Friday, November 30, 2018

Flashback Friday: Nightcomers for Savage Worlds

The Nightcomers and their Matron grew accustomed to being respected and feared by the those that live by the sea.  But in this new century, they have grown to believe that their Coven has become forgotten and worse, the source of laughter and scorn.  Soon, very soon, these daughters of the Devil will remind this century why whole nations guarded themselves against their kin.




NIGHTCOMER
Wild Card


Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d12, Strength d8, Vigor d12

Skills: , Fighting d8, Notice d10, Stealth d8, Tracking 26

Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8

Special Abilities 
• Unarmed 2d8 damage
• Flying
• Wall Walking
• Improved Arcane Resistance
• Power Points 20
• Barrier
• Beast Friend
• Bolt
• Darksight
• Disguise
• Dispel
• Fear
• Invisibility
• Mind reading
• Shape Change
• Smite


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Thursday, November 29, 2018

Dungeon Crawl Classics: Ninja







Init +3; Atk longsword +6 melee (1d8+2) or shuriken +7 missile fire (1d4); AC 15; HD 3d8; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP Has all Thief Skills at +3; SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +1; AL C.


The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, assassination and guerrilla warfare. Their covert methods of waging irregular warfarewere deemed dishonorable and beneath the samurai, who observed strict rules about honor and combat.



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Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Top 10 RPGs That Influenced Me



1. Shadow of the Demon Lord. Its setting is perfect: DnD + Warhammer Fantasy's Old World. Its rules are perfect: lean and mean, yet built to last. The supplements are perfect: they come out every other Monday and they are inexpensive and well done.

2a. Champions 4th Edition. This is where I started and for years and years I mostly ran Super Hero games. Champions philosophy of building anything ruined me for decades on other games.

2b. Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. This is how I would have built DnD. But after years of playing it, I'm not sure that hasn't changed. I find myself looking for even leaner rules.

3. Feng Shui. I grew up on action movies and comics, not Tolkien. This showed me how to channel that pacing to my games.

4. Labyrinth Lord. This showed me how important those early decisions and what it meant to play with more DM empowerment and less rules.

5. Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition. It's where I started in DnD.

6. Rifts. It is everything I want in a game, but a system. It still haunts me.

7. Castle Falkenstein. It showed me that the layout and the genre you were emulating could take center stage in the design of a game.

8. CyberPunk 2020. It showed me how well a class-based and unified system could be done.

9. Vampire: the Masquerade. It captured the moment in time perfectly and using dots for abilities is useful AND fun.

10. RuneQuest 3rd Edition. Its where I started with RQ. It did so many things first, its amazing.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Dungeon Crawl Classics: Vermlings






Init +2; Atk claws +2 melee (1d4); AC 13; HD 1d8; MV 35’; 
Act 1d20; SP Infravision 90';SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will -1; AL C. 

Vermlings haunt the sewers and underground portions of most cities. Sages suggest that they are mutants created by toxic magical waster, magically uplifted rats, or experimental human/vermin hybrids. Most governments are aware they are there, but their existence is tolerated because they have always preyed upon undesirables. But how long will that last?


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Dungeons & D100: Orc




Orc
Armor Class: 35%

Hit Dice: 1
To Hit: +5%
Attacks: Weapon 1d6
Special: None
Move: 12
HDE/XP: 1/15

Many are subterranean dwellers, and fight with a -5% penalty “to-hit” in sunlight. Occasionally, war-bands or even entire tribes of orcs issue forth from their caverns to raid and pillage by night. 

Monday, November 26, 2018

Darkest Dungeons: The Crocodilian for Shadow of the Demon Lord




Many decades ago, the Courtyard was built on top of a drained swamp; now that the once great and splendid gardens, luxurious halls and mansions are overgrown and crumbling, the wilderness of the Moor has returned to reclaim what men has taken from nature. Bit by bit, buildings are slowly sinking into the growing swamp, and plants and animals once driven from their ancestral homes are recolonizing the overgrown gardens.

But even nature itself is not safe from the blood curse; the sickness that has taken root in the Courtyard is now spreading into the swamp, and there is no creature great or small that is safe from its twisted influence. Of all corrupted and mutated creatures that lurks within shallow waters of the Moor, non are as feared as the Crocodilian.



