threedeesix

3 hours ago, Jigawatts said:

Rod, given what I assume is the juxtaposed inspiration for the setting name, is there also a brotherhood/guild in Greymoor called The Blackhawks? I think that would be particularly fitting and cool.

Well there will be now. 

I was holding on to this as I don't like releasing something that isn't finished. But seeing as it will be a while until I can get back to it again, and there are people that can benefit from it now. Here is a Worksheet that will do all the calculations for you when creating a Classic Fantasy character.

• All cells are locked so you don't have to worry about deleting key data.
• Fill in the light blue cells and the sheet will do the rest.
• I do not use Random Gen, so the sheet is set up for Point Buy. However, feel free to roll the dice and enter the data in the Point Buy cells so the final scores equal the rolled results if you wish.
• When a race is chosen, the worksheet will provide a list of allowed classes.
• When class and race are chosen, the worksheet will provide a list of general and professional skills for both to reduce having to refer to the book.
• All Attributes are calculated for you, modified for race and class; age, hit points per location, luck points, etc. However take into account that random numbers such as age will recalculate whenever the sheet is refreshed, so I just use the last value generated when I finish.
• Height and weight are not yet included.
• Characteristics and Attributes are on the first Tab, Skills are on the second Tab
• As far as I know, all of the little modifiers, such as fighters, barbarians, monks, etc. getting a +5 bonus to Combat Style are included as well.
• At this time, the sheet isn't set up for multi-class characters. But you may still be able to use it for such by simply ignoring the running totals for Skill Points and using the info provided in Classic Fantasy.

8 hours ago, D100 said:

 Also, would there be a possibility of an epic module along the lines of the temple of elemental evil in any future undertakings? 

Yes, there is something being planned for down the road that covers exactly that. For a hint, every great classic fantasy setting has a vast dungeon type adventure on the lines of Forgotten Realm's Undermountain, the ruins beneath Castle Greyhawk, and even Moria from LotR.

Greymoor will be no different. But that's still a long ways off.

Rod

No problem D100, and yes, any Greymoor questions may be asked right here.

There are small demi-human settlements all over the world, as well as one or more major demi-human kingdoms for all the major contenders.

• The Iron Kingdom is a large range of mountains and a dwarven realm. It can be seen on the map included in Violent Delights to the East.
• The Kingdom of Lorendel is all elves and other sylvan races, and can be seen on the map to the South.
• South Borough is a small Halfling domain. It can be seen on the map to the North.

The following areas are not detailed on the Violent Delights map.

• North Borough is another small halfling realm, a short distance north of South Borough.
• Thunder Peaks is a northern kingdom of dwarves with a more Viking like nature. These are off the map.
• The Spider Wald is a dark forest infested with giant arachnids, dark elves, and other nasty creatures. It is littered with the ruins of fallen elven kingdoms, and has many entrances to the darkness of the Underdeep.
• Ravenholm is another dark forest ruled over by vampires and other nefarious undead.
• The Broken Lands are a vast area of volcanic devastation to the North East, and an area of chaos and barbarism, ruled over by numerous orc and goblin tribes.
• The Orc Blight Mountains were a once great dwarven realm now overrun and infested with orcs and goblins in the upper areas, and creatures that have crawled up from the Underdeep in the lower levels.

• That covers some of the territory detailed on my map, with various areas being detailed in upcoming Classic Fantasy adventure modules, and a more detailed treatment to be included in the Unearthed Companion.

Rod

For me personally, I really enjoy the author's work. Plus he seems like a really nice guy and I wanted to support him so he'll make more. 

Rod

Not 'officially'.

I would like to keep the full Mythras rules optional and allow players to be able to play Classic Fantasy with only Mythras Imperative as the bare minimum. Adding Shamans and such would change that dynamic, requiring the purchase of another book. However, as you said, the books are very compatible, and there is no reason the Mythras spell casters cant be in your own personal Greymoor. 

Rod

You can definitely expect a detailed map of Greymoor and the surrounding kingdoms and territories. I've been playing my campaigns in Greymoor for more then 20 years.

