Matt_E

Softie.

hahah That's funny to me, because that's how I run my personal Mythras game already: * We don't use Group Luck Points, because I feel they give too many second chances. * I give my major villains Luck Points as if they were PCs. * Our Luck Points refresh every adventure, not every session, again, to avoid too many second chances (IMO). :-)

I don't have a good feel for actually playing CF but, from what I do perceive, I'm not sure that BOQ is a good match for CF characters. I think the monsters might be too easy for CF characters (who have more Luck Points, for example). Also, because of the S&S "magic = evil" vibe (to put it crudely) of BOQ, it's not clear to me that any of the PCs will have any magical powers at all. A D&D-style Magic User would be most out of place in BOQ, I feel. Also, magic items like wands and weapons would be out of place, IMO. I guess maybe I have Rank 2 characters in mind when I write that. Rank 1 characters would probably be a fitting match for the challenges--if you believe the PCs should be overmatched most of the time, mwahahahah. I would not use Rank 3 characters--too powerful. So, if you take away the magic system, and the items...why not run plain Mythras instead of CF? (If there are favorite characters to be brought in, I guess that would be one reason.) threedeesix could provide some valuable insight, I'm sure. You should also scour the Design Mechanism forum, as there have been several threads about running BOQ.

Yeah, I don't have a better one. :-D That formula would probably pick the winner with decent accuracy, for parties of modest skill levels. It's a hard problem, with many parameters and possibilities. One general thing that has struck me over the past few years of gameplay with Mythras: How well a plain brute with a decent DEX does is a bit surprising. High damage + 3 AP + (good base Initiative + little armor to drag it down) + good CS score = many victories. As I mentioned earlier, winning or losing Initiative is not usually that big of a deal--except when you can reliably one-shot an enemy. You go first, you hit, you drop the opponent, you move on to the next. This translates to not needing to spend many AP on parrying... Of course the enemies will gang up on this dude, but if their group is not too much bigger than his, then this still is a winnable situation. Double-teaming this guy tends to merely buy the enemies a little time, if he keeps one-shotting them. Their best defense is happening to have the biggest types of shields, and ranged weapons.

It seems like Clarence means for M-SPACE combat styles to work as they do in Mythras. In that case, the Combat Style is improved with the experience roll. Its score applies to the use of any weapon listed under it, for offense or defense. The weapons are not developed as individual skills, but as a set, with both attacks and parries covered together, which saves a lot of experience rolls. It's a big difference from prior incarnations of RQ/BRP.

Regarding the first assertion, I don't think that follows, strictly speaking. Although limbs like arms tend to have the lowest (unstated) location multiplier for the overall CON+SIZ tally, to put it in terms of old RQ3, that multiplier could be anything you like, really--and in Mythras, where there is no "Total HP" tally based on the average of CON and SIZ, more locations of a given type = more HP, period. Yes, I like the "Variant Undead" creature ability, so to speak, that allows lost limbs to be merely an inconvenience. This is also like the ability Flora, found in Monster Island and Classic Fantasy. Yes, the Multilimbed (Multiheaded?) creature ability is a nice balancing point for a big creature versus a party.

That's a rather specific algorithm. I wonder if it works. :-) It certainly emphasizes the difference between 3 and 2 Action Points...but I think it underemphasizes the impact of very high CS scores, above 100...which may be rare, granted. Also, give the lad a break and ask for mean damage, not median; they are the same, anyway, for symmetrical distributions like we always have. :-D Finally, I'm not sure that summing each group's scores is the way to go. If you have one character whose score is quite above his opponents', then his foe will be quickly put down (as always, barring strange results), and he will be left to help his weaker friends. I think this magnifies his importance to his group, probably more that a simple additive model would indicate...off the top of my head. ;-)

