My first blog bandwagon!

Here's my submission for the randomness blog bandwagon.

Househack part 2 (combat)

I just realised I'm sort of doing the homework: https://jrients.blogspot.com/2011/03/three-years-gone.html

Initiative is rolled every round (Initiative die as a stat? Stats in another post.)

Take 2 actions on your turn (you can do any combination):

Move: Speed will be a stat to determine distance travelled.

Engage in combat (resolved at the end of the round).

Shoot a ranged weapon).

Special: Everything else.

What happens when 2 participants are tied?

They will alternate their actions. Use a coin flip or an agreement to decide who goes first.

Engaged participants:

Roll your attack dice (XdY, see part 1) vs the opponent's attack dice. Pair the dice against each other in descending order. The winner deals a hit for every weapon die higher than their corresponding armour die. For every hit, roll a die of the weapon's damage dice against the opponent's armour dice. Winning damage dice are converted into wounds. (HP and hits in another post.)

Hit location (2d6):

Result	Body part
2	Left foot
3	Left hand
4	Left leg
5	Left arm
6	Left torso
7	Head
8	Right torso
9	Right arm
10	Right leg
11	Right hand
12	Right foot

Armour:

When defending against hits, roll 1dY of the corresponding armour dice if the hit location is covered with armour. If you have a shield, roll that die as well alongside the other.

d4: Not armour, but protective.

d6: Textile/organic

d8: Mixed

d10: Mail 

d12: Plate

d4: Buckler.

d6: Small shield

d8: Round shield.

d10: Kite shield.

d12: Tower shield.

Weapons:

Damage\Attack	d4	d6	d8	d10	d12
d4	Unarmed	Improvised /club	Flail	Chain weapons /pole hooks	Whip/meteor hammer
d6	Knives	Axes	One-handed cutting swords	Two-handed cutting swords	Quarterstaff
d8	Fist weapons	Maces/ warhammers	Longsword	Small spears	Cutting polearms
d10	Light daggers	War picks	Rapier	Light spears/Greatswords	Heavy polearms
d12	Rondel/stiletto	Large daggers	Estoc	Heavy spears	Long thrusting polearms

I hope this doesn't fall apart in playtesting... 

Househack part 1 (dice)

For character skill and combat rolls:

[Highest of] XdY versus Target Number, Difficulty Class, Magic Score, etc.

Where X = skill rating (maximum of three, for now), Y = tool quality (d4 up to d12). 

(I might save the d20 for some special rolls, like saving throws.)

Hopefully, compatibility won't be too much of an issue. I can see fighters with multiple attacks roll, say, 3d8 with their longsword against an adjusted AC. Since everything is compressed to a 1-12 range, smaller dice will not have as good of a probabilistic gradation as I might like. The d4s increment in leaps of 25%, which might be a bit much. Besides, they don't roll very well. Anyhow, I think this system is intuitive enough. A tiebreaker stat for contested rolls will probably be required, though. Actually, character level is a good fit. This is open-source roleplaying (OSR) material, by the way.

Inspiration: MESBG

Design ye more varied games!

What is a role-playing game? (yet another attempt)

A role-playing game is a game format. (Other game formats include board games, video games, word games, etc.) I take the definition of a game as the act of structured play within a controlled enviroment (the game space) that registers at least one variable which is accepted as 'truth' within the enviroment. The game state is the sum of variables and their information. This game state is altered by the player's actions during play.

- A role-playing game is a game where the space and action are primarily imagined and thus imagination is the primary medium. I define primary here as the medium that is sufficient for play, and the medium in this case defines the format.

- In the case of multiplayer games, some form of communication is necessary to ensure correspondence between the individual's imagined game states and changes due to the player's actions.

- All games need a codified and agreed-upon set of rules which structure gameplay, define player roles and authority, and dictate permitted and prohibited actions within the game space. 

What can role-playing games be? (more like, what elements can we play with as designers?)

- The game space can be created, controlled, and modified by one or more players.

- Players can control individual or collective entities within the game space, or even treat the game space as an entity of its own.

- The rules text can be modified, as it is not the ultimate authority during the act of play.

- The manner of communication need not be verbal but must be intelligible.

What games can exist, then? (off the top of my head)

- Controlling individual agents in a world created by one unique player named the Dungeon Master.

- Creating the history of a world in a non-linear fashion.

- Games which allow the modification of their own rules text.

- Writing narratives collaboratively or competitively.

- Jointly embodying a single character, or individually controlling collectives.

- Simulating pre-planned scenarios.

- Games with multiple assymetric roles.

- Games where the rules text is known (or not) within the game space.

- etc.

There is a wide design space yet to be explored! 

Gloomhaven class: Human adept (v0.1.0 pre-alpha)

Here's my first draft of a Gloomhaven martial artist class, for posterity. 

Warning! Needs further playtesting, has no elemental affinities, and has no XP values. 

HP: average.

Lore: -

Expected problems:

- Low durability (few self-heal and shield/retaliate abilities)

- Low damage (few attack abilities)

- Positioning problems (push might be a mistake if this class is melee)

- Niche overlap with the Brute class (2nd edition is also melee and based around forced movement)

Rework predictions:

- Add a special mechanic (as in Frosthaven)

- Add more attacks (as opposed to the Brute)

- Rework mobility/forced movement

En Nàixer el Dia

 I wrote a poem for a contest once under the name focs artificials...

En Nàixer el Dia

El fred al vent refila el meu respir.

Les volves volen alts al cel airós.

La neu, al sol, en fondre’s, bon tempir.

Un món serè. Mon bleix d’alè, boirós.

Celatge pur. Pel verd, el glaç del ros.

Un cor d’ocells, sonores veus d’argent.

El sol de l’ombra neix, lluint aurós.

Encén els núvols blancs amb foc fulgent.

Sallent que es fon, soroll de riu brogent:

Indret humil, però grandiós, aquí.

Per mi l’esclat del món, el tot pungent

em venç. El món, de què sorgeix, de qui?

Art és la terra bella, tant amor

reclama autor; demés, de mi, temor.

(image is The Snowdrop, Robert John Thornton, 1804)

The rune of St. Patrick

The Faedh Fiada, or "The Cry of the Deer". (From A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Madeline L'Engle)


At Tara/Ananda today in this fateful hour (roll 1d10 per fallen ally; doubles = 10)

1: I place all Heaven with its power, (You will not be touched, nor fall this day)

2: And the sun with its brightness, (The light of the world fills all)

3: And the snow with its whiteness, (The wounds of those around you heal fully)

4: And fire with all the strength it hath, (Your smiting blows bring certain death)

5: And lightning with its rapid wrath, (Your enemies as one cry out in agony and terror)

6: And the winds with their swiftness along their path (Your actions are swift and unerring)

7: And the sea with its deepness, (You discern truth from falsehood)

8: And the rocks with their steepness, (The wicked around you stumble and fall)

9: And the earth with its starkness (No evil may set foot upon the ground you tread)

10: All these I place, (all the above)

By God's almighty help and grace,
Between myself and the powers of darkness.

Enjoy :-)