Rod

The first Classic Fantasy adventure; The Terror of Ettin Marsh, has had its first review on the 'Red de Rol' blog.

http://redderol.blogspot.com/2017/05/th ... marsh.html

However, unless you can pass a Read Spanish skill check*, you'll need to use Google Translate.

tldr: A positive review.

Good job Che 'Peter' Webster!

Rod

* I cannot.

Only eight hours to go Michael. I'm off to bed, but when I get up tomorrow, it will be over. Congratz on a successful Kickstarter, now get me my copy. ;-)

Rod

Great minds...

The only thing I do different is I DO allow the players Luck Points to refresh every session. Its just the NPCs that I limit to per adventure. This is just because as the Games Master, I feel I have an unfair advantage of already knowing the adventure. ;-)

Rod

Sorry I'm chiming in so late, was away for the weekend.

I believe you could use the Book of Quests to run Classic Fantasy, however it would require some tweaking on your part. 

Yes, as Matt suggests, magic has a different feel in a traditional S&S campaign then that of Classic Fantasy. However, situations where this crops up could simply be ignored. You don’t have to have the town try burn the spell casters at the stake. And if it’s important for an evil spell caster to be shunned, maybe make them a necromancer. Which is a type of magic pretty much disliked no matter what the campaign.

What I would do is substitute a Classic Fantasy spell caster for the equivalent BoQ spell caster where relevant. Make a sorcerer a magic-user, a priest a cleric, a shaman a druid, etc. Keep their skills as written (changing the spell casting skills as needed) and then calculate their Rank based on their actual skill levels. Add appropriate Classic Fantasy spells as needed.

Luck Points are not going to really be a problem per say, as while yes, player characters do have more as they gain in Rank, Classic Fantasy ignores the Group Luck Point pool from Mythras. Plus, in Classic Fantasy, don’t be afraid to give important enemies, as well as any NPC possessing a class, Luck Points of their own. This makes the big final battle more of a war of attrition, as each side whittles down the others Luck Points, and gives an outnumbered enemy a little more of a chance of survival. Plus, maybe you want to make them a reoccurring villain. This gives them more of a chance to escape. The only thing different from an NPC’s Luck Points (which is covered in the upcoming Unearthed Companion), is that they do not replenish each session like those of a player, but every new adventure.

Hope this helps.

Rod

4 hours ago, g33k said:

But the many-tentacled-horror SHOULD have an advantage!!!

They already do, they're a many-tentacled-horror. ;-)

I'll admit that when I first came over from BRP to Mythras, I didn't like the idea of Choose Location being a normal success. But that was just baggage I was bringing over with me, and not based on any type of rational. It wasn't until I was watching a boxing match and got to thinking how these guys pretty much always hit where they're aiming, that I started to see it differently. Heck, the Ref stating, 'no hitting below the belt' implies that these attacks are not random. The same with fencing, unless the opponent deflects the attack, they pretty much hit where they're aiming. In neither case, are these opponents flailing about wildly, they always appear to have a set location in mind when they strike. That's is unless they choose another Special Effect of course. 

The other problem that I see with making Choose Location a critical effect only, is that unlike BRP, which has a pool of General Hit Points which are depleted along with any damage to the various locations, Mythras has body location damage only. Therefore, the quickest way to remove an opponent damage wise, is to do more damage to a single location then they can sustain. If hitting the same location multiple times comes down to random chance, this will really drag out combats. Plus, it would give an unfair advantage to those with large numbers of body locations, as each separate location is really another pool of hit points that have a chance to mitigate some damage.

Now obviously, if a group has already decided to switch over to their own ‘house rules’ and everyone is happy with it, then great, you’re playing correctly. However, for those that are new to Mythras, I would suggest playing it as written and see if you come around. You might just find that it makes sense after all.

Rod

One of the best blogs out there supporting Classic Fantasy, is a blog written by Peter Webster. I discovered Peter's blog almost immediately after Classic Fantasy released, and for about a year now, he has been coming up with great stuff in support of the game. This includes a history of d100 gaming, detailed examples of Classic Fantasy character creation and adventuring, new creatures and player races, etc. His writings are so good and insightful, that I asked him to write Classic Fantasy's first official adventure; M1: Terror of Ettin Marsh, which is due to release very soon. The best part is that Peter is so humble that he didn't answer the first call for adventure submissions because he didn't feel he would be 'good enough'.

