tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6158264671980030682024-03-19T08:47:58.910+00:00BASTIONLANDA BASTION OF ODDITYChris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.comBlogger637125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-44598945161535056002024-03-13T13:19:00.008+00:002024-03-13T13:19:57.478+00:00Mongoose Traveller Mid-Campaign Thoughts<p>I'm three sessions into my <i>Mongoose Traveller </i>campaign.
That's one session of lifepath character creation and two of regular play. So
far we've had a lot of fun, and the players have all brought their A-game, but
how has it been to run?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Challenging.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I wanted to run this by-the-book as much as possible, hoping
to tap into some of the <a href="https://sirpoley.tumblr.com/post/623913566725193728/on-the-four-table-legs-of-traveller-leg">great
things</a> I'd <a href="https://talestoastound.wordpress.com/traveller-out-of-the-box/">heard
about</a> Classic Traveller in play. My gut feel was that Mongoose is close
enough to Classic to make this work.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now some of the difficulty might be down to the fact that I
normally run my own systems, and when I'm not doing that I gravitate toward the
<a href="https://jasontocci.itch.io/2400">very light</a> side of things. <i>Mongoose
Traveller</i> is far from the crunchiest system ever (assuming you aren't using
every optional part of the toolbox), so I haven't run into many mechanical
issues, but I feel like the system hasn't done a great deal to inspire my prep
and improvisation. In some places it even feels like ballast that I have to
work against.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I'm using the <i>Spinward Extents</i> sourcebook, which uses
368 pages to cover two whole sectors of space in great detail.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At least, in great detail <i>overall,</i> but I find myself
constantly wanting <i>different</i> types of detail to what is being presented.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course Traveller is famous for its spartan Universal
World Profiles that summarise a planet in 8 numbers and letters, expecting you
to translate that into something table-ready. I'm on board with that. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Each sector has 16 subsectors, each of which has around 24
worlds described via their universal profiles, and 4-5 that get an actual
writeup, anywhere from two to ten paragraphs of description. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Here's the very first world described in the book:<o:p></o:p></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrrK80Qyu-5aD0S9K3sTR-u2GVmMMJ9clHG9ZISpWmqm9URvBCSDmvYzn0waZCv3Tr6XWwIcCEbkn-69TvCWy3nouHEIjdNjrO8-___fICC4vncDhL1ha6lSCpt2wwb3qROe6S_wpplRltJ5K9JJEsjt8EHKkqac3jJ2nQbGRq8BK3a_ThcxJzneKvYR8/s640/T1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="438" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrrK80Qyu-5aD0S9K3sTR-u2GVmMMJ9clHG9ZISpWmqm9URvBCSDmvYzn0waZCv3Tr6XWwIcCEbkn-69TvCWy3nouHEIjdNjrO8-___fICC4vncDhL1ha6lSCpt2wwb3qROe6S_wpplRltJ5K9JJEsjt8EHKkqac3jJ2nQbGRq8BK3a_ThcxJzneKvYR8/w438-h640/T1.png" width="438" /></a><br />
<p class="MsoNormal">This is actually one of the better entries! You get a broad
physical description, and the present-day situation is somewhat interesting,
but it's still sorely lacking in hooks. I've ranted about settings with
millennia-spanning timelines before, but this book does a lot of "here's
an interesting event... that happened 500 years ago". <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Each subsector gets its own description, but it's similar to
the above, not all that much to the ground-level (or I guess <i>deck-level</i>)
stuff that's happening in my game. Here's the subsector that Barba Amarilla
sits within.<o:p></o:p></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkB35r-bws4TPDxUxVxhXXDrsV_qqHWGp135AVJHMwsTrznp_lCQuVMsLgDs1bzdE14WSifW3ftiJUp95CsWaP_JBxR9IvZXzNZxvbUCJ4Ud8ek_32MTWgSyAUgvHux-_QW6H0iSBy5Zjmur3LztGokTUc5hxFH5JMj0v-2nhewYthTumsExWK5Ru_mhce/s1099/T2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="1099" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkB35r-bws4TPDxUxVxhXXDrsV_qqHWGp135AVJHMwsTrznp_lCQuVMsLgDs1bzdE14WSifW3ftiJUp95CsWaP_JBxR9IvZXzNZxvbUCJ4Ud8ek_32MTWgSyAUgvHux-_QW6H0iSBy5Zjmur3LztGokTUc5hxFH5JMj0v-2nhewYthTumsExWK5Ru_mhce/w640-h358/T2.png" width="640" /></a><br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Now the opening description of the sector as a whole details
some of its history and polities, but the vast majority of that has been too
zoomed-out to be much use for my game. What does it tell us about the Duchy of
Mapepire, which controls the world and (most of the) subsector we've already
looked at?<o:p></o:p></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7arOGXe9Bm5HAxcPGln1q5dfPb1h0LQu9uJbT2wXnjDe_O1gW-Uh4zIK1gXUICrUHou82iQlRf5H8LvtmPjnnkqrVIcTPEPzywy4zqwiZvzf_7KcmVhE_ZHU_4ai314QCJ6hAAjlZ4Laj_3BpJRwhdcPo-WD_ZSKt7zynxZvmOL0gPgINN6apqEw9b0Qr/s1557/T3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1557" data-original-width="880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7arOGXe9Bm5HAxcPGln1q5dfPb1h0LQu9uJbT2wXnjDe_O1gW-Uh4zIK1gXUICrUHou82iQlRf5H8LvtmPjnnkqrVIcTPEPzywy4zqwiZvzf_7KcmVhE_ZHU_4ai314QCJ6hAAjlZ4Laj_3BpJRwhdcPo-WD_ZSKt7zynxZvmOL0gPgINN6apqEw9b0Qr/w362-h640/T3.png" width="362" /></a><br />
<p class="MsoNormal">For context, the most common year for a traveller game is
1105, so even the most recent event (the Duchess taking the throne after the
botched coup) happened over 30 years ago. All the cool stuff about a pirate
captain carving out his own domain happened over 400 years ago.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There's some juice in the idea that the Duchy is running, or
at least enabling, pirate activity. Imagine if the book had described this as a
dynamic situation, perhaps detailing a related incident that happened <i>in the
last year or so</i> to make the place feel a little more dynamic. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It describes their fleet organisation, and mentioned their
starport presence, but I get no idea of how to actually represent this. What
makes their starports feel different to those of the Corellan League? Do their
fleets have unusual protocols that would make one of their ships an interesting
encounter?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I did enjoy reading through all of this and learning about
the sector, but so little of it translated into gameable ideas for me. If
you're prepping or improvising, and you're just looking for a nugget of
inspiration, it can be very difficult to find any!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Characters are mentioned, but often some long-dead founder
of a world, never an interesting character that the players might actually
meet. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Events are detailed, but usually historical, instead of some
flashpoint that's ready to explode when the characters arrive. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are rumours, a d66 table for each of the two Sectors,
but as each page covers an entire sector it's often not relevant to where the
players actually are. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are rare exceptions to the above, but far too
few. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The <i>Core Rulebook </i>has some tools to help with this,
including encounter tables and a method for generating characters, but it feels
like a missed opportunity to not have bespoke content for the part of space I'm
reading about. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This isn't a negative review of <i>Mongoose Traveller </i>or
of <i>The Spinward Extents, </i>but an insight into some of the difficulties
I've had combining these resources with my particular style of GMing. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And perhaps a warning that running something <i>by the book</i>
can be so much more challenging than winging it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-30350698274467147832024-03-05T09:56:00.001+00:002024-03-05T09:56:45.613+00:00Now THIS is Peg Racing!<p><span style="font-size: large;">Want to go <b>PEG-RACING</b>?</span></p><p>Okay, get yourself some clothes pegs, ideally a few different sizes. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHehyphenhyphenEQa3gxjHuFC-xNnp_VRPc-02O-SUgm_WQI0Hk6Ic2aAZXrH8dfc4f5CWQSx5UknhoXXhsvbJvs-jwAC-B129_qu5QnTtuXgFaEhdq61QAheuWlG_Ke_rQuolyaKubCom0aKe7MU3huyQgogCqJgx3dX5JxuXok_m7igkhlVNXoJW4eEoW-w7PwGN/s2952/fmac1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1656" data-original-width="2952" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHehyphenhyphenEQa3gxjHuFC-xNnp_VRPc-02O-SUgm_WQI0Hk6Ic2aAZXrH8dfc4f5CWQSx5UknhoXXhsvbJvs-jwAC-B129_qu5QnTtuXgFaEhdq61QAheuWlG_Ke_rQuolyaKubCom0aKe7MU3huyQgogCqJgx3dX5JxuXok_m7igkhlVNXoJW4eEoW-w7PwGN/w640-h360/fmac1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Break them open and glue them together till they look like something from <i style="font-weight: bold;">WipEout </i>(or <i>F-Zero</i> if you're less cool).</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAh3uW1d9-GGrgcAitE697Z-r43HWYOHLANFWqdHMNNl6nue4wq3Ca4vVClSyR193j7KDm7AxcU1OQ7XfHX1-VgGPIr35dBT_dh_wmmtJbu4G56ZVSZLcknwh1SARpmRgKwRUbw2WICylp7u870X5ik0zhFHgoyVsR-oy9GDpjY2Z5PhGWi7nXOezSZV1/s3840/fmac2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1292" data-original-width="3840" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAh3uW1d9-GGrgcAitE697Z-r43HWYOHLANFWqdHMNNl6nue4wq3Ca4vVClSyR193j7KDm7AxcU1OQ7XfHX1-VgGPIr35dBT_dh_wmmtJbu4G56ZVSZLcknwh1SARpmRgKwRUbw2WICylp7u870X5ik0zhFHgoyVsR-oy9GDpjY2Z5PhGWi7nXOezSZV1/w640-h216/fmac2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Prime them. I also added some little sticky dots before this. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKj9hOeTx06jf_KqU6VderehUMyD22aLJA5je0CeQ-koj-xvEOibg_AasjTVdYatLXW3NhRV-z5RZvDcMIJ9Aa_8ItoyaXZSL7kfizszu-H-oUiwzLo-EhliQKxhF2D1Pg00AsW5jaq9Wvk1Npg8kfMQ72jDOoD5o_Sr-02iiD13Efb_DGN6NxYtRyWyCe/s1686/fmac3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="1686" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKj9hOeTx06jf_KqU6VderehUMyD22aLJA5je0CeQ-koj-xvEOibg_AasjTVdYatLXW3NhRV-z5RZvDcMIJ9Aa_8ItoyaXZSL7kfizszu-H-oUiwzLo-EhliQKxhF2D1Pg00AsW5jaq9Wvk1Npg8kfMQ72jDOoD5o_Sr-02iiD13Efb_DGN6NxYtRyWyCe/w640-h174/fmac3.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Paint them and CURSE HOW MUCH IT SUCKS TO PAINT WOOD. </div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;">I'm told it would apply more easily if I gave them a coat of PVA or sealant spray before painting but WE GOTTA GO FAST HERE.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFctgZO-sEhMWPqzNb9zlDYxFHp053i35yjp97kCUnwZllKnYREFxwmBLMwzEYU7TE7FLLqev6TGIbprjlWahtYKbvJlZx-W7y4nT0xaRnEA3-LkFKH3cV7IiVuvbLmgjYcuFc4DhrrjW-TWfyGvwNiypI2ymx_wdVItJJERKNY6dG0aJDel7fkREwaQHZ/s3124/fmac4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="3124" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFctgZO-sEhMWPqzNb9zlDYxFHp053i35yjp97kCUnwZllKnYREFxwmBLMwzEYU7TE7FLLqev6TGIbprjlWahtYKbvJlZx-W7y4nT0xaRnEA3-LkFKH3cV7IiVuvbLmgjYcuFc4DhrrjW-TWfyGvwNiypI2ymx_wdVItJJERKNY6dG0aJDel7fkREwaQHZ/w640-h182/fmac4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Set up a track with checkpoints. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_AWHlzWBmkCgFg6vL7nQFBIc5a8hEQ6BsvH5j8MczKvC0vwTqbyoAMuqaGBHZKmIrkuwWH8ePoV4WQGb7SuTnk89G-Il7Mo0yTjYLvfCPGPKW-CHwcVcFu7HViqco8VsqRpqhkK-JZ8nqIMQHGyh5hQWI0i_ft4GQr5N4tn9kwHuIBO55fhLH0q_4N1Y/s3583/fmac5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1473" data-original-width="3583" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw_AWHlzWBmkCgFg6vL7nQFBIc5a8hEQ6BsvH5j8MczKvC0vwTqbyoAMuqaGBHZKmIrkuwWH8ePoV4WQGb7SuTnk89G-Il7Mo0yTjYLvfCPGPKW-CHwcVcFu7HViqco8VsqRpqhkK-JZ8nqIMQHGyh5hQWI0i_ft4GQr5N4tn9kwHuIBO55fhLH0q_4N1Y/w640-h264/fmac5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Race.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bGHEPsHYvC99mSgjgWfZ_qgBnW7p0HWGCRL80wek3F9f40L8aSuq9bCZLa2UANfxWwYULkz2UWSy2bqpcb6UDkFn11DQgMhy6EOJ_jD36gPEW__wmISlFD9TA5oCNhhLn18Wl4TTwGV1TJI5MxYBKexvrFw7_zsN18TNJ8NIK-sRNM4vLisLjY-hZBdb/s3840/fmac6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1710" data-original-width="3840" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bGHEPsHYvC99mSgjgWfZ_qgBnW7p0HWGCRL80wek3F9f40L8aSuq9bCZLa2UANfxWwYULkz2UWSy2bqpcb6UDkFn11DQgMhy6EOJ_jD36gPEW__wmISlFD9TA5oCNhhLn18Wl4TTwGV1TJI5MxYBKexvrFw7_zsN18TNJ8NIK-sRNM4vLisLjY-hZBdb/w640-h286/fmac6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Shoot at each other. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVk1ByHE3s0v2E8T44g3pTnOoIKIpSdfEjjg3uGXW2e3UoqdIeSyINNJJWHSaUtUoHpGewmMdVUOfzZEaoGF_ZQNFHkFypSidZbui-3dUw2NjWrvRTSMW1AjZourMhdBp9G_5dqnk0MQUir7suhZXvu-WtJWLwCHDJ8NMKqqTsPrG-Adi8IIVVHxqNaFao/s2886/fmac7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2064" data-original-width="2886" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVk1ByHE3s0v2E8T44g3pTnOoIKIpSdfEjjg3uGXW2e3UoqdIeSyINNJJWHSaUtUoHpGewmMdVUOfzZEaoGF_ZQNFHkFypSidZbui-3dUw2NjWrvRTSMW1AjZourMhdBp9G_5dqnk0MQUir7suhZXvu-WtJWLwCHDJ8NMKqqTsPrG-Adi8IIVVHxqNaFao/w640-h458/fmac7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Keep hitting those checkpoints till somebody wins. </div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYs1iOg15ulF35O-5Jn2fJQiI3pcY9gd9RPsC4PUFGaRzEjOlzypWUYzMlyPZumxnqWPwm55x-dBcHPmPfGvuaivndt4vYqbXzcaLkdOqe3JbywEvwId_nO4t6i5HC1-4Fb2a6_ZBR-6OJA2ajbGQOP4JPnDkWPOV4J6jSLjiUzWajSCTerknvgjiSOUWM/s2630/fmac8.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1478" data-original-width="2630" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYs1iOg15ulF35O-5Jn2fJQiI3pcY9gd9RPsC4PUFGaRzEjOlzypWUYzMlyPZumxnqWPwm55x-dBcHPmPfGvuaivndt4vYqbXzcaLkdOqe3JbywEvwId_nO4t6i5HC1-4Fb2a6_ZBR-6OJA2ajbGQOP4JPnDkWPOV4J6jSLjiUzWajSCTerknvgjiSOUWM/w640-h360/fmac8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">F-MAC: Formula MAC is a one-sheet grav-racing miniature game based loosely on the MAC ATTACK system.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It's barely tested, and certain builds are probably broken. Go and find out for yourself.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://bit.ly/f-mac" target="_blank"><b>Check it out HERE.</b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://bit.ly/f-mac" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2481" data-original-width="1749" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSoDw7zfSjirVlhC32kamnLEX0cqj4SZg3CAR5gTJIvnsmt1AT0jzwgGkdgvtAlidREQeOr0AtttuTAuDL-Ri730EcbZIsrXQtGuYCtaxC5gaZe3BBqWk5D89aidkH48npRiK98xdMX27LU9FVoA6Mfdys-cJjYPbzj70AclMXVrI8BSgXrwUynbpMtBT/w452-h640/FMAC.png" width="452" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p></div>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-43601950225496475922024-02-28T09:30:00.001+00:002024-02-28T09:30:00.237+00:00There's Always a Deeper Pit<p class="MsoNormal">Continuing from last week's delve into <i>Beyond the Pit.</i>
I'm examining a handful of creatures from its follow-up, <i>Return to the Pit.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Again, we'll start with the first spread and jump around
from there.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>ALLIGATOR</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So the first two entries don't seem all that inspiring, but
this Alligator at least has a fantastic Russ Nicolson piece. <o:p></o:p></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTN3QFScigTua2cb24STRusLKD9LZLpt_XkW2degOhxjfWRYOlrI4RsQ_xUXOrgZnTflKG6cnidld5oVry6oqVCsnLoUDsN0wN3uz1Rk7FAcTWt6jRu5NvMcrT5LMl1CASPvzS_4QEyi0VWmZ2Qw9NHLca2DcKlNYrfxMe5-u2ym8vZzzMNhLJjyI1XQLQ/s3264/PXL_20240220_110015678.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="1992" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTN3QFScigTua2cb24STRusLKD9LZLpt_XkW2degOhxjfWRYOlrI4RsQ_xUXOrgZnTflKG6cnidld5oVry6oqVCsnLoUDsN0wN3uz1Rk7FAcTWt6jRu5NvMcrT5LMl1CASPvzS_4QEyi0VWmZ2Qw9NHLca2DcKlNYrfxMe5-u2ym8vZzzMNhLJjyI1XQLQ/w390-h640/PXL_20240220_110015678.MP.jpg" width="390" /></a><br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Let's see if the text has anything beyond what we can
already assume of a gator.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We get a mix of the utterly redundant (that they're similar
to crocodiles) and some stuff that at least places them within a fantasy world,
even if it's nothing too shocking (they live on the banks of rivers and in
wetlands). <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It gets better, though! They suffer an attack penalty on
land, and if they roll high enough they do a special death roll attack. Even
though this is still mundane animal stuff, it gives a bit of food for thought
to a GM running an alligator encounter. The death roll is basically an
instant-kill, which I guess elevates the Alligator to sit alongside save-or-die
royalty like the Basilisk and Beholder. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally, it notes that a metal bar can be wedged into a
gator's jaws to effectively incapacitate it. This definitely has the whiff of a
gamebook solution: "if you have the iron bar, turn to page 45". <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>BEHEMOTH</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A big fish. Really big. <o:p></o:p></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nhq-dn2eS_LCxfTFyakTOsyIYXMl9HQPzNUCdUoP6-HkRE8NbVSZ2Y7wzM3iN4AarrdjCQcP6D_KtfWyubwbbsNuVQUnPU7RmGeU2BbnaoJLXNRaJ_86xzF4BB-K-i1OFvbvdVE1mQwtssIxJaLUOQO5fMdzkjmVS3itQ1xWT2FNmMvzwyGDrPE8n8YF/s2373/PXL_20240220_110911898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2373" data-original-width="1626" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nhq-dn2eS_LCxfTFyakTOsyIYXMl9HQPzNUCdUoP6-HkRE8NbVSZ2Y7wzM3iN4AarrdjCQcP6D_KtfWyubwbbsNuVQUnPU7RmGeU2BbnaoJLXNRaJ_86xzF4BB-K-i1OFvbvdVE1mQwtssIxJaLUOQO5fMdzkjmVS3itQ1xWT2FNmMvzwyGDrPE8n8YF/w438-h640/PXL_20240220_110911898.jpg" width="438" /></a><br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Now, we're on shaky ground comparing these monsters to their
real-world mythological influences, but isn't the point of Behemoth that it's
the land-based equivalent to the aquatic Leviathan?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let's go into the rabbit hole. If we check the monster index
helpfully contained in this book we see that there's also a Leviathan monster!
