Twenty Questions for an old school (Pathfinder) campaign

1. Ability scores generation method? http://www.easydamus.com/character.html OR
Roll six times, 4d6 – L & arrange in any order; applying bonus for selected race (no penalties);
Orcs/ humanoids +2 Str, Elf is +2 Dex, Dwarf +2 Con, Gnome +2 Int, Halfling +2 Wis, ½ Elf is +2 Cha.
Humans have no ability modifiers, but treat all classes as their favored class (#14).
Favored class is barbarian for Orc, wizard for Elf, fighter for Dwarf, druid for Gnome, rogue for Halfling & ranger for ½ Elf.

2. How are death and dying handled?
At 0 hit points (or special circumstances) you are stunned = d12 for skills, attack and saving throws.
At a negative number you are unconscious; bleeding out one hit point per minute (5 rounds = 1 mn) until revived or receive first aid. If the absolute value of your negative hit point total exceeds your constitution score you are dead. Unconscious PCs might be revived , ransomed or captured.

3. What about raising the dead?
Reincarnation is more common, a reincarnated (p.331) character will be of similar age of deceased.

4. How are replacement PCs handled?
You can take over a hireling or NPC in the short-term, or you can generate a new character.

5. Initiative: individual, group, or something else?
Group= die roll + modifiers; highest goes first. PCs act in order of DEX score + Armor Penalty (#12).

6. Are there critical fumbles? How do they work?
If you roll a one, you might have shattered your weapon in hand. . .
GM may select shield or piece of equipment if more appropriate to the situation.

Roll d20 + twice Magic bonus for item to ‘save’DC Item is
DC Item is…

18.....clay/ pottery
17.....glass/ bottle
16.....china
15.....crystal/ mirror
14.....lead /quartz
13.....wood/ silver
12.....bone/ copper
11.....bronze/ gold
10.....timber/ pewter
.9....iron
.8....diamond
.7....steel


7. Can I hurt my friends if I fire into melee? Yes, penalty to fire into melee is -2 and 1/3rd of all misses will hit a random ally (p.176).
Normal size humans and orcs can fire over dwarves and halflings without penalty.
You can also use polearms, long spears, etc. from the second rank with a -2 penalty.
This is not a miniature skirmish game. Power gamers and min.-max. munchkins are not welcome. Therefore, there are NO attacks of opportunity everybody is assuming to be moving around a lot; likewise, I am pretty flexible on which PC can attack whom. Relax, the GM is not your enemy

8. Do I get any benefits for wearing a helmet?
Unless specifically mentioned, a helmet is included in armor class calculation. Removing assigned head protection reduces calculated armor class 10% but allows you to concentrate or aim, thereby rolling 2d10 instead of d20 for either skill or to-hit rolls (see #15).

9. Will we need to run from some encounters, or will we be able to kill everything?
‘Run you fools, run’

10. Are there going to be cases where a failed save results in PC death?
Save or die; happens. If you are being cool or heroic, you may just end up in negative hp.

11. Level-draining monsters: yes or no?
Life is hard, if GM feeling merciful, you could lose a feat or skill, instead of a precious level.
Gold and friends in the right places will mitigate these unfortunate events. Evil clerics seldom have healing or 4th level restoration spells; therefore, it is wise to make friends of good creatures.

12. How are encumbrance and movement calculated?
A character’s weight allowance is 10 lbs per point of strength score (half this number if small character).
One unit of weight is roughly equivalent to one pound (100 gold pieces = one pound). In addition to his clothing, footwear and jewelry; a character can carry armor, weapons and other items up to half his weight allowance and remain unencumbered. If carrying more than half of weight allowance, then a character or being is encumbered ( -2 to movement, reflex saves, and dexterity based skill throws). Maximum weight carried is 20+ lbs per point of Strength.
Movement = HALF* (CON score + AP modifier); AP = ½ ACP, p.151, round fractions down iff no shield.
A biped’s run move is d6 per inch of movement speed ( 1” = 5 simulated feet ). *1/3rd if dwarf, gnome, or halfling.

13. What’s required when my PC gains a level? Training? Do I get new spells automatically? Can it happen in the middle of an adventure, or do I have to wait for down time?
Usually requires training and expenditure; however, if it fits the story line, you can increase level while adventuring and solidify your newly gained talents during downtime between adventures.
PCs usually start at 2nd level with a choice of three class/ race appropriate skills and/or feats.

