Bonuses for High Ability Scores

How should they be handled? Some games make you feel that in order to be a 'real' warrior, thief, what have you, you need to have a high ability score that lets you access that class's coolest features. When I say high, I'm talking 17 or 18 in a 3D6 system. If you take a look at old school games (I'm currently running DCC RPG), what kinds of perks can you give to characters who roll high in a 3D6 in order system without making characters who don't roll high feel inadequate in their class?

I think the key is having those perks open up more options for the character, rather than grant a direct bonus of some kind. When I say options, I mean situational possibilities. Something like this: a warrior with 17+ Strength may attempt to use his bare hands to crush the skull of his opponent (if humanoid) with a DC 20 Strength check after a successful grapple. 

Personally, this is the kind of thing I find exciting, and much more interesting than 'warriors with 17+ Strength get +2 to damage.' And if you're designing a setting with sub-races (human or otherwise), these 'high-score perks' can vary to reflect the style of each individual culture, so you're not only acknowledging a high score with a cool option, you're further embellishing the setting you've lovingly hand-crafted (probably). 

The great thing about old school games is that this kind of creativity is not only possible, it's encouraged!

On another note: as is wont to happen, the busy schedules among players have caused my grandiose plans for my Yekkislovia campaign to come tumbling down. However, there is another exciting setting in the works. Expect to read about (and see) it soon!

Interpreting Hit Points

Since finally picking up a physical copy of Swords & Wizardry and determining to read it cover to cover, I have been experiencing several "aha!" moments, otherwise known as, "Man, I'm stupid" moments. Maybe some of the things I've been realizing are obvious to others, but just in case they aren't, I'm going to post my discoveries/musings anyway.

I was reading through the monster list and came to Giant (or Sea) Crocodile. Here's the description: "The smallest of giant crocodiles are about 20ft long (normal
crocodiles can grow to be as long as 15ft)." I thought to myself, "Well, how do you know how big a giant crocodile should be, then?" "Why, it depends on how many hit points it has, of course." Thanks, brain. Sometimes you're not so bad.

A giant crocodile has 6HD. That means it can have a minimum of 8 hp and a maximum of 48 hp. That's a big range. If an 8 hp giant crocodile were swimming beside a 48 hp crocodile, it occurs to me that there should be a difference in their appearance and size. Perhaps the lesser one is even wounded, or weak from hunger. How many times have you said, "Okay, there are five goblins in front of you. Roll initiative," then just played out the combat as "the fighter slays one goblin, the magic-user blows apart another, the thief attacks a goblin but misses," treating the goblins all as identical, faceless numbers? Wouldn't it be more interesting to describe their appearance and status based on their max hp?

This would add a little more book keeping during play, but the payoff might be worth it. 

This method would depend on how you run things though. How do you handle HD: do you roll HD once for a group of monsters, or separately for each individual monster?  

Sources of Treasure

Why are dungeons filled with treasure? Aside from enticing brave (or foolish) adventurers to come visit them and serving as an important game-play element in our hobby, treasure can and should, in my opinion, be more.

In my dungeons, treasure is rarely just sitting in the corner of a room. I tend to avoid using treasure chests at all. I just don't think most monsters would be keeping treasure around like their finest set of china, waiting for important visitors to show it off to. Most of the treasure I dole out is found more naturally - on the bodies of fallen explorers.

Unless you are designing a tomb or crypt in which the occupant's wealth was buried with them, the majority of a dungeon's treasure would not be secreted away in sarcophagi and medieval bank vaults. Monsters kill people - that's what they do. Then they either take their treasure (if intelligent or greedy), or leave it where it is. Few monsters have the tendencies or intelligence to hoard treasure. It is more likely that some adventurer made his way into the place in search of rumored treasure and was killed by the local monsters. That adventurer's belongings become the treasure for the dungeon. 

In general, I include one or two main treasure hoards as set pieces and themes for my dungeon, and as a hook for the players. Otherwise, the rest of the treasure is found on skeletons and corpses in the form of old armour, jewelry, coins - and maybe even magic items the unlucky adventurer might have been carrying when he died.

From Whence Do Our Wizards Learn Their Magic?