I don't know that I try to set up encounters where instant combat would be a mistake, but I think that sometimes I do. ;-) Yes, in general I would be liberal in dropping narrative hints or allowing skill checks, depending on the circumstances and nature of the players. A slightly different way to set up such an encounter is this: Construct the plot so that the PCs could use or just plain need the NPCs (may be monsters...) to help them progress. Maybe the villain is the only one who knows a key bit of information; charging in with axes and crossbows would be a suboptimal solution to the real problem of interest. If the NPC is powerful and cannot be intimidated, then the PCs have even more reason to put their swords away. Cruel twist: Don't advertise the fact that the PCs might need this dude's help. If they discover this a scene or two later, and only after great personal losses (and perhaps a bloody retreat), maybe they will remember for next time. If they kill the NPC and then wish they hadn't, the lesson will be even stronger. You should have a good feel for your group before you pull a stunt like this, though, because if the players are as hotheaded as their characters, then some might quit in a fit of pique. That might not be an entirely bad thing...but maybe playing on Friday night is more important than expanding someone's horizons. ;-)

Yeah, Doug, I think the great-weapon wielder's best strategy there is to charge the javeliners. :-D Use a Luck Point if needed, then make it hard for them to hit you, then hack them to bits.

g33k is right about the numbers game in Mythras: The so-called Action Point Economy rules. Beyond that, skill rules. Armor is nice but nowhere near as important. If you always win your Combat Skill rolls because you're that good, you'll always get Special Effects (whether on attack or parry...), and you will have a huge advantage. In terms of providing balance, start with Assumption Zero: Does every encounter have to be balanced? No. Some fights would be untenable, and should never be enjoined. A character could check Insight or Lore (Strategy and Tactics) to get the idea...or the kind GM could provide some narrative clues. I think I do not know any GM that simply constructs solely winnable fights. :-) There is no presumption of victory in Mythras...nor even survival. Seriously, this is a big difference between Mythras and e.g. D&D. Sensible characters are reluctant to battle--as in real life. Less sensible ones tend to win the Darwin award for removing themselves from the gene pool. That's not to say combat is rare; in many games, it isn't. It's just a risky proposition. However, given the fact that never being able to engage in combat could be rather, um, disappointing to most players, let's move on. A good starting point is to pit a character against a clone of herself (stats-wise, anyhow). Minor differences tend to have minor effects. * A 20% difference in Combat Style is substantial. * 3 Action Points versus 2 is often (but not always) overwhelming. * Going first, i.e. winning initiative, is not such a big deal. Getting an actual Surprise Attack, however, is usually devastating. Stealth and preparation matter! * Other things being fairly equal, having a high-damage weapon against little armor is a big deal. You can take out an opponent with one blow. * Other things being fairly equal, having a weapon with a Reach advantage is a big deal. The opponent can only attack your weapon, unless she burns Action Points (or Special Effects) trying to close on you. * Using a shield is often a big advantage--especially against ranged attacks. In Mythras, shields are awesome. * Having a Luck Point advantage over an opponent--remembering that in many people's games, and according to RAW, only PCs have Luck Points--is a big deal. * Magic is extremely variable. A powerful spell like Wrack could decimate an entire party with one casting, but it will take a while to be cast, and if the mage gets a spear through the guts first... Folk Magic spells are quickly cast, but are much more modest in effect. Still, they can turn the tide, sometimes.

I don't have a lot to add to the good advice above. We have discussed most or all of this, in different words, in countless posts on the Design Mechanism forum. Perhaps some of those slightly different phrasings will resonate even more for you. I agree with Loz about listening. I will call that an in-game activity. To emphasize an out-of-game activity, I would choose this: Don't overprepare. I think this is an affliction particularly of the GM who wants to do right by the players and is self-conscious. I also think this is probably really easy to do with a super-rich setting like Glorantha. When planning, identify the key points of what you need to know about setting, characters, and incident, and then stop. If you get some detail "wrong" (realizing that you are running your version of this setting, and get to decide what "wrong" means), just retcon it later, or adjust your world plans to make it "right". Oh, and about Johnn Four: I like reading his stuff, and some of it is quite valuable (if obvious), but I find it very D&D/OSR-centric. This renders about 2/3 of his discussion much less relevant, for my purposes. Still, he is very thoughtful.

Buy me a drink, sailor... PM me.

