I've been reading this game, and I have to say, the setting and fluff text alone make me cringe. The Ven make so little sense. They're a weird society with lots of rules, no armies, cowed peasantry, revenge, and romance. You play doomed anti-heroes with a strong 'drow' vibe. I honestly can't see where the fun starts in this game. Its just trying to find a road to fail, and I don't know if I really want to find it.
Turned off by the first paragraph of the book, but maybe, somehow, I'll find a way to like this game. Reading the book; will add more commentary once I figure out how the hell it plays.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
LARP Rules Part 4: Traps
Traps
All characters can set basic traps, but specialists make them much more effectively. All traps are represented by a buzzer and a phys rep- a piece of twine, rope, or safe wire for snares and tripwires; some type of brambles, door, or other floor covering for pit traps. It is best to write down the damage of the trap on the buzzer.
Damage bonus may be bought for traps. Traps as a weapon point break counts for all three trap types. One may nest traps (Tripwire that causes trap door to drop into pit, where the octopus ensnares your legs) but only one of each trap.
Pit- Anyone can make a basic pit. Every ten minutes allows a foot of digging. 1 damage for 3 feet, 2 damage for six feet, 3 damage for 9 feet or deeper pits. Pit may do +1 damage if spikes are set in the floor. A floors worth of spikes takes 10 minutes to make. Additional dangers of the trap are represented by damage multipliers. Multiple characters can work to make a pit faster than a single character could, time total being divided by characters. Falling in to a pit over six feet may render one helpless to get out.
Snare- Anyone can set a basic snare trap. A loop of rope represents the snare and takes as long as you take to make the loop and set the buzzer. A snare disables one leg for a count of 10 seconds. Extra trap damage may be converted to 5 extra secs of immobilization OR an additional limb, starting with the other leg.
Tripwire: Anyone can set a basic trip wire. A strand of twine between two points represents this trap- this may even be suspended if the string can set off the trap without causing someone to trip. A tripwire will usually just cause one damage and takes as much time as it takes to set up.
All characters can set basic traps, but specialists make them much more effectively. All traps are represented by a buzzer and a phys rep- a piece of twine, rope, or safe wire for snares and tripwires; some type of brambles, door, or other floor covering for pit traps. It is best to write down the damage of the trap on the buzzer.
Damage bonus may be bought for traps. Traps as a weapon point break counts for all three trap types. One may nest traps (Tripwire that causes trap door to drop into pit, where the octopus ensnares your legs) but only one of each trap.
Pit- Anyone can make a basic pit. Every ten minutes allows a foot of digging. 1 damage for 3 feet, 2 damage for six feet, 3 damage for 9 feet or deeper pits. Pit may do +1 damage if spikes are set in the floor. A floors worth of spikes takes 10 minutes to make. Additional dangers of the trap are represented by damage multipliers. Multiple characters can work to make a pit faster than a single character could, time total being divided by characters. Falling in to a pit over six feet may render one helpless to get out.
Snare- Anyone can set a basic snare trap. A loop of rope represents the snare and takes as long as you take to make the loop and set the buzzer. A snare disables one leg for a count of 10 seconds. Extra trap damage may be converted to 5 extra secs of immobilization OR an additional limb, starting with the other leg.
Tripwire: Anyone can set a basic trip wire. A strand of twine between two points represents this trap- this may even be suspended if the string can set off the trap without causing someone to trip. A tripwire will usually just cause one damage and takes as much time as it takes to set up.
LARP Rules Part 3: Miraculous Skills, Adders and Limiters
Character Abilities, Miraculous:
These abilities encompass the truly impossible, the things of science fiction, fantasy, and the holy grails of future science. While these miracles are few and far between, they must be addressed. All miraculous abilities must be approved by a GM.
Combat Miracles
Invincibility- This ability is exactly what it sounds like and may not be purchased without a disadvantage attached. Cost is based on how narrow its ‘weakness’. Weaknesses such as “Fabled Sword of Lost Atlantis” are the basic purchase price for invincibility. A wider range of weaknesses or more common substance “Silver” or “Vampire Weakness” is the next level. The fifty-fifty of immunity to magic or immunity to physical is next. Last is immunity to a specific damage source, such as swords, fire, arrows, etc. 400/200/100/50
Transformation- Much like damage, save that instead of going unconscious a character is transformed at the end of combat. This transformation damage tracks separately from normal damage and must equal hits to initiate a transformation. When the transformation damage totals to hits, the character goes unconscious for game purposes but is ‘transforming’ in game. The basic version will transform them into something allied to you. The limited version allows you to transform a characters body but not their mind. The least version only works on willing targets. Depending on the depth of transformation, experience may be spent in a vastly different fashion to represent changes made, but no extra experience or abilities will be rewarded.
360 points per level/180 points per level/90 points per level.
Resurrection/Regeneration- The ability to bring a dead character back to life. Base cost is times per combat in levels. No restrictions need to be taken but it is prohibitively expensive and recommended that one do so. 300 points per level.
Mind Control
While characters are often influential, its rare that their words are truly controlling. If one wishes to convince others, work on your communication skills and ability to give stirring speeches. If one wants to make it a sure thing, use mind control.
Domination- Used to manipulate other characters, making them instantly follow your every command until control is broken (either character is knocked out). You can control characters of a level equal to your mind control level singularly. For multiple characters, you must have a level equal to their levels added together. Announce “Mind Control #!” to your target and he will tell you his level to let you know if he resists and how impaired you mind control is until your control is released. While packets and weapon strikes are not necessary to use this skill, you may use one to get the targets attention. 240 per level
Emotion Control- The ability to give a character a certain attitude is easier than commanding their every action. Emotions may include fear, love, hatred, etc. and may include a target for the emotion (love him, hate her, fear food, etc.). This emotion lasts for a minimum of five seconds per level, but outside of combat it will continue until a character is jarred from the feeling by something. Emotion control can be used a number of times equal to its level every 10 minutes. When used, say the “[Name of the emotion] [Emotion target, if any] #!” to the target. While packets and weapon strikes are not necessary to use this skill, you may use one to get the targets attention. 50 for one emotion, 150 for all emotions.