14. What do I get experience for?
In my campaign, skills and feats are NOT linked to level, but acquired independently. Hit points, combat and saving throws are linked to level. A NPC/ PCs rank value for any known skill equals half current level. At the end of each game session, each surviving character receives an experience throw (d6 for PC or d4 for NPC):


1) +1 to any desired ability score
2) +1 Feat allowed to class or profession; selected by player, approved by GM.
3) +1 Skill allowed to race, class or profession; selected by player.
4) +1 Level.
5) +1 Level if PC belongs to favored class (#1); otherwise, select any skill.**
6) GMs choice, you may get nothing if breached alignment or you are disruptive to other players.

15. How are traps located? Description, dice rolling, or some combination?
In general the DC to detect a trap (or basically any challenge) is 10+ current encounter level.
With challenges, we use the universal mechanic; roll d20* + ability modifier + AP + Rank bonus > target number (DC), then success. A tie is success with minor reservation (dropped something?).
A description of what you are doing and proper equipment applies a circumstance modifier to DC.
For unskilled attempts roll a d12 + ability modifier + AP ; however, no Rank bonus applies.
** For players who choose to learn a skill outside of their class skills (such as fighter learning to perform acrobatics, p.89) the universal mechanic still applies, however, roll d12 instead of d20.


16. How does morale work? If leader is disabled or the party at half strength, a check is made with DC = 10 + encounter level. To determine morale checks; roll d20, adding - leader’s charisma modifier, NPCs wisdom modifier and the SQ*RT of NPCs current hit point total. Buy NPCs good gear and treat them well for circumstance bonus.

17. How do I identify magic items?
Usually it takes magic to identify magic; however, if you give a decent description of method, then roll d12 + INT mod. + AP > 10+ current encounter level/ challenge rating; you have identified magic.

18. Can I buy magic items?
Big ticket items – usually not. In a large enough population center, scrolls and potions are frequently available for sale. Cost of these items is typically spell level x caster’s level x 50gp.
Unlike scrolls, magic potions can be consumed and used by all character classes, as well as 0-levels. It is risky to take more than one potion per turn (roll d6, one turn = 10 minutes):

1) Arrgh - neither potion works; -1 CON.
2) Both potions cancel each other out.
3) Higher level potion cancelled.
4) Lower level potion cancelled.
5) Both potions work normally.
6) Huzzah, both potions work at double effect.

19. Lighting and surprise?
Ranged attacks can be aimed from darkness into light without penalty; however, attacking from light to within darkness requires modifiers.

Daylight = double weapon ranges if outdoors and stationary target.
Sub Optimal ( - ) dawn, dusk, lantern, lamp
Moonlight (-2) full moon, torch
Starlight (-4) moonless night, candle
Pitch (roll d12, instead of d20) vision only possible with night / infra vision

“I was pursued with imprecations, arrows, and rifle balls. The fact that it is difficult to aim anything but imprecations accurately by moonlight, that they were upset by the sudden and unexpected manner of my advent, and that I was a rather rapidly moving target saved me from the various deadly projectiles of the enemy and permitted me to reach the shadows of the surrounding peaks.” (ERB’s Princess of Mars, Chapter I)


Monsters, creatures or NPCs are surprised on 1 - 2 in their natural habit; however, if PC party is noisy, disruptive or delaying, then monsters are only surprised on a one. When encountering an opponent that has night vision, infravision or extra-ordinary perceptual ability, depending on their light source the player’s party is surprised on a
1 - 4 if candle or starlight
1 - 3 if torch or moon light
1 - 2 if lantern , lamp, dawn or dusk
1 if daylight.

20. How do you handle critical hits?

- - On a natural 20 - -
as featured in Fight On #8

BARSOOM RPG review by Hill Cantons

Red Planet RPG Review by Hill Cantons

http://hillcantons.blogspot.com/2010/11/sword-and-planets-review-of-red-planet.html

“Sword and Planet” genre appears to be in a full-bloomed mini-revival these days. Paizo devoted an on-going series of re-released classics and one need only toss a virtual rock at many old school gaming blogs these days to hit some kind of exploration of these science fantasy themes (my own exploration of Tekumel is part and parcel of this trend).

