and create wildly inconsistent timing issues while recording the adventure. Nevertheless, I think the best approach would be to not think about it to much, and just run the system as it is laid out, and see if it causes any tangible issues during a live session.
If anything it would probably mean that time spent traversing the dungeon would be trivially quick, while time spent in combat and traveling outdoors would be greatly magnified.
And apparently, this is why they make no sense: http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2015/02/when-inch-is-not-inch-in-ad.html
Sunday, March 3, 2019
Monday, February 11, 2019
Time and movement factors
From the 1E PHB:
1 segment = 6 seconds
1 round = 10 segments = 1 minute (60 seconds)
1 turn = 100 segments = 10 rounds = 10 minutes (600 seconds)
thus
1 hour = 6 turns = 60 rounds = 600 segments or 3600 seconds
This is all important when tracking an adventure log hour-by-hour, and especially for calculating the distance potentially traveled in an hour. Let's look at how that math works out.*
The PHB lists distances traveled in a dungeon, and expects players to calculate distances for overland travel by hand. It also uses speeds modified by encumbrance, unlike 4E and 5E which have variable speeds. Still, the base assumption is 1 inch square = 10 feet, and in a dungeon distance is determined by movement rate, which is dependent on encumbrance
So under normal, unencumbered, combat conditions, characters can move:
12 feet : 1 segment (6 seconds)
120 feet :1 round (1 minute)
1200 feet : 1 turn (10 minutes)
7200 feet : 1 hour
which means that on a 1" tabletop grid, characters can move 12 grid squares per round, or 720 grid squares total per hour.
Exploration conditions are 1/10th the speed of combat
and then there's modifiers for exploration on a known path, the movement rate is 5x faster, so 1/2 the speed of combat
fleeing for your life is 10x faster than exploration, which means its the exact same as combat
the rest of the movement table on pg 102 breaks down movement rate in combat by encumbrance. Under normal gear of 35 lbs. or less, characters can move at the rate of 12 feet : 1 segment.
According to the DMG, time in a dungeon should be kept in increments of turns, with 6 turns to the hour, and 1 turn per hour should be spent resting. The importance of tracking time in dungeons is also due to the need for random encounter checks.
Direction for random encounter checks is given for overworld adventures, in the DMG. The increments of time necessary for random checks are:
- 1 hour after the adventuring begins
- The midway point of the journey
- near the end when camp is being made
- and then 3 checks at night corresponding to 3 sleep shifts.
A d20, d12, or d10 is used for monster checks based on population density, with a d10 used for uninhabited or wilderness areas, and what time of day to check is detailed in a table.
Encounter distance over land is 6d4, but in a dungeon it is d6+4.
And then of course there's a wholly separate table for outdoor movement on pg 58 of the DMG. Turns out a party actually moves 30 miles per day in normal conditions.
*It's really dumb that the rules for Movement, which is dependent on the rules for Time and Distance, is separated from those by the many pages of Spell descriptions.
The DMG still has the annoying split of Time, Distance and Movement separated by spell descriptions, but at least it gives information on encounter distance. Unfortunately, the encounter distance information is split into 3 sections, the Surprise section, which is separate from the Initiative section, and finally Combat section, subheading distance. To get the full information on the rules, these sections need to be cross-referenced with the corresponding sections in the Player's Handbook. That's a task for another time
The best breakdown I've seen on the internet of these rules: https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/7849/roleplaying-games/reactions-to-odd-turns-rounds-and-segments-oh-my
Its written for OD&D, but the rules are almost exactly what's presented in 1E with a little math conversion (a segment is 1/2 round instead of 1/10th round, etc.)
I guess I wasted my time, because all the rules are distilled into this PDF: http://knights-n-knaves.com/dmprata/ADDICT.pdf (hat-tip to https://merricb.com/2014/03/28/add-initiative/)
**A little scale issue: I recently started using sheets of graph paper - the kind you would use in a science or math class in high school - to visualize dungeon maps. Unfortunately these maps cannot actually be used to play on, Since the miniatures and tokens I use are 1 inch in diameter, and the paper itself is only 8x11 inches in size. This means that in a single combat round, an unencumbered character could walk right off the page.
The AD&D rulebooks recommend using graph paper with 5-6 lines per in, I use paper with 1/4" lines, which I don't think makes much difference except that the calculations for movement in the DMG and PHB are done in multiples of 3.
*** Got this little gem from a discussion on Facebook:
"Page 102 of the PHB states "The number of inches moved is scaled to circumstances and time by modifying either the distance represented or the time period or both." The first sentence of the next paragraph states "The movement distance in the dungeon is 1" to 10' over a turn of 10 minutes duration while exploration and mapping are in progress." This means the ratio is 1" to 10' for each inch of movement rate. The next part and the table cover combat movement where essentially dungeon movement per 10-minute turn is the same as combat movement per 1-minute round (e.g., 6"=60', etc.)."