Limitations and Adders:
Incantations- Must speak loudly and obviously. For instant occurrences, may be one to as many words as you feel necessary. For longer, must speak, sing, or chant entire time, though chant does not need to be specific. If combined with gestures and activation, packets count as base 4.
Gesture- Ones hands must be empty of all useful in game items when one uses this skill. Must be done entire time skill is being used. Spell packets may be considered a non-item in this case, but may not be used before the gesturing is completed. If combined with extended activation, packets count as 3 damage.
Extended activation- Every skill is considered instant unless modified. The following list is for all skills activations, save those whose time are GM controlled. Instant, concentration(five seconds per skill level affected), Ritual (one minute per level affected), and Grand Rite (one hour per skill level affected). If concentration is used for throwing packets, consider packets base 2 damage.
Useable by others- Lend effects will make you lose the skill while you let another borrow it and cost a percentage of the points spent. Boosts will temporarily grant the bonus to others as many times as you like. Boost costs can be reduced very slightly if applicable to others only.
Silent- Some skills are inherently noisy. Silent allows them to be used in ‘virtual’ silence. This adder may not be purchased if a GM feels it will be too problematic for RP purposes.
From Behind- May only be used for attacks that hit the back. Cannot be used for non-offensive skills.
While running away- May be used only when retreating
These abilities encompass the truly impossible, the things of science fiction, fantasy, and the holy grails of future science. While these miracles are few and far between, they must be addressed. All miraculous abilities must be approved by a GM.
Combat Miracles
Invincibility- This ability is exactly what it sounds like and may not be purchased without a disadvantage attached. Cost is based on how narrow its ‘weakness’. Weaknesses such as “Fabled Sword of Lost Atlantis” are the basic purchase price for invincibility. A wider range of weaknesses or more common substance “Silver” or “Vampire Weakness” is the next level. The fifty-fifty of immunity to magic or immunity to physical is next. Last is immunity to a specific damage source, such as swords, fire, arrows, etc. 400/200/100/50
Transformation- Much like damage, save that instead of going unconscious a character is transformed at the end of combat. This transformation damage tracks separately from normal damage and must equal hits to initiate a transformation. When the transformation damage totals to hits, the character goes unconscious for game purposes but is ‘transforming’ in game. The basic version will transform them into something allied to you. The limited version allows you to transform a characters body but not their mind. The least version only works on willing targets. Depending on the depth of transformation, experience may be spent in a vastly different fashion to represent changes made, but no extra experience or abilities will be rewarded.
360 points per level/180 points per level/90 points per level.
Resurrection/Regeneration- The ability to bring a dead character back to life. Base cost is times per combat in levels. No restrictions need to be taken but it is prohibitively expensive and recommended that one do so. 300 points per level.
Mind Control
While characters are often influential, its rare that their words are truly controlling. If one wishes to convince others, work on your communication skills and ability to give stirring speeches. If one wants to make it a sure thing, use mind control.
Domination- Used to manipulate other characters, making them instantly follow your every command until control is broken (either character is knocked out). You can control characters of a level equal to your mind control level singularly. For multiple characters, you must have a level equal to their levels added together. Announce “Mind Control #!” to your target and he will tell you his level to let you know if he resists and how impaired you mind control is until your control is released. While packets and weapon strikes are not necessary to use this skill, you may use one to get the targets attention. 240 per level
Emotion Control- The ability to give a character a certain attitude is easier than commanding their every action. Emotions may include fear, love, hatred, etc. and may include a target for the emotion (love him, hate her, fear food, etc.). This emotion lasts for a minimum of five seconds per level, but outside of combat it will continue until a character is jarred from the feeling by something. Emotion control can be used a number of times equal to its level every 10 minutes. When used, say the “[Name of the emotion] [Emotion target, if any] #!” to the target. While packets and weapon strikes are not necessary to use this skill, you may use one to get the targets attention. 50 for one emotion, 150 for all emotions.
Limitations and Adders:
Incantations- Must speak loudly and obviously. For instant occurrences, may be one to as many words as you feel necessary. For longer, must speak, sing, or chant entire time, though chant does not need to be specific. If combined with gestures and activation, packets count as base 4.
Gesture- Ones hands must be empty of all useful in game items when one uses this skill. Must be done entire time skill is being used. Spell packets may be considered a non-item in this case, but may not be used before the gesturing is completed. If combined with extended activation, packets count as 3 damage.
Extended activation- Every skill is considered instant unless modified. The following list is for all skills activations, save those whose time are GM controlled. Instant, concentration(five seconds per skill level affected), Ritual (one minute per level affected), and Grand Rite (one hour per skill level affected). If concentration is used for throwing packets, consider packets base 2 damage.
Useable by others- Lend effects will make you lose the skill while you let another borrow it and cost a percentage of the points spent. Boosts will temporarily grant the bonus to others as many times as you like. Boost costs can be reduced very slightly if applicable to others only.
Silent- Some skills are inherently noisy. Silent allows them to be used in ‘virtual’ silence. This adder may not be purchased if a GM feels it will be too problematic for RP purposes.
From Behind- May only be used for attacks that hit the back. Cannot be used for non-offensive skills.
While running away- May be used only when retreating
LARP Rules Part 2: Resource Skills and Tool Assisted
Resource Skills
Represent wealth, resources, and other forms of material power. May represent treasures, magical items, or even contacts and organizational ties. All characters are assumed to have enough resources to survive their first event and own a handful of weapons (one weapon, one two handed weapon, two dual wielded weapons, weapon and shield, or one weapon and one ranged weapon). Any other items that a character wishes to have for RPing purposes are okay, but if they become useful by the rules, they will require a purchase of generic resources. For example, if a shoulder monkey was something you wished to have, it is fine, until that monkey is used to retrieve your keys or something- then you need to make a purchase.
Generic resources: Any IG item that suddenly finds a use, but has little in the way of hard and fast rules. The GM will assign a price to whatever the item is. This price may be renegotiated and the price refunded or raised at the GMs discretion. Variable price.