For all that energy, I am frankly puzzled by the fact that we haven't seen a profusion of sword and planet-styled games (to date that is, there are some highly-inspired OD&D supplements and works in progress). Thus I was very pleasantly surprised to receive a few weeks back a package containing a handy set of Barsoom-flavored RPG rules from my fellow Texan and old school blogger Clovis Cithog.

Like many old schoolers, I'm a perversely difficult audience when it comes to new rule sets. I love innovation--especially when it tends to pare down complexity, help amplify a literary theme, or provide interesting game-play situations--but tend to be stubbornly conservative and, dare I say, lazy when it comes to new game mechanics. A stripped-down D&D platform with chrome and other tricked out bits bolted on top works for me far more often then not.

Red Planet is fortunately such a beast. Weighing in at less than 70 pages and with tried and true core features like archetypical classes, level advancement, similar attributes, familiar combat mechanics, etc. I liked the fact that I could read through it and feel like I could run a successful game with it in a few days time.

It's with the crunch that the game has it's best moments, however. First of all, Clovis makes no bones about situating the game in not just some Mars but THE Barsoom of Edgar Rice Burroughs fame. Given my own interest in respectfully exploring the public domain works of pulp fantasy I appreciated how he weaves in the right amount of flavor and setting information as a tribute to Burroughs' work without it feeling like a regurgitation.

Character generation is fun and simple with players selecting or rolling from the major sentient races of Mars: Red, Green, Thern, Black Pirate, Yellow, or Exotic. (Interestingly there are no John Carter-like outsiders here.) Each race has a preferred class (called “vocation” in the rules) and can only play a small handful of classes outside these.

The classes are a also fun and setting-appropriate range. Troopers are thoat-mounted fighters and Warriors more of the typical fighting man type. Criminals are more assassin than thief, a choice that seems to be pretty consistent with the material. Scientists are the technology users who can employ relics and have access to inventions. Extras seem to be the jack-of-all-trades class that reminds me a little of the prosaically-named Classic Traveller “Other” career.

The inclusion of a spell-casting Priest class (written by the talented Micheal Curtis) is an exception to the rule about staying close to the source material. Their introduction seems a bit awkward to me given the near-absence of religion and magic in ERB's work. Clovis acknowledges himself the dilemma and allows for a GM to ignore or restrict the class and spell-casting rules.

Combat mechanics are a simplified d20-like system with ascending AC and an interesting 2nd-edition AD&D-ish division of effects between four categories of weapons: blunt, piercing, slashing, and energy. Rules exist for the wide range of relic and strange tech items one could employ in combat.

Rules for fliers are among my favorites in the game and remind me some of the great Space 1889 subsystems of yore. What Barsoom would be complete without PCs blasting, grappling, or ramming one in each and every adventure?

Level advancement has some interesting quirks. PCs start at 2nd level and there are no experience points as such. Instead at the end of an adventure a player rolls a d6 in which an attribute, skill, or level is increased. Personally I am still too wed to the quantifible bean counting that comes with exp. Systems, but I like the nice randomized pay-off system that reminds me of the fun of leveling up in first edition Gamma World.

Xavarian

A battleship of Barsoom commanded by Kantos Kan that was instrumental in the rescue of John Carter and Carthoris after they escaped from the black pirates. Like all capitol ships, the Xavarian carries on board a plethora of smaller craft which includes one 10-man cruiser, five 5-man armed, scout craft and a swarm of one hundred, unarmed 1-man scout fliers.

“The Warhoons were perhaps a hundred yards from us when a loud explosion sounded from above and behind us, and almost at the same instant a shell burst in their advancing ranks. At once all was confusion. A hundred warriors toppled to the ground. Riderless thoats plunged hither and thither among the dead and dying. Dismounted warriors were trampled underfoot in the stampede which followed. All semblance of order had left the ranks of the green men, and as they looked far above our heads to trace the origin of this unexpected attack, disorder turned to retreat and retreat to a wild panic. In another moment they were racing as madly away from us as they had before been charging down upon us.

"We turned to look in the direction from whence the first report had come, and there we saw, just clearing the tops of the nearer hills, a great battleship swinging majestically through the air. Her bow gun spoke again even as we looked, and another shell burst among the fleeing Warhoons.” (GM XV)

The last SEVEN months

HORSES; Missy, Rubio and Gus are in excellent health, still ride horses twice a week.