This one very much the huge sea-creature that you'd expect. It originated in a
completely different book to the Behemoth, so maybe the author wanted a
Leviathan, but didn't want to use the name of a creature from another book.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, both books were written by the same author! Now I
don't know what to think. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There's something strangely charming about the
cobbled-together nature of this fantasy world. Bringing together creatures and
places from disparate books and trying to make it all fit together. An ancient
tradition. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>DINOSAURS</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yeah I wrote about them last time, but I guess every one of
these books has a dino section.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My eye leaps to the phrase "the second Great Dinosaur
Incursion happened half a millennia ago" which is a pretty great sentence
to take away with us. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Again, I'm confident this is in there because forty years
ago there was some silly book about fighting dinosaurs, but I love that it sits
in here alongside all the elves, demons, and sorcerers. Dinosaurs sometimes
feel tacked-on to fantasy settings, but I enjoy that they have their own place
in Titan's history.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>GHOUL</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I always liked these entries that have multiple variants of
the same monster. It's another thing that made the world feel expansive. Like
you might encounter some orcs but <i>what type of orcs</i> is something that
really mattered.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Here we get five types of Ghoul, most of which are from
different gamebooks to each other. <o:p></o:p></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1nZV8pv5h7S0uZYM7UXWmK20Dw4M3gLAVnpmFM1G7GoHW-ogQsGYmhZ5ahwIjnV4Tfh3sTwmyAmtz0W9-etPag7CMFeGslp2bmlEQqVdBMLSR6n2jz3x5prf8Tx6-sa5Q1h6bu9r1hlJNxcLfN_rXod7c_XpyJl-ItrV8VnhdU92qM5sXo8_P4umUZ8W/s2594/PXL_20240220_113234680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2594" data-original-width="1217" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1nZV8pv5h7S0uZYM7UXWmK20Dw4M3gLAVnpmFM1G7GoHW-ogQsGYmhZ5ahwIjnV4Tfh3sTwmyAmtz0W9-etPag7CMFeGslp2bmlEQqVdBMLSR6n2jz3x5prf8Tx6-sa5Q1h6bu9r1hlJNxcLfN_rXod7c_XpyJl-ItrV8VnhdU92qM5sXo8_P4umUZ8W/w300-h640/PXL_20240220_113234680.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Greater Ghoul, also known as the Huge Ghoul, is pretty big I
guess. Where do you go from there?<o:p></o:p></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vI3imBxyPx6IycLJ4z6Ba4uTGqV20VyWz_PqRCC-0IuWYca76UFpcyvO6ku512MIut2kVAkN6ZzCKQEf5POt_gEDeQRPhwT_QFbMmtlGOaO616wMPdeSMqjeGz3UNOgaXMECigfBO5RKiBuNYNKA2powI4pNS7B0D5lBi9o_Oyb4fEhH6aLkhGi-hL2y/s2912/PXL_20240220_113241295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2912" data-original-width="1431" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vI3imBxyPx6IycLJ4z6Ba4uTGqV20VyWz_PqRCC-0IuWYca76UFpcyvO6ku512MIut2kVAkN6ZzCKQEf5POt_gEDeQRPhwT_QFbMmtlGOaO616wMPdeSMqjeGz3UNOgaXMECigfBO5RKiBuNYNKA2powI4pNS7B0D5lBi9o_Oyb4fEhH6aLkhGi-hL2y/w314-h640/PXL_20240220_113241295.jpg" width="314" /></a><br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Fuck yeah! Megaghoul! I love the idea of ghoul-creep,
necromancers trapped in an arms race of ghoul creation. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No Gigaghoul or Ultraghoul as far as I can see, so perhaps
this is the pinnacle. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But what happens when a ghoul dies its second-death?<o:p></o:p></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3R-f7Z3R5oXvdUnG2F9dJlglbd1HZkndUIrB0nFgK9LBdofG_d6rjSVvVzqi0juOCI4_fTgkawW8shhmbEL5vRiYDpnKJIZMzBXmVEJfEmkRwuCEy5fX_dJnpJo-0KM6-o1U2xf9kzGV1OUDiMjJwryrGON4FwYctNrfTiz9J_GJvFbHulzZG3I9UrFL2/s2165/PXL_20240220_113625320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2165" data-original-width="1520" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3R-f7Z3R5oXvdUnG2F9dJlglbd1HZkndUIrB0nFgK9LBdofG_d6rjSVvVzqi0juOCI4_fTgkawW8shhmbEL5vRiYDpnKJIZMzBXmVEJfEmkRwuCEy5fX_dJnpJo-0KM6-o1U2xf9kzGV1OUDiMjJwryrGON4FwYctNrfTiz9J_GJvFbHulzZG3I9UrFL2/w450-h640/PXL_20240220_113625320.jpg" width="450" /></a><br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Shadow ghoul! A pitiful ghost creature that doesn't really
do much, but I like the idea of the ghost of an already undead creature. This
could be taken further.<o:p></o:p></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_XW0H0xY68OifnIA78puUn9sNQ1QBAt-w8sOF46XRJQvl-7Wou_Pe9sbDzB330map5diHTCqJwV6m4-3hBIh6jLvDNawoVHSq8cJ_DWHV2riRfPFR4P9JSaSyICB9bM4Kas6PvwF_upjivbdkjA25FZqu40rpckSr_teSBqeFSRDISK8k450NnB9pFUB/s1904/PXL_20240220_113758205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1904" data-original-width="1354" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_XW0H0xY68OifnIA78puUn9sNQ1QBAt-w8sOF46XRJQvl-7Wou_Pe9sbDzB330map5diHTCqJwV6m4-3hBIh6jLvDNawoVHSq8cJ_DWHV2riRfPFR4P9JSaSyICB9bM4Kas6PvwF_upjivbdkjA25FZqu40rpckSr_teSBqeFSRDISK8k450NnB9pFUB/w456-h640/PXL_20240220_113758205.jpg" width="456" /></a><br />
<p class="MsoNormal">The steel ghoul is a ghoul with a bunch of metal strapped to
it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kF0HgVzHh_WwBziWuAbsIcnYm4WjUCCqP7RyXdxNUyI-N9S8iMYXz5o26x1kCzFXALsDaTqpPVbgR66Tw5_G1dmBQxKhRWzmHX21dv_kxZxjUvp1buBRQ6CBR8athz2HzQKTC8zq5zkambTSglXJjRJ36BHq_EqiazaHOiwmIGb1EyEyL09qWzWmLOjR/s2065/PXL_20240220_113802747.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2065" data-original-width="1469" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kF0HgVzHh_WwBziWuAbsIcnYm4WjUCCqP7RyXdxNUyI-N9S8iMYXz5o26x1kCzFXALsDaTqpPVbgR66Tw5_G1dmBQxKhRWzmHX21dv_kxZxjUvp1buBRQ6CBR8athz2HzQKTC8zq5zkambTSglXJjRJ36BHq_EqiazaHOiwmIGb1EyEyL09qWzWmLOjR/w456-h640/PXL_20240220_113802747.MP.jpg" width="456" /></a><br />
<p class="MsoNormal">The stench ghoul is an extra-stinky ghoul.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nothing especially interesting here. Let's get out of ghoul
town and head toward the back of the book.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>TREMLOW</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I'm so easily won over by the artwork in this book. Check
this guy out.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4A4i-tLoZijFyTq_I6VDXt2zd1BE-4cXzRIgPYuMiEWYI_KPHOvJcAX90numSjVP4TOkl44oNkakjpnxGXgAo0TSH_yBi-djKAZQ0g4x3UNaClJL3RrtAM7CPmGOYEbb3_-jWXGm8W84EYKIGePY4xB4ATPUpVwmmcrIi5d1oT8TAK8CdwMROSRnQchKn/s2792/PXL_20240220_114251053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2792" data-original-width="1906" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4A4i-tLoZijFyTq_I6VDXt2zd1BE-4cXzRIgPYuMiEWYI_KPHOvJcAX90numSjVP4TOkl44oNkakjpnxGXgAo0TSH_yBi-djKAZQ0g4x3UNaClJL3RrtAM7CPmGOYEbb3_-jWXGm8W84EYKIGePY4xB4ATPUpVwmmcrIi5d1oT8TAK8CdwMROSRnQchKn/w436-h640/PXL_20240220_114251053.jpg" width="436" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal">The description paints a very clear picture of a singular
gamebook encounter. The adventurer sees the Tremlow from behind, judging it as
a hideous creature. If they keep looking it turns around, and it's even uglier
from the front. The Tremlow shrieks pitifully and flees. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We also get a section detailing how the creature will
occasionally hunt, with a decision for the prey to make when they feel a
tingling between their shoulder blades. If they turn to face the creature they
must pass a Luck roll or else flee, horrified, and <i>permanently</i> lose 1
Skill as they spend the rest of their life glancing over their shoulder in fear
of the creature. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Look, I'm usually a fan of ugly, pathetic creatures, but
this one just feels strange to me, like it hasn't fully made the transition
from gamebook-encounter to a monster that truly exists in this world. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>CONCLUSIONS</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These books are great fun to read through. I'm <i>heavily</i>
biased by nostalgia, but think the art alone makes them worth checking
out. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-75594266573693109062024-02-21T09:39:00.011+00:002024-02-21T09:39:56.330+00:00Mining the Pit<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.bastionland.com/2009/02/lessons-learned-from-out-of-pit.html">Fifteen
years ago this month</a> I wrote a post about <i>Out of the Pit</i>, the
Fighting Fantasy monster manual and my first ever RPG book. In particular, I
wanted to see what lessons I could take from that beloved book. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I was still finding my feet with that blogpost, and I
continue to do so today, so I can't say it's really worth revisiting. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But what about the monsters of Fighting Fantasy?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A few years ago I saw <i>Beyond the Pit</i> and <i>Return to
the Pit</i> on the shelf of my local game shop, both follow-ups to <i>Out of
the Pit, </i>compiling a new selection of monsters from the Fighting Fantasy
books. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Any gems in there? Let's pick a few and see what we
get. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Beyond the Pit<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">So for context all(?) of these monsters have appeared in a
Fighting Fantasy book before, compiled here for the first time. While they're
all from books set within the world of <i>Titan</i> they're interesting because
they've all seen <i>some form</i> of action. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I'll go through the first few spreads of the book and pick
the monster I like most from each.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Angaroc <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">The first line of this entry has me hooked.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">"[Angarocs] exist only in the dream world - until some
sorcerer discovers how to bring them through to the real world!"<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It looks like a snake with four spider legs, which is kind
of disappointing but also sort of fitting for a native of the dream world.<o:p></o:p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRv_ah-587OONexcwMrGRdNkLsYN02Gp6FerXmbqRviDMQn-LSdURtoww_dyu1jQXwqcgFigLj8ynkBFBuV4Me9B6vOHZgW3iyqpffvz8NKpX-6-vcf6wsmzqVgB7bb1ZDo6ywKfBQ4b911DcjjBF0z4Teead06RP65bfW1ibJIZdrwFoB_S6rlu1pDrT/s2345/PXL_20240214_141347020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2345" data-original-width="2160" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRv_ah-587OONexcwMrGRdNkLsYN02Gp6FerXmbqRviDMQn-LSdURtoww_dyu1jQXwqcgFigLj8ynkBFBuV4Me9B6vOHZgW3iyqpffvz8NKpX-6-vcf6wsmzqVgB7bb1ZDo6ywKfBQ4b911DcjjBF0z4Teead06RP65bfW1ibJIZdrwFoB_S6rlu1pDrT/w590-h640/PXL_20240214_141347020.jpg" width="590" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">They have no weapons because their mere presence is
poisonous (in both the dream world and reality). It drains life force through a
janky, arbitrary mechanic which belies its gamebook roots, so it's kind of a
quintessential <i>Fighting Fantasy</i> monster. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ape-Dog and Dog-Ape<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">I haven't even read the description yet and I know I'm
choosing this one. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">One is an ape with a dog head, the other is... well, work it
out.<o:p></o:p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnB2YY18D6iy0kHrJStPcS2eG4HmDQHJ_zGhNYuBXhN6RQ_5yQ8MN6t6A8hsH4t2z5cxECjZ94Amr54Qmro-NjkytxO9l-Rwqr_A9vxbaWH0c0G5NVqwFJSls0a61W6xHzr5nDfeWWgjmC2seL0h54Cd8u7UiDmcNP-GkfUAXow4Y5Yy8PN8qEifj_QpQ/s2108/PXL_20240214_141352126.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1838" data-original-width="2108" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQnB2YY18D6iy0kHrJStPcS2eG4HmDQHJ_zGhNYuBXhN6RQ_5yQ8MN6t6A8hsH4t2z5cxECjZ94Amr54Qmro-NjkytxO9l-Rwqr_A9vxbaWH0c0G5NVqwFJSls0a61W6xHzr5nDfeWWgjmC2seL0h54Cd8u7UiDmcNP-GkfUAXow4Y5Yy8PN8qEifj_QpQ/w640-h558/PXL_20240214_141352126.MP.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">They guard the gate to a demi-sorcerer's tower and offer
some sort of riddle. Again, the gamebook vibes are strong with this one. It
also notes that "the race of <b>Blogs </b>from central Allansia is very
similar to the Dog-Ape in particular, though this just may be pure
coincidence".<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Are "Blogs" detailed in this book?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">They are!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Blog<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Okay, I'm done laughing at the name. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">They're jungle-dwelling pot-bellied humanoids with dog
heads, hated by the local humans who hunt them tirelessly for the sins of
head-hunting and eating human flesh.<o:p></o:p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihadHa05C7KfideO3fSRxAfzKO8SkTvyUPiXnRUqAh-h3tyJHfSkJUp9aUt8EuWRhoaoaPuUcWuDNtTQv2qibQW38cFb7O7_K-NvxJ4jv-GULLqEM46U4g2Z47NUUwxkXacCp-_M49BttmE73_X2T30qIq-Pj8fEjDw9IbhLSAHLnM9EabCc2Gls9nr5gF/s3494/PXL_20240214_140422711.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3494" data-original-width="1722" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihadHa05C7KfideO3fSRxAfzKO8SkTvyUPiXnRUqAh-h3tyJHfSkJUp9aUt8EuWRhoaoaPuUcWuDNtTQv2qibQW38cFb7O7_K-NvxJ4jv-GULLqEM46U4g2Z47NUUwxkXacCp-_M49BttmE73_X2T30qIq-Pj8fEjDw9IbhLSAHLnM9EabCc2Gls9nr5gF/w316-h640/PXL_20240214_140422711.MP.jpg" width="316" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Alarm bells are going off in my head, but I'll
continue. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The shoot poison darts, which paralyse victims for long
enough to take them to their huge cooking pots. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Blogs first appeared in a 1988 gamebook and if I'm being
generous I'd say they feel very much <i>of their time</i>... or maybe of a time
before. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Annoyingly they don't even look that much like the Dog-Ape
who sent us here!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Right, onto a random spread. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Dinosaurs</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I was all ready to flick past this page, as I'm met with a
bunch of real-world dinosaurs, but I'm glad I stuck around.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It's noted that "there has been speculation of late
that they are not originally from this world. For example, they have no
recognised deity in the pantheon of the Animal Court."<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">That's a fantastic little bite of worldbuilding.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It goes on to suggest that dinosaur eggs were brought to
this world through portals, prized as beasts of war. Again, that's a lovely
touch.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Onwards.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Pool Beast<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Wait, isn't this just a <a href="https://fightingfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Bloodbeast">Bloodbeast</a>?<o:p></o:p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWx8Ck6sD0Moiq71UBBtusd8X1lsApikZR6epQ5oogqBRr0T45L3h8kLJjXIsF_CBgHSiaizc5hDK6ZWCO3B8OW4po9g-hxzoJ1VNtSJLcAv7hFC7to3dEu-UzV0Cn6dSv414uzGDh8AOhAuffvF1ExJSQw7ymm7fN6FVruS1Smj7u5uR94pCU2KgBqHw0/s2511/PXL_20240214_141614893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2511" data-original-width="1698" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWx8Ck6sD0Moiq71UBBtusd8X1lsApikZR6epQ5oogqBRr0T45L3h8kLJjXIsF_CBgHSiaizc5hDK6ZWCO3B8OW4po9g-hxzoJ1VNtSJLcAv7hFC7to3dEu-UzV0Cn6dSv414uzGDh8AOhAuffvF1ExJSQw7ymm7fN6FVruS1Smj7u5uR94pCU2KgBqHw0/w432-h640/PXL_20240214_141614893.jpg" width="432" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">No, it's a different "big monster stuck in a gross
pond". <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I suppose that's handy for a gamebook. It keeps the monster
in one place, ensuring you get to encounter it within its signature lair. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This one also has a large violet gem in its head, presumably
to serve as treasure. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">All very <i>Fighting Fantasy</i> but not all that inspiring
for me right now.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">One more random flick then I'll go to the final spread.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Toolfish<o:p></o:p></b></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaUClLDEiM8prye19OsMIaCIUqCrjGUGZ08zjI6-IrS4dYi6AuEBNlgySOuosUs4uTCb7gNNNliUtgjDmBe63kkBLPhqJO0Nxjvf5yrFTWxLVq8qSBROOj-prmsa37tXMNrcCrlw1UASyUShRjKAJtimj5Aa8qfYyA3WvefZiuG3Pi7pTWnDS3tLd9pUE/s774/d122ad00-56a4-11ee-b7ef-28182e55eb36.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinaUClLDEiM8prye19OsMIaCIUqCrjGUGZ08zjI6-IrS4dYi6AuEBNlgySOuosUs4uTCb7gNNNliUtgjDmBe63kkBLPhqJO0Nxjvf5yrFTWxLVq8qSBROOj-prmsa37tXMNrcCrlw1UASyUShRjKAJtimj5Aa8qfYyA3WvefZiuG3Pi7pTWnDS3tLd9pUE/w530-h640/d122ad00-56a4-11ee-b7ef-28182e55eb36.png" width="530" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Wait, no.<o:p></o:p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDHP8EeaqzHZDBDUi3wO2-xxfMAxpO9J8FbVtQSq4GLc-Kxla998cl9lV-IbrOvObccfPZCag1Pz0Jc1wR6_F1ISxdHYIQIBbkdq1XXO60DN6MY8G0yRVs1YANKxcKDXZdy4Squu_pnA8FHrMDNmwi3ajWWUr5Ac83FNlYiIeBgH_qy686An796IyM9g7/s2505/PXL_20240214_141824014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2505" data-original-width="1817" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDHP8EeaqzHZDBDUi3wO2-xxfMAxpO9J8FbVtQSq4GLc-Kxla998cl9lV-IbrOvObccfPZCag1Pz0Jc1wR6_F1ISxdHYIQIBbkdq1XXO60DN6MY8G0yRVs1YANKxcKDXZdy4Squu_pnA8FHrMDNmwi3ajWWUr5Ac83FNlYiIeBgH_qy686An796IyM9g7/w464-h640/PXL_20240214_141824014.jpg" width="464" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Apparently, Merfolk have difficulty making tools underwater,
so have bred special fish to serve as tools. Flintstones of the sea, I
guess. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">They're small when kept on the rack, but magically grow when
taken out for use. It even details some of the special varieties, from axefish
to glowfish to the obvious sawfish (the only one that will fight on their own).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">You can buy them from a Merfolk, but when used by
non-Merfolk they swim away after one use. Classic old school fuck-you to the
players.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is all very dumb but I don't hate it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Onto the final spread.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Zoalinth<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is the most "fantasy RPG monster book"
monster I've ever seen.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Let's check these off.<o:p></o:p></p><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Two
croc heads<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Bear
body<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Bird
legs<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Stegosaurus