Travel resources: IG resources that allow rapid transit over land and sea. The ratings are abstract to avoid micro-management. First rank local(within state distances), second continental(within the land or sea), and third global(anywhere on the planet). Travel times are variable for many factors (weather, stealth, terrain, hostiles, etc) and will be decided by a GM. 1st Level: 10 self, 20 to take others.
2nd Level: 20 self, 40 to take others.
3rd Level: 30 self, 60 to take others.
Extra Weapons: Every purchase gives the character an extra weapon they may carry on their person. A character may change which weapons they bring between events, but may not change during play. 4 per weapon.
Spare weapons: If a weapon is sundered, this allows a character to have a spare they may retrieve. Spare weapons should be kept with other IG items. If off field, takes an hour to retrieve. 2 per spare.
Hired Men: Based on a formula. Must take time to gather your forces. May not do so more than once per day.
XP Cost of NPC(as PC+2)to the power of the npcs (squared for 2, cubed for 3, etc).
So, a brute squad of six one hit wonders would cost 26 or 64 xp.
The XP paid may be re-arranged for a different number of men.
So, the 64 points could be one 62 point NPC or two six point NPCs as well as six brutes.
Character Abilities, Tool Assisted:
Some things that are not possible with sheer human skill can be achieved with the help of tools. In the fantasy genre, such technology may be replaced with magic, but this is no reason it must. If it is possible by human ingenuity and tools today, it will likely be included here.
Basic Healing- Basic healing restores hits to a character instantly, number of times a battle equal to purchase. Surgery, combat drugs, braces, stitches, and other medicine should likely have the extended activation disadvantage and gestures as well. Basic healing only restores hits and cannot resurrect the dead, re-attach limbs, or other forms of healing. Starts at base 2 for 40 points per level, doubles every level. Can be performed every ten minutes.
Ex) Level 1, Heal 2 once a battle. Level 2, Heal 4 twice a battle. Level 3, Heal 6 thrice a battle, etc.
Communication- Allows communications faster and further than a messenger on horseback. Level one allows communication with anyone on field. Levels past one buy much like travel, first local, then continental, then global. A fourth level may be purchased for communications that span to other worlds and realms. 60 per level.
Air Travel- Like the more mundane version, but allows air travel. This means that a party may travel to otherwise unreachable areas like a valley surrounded by mountains or cloud kingdoms in the sky. Also allows them to skip over more hostile terrains in travel. Travel is much like the speed of a helicopter (~200 mph). 60 for self, 120 for others.
Fast Travel- A modifier for normal travel, each level enhances travel speed. One level is considered traveling at modern car speeds or by train for land, modern speed boat speeds for sea. If applied to Air travel, travel becomes the magnitude of an airliner (~650 mph). x4 cost for travel purchased.
Tool Assisted Adders-
Area Effects- Though useable for other effects, this generally refers to explosives and traps. The classic ‘fireball’, one must call out “Burst!” with the descriptor. As explosions (and battle) are chaotic, it is necessary to shout this. If someone does not hear it, they may be considered unaffected. This works within a 5ft radius of a strike point, whether ranged or point blank. Point blank area effects will hit you as well, though a ‘other only’ area effect may be purchased in Miraculous abilities. X4 cost.
Delay and Trigger Effects- Delay effects are used to represent poisons, bombs, and curses. The effect of a normal skill may come about later when this is used, at a specific time. This time can be any length, but must be set upon the use of the skill. If used on an area, clear tags or devices must be used to warn people, as otherwise they may walk through a bomb blast, not taking the damage as they were unaware of their peril entirely. X2
Trigger effects are delayed effects that happen upon a certain set of circumstances being reached. The more specific the circumstances, the more this skill adder costs. X3
***Recurring- Recurring effects happen again after a period of time. Will recur equal to the lowest part of skill it is bought for times at a minimum unit of minutes later per level for ease of use. If used in battle only take place once the battle is over.
Example) A level four damage toxin is used. After combat, four damage is dealt four times once every minute for the next four minutes. X4***
Represent wealth, resources, and other forms of material power. May represent treasures, magical items, or even contacts and organizational ties. All characters are assumed to have enough resources to survive their first event and own a handful of weapons (one weapon, one two handed weapon, two dual wielded weapons, weapon and shield, or one weapon and one ranged weapon). Any other items that a character wishes to have for RPing purposes are okay, but if they become useful by the rules, they will require a purchase of generic resources. For example, if a shoulder monkey was something you wished to have, it is fine, until that monkey is used to retrieve your keys or something- then you need to make a purchase.
Generic resources: Any IG item that suddenly finds a use, but has little in the way of hard and fast rules. The GM will assign a price to whatever the item is. This price may be renegotiated and the price refunded or raised at the GMs discretion. Variable price.
Travel resources: IG resources that allow rapid transit over land and sea. The ratings are abstract to avoid micro-management. First rank local(within state distances), second continental(within the land or sea), and third global(anywhere on the planet). Travel times are variable for many factors (weather, stealth, terrain, hostiles, etc) and will be decided by a GM. 1st Level: 10 self, 20 to take others.
2nd Level: 20 self, 40 to take others.
3rd Level: 30 self, 60 to take others.
Extra Weapons: Every purchase gives the character an extra weapon they may carry on their person. A character may change which weapons they bring between events, but may not change during play. 4 per weapon.
Spare weapons: If a weapon is sundered, this allows a character to have a spare they may retrieve. Spare weapons should be kept with other IG items. If off field, takes an hour to retrieve. 2 per spare.
Hired Men: Based on a formula. Must take time to gather your forces. May not do so more than once per day.
XP Cost of NPC(as PC+2)to the power of the npcs (squared for 2, cubed for 3, etc).
So, a brute squad of six one hit wonders would cost 26 or 64 xp.
The XP paid may be re-arranged for a different number of men.
So, the 64 points could be one 62 point NPC or two six point NPCs as well as six brutes.
Character Abilities, Tool Assisted:
Some things that are not possible with sheer human skill can be achieved with the help of tools. In the fantasy genre, such technology may be replaced with magic, but this is no reason it must. If it is possible by human ingenuity and tools today, it will likely be included here.