Where this mighty beast came from, no one knows; some say it was always living deep within the swamps of the Moor, while others think that it must have been imported from some far away land by one of the nobles for his collection of exotic animals before it escaped from the menagerie. One thing is clear; this amphibious marauder must have had close contact with those tainted with the Crimson Curse, for it has mutated into something abhorrent: part crocodile, part insect.
The Crocodilian          DIFFICULTY 100
Size 2 frightening monster
Perception  15 (+5); shadowsight
Defense 16; Health 100
Strength 16 (+6)    Agility 13 (+3) 
Intellect   6 (-4)    Will       13 (+3)
Speed 10; swimmer
Immune frightened

ATTACK OPTIONS
Teeth Rake (melee) + with 1 boon (2d6+1)
Spear (melee or short range) +2 with 1 boon (1d6+1)

SPECIAL ATTACKS

Lurker The crocodilian can use an action or a triggered action to move.
Twin Strike The crocodilian attacks twice with its teeth rake. It makes each attack roll with 1 bane.



   
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Sunday, November 25, 2018

B/X Ascending: Sasquatch


B/X Ascending is a unified d20 system with ascending AC that is based on B/X Essentials. I wrote it and published it.






Sasquatch
Sasquatch is a hairy, upright-walking, ape-like creature who reportedly dwells in the wilderness and leaves behind footprints. Scholars fiercely debate if these creatures have a spiritual or even extraplanar element.


AC 12HD 3 (13hp), Att 1 × unarmed (1d6), AB +3, MV 150’ (50’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (F3), ML 8AL Neutral, XP 40 , NA 1 (1d4), TT --
  • Sneaky: May Hear Noise, Hide in Shadows, and Move Silently as a 3rd level thief.

B/X Essentials: Beholder

Beholder
Its appearance is that of a floating orb of flesh with a large mouth, single central eye, and many smaller eyestalks on top with powerful magical abilities.

AC 67 (13)HD 10 (45hp), Att 1 × bite (2d4 or by eyestalk), THAC0 17 (+3), MV 120’ (40’), SV D11 W12 P11 B14 S12 (MU10), ML 8, AL Chaotic, XP 20, NA 1d4 (1d4), TT O
• Eyebeams: Each a Beholder may use one of the following eyestalk spells: 1) Charm Person; 2) Charm Monster; 3) Sleep; 
4) Telekinesis; 5) Flesh to Stone (Stone to Flesh Reversed); 
6) Disintegrate; 7) Cause Fear (Remove Fear Reversed); 8) Cause Serious Wounds (Cure Serious Wounds Reversed); 9 Death Spell;
10) Anti-Magic Shell
• Eyestalks: Have an AC of 2 (17).
Levitate: Beholders hover above the ground.


Wednesday, November 21, 2018

D&D 5th Edition: Cybernetics

I've been thinking about how much I love Shadowrun's setting, but hate its rules and how well it could run with DnD.




Here are some Cybernetics:

Each person has a Soul Rating of 10 (round down). A spellcaster cannot cast a spell higher than their Soul Rating.

Nightvision: Darkvision out to 60’ (Soul Reduction 1/2).

Dermal Plating: +1 to your AC (Soul Reduction 1), +2 (Soul Reduction 2), or +3 (Soul Reduction 3).

Smartgun Link: +2 damage with linked firearm (Soul Reduction 1/2).

Retractable Hand Blades: Retractable blades built into the hands and arms that deal 1d4 damage (Soul Reduction 1).

Wired Reflexes: You have Advantage on initiative checks (Soul Reduction 1).

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Dungeons & D100: The Fighter



I've been working on a system, primarily for new players that replaced the D20 with D100.

Your base to hit in combat would be your opponents AC modified by your Ability Bonus and your To Hit Bonus.

E.G. Leather armor plus shield is a base 50% to hit. A 4th level fighter with 16 STR would then have +10% and +5% respectively. Total to hit would be 65%.

Saving Throws are a base percentile modified by specific conditions. E.G. A 4th Level Fighter saving vs death and poison would have a 60% chance to save.

Ability Checks and Class Abilities would have a Difficulty set by the GM and then modified by Class Ability and Ability scores. E.G. A 4th Level fighter has to climb a small ridge, the GM decides he has a 75% to do this. The player asks if his STR would help and the GM says yes. His final chance to climb the ridge is 80%.


This is based off the excellent White Box Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game by Charlie Mason.