If the core of the rules is Mythras Imperative, then there's no need to repeat any of that material in your quickstart. Focus on the stuff that makes M-SPACE unique (like the rules for starships and Escalated Conflict, I suppose), and have that be a shorter free download, with a note to pick up MI as well.

Thanks very much for that, Runeblogger!

Yeah, that sort of stuff happens occasionally. You must have picked up some invisible formatting codes, too. You can generally avoid that by using Paste Special (shift+option+command+v on a Mac) to insert unformatted text. ;-)

I would add merely that the storytelling/roleplaying aspect of, um, a roleplaying game is (or should be, IMO) its basic, defining feature. This is quite independent of the particular rules employed, and is mostly a function of the mindset of the GM and players. If you intend to tell stories and roleplay, then whichever rules you use become quite secondary. That said, some tools are better than others for a given job. I agree, Mythras does a great job of providing both detailed crunch and all the ties to roleplaying that I feel should be in a system. Why should we have to choose? Along these lines, I have played a variety of systems over the decades, and I find the d100 family to be notably better than the class-and-level family of systems at promoting what I like best about RPGs. Again, use the right tool for the job: For power fantasies, D&D, Pathfinder, etc. are good, whereas the development offered by Mythras, etc. might be less satisfying. I write that without (much) prejudice. ;-)

Shameless plug: You may find something interesting at Old Bones Publishing, http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/10499/Old-Bones-Publishing. We have published a short scenario, a long scenario, and an interlude (seed/extension for your own work), plus two other game aids. Also, a campaign pack of a story arc spanning several adventures, and geared specifically for new GMs (whether new to Mythras or just plain new), should be completed before the summer. http://designmechanism.freeforums.org/your-occasional-old-bones-update-t1984.html :-D

Thanks for that, Doug. You are not to first to criticize that font, and, in retrospect, it's even more troublesome for math. It's a shame. I wanted something old-timey that looks well kerned and would stand out from other publishers as part of brand identity. In recent days I have been searching--a lot--for a replacement, but have not come up with a good one yet. Something like Palatino, Garamond, or Times Roman is certainly easier to read, but seems really flavorless, to me. Any suggestions, folks? Meanwhile, I wonder if you could tweak the rendering settings for the OS, or the viewer--play with "smoothing at all sizes" or whatever. I use (on a Mac) Preview and Acrobat, but mostly Foxit, and it looks good (to me) at every level of zooming, even 400% or 50%, so I must have something set right. ;-)

Guidelines: Setting Up Tasks http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/207768/Guidelines-Setting-Up-Tasks This game aid presents advice for using the Task mechanic in the MYTHRAS gaming system. Although the rules as written are clear, some of the statistical ramifications for multiple skill checks are subtle, and deserve close consideration. Spurred by a discussion at The Design Mechanism’s online forum, Setting Up Tasks is meant to be a handy reference for constructing meaningful Task challenges in scenarios. A suitably defined Task speeds play and promotes drama by presenting well-defined outcomes—without unintended consequences. The discussion herein is offered to help the Games Master avoid pitfalls and bring an imagined scene to life, with minimal guesswork. To be clear, Setting Up Tasks has been crafted specifically for the MYTHRAS gaming system. Any compatibility with other systems is fortuitous. You may find some inspiration here, though. You are free to use this material in your personal gaming pursuits, for fun. If you use it to build a scenario or other product for publication, please consider giving due credit. You are welcome to write to old.bones.publishing@gmail.com concerning the best form of attribution for your purpose. Guidelines: Setting Up Tasks is offered as Pay What You Want. If you like it, please consider leaving a tip, but in any case it's yours for the taking. Happy gaming! OLD BONES PUBLISHING strives to provide high-quality writing in a stylish, minimalistic presentation. Thanks for your interest! Please direct any question or feedback to old.bones.publishing@gmail.com.

In my game, guilds and brotherhoods are not prominent (so far), but cults are. The only sort of brotherhoods (subcults, really) we have explored so far are the Berserker and Mauler factions under the War God. They are combined religious plus military orders. We have a Mysticism cult tied to the Traveler people (as detailed in Old Bones publications), as well as a few tied to martial arts temples. I may introduce a sorcerous brotherhood/cult soon. There is also the