Basic Healing- Basic healing restores hits to a character instantly, number of times a battle equal to purchase. Surgery, combat drugs, braces, stitches, and other medicine should likely have the extended activation disadvantage and gestures as well. Basic healing only restores hits and cannot resurrect the dead, re-attach limbs, or other forms of healing. Starts at base 2 for 40 points per level, doubles every level. Can be performed every ten minutes.
Ex) Level 1, Heal 2 once a battle. Level 2, Heal 4 twice a battle. Level 3, Heal 6 thrice a battle, etc.
Communication- Allows communications faster and further than a messenger on horseback. Level one allows communication with anyone on field. Levels past one buy much like travel, first local, then continental, then global. A fourth level may be purchased for communications that span to other worlds and realms. 60 per level.
Air Travel- Like the more mundane version, but allows air travel. This means that a party may travel to otherwise unreachable areas like a valley surrounded by mountains or cloud kingdoms in the sky. Also allows them to skip over more hostile terrains in travel. Travel is much like the speed of a helicopter (~200 mph). 60 for self, 120 for others.
Fast Travel- A modifier for normal travel, each level enhances travel speed. One level is considered traveling at modern car speeds or by train for land, modern speed boat speeds for sea. If applied to Air travel, travel becomes the magnitude of an airliner (~650 mph). x4 cost for travel purchased.
Tool Assisted Adders-
Area Effects- Though useable for other effects, this generally refers to explosives and traps. The classic ‘fireball’, one must call out “Burst!” with the descriptor. As explosions (and battle) are chaotic, it is necessary to shout this. If someone does not hear it, they may be considered unaffected. This works within a 5ft radius of a strike point, whether ranged or point blank. Point blank area effects will hit you as well, though a ‘other only’ area effect may be purchased in Miraculous abilities. X4 cost.
Delay and Trigger Effects- Delay effects are used to represent poisons, bombs, and curses. The effect of a normal skill may come about later when this is used, at a specific time. This time can be any length, but must be set upon the use of the skill. If used on an area, clear tags or devices must be used to warn people, as otherwise they may walk through a bomb blast, not taking the damage as they were unaware of their peril entirely. X2
Trigger effects are delayed effects that happen upon a certain set of circumstances being reached. The more specific the circumstances, the more this skill adder costs. X3
***Recurring- Recurring effects happen again after a period of time. Will recur equal to the lowest part of skill it is bought for times at a minimum unit of minutes later per level for ease of use. If used in battle only take place once the battle is over.
Example) A level four damage toxin is used. After combat, four damage is dealt four times once every minute for the next four minutes. X4***
Thursday, June 11, 2009
LARP Rules Part 1: Basic System and Martial Skills
Part One of my rules set. The top lines are some of my guidelines to how to make this game worthwhile. I'm curious to see what others think of them.
LARP-Evolution
Experience is a measure of how important you have become to the story.
Loot will always unbalance the system.
Gamists ruin games. Such behavior yields nothing. No rewards for killing beyond survival and death.
Simulationists enhance the game. Wearing a good costume, armor, or appropriate weapon for a skill= bonus XP for purchase of matching trait. These rewards must be minor save perhaps the costume one.
Narrativists make the game worth playing. Good role playing, contributing story elements, or tying ones background into the plot will yield the equivalent of loot.
Basic Characters or the average NPC:
May use any weapon they can pick up and wield, including two handing, ranged weapons, and shields. Shields and ranged weapons deal one damage, “Heavy” weapons deal 3, all others deal 2.
1 hit = 1 death
Hit limb = limb disable
Armor adds 1-3 hits extra, in the area they cover.
Can do what your body can do
Racial Ability
Basic Skill
Heal at realistic rates, a wound usually equaling months of healing.
Character Abilities, Inherent:
Heroic Defenses- Have 10 hits and no longer lose limbs to damage.
Heroic Stamina- Will go unconscious rather than die after being struck to zero.
Wearing armor gives bonus XP for simulationism, but no HP.
Heroic Healing- Characters tend to be less hurt than they look. Regain 1 HP every ten minutes, all HP in 6 hours.
Charging- All characters can charge up their melee and ranged attacks. This means picking a single target and counting to multiples of 5. Upon reaching 5 seconds, add one damage multiplier and consider the weapon a category higher (Light to medium, medium to heavy, heavy stays the same). At ten seconds, all attacks should be heavy and have two extra damage modifiers. Packets and other ‘tiny’ ranged weapons may not be charged, though javelins, throwing axes, large knives, etc. may be.
Character Creation:
Step One: Distribute four point breaks. Can be assigned either to a specific skill OR to buy an adder OR to buy a limiter. Tool assisted skills cost two point breaks, miraculous skills cost three point breaks.
Every adder puts an increased multiplication on a skill's cost (x2 for one, x3 for two, etc). Every limiter level divides a skill's cost further down (1/2 for one, 1/3 for two, etc). Adders and limiters combined into a single skill cancel out one another on a level per level basis to avoid complex math. Once purchased, an adder or limiter may be applied to any power, but may not be removed. For instance, if Incantation was attached to Greater Offense and you wished to add damage to a weapon without incanting, you would have to purchase Greater Offense separately from the beginning.
Step Two: You have 70 points to spend on skills.
Character Abilities, Mundane:
Mundane abilities simulate things real people can do. While many of these things enter the realm of the fantastic (example: a high level character can fight perhaps a dozen enemies relatively unscathed), the feats one can achieve with this are not impossible, even if extremely unlikely. Modifiers may move some of these skills into Tool assisted or Miraculous abilities. However, all of these skills can be role played as one wishes. A x3 damage sword skill can be fighting prowess, a firey aura that blazes around ones sword, or a modification to ones blade that makes it even more damaging.
Martial Skills
These skills are all useful in combat. They are all things that people in real life can do theoretically, if not regularly. They may be RPed as more exotic techniques or powers if one desires.
Defenses
Greater Defenses- More hits may be purchased. 50 points per level.
Skilled Defender- Extra hits for the purpose of ignoring special attacks, may not be used for normal hits. 20 per level.