tail<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Eight-fingered
claws<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Acid
vomit attack<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Lives
in dungeons<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Made
by a wizard<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Uf5LeOMLHrh8Y3lRtjE4b1ADpZHTUlzpeobtc7CZuUExtbbOEPLhaem8ReqE66MFsG4ez098KxpH_fSnDyI2G0UaRNPitWelqk8SIZxvipAsf4wDnlX3CaKs4x6q7s0BdiTXYDKkom1bqhNa03xl_o8H9B29ti4NzfrpXgm3pHMJGdGamvfd76brdvKZ/s2387/PXL_20240214_142822200.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2387" data-original-width="1558" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Uf5LeOMLHrh8Y3lRtjE4b1ADpZHTUlzpeobtc7CZuUExtbbOEPLhaem8ReqE66MFsG4ez098KxpH_fSnDyI2G0UaRNPitWelqk8SIZxvipAsf4wDnlX3CaKs4x6q7s0BdiTXYDKkom1bqhNa03xl_o8H9B29ti4NzfrpXgm3pHMJGdGamvfd76brdvKZ/w418-h640/PXL_20240214_142822200.MP.jpg" width="418" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">I can't say there's much interesting to actually do with
this. It speaks common and has average intelligence, but is still mostly
described like a guard animal. It specifies that it can be trained to recognise
a badge or symbol...<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Oh wait, that'll be something from the gamebook that it was
used in, right? The player will need to find the badge that lets them pass
through without fighting this thing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Right. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>LESSONS?</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I'll level with you, I did this just because after finishing
up the writing on <i>Mythic Bastionland</i> I wanted to dig into warm, familiar
world and look at some silly monsters. There are examples of nice worldbuilding
but also lots of stuff that shows its gamebook roots a little too strongly for
use in a TTRPG.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Next time I'll dig into <i>Return to the Pit</i> and see if
that fares any better. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-47969580587402818572024-02-14T18:00:00.001+00:002024-02-14T18:00:00.157+00:00Dealing with the Council<p>What happens when a player Knight in <i><a href="https://mythicbastionland.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders"><b>Mythic Bastionland</b></a></i> actually gets to rule
their own Holding?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">First you have a bunch of entitled jerks to deal with.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>PLAY</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: Okay, Tal, now that you’re the rightful ruler of
Raider’s Gate you’ll want to assemble a Council. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Ref outlines the positions of Steward, Marshall, Sheriff,
and Envoy.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tal</b>: Okay, Moss, are you up for being the Marshall? Getting
the soldiers into shape?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Moss</b>: Yeah, of course.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: Yeah that works. Now even though you proved the
previous ruler, the Chain Knight, as an enemy of the Realm, the Steward that
served under him is still here. She’s Medryn, very formal and professional. You
can kick her out of her seat or keep her on.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tal</b>: Let’s keep her on for now, but we’ll keep a close eye
on her. I’ll go and talk to her properly a little later.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: Well security is also part of the Sheriff’s job,
watching for threats inside and outside your walls. Who are you appointing
there?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tal</b>: Needs to be somebody we trust. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Moss</b>: I don’t think I trust anybody around here anymore.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tal</b>: Okay… can we leave the seat vacant just for now while
we decide?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: Well we can talk about it some more, but I definitely
wouldn't leave you Realm without a Sheriff unless you want to invite trouble!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tal</b>: Argh, okay. Hey, what about that guy who was guarding
the tower we found?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Moss</b>: Yeah, he helped us out.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tal</b>: Okay, he was over here, right?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Tal points at a landmark a few Hexes away.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tal</b>: Can I like… send a rider out to summon him or
something?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: Of course, you’re the ruler now!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzx1ic4y6lVYSdkDdJ2mirvWKk9IKKwyNGZL2LUkNutmpAaFGREOxo4CD1sy_fjzbcKzWpnrNJ5GARnMykC7Mb3x7se223SR2ClJhBVskihPsOw65wKG0-Tvdzy2-mlpXvhcshyVeCSIUh4kLUlMb-00631sEfNc2Aw7pBmB_4zOUuuLy5AnZES80oAyyg/s3921/3-6%20Myth%20-%20The%20Moon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2079" data-original-width="3921" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzx1ic4y6lVYSdkDdJ2mirvWKk9IKKwyNGZL2LUkNutmpAaFGREOxo4CD1sy_fjzbcKzWpnrNJ5GARnMykC7Mb3x7se223SR2ClJhBVskihPsOw65wKG0-Tvdzy2-mlpXvhcshyVeCSIUh4kLUlMb-00631sEfNc2Aw7pBmB_4zOUuuLy5AnZES80oAyyg/w640-h340/3-6%20Myth%20-%20The%20Moon.png" width="640" /></a></div><b><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br />THOUGHTS</b></p></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Like so many other parts of the game, ruling a Holding is at
its best when the players have enough information to prompt difficult decisions
with impactful consequences. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Assembling the Council is a good opportunity for this. As we
see here it’s a chance to introduce new characters or elevate previously
encountered people into a more prominent role.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Focusing Holding management on the Council has a few
beneficial effects. Firstly it keeps the spotlight on interactions with
characters rather than the fine details of economics and infrastructure. You
can decide that you want to collect more taxes, or change the armament of your
warbands, but doing so requires going through your Steward or Marshall
respectively, keeping those relationships at the forefront. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is most effective when a ruler’s Council and Court are
both populated by a dynamic cast of characters. Here a Referee can create a
messy web of ambitions and quarrels for the ruler to attempt to keep in order.
A combination of Spark Tables and Luck Rolls can give some useful prompts for
this. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If one of the Knights ends up ruling a Seat of Power, then
the rulers of each Holding become an additional layer of relationships to
manage on top of this. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Still, I like to ensure that the ruler still gets a chance
to go out and be a Knight, letting their Council manage things in their
absence. This can be encouraged by reassuring the player that Knights are
expected to delegate rule to their Steward in order to continue fulfilling
their Oath. If a Knight gets too bogged down in politicking from their castle
then word begins to spread that they’ve grown soft or renounced their Oath to
“seek the Myths”. That should give them a nudge toward adventure. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-88296507147426737742024-02-07T10:32:00.003+00:002024-02-07T10:32:41.764+00:00Unwelcome Omens<p><a href="https://mythicbastionland.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders/info" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Mythic Bastionland pre-orders are now open for late backers!</span></b></a></p><p>Backers will receive their survey within the next few days, so far I've just sent out a test to a lucky 5%.</p><p>Now onto the post. </p><p class="MsoNormal">What do you do when an Omen doesn't quite fit your current
location?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>PLAY</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>The Company are travelling through a barren tundra during
winter, facing dire weather at every turn. Ref makes a Wilderness Roll and gets
a 1, rolling for a random Myth from elsewhere in the Realm. They roll the
Forest, which the Company have already encountered the first five Omens from.
This means they’ll encounter the sixth and Omen.</i><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: Okay… hm…<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Ref fumbles slightly, as the previous omens had all been
encountered in areas with plenty of trees, an easy fit for the Forest.</i><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: A bitter mist rolls over the tundra again, chilling
your faces. Through the mist you can see shapes. It looks like a forest.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Moss</b>: I thought this whole area was a sort of frozen
wasteland?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: Yeah, it was. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tal</b>: Oh, I bet this is something to do with the Forest,
right?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Moss</b>: Yeah, shall we go in?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tal</b>: I think we should! We’re meant to be “seeking the
Myths” after all.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Moss</b>: Okay, let’s carefully go in.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: As you enter the mist begins to clear. The air even
feels warmer. Looking around, you feel like you’re in the middle of a deep
forest, despite having only walked a few paces into the trees. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Moss</b>: At least it’s warm.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: A towering figure stands boldly between the trees.
Their body is thick, writhing wood, knotted and gnarled. Their hands are like
great clawed roots. The imposing creature looms over you. What do you do?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>THOUGHTS</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Remember that Myths operate under their own rules, and they
don’t need to follow the usual laws of reality.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This means situations like this one, where a Myth’s Omen
feels an odd fit for the current situation, can easily be woven into the
ongoing story. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It helps that, in general, the players want to find Omens
and resolve Myths, as this is the main way that they gain Glory. Besides, the
nature of Omens is that they’re all going to happen eventually, so being caught
off-guard by one isn’t a huge problem.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I like that Ref doesn’t try to contradict their previous
description of the area. The wasteland was just as frozen and inhospitable as
they had previously described, and now it’s miraculously transformed into a
thick forest. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">One of the reasons that Knights tend not to have
magical-feeling abilities is that I want the world to feel more magical than
the people within it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">You’ll be exploring a mystical land, and while you’ll
sometimes benefit or suffer at the hands of its magic, you’ll never quite
understand or control it yourself. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is perfect for handling these moments, but should never
be done at the cost of the previously established fiction of the game.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">When they enter the woods, Ref jumps straight into the
encounter with the Fearmonger in their true form. This is fine, but there was
also an opportunity to have the players explore this strange place a little
before the Fearmonger shows themselves. It would give a little more weight to
the fact that the Forest manifested so suddenly, allowing the players to take
that in for a moment before thrusting them into a high-stakes situation. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimu153ld-FrrA2leutqVyjuLY4PWjSTug_UAtzgJDZrK63ynh_WXltwWiguOnuHRh7Nxa3n2iCHNBrZ-FnQNuvIt1E6yXCF9EHv_v2A74hIP3-cXBqpqBzE-98UBPo_90tlZFxPvIUWWEesLTOAHNi0z95sIsbWmv2-GURF48fb7A6ETNVZzudraJWdLnA/s3921/2-8%20Myth%20-%20The%20Sea.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2079" data-original-width="3921" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimu153ld-FrrA2leutqVyjuLY4PWjSTug_UAtzgJDZrK63ynh_WXltwWiguOnuHRh7Nxa3n2iCHNBrZ-FnQNuvIt1E6yXCF9EHv_v2A74hIP3-cXBqpqBzE-98UBPo_90tlZFxPvIUWWEesLTOAHNi0z95sIsbWmv2-GURF48fb7A6ETNVZzudraJWdLnA/w640-h340/2-8%20Myth%20-%20The%20Sea.png" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-36691513444053146472024-01-31T08:51:00.000+00:002024-01-31T08:51:11.417+00:00Folklore<p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">Knowledge is power in <i>Mythic Bastionland</i>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What does the Oddpocrypha have to say about that?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>PLAY</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The Company are staying in the Holding of a friendly
ruler. After dinner they are left to their own devices for a while. They have
already encountered one Omen of the Child.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref:</b> Okay, what are you both doing?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tal: </b>The ruler here seems friendly enough, but I’ll
see if anybody else looks keen to talk.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Moss: </b>I’ll ask around to see what people know about
the Child.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref: </b>Okay, Tal, as you’re moving around the hall a
Knight strides over. You’ve not met them before, they’re…<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Ref rolls on some Spark Tables to get an idea of their
appearance.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref: </b>He looks sort of soft-bodied for a Knight, a
tattered cloak over his patchwork mail. He speaks to in a whispered tone.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Ref rolls a random Myth of the Realm for this Knight to
know about, getting the Shadow.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref: </b>“Greetings, Knight. Have you come from the
north?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tal: </b>Erm… <i>(she checks the map) </i>no, we’ve
ridden in from to the east.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref:</b> “Well, take my word for it, if you’re heading
north then don’t look too closely into the shadows. A sorrowful presence lurks
there. My brother-in-arms has already been taken by its melancholy.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tal: </b>Is this something to do with the Child?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref: </b>He doesn’t seem to know anything about the
Child. He explains that he’s recently arrived in the Realm. He also describes
the location of a monument he passed on the way, the mausoleum of a nameless
Knight.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Ref points to the monument’s location on the map, a few
Hexes north of the Holding.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tal: </b>Great, that’s useful.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Moss: </b>Yeah, do I have any luck?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>THOUGHTS</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Non-player characters can be useful in different ways. They
can offer hospitality, equipment, remedies, military aid, new positions in a
council, or even a Holding to rule. Whoever they are, most people are also able
to offer the resource of knowledge, as detailed in the Folklore section of the
rules.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We can see the importance of this here, with Moss actively
seeking information and Tal being more passive. I like that Ref gives Tal this
useful information even though she didn’t explicitly ask for it. When it comes
to Myths I like to ensure they’re worked into the conversations happening all
across the Realm, even if the character is a new arrival.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref gives some very vague knowledge of the Shadow here. They
could have had the Knight outright explain an encounter with the Shadow, or one
of its omens, but the key is that they wouldn’t know the inner workings of the
Myth. That level of knowledge is restricted to Seers, and is the basis for
their powerful position within the society of the Realm.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref could have gone further here, and had the Knight who Tal
meets actually be the Knight described in the Myth itself. One Omen describes a
sorrowful Knight, lashing out at passers-by, and they could have presented this
character to the Company, appearing before their miserable fate.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">They could go in another direction, changing the Myth so
that this new Knight is the one present in the Omen.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Instead, Ref takes the slightly safer option of having the
Knight who Tal meets simply having a connection to the Knight that will appear
in a later Omen. Still effective, but it’s always good to consider other
options.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIDTQ_1q8LTyqyZUEAp3q0t-RWHrKxchveDm74yn6qqdYqkE587GMR90QoFjxhQqQfIhLicLOtfvq-AzmpKsjdL-6OWXV2AHaujiEpYGU-z9RrkUn4jK-mIcG7GVy6sPr6WXPFmOZR1u_vMDqBZy9S57i6ar3cYh7hJb5_RheJ2gWS_vO_WWfATR2zlI9/s4559/2-11%20Knight%20-%20Horn%20Knight.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4559" data-original-width="1937" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIDTQ_1q8LTyqyZUEAp3q0t-RWHrKxchveDm74yn6qqdYqkE587GMR90QoFjxhQqQfIhLicLOtfvq-AzmpKsjdL-6OWXV2AHaujiEpYGU-z9RrkUn4jK-mIcG7GVy6sPr6WXPFmOZR1u_vMDqBZy9S57i6ar3cYh7hJb5_RheJ2gWS_vO_WWfATR2zlI9/w272-h640/2-11%20Knight%20-%20Horn%20Knight.png" width="272" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-46657940045003441892024-01-24T11:36:00.005+00:002024-01-24T11:36:46.828+00:00Hospitality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal">How does hospitality work in Mythic Bastionland?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>PLAY</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The Company encounter an Omen of the Pack, describing a
shepherd having lost his flock. The Knights do their best to help, but the
Shepherd is heartbroken.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moss: Wait, where does this shepherd live? We’re nowhere
near a Holding or Dwelling.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Do you want to ask him?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moss: Yeah, okay.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: He gestures in the direction of his home, a simple hut
hidden away within this Hex. He also has a second hut in the neighbouring Hex,
where he sometimes moves his flock. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tal: We should rest up here before we start our journey back
to the Seat of Power. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Yeah, proper hospitality restores your VIG, remember?