So I guess dungeon movement is 1/10th the speed of combat movement, or the chart above.
**** https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=70041
"No grid. I use a 12" ruler to mark the distance that can be moved. The size of the table is fixed, so "the number of inches moved is scaled to circumstances and time by modifying either the distance represented or the time period, or both". So the movement rate is always 12" regardless of what scale it represents."
That's basically how I ran it initially. Movement per grid square made little sense while movement in natural distance seemed to work better. I used grid paper as a way to create a quick shorthand instead of measuring each inch of movement, but that hasn't worked out as well as I had wanted.
and a little bonus about how melee combat distance works: https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=442831#p442831
1 segment = 6 seconds
1 round = 10 segments = 1 minute (60 seconds)
1 turn = 100 segments = 10 rounds = 10 minutes (600 seconds)
thus
1 hour = 6 turns = 60 rounds = 600 segments or 3600 seconds
This is all important when tracking an adventure log hour-by-hour, and especially for calculating the distance potentially traveled in an hour. Let's look at how that math works out.*
The PHB lists distances traveled in a dungeon, and expects players to calculate distances for overland travel by hand. It also uses speeds modified by encumbrance, unlike 4E and 5E which have variable speeds. Still, the base assumption is 1 inch square = 10 feet, and in a dungeon distance is determined by movement rate, which is dependent on encumbrance
So under normal, unencumbered, combat conditions, characters can move:
12 feet : 1 segment (6 seconds)
120 feet :1 round (1 minute)
1200 feet : 1 turn (10 minutes)
7200 feet : 1 hour
which means that on a 1" tabletop grid, characters can move 12 grid squares per round, or 720 grid squares total per hour.
Exploration conditions are 1/10th the speed of combat
and then there's modifiers for exploration on a known path, the movement rate is 5x faster, so 1/2 the speed of combat
fleeing for your life is 10x faster than exploration, which means its the exact same as combat
the rest of the movement table on pg 102 breaks down movement rate in combat by encumbrance. Under normal gear of 35 lbs. or less, characters can move at the rate of 12 feet : 1 segment.
According to the DMG, time in a dungeon should be kept in increments of turns, with 6 turns to the hour, and 1 turn per hour should be spent resting. The importance of tracking time in dungeons is also due to the need for random encounter checks.
Direction for random encounter checks is given for overworld adventures, in the DMG. The increments of time necessary for random checks are:
- 1 hour after the adventuring begins
- The midway point of the journey
- near the end when camp is being made
- and then 3 checks at night corresponding to 3 sleep shifts.
A d20, d12, or d10 is used for monster checks based on population density, with a d10 used for uninhabited or wilderness areas, and what time of day to check is detailed in a table.
Encounter distance over land is 6d4, but in a dungeon it is d6+4.
And then of course there's a wholly separate table for outdoor movement on pg 58 of the DMG. Turns out a party actually moves 30 miles per day in normal conditions.
*It's really dumb that the rules for Movement, which is dependent on the rules for Time and Distance, is separated from those by the many pages of Spell descriptions.
The DMG still has the annoying split of Time, Distance and Movement separated by spell descriptions, but at least it gives information on encounter distance. Unfortunately, the encounter distance information is split into 3 sections, the Surprise section, which is separate from the Initiative section, and finally Combat section, subheading distance. To get the full information on the rules, these sections need to be cross-referenced with the corresponding sections in the Player's Handbook. That's a task for another time
The best breakdown I've seen on the internet of these rules: https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/7849/roleplaying-games/reactions-to-odd-turns-rounds-and-segments-oh-my
Its written for OD&D, but the rules are almost exactly what's presented in 1E with a little math conversion (a segment is 1/2 round instead of 1/10th round, etc.)
I guess I wasted my time, because all the rules are distilled into this PDF: http://knights-n-knaves.com/dmprata/ADDICT.pdf (hat-tip to https://merricb.com/2014/03/28/add-initiative/)
**A little scale issue: I recently started using sheets of graph paper - the kind you would use in a science or math class in high school - to visualize dungeon maps. Unfortunately these maps cannot actually be used to play on, Since the miniatures and tokens I use are 1 inch in diameter, and the paper itself is only 8x11 inches in size. This means that in a single combat round, an unencumbered character could walk right off the page.
The AD&D rulebooks recommend using graph paper with 5-6 lines per in, I use paper with 1/4" lines, which I don't think makes much difference except that the calculations for movement in the DMG and PHB are done in multiples of 3.
*** Got this little gem from a discussion on Facebook:
"Page 102 of the PHB states "The number of inches moved is scaled to circumstances and time by modifying either the distance represented or the time period or both." The first sentence of the next paragraph states "The movement distance in the dungeon is 1" to 10' over a turn of 10 minutes duration while exploration and mapping are in progress." This means the ratio is 1" to 10' for each inch of movement rate. The next part and the table cover combat movement where essentially dungeon movement per 10-minute turn is the same as combat movement per 1-minute round (e.g., 6"=60', etc.)."