Sixth sense- Extra hits versus surprise attempts only, cannot be used in mass combat. 3 per level.
Shield Skill- Anyone can use a shield. A shield can block anything, but will break if hit with four damage or more. Every level of shield skill increases its breaking point by a multiple. 50 points per level.
Attacks
All offenses are taken for a specific weapon OR for a greater price for all weapons. If two handing, purchase the increase for each hand. If two-siding (staff), add 50% to cost.
Greater Offense: May purchase more damage for a weapon(x2). May be bought multiple times. Forty points per level, 120 if for all weapons.
Assassinate: As greater offense, but only for surprise strikes. Cannot be used in mass combat. 8 points per level, 24 if for all weapons.
Backstab: As greater offense, but only for attacks from the rear. May be used in mass combat. 20 points per level, 60 if for all weapons.
Special Attack: There are several special attacks in the game. These are interesting things that can sometimes be achieved in combat. Because these special attacks can utterly alter the course of a fight, they are restricted for most adventures. Players will be given what specials they have for a particular adventure in advance. However, if not informed, the player may assume he has one of the following types of attack and pick any of the effects below if he meets the level of special attack. He may instead pick multiple of the lower attacks if he so chooses.
When hit with a special, a number will be called. That number is the amount of damage the player may take rather than doing what the special requires- this damage may be ‘charged’ like other melee attacks. All attacks are once per day. 48 per level, 144 for all weapons.
Level 1- Knock: Hit shield or body and call "Knockback #!". This number is equal to a normal strike from the characters weapon, including damage multiplier. Otherwise, the player must expose his chest and take 3 steps back. The chest exposure is to simulate the disadvantage of proneness without the OOG safety risks. A shield reduces knockback to two steps.
Level 2- Disarm: Hit weapon and call "Disarm #!". Number equals normal weapon damage with an extra level of greater offense.
Level 3- Sunder: Hit weapon and call "Sunder #!". Number equals normal weapon damage with 2 extra levels of greater offense.
Level 4- Disable: Hit limb and call "Disable #!". Number equals normal weapon damage with 3 extra levels of greater offense.
Level 5- Blind/Deafen: Hit body and call "Blind #!" or "Deafen #!" In either case, role playing these in combat must be modified for safety. A blinded person is considered half hit points and must call half normal damage until unblinded. A deafened person cannot react to incantations or instructions in combat. Normal recovery time for either attack is one minute base out of combat. Number equals normal weapon damage with 4 extra levels of greater offense.
LARP-Evolution
Experience is a measure of how important you have become to the story.
Loot will always unbalance the system.
Gamists ruin games. Such behavior yields nothing. No rewards for killing beyond survival and death.
Simulationists enhance the game. Wearing a good costume, armor, or appropriate weapon for a skill= bonus XP for purchase of matching trait. These rewards must be minor save perhaps the costume one.
Narrativists make the game worth playing. Good role playing, contributing story elements, or tying ones background into the plot will yield the equivalent of loot.
Basic Characters or the average NPC:
May use any weapon they can pick up and wield, including two handing, ranged weapons, and shields. Shields and ranged weapons deal one damage, “Heavy” weapons deal 3, all others deal 2.
1 hit = 1 death
Hit limb = limb disable
Armor adds 1-3 hits extra, in the area they cover.
Can do what your body can do
Racial Ability
Basic Skill
Heal at realistic rates, a wound usually equaling months of healing.
Character Abilities, Inherent:
Heroic Defenses- Have 10 hits and no longer lose limbs to damage.
Heroic Stamina- Will go unconscious rather than die after being struck to zero.
Wearing armor gives bonus XP for simulationism, but no HP.
Heroic Healing- Characters tend to be less hurt than they look. Regain 1 HP every ten minutes, all HP in 6 hours.
Charging- All characters can charge up their melee and ranged attacks. This means picking a single target and counting to multiples of 5. Upon reaching 5 seconds, add one damage multiplier and consider the weapon a category higher (Light to medium, medium to heavy, heavy stays the same). At ten seconds, all attacks should be heavy and have two extra damage modifiers. Packets and other ‘tiny’ ranged weapons may not be charged, though javelins, throwing axes, large knives, etc. may be.
Character Creation:
Step One: Distribute four point breaks. Can be assigned either to a specific skill OR to buy an adder OR to buy a limiter. Tool assisted skills cost two point breaks, miraculous skills cost three point breaks.
Every adder puts an increased multiplication on a skill's cost (x2 for one, x3 for two, etc). Every limiter level divides a skill's cost further down (1/2 for one, 1/3 for two, etc). Adders and limiters combined into a single skill cancel out one another on a level per level basis to avoid complex math. Once purchased, an adder or limiter may be applied to any power, but may not be removed. For instance, if Incantation was attached to Greater Offense and you wished to add damage to a weapon without incanting, you would have to purchase Greater Offense separately from the beginning.
Step Two: You have 70 points to spend on skills.
Character Abilities, Mundane:
Mundane abilities simulate things real people can do. While many of these things enter the realm of the fantastic (example: a high level character can fight perhaps a dozen enemies relatively unscathed), the feats one can achieve with this are not impossible, even if extremely unlikely. Modifiers may move some of these skills into Tool assisted or Miraculous abilities. However, all of these skills can be role played as one wishes. A x3 damage sword skill can be fighting prowess, a firey aura that blazes around ones sword, or a modification to ones blade that makes it even more damaging.
Martial Skills
These skills are all useful in combat. They are all things that people in real life can do theoretically, if not regularly. They may be RPed as more exotic techniques or powers if one desires.
Defenses
Greater Defenses- More hits may be purchased. 50 points per level.
Skilled Defender- Extra hits for the purpose of ignoring special attacks, may not be used for normal hits. 20 per level.
Sixth sense- Extra hits versus surprise attempts only, cannot be used in mass combat. 3 per level.
Shield Skill- Anyone can use a shield. A shield can block anything, but will break if hit with four damage or more. Every level of shield skill increases its breaking point by a multiple. 50 points per level.