It may not occur to players and referees alike that the idea of acquiring new magical abilities could potentially be role-played. It didn't occur to me until today. "You've got enough XP to level, so choose your spells and update your character sheet." Hang on a minute!

Wouldn't it be way cooler to have an opportunity arise in-game? Don't wizards need other, better wizards to teach them stuff? And don't these other, better wizards require things in return for their tutelage? There's a lot of opportunity for adventure in just learning a new spell, I'll wager!

I'm currently running Goodman Games Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG Beta Rules for my Thursday night game, and some of the characters just got enough XP to choose a class last week.

I think for this week I'll create an NPC wizard who will offer up a few select spells to prospective wizard characters in exchange for an errand or two. Try it! Don't let them pick from a table in a book! Have your players meet real wizards in the game world and see how much more meaningful their spells will be to them.

Learning From Our Mistakes: Non-Combat XP

So I was having a conversation with someone I randomly met on Minstrel Hall this morning, and they presented an interesting idea. What if characters got experience just for attempting the things their class does?

For example, every time a thief tries to use one of his skills, he will automatically get a small amount of experience, something like 7 XP. He might not succeed, but realistically he would remember why he failed, and therefore would gain a little bit of knowledge about what not to do again. This could work with many characters, such as a ranger's track ability, or even a magic-user every time they were to cast a spell. Add XP modifiers to the task attempted based on difficulty/level of the spell.

This could work well for a campaign that you don't necessarily want to be heavy on the combat end. It would actually encourage characters to behave more like their class. Of course, you would place requirements, such that the task be attempted in a legitimate situation (not just for the sake of the XP) and always have some minor consequence for failure.

It also makes monsters a hell of a lot scarier when they show up. A character that has been progressing without combat will suddenly be more reluctant to charge in blind and risk their character's life.

I'm not quite sure how to implement this yet, but I think this person may have been on to something. It might end up being a wildly different experience than your standard campaign, but it also might be quite interesting.

Additionally, I have always handed out XP for good role playing. I like to encourage that aspect of the game.

Bardic Magic

I'll begin by saying that I am a huge fan of bards and once played a hobgoblin bard named Rook in a PbP game. But to me, something is missing from the bard class. How does their magic really work?

I realize that we are supposed to assume all bardic abilities related to the actual performance of music are magical, but there has always been a barrier there for me. I simply find it difficult to imagine myself fighting harder or better because someone is singing at the back of the room. What would they be singing that would spur me so? If it were real life, it would have to be a song I already knew, and one that I had a deep personal connection with. So how does the bard create music that touches every member of the party in such a way that they are all "inspired?" If anything, I would find such engaging sounds distracting.

As a professional musician myself, perhaps I over analyse these concepts about how a party gains +1 to-hit from the bard's ballad. Perhaps as part of the bard's magical ability, he can intuitively know which style of song will affect his companions, or even enemy monsters. Which brings me to another question.

If monsters are affected by a bard's music, is it because they have some crude form of music in their own society and therefore have an emotional relationship with the medium of song, or because they have never heard such sounds before and are overcome by wonder and awe? Or perhaps a bard's music has nothing to do with why listeners are affected. Perhaps it is simply the component or ritual used to channel their spells, in which case they might be considered inferior to illusionists and druids who can cast magic without producing sound at a volume that might make them vulnerable to enemy discovery.

If an enemy is deafened or some form of sound barrier is in effect, such as being underwater, are the bard's spells nullified?

What are your answers to these questions? What are bards like in your campaign? Are they simply vocal wizards, or is there an entirely different explanation for their abilities?

Class Origins: Fighting Men of the Ruby Isles

In the Ruby Isles, men with swords come in many flavours, from pirates to hunters to the personal body guards of wealthy merchants. Here are some island-themed Fighter variants for my Lions & Thieves S&W campaign.

Pirate

Feared and hated by merchants, loved by women and brigands, these charming scoundrels are notoriously well muscled sea-faring thieves. They roam the Ruby Isles, relieving unwary vessels of their treasure and eluding the grasping Arm of the North by making berth in secret caves and hidden bays.    

Prerequisite Ability: None.

Prerequisite Alignment: Chaotic.

Special Weapon: Fighter starts with a cutlass (1d4) and pistol (1d6+1; 1-in-6 chance to malfunction [see chart]). 