So I guess dungeon movement is 1/10th the speed of combat movement, or the chart above.
**** https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=70041
"No grid. I use a 12" ruler to mark the distance that can be moved. The size of the table is fixed, so "the number of inches moved is scaled to circumstances and time by modifying either the distance represented or the time period, or both". So the movement rate is always 12" regardless of what scale it represents."
That's basically how I ran it initially. Movement per grid square made little sense while movement in natural distance seemed to work better. I used grid paper as a way to create a quick shorthand instead of measuring each inch of movement, but that hasn't worked out as well as I had wanted.
and a little bonus about how melee combat distance works: https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=442831#p442831
Saturday, February 9, 2019
Storm King's Thunder session 7: Eye of the All-Father
Read the whole chapter, but still want to push my characters through anyway.
Added a bunch more resources for this chapter:
4 character sheets - I will be using only one character as my POV character, but the rest are for combat and party balance, and for their own unique abilities. Also some 'non-adventurer' characters have been added, its assumed these stay at the back of the camp and do not venture into any dungeons.
Mythic Fate chart - determine odds, random actions, extra information and details.
Mythic Adventure sheet - for recording the initial set up of a scene and the chaos factor. Also tracking NPCs and stuff for the Event Randomizer charts
All other rules are taken from the Dungeon Master's Guide and Player's Handbook. (I'm using as much direction from the 1st Edition DMG as I can fit into the 5E system, and once I'm done with STK and move on to a 1E module such as T1, the Village of Hommlet, the 5E manuals would hopefully become obsolete)
End results of the session:
Made a quick run of the first 3 areas of Eye of the All-Father. Using 5E's reckoning of 1 turn = 6 seconds, then 10 turns would = 1 minute and 600 turns = 1 hour, I figured it'd be easiest to just keep a tally of turns as I played, and calculate the time spent after it was all over.
Using the Fate chart with a Chaos factor of 5, I found it very easy to get "yes" answers. Since everything this session went favorably to my characters, I dropped the Chaos factor to 4. This system seems flawed to me, as its geared to snowball in one direction or another.
No combat this session but my characters are rapidly approaching the barbarians in area 4 so there might be something interesting then.
No skill challenges since there isn't an interesting trigger. The only thing that happened is a triggered trap, but it was too easy to avoid. I feel that the 5E adventures are written to be 'convenient' to the players, rather than as deadly as this module said it was in the introduction. Only the combat against Giants was deadly.
Added a bunch more resources for this chapter:
4 character sheets - I will be using only one character as my POV character, but the rest are for combat and party balance, and for their own unique abilities. Also some 'non-adventurer' characters have been added, its assumed these stay at the back of the camp and do not venture into any dungeons.
Mythic Fate chart - determine odds, random actions, extra information and details.
Mythic Adventure sheet - for recording the initial set up of a scene and the chaos factor. Also tracking NPCs and stuff for the Event Randomizer charts
All other rules are taken from the Dungeon Master's Guide and Player's Handbook. (I'm using as much direction from the 1st Edition DMG as I can fit into the 5E system, and once I'm done with STK and move on to a 1E module such as T1, the Village of Hommlet, the 5E manuals would hopefully become obsolete)
End results of the session:
Made a quick run of the first 3 areas of Eye of the All-Father. Using 5E's reckoning of 1 turn = 6 seconds, then 10 turns would = 1 minute and 600 turns = 1 hour, I figured it'd be easiest to just keep a tally of turns as I played, and calculate the time spent after it was all over.
Using the Fate chart with a Chaos factor of 5, I found it very easy to get "yes" answers. Since everything this session went favorably to my characters, I dropped the Chaos factor to 4. This system seems flawed to me, as its geared to snowball in one direction or another.
No combat this session but my characters are rapidly approaching the barbarians in area 4 so there might be something interesting then.
No skill challenges since there isn't an interesting trigger. The only thing that happened is a triggered trap, but it was too easy to avoid. I feel that the 5E adventures are written to be 'convenient' to the players, rather than as deadly as this module said it was in the introduction. Only the combat against Giants was deadly.
Friday, February 8, 2019
Rages, prepared spells, and other unclear mechanics
Rage doesn’t necessarily mean anger. Rage is animus, rage is overwhelming energy and emotion. When a barbarian rages, the primal forces of the world animating through him, turning him superhuman for a limited time. (A nod to 4th edition power sources). 5th edition provides lots of fluff in the Barbarian’s paths to describe where they get the animus for their rages from, such as animal spirits, or their ancestors, or the natural force of the storm itself (seriously what is with 5e and its obsession with storm power? Did the designers grow up in Florida?). Imagine that a literal spirit of an animal possesses and augments the barbarian during his rage, and after the spirit leaves him the strain of being the conduit for that power exhausts the barbarian deeply, in a way that impairs his normal functions. I actually really like the exhaustion mechanic and how well it ties in with the barbarian’s rages.