Attacks
All offenses are taken for a specific weapon OR for a greater price for all weapons. If two handing, purchase the increase for each hand. If two-siding (staff), add 50% to cost.
Greater Offense: May purchase more damage for a weapon(x2). May be bought multiple times. Forty points per level, 120 if for all weapons.
Assassinate: As greater offense, but only for surprise strikes. Cannot be used in mass combat. 8 points per level, 24 if for all weapons.
Backstab: As greater offense, but only for attacks from the rear. May be used in mass combat. 20 points per level, 60 if for all weapons.
Special Attack: There are several special attacks in the game. These are interesting things that can sometimes be achieved in combat. Because these special attacks can utterly alter the course of a fight, they are restricted for most adventures. Players will be given what specials they have for a particular adventure in advance. However, if not informed, the player may assume he has one of the following types of attack and pick any of the effects below if he meets the level of special attack. He may instead pick multiple of the lower attacks if he so chooses.
When hit with a special, a number will be called. That number is the amount of damage the player may take rather than doing what the special requires- this damage may be ‘charged’ like other melee attacks. All attacks are once per day. 48 per level, 144 for all weapons.
Level 1- Knock: Hit shield or body and call "Knockback #!". This number is equal to a normal strike from the characters weapon, including damage multiplier. Otherwise, the player must expose his chest and take 3 steps back. The chest exposure is to simulate the disadvantage of proneness without the OOG safety risks. A shield reduces knockback to two steps.
Level 2- Disarm: Hit weapon and call "Disarm #!". Number equals normal weapon damage with an extra level of greater offense.
Level 3- Sunder: Hit weapon and call "Sunder #!". Number equals normal weapon damage with 2 extra levels of greater offense.
Level 4- Disable: Hit limb and call "Disable #!". Number equals normal weapon damage with 3 extra levels of greater offense.
Level 5- Blind/Deafen: Hit body and call "Blind #!" or "Deafen #!" In either case, role playing these in combat must be modified for safety. A blinded person is considered half hit points and must call half normal damage until unblinded. A deafened person cannot react to incantations or instructions in combat. Normal recovery time for either attack is one minute base out of combat. Number equals normal weapon damage with 4 extra levels of greater offense.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Dawn of Legends Review Up
Well, my Dawn of Legends review is up at RPG.net.
http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/14/14312.phtml
I know there will be some backlash. The makers of the game frequent the forums after all. Still, I had to call it as I see it- a system without balance or innovation is not a good system, the tools provided are weak, and the setting is awful.
It does make me wonder what criteria people use for games sometimes? Fun is the obvious one, but if it's like patching up a leaky rowboat to get there, to the point the system almost ends up ignored, whats the point of using THAT system? If I have to go places to get extra supplements and errata and other nonsense to make it work, then it really isn't a complete game.
I know a few older systems I have some tender feelings towards that I can't entirely defend. Call of Cthulhu is fairly archaic, martial arts putting punches through people like paper at times, more dangerous than guns, using old school hit points for unrealistic wounds, but I LOVE the insanity system so much I can ignore those big glaring flaws for a horror game: Cthulhu is fun. The old Marvel Saga game is there too, with it's weird card system and unbalanced powers; AD&D, a system so ancient I felt free to add and subtract whatever I wanted, a homebrew haven; Fuzion, my first introduction to Champions. Still, when I get past the nostalgia, I can see that each of these systems has glaring flaws and errors that can't just be handwaved cause I like it- they are bad systems, with great settings.
Ah well. It's not easy making good games. I've put together some homebrew systems, good and bad (mostly bad) and I can't say it's easy to make a system that makes everyone happy and everything fair. Just a little more effort is all I ask from anyone asking for money for their work.
http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/14/14312.phtml
I know there will be some backlash. The makers of the game frequent the forums after all. Still, I had to call it as I see it- a system without balance or innovation is not a good system, the tools provided are weak, and the setting is awful.
It does make me wonder what criteria people use for games sometimes? Fun is the obvious one, but if it's like patching up a leaky rowboat to get there, to the point the system almost ends up ignored, whats the point of using THAT system? If I have to go places to get extra supplements and errata and other nonsense to make it work, then it really isn't a complete game.
I know a few older systems I have some tender feelings towards that I can't entirely defend. Call of Cthulhu is fairly archaic, martial arts putting punches through people like paper at times, more dangerous than guns, using old school hit points for unrealistic wounds, but I LOVE the insanity system so much I can ignore those big glaring flaws for a horror game: Cthulhu is fun. The old Marvel Saga game is there too, with it's weird card system and unbalanced powers; AD&D, a system so ancient I felt free to add and subtract whatever I wanted, a homebrew haven; Fuzion, my first introduction to Champions. Still, when I get past the nostalgia, I can see that each of these systems has glaring flaws and errors that can't just be handwaved cause I like it- they are bad systems, with great settings.
Ah well. It's not easy making good games. I've put together some homebrew systems, good and bad (mostly bad) and I can't say it's easy to make a system that makes everyone happy and everything fair. Just a little more effort is all I ask from anyone asking for money for their work.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Boffer LARP: Investment and Return
I said I'd be back to this subject in next post, so here it is.
The problem with a limited time LARP is that a lot of people invest so much time in a LARP, so much effort into a character that letting go is HARD. These investments include:
I don't like to view roleplaying as some kind of crap shoot, where fun is an accident and you gamble a whole lot of effort with a chance of having it utterly wasted within a single game. So, just like character death, a limited time campaign can leave a person feeling cheated of effort- unless, we find a good way to reward that effort.
So, here's the basic layout in my mind, for a Limited Time Campaign:
We have one world, with a campaign planned to last anywhere from 2 to 4 years. We track the maximum and minimum character XP throughout the game. New characters start at the minimum, and old characters who miss some games get boosted to this amount. That way, even when reaching the Climax, newbies and lowbies aren't useless, just not as powerful as the big characters.