Sea Legs: Fighter receives a +2 bonus to-hit when fighting on the deck of a ship. 

Ante Up: Fighter can make a combined attack for both cutlass and pistol for 2d4+1 damage once per encounter.

Pistol Malfunction Chart (2d6)
2. Fires in random direction
3-6. Fires in 1d2 turns

7. Doesn't fire
8-11. Ball falls out (must reload)
12. Explodes (1d4 damage to wielder)

Mercenary

Mercenaries are hired swords skilled in a chosen weapon. Merchants are their main employers, but trading caravels and serpenteering ships occasionally bring them on as extra muscle for particularly risky voyages. To a mercenary, it doesn't matter who they work for, just as long as they pay is good.

Prerequisite Ability: None.

Discount: Mercenaries accumulate credit and can buy standard weapons and ammunition at half price. 

Best Friend: Choose 1 weapon to receive a permanent +1 to-hit with; the mercenary must spend a full week training to transfer the bonus to a new weapon.

On the Job: +1 to-hit when employed/under contract.

Body Guard

Loyal and stoic, body guards protect their charges with stolid fierceness. They serve as personal protectors for wealthy merchants, nobles, tavern bouncers, or guards for the Ruby Consortium. They are experts at keeping others from harm. 

Prerequisite Ability: Con 13+ 

Protector: AC is better by 1 point when defending an ally. 

Defend: Fighter can take a hit for an adjacent ally once per encounter.

Disarm: 1-in-6 chance to disarm an attacking enemy once per encounter.

Hunter

Hunters provide food for the towns and tribes of the Ruby Isles. They gather hides and bones from jungle beasts for craftsmen to work into fine armor, weapons and clothing. Most of the hunter's day is spent wandering the wilds, hard on the trail of their quarry.

Prerequisite Ability: Wisdom 12+

Tracking: 4-in-6 chance to pick up any trail outside; 2-in-6 in a dungeon. 

Good Eye: +1 to-hit with missile weapons. 

Survivalist: Fighter can spend 1d3 hours foraging/hunting for food and water.

Serpenteer

With their grim, bloodstained vessels, the serpenteers ride the waves in search of monstrous sea serpents for glory and riches. Serpenteers are easily the wealthiest of the professions in the Ruby Isles, but their careers are also the most dangerous. As such, these warrior sailors must be rugged and vigilant, strong enough to withstand the bitter grog, wield the heavy harpoons used to impale the giant creatures and drag them back to port. 

Prerequisite Ability: Str 13+ 

Serpent Pike: This heavy, forked harpoon has a thick rope attached to the butt and can be used to drag targets back to the wielder. (1d8+1 melee; 1d6+1 missile, firing rate is 1/2 [1 turn to drag it back]; 1-in-6 chance to get lodged in target for 1d4 rounds). 

Big Fish: +1 to-hit vs. aquatic or reptilian creatures. 

Rosy: Saving throw is better by 1 point if imbibing liquor.

Enlisted Man

The soldiers of the North Country have garrisons spread out all over the Ruby Isles. The expedition has been dubbed the Arm of the North, and each man receives a basic training course which prepares them for hand-to-hand combat in the steaming jungles. The Arm brings in fresh recruits every week for their garrison on the islands of Nefk, and Gixf where they are fighting against a mysterious new enemy.   

Prerequisite Ability: None.

Military Training: AC is better by 1 point if adjacent to an ally. 

Resourceful: Free melee attack for 1d4 damage once per encounter.

Sentinel

The Elves of Ydlon keep a small but elite force of guardians who watch the coasts of their island for invading enemies. Because the island is shrouded in a magical, obscuring mist, the threat of invasion is low, but the Elves have not forgotten the black sorcerers of Tzeejg, ever vigilant in case they rise again and use their magic to find and destroy Ydlon.

Prerequisite Race: Elf

Prerequisite Ability: Dex 13+

Watchful: If the Fighter spends 1 turn observing an enemy, AC is better by 1 point against that target.  

Ydlon Boomerang: 1d6+1 missile damage; returns when thrown. 

Disciplined: Saving throw is better by 1 point if the Fighter spends 1d3 hours each day to clean and polish her armour.