And the basic “Berserker” barbarian subclass just uses his anger as his rage source anyway, keeping an option open for players with limited imagination.
“Vancian” magic only makes sense for game balance, not as role play. Forgetting a spell after you cast it makes no sense, nothing else in the real world or game world works like that. Instead, visualize that magic preparation is like creating bullets to load in a revolver, and casting is the act of actually firing them by pulling the trigger. Thus when a wizard or cleric prepares a spell, they are actually reciting the words, spending the components and making the gestures to will that power into existence and have it available to use. In the heat of battle or during an adventuring day if they cast the spell it’s power is gone and they must then spend another long time to prepare it again.
The preparation time is much longer than a combat encounter so mages would not be able to do this on the fly, but must use their long rest time in order to prepare. If this explanation or fluff was more popular, then maybe there wouldn’t be so many Charisma based character classes in 5e. This also adds a fun little amount of resource management to the caster classes that I think better ties together what they were doing already anyway.
And the basic “Berserker” barbarian subclass just uses his anger as his rage source anyway, keeping an option open for players with limited imagination.
“Vancian” magic only makes sense for game balance, not as role play. Forgetting a spell after you cast it makes no sense, nothing else in the real world or game world works like that. Instead, visualize that magic preparation is like creating bullets to load in a revolver, and casting is the act of actually firing them by pulling the trigger. Thus when a wizard or cleric prepares a spell, they are actually reciting the words, spending the components and making the gestures to will that power into existence and have it available to use. In the heat of battle or during an adventuring day if they cast the spell it’s power is gone and they must then spend another long time to prepare it again.
The preparation time is much longer than a combat encounter so mages would not be able to do this on the fly, but must use their long rest time in order to prepare. If this explanation or fluff was more popular, then maybe there wouldn’t be so many Charisma based character classes in 5e. This also adds a fun little amount of resource management to the caster classes that I think better ties together what they were doing already anyway.
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Storm King's Thunder: pre session 7
So I did something I don't normally do, and read the whole chapter before running it. My fear was that I would spoil the player experience for myself by knowing what would happen ahead, but chapter 4 is so much better than the previous chapters that it makes me more excited to play knowing what would come ahead. Sure the story is spoiled for me but I'm now interested in seeing if my party can actually make it through the challenges of this dungeon, and I intend to randomize some of the elements of this dungeon using my solo play resources.
One sticking point though: A Cult of the Dragon airship?! Although there is no reason for my characters to refuse such a generous offer, I personally won't be playing with it since I just DM'ed a game in the Tyranny of Dragons campaign and I can't see the Cult as anything but the bad guys.
Plus, mechanically the airship only exists to avoid making the second round of travel through the North a repeat of the first, but I'll be making up my own random encounters from CR calculations and Monster Manual monsters, so I'm not bothered by it.
I've decided to incorporate a new tool into my solo system, 4th edition style skill challenges. A series of success or failures on skills will manage my party's social interactions, obstacles, and other non combat encounters. These along with random dungeon generation and the Mythic fate chart should create more robust encounters requiring more complicated actions leading to more engrossing play, because playing the encounters as written in the book is very bland and the situations presented are otherwise resolved too quickly.
I probably shouldn't have bought the PDF of the full Mythic system and paid too much for what was essentially just the Fate chart, but I plan to make the best of it and use some of its bundled tools like the Scene Setup worksheet and random Events table. The stripped-down GM Emulator PDF would have been a smarter purchase, but the difference in cost between the two was only $2.00 so I had figured that it wasn't that big of a deal.
STRICT TIME RECORDS MUST BE KEPT! This information is unfortunately spread out between the 1st Edition PHB and DMG, but it details how to track time in turns while playing by breaking it down into how long a turn takes in the overworld or in the dungeon and how far you can move in one turn, etc. I toyed with the idea of breaking time up into 'phases' of a day, e.g. morning, noon, afternoon, evening, night, but I figure a stricter, more granular approach of hour-by-hour or turn by turn would be the more proper method, even though I imagine that it would be a total pain in the ass. But I've noticed in live games that proper tracking of time adds to the enjoyment of the experience. And if I'm going to play solo, the only person feeling the pain of tracking time would be me, so I don't have to worry about any other player getting bored or distracted.
One sticking point though: A Cult of the Dragon airship?! Although there is no reason for my characters to refuse such a generous offer, I personally won't be playing with it since I just DM'ed a game in the Tyranny of Dragons campaign and I can't see the Cult as anything but the bad guys.