Outside experience, there will be a number of Special points, RP Experience or some such, only awarded for participating in plot goals, for roleplay, and such. This allows people to get some extra advantages for the game, but also creates a log of how much a person invested themself into the game plotwise, effecting it. When the game wraps up, the setting is kept but the time line is pushed forward. Using these RP points at the end, players can help to decide how the NEXT campaign will go, alleviating a lot of the hurt of losing a character. After all, if your character becomes a permanent feature of the setting in some way, and you get to decide how the next chapter goes, thats kind of cool right?
At least, thats the theory. It would keep stories from ending in eventual character death or failure, avoid the lowbies being treated as NPC peasants, and hopefully create richer stories that people will tell years later.
Some of the investment issues, like clothing, might be helped by holding a 'swap meet' for generating new characters. Trading garb, playing ancestors, etc. allow for new costumes with less overhead.
Anyhow, I have a rules set wrote up as well. I'll put it in next post.
The problem with a limited time LARP is that a lot of people invest so much time in a LARP, so much effort into a character that letting go is HARD. These investments include:
- Background- LARP is live, and weird questions can come up. Well fleshed out characters with quirks, relatives, events in their lives, etc. are useful to roleplaying well.
- Costuming and Weapons- It takes money to put together a good LARP costume. While LARPs very in their degree of needed detail and authenticity, good costumes lead to more immersion, which is arguably the most important aspect of LARP.
- Time & Experience- The longer you play, the more XP or other bennies you get. It may be magic items or character ties, but generally, playing a LARP means you become more powerful than other characters... which brings me to...
I don't like to view roleplaying as some kind of crap shoot, where fun is an accident and you gamble a whole lot of effort with a chance of having it utterly wasted within a single game. So, just like character death, a limited time campaign can leave a person feeling cheated of effort- unless, we find a good way to reward that effort.
So, here's the basic layout in my mind, for a Limited Time Campaign:
We have one world, with a campaign planned to last anywhere from 2 to 4 years. We track the maximum and minimum character XP throughout the game. New characters start at the minimum, and old characters who miss some games get boosted to this amount. That way, even when reaching the Climax, newbies and lowbies aren't useless, just not as powerful as the big characters.
Outside experience, there will be a number of Special points, RP Experience or some such, only awarded for participating in plot goals, for roleplay, and such. This allows people to get some extra advantages for the game, but also creates a log of how much a person invested themself into the game plotwise, effecting it. When the game wraps up, the setting is kept but the time line is pushed forward. Using these RP points at the end, players can help to decide how the NEXT campaign will go, alleviating a lot of the hurt of losing a character. After all, if your character becomes a permanent feature of the setting in some way, and you get to decide how the next chapter goes, thats kind of cool right?
At least, thats the theory. It would keep stories from ending in eventual character death or failure, avoid the lowbies being treated as NPC peasants, and hopefully create richer stories that people will tell years later.
Some of the investment issues, like clothing, might be helped by holding a 'swap meet' for generating new characters. Trading garb, playing ancestors, etc. allow for new costumes with less overhead.
Anyhow, I have a rules set wrote up as well. I'll put it in next post.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Boffer LARP: My Love, My Hate
For those who don't know what boffer LARPs are, go watch Role Models- easier to see then explain. Still, for the quick explanation, it's just like tabletop roleplaying, only you wear costumes to dress as your character and use boffer swords (some kind of soft foam around some kind of stick, varies from game to game) to decide the outcome of combat. Combat can range from the highly realistic to fantastic MMO style fluff.
Anyhow, I've played three of them by now, two of them over several months, one just twice, but I had my fun at them. I also have my hate.
I'll explain the good first.
The good thing about LARPs is the increased sense of immersion into a world. Rolling some dice in a horror or fantasy game to flee danger or fell monsters is one thing, but live action brings a real sense of danger and the rush of combat fully to the front. When a big monster pops up out of the darkness and you run for your life, there are no rolls- you run and pray your faster than the thing chasing you. When you get into a combat, you don't roll dice back and forth in a yawnfest- you actually swing, actually dodge, and while stats can mitigate things, you have some responsibility for how things come out. I'd never liked D&D until the Lord of the Rings movies came out and I started LARPing- it pushed past the limits of my imagination and gave me both the FEEL and the VISUAL. I could know what its like to be a man with a sword fighting for his life, pitting your wits against ancient enemies, and how dangerous everything really is.
Now for the bad things, the source of my hate. LARPs are kind of old as far as game design decisions go. They're often mired in AD&D style mechanics. They have levels. And there is no end in sight. They have a life span to some degree, and without proper maintenance, many shamble on like decrepit undead beasts, clawing for life.
I'll give an example of how a LARPs life tends to go. First, there is the Groundwork Period. LARPs often bud off other LARPs as they grow older, people becoming disatisfied with them for X or Y reasons. So a handful of experience LARPers cobble together a new system, which is often just a slight tweak of the old system. Then they start to attract people, often old friends, but if they're ambitious they will have a website and reach out through conventions, renaissance fairs, word of mouth, and whatever other means they care to use. So the population will grow with time, and depending on a myriad of factors, tend to peak at some point.
By the time of peak growth, a few 'stars' emerge on the scene- the really good roleplayers, fighters, etc. who got in on the ground floor will now be the most powerful characters in the game, with good ties into the setting. They will often have old, powerful magic items that make them nigh unassailable to the average PC or NPC on the field, with abilities heads and shoulders above other characters. I think I'd call this phase the Settled Period. We now see plots catering more and more to these 'main' characters. Getting into the game and enjoying it may be hard as the existing social structure may ostracize you, preventing any kind of advancement or achievement- for example, you may make a wizard and be shunned by the Mages Guild, making it impossible to learn new spells. If you are someone with 'star' potential, bringing something to the table, you may manage to impress the right people to be ingratiated into the existing system.
The Final Stage comes after the 'main' characters are so vastly powerful that a new character might as well just come in as a peasant, because you'll probably feel like one in a short time. Bigger nastier baddies are fielded to challenge the higher level characters, turning the lowbies into fodder. Because people get bored, there is a high potential for people to have their characters 'go evil' if only to give them something new to do. There is also more concentrated efforts to break the system- low level characters can't win by the rules they are given, and so search for loopholes to make it by. The rules are probably now showing some age, more players drifting off because theres little reason to join. The population takes a hit, and the entire game may now be in trouble.
