Starter Packages

I'm obliged to remind you that there are just a few days left to back Into the Odd Remastered on Kickstarter.

And I can get away with such rampant marketing, as today's post is actually connected to the work I've been doing on one of the stretch goals.

Starter packages are one of the features that people really enjoy about Into the Odd. The initial inspiration came from this post by Brendan, where he creates a selection of equipment packs for the big four OD&D classes based on the starting wealth roll. 

I loved the quickness of that method, and thought there was potential to evoke a world through these entries, much in the same way that people had recognised in equipment tables. Keen readers that spot garlic in the D&D equipment list will assume that this is a world with known vampires. I wanted to give every player a little nugget of world knowledge just with the gear they get handed for free.

So you end up with this.

And I've done a whole new table as one of the ITO Remastered stretch goals, which really forced me to evaluate what makes a good starter package. 

Really you want to look at each of the (generally) three pieces of equipment individually, and then consider the package as a whole. And guess what? You're looking to hit three different notes.

• Useful
• Exciting
• Informative

Useful Equipment

It's easy to think of Into the Odd characters as down on their luck losers, scaping together whatever bits and pieces they can, and some of the starting equipment certainly points in that direction. In spite of this, we're still playing a game about exploration and problem solving, so no matter how humble the equipment, you're still presenting your players with tools that they can put to use. Some require more creativity than others, but that's just another thing we want to encourage.  

Exciting Equipment

Now maybe this is just me, but I get excited when I see my character starts the game with a pot of glue, or a pigeon, or a net. Of course the big flashy Arcana are exciting, but a lot of the gear in this table thrives on novelty, with Electric Bastionland going even harder in this direction. For those used to more typical D&D-style equipment, it's refreshing to get something weird or even just weirdly mundane. We want items that players will light up when they see, even if its laughing at the absurdity. Useful items are those that the players will find a use for; exciting items are those that the players will enjoy finding a use for. 

Informative Equipment

Good equipment tells you something about the world, and suggests things about your character. At the simplest level, weapons like muskets and bombs nudge you toward a certain set of assumptions, muddied by sitting alongside maces and shields. Weirder entries like "Glowing Eyes" and "Dreams show your undiscovered surroundings" set some of the tone for oddity existing everywhere. Some items imply something about your history, but I've avoided being too prescriptive here. Owning a set of manacles could imply wildly different things about your character's background, but the specific interpretation is up to you. 

The Complete Package

Now the real trick here is that not every part of the package needs to hit all three notes. Instead, you should aim for a package that hits them all when viewed as a whole. Sometimes it's all in the combinations. A dagger isn't that interesting alongside a spear, but it raises more questions next to a bag of sweets or syringe. 

Examples

So let's see how some of these new secret Starter Packages hold up under scrutiny. 

Useful: Your first weapon is always useful, so everybody generally gets one. Poison also fits, but the Bell is less obviously useful. 
Exciting: Poison is always exciting, and tying it to mushrooms gives it a twist on the classic vial with skull and crossbones. I guarantee the player that rolls this will try to get somebody to eat these within the first session. Again, the bell feels like a weak link, but it's all part of the plan. 
Informative: This one is really focused on asking questions about your character. The axe carries certain implications, but the bell is the real spark here. Despite being a super mundane item, it subtly nudges you toward a few different backgrounds. Town crier, of course, or perhaps some religious significance. It's wide open to anybody that would need to make a racket though, perhaps the classic "Bring Out Your Dead!" person. 

Useful: The weapon and Arcanum give this a solid 2/3, but I'll talk about the usefulness of the perfume in the next section. 
Exciting: Arcana are always exciting, so here we let it be the star of the show. Perfume might feel like a purely cosmetic item, but I think creative players will relish the challenge of finding a use for it down in some awful hellhole. 
Informative: In previous starter packages I've tried to avoid overly arcane words. If you're reading this blog then of course we know what a jezzail is, but never forget that we're not normal. For the Alternative Starter Packages I allowed myself a few words that might send players over to Wikipedia. With muskets appearing to be the standard, what does it mean that your character owns a more bespoke, uncommon type of gun? Combined with the perfume and Arcanum it implies a certain worldliness, or perhaps vanity. Lots of ways you could go with this one. 