Plus, mechanically the airship only exists to avoid making the second round of travel through the North a repeat of the first, but I'll be making up my own random encounters from CR calculations and Monster Manual monsters, so I'm not bothered by it.
I've decided to incorporate a new tool into my solo system, 4th edition style skill challenges. A series of success or failures on skills will manage my party's social interactions, obstacles, and other non combat encounters. These along with random dungeon generation and the Mythic fate chart should create more robust encounters requiring more complicated actions leading to more engrossing play, because playing the encounters as written in the book is very bland and the situations presented are otherwise resolved too quickly.
I probably shouldn't have bought the PDF of the full Mythic system and paid too much for what was essentially just the Fate chart, but I plan to make the best of it and use some of its bundled tools like the Scene Setup worksheet and random Events table. The stripped-down GM Emulator PDF would have been a smarter purchase, but the difference in cost between the two was only $2.00 so I had figured that it wasn't that big of a deal.
STRICT TIME RECORDS MUST BE KEPT! This information is unfortunately spread out between the 1st Edition PHB and DMG, but it details how to track time in turns while playing by breaking it down into how long a turn takes in the overworld or in the dungeon and how far you can move in one turn, etc. I toyed with the idea of breaking time up into 'phases' of a day, e.g. morning, noon, afternoon, evening, night, but I figure a stricter, more granular approach of hour-by-hour or turn by turn would be the more proper method, even though I imagine that it would be a total pain in the ass. But I've noticed in live games that proper tracking of time adds to the enjoyment of the experience. And if I'm going to play solo, the only person feeling the pain of tracking time would be me, so I don't have to worry about any other player getting bored or distracted.
Monday, January 28, 2019
Homebrew campaign setting for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st edition)
The 1st edition AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide and Player’s Handbook provide endless inspiration to me. Despite the author’s explicit claims to the contrary, I feel like the material was written with a very specific setting in mind, one that draws heavily from the histories and cultures of the British Isles in the Medieval era. It explains why the most common settings such as Mystara, Dragonlance and the Forgotten Realms are all similar to each other with minor, personal tweaks, and why wildly different settings such as the Dark Sun required a heavy adaption to the rules.
So I’ve decided to take my own crack at it, and generate my own setting using the same Medieval English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish and Roman influences that I believe informed AD&D itself, and with a twist to tie it to our real world while yet keeping it comfortably in fantasy.
Setting:
The campaign is set in a fictional dukedom in the British Isles during the Arthurian Age. The Lord of this land is Sir Wrys, a famous Paladin and member of the Knights of the Round Table, and his stronghold is established at Castle Caerhafon, around which has grown the town of Caerhafon, where the adventure begins. The town of Caerhafon is mostly populated by humans, and is a bright spot of civilization and order surrounded by untamed wilderness. Farming, hunting, and fishing from the river are all means of self-subsistence in the area, and while there is ample trade most of the manufacture is performed in cottage industries by single families or small artisan's guilds. St. Cuthburt is the patron saint of the land, and a Cathedral devoted to him resides in the city, overseen by Bishop Robert Jarrat.
Outside the protective stone walls of Caerhafon are the wilds of the English countryside where the Pagan people live. The Pagans live in small clan villages and worship a pantheon of gods drawn from their own myth and history. Though every village has a clan Elder that is seen as an authority figure, there is no central authority that rules them. Religiously, the Pagans revere the Druids, who travel amongst the natural world and meet in Circles at sites scattered across the land. Life for the Pagans is dangerous and unpredictable, as they are frequently at the mercy of wild animals, mischievous magical creatures, and the whims of Nature herself in harsh weather, famine, and long winters. Battles with rival clans are constant, though the same clans might wage war on each other in the summer only to declare a truce to reap the harvest and share festivities before the winter.
The Pagans and the Duchy of Caerhafon are permanent enemies. The Duke sees the Pagans as lawless barbarians that must be civilized by force if necessary, the Bishop sees them as targets for either conversion or a Crusade, and he uses the Pagan as a scapegoat for any and all manners of ailments that befall the dukedom. The Pagans themselves see the English as unwelcome invaders and enemies of their way of life, and destroyers of Nature and the sacred places of the gods.
The Adventure:
Into this tense climate comes a catastrophe, somehow the Devils are being summoned onto Earth. A Devil brought into the world causes carnage and unnatural phenomena in a large area around himself. The dead rise and walk among the living as undead monsters, demons follow in his wake and prey upon the innocent, and supernatural beings are let free to cause havoc. Even after a Devil leaves, wicked monsters may linger in his path and remain a permanent threat. The Duke, Sir Wrys is committed finding the source of these devil summonings and has organized bands of men to scour the countryside and bring swift justice to those responsible. The Church blames anyone performing unsanctioned acts of magic or anyone that has dealings with the supernatural, and the Bishop has put out bounties on anyone suspected of devil worship and summoning, and on any information leading to the identification of such. Obviously, most of the blame is placed toward the Pagan people, for their godless ways and "inviting" the Devil into this world, if they were not the outright cause, and the Church is happy to encourage excursions into Pagan lands.