I've played for a while, and I've seen it happen. Almost every LARP has a story of someone who succeeded at playing a big evil character and wiped out most of the game- even a game I played that claimed 'that couldn't happen in our system' ( http://www.finalhavenlarp.com ). Apparently, mid battle some spellcaster turned around and blew away half the field- of course, many of the afore-mentioned main characters survived or were resurrected.
I think, ultimately, that most of these problems could be prevented through the use of a limited scope of plot. Many LARPs run with the presumed intent of never ending. While I love comic book superheroes, as a comic book fan, I know that stupid things happen when you run something for a long time with no end. Characters do things they shouldn't do, silly events happen because of a new writer, good stories may retcon to replace bad and vice versa- without an end, the story gets crazy. Worse, in a comic, you know things will be fine because fictional characters can just keep going without an ending- they're not real. But we are.
When I run a roleplaying game at the table, I plan a campaign with the idea of some end point. Something that will make everyone feel satisfied when its all over. The same thing goes for most fantasy novels. There are few unending fantasy serials, things that were meant to stretch until the end of time. A good campaign tends to be one that makes sure people have a good time- LARPs have a tendency to forget that as the population reaches unwieldy levels.
So, my argument is that a LARP should end some time in the second stage. There are problems with this, but I'll discuss those in my next post.
Anyhow, I've played three of them by now, two of them over several months, one just twice, but I had my fun at them. I also have my hate.
I'll explain the good first.
The good thing about LARPs is the increased sense of immersion into a world. Rolling some dice in a horror or fantasy game to flee danger or fell monsters is one thing, but live action brings a real sense of danger and the rush of combat fully to the front. When a big monster pops up out of the darkness and you run for your life, there are no rolls- you run and pray your faster than the thing chasing you. When you get into a combat, you don't roll dice back and forth in a yawnfest- you actually swing, actually dodge, and while stats can mitigate things, you have some responsibility for how things come out. I'd never liked D&D until the Lord of the Rings movies came out and I started LARPing- it pushed past the limits of my imagination and gave me both the FEEL and the VISUAL. I could know what its like to be a man with a sword fighting for his life, pitting your wits against ancient enemies, and how dangerous everything really is.
Now for the bad things, the source of my hate. LARPs are kind of old as far as game design decisions go. They're often mired in AD&D style mechanics. They have levels. And there is no end in sight. They have a life span to some degree, and without proper maintenance, many shamble on like decrepit undead beasts, clawing for life.
I'll give an example of how a LARPs life tends to go. First, there is the Groundwork Period. LARPs often bud off other LARPs as they grow older, people becoming disatisfied with them for X or Y reasons. So a handful of experience LARPers cobble together a new system, which is often just a slight tweak of the old system. Then they start to attract people, often old friends, but if they're ambitious they will have a website and reach out through conventions, renaissance fairs, word of mouth, and whatever other means they care to use. So the population will grow with time, and depending on a myriad of factors, tend to peak at some point.
By the time of peak growth, a few 'stars' emerge on the scene- the really good roleplayers, fighters, etc. who got in on the ground floor will now be the most powerful characters in the game, with good ties into the setting. They will often have old, powerful magic items that make them nigh unassailable to the average PC or NPC on the field, with abilities heads and shoulders above other characters. I think I'd call this phase the Settled Period. We now see plots catering more and more to these 'main' characters. Getting into the game and enjoying it may be hard as the existing social structure may ostracize you, preventing any kind of advancement or achievement- for example, you may make a wizard and be shunned by the Mages Guild, making it impossible to learn new spells. If you are someone with 'star' potential, bringing something to the table, you may manage to impress the right people to be ingratiated into the existing system.
The Final Stage comes after the 'main' characters are so vastly powerful that a new character might as well just come in as a peasant, because you'll probably feel like one in a short time. Bigger nastier baddies are fielded to challenge the higher level characters, turning the lowbies into fodder. Because people get bored, there is a high potential for people to have their characters 'go evil' if only to give them something new to do. There is also more concentrated efforts to break the system- low level characters can't win by the rules they are given, and so search for loopholes to make it by. The rules are probably now showing some age, more players drifting off because theres little reason to join. The population takes a hit, and the entire game may now be in trouble.
I've played for a while, and I've seen it happen. Almost every LARP has a story of someone who succeeded at playing a big evil character and wiped out most of the game- even a game I played that claimed 'that couldn't happen in our system' ( http://www.finalhavenlarp.com ). Apparently, mid battle some spellcaster turned around and blew away half the field- of course, many of the afore-mentioned main characters survived or were resurrected.
I think, ultimately, that most of these problems could be prevented through the use of a limited scope of plot. Many LARPs run with the presumed intent of never ending. While I love comic book superheroes, as a comic book fan, I know that stupid things happen when you run something for a long time with no end. Characters do things they shouldn't do, silly events happen because of a new writer, good stories may retcon to replace bad and vice versa- without an end, the story gets crazy. Worse, in a comic, you know things will be fine because fictional characters can just keep going without an ending- they're not real. But we are.
When I run a roleplaying game at the table, I plan a campaign with the idea of some end point. Something that will make everyone feel satisfied when its all over. The same thing goes for most fantasy novels. There are few unending fantasy serials, things that were meant to stretch until the end of time. A good campaign tends to be one that makes sure people have a good time- LARPs have a tendency to forget that as the population reaches unwieldy levels.
So, my argument is that a LARP should end some time in the second stage. There are problems with this, but I'll discuss those in my next post.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Dawn of Legends
Finished reviewing this awful mess. Took a long time as I wanted to be fair, rather than just fling bile. I tried to take it section by section, but it turns out to be even worse upon close inspection. Unbalanced powers, uninspired setting, unfulfilled pretentious promises... it was a long ordeal to read this thing. Either way, I'm glad it's done and I hope I save some people money.
The only thing I regret is that I couldn't think of advice to improve the product, but there really wasn't much to salvage.
The only thing I regret is that I couldn't think of advice to improve the product, but there really wasn't much to salvage.
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