You’ve both got some wounds that would benefit from it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moss: Okay, I ask the shepherd if he can provide a warm
place to sleep for tonight.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: I mean he’s despairing about his flock being torn apart
by his own dogs, so I wouldn’t expect too much of a warm welcome. He offers you
a place for the night, as is the custom, but you get the sense he’d rather you
weren’t there. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Ref pauses for a moment.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Actually, one of you can give me a SPI Save to see what
his response is like.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Tal rolls an 18, failing the Save.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Yeah, he takes you in and cooks you some food, rolls
out some simple, bedding, but the conversation is clearly focused on when
you’re both going to leave tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moss: Rude.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tal: I mean I guess he’s got bigger problems to deal with
right now. Okay, let’s work out what we’re doing the next morning. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Sure, and you can both restore VIG. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3cnhqV4JjQ8vgOGPnYQF9l2uw4SuLgE7ZlziFIC9Rm_PyVEhVX62Hfhtz5009Uyrj0H2wiMBBfIGZUSToInaQAs95_7twVrJFKQMzTovQwgnRfX6GLHHPezchjie4xplORNF9wYdaV_JlNiKqb6nmng-7ivx0ISflmU630P4lW-TNznccMYyXXUR5sf8/s3921/2-5%20Myth%20-%20The%20Imp.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2079" data-original-width="3921" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW3cnhqV4JjQ8vgOGPnYQF9l2uw4SuLgE7ZlziFIC9Rm_PyVEhVX62Hfhtz5009Uyrj0H2wiMBBfIGZUSToInaQAs95_7twVrJFKQMzTovQwgnRfX6GLHHPezchjie4xplORNF9wYdaV_JlNiKqb6nmng-7ivx0ISflmU630P4lW-TNznccMYyXXUR5sf8/w640-h340/2-5%20Myth%20-%20The%20Imp.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b>THOUGHTS</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Knights can expect hospitality from most of the people they
encounter on their travels, but this can still create some interesting
conflicts. Commonly these are based around how much the Company are willing to
upset their host by outstaying their welcome, or whether the host is bold
enough to ask for something in return. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This section of play starts with a good example of how the
Realm can be moulded by both the actions of the Knights and the Myths as they
unfold. In an area with no mention of inhabitants, a Myth describes a shepherd.
This suggests that the shepherd must have a dwelling nearby, even if it was not
previously noted on the map, and so it becomes reality. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’d encourage Ref to note this down on the map as a new
Dwelling. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course, if the Company were in a Hex utterly unsuitable
for a shepherd to live in, then the Referee might find a reason for them to be
so far from home. Perhaps they’re in the middle of a long journey or
pilgrimage.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref also indulges in asking for a Spirit Save to gauge the
shepherd’s reaction to the Knights’ request for hospitality. This feels like a
very low stakes roll, as even with a failure the shepherd allows the knights to
stay. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Normally I look to the mantra of “no risk, no roll” but I
still think there’s a place for Saves like this in the quieter moments of play.
For example, if Tal had passed the Save then perhaps the shepherd might
encourage them to stay even longer, becoming reliant upon the Knights for a
feeling of security after their ordeal. </p></div><p class="MsoNormal">----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-6455923267753225282024-01-17T09:12:00.008+00:002024-01-17T09:12:57.550+00:00The Quieter Moments<p>An RPG session probably shouldn't be non-stop action. Those
quiet moments can sometimes be overlooked by GM advice sections, so I wanted to
touch on them when discussing landmarks in the Oddpocrypha chapter of <i>Mythic
Bastionland.</i> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>PLAY</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The Company is in a tower, overlooking the surrounding
Hexes. Ref gestures to each Hex as they describe the terrain in broad terms.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: The forest continues all across the west. The
south looks more marshy, and there are rough hills to the east.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>On their copy of the map, Ref notices there’s a Landmark
in a neighbouring Hex, a Ruin. They rolled a prompt for this as part of their
prep, noting that it relates to the Blade, a Myth not currently active in the
Realm. The prompt for the Ruin was “crumbled bridge”.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: You can spot a bridge in the distance out in
this direction, but you can’t really see the details from this far away.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The players decide to head toward the bridge, arriving in
the next Phase of the day.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: Okay, so the bridge spans a mostly dried up
stream and has collapsed, the centre now a heap of rubble.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Ref turns to the Blade myth to look for a hint to place
here. They decide to use “Ilglamrent”, one of the names given for the Blade.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: In amongst the rubble you can see a large block,
previously part of the bridge. There’s something carved on it, covered in red
moss.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tal</b>: I’ll carefully scrape it off with my dagger,
trying to see the carving.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: It’s faint but you can just make out the shape
of a sword, the word “Ilglamrent” written down the length of its blade. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tal</b>: Huh. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Moss</b>: I’ll look through the rubble. Maybe there’s a
sword down here?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: Yeah you dig through but there doesn’t seem to
be anything of note.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Moss</b>: Right. Hm. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ref</b>: So where next?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>THOUGHTS</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Where Myths and Holdings generally act as the major features
within the Realm, Landmarks tend to have a more understated place in the game.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ruins in particular can feel almost out of place, offering a
glimpse at a Myth that won’t actually be used in the Realm as it stands. The
intent is to hint at a wider and older world, and as we see here it can create
moments that border on downright anticlimactic.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t think this is something to be feared. These moments
of relative calm can be a welcome change of tempo, especially when used
sparingly. I like that Ref allows the moment to play out before giving the
players a gentle nudge to move on, asking them where they want to go next.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref did just about enough preparation here, rolling the
Ruin’s Myth ahead of time and choosing a prompt for its general description.
They could have gone further and worked out how the bridge tied in to the
Blade, but they were able to improvise this just fine.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If they really found themselves stuck, unable to draw a
connection between the Ruin and its Myth, then I’d encourage them to take a
more relaxed approach. Maybe for now this bridge is just a bridge, no Myth
connection at all. It still acts as a small point of interest in the world, a
literal landmark to help with navigation. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">They could also place a person near to the Ruin, giving them
knowledge of the related Myth. Perhaps here a wandering pilgrim is seeking the
Blade, but so far nobody in this Realm has heard of it. Anything that helps the
world feel large or old would work.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGXAfdpp8EQpKw_AmmBR2dbh2KrVWD_w-Rn_bbymh2ci_blxraNVZx_ABnHmauSrAobfvcfRhi3-Q7ZThGrCVsyG77-6eLxHA9SBHE5YxDbwEI3od5zkZqAA_1yRH736Sz1iVmvnU3xUfJ-A2FMqnvOM6xVzrx_PBZl60sLz1tlMtKBD734Udg4pfnRxq/s4559/2-10%20Knight%20-%20Seal%20Knight.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4559" data-original-width="1937" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGXAfdpp8EQpKw_AmmBR2dbh2KrVWD_w-Rn_bbymh2ci_blxraNVZx_ABnHmauSrAobfvcfRhi3-Q7ZThGrCVsyG77-6eLxHA9SBHE5YxDbwEI3od5zkZqAA_1yRH736Sz1iVmvnU3xUfJ-A2FMqnvOM6xVzrx_PBZl60sLz1tlMtKBD734Udg4pfnRxq/w272-h640/2-10%20Knight%20-%20Seal%20Knight.png" width="272" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-14637653019913072042023-12-20T08:42:00.000+00:002023-12-20T08:42:48.054+00:00Travelling<p><i>Mythic Bastionland</i> is largely a game about
travelling. How does that work?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY3mpGOid28zPxE8lmlhTVK11It0se5VsuQEIB9i_GQdA8hZcRAIcIs3UJ6tZSdRwKaniWC54VFfPEhrzc9Nj3wX2W7Nqs00SWXvfIgxPDB-yfyqbPAYHEbvkF3ZeywvT22wHx-H-bjc4AgEkrIHLSzL3x7wmZH7rGtwFqV66bmPCd8G6yZ5ysIowhqco/s4559/2-4%20Knight%20-%20Emerald%20Knight.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4559" data-original-width="1937" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY3mpGOid28zPxE8lmlhTVK11It0se5VsuQEIB9i_GQdA8hZcRAIcIs3UJ6tZSdRwKaniWC54VFfPEhrzc9Nj3wX2W7Nqs00SWXvfIgxPDB-yfyqbPAYHEbvkF3ZeywvT22wHx-H-bjc4AgEkrIHLSzL3x7wmZH7rGtwFqV66bmPCd8G6yZ5ysIowhqco/w272-h640/2-4%20Knight%20-%20Emerald%20Knight.png" width="272" /></a></div><br /><p><b>PLAY</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The Company are part way through a journey between two
distant holdings. Ref points to their current Hex location on the map.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Okay, you wake up and clear away the camp. It’s…<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref makes a few rolls on the Nature Spark Tables for Sky and
Weather.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: There’s a pale haze in the air, not enough to really
hinder your view, but gives a slight fuzz to the forested mountains in the
distance. There’s a dull humidity in the air, no breeze at all, a contrast to
yesterday’s bitter storm!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moss: Yeah, sounds better to me.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tal: So we keep going, right? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Tal gestures to their final destination on the map, then
to the next Hex in that direction.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tal: Head over there, I think. Wait, can we see anything
around us?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Sure, you camped on a decent vantage point, so you got
a good look at your surroundings. You can see this Hex is mostly rolling hills,
a few patchy forests.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Ref points to the Hex Tal had indicated as their next
destination.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tal: In that direction it looks much the same, no sign of
any real points of interest.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>On their own map, Ref sees that a different adjacent Hex
has a Monument landmark. In their notes this is an “Eternal Hearth”.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Over to the West you can see there’s some sort of
structure in amongst the hills, a little smoke rising from it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moss: Ah… we could go and get some proper rest over there.
It’s kind of out of our way, though. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tal: Yeah… we’re in good condition, though. Maybe let’s just
mark it on our map for now and check it out another time.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moss: Okay, works for me.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>THOUGHTS</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Focusing on long distance travel calls for a sort of “zoomed
out” approach that can be daunting in comparison to the more moment-by-moment
play of exploration and combat. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Here I like that Ref takes a moment to set the scene beyond
just the paper map in front of them. Even seemingly inconsequential weather and
sky descriptions help to paint the scene of the Knights travelling across great
distances and significant passages of time, and give some evocative sensory
context in comparison to the relatively abstract Hex map. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Spark Tables are a great source for this, and I always
keep them to hand when running the game.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref also ensures the players have the information needed to
make interesting choices. In particular, telling them that they can see
something in a neighbouring Hex, but not outright stating what it is. Now they
face a choice between continuing to their destination or taking a detour to a
potentially useful location. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There’s also a good amount of generosity on display here.