The players can choose which, if any, of these factions to join and where they wish to originate, and will get caught up in the quest to halt the devil summons.
Cosmology:
Since this adventure doesn't take place in a previously published campaign world, I thought I'd add a few notes about the cosmology of this universe. It is radically different from our own world or the official campaign worlds. Instead, it is based on a literal reading of the Book of Genesis in the Bible. Humanity and the other mortal races live on Earth, which is the whole known world and stretches on as far as can be seen and leads into some strange, unknown places. Above the Earth exists the Heavens, where God and the celestial beings live. Below the Earth is the Underworld, the center of which is a Pit, and it is called Hell. Many mortal and immortal beings live within the three planes and though a Devil's spirit is immortal, when it is called into the mortal world the form it takes is mortal and can be killed to banish the Devil back into the Underworld.
Classes:
At this point, I only have a minor change to the Cleric class. The class is based off the description in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Player Handbook, but instead of choosing a deity to follow, the implied religions of all Clerics is that of St. Cuthburt, with the exception of evil Clerics who worship devil masters. The Cleric Spell list is unchanged.
Cleric ranks have been changed to reflect the religious shift, and now the ranks are:
lvl 1 - Acolyte
lvl 2 - Adept
lvl 3 - Priest
lvl 4 - Vicar
lvl 5 - Curate
lvl 6 - Pastor
lvl 7 - Chancellor
lvl 8 - Bishop
lvl 9 - Archbishop
lvl 10 - Cardinal
Druid ranks and spells are unchanged
Magic and Magic-Users:
Magic User spells and ranks are unchanged, but they perform different functions in the opposing factions. The study of magic is an important institution in the Duke's kingdom, and many scholars, ministers, and other learned men are some level of magic-user. A large University exists under license from the Duke and is the central hub of magic learning in his territory, with many branches and satellite schools. It is headed by a Wizard, who is also counted as one of the Duke's advisors. Outside of the University system, any magic use in the kingdom is considered unauthorized and a punishable offense.
The Pagan clans view magic use differently. For them, magic is a part of life and part of the natural world, and many villages have herbalists, medicine women, and other cottage magicians supporting them. The transfer of magical knowledge happens in an apprenticeship manner, in which a higher level Magic User will take a younger one under his wing to teach spells and arcana. Those with the will and aptitude to become Magic Users are encouraged to travel around the world, seeking knowledge and wisened teachers, from village to wilderness, honing their craft.
True Wizards though, are part of neither faction but live in remote places on their own, in windswept towers or hidden strongholds far from intruding eyes, where they hoard their magical knowledge and perform their research. Some are attracted to the political power and stability of Arthur's Kingdom, such as Merlin who holds court at Camelot, while others prefer the freedom and awe they gain among the Pagans, and travel with the Druids.
* I support my theory with a further point about the Elves. In English folklore, the elves are shorter than humans and more whimsical, and sometimes they have dark skin and are burned by iron, which means this myth was influenced by the faerie myths of the Celts and Irish. On the other hand, Elves in Germanic folklore are creatures of the trees, tall, pale skinned and malevolent. And it is specifically English styled Elves which form the basis of D&D’s elves, as opposed to Germanic style, which were adapted for use in The Lord of the Rings. Gary Gygax specifically mentioned his description of the Elven race to explain the differences between his own work and J. R. R. Tolkien’s.
So I’ve decided to take my own crack at it, and generate my own setting using the same Medieval English, Welsh, Scottish, Irish and Roman influences that I believe informed AD&D itself, and with a twist to tie it to our real world while yet keeping it comfortably in fantasy.
Setting:
The campaign is set in a fictional dukedom in the British Isles during the Arthurian Age. The Lord of this land is Sir Wrys, a famous Paladin and member of the Knights of the Round Table, and his stronghold is established at Castle Caerhafon, around which has grown the town of Caerhafon, where the adventure begins. The town of Caerhafon is mostly populated by humans, and is a bright spot of civilization and order surrounded by untamed wilderness. Farming, hunting, and fishing from the river are all means of self-subsistence in the area, and while there is ample trade most of the manufacture is performed in cottage industries by single families or small artisan's guilds. St. Cuthburt is the patron saint of the land, and a Cathedral devoted to him resides in the city, overseen by Bishop Robert Jarrat.
Outside the protective stone walls of Caerhafon are the wilds of the English countryside where the Pagan people live. The Pagans live in small clan villages and worship a pantheon of gods drawn from their own myth and history. Though every village has a clan Elder that is seen as an authority figure, there is no central authority that rules them. Religiously, the Pagans revere the Druids, who travel amongst the natural world and meet in Circles at sites scattered across the land. Life for the Pagans is dangerous and unpredictable, as they are frequently at the mercy of wild animals, mischievous magical creatures, and the whims of Nature herself in harsh weather, famine, and long winters. Battles with rival clans are constant, though the same clans might wage war on each other in the summer only to declare a truce to reap the harvest and share festivities before the winter.