Blogs can sometimes be hard to navigate, but a short while ago, Peter made an 'index' page for his Classic Fantasy stuff, which I'm linking to here...

http://ubiquitousrat.net/?page_id=3827

If you have any interest in Classic Fantasy, or are curious about it in any way, I suggest you start there. But don't be afraid to jump around, Peter is a gamer, and his interests are varied and many.

Rod

Classic Fantasy SideQuests Vol. 1

SideQuests feature short filler adventures for Classic Fantasy taking no more than an evening or two to play out. Typically, these will be locales stumbled upon while travelling from one place to another, or short interludes in areas of civilization. Maybe a child’s puppy goes missing and the characters decide to help her find it out of the goodness of their heart, leading to a kobold encampment a few miles out of town. Or the characters discover an overgrown entrance to a forgotten tomb while setting up camp for the night, leading to an encounter with several animated dead protecting the resting place of a forgotten warlord.

·        Each SideQuest should be no more than 6 to 8 pages in length, not counting maps and stat blocks, and each should feature an encounter, dungeon, or lair, that can be explored in one or two sittings.

·        Detailed setups of how the characters get there are not important, just a map of the area and some background. This will more easily allow the Games Master to select a SideQuest and drop it into his or her adventure with little prep.

·        Area maps should be kept small, detailing only the area around the key encounter locale, to more easily fit into any setting.

·        Each SideQuest should be centered around a single Classic Fantasy creature type and maybe their subordinates, if any. However, dungeons and tombs may have several ‘typical’ dungeon creatures as well.

·        Each SideQuest should be balanced for a party of four to six Rank 1 adventurers. However, a couple paragraphs should be included detailing how to scale the adventure for more powerful characters.

Those interested in participating in this project should submit one or more 500-word proposals detailing your chosen SideQuest to...

Rod.leary@thedesignmechanism.com

On 3/15/2017 at 6:40 AM, soltakss said:

I got mine at the end of January, but it was hand-delivered, so perhaps that doesn't count! 

How much did it cost to have it hand delivered? I didn't see that as an option and would have sprung for it. I'm in the States.

Oh, I should mention that I did receive my copy and it looks pretty awesome.

12 hours ago, Michael Hopcroft said:

I'm looking forward to the new book now. How does one go about adding new spells to the game. I'm kind of fond of Explosive Runes (as presented in Order of the Stick), especially if the spell remains intact indefinitely until someone reads the writing -- then BOOM!

 

Adding new spells just takes experience with both systems. Simply compare existing spells and extrapolate from there.

As for Explosive Runes, see the Rank 3 Arcane spell Fire Trap as a baseline.

Rod

Right now, yes. However I own every issue of Dragon magazine and will be sifting through them for more ideas soon.

Rod

For the record, the Classic Fantasy Unearthed Companion will be including a number of NPC Classes that are typically of an evil nature, the Assassin, Anti-Paladin, and the Witch. As well as spell casters common to the primitive humanoid races (orcs, goblins, gnolls, etc) such as the Shaman and Witchdoctor).

Rod

3 hours ago, Simlasa said:

I've yet to play Classic Fantasy but I hope stuff like rats, cats, and dogs still present something of a threat to PCs. There was an old mantra I had when looking at a set of rules, that a pack of wild dogs should always be a viable threat to a PC caught alone and unarmed... but I'm not sure if that's true of D&D past a certain level.

Yes, because of fumbles, criticals, non-escalating hit points, etc., there will always be a chance of death in any BRP derived system, and Mythras is no different in that regard. But not to the same degree as the poor wizard vs. house cat noted above. Nor should it be. Laws of averages says that wizard should die in the initial attack when fluffy makes his move. However, I think we can all agree that may be just a tiny bit unrealistic.

That's not to say that small creatures cant present an exciting challenge however. Because a lot of new players look at the damage potential based on dice when gauging the deadliness of creatures when first coming to Mythras, before they have really learned the intricacies of the system, they sometimes see small creatures as being a non-threat. However If I may be so presumptuous as to quote myself. Classic Fantasy page 190-191 has this to say on the subject.
 