Ref states that there’s a haze in the air, but not enough to obscure the
Knights view. They also assume that the Knights set up camp on a vantage point,
allowing them to easily survey their surroundings. I’d always lean in this
direction, but I absolutely wouldn’t hesitate to make the Knights’ lives
difficult when the dice prompt it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For example, if the weather roll was “Solid Fog” then I
think it’s entirely appropriate to say that the Knights can’t see into their
neighbouring hexes, perhaps even needing to travel blind unless they have a way
to maintain their course. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-82272021734278241182023-12-06T10:28:00.004+00:002023-12-06T10:28:41.462+00:00Which Virtue?<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">We're entering the final 24 hours for <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd"><b>Mythic Bastionland</b></a>!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXGyX3Osq3PIwfqb4fy6iWzVpQP4nNTuiw3nHYpO71lGgQHTrdMnFcHJPsvffJqq7n2ip-u1ts7mdlxgwRTI_Gv_8nx8meWZC2hLAyy5w3aCim7umOVyb7sWqrhyd_y1702DN36wSUTyzsk7y1TqEsJTnwGrqsGLXULtTfFSwrB37Z7p8z92Hlkw4JXCP/w640-h360/Banner%20Ending.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Here's a little extract from the Oddpocrphya section of <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd"><i>Mythic
Bastionland</i></a>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>PLAY</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>After their character died last session, Tal has created
a new character, the Riddle Knight. The Company are already worn down, having
suffered CLA loss on their journey. They’re hunting a rogue knight who’s been
harassing travellers.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: So this is the hill where you heard the rogue knight
was last spotted. What’s the plan from here?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tal: How about we search for tracks. I can roll Clarity for
that, right?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Erm… Hang on.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Ref looks at the Action Procedure and asks a few
clarifying questions to Tal.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: So the risk is that by scouring around these woods
looking for tracks you might attract some unwanted attention.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moss: Wait, if we’re just searching for something quickly
could I use Vigour instead? That’s for like… athletic stuff, right?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Hm, no, I think that doesn’t really work here. Clarity
is sharp senses and quick thinking, which is what’s being used here. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tal: Urgh, we’ve both got super low Clarity at the minute. I
wish I’d thought of this before we came all the way out here.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Well there’s always another way. Instead of scouring
for tracks you could try to find somebody to talk to, see if they’ve
encountered the rogue knight.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tal: Oh, and if we get “guidance from a Seer” then we
recover our Clarity, right? I know it’s quite far, but we could travel over to
this sanctum <i>(points to the map)</i> where we know there’s a Seer living.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moss: Works for me, we might get some other good info while
we’re there.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Great, so which way are you travelling?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>THOUGHTS</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With just three Virtues to choose from, it’s usually quite
clear which Virtue should be used for a particular Save, or damaged by a
particular harmful effect. Ref is pretty confident that Clarity is the Virtue
to use for covertly tracking an enemy, and I’d agree with them here. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In those cases where it’s not so clear I tend to err on the
side of giving the players the final say, but I’d hope that these instances are
rare. If they start occurring frequently then I’d perhaps take a moment to talk
through the Virtues with the players, making sure everybody understands what
each of them represents for their character. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In this example we see that having low scores in a Virtue
can create some interesting moments, here driving the players to seek out a
Seer in the hope of both recovering their Clarity and getting the information
they were looking for. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If there wasn’t a Seer nearby then Ref could still have
suggested some alternative directions for them to take, and speaking with the
locals is usually a good direction to nudge players toward. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If the players are desperate to restore a Virtue, and the
most obvious means of doing so is too far away, then remind them that Remedies
exist, suggesting where they might be found. Although they represent uncommon
goods, a holding will usually at least be able to point them in the right
direction. For Stimulant, which is used to restore Clarity, perhaps they’d be
directed toward a local herbalist or alchemist in service of the ruler,
remembering that these things are never given away for free.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If all else fails, remember that moving to a new Season or
Age restores all Virtues, so sometimes an impromptu time skip can be the best
way to move things forward. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-49157890486729302822023-11-29T11:29:00.005+00:002023-11-29T11:29:41.186+00:00Sparking Conflict<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd">Mythic Bastionland</a> </i></b>is approaching its final week of funding! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Go and check it out.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxyuNuS0CGQ3V_PGVcSw4ejdsApi_EVa0Wf_EacnYAL0WSe7YdZvKFmpIXmRXYCIP4iyp1N8Q2V4viSm-xvjwmFhU9C468vTFIQTAE4Qp8GiLwnuhHKqKaSA4fUdj9j37svfliJ2HJxwR1dqmbunrv9jBnig716A5FpMegjs4PvmP627AfLSdf77vGDta/w640-h360/Banner%20Ending.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Now onto the actual post.</p><p class="MsoNormal">So you've built a nice <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd"><i>Mythic
Bastionland</i></a> realm where everybody lives happily alongside each other.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Let's fix that. Who do we have in in the four holdings of
this realm?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The Amber Knight rules over <b>Archforth</b>, the Seat of
Power in the centre of the Realm<br />
The Boulder Knight rules over <b>Buckwall</b>, a fortress in the West<br />
The Chain Knight rules over <b>Castle Churn</b> in the North<br />
The Dawnfather, high priest of a sun cult, rules over the town of <b>Daybreak</b>
in the East<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We'll use the Spark Tables in the <a href="https://bit.ly/mbplaytest"><b>Quickstart</b></a> to make them nice and
complicated.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">First we'll give each one an internal conflict. The Drama,
Woe, and News tables can all work for this, so we'll just jump between them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Archforth: </b>Jealousy/Family - A powerful family, let's
say they're more <i>money-</i>powerful than knightly-powerful, jealously eye
the seat of power, waiting for the Amber Knight to slip up and allow them to
seize the support of enough of the other vassals.<b><br />
Buckwall: </b>Sanctioned/Famine - The harvest failed, so food is being strictly
rationed, so much so that people are actually starving. Tough times over here.<b><br />
Castle Churn: </b>Tournament/Content - A tournament is being planned, and I
guess "content" means that this holding can comfortably spare the
resources to make it a lavish event. A real contrast to Buckwall.<b><br />
Daybreak:</b> Banishment/Duel - The Dawnfather has been challenged to a duel,
with the loser being banished from the realm. He seeks a champion, as he's no
fighter himself. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Next we'll take each pairing of Holdings and create some
inter-holding conflict. Here's we're rolling first on the Relationship table to
see how the Rulers are connected, then on the Conflict table to see how their
Holdings are in conflict with each other. I like the idea that the relationship
between rulers and holdings might not always add up. Sometimes the council make
demands of their ruler, and sometimes circumstances give you little choice but
to go to war with a dear friend. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Archforth and Buckwall</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Harmonious/Friend - The Amber and Boulder Knights share a
lot of common interests and values, enjoying a unified desire for peace in the
realm. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Bloodfeud/Occupation - Buuuut, the conflict between their
Holdings goes back further than themselves. Powerful families within each
Holding have long feuded, and each have seats in their respective councils,
ensuring the feud continues. The current status is that Archforth keeps a small
garrison inside to Buckwall, an occupation attempting to keep things
contained. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Archforth and Castle Churn</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Hateful/Peer - The Amber and Chain Knights once travelled
together in the same company, but quickly grew to hate each other. The Chain
Knight especially resents this new situation where the Amber Knight holds
authority over them. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Theft/Negotiations - Thieves from Castle Churn have stolen a
tax coffer headed to Archforth, denying it of course. Archforth has entered
into tense negotiations to try to amend this crime, hoping to avoid sending an
armed presence to another of its holdings. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Archforth and Daybreak</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Friendly/Rival - The Amber Knight and the Dawnfather share a
friendly relationship, though the Dawnfather is open about his desire to
convert the whole Realm to his cult. This honesty actually keeps things quite
civil, and so far no boundaries have been pushed... until...<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Waterway/Standoff - Daybreak is the Realm's sole eastern
port, and Archforth has used it to ship merchants in and out of the realm for
generations. The Dawnfather has now cut them off, demanding a higher cut of the
profits. The negotiations have stalled at a deadlock, with neither side
benefiting from the current situation, but neither wanting to give ground to
their rival. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Buckwall and Castle Churn</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Hateful/Supporter - The Boulder Knight has the poorest lands
in the realm, the Chain Knight has the most bountiful. Surplus grain has long
been traded at a generous price, but resentment grows each year that Buckwall
becomes more reliant upon Castle Churn. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Deceit/Skirmishes - Under a false banner, soldiers from
Castle Churn have been attacking the outer lands of Buckwall, hindering their
already struggling farmlands, hoping to stir the vassals into rebellion against
the Boulder Knight. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Buckwall and Daybreak</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Adoring/Successor - In desperate times, the Boulder Knight
has proclaimed the Dawnfather as his successor, swayed by the promises of his
cult. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Conquest/Truce - Of course, this didn't come about
peacefully, but followed a failed attempt by Buckwall to conquer some of the
outer lands of Daybreak's domain, the oath of succession being a necessary part
of the truce to avoid a violent counter-attack against the Boulder Knight's
weakened realm. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Castle Churn and Daybreak</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Secret/Peer - The Chain Knight is secretly a part of the sun
cult, with equal rank to the Dawnfather. Perhaps the Dawnfather is the face,
the Chain Knight the brains. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Debt/Tension - The wealthy lands of Castle Churn provided a
lot of early support to the Dawnfather in establishing the sun cult, and likes
to give occasional reminders that this debt should be repaid some day. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">You could work through even more Spark Tables to flesh this
out, but I think it's a good starting point. </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-59904627646257419862023-11-22T10:07:00.005+00:002023-11-22T10:07:45.439+00:00Mythic Bastionland - RAIDER MODE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheZtv6KF2Uv-mizsZ4-whCwsffB4Nno8XH1yntmTT-afy4TOL0tULPXs-jt2P-aqPqANY5N3QjMNjM7YG7qqgiMsF3etvypCU-beiYj0tQ2VYGaBMpiCPbNy7s7AF10GPSdc3chOF09qMSvn6haZyKHftM0X4AzqvioK14VkqeZ7kTzrpbhnyUCemlX9LV" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2194" data-original-width="2172" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheZtv6KF2Uv-mizsZ4-whCwsffB4Nno8XH1yntmTT-afy4TOL0tULPXs-jt2P-aqPqANY5N3QjMNjM7YG7qqgiMsF3etvypCU-beiYj0tQ2VYGaBMpiCPbNy7s7AF10GPSdc3chOF09qMSvn6haZyKHftM0X4AzqvioK14VkqeZ7kTzrpbhnyUCemlX9LV" width="475" /></a></div></div><p class="MsoNormal">Want to play <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd"><i>Mythic
Bastionland</i></a>, but don’t want to be a Knight?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Well, it’s probably the wrong game for... no... wait... what
if you were a Raider from beyond the seas instead?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>MYTHIC BASTIONLAND - RAIDER MODE</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is untested. To be honest it’s mostly written off the
cuff.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://bit.ly/mbplaytest">Play the game as normal</a>,
but with the following changes:<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Raiders, not Knights</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Roll your character as normal, but do not take a Knight
type. You do not automatically know Feats.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Instead pick 1 from each of the following lists. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Every raider hides a Blade (d6).<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Birth</b><o:p></o:p></p><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal">Ice:
Take Monstrous Furs (A1, treat as plate).<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Stone:
You know <i>Focus.</i><o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Sea:<i>
</i>You can drink saltwater.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Childhood:</b><o:p></o:p></p><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal">Toil:
You know <i>Deny.</i><o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Travel:
You can <i>Gallop</i> as if you were a steed.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Thorns:
Attack as 3d6 when unarmed.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Now:</b><o:p></o:p></p><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal">Slaughter:
You know <i>Smite.</i><o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Sail:
You can speak with your ship’s spirit.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Stories:
Take a horn and masked helm (A1). The animal on your mask respects you.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol><p class="MsoNormal">If two Raiders in the same Company make the same choices
then they immediately fight each other. Loser has to change one.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Gold, not Glory</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">You don’t gain Glory. Instead your reputation is measured in
Gold.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Now this doesn’t necessarily mean gold, but represents the
riches you have on taken and flaunted. Riches which you presumably gained by
raiding. If a raider has a lot of gold then it’s usually safe to assume they
carry a brutal reputation with them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Even if you squander all your riches, the reputation rubs
off. It’s like people look at you and think “yeah, if they wanted more gold
they could absolutely take it”.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Gain 1 Gold when you successfully raid a Holding. Gain 2 if
it’s a Seat of Power and you get some really good stuff.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Gain 1 Gold if you murder another Raider of higher Gold than
you and take their stuff. Gain 2 if you totally humiliate them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Trading and mercenary work might get you paid, but it won’t
get you Gold.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">0 Gold - Sea Worm: Other raiders see you as utterly
disposable.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">3 Gold - Sea Crow: Some raiders know your name, and you get
a petty funeral if you die.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">6 Gold - Sea Wolf: Even the greatest raiders know your name
and will invite you aboard.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">9 Gold - Sea Bear: Worthy of a proper funeral, and you’re in
a few stories.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">12 Gold - Sea Hawk: You should have died by now. It’s
suspicious if you aren’t actively seeking death.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Ships, not Steeds</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">You serve on a Longship (7gd, A1) led by a Sea Wolf. Roll
their Virtues on d12+6 and their Guard on 2d6.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The ship has enough axes (d8 hefty), shields (A1, d4) , and
javelins (d6) for the whole crew.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The rest of the crew are a warband of Raiders: VIG 13, CLA
10, SPI 10, 4gd<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Bad Reputation</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Arrive in the Realm by water. Commoners who see you will
hide, flee, or plead. If you consistently don’t kill them they might start to
see you merely as dangerous traders.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you return to a Realm you have already raided they have
improved their defences.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Knights hate raiders as a whole, but you might be able to
talk them around to you personally. Depends what you do. Are you really all
that bad?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Wait, Vikings weren’t really like this</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Who said anything about Vikings? See also my universal
caveat: MYTH NOT HISTORY.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Enjoy!<o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Make sure to <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd">spread the word</a>!</p><p class="MsoNormal">----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-22272317785490484332023-11-15T10:15:00.000+00:002023-11-15T10:15:20.028+00:00Mythic Bastionland is Reality<p>After a week of funding, <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd">Mythic Bastionland</a> has surpassed the Kickstarter totals for Into the Odd and Electric Bastionland combined!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAefkhueo9gZMbEtHHD2vM76Bj4_DM32tRMT2fOzG89Z8w0hM9MdpYlJmBCWpt8j6u7YZ9TPkRQ1BIfPn3ri_-GYeB-d5qcaSMvV0DyOtgzTZjGMyf00JNzrQ3-EmbPH1iCUNWhGv934_kexO7KoU7KZ_FTn-oJbmGwN5-Mb19XwIuKD2D7nClMDciTX58/w640-h360/Banner%20Funded.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>As you might expect, the last week has been taken up by dealing with all of this, so I hope you'll forgive a lighter blogpost this week. Next week's post will be an untested, slightly silly variant of <i>Mythic Bastionland</i> for those who are <i>already bored</i> of the core game before it's even out. </p><p>Oh, and yesterday I did an <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/17v6kf3/im_chris_mcdowall_creator_of_into_the_odd_and/" target="_blank">AMA on Reddit</a>, which you can read here. </p><p>Until next week, I appreciate everybody helping to spread the Mythic word. </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-75659377569201291742023-11-07T14:00:00.001+00:002023-11-07T14:00:00.146+00:00Mythic Bastionland is LIVE<p> It's finally time!</p><p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd">Mythic Bastionland is LIVE NOW</a> over on Kickstarter, so go and pledge if you want a copy of the book.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwGEftR5Bqf3GV503r3iUgEeBuZ8V9aqscD9SAOp_mMasKtSUkqukZAx1gw55_xFxoI-PqYF6Dkpk2kLhhg65GIhCLZPoGzy2YANGBlWKoQTH0etEMrmLg5DrP4LgxKv28Hi6eA0mAcH13EW6Vb7vvWf8uJkS4ayLdImiHyO-6FZQPxyoyCf3At8eMyrh/s1600/Banner%20Launch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwGEftR5Bqf3GV503r3iUgEeBuZ8V9aqscD9SAOp_mMasKtSUkqukZAx1gw55_xFxoI-PqYF6Dkpk2kLhhg65GIhCLZPoGzy2YANGBlWKoQTH0etEMrmLg5DrP4LgxKv28Hi6eA0mAcH13EW6Vb7vvWf8uJkS4ayLdImiHyO-6FZQPxyoyCf3At8eMyrh/w640-h360/Banner%20Launch.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Feel like sharing the link around? Thanks, that would be great!</p><p>Having a great day-one really helps with visibility on Kickstarter, so I appreciate everyone who's able to jump on board right away. </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-90108702794334600712023-11-01T09:51:00.001+00:002023-11-02T09:24:43.633+00:00The Toil<p> <span style="font-size: x-large;">First of all, go and follow</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><b style="font-size: x-large;"><i><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd" target="_blank">Mythic Bastionland</a> </i></b><span style="font-size: x-large;">on Kickstarter</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SJVv7hl1dvYxJRhDzt79do3kR8AjFdsWqP37Ja06j9qTsDjhlGiG0IT8z33dl5ZfJQcrBNIbbB-y5JM_STOZB2YH345Hd_a5k4_oQC1DLhOsmHNYGxjo02RLatTCUnLggrLg7EUN7NCsGvwYpNnrgDmlsbiiI6yzEXopobSY6dlpX4GCS8ERsHaAQfwn/w640-h640/ad29.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Less than a week till launch, and as you'd imagine I'm quite busy!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So this week, enjoy a little art preview.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>THE AMBER KNIGHT</b><o:p></o:p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6jLInyGQTZhr8UwmLB4Pn9HXGhnZq_ktf5ip3A_Z0TKxRIDnUo0E1raPVBWcJKHvM86kecZ4gxIDFypR3zS6Y_fJWFf80OEgWMRc3Sr_yXwsdaekxPZnMGeVxfZs82nKoOiaU9Ya2dqIuupsfwNIdxOds8yaTfNxL0BkRAjoM0flbkcEFksJBeeaFvpj/s4559/2-2%20Knight%20-%20Amber%20Knight.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4559" data-original-width="1937" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6jLInyGQTZhr8UwmLB4Pn9HXGhnZq_ktf5ip3A_Z0TKxRIDnUo0E1raPVBWcJKHvM86kecZ4gxIDFypR3zS6Y_fJWFf80OEgWMRc3Sr_yXwsdaekxPZnMGeVxfZs82nKoOiaU9Ya2dqIuupsfwNIdxOds8yaTfNxL0BkRAjoM0flbkcEFksJBeeaFvpj/w272-h640/2-2%20Knight%20-%20Amber%20Knight.png" width="272" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b>THE EYE</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_5TVx2GLaA4Z-eSNO7me9B3I4tMdsgQfUE5b-LWFMY_lwXmmJdyOdddQ5Qz-AIZ_54-s1Vro5CvdnS0xg3SLXpSbX1tY6LRc72e1woMuwC-P1JoYXwcgj5SPGki41PKpSCzmCmknCFLBvbK0YNHjQWhkIZSBg5W_Y0bwtm2fUS2YZFA0fcIc5onyN1qz/s3921/2-2%20Myth%20-%20The%20Eye.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2079" data-original-width="3921" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_5TVx2GLaA4Z-eSNO7me9B3I4tMdsgQfUE5b-LWFMY_lwXmmJdyOdddQ5Qz-AIZ_54-s1Vro5CvdnS0xg3SLXpSbX1tY6LRc72e1woMuwC-P1JoYXwcgj5SPGki41PKpSCzmCmknCFLBvbK0YNHjQWhkIZSBg5W_Y0bwtm2fUS2YZFA0fcIc5onyN1qz/w640-h340/2-2%20Myth%20-%20The%20Eye.png" width="640" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Make sure to <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd">spread
the word</a>!</p><p class="MsoNormal">----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-16934306032280968512023-10-25T09:54:00.001+01:002023-10-26T12:35:24.557+01:00That Feeling of Glaive on Gambeson<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">First of all, go and follow <b><i><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd" target="_blank">Mythic Bastionland</a> </i></b>on Kickstarter</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_SJVv7hl1dvYxJRhDzt79do3kR8AjFdsWqP37Ja06j9qTsDjhlGiG0IT8z33dl5ZfJQcrBNIbbB-y5JM_STOZB2YH345Hd_a5k4_oQC1DLhOsmHNYGxjo02RLatTCUnLggrLg7EUN7NCsGvwYpNnrgDmlsbiiI6yzEXopobSY6dlpX4GCS8ERsHaAQfwn/w640-h640/ad29.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Okay, onto the post.</p><p class="MsoNormal">What use is an RPG if it doesn't have a giant list of
weapons and armour?</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">After all, this was one of my favourite pages of my first
D&D book.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7eQ_okcTi6KYzXgCqabdVvTttz5wdQATXEmu0lrQKB5C1BZd7g0r5eoacW-8AkWM8-m0y7GkrpcgEWDZ4YaP8wNMAQvuMYZgLIKL1eCynFUP3Bc1bZRHfivyTXvLh9ORNTmnG5_jEeN9o5tLWF4XbBJT7FlD48Z4MNNeejRWwL1iHBSwiovTHMdoAErEr/s1014/3e%20weapons.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="781" data-original-width="1014" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7eQ_okcTi6KYzXgCqabdVvTttz5wdQATXEmu0lrQKB5C1BZd7g0r5eoacW-8AkWM8-m0y7GkrpcgEWDZ4YaP8wNMAQvuMYZgLIKL1eCynFUP3Bc1bZRHfivyTXvLh9ORNTmnG5_jEeN9o5tLWF4XbBJT7FlD48Z4MNNeejRWwL1iHBSwiovTHMdoAErEr/w640-h492/3e%20weapons.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCTnuwomfZGjJgN3KsXNInuQkZrAYjfgZcxsVoMSL_t9rvbz8Ok9BWehw3c-f2TwQ2w7x_2B8HnSk-OLpyjF6F9TU1MQXSQBb_V_72Pmk3L-QhDie0YtvddemtgCu4XfqI3mhuDQUF7gcJs-CBs6dNKuaUTxIbjIvVh2XJy-1xBxo3wLaBu-I6b7XVJW2/s1024/3e%20weapons2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="1024" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCTnuwomfZGjJgN3KsXNInuQkZrAYjfgZcxsVoMSL_t9rvbz8Ok9BWehw3c-f2TwQ2w7x_2B8HnSk-OLpyjF6F9TU1MQXSQBb_V_72Pmk3L-QhDie0YtvddemtgCu4XfqI3mhuDQUF7gcJs-CBs6dNKuaUTxIbjIvVh2XJy-1xBxo3wLaBu-I6b7XVJW2/w640-h460/3e%20weapons2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal">Not to mention this beauty.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1r0eqoWumfOkVFfP8kRCFitmJDJKsIkxMU5BKm_fKcUfR-D6Ttnd5yfeo_c3stDD-nTV297M-T4wSbkTaBkDqSplQmAtf8PCv7x4eFFhEYcXM9FBgiPymVLry2i5QkKvbgIw5JZroVB8Ndj6HIkjDX7eUAMVp8GSdcx5Yiwg811KMgxzemXf-NQuJ3moY/s689/3e%20armour%202.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="689" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1r0eqoWumfOkVFfP8kRCFitmJDJKsIkxMU5BKm_fKcUfR-D6Ttnd5yfeo_c3stDD-nTV297M-T4wSbkTaBkDqSplQmAtf8PCv7x4eFFhEYcXM9FBgiPymVLry2i5QkKvbgIw5JZroVB8Ndj6HIkjDX7eUAMVp8GSdcx5Yiwg811KMgxzemXf-NQuJ3moY/w640-h428/3e%20armour%202.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwG3ZKpSmJ85WYQ6-NjBluuzgGYzenQx5ngl0k7lsUj5nV4BIbtxGWGjhfI1OPruRgLS011Mh7Am_eVGVhGp-6PKHJxVVg2HwlU4EriHE_1WTD27MbrjEF9vFItPCOtdC34LJBpatxEDxvGgeGaJuJs_BOf0vc95m3ODqKxV3IS3cY8Sip9FcW6IzK2BJ/s630/3e%20armour.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="630" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwG3ZKpSmJ85WYQ6-NjBluuzgGYzenQx5ngl0k7lsUj5nV4BIbtxGWGjhfI1OPruRgLS011Mh7Am_eVGVhGp-6PKHJxVVg2HwlU4EriHE_1WTD27MbrjEF9vFItPCOtdC34LJBpatxEDxvGgeGaJuJs_BOf0vc95m3ODqKxV3IS3cY8Sip9FcW6IzK2BJ/w640-h456/3e%20armour.png" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">In the process of writing <i><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd"><b>Mythic Bastionland</b></a></i> I've
done a bit of deep-diving into medieval weapons and armour, so the red flags in
those pieces leap out at me now.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Still, I remember loving those spreads because somehow the
art makes it all feel very real. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But what does it matter? That's for D&D, a fantasy game,
so who cares if the weapons favour style over historicity or practicality?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Mythic Bastionland</i> is also overtly <i>Myth </i>not History.