The Pagans and the Duchy of Caerhafon are permanent enemies. The Duke sees the Pagans as lawless barbarians that must be civilized by force if necessary, the Bishop sees them as targets for either conversion or a Crusade, and he uses the Pagan as a scapegoat for any and all manners of ailments that befall the dukedom. The Pagans themselves see the English as unwelcome invaders and enemies of their way of life, and destroyers of Nature and the sacred places of the gods.
The Adventure:
Into this tense climate comes a catastrophe, somehow the Devils are being summoned onto Earth. A Devil brought into the world causes carnage and unnatural phenomena in a large area around himself. The dead rise and walk among the living as undead monsters, demons follow in his wake and prey upon the innocent, and supernatural beings are let free to cause havoc. Even after a Devil leaves, wicked monsters may linger in his path and remain a permanent threat. The Duke, Sir Wrys is committed finding the source of these devil summonings and has organized bands of men to scour the countryside and bring swift justice to those responsible. The Church blames anyone performing unsanctioned acts of magic or anyone that has dealings with the supernatural, and the Bishop has put out bounties on anyone suspected of devil worship and summoning, and on any information leading to the identification of such. Obviously, most of the blame is placed toward the Pagan people, for their godless ways and "inviting" the Devil into this world, if they were not the outright cause, and the Church is happy to encourage excursions into Pagan lands.
The players can choose which, if any, of these factions to join and where they wish to originate, and will get caught up in the quest to halt the devil summons.
Cosmology:
Since this adventure doesn't take place in a previously published campaign world, I thought I'd add a few notes about the cosmology of this universe. It is radically different from our own world or the official campaign worlds. Instead, it is based on a literal reading of the Book of Genesis in the Bible. Humanity and the other mortal races live on Earth, which is the whole known world and stretches on as far as can be seen and leads into some strange, unknown places. Above the Earth exists the Heavens, where God and the celestial beings live. Below the Earth is the Underworld, the center of which is a Pit, and it is called Hell. Many mortal and immortal beings live within the three planes and though a Devil's spirit is immortal, when it is called into the mortal world the form it takes is mortal and can be killed to banish the Devil back into the Underworld.
Classes:
At this point, I only have a minor change to the Cleric class. The class is based off the description in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Player Handbook, but instead of choosing a deity to follow, the implied religions of all Clerics is that of St. Cuthburt, with the exception of evil Clerics who worship devil masters. The Cleric Spell list is unchanged.
Cleric ranks have been changed to reflect the religious shift, and now the ranks are:
lvl 1 - Acolyte
lvl 2 - Adept
lvl 3 - Priest
lvl 4 - Vicar
lvl 5 - Curate
lvl 6 - Pastor
lvl 7 - Chancellor
lvl 8 - Bishop
lvl 9 - Archbishop
lvl 10 - Cardinal
Druid ranks and spells are unchanged
Magic and Magic-Users:
Magic User spells and ranks are unchanged, but they perform different functions in the opposing factions. The study of magic is an important institution in the Duke's kingdom, and many scholars, ministers, and other learned men are some level of magic-user. A large University exists under license from the Duke and is the central hub of magic learning in his territory, with many branches and satellite schools. It is headed by a Wizard, who is also counted as one of the Duke's advisors. Outside of the University system, any magic use in the kingdom is considered unauthorized and a punishable offense.
The Pagan clans view magic use differently. For them, magic is a part of life and part of the natural world, and many villages have herbalists, medicine women, and other cottage magicians supporting them. The transfer of magical knowledge happens in an apprenticeship manner, in which a higher level Magic User will take a younger one under his wing to teach spells and arcana. Those with the will and aptitude to become Magic Users are encouraged to travel around the world, seeking knowledge and wisened teachers, from village to wilderness, honing their craft.
True Wizards though, are part of neither faction but live in remote places on their own, in windswept towers or hidden strongholds far from intruding eyes, where they hoard their magical knowledge and perform their research. Some are attracted to the political power and stability of Arthur's Kingdom, such as Merlin who holds court at Camelot, while others prefer the freedom and awe they gain among the Pagans, and travel with the Druids.
* I support my theory with a further point about the Elves. In English folklore, the elves are shorter than humans and more whimsical, and sometimes they have dark skin and are burned by iron, which means this myth was influenced by the faerie myths of the Celts and Irish. On the other hand, Elves in Germanic folklore are creatures of the trees, tall, pale skinned and malevolent. And it is specifically English styled Elves which form the basis of D&D’s elves, as opposed to Germanic style, which were adapted for use in The Lord of the Rings. Gary Gygax specifically mentioned his description of the Elven race to explain the differences between his own work and J. R. R. Tolkien’s.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Truly Barbaric Barbarians
I feel like the Barbarian class in D&D is so named only for style, and not because the class lends itself especially well to non civilized cultures.