Useful: Their weapon is bad, although does at least have some secondary function. The worms are certainly challenging and the odour is generally the opposite of useful. However, it's worth noting that this is a Starter Package for a character that has a stat of 18, so their usefulness is already innate in whatever natural talent they happen to possess. 
Exciting: Now maybe I'm strange, but I do enjoy getting this sort of entry. It's designed to prompt some laughter at the table, but again I think the jar of worms is simultaneously bad, but has just enough potential to be useful if you're clever about it. 
Informative: Not so much informative of the world, but there's no shortage of implication about your character here. Gardener? Fisher? Worm farmer? Just somebody that really likes worms?

To get your hands on the full game with the new Alternative Starter Packages, go and back Into the Odd Remastered on Kickstarter before the campaign closes this week!

Electric Devices

Bastion is Electric now. There are still Oddities we don't understand, whether they're from Alien visitors, the output of Underground Machines, or just things that shouldn't exist. However, electric power has opened up a new market for fantastic devices that we actually understand (for the most part).

You've got just about anything you can slap a battery onto, or hook up to the electric grid, but this is all super-new and this is Bastion so remember those golden rules:

• Everything is Here
• Everything is Complicated
• Everything is Shared

Radios crackle their signal from a huge aerial, every borough broadcasting its own ultra-local programming.

Telephones go through a switchboard and if you want to use it you have to go and tell your neighbour to hang up.

Tramways run on live wires that double up as pigeon-traps.

Television is a tiny black and white screen on a huge humming box, or else you'll have to risk a smoky cinema with a fire-hazard projector and overpriced snacks.

But you're a Treasure Hunter with a huge debt, so you probably don't care too much about home appliances. You're here for the portable stuff.

Electric stuff is usually improved over non-electric versions but usually comes with a downside. Most commonly they require some sort of charge through batteries or more unusual means.

When you Rest, roll 1d6 for each battery-powered item you've used since the last Rest.
1: It's dead. You're out of batteries, and need to find somewhere you can buy more or get some charge.
2-3: Last reload. You've rubbed your batteries to get a last bit of life from it. You can use this one more time before it runs out.
4-6: Charged. You're fine.

Electric Weapons

Magnetic Rifle (Bulky, d8, +d10 vs targets wearing metal armour). Bullets are super-magnetised, meaning any attacks in metal-rich environments are Impaired as they veer wildly.

Jaw Axe (d6, if this causes a Scar or STR Damage you can always choose to take off a limb)

Vacuum Cannon (Bulky, d8 shot OR suck, pulling any targets in the cone that fail their STR Save towards you) Extremely loud no matter which setting you use.

Electric Tools

Rad-Halo: While worn you have perfect recall of everything you've seen or heard while wearing the halo. You can also perform arithmetic as fast as a calculator. You lose d6 CHA every time you:
- Put on the Halo
- Use the Halo to recall a memory
- Use the Halo to perform arithmetic

Slumber Box: Anybody enclosed in this coffin-like box is lightly bombarded with shocks until they pass out. They can only be woken by opening the box, and users report an incredibly restful sleep.

Cremato-Scan: Two spikes wired up to a small console. Putting them both into a corpse will ignite the remains with high voltage, burning it to a crisp in a matter of minutes. The console then prints out a small paper report showing the following facts about the victim:
- Their last meal
- Distance and direction of the last place they slept
- Their number of siblings.

Electric Armour

Puffer Suit: The wearer can trigger the Puffer Mechanism at any time. They are immobile but gain Armour 2 and anybody currently engaged in melee is shocked for d6 damage, ignoring armour. Deflating the puffer mechanism takes 5 minutes and requires a helper.

Breacher Armour: Armour 2. Cannot even move without power. With a decent run up this armour can smash through a brick wall. 

Concussion Armour: Armour 1. When an attacker causes Critical Damage to you they are blasted backwards for d10 damage.

Electric Vehicles

Electrocycle: Its heavy battery is powered by riding the bike normally. One hour of normal riding charges enough power for a few minutes of noisy blazing.

Spark-Luge: Essentially a metal tray that can be rigged onto a rail or tramline and thrust one very brave passenger along it at dangerous speeds.

Altobrella: A chunky umbrella that opens up like a helicopter's blades. Extremely limited maneuverability, only really takes you straight up or on a controlled descent.

Power Arms

Into the Odd has four classes of weapon.