I have that phrase written at the bottom of my notes doc for this game. So why
have I been spending so much time thinking about authenticity?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Let's break this down into weapons and armour. <o:p></o:p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1K-84veZLJ3KrkrTT5sGweQ2MSLZ2kB_Q9SR6U45Ld-g2_lzIEE_R4trI9r6cSkX16aWEUib1Cbgs9Ttpt4Ke1_jKZXdiFQFUUU3mtaSgqJQ27OZowPxvPeTTUreYWOT0oFou71ODdQhU_wtmbeOaFYcyfN3P1ogmjAjenn-fqXoXZIyPQqeZmn2lILL/s4559/1-12%20Knight%20-%20Barbed%20Knight.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4559" data-original-width="1937" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH1K-84veZLJ3KrkrTT5sGweQ2MSLZ2kB_Q9SR6U45Ld-g2_lzIEE_R4trI9r6cSkX16aWEUib1Cbgs9Ttpt4Ke1_jKZXdiFQFUUU3mtaSgqJQ27OZowPxvPeTTUreYWOT0oFou71ODdQhU_wtmbeOaFYcyfN3P1ogmjAjenn-fqXoXZIyPQqeZmn2lILL/w272-h640/1-12%20Knight%20-%20Barbed%20Knight.png" width="272" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Weapons </b>in <i>Mythic Bastionland </i>largely follow
on from <i>Into the Odd </i>and <i>Electric Bastionland</i>. You've got single
handed weapons that do d6 or d8 damage, then two-handed weapons that do d8 or
d10, though the larger die types are a little easier to get hold of in this
setting. Swords get special treatment, rolling multiple dice, which in this
system results in you keeping the single highest result, so they're more
reliable and have some extra benefits when you dig into the Feat and Gambit
systems. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Bulky is gone. Since you're all Knights with, at the very
least, a steed, it's easier to justify extra load. You might have a Squire to
carry even more stuff, so let's just not bother tracking it at all. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">There's also much less focus on hauling treasure back from
dungeons, so fewer interesting decisions to be had about what stuff you leave
behind. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Instead, the interesting decisions around weapons in this
game are:<o:p></o:p></p><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">What
do I use in each hand? Two-hander? Dual weapons? Weapon and shield? It's
not super complex but there are definitely times you might consider
switching up for a particular situation.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">If
my weapon does something fancy, like the Talon Knight's hookhammer (bonus
when leaping down onto the enemy), how do I set that up?<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Am I
going to be fighting somewhere that makes certain weapons especially
appealing or awkward to use?<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul><p class="MsoNormal">Now that last one not have lots of rules support in the
game. There's a mention that long weapons are impaired in tight spaces, and
you've got things like skeletons being resistant to piercing attacks, but
looking at the weapon list there's zero difference between a Spear (d8 hefty)
and Axe (d8 hefty). <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Except that Spear is obviously going to be longer than the
axe, so you can probably use it to fight over a barricade, or from behind an
ally. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">And of course the Axe is better at breaking down doors.
Obviously the spear is no good for that.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So the book doesn't present rules for these things because
you <i>already know those rules</i>. I suspect this might rub some readers the
wrong way, but I do hope that in most at-the-table situations these things just
sort of... work naturally. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">In terms of building a weapons list that's appropriate to
the <i>implied era</i> of Mythic Bastionland, I'm clearly drawing on the
medieval period. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But which bit of it? Early-medieval makes sense as the
setting for Arthurian Myth.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So javelins and bows rather than longbows and crossbows.
Spears and axes rather than swords and halberds.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Except... Arthurian myths very often take a more generous
approach when it comes to equipment. Most images of a Knight are drawing on
late-medieval or even early-Renaissance stuff. So we throw those fancy weapons
back in, but just make them rare. Only <i>very few</i> of the Knights actually
start with a sword. That guard can have a halberd though, it just looks
right. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So as with so many before me, I'm walking a tightrope of
wanting some of that <i>historical feel</i> while also wanting that <i>mythic
freedom</i> to pull in things that feel right stylistically, if not
realistically. The focus on rarity rather than cost should help with this, as
owning a sword isn't about getting enough money. There isn't even a price
listed for each weapon. Instead, you've got to actually find somebody who wants
to sell one or can make you one from scratch. At this point you might as well
just kill another Knight and take theirs, perhaps grab their Holding while
you're at it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">That still counts as <i>Protecting the Realm</i>, right? I
mean it's probably safer under my watch. <o:p></o:p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWF05Wk8Fv7SK-L8iTve0ZfmweYtU8nG74qQimM_rjzLL4IyU3211AXBAfUujV0YHCrvBPLDamHVAyB5BeFgR4f8IJOhPyHIfSnGZGpB06A3mecbuEgbNNm_WFiT1w0NN8Ocq2gOeizt9kX3v3zK2a9xTlLb7uIg789cRMNqLeJkOzYoLenawIRrVN-1o5/s4559/1-3%20Knight%20-%20Tourney%20Knight.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4559" data-original-width="1937" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWF05Wk8Fv7SK-L8iTve0ZfmweYtU8nG74qQimM_rjzLL4IyU3211AXBAfUujV0YHCrvBPLDamHVAyB5BeFgR4f8IJOhPyHIfSnGZGpB06A3mecbuEgbNNm_WFiT1w0NN8Ocq2gOeizt9kX3v3zK2a9xTlLb7uIg789cRMNqLeJkOzYoLenawIRrVN-1o5/w272-h640/1-3%20Knight%20-%20Tourney%20Knight.png" width="272" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Armour </b>also follows the same baseline of the previous
games in the series. Armour gives you a point of armour, a shield gives you
another. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Except now I've added helms and plates (extra armour worn to
battle) as two other ways to grab armour points, giving a fully armoured Knight
Armour 4, something unfathomable in <i>Into the Odd</i>. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Part of this is balanced out by the general increase in
damage output, but that's not really the whole point. Again it comes down to
creating interesting choices.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Let's say you own the full set of armour: coat, plates,
helm, shield. You aren't just walking around suited-up all day every day. The
general assumption is that helms and plates are removed when you're travelling
or socialising, and we all know that shields can be shattered. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Here armour is less about permanently etching the highest
number you can onto your character sheet, and more about considering the
situational nature of your protective gear. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you really want to kill a Knight then facing them in an
open battle means you're facing the full wall of steel. Why not just come at
them with daggers when they're out riding in just their gambeson? Or invite
them into your home and kill them there... wait, what sort of game is this
again?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Again, I want gear in this game to feel more nuanced than
"when can I buy that fancy gear", instead looking at the actual
decisions somebody would need to make about their equipment. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As a side note, I do get a small pleasure from including
layers of armour here. Coats represent flexible protection that you can
generally wear all day (mail, gambeson) while Plates are the hard stuff layered
on top for battle (plate, brigandine, splint). Then you've got the
self-explanatory helms and shields. There's definitely a sort of paper-doll
appeal where I can visualise very clearly how a character looks different based
on which combination of their armour they're currently equipped with, slotting
the paper armour on top of their outline. I think today... the hauberk under
the brigandine, the great helm on top. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I guess I'm just not used to the novelty of considering what
an individual character looks like in various grades of protection. In so many
games it can feel like they're welded inside their harness of choice.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">While I'm not looking to provide an accurate simulation of
the weapons and armour of a particular period of history, I want the players to
look at their gear and interact with it in a way that makes it <i>feel real</i>. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Even if it's all just a myth. </p><p> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-65620480655710225982023-10-18T12:25:00.002+01:002023-10-19T12:23:15.938+01:00Fire from Sparks<p class="MsoNormal">EDIT: Oh, I messed this up and posted this week's Patreon post instead of last week's! That means you'll get last week's post... next week. Hope that makes sense.</p><p class="MsoNormal">It's a busy week over here! Just 21 days till <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd">Mythic
Bastionland</a> goes live on Kickstarter. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">With me being somewhat pressed for time today I've decided
to use this as an example of just how quickly Spark Tables can help you to
generate an interesting location and the people within it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This can be done ahead of a session to add to your notes or
returned to when improvisation is needed.<o:p></o:p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRo-sMEVQAJo9ZRdDtA3Nq__tJtxmuymWSE-KhK83gfvTt1CN1CqQPRf3R0Hko_NCa0aW51mcwZ77fc5F_hBCIl8_4LkbdktbElyFKQQ5q890b-1uxPhHMLYPUqtVk0qwsgHKu6XD5ps6kzW9EZHh8wchkxGvvLVe4o9IiP9RV1yDtvWLD0N9m2TI8wpFZ/s5100/Sparks_1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="5100" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRo-sMEVQAJo9ZRdDtA3Nq__tJtxmuymWSE-KhK83gfvTt1CN1CqQPRf3R0Hko_NCa0aW51mcwZ77fc5F_hBCIl8_4LkbdktbElyFKQQ5q890b-1uxPhHMLYPUqtVk0qwsgHKu6XD5ps6kzW9EZHh8wchkxGvvLVe4o9IiP9RV1yDtvWLD0N9m2TI8wpFZ/w640-h414/Sparks_1.png" width="640" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">For fun, let's use all 18 of them, focusing in on a single
hex.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">OK LET'S GO<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>NATURE<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>LAND 1/2 - Barren Heath</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Simple enough. So you'd normally see lots of shrubs but even
for a heath this is quite sparse, bordering on a wasteland if not for the
patches of grass and heather.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>SKY 2/6 - Violet Mist</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Even the low-hanging clouds here have a hint of lavender to
them, perhaps melting into the heather in places.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>WATER 5/4 - Cobalt Churn</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Despite being barren there are brooks and streams, babbling
violently in deep blue, like the water can't wait to get out of here. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>WEATHER 8/7 - Solid Thunder</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">There's a constant low rumbling in the air, the violet
clouds darkening to black in the distance, as if thunder waits on every
horizon. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>FLORA 5/12 - Towering Roots</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Breaking up the open areas of heather are huge, archlike,
exposed roots, not visibly part of any nearby tree, presumably remnants of a
time when this was all primordial forest.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>FAUNA 5/3 - Mischievous Canines</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Packs of small wolves lurk amongst the roots and shrubs,
generally living as scavengers, but also known for stealing food from
travellers . Their bark can imitate a human scream, using it to lure travellers
away from their camps, leaving their meals unguarded. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>FEATURE 8/2 - Veiled Seat</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The most prominent natural landmark is a thronelike rock
formation atop a lone hill, the violet mists normally concealing it behind a
lavender veil. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>WONDER 9/10 - Temptation Wind</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">On especially windy days it's said that the violet mists
stir up aromas to mislead travellers. Scents of home, fresh-baked bread,
fermenting mead, or sweet fruit stewing. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>OTHERWORLD 1/7 - Acidic Cavern</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Rumours claim a cavern lies somewhere among the roots,
leading down into a warren of caves dripping with corrosive bile. Prized by
alchemists, but a deathtrap to explorers. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Okay so what about the Holding that sits in this place?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>CIVILISATION<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>HOLDING 4/8 - Ancient Dome</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The domed keep of this place has always been here. Some say
it was coated in gold in its original purpose, but now it's cracked, bare grey
stone.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>BAILEY 1/4 - Filthy Fountain </b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Within the walls, an at-first impressive fountain trickles
dull, grey water. Once it was prized for its healing qualities, but now nobody
dares to drink from it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>KEEP 10/12 - Cauldron & Shields</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Within the Keep, the ruler still keeps the great cauldron at
the centre of the hall, a relic from the dome's lost purpose. The walls are
lined with the shields of Knights who died fighting here, whether they were
attackers or defenders. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>PERSON 11/8 - Soft & Cynical</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The portly ruler recently took to the throne, and is a rare
example of a non-Knight taking up a position of rulership. Sceptical of the old
ways of Seers and Knights, this ruler seems less enamoured with the traditions
that surround his position. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>AMBITION 3/12 - Status (because of) Hatred</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It goes further than that. He outright hates Knights. He
thinks a commoner like him should be on the Seat of Power, and in fact every
Holding would be improved by the rule of somebody who understands normal folk.