In fact an accurate representation of a D&D Barbarian would be a Fighting-Man that chooses to clothe himself in furs and lighter armor instead of heavy, fitted metal armor. (Fur would have to be relatively cheaper in the lands where this barbarian came from for this to make sense)
The term Barbarian is a misnomer anyway, it was a pejorative used by the Ancient Greeks to mean anyone that didn’t live within the Greek city-states, and a mocking of their language, which the Greeks said sounded like “bar bar bar”.
However in the real world, truly barbarian-like cultures have been contacted by more technologically advanced ones. The Aztecs and Mayans created high civilization, government and religion, but technologically they were in the Stone Age and could not survive contact with European explorers. The same is true for Native American tribes in North America. Even the Gauls were technologically inferior to the Romans, until the Romans pacified them and spread their knowledge and manufacture.
However the stereotypical Barbarian culture, the Vikings, weren’t Barbarian at all! Despite their reputation for raiding and warfare, they had Iron and Steel technology, and actually subjugated the post-Roman Britains. I actually think that it was the Britons that reverted to barbarism after the Romans left the Isles.
The popular image of Barbarians has nothing to do with history, but comes from a fiction series written by Robert E. Howard, which is a pure fantasy yet has captured the imagination of generations of readers and fantasy enthusiasts, and is now the template by which we judge all subsequent barbarian heroes.
A D&D class that tries to fit the mold of Conan the Barbarian comes off poorly, as the most accurate depiction is the Barbarian class in the 1e Unearthed Arcana, and though players took to it with enthusiasm, most of the class’s features and almost all of its restrictions are house ruled away - in other words breaking the mold it was made to fill.
The 5e Barbarian class bears no resemblance to Howard’s heroes nor any to history either. The 5e Barbarian is well clothed, well fed, takes to warfare by choice, and may or may not have some kind of outdoor woodsman or hunting experience. They also optionally get a spirit animal, like a Native American, somehow.
The best way to see this class, in the current D&D timeline, is as a strong, physically adept Warrior with a penchant for furs, lighter armor and larger weapons, whose ancestors once scrabbled in the wild to survive, but who himself has had social support since birth. Sounds more like a mercenary or Landsknecht than a tribal nomad.
In fact an accurate representation of a D&D Barbarian would be a Fighting-Man that chooses to clothe himself in furs and lighter armor instead of heavy, fitted metal armor. (Fur would have to be relatively cheaper in the lands where this barbarian came from for this to make sense)
The D&D Barbarian doesn't match any known history
The term Barbarian is a misnomer anyway, it was a pejorative used by the Ancient Greeks to mean anyone that didn’t live within the Greek city-states, and a mocking of their language, which the Greeks said sounded like “bar bar bar”.
However in the real world, truly barbarian-like cultures have been contacted by more technologically advanced ones. The Aztecs and Mayans created high civilization, government and religion, but technologically they were in the Stone Age and could not survive contact with European explorers. The same is true for Native American tribes in North America. Even the Gauls were technologically inferior to the Romans, until the Romans pacified them and spread their knowledge and manufacture.
However the stereotypical Barbarian culture, the Vikings, weren’t Barbarian at all! Despite their reputation for raiding and warfare, they had Iron and Steel technology, and actually subjugated the post-Roman Britains. I actually think that it was the Britons that reverted to barbarism after the Romans left the Isles.
The D&D Barbarian doesn't match popular fiction either
The popular image of Barbarians has nothing to do with history, but comes from a fiction series written by Robert E. Howard, which is a pure fantasy yet has captured the imagination of generations of readers and fantasy enthusiasts, and is now the template by which we judge all subsequent barbarian heroes.
A D&D class that tries to fit the mold of Conan the Barbarian comes off poorly, as the most accurate depiction is the Barbarian class in the 1e Unearthed Arcana, and though players took to it with enthusiasm, most of the class’s features and almost all of its restrictions are house ruled away - in other words breaking the mold it was made to fill.
The 5e Barbarian class bears no resemblance to Howard’s heroes nor any to history either. The 5e Barbarian is well clothed, well fed, takes to warfare by choice, and may or may not have some kind of outdoor woodsman or hunting experience. They also optionally get a spirit animal, like a Native American, somehow.
The D&D Barbarian is too civil
The best way to see this class, in the current D&D timeline, is as a strong, physically adept Warrior with a penchant for furs, lighter armor and larger weapons, whose ancestors once scrabbled in the wild to survive, but who himself has had social support since birth. Sounds more like a mercenary or Landsknecht than a tribal nomad.
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