GUNS: added a side by side twelve gauge to my collection, wish I had more time to practice.

CARS: after 120,000 miles without problems, it was time to say good-bye to DASH (above, and my belly), got a new dodge RAM 3500 in the drive way.

HEALTH: excellent , lost 14 lbs; still can do 60 sit ups and 40 pushups ,
haven't tried running in a while (I will try to find a recent pic to post).

GAMING: still, at least once a week, but table top RPGs are not popular in my
neck of da woodz; therefore, play da gamz, my friend play. Bein playin war hamma 40K , I be da Orkz!

LOVE: same girlfriend still makes me happy, 4 years on 11 March . . 8-)

TEXAS: the gods have punished my adopted state for hubris, we are in a horrible drought that cost our state economy $5 billion in fiscal year 2011 (mostly agriculture related).

PROFESSIONAL: been busy studying for my boards , every 10 years have to re certify in my speciality ... this is a good thing, I enjoy studying the human nervous system.

FINANCES; doing well, talked to the attorney .. . marketing aint worth the
effort/ risk , besides, who can compete with the Paladin in Citadel and Thomas Denmark . . .
while supplies last, RED PLANET is free, see banner . . .


GOALS for 2012: convince my girl friend to go to Germany ... I will start Rosetta Stone after 9 March 2012. I was fluent in German in college. …
Now that my horses are gun trained, need to practice actually hitting a target with a revolver from a moving horse .

Its been a long time

and there was so much to talk about .. . .
unfortunately, blogger had me frozen for 7+ months

Red Planet RPG Review by Paladin in Citadel

"There are several things that I feel very strongly about.
"One is that "hobbyist" game designers are producing games and game accessories that are just as ground-breaking and note-worthy as those produced by the so-called "professional" game designers.

"Another is that people deserve to be recognized and compensated for their work.

"Which brings me to Red Planet RPG. That game was written in 1990, and updated in 2005 (presumably to add the OGL, accompanying the current version of the game), by Clovis Cithog of Jasoomian Dreams. The cover illustration is by Elton Robb of The Atlantis Blog, with interior illustrations by Kris Todd and Patric Moore.

"While not the first role-playing game to be based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' Martian Chronicles (arguably, that honor goes to TSR's Warriors Of Mars), this early implementation of rules for a Barsoomian role-playing game is equally true to the source material, and will cost you significantly less to purchase.

"For those of you familiar with the John Carter of Mars series, all of the recognizable Barsoomian elements are included: the races (red, green and yellow martians, therns, and black pirates); measurements (tals, xats, zodes, sofads, ads, etc.); weapons (radium weapons, rapiers); fliers; and, monsters (apts, banths, and white apes).

"Red Planet RPG appears to be a very faithful adaptation of the Martian Chronicles, going into great detail regarding the setting, the peoples, culture and history of Barsoom.

"Clovis has elected to utilize both class and skill systems for character generation and differentiation. I have no fatal objections to that approach; after all, that approach is basically how Traveller works, and Traveller is beloved by many old-schoolers. The classes and skills in Red Planet RPG are well-suited for the setting: classes include scientist, trooper, criminal, warrior and priest. The skills are likewise well-suited to a science-fantasy setting, with both fantasy and high technological skills included in the list.

"Red Planet uses six abilities as the basis for character generation. Those abilities (Strength, Agility, Tenacity, Reason, Intuition and Persuasion) are roughly analogous to the six abilities in D&D. Hit points are also employed, along with saving throws and levels. Therefore, those familiar with the basic workings of D&D will have no difficulty grasping and employing this game almost immediately after digesting the flavour and setting of this game.

"The combat system is more elaborate than what you will find in early iterations of Dungeons and Dragons. The combat system includes, for example, four separate critical hits tables, for blunt, energy, piercing and slashing weapons respectively. Though the combat system is a bit more detailed than the one I typically employ,this certainly adds some interesting cinematic (for lack of a better word) elements.

"Red Planet includes spells for Priests, despite the fact that the author acknowledges that most priests in the Martian Chronicles are either frauds or charlatans. But what would a fantasy role-playing game be without spell-casters!