Hand Weapons - One handed, d6 damage.
Field Weapons - Two handed, d8 damage.
Noble Weapons - One handed, d8 damage, fancy and pricey.
Heavy Guns - Two handed, d10 damage, move or fire, ultra-pricey.

And we're looking at that last class. Why are Heavy Guns the only class that rules out melee?

Was it designer oversight?
Are guns just better than melee weapons in this world?
Is it because the move-or-fire rule doesn't work with melee stuff as well?

All questions we can ignore, because Heavy Guns now has a sister-class.

Power Arms - Two handed, d10 damage, ultra-pricey, and each has their own downside.

Drill-Bill: So clumsy that rolls of 3 or less are ignored entirely.

Bonesaw: If you cause Critical Damage the saw gets jammed up in the victim, requiring a round to remove.

Impact-Pod: When you roll a 10, you take the damage.

Strangler: Getting it installed on your arm is a permanent modification.
 

Chattersword: Incredibly loud, and takes a round to fire up.

Demolition Hammer: Fitted with two charges, consuming one with each attack. Reloading charges requires a Short Rest.

Thoroughly Modern Armour

This blogpost is supported by generous Patreon backers. 

Infantry armour is generally rather binary in Into the Odd. Either you're armoured, and reduce all damage against you by 1, or you're not. If you want to get to Armour 2 you'll need to mount up as cavalry or find something very special indeed. Armour 3 isn't for you.

Well-made, Modern Armour protects you with a few high quality pieces and leaves both arms free. A good breastplate and helm should do it. It isn't cheap, though. 

Crappy outdated Shield Armour occupies your off-hand in some way. Anyone using this is doing so for ceremonial effect, or they don't have access to the good stuff. 

Because Armour is either expensive, or prevents use of Field Weapons like muskets and halberds, it's not a viable option for many soldiers or guards. Better to stick them in a colorful uniform and a fancy hat so that they at least feel dressed for battle. 

d12 Sets of Modern Armour

1: Fox's Face (1g): Something about this helmet makes animals go crazy at the wearer. Previously worn by a group of city guards but abandoned after they got fed up of murdering feral dogs and cats. 

2: Kleon's Termination Suit (25s): Cheap enough to equip your soldiers with, heavy enough that they can only march half the normal distance in a day, and throw their suit to the ground at first sign of camp. 

3: Carnage Aspect (50s): The outside is covered in a powdered irritant that causes any wounds to be doubly painful. Massively inconvenient for most non-violent activity. 

4: Awade's Standardised Cloak & Plate (50s): The official armour of the competition sword-and-dagger league. If you wear this you cannot turn down a challenge of a duel, lest you incur the wrath of the league enforcers. 

5: Bearmail (50s): Originally used in fighting pits by fighters specially trained to take on bears. Something about the texture freaks bears out, and once they touch it they turn all timid and cowering.

6: Predator Armour (1gs): Worn by bounty hunters who believe the furs give them animal senses. They don't, and making yourself obviously look like a bounty hunter is a good way to make a target of yourself.

7: Full Dispersion Suit (70s): Designed to spread the impact of even the heaviest weaponry, but incredibly heavy to wear and makes you an easy target for personal weapons. Cannons and other siege weapons have their attacks Impaired against you, but you have no protection against other attacks. 

8: Salter-Shell (2g): Based on a design found on ancient carvings, suspected to show conquering soldiers from an ocean world. Requires special treatment with an exotic mineral. Must be bonded to the wearer forever, and can only be ripped away at the cost of d12 STR loss. In return, the wearer can somehow breathe underwater and resist any amount of water pressure.    

9: Banker's Breast: (1g): Easily concealed under smart clothes, but wearers usually like to let a little show to emphasise that they're important enough to worry about assassins. 

10: New Mechanical Savior (5g): Carefully attached to sense when the wearer's heart stops. If this happens, it releases a combination of intense convulsions, and a surge of some unknown power. If the wearer can pass a WIL Save, they return to life. If they fail, they spasm wildly for a few moment before remaining dead. Must be reconfigured by its maker after each use.  

11: Polished Glory (60s): Exactly the sort of elaborately decorated, polished armour that you'd expect to see on a Cavalry Officer who doesn't expect to have to use it. If you wear it you'll either be taken incredibly seriously, or seen as a spineless joke.  

