS said no problem we will be back in 18 months? It is, from a business perspective, unprecedented.

Would Wizards give all of Magic to Konami let them make the exact same game with different art...and then say okay but wait 18 months, then see what we do! no...freaking...way.

So I am looking at the next 18 months with much interest from a strictly business related perspective. I skipped 4th, and plan on skipping 5th or Next or whatever it is called, and I don't play Pathfinder so I don't have a dog in the fight really. I am just curious to see if, after building your own competitor, getting beat by him, leaving the field of battle for awhile, and then attempting a comeback, if it will work? Or will your competitor have gained such a lead that the battle is well and truly lost. Or will a young usurper, and currently unknown step in and take the glory? Time will tell, and what an interesting time it will be.

Happy Easter!

Inspirations

As I work on Blades & Black Magic RPG, I thought I'd share some of the inspirations going into this game.  Sword & Sorcery literature plays its part as do a lot of good GURPS resources.  A lot of gritty "Dark Ages" literature is also playing a big part in my thoughts on the game and seems to be having a bigger influence than I had originally planned.  So without further yapping, below are images of some of the works inspiring the game.  Note I make no clam that the influences will have a specific rules based effect...nor that the work will in anyway be even 10% as good as the inspiration. I have some alternative BBM logos below, let me know if you have a favorite.

Our Star Blazers...are BACK!

Yes the classic Space opera many of us grew up is being remade for the 21st century as Star Blazers 2199.  Everything I have seen and read seems to indicate its a loving remake not a re-imagining!  I am heartened and excited by the 10 minute preview...watch and be inspired:

I have no idea about the theme song, but lord I hope the song remains the same....