"At 72 pages, Red Planet RPG is a lot of game, packed in a small package. As a hobbyist game-designer and publisher, Clovis Cithog is humble about his creation, and offers it at the bargain price of $10 to US residents. As I said at the start of this review, I feel strongly about trumpeting the remarkable achievements of the hobbyist game designers in our midst, and seeing them fairly compensated for their efforts. This game is a steal at $10. "

http://apaladinincitadel.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-red-planet-rpg.html

Technology after the Apocalypse

TECHNOLOGY is the application of science and manufacturing to produce durable goods and consumer products. Technology allows a civilization to harness the forces of nature for energy. A society that obtains superior technology increases wages and life expectancy for its citizens.

In game terms, technology is measured on a scale from one to ten (Roman Numerals I – IX) referred to as the tech level (TL). Almost all settlements upon Terra are pre-industrial (< VI), but humanity left behind artifacts (TL VII+) that may be found in the hands of adversaries or in abandoned ruins. The TL listed for a community represents what is capable of being manufactured or produced; obviously esteemed and wealthy citizens usually possess higher tech items or even artifacts.

TL I = Stone Age; People live in caves or grass huts. Fire is used for heat and cooking. Travel is on foot or by dugout canoes. Tools and weapons are made from wood, stones and hide. This is the typical TL for primitive tribes, castaways, and mutated insects or birds (aerials).

TL II = Bronze Age; People live in clay or stone buildings. Wind is harnessed for crude sailing ships such as galleys and triremes. Agriculture and writing is discovered. Polytheistic religions are common. The domestication of the horse allows cavalry as essential military units. TL I was available during the Peloponnesian Wars and the Old Testament. This is standard TL for mutants.

TL III = Iron Age; People live in wood homes, while public buildings are made from marble or granite. Oil lamps are used for illumination. The main ocean going vessel is the longboat. Stirrups, nails, lances, and simple machines are available. This is standard tech level for mutated humans or newmen.

TL IV = Middle Ages; Common people live in wood homes while nobility live in stone fortresses. Churches and wealthy estates have glass windows. Windmills are developed in order to grind grain. The invention of hay allows nations in non-temperate climates to maintain powerful cavalries, thereby transferring military power away from the coastal or sea-faring nations. This is the common TL for unmutated humans.

TL V = Renaissance; Development of reliable cannons has rendered most outdoor stone fortresses obsolete. The printing press allows rapid exchange of news, information, and knowledge. Common people can afford glassware and china. The telescope and sextant makes navigation of the oceans and seas dependable. Medicine becomes a true science. This is TL of cyborgs and Columbus’ voyages.

TL VI = Victorian Age; People live in brick or wooden homes, many with built-in gas furnaces and lamps. Coal is burned to power steam engines giving rise to the locomotive and the steamship. Iron is smelted to steel in an affordable and abundant manner. The migration of people from the farms to urban areas is accentuated. Interchangeable parts allows for the inexpensive production of weaponry such as revolvers and carbines. This tech level is rarely found at some isolated enclaves.

TL VII = Electric Age; People live in insulated homes, many with televisions, refrigerators, electric lights and central air-conditioning. The common worker can afford a car and send his children to college. This era is known for mass production of crew-served weapons of war such as tanks, airplanes, submarines and destroyers.

TL VIII = Modern; This is the modern era in which we live, complete with cell phones, microwave ovens, fast food, industrial robots, gene therapy, home computers, internet and super-sonic travel. Nuclear fission is affordable and ‘safe.’ Interplanetary travel becomes a reality, while robots can make interstellar journeys.

TL IX = Science Fiction; This is the era of mankind before the Apocalypse. This period is marked by androids, cloning, artificial intelligence and man-portable energy weapons. Nuclear fusion is affordable and safe. Interstellar travel becomes a reality. This is TL of the ‘Star Trek’ movies; interplanetary empires are a reality.

TL X = Science Fantasy; This is a time period of ucomprehensible technology, interdimensional or time travel is possible. This is the world of ‘Dr Who’, while the intra-galactic empire of ‘Star Wars’ falls between TL IX and X.

“Sufficiently advanced technology
is indistinguishable from magic.” Arthur C. Clarke


artwork by Kris Todd
(last I heard he was freelancing in Dallas, TX)