Quote

 

Small Critters & Damage Penalties

"Many Mythras creatures are small and have the potential to do little or no damage after applying their damage penalty; however, a high damage roll, coupled with a low damage penalty roll, can result in a nasty cut. If the victim has the unfortunate luck to be outnumbered, that’s when things get nasty, as the character will quickly run out of defence rolls. A small creature that scores a hit on a victim that is either unwilling or unable to defend automatically gets one special effect. The most likely special effect caused by a small creature is Bleeding, and all it takes is the creature to score a single point of damage on its opponent. Multiple attackers just increase the likelihood of an attack causing damage getting through.

In the case of armoured opponents, small attackers may find it difficult to get through their respectable defences to even score the one point of damage needed to cause bleeding. In this case, the special effects Choose Location, Bypass Armour, and Maximise Damage may all help in scoring some hurt on the victim, and if two special effects can be achieved (again easier if the foe can be outnumbered), then either of these, combined with Bleeding, can seriously ruin an adventurer’s day.

So don’t underestimate massed attacks by small, seemingly weak creatures; it only takes one kobold’s short spear bypassing armour and maximising damage to pin a paladin to a wall.

 

So, yes. Small creatures can be a threat to a character of any skill level in Mythras. And Classic Fantasy is no different in this regard. However, when fighting a single mundane critter much smaller then yourself, the odds will always be on the side of a player character. 

Rod

On ‎1‎/‎13‎/‎2017 at 0:30 PM, Michael Hopcroft said:

The Ranks system, like level systems in D&D, provide a relatively simple way to scale the game (even if the chances of beginning PCs living long enough to advance seem remote)

Hi Michael.

I want to point out that a starting Rank 1 Classic Fantasy character is actually more powerful than a starting Mythras character, all things being equal. After all, characters are designed pretty much the same way up to the point where the character is given class abilities. So saying that a Rank 1 character's chances of survival are remote, is pretty much saying that a starting Mythras character has a remote chance of survival. I'm sure there are plenty of players that can confirm from actual experience that this is far from the case. Yes, combat is dangerous in both Classic Fantasy and it's parent system, but a judicial use of skill, tactics, and luck points will easily win out.

Plus, if you think Classic Fantasy is deadly at low rank, think back to 1st edition AD&D with its level 1 characters.

1st level Magic-User: 1d4 hit points.

House Cat: 1 attack: 1d2 damage. If that hits he'll also rake with his hind claws for another 1d2 damage.

I'm surprised anyone ever reached level 2. 

I know that as a DM, I typically cheated to help keep my players alive until level 3, then they were on their own.

Oh, and no house cats.

Rod

Mythras Classic Fantasy has rules for all of these including...

A chapter on the Cosmology of Classic Fantasy, including rules for many different planes of existence.
Rules for ethereal and astral travel by both spell and magic items.
The ghost as a creature that attacks opponents by becoming semi-material.
Several spells dealing with the summoning of both mundane and otherworldly creatures.

Edit: I do want to point out that Classic Fantasy is very D&Dish, so 'might' not work for all campaigns. However, as the terms your using are also kind of D&Dish, it might work for yours.

Rod

On 1/4/2017 at 4:49 PM, TrippyHippy said:

I still think a 2000AD license is a good call though - Loz wrote lots of the line for Mongoose already, and the art could incorporated to make some good looking black/white interiors as well as striking covers. It could effectively run alongside Luther Arkwright which gives a blueprint as to how to adapt Mythras to comic book settings. I also think that there is a market for satirical, British-style comics that isn't really being tapped in gaming at the moment - including the work of Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman and so on. The license to 2000AD is available. 

 

 

 

I would love me some Judge Dredd.

Hmm, I wonder what might have brought about that change. The world may never know.

Well, as I'm the only writer working on the Companion, its a prison of my own devising. I do have a number of playtesters however, and they are all under the affects of an Intensity 8 Mass Charm spell. They really think they enjoy re-reading the same chapter every time I rewrite it. 

Rod