12: Berning's Burial Case (1g): Once locked on, this armour is almost impossible to remove. Intended to prevent posthumous organ theft or other violation, but doubles as effective protection on a living subject.

Odd Changes - Disposables

I love disposable items.

Not healing potions and wands, but flasks of acid, flaming oil, and caltrops.

Deciding when it's time to use your flaming oil is an innately interesting choice. Even aside from the risks that come with fire; do you use it now or save it for later? This is especially important with brand new characters, who have very limited weapons and resources. Knowing when to light your bomb is a matter of life-or-death.

So I went ahead and added a load more disposables to Into the Odd, especially in the starting packages.

Alongside the familiar favourites we have smoke-bombs, flares, poison, ether, acid, and even fireworks.

Just consider the possibilities. If I have a rocket and you have some fire oil, can we make a rocket propelled molotov? If I have some ether and you have a smoke bomb, can we make a sleeping gas bomb?

Odd Changes - Starting Packages

For the next few posts I'm going to be talking about the most recent changes made to Into the Odd. The most recent version is now up, so check it out on the sidebar to the right.

I've used starting packages in some form for a while now. The goal was to remove that shopping phase of character generation, where you pour over equipment lists looking for the best gear to spend your starting gold on.

Shopping for gear can be fun, but I didn't want it to be the preface to everyone's first delve into the game.

Here, every expedition gets basic climbing and camping gear, rations, and lanterns. On top of this, there have been limited personal equipment choices (take one weapon and one tool), and multiple versions of tables to roll on, but none as elaborate as the current instance.

There's no additional rolling. You just take your highest score, your HP, and look at the chart to see what equipment you got. So if you have a high score of 15 and 3hp, you get a club, some ether, a crowbar, and a flute.

Which leads onto the most recent change to starting packages.

I looked over the starting packages and saw that the general theme was a melee weapon, a ranged weapon, a tool or disposable item, and maybe a quirky extra thing like having no nose.

What luxury! Having a sword and a gun suggests a lot about how to deal with the problems you'll face. You play a lot differently if all you have the starting equipment given in our example.

So now you generally get a single weapon, perhaps two if you've got terrible ability scores and I feel bad for you. Replacing these excess muskets and maces is an assortment of baggage from ferrets and fireworks to animal repellent and accordions.

You previously started the game with an Arcanum if WIL was your highest score, but things have changed since then. Arcana are less reliant on your WIL score, and I wanted to pull back a little on giving them out at the very start. These are rare things, after all, and you're supposed to be searching hungrily for them. Now they're included in the starting packages, mostly at the lower end, another consolation prize for rolling low Ability Scores.

To put it into context, I'll roll up a group of four characters right now, under a stopwatch.

Dot Hudson
STR 12, DEX 13, WIL 11, 6hp

Longaxe (d8), Rum, Bomb

Reggie Clack
STR 9, DEX 8, WIL 6, 1hp, Armour 1.
Sword (d6), Pistol (d6), Fire Oil, Modern Armour
Sense nearby unearthly beings

Flora Beacham
STR 9, DEX 15, WIL 10, 1hp
Pistol Brace (d8), Canary, Ether

Humpy Quinn
STR 12, DEX 8, WIL 9, 4hp
Pistol (d6), Brandy, Rocket
Toxin-Immune

Clock stopped at 2 minutes, 12 seconds. Not too bad for a full party. 

They have a good selection of gear, but most of them will be hungry for money to get a backup weapon, or maybe some armour. Reggie is the exception here, looking pretty well equipped, but then with those scores and 1hp, I think he deserves a treat. I like to give characters like this an innate ability, to prevent the character from feeling expendable. If you let Reggie die, his sixth-sense dies with him. 

Adventuring Equipment Issues

If a piece of equipment is so vital to the adventure, do not make the assumption that the player will think to spend their precious starting money on it.

I put the following items in this category:
- Torches (yes, I've had the players arrive at the dungeon without any of the characters having bought torches. I just gave them some, but see below for why this isn't ideal).
- Food.
- Clothing and Backpack.
- Tents, Bedrolls and Flint & Steel.

Likewise, if you handwave things like camping equipment and food, do not let players spend money on that stuff only to see everyone else get it for free.

My solution to this for Into the Odd is the new addition of this passage at the start of the equipment list.

All characters carry standard equipment, including simple clothes, a backpack, basic camping equipment, torches and a few days' rations.