Ability Bonus

Ability Score
Bonus
3-6
- 5%
7-14
0%
15-18
+ 5%



Fighter
Weapon and Armor Restrictions 
Fighters are trained in warfare and, as such, have no restrictions on the kind of weapons or armor they can use. 
Combat Training 
Fighters get two attacks per round. 
Saving Throw 
Fighters receive a +10% bonus on saving throws vs. death and poison. 
Establish Stronghold 
At ninth level, a Fighter who chooses to build a castle is considered to have reached the rank of “Baron” or “Baroness,” bestowed by the local ruler or monarch. The character may choose to attract a body of men-at-arms, who will swear their fealty as loyal followers. 
Experience Bonus for Strength 
Strength is the Prime Attribute for Fighters, which means that a Strength score of 15+ grants an additional 10% experience.
Fighter Advancement Table
Level
XP
Hit Dice
Bonus To Hit
Saving Throw
1
0
1+1
+ 0%
35%
2
2,000
2
+ 5%
40%
3
4,000
3
+ 10%
45%
4
8,000
4
+ 10%
50%
5
16,000
5
+ 15%
55%
6
32,000
6
+ 20%
60%
7
64,000
7
+ 20%
65%
8
128,000
8
+ 25%
70%
9
256,000
9
+ 30%
75%
10
512,000
10
+ 30%
80%

Armor Table

Armor
AC (Base Chance to Hit)
Chain Mail
35%
Leather
45%
Plate Mail
25%
Shield
+ 5%
Unarmored
55%

Monday, November 19, 2018

1,000 Faces: Eliza Bretonne





Eliza Bretonne
Female Human
5E Level 3 Oath of the Crown Paladin
LL Level 3 Fighter

Ability Scores:
Str 13    Dex 10    Con 14
Int 10    Wis 12     Cha 15 


Traits:
Brave

Trusting
Zealous
Nieve


Role: Eliza is only 16 years old, but a vision from Chaplain Edvard Husk revealed her to be favored by the God of Law. She has quickly move from being a squire to a full-fledge Paladin and handled the new post with grace, even after suffering some ridicule from a few veterans in her fold. What sets Eliza apart is her healing ability (3 x her level healed per day) and her ability to tell if someone is lying at all times. She is training with the long sword, but prefers the mace.
   As a contact, Eliza is a loyal ally with a good deal of pull amongst her church
   As an enemy, she is relentless and will follow whatever orders she is given.

Sunday, November 18, 2018

B/X Essentials: Orc Class

Orc  (think of the ones from Shadowrun)
Requirements: None
Prime Requisite: STR
Hit Dice: 1d8
Maximum Level: 14
Allowed Armor: Any, including shields 
Allowed Weapons: Any 
Languages: Common, Orcish
Orcs are tall and physically imposing beings. They are hairier than humans and stand approximately 6 feet and weigh about 250 pounds. They have large lower canines that protrude from their mouth. Orcs can live anywhere and are often looked own upon by the other races.
Abilities 
Combat: Orcs can use all forms of weapon and armor. 
Infravision: Orcs have the ability to see in the dark with infravision up to 60’ (see Light, Vision, and Visibility in B/X Essentials: Core Rules, p16). 

Reaching 9th level

Horde: Any time an orc wishes (and has sufficient money), he or she can form their own horde and control the surrounding territory.
Orc Level Progression
Level
XP
HD
AC0
D
W
P
B
S
T
U
1
0
1d8
19
11
14
14
15
16
12
16
2
1,800
2d8
19
11
14
14
15
16
12
16
3
3,600
3d8
19
11
14
14
15
16
12
16
4
7,200
4d8
17
10
12
12
13
14
10
14
5
14,400
5d8
17
10
12
12
13
14
10
14
6
28,800
6d8
17
10
12
12
13
14
10
14
7
57,600
7d8
14
8
10
10
10
12
8
12
8
115,000
8d8
14
8
10
10
10
12
8
12
9
230,000
9d8
14
8
10
10
10
12
8
12
10
350,000
9d8+2*
12
6
9
8
8
10
6
10
11
470,000
9d8+4*
12
6
9
8
8
10
6
10
12
620,000
9d8+6*
12
6
9
8
8
10
6
10
13
710,000
9D8+8*
10
4
7
6
5
8
4
8
14
830,000
9D8+10*
10
4
7
6
5
8
4
8

Monster Monday: Ork City's Chupacabra for Shadowdark

Welcome to Ork City! In the middle of Ork City's Hatt Island is the Park, a wild and dangerous forest filled with all manner of nightmar...