He knows he has to play the political game, but misses no opportunity to
undermine the authority of Knights. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>RELATIONSHIP 10/7 - Sworn Rival</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Here a neighbouring ruler goes beyond just being a rival,
it's <i>sworn </i>on something<i>. </i>Perhaps this ruler felt a nearby Knight
was so dangerous that they visited a Seer, swearing to defeat the Knight in
return for the Seer's blessing. Quite why this cynical man would want that is
unclear, but we can work that out as we go. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>DRAMA 8/2 Revelation & Poison</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A plot to poison this ruler was recently foiled! The traitor
was revealed and executed, perhaps a council member, leaving an opening for
ambitious player-Knights. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>WOE 7/1 - Mysterious Disease</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The commoners of this domain have their own problems, people
falling ill seemingly without a common link, a sickness of the lungs that can
appear anywhere and strike anyone.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>QUEST 10/10 - Salvage Holding</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">With his own resources tied up in the Drama and Woe above,
the ruler is missing out on an opportunity. A nearby fort has lain abandoned
for a generation now, sitting atop land of no worth, the commoners having
long-since moved onto other domains. Anybody who swears loyalty to the ruler of
this hex will have his blessing in going out to reclaim this Fort as a new
holding. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>And so the d12s have spoken.</i><o:p></o:p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxAc8IGy-XsE_FlmtAFbT_fz2zToKYaAJXaLH77E560hu8TCFns26lxeDaWIAzJ8y3JUDGys46GPVYan_NwU3OP8b1LhHvIFuLuMprX22TiKUeVFpGcfXUdN7bGGEtRCtTP4lsryYyeEYGuT2ZYI5xbnnRaeqeBoQ2iDpHcBF04Yu7BUJwEz1CaSpFzzT/s1937/1-9%20Seer%20-%20The%20Jeweled%20Seer.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1937" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxAc8IGy-XsE_FlmtAFbT_fz2zToKYaAJXaLH77E560hu8TCFns26lxeDaWIAzJ8y3JUDGys46GPVYan_NwU3OP8b1LhHvIFuLuMprX22TiKUeVFpGcfXUdN7bGGEtRCtTP4lsryYyeEYGuT2ZYI5xbnnRaeqeBoQ2iDpHcBF04Yu7BUJwEz1CaSpFzzT/w640-h250/1-9%20Seer%20-%20The%20Jeweled%20Seer.png" width="640" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">See, that gives us plenty to work off all within a single
hex. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Check out the <a href="https://bit.ly/mbplaytest">Mythic
Bastionland Quickstart</a> and try them out for yourself.</p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-58987368183473384122023-10-11T10:30:00.001+01:002023-10-11T10:57:47.587+01:00The Myth of Balance<p><a href="https://bit.ly/mbplaytest" target="_blank"><b>MYTHIC BASTIONLAND QUICKSTART IS HERE!</b></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://bit.ly/mbplaytest" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3EunQLrO5vKiEE_bW3a_1Y4CzndH0XzfMAbUeJctgAlAA4AR24Xdbu8qVAbYgoROBDUjSmmsBENjSmwU2k3eH-wxMP3aRWUBGK5vPjHO1KzPCBuii9wX4-ohhjgoKrbmInX2JMqRZOQvgPHN1-p5jyDjAVpBStlCESN2eCOFXcQ6hwuwwrAIJozwh9RV/w640-h640/Quickstart%20Ad.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>This has everything you need to run the game, the full rules section, and 12 Knights and Myths to get you started. Also filled with amazing art from Alec Sorensen. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALVwL8lwykAEJgJKloa6GDCWOW4CSWziL2Vz1IGdKNMLPuWyejqFzwyo1alad4J30Zi4D0IO28nFGAdm47yfVKrr4RibaZ0G5ppnib0p6zIygAOe0b9IkVwetnrcW0moQ-_BjMntulprE57ku1pWUWnnmPx8u4fWzW2Uy64BSlyQV3uTSMmx7qxY8UnCl/s3921/1-3%20Myth%20-%20The%20Shadow.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2079" data-original-width="3921" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALVwL8lwykAEJgJKloa6GDCWOW4CSWziL2Vz1IGdKNMLPuWyejqFzwyo1alad4J30Zi4D0IO28nFGAdm47yfVKrr4RibaZ0G5ppnib0p6zIygAOe0b9IkVwetnrcW0moQ-_BjMntulprE57ku1pWUWnnmPx8u4fWzW2Uy64BSlyQV3uTSMmx7qxY8UnCl/w640-h340/1-3%20Myth%20-%20The%20Shadow.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>This one accurately shows how it feels to return to Twitter in order to promote an <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd" target="_blank">upcoming Kickstarter</a>. </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal">As I <a href="https://www.bastionland.com/2016/09/the-balancing-act.html">previously
wrote</a>, balance isn’t about making things equal, it’s about preserving
interesting choices.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So I’ve been doing a lot of balance tweaking to Mythic
Bastionland recently, especially in the use of Feats and Gambits.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Feats </i>are special things that Knights can do at the
cost of losing d6 points in a specific Virtue. When you hit zero in any Virtue
you’re <i>Exhausted</i> and can’t use Feats.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Gambits </i>are special combat actions that an attacker
can perform by discarding an attack die showing 4 or higher. Stuff like
disarming, dismounting, pushing, pinning, or just an extra point of damage.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">For <b>Feats</b>, a few things came up in testing that I
wanted to try to fix:<o:p></o:p></p><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Some
Feats felt extremely useful, especially the one that lets you
discard attack dice against you. You basically <i>needed</i> to learn to
use this one if you wanted to stay alive, and in some cases there were
very clear situations where using this Feat was a no-brainer decision.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Some
Feats felt very niche in their use. One granted an indiscriminate <i>Blast</i>
to your attack, making it essential against Warbands and large groups but
you’d never use it in a duel. Because each Feat is tied to a specific
Virtue, which are rolled at random, it can feel bad when you realise your
high score is in the super-niche Feat, and your low score is in the <i>absolutely
essential survival Feat.</i><o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Having
a very low score in any one Virtue meant that you were at a high risk of
becoming <i>Exhausted</i> and losing access to all of your Feats, even if
you had a high score in the Virtue that Feat used.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul><p class="MsoNormal">So here’s what’s changed:<o:p></o:p></p><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">The
defensive Feat that previously removed enemy attack die now rerolls them,
keeping the new result. Now it’s a bit more situational, best used when
that enemy d10 rolls a 9 or 10, instead of an absolutely essential cog in
the system that every player would expect to use multiple times per
battle.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">The
Blast effect has been rolled into the Smite Feat that grants extra damage,
giving you the choice of which effect to gain. So now there’s just one
Feat for both variants of “do a big attack”. Replacing this is a new Feat
that interacts with the Gambit system (see below).<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Dropping
to 0 in a Virtue now only prevents use of that particular Feat, and comes
with an additional downside. 0 Vigour is now <i>Exhausted </i>meaning you
can’t attack after moving. 0 Clarity means you’re <i>Exposed. </i>0 Spirit
means your attacks are <i>Impaired. </i>You still really want to avoid
dropping to 0, but doing so doesn’t prevent you using the other Feats.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Gambits </b>raised some of their own issues in testing.<o:p></o:p></p><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">By
throwing a <i>Smite </i>onto your attack, granting an extra d12 attack
die, it was quite easy to dismount or disarm somebody, both things that can
be hugely impactful on a combat. In a joust the former might even end up
earning an instant victory. Similarly, it felt a bit too easy to just
shatter a wooden shield at the start of a combat.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Sometimes
players want to try a disarm or dismount manoeuvre, but their specific
weapon just wasn’t very likely to cause the result. They could Smite to
increase their chances but it felt a bit at odds with the idea of a Smite
as a more powerful attack.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">It
felt a bit odd using Gambits to push or pin strong enemies. Naturally the
GM can just say “no, the ogre is too big to push” or grant the target a
Save, but I wanted some stronger guidance in place.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul><p class="MsoNormal">And again, here’s what I’m trying out:<o:p></o:p></p><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Gambit
effects that directly affect the enemy give the target a Save, and weapons and shields
are just trapped, not disarmed or broken. However, if you use a die showing 8+,
instead of the normal 4+ required for a Gambit, then it’s a <i>Strong
Gambit</i> and you bypass the Save or attempt a stronger effect such as breaking shields and disarming weapons. This means large weapons are
much more suited to perform strong gambits, especially if you add in a <i>Smite,
</i>but even then it’s not something you can count on occurring. A Smiting
Knight with a Poleaxe (d10) is just below 60%.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">A
new Feat, <i>Focus</i>, lets the attacker use any die to perform a Gambit,
instead of requiring 4+, giving a Clarity Save to avoid Fatigue. This means the high
Clarity Knight is more effective at spotting and exploiting the more subtle opportunities, but the high Vigour Knight is still more effective at
smashing shields and dismounting enemy Knights.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Even
with the added complexity of Gambits I think it helps that none of these
effects feel <i>essential</i> and you only really need to think about this
little subsystem if you want to do something fancy, otherwise taking the <i>Bolster</i>
effect to cause extra damage when it makes sense.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul><p class="MsoNormal">Again, this is a bit of a call to action. Just because your
game doesn’t lean into “game balance” in the traditional sense doesn’t mean
there aren’t balancing issues you should be keeping watch for.</p><p class="MsoNormal">----------------------------------------------------------------------------</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-69854927443065083582023-10-04T10:44:00.004+01:002023-10-04T10:44:43.269+01:00Opt-In Creativity<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Note: I've changed a few details of this post since it was published on Patreon, as I've tweaked some of the rules I'm talking about here and want to avoid confusion.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal">TTRPGs are innately creative. </p><p class="MsoNormal">At the very least, even if
you're playing in "pawn mode", seeing your character as a playing
piece to push around the map, there's an expected amount of creativity above
sitting down to play a videogame. You have to answer that question "what
do you do?" quite often without having a straightforward answer on your
character sheet.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">BUT my personal tastes are that a moderate amount of
required creativity can go a long way.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">You know how some games do that thing where you deal lethal damage
to an opponent and the GM says...<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">"Okay... tell me how you kill them!"<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">As a player, some days I enjoy that, others I don't. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Some days my creativity is focused almost wholly on
answering "what do you do?" and answering other questions like
"how does your character feel about this?" or "what person from
your character's background shows up here?" can feel like more pressure
than I want out of a leisure activity.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It's part of the reason that some players gravitate to
Fighters in old D&D, seeing the whole "all you can do on your turn is
attack!" complaint as a feature, not a bug. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But of course I'm not advocating for removal of all creative
prompts for players. On other days I love answering those character questions,
inventing gruesome attack descriptions, and luxuriating in a silly voice.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Which is why I try to design my games with <i>Opt-in
Creativity</i>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">There are openings for creativity, but there's another road
to take if you aren't feeling it. Even simple stuff like having a list of
sample character names in the book can help here.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A recent <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd">Mythic
Bastionland</a> rule change got me thinking about this.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Previously, if you rolled the maximum possible value on your
attack die (i.e. 6 on a d6) you got to describe an Onslaught, an additional
effect to the attack, stuff like pushing, pinning, disarming, dismounting,
smashing shields, but it was left open to player creativity within certain
bounds.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is <b>not </b><i>Opt-in Creativity</i>, and I've seen
the downsides of it in the flesh.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Some players cheer when they roll an Onslaught, carefully
consider what to do, and describe how they drive the enemy onto the slippery
ground as they fight them back.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Others freeze. They don't know what to do. None of the
suggestions seem all that useful in this specific situation. Errmm... I don't
know, I guess I disarm them if that's okay.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Well Onslaughts are <b>gone </b>now. Not entirely for that
reason, but that's part of it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Now, when you roll your attack dice you may discard a die
showing 4 or higher to perform a Gambit, 8 or higher giving you an increased effect. It's the same effect as an Onslaught,
but requiring you to think of a fancy thing you want to do you can always choose to just add 1 damage to
the attack instead. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">After a few tests there are some nice benefits here:<o:p></o:p></p><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Having
that +1 damage option means there's never a situation where you roll a
Gambit and feel like it's going to waste, or you're lacking the creative
juice to think of something interesting.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">They
aren't just random windfalls, they'll often come with a choice. If you
roll an 8 and a 6 then using the 6 for a Gambit is <i>usually </i>a no
brainer, but what about a 5 and a 3? Are you willing to trade 2 damage now
to make the long-term situation better by possibly dismounting that Knight? <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">It
makes weapons with bigger die-types more likely to trigger Gambits. That
d10 billhook is going to generate Gambits much more often than the d6
handaxe, and more often at increased effect, so it really shows off those big weapons as having the utility
that they should. If you don't want to get dismounted then don't go near
those two guys with polearms!<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">While
Shields (d4 damage) don't often trigger Gambits on their own, they mean a solo
attacker can use their main weapon to perform a Gambit while still doing
some damage. <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">With
dice used for Gambits being discarded it makes <i>Smites</i> more useful,
as that adds a d12 to your pool, but it also makes <i>Deny </i>(formerly <i>Foil/Deflect </i>urgh, why do I rename things so often?)
more useful, as you can use it to reduce the enemy's gambit die, or the
remaining damage dice. <o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Say
you team up four against one, perhaps a few of you Smiting for extra dice.
You're rolling a big pool of dice, and you're probably going to have a few
spare 4+ dice ripe for Gambits. This might just lead to a high-damage
attack, but it can create fun moments where one Knight shatters the
target's shield, another surrounds them, cutting off their retreat, and
the third delivers the wounding blow. <o:p></o:p></li>
</ul><p class="MsoNormal">So while there are lots of little decisions in there there's
always an easy way out if you don't want to engage too deeply with the
system. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Oh, and we have a (non-final) cover now.<o:p></o:p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2TUDwHV5NgfIEGz2dJMA94ljie-wPkT2TuvQTfLYcW28-ahwXgCjYkkthONnXZsK4M4tKpZomOiKAZzTKBVTAGcQSMw4ZLaJzQDH5gCRvxVxASF3sCmP860vySLvl7Q-62LaPQ-VNzAjS3Sb83VsAfStXxxdcXoPwm6wnH7V6N8qPJCqwC2krvY28TdV/s3501/MB%20Mockup%20Cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3501" data-original-width="2656" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2TUDwHV5NgfIEGz2dJMA94ljie-wPkT2TuvQTfLYcW28-ahwXgCjYkkthONnXZsK4M4tKpZomOiKAZzTKBVTAGcQSMw4ZLaJzQDH5gCRvxVxASF3sCmP860vySLvl7Q-62LaPQ-VNzAjS3Sb83VsAfStXxxdcXoPwm6wnH7V6N8qPJCqwC2krvY28TdV/w486-h640/MB%20Mockup%20Cover.png" width="486" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Expect the Quickstart doc with updated rules around the start of next week. <o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-66870882379880671482023-09-27T09:17:00.001+01:002023-09-27T09:17:31.744+01:00The State of Mythic Bastionland<p>I'm still toiling away on the pre-Kickstarter Quickstart version of <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd">Mythic
Bastionland</a>, which is taking slightly longer than expected. In short, I
want this version to be as close to the final rules as I can manage at this
point, and I want to get as much of Alec's artwork in there as possible. At the
moment I'd put the ETA in early October. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In previous versions of the game the changes have lurched
back and forth between various levels of abstraction. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Abstraction is useful, perhaps crucial, in how I like my
games to work. I like players to have the information to make meaningful
decisions, and abstraction really helps with this.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If I say "your sword arm feels tired, and the impact of
that hammer took your breath away, but you're still up on your feet" it's
not entirely clear how much serious harm you took or how close you are to
dying.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If I add "your Guard is reduced to 0 and you lost 4
Vigour, so you're down to Vigour 6" then you know 3 damage will deal a
Mortal Wound and 6 will Slay you. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So I guess I like to have it both ways. Abstraction to
represent a fair and visible set of consequences for player actions, but
avoiding going so far down that path that we lose track of the narrative
situation or feel like we're playing a numbers game. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The upcoming Quickstart release feels like a nice
balance between the two. <o:p></o:p></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNcny4XycpHQvOrXKgx0OicuYx4BMqZIA0FoDKx2Svh7mZpZMlgy6TAiLW8CTo8qJ2beivRWoEHfGGwtFmQt-H4fnUb3F6ezBiSoGJ1SFnDXNpGZ2ITaO9A00O_qcXIJemS5nYtE3JjtGmQzfMITQDwx0kMIlsoxYlK3SFSYXGtyVhKTyoKoh_vKHvX1D/s720/temp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="402" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNcny4XycpHQvOrXKgx0OicuYx4BMqZIA0FoDKx2Svh7mZpZMlgy6TAiLW8CTo8qJ2beivRWoEHfGGwtFmQt-H4fnUb3F6ezBiSoGJ1SFnDXNpGZ2ITaO9A00O_qcXIJemS5nYtE3JjtGmQzfMITQDwx0kMIlsoxYlK3SFSYXGtyVhKTyoKoh_vKHvX1D/w358-h640/temp.jpg" width="358" /></a><br />
<p class="MsoNormal">Here are some of the changes you can expect.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Landmarks<br />
</b>These were probably too abstract for my tastes, with each type of Landmark
simply causing loss or recovery of a specific Virtue when encountered. The hex
crawling procedure is going to feel a touch more abstract than the
dungeon-crawling of Into the Odd just because of the distances and timescales
involved, but I wanted to pull it back from the precipice of feeling like a
boardgame mechanic. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For example, Dwellings previously restored Vigour, but now
they're simply noted as a place you might be able to find hospitality, which is
the standard means of recovering Vigour. The effect is the same, Dwellings are
good for recovering Vigour, but the presentation is focused on what a Dwelling
actually is, rather than being the hex you land on to recover Vigour. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sanctums work in the same way, each now housing a Seer, who
have been mostly booted out of standard Holdings. Sanctums previously restored
Clarity, but getting guidance from a Seer is the main way to restore Clarity,
so the Sanctum's benefit is now tied to a specific concrete action (which you
might not get if you piss off the Seer) instead of being an innate effect of
the hex. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The negative Landmarks have also been changed, and still
carry risks, but present the Knights with some sort of choice or problem
instead of just whacking them with the consequences. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Remedies<br />
</b>Here's an example of a mechanic where I've actually added more
abstraction. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.bastionland.com/2023/08/remedies.html">Previously</a>
I wanted to avoid a limit on how many Remedies that can be carried, but I've
yielded to reason and said that each Remedy represents a large package of stuff
and so a character or beast of burden can generally just carry one.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yeah this is literally the only piece of equipment in the
game with a hard rule limiting how many can be carried. <i>Rules as written you
can carry a billion shields</i> but I don't feel like that needs abstracting
because it's not that likely to come up and I think most referees would work it
out just fine. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If the Knights want to load up a cart with Sustenance ahead
of a big fight then go for it, but I'd imagine that comes with its own
complications. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Glory<br />
</b>What is Glory worth?<o:p></o:p></p>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFD8_cL6oIR65P7pgCShF_-utg32m1G2dJP3MFcrB_baOdGJhfcMxLKTnc-zmGBxJ7iM6wZNH3UDXFP6m7dJK1KUF0xVcTjdk0AfMx9F70MKmm5X7eUzrvyJupHgjJ9OtSdJR2_wHetBktOVchewGk69R8BsOt5Y2uY7LwraLiQeAlY-VOVPZuehg-T8IG/s498/kingdom-of-heaven-nothing-everything.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="498" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFD8_cL6oIR65P7pgCShF_-utg32m1G2dJP3MFcrB_baOdGJhfcMxLKTnc-zmGBxJ7iM6wZNH3UDXFP6m7dJK1KUF0xVcTjdk0AfMx9F70MKmm5X7eUzrvyJupHgjJ9OtSdJR2_wHetBktOVchewGk69R8BsOt5Y2uY7LwraLiQeAlY-VOVPZuehg-T8IG/w640-h360/kingdom-of-heaven-nothing-everything.gif" width="640" /></a><br />
<p class="MsoNormal">There was a point where I thought about stealing <a href="https://www.failuretolerated.com/leveling-down">point 4 from this
blogpost</a> and having Glory simply go up by one point every session you play,
then you can roll against your Glory to see if somebody has heard of you.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But the actual point of Glory is to have the game feel
different after 3 sessions, and even more different after 12 sessions, so I
linked it to the idea of Worthiness. More Glory means your knight will
naturally stumble into opportunities to take a place in court, and
eventually rule their own domain. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And, of course, maybe go and Find the City.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The specific ways of earning Glory have changed throughout
past versions, but right now when a Myth is resolved (one way or another) every
Knight involved gets 1 Glory. Are you in the story they'll tell about this
Myth? Take your Glory. That's it.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oh and you passively gain a Glory when you advance to a new
Age. When we come back after a time skip things should feel a bit different, right?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It's an abstraction, because one point of Glory doesn't
really mean anything to a Knight, <i>but</i> there are real titles and
opportunities to be gained as you grow in Glory, so it's more rooted in the
reality of the world than something like XP or Level. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And no, you don't get Glory for "protecting the
realm" or "honouring the seers". You'll probably do those things
anyway for one or more of these reasons:<o:p></o:p></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">You
took an oath!<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">You want to protect (most of) the people you meet<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Seers
are useful to keep on your side even if they're annoying<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">The
realm might eventually become <i>your realm</i> and you'd like it to be
intact<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal">And if you don't want to do those things then what do I
care? It's your Knight. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you want to be first to grab the preview doc when it's
released then go and <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd">follow
the Kickstarter now</a>. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-2845721867470281952023-09-20T08:55:00.006+01:002023-09-20T08:55:38.344+01:00Mythic Sparks<p class="MsoNormal">In Mythic Bastionland I have a bunch of prompts across the
bottom of each of the 72 Knight/Myth spreads, meaning you can roll a d6 and a
d12 to get a random entry for Person, Name, Characteristic, Object, Beast,
State, Theme, Dwelling, Sanctum, Monument, Hazard, Curse, Ruin. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yet <a href="https://www.bastionland.com/2017/11/electric-modernity-and-spark-tables.html">Spark
Tables</a> still call to me, so I've thrown in a page of them as well. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rgefIM6yNJ8_WG18VMHL2zMcmWmX-CfI5SPsK1-AYfWmCjB-LmZf2qXoZDQuGgJRgkYvC1rbmL5dso5zCub6raSub5eJyqoK_zSgw5OJ7bCdRlT-HxWOJiRemda7G3T4nKvNgBvUO9vBRjtIdALwgkB7QmV3jQhYkMarYrXODOu9cioXQF4G2NnAEDOO/s5100/Sparks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="5100" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rgefIM6yNJ8_WG18VMHL2zMcmWmX-CfI5SPsK1-AYfWmCjB-LmZf2qXoZDQuGgJRgkYvC1rbmL5dso5zCub6raSub5eJyqoK_zSgw5OJ7bCdRlT-HxWOJiRemda7G3T4nKvNgBvUO9vBRjtIdALwgkB7QmV3jQhYkMarYrXODOu9cioXQF4G2NnAEDOO/w640-h414/Sparks.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This should be especially useful for getting quick
descriptions for wilderness hexes and holdings, as that was a bit of a gap in
the game previously.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oh... and that frame looks pretty nice too, right?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Enjoy!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-49800104817252805952023-09-13T08:56:00.000+01:002023-09-13T08:56:02.367+01:00Death<p class="MsoNormal">From the Oddpocrypha section of <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastionland/mythic-bastionland-rpg-before-into-the-odd">Mythic
Bastionland</a>, talking about Death. The keen-eyed among you will notice some
terminology change from the <a href="https://bit.ly/mbplaytest">current
playtest document</a>, but the new version will be released soon.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>PLAY</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Tal has been spotted sneaking into a guarded tower. Their
Spirit has already been depleted on the journey and from using Deflect, and now
their Guard has been depleted by the first volley of arrows. Moss ducks out of
sight of the enemies but Tal runs for the tower.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The sentries roll high on their attack dice and Tal has
no choice but to take the damage reducing their VIG to 0, meaning they are
Slain outright. </i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Oh, wow. One of the arrows flies straight into Tal’s
throat… they fall to the ground, a pool of blood forming. They’re slain.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moss: What!?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tal: Argh, I knew that was a dumb thing to do. Is there
anything else I can do?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: I mean you’re out of Guard, Spirit, and Vigour, so I
think that’s it for Tal.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Tal sighs and folds up the character sheet.</i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Well we have less than an hour left tonight, so I’d
recommend we sort your new character at the start of the next session, or you
can do it at home. You can make a brand new Knight or you could take on a
successor. You had that squire who was injured, maybe they could get Knighted
for themselves.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tal: Yeah. Urgh, I should have ran away.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moss: Hey we’ve both been taking risks, this could have
happened to me. Can I recover the body? Tal deserves a proper funeral after
all.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Oh definitely, we’ll get to that. In the mean time I’ll
get Tal a character for now. Moss, what’s your plan after recovering Tal?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Moss: Well I need to get to safety for the night. Oh, and I
look for Tal’s Raven!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref: Sure. Tal, you okay?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tal: Yeah, I guess I was just getting attached to this
character. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Ref sets up Tal with a character for the rest of the
session, using a prompt to get a new character to meet Moss as quickly as
possible. Between sessions Tal rolls a new Knight to join the company, the
Riddle Knight. </i><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>THOUGHTS</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Death is tricky, but I believe a game based around Knights
benefits from its presence. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s usually considered a sort of “fail state” of the game,
and Mythic Bastionland embraces the more unpredictable side of death instead of
great sacrifices scripted ahead of time. If your Guard, Spirit, and Vigour are
all getting low then it’s advisable to do everything you can to avoid taking
further damage. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Although it’s a failure of that character, who would surely
rather be alive, it’s not a failure of the ongoing story of the game. All
Knights die in the end. This is why they seek successors, heirs, squires. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Many referees would be tempted to find a way to keep Tal
alive. Dying to the arrow of a nameless sentry feels like an ignoble end for a
protagonist, but we can see that Tal had opportunities to avoid this. As a
Referee, if in doubt, make sure players understand this risk when they take
such an action. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course, it still feels bad. The player might feel
embarrassed that they let it happen, or sad that they won’t get to continue
using their character. It’s perfectly fine to take a moment to acknowledge
these feelings, and make sure that the player doesn’t feel the death was
somehow unfair or unwarranted. Here I prefer an impartial approach. If the
rules say they’re slain, then they’re slain.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Referee didn’t kill Tal, the arrows did. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The feelings will remain, but the important thing is that
the player is angry at the arrows, not the Referee.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ref does the right thing here by getting Tal right back into
the game with a new character, even if it’s just a temporary one for this
session. Elevating an existing NPC to become Tal’s new character would be
great, but sometimes none of the existing characters quite fit, so it makes
sense to just introduce a new Knight. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In most cases I’d default to starting the new Knight as a
Young Petty Knight, but if the rest of the Company are quite established then
it might make more sense to start them as an Exemplar. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><i>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-77332583654649836012023-09-06T09:31:00.000+01:002023-09-06T09:31:08.760+01:00My First Traveller Supplement<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Note: As usual, this post is coming a week later than it was written for <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland">Patreon</a>. I'm back in good health now!</i></p><p class="MsoNormal">So one of the boons of being self-employed is that you can
just <i>take a day off work</i> whenever you want.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The reality is that you usually feel like you <b>absolutely
must not do that.</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So today I'm not feeling great. Nothing too serious, but I
might have phoned in sick in my previous job. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Can you see where this is going?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">While I've been working as normal today, my mind has
crumbled at the task of writing a thoughtful post for the week, so instead you
can look at some pictures from a book that came in the post for me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">It's a reprinting of the <i>Usborne Book of the Future</i>
from 1979. A familiar sight, even though it predated my birth. Much has been
said about the charm of the 1970s vision of the future, but this book in
particular fills me with warm nostalgia. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I even reckon this makes for the decent seeds of a Traveller
supplement, or <a href="https://bit.ly/askthestars"><b>Ask the Stars</b></a> if
you're fancy. I especially love the page on "Ristos".<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So enjoy, and I'll be back on top form next week.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5L9IVutDn8zTqP-72vfMTIXIRppiEvJVIKyTUBpIqe7_Nr-afe3d3peZv_Ow7rRzTIVrbLMyRb61xLHfK0s2TbZDS8dyec1wSwexfTSWvKJZ-Uz_c87X0kAirXapk-SznlADvPXD5KuIcfbBZdcfJtyj5YzDFxzuIcAXEuT4ePfg20_xiybe3AazmTgs/s3919/PXL_20230829_134357653~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3919" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5L9IVutDn8zTqP-72vfMTIXIRppiEvJVIKyTUBpIqe7_Nr-afe3d3peZv_Ow7rRzTIVrbLMyRb61xLHfK0s2TbZDS8dyec1wSwexfTSWvKJZ-Uz_c87X0kAirXapk-SznlADvPXD5KuIcfbBZdcfJtyj5YzDFxzuIcAXEuT4ePfg20_xiybe3AazmTgs/w494-h640/PXL_20230829_134357653~2.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypCxxAGA8nIHY7-N2gdkJt9RcShfriCIGzylHm4b5wVxNXfIsfiGSePg4MJmGIdNGZjtCRxFxvvMm1UTMesf8TPAqzU-W1WIWY3j9_RjZeKin48UgDRxFcWca5XETng5dyw8F1WEnsMnNyvVZcEqhDCwIRdsH8Ag7gyiQ_5Y4Fh8oXrreOeUAlnUPoqNR/s4032/PXL_20230829_134431118~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2099" data-original-width="4032" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypCxxAGA8nIHY7-N2gdkJt9RcShfriCIGzylHm4b5wVxNXfIsfiGSePg4MJmGIdNGZjtCRxFxvvMm1UTMesf8TPAqzU-W1WIWY3j9_RjZeKin48UgDRxFcWca5XETng5dyw8F1WEnsMnNyvVZcEqhDCwIRdsH8Ag7gyiQ_5Y4Fh8oXrreOeUAlnUPoqNR/w640-h334/PXL_20230829_134431118~2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2rBeSUWiqMTk64V9WWP23PwG26tQoO1X2cUtW7tn_IP8q8zjTfnEoJParVFkuGjhBE6h1of44yMIb3GLspXn-zZOqlGLe4j_T5JMP5HFkuFN1PFtSUPgTNt1HLRxpw_yVpvSNSeUQTCYSnMPuZLVl4HWnQ8biWCbhbu1o5w1KO4WwAoIcFBKmfffRGnh/s3925/PXL_20230829_134447361~2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2917" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mMb3Qe38lOmLqhJNhkRviYMpvsnxKXihyDgYeIuFjnlN4LZ3qQOmfHhN5ZZzuSNvzL8ULmCQQtVJpEdAiG8q097aJN3Ni1s-U7Zctb_VVDQVPrO82-l_hsmo4ALEf6l8SnqHKKzr98PtTIOLUQOTASP8GXDNSCBuX_I1cqaJH3LDrn_84N7zvcsBdsA-/w464-h640/PXL_20230829_134659966~2.jpg" width="464" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><i>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615826467198003068.post-49379762935049943192023-08-30T08:53:00.005+01:002023-08-30T08:53:31.965+01:00Striders & Riders<p class="MsoNormal">Want to use power-walkers or Mech-like units in <a href="https://ospreypublishing.com/uk/doomed-9781472854254/">The Doomed</a>?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">How about some cavalry or bikers?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I've got you covered with <b><i>Striders & Riders.</i></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>DISCLAIMER </b>These rules are completely untested and
likely broken.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>STRIDERS <br /></b><i>Great striding machines</i><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Striders can be taken by any Faction and must be assigned to
a Pilot, who can be any member of the Warband. When buying equipment, equip it
to either the Pilot or the Strider.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Pilot and Strider act as if they were a single unit,
receiving 3 actions as normal.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Use the Pilot’s QL and Skills for attacks. Attacks can only
use weapons equipped to the Strider.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Use the Strider’s QL and Skills for all other actions.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">When inside the Strider the maximum actions for Shooting and
Fighting apply to each individual weapon, so a Strider with 3 ranged weapons
could Shoot with each of them once per turn, using 3 Actions.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">When the unit would be Killed the Pilot ejects safely. The
Strider is disabled and now the Pilot can only use their own equipment.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>STRIDER CLASSES</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Mountain-Class </b>(3+ Tough) [6pts] <br />Toughened Hull:
Ignore any Shock rolls you wish. <br />Shield (+1 to Saves when Readied)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Raptor-Class </b>(3+ Nimble) [5pts] <br />Shield (+1 to Saves
when Readied)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Factory Class</b> (3+) [4pts] <br />Tool-Claw (M1x3)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>RIDERS <br /></b><i>The cavalry of the doomed world</i><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Riders can be taken by any Faction.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Every Rider must have a Mount. They are treated as one unit
for all purposes, but each action is assigned to either the rider or mount,
each with their own limit for specific actions. The combined unit of Rider and
Mount still receive 3 Actions per turn as normal.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So a turn could look like this:<o:p></o:p></p><ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">Action
1: The Rider uses Move and the combined unit moves.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Action
2: The Mount uses Move and the combined unit moves without needing to
roll, as this is the Mount’s first move.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Action
3: The Mount uses Move, this time requiring a roll using their QL and
Skills.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ul><p class="MsoNormal">When they take Damage the player decides whether to Save as
the Rider or Mount.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The first time the unit would be Wounded the Rider is
instead Dismounted and the Mount is removed from the battle. The Rider suffers
Shock but ignores any results that would have them die on this roll.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Use common sense when determining which terrain a rider can
move through or over, but err on the side of generosity with a creative
explanation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>MOUNTS</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Steed </b>(Tough 5+) [2pts] <br />Cannot carry equipment <br />Ram:
Move into contact with an enemy and cause 1 Damage to them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Beast </b>(Fierce 4+) [5pts] <br />Cannot carry equipment <br />Ram:
Move into contact with an enemy and cause 1 Damage to them. <br />Claws (M3x1)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Machine </b>(Nimble 5+) [3pts] <br />Can be fitted with Ranged
Weapons. <br />Ram: Move into contact with an enemy and cause 1 Damage to them.<o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><i>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: var(--global-fontSizes-body-md);">This post was originally sent as a reward to all Patreon supporters, and is released freely on this site the week after its original publication.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">If you want to support my blog, podcasts, and video content then <a href="https://www.patreon.com/bastionland"><b>head over to my Patreon.</b></a> </p>Chris McDowallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11717684225248546716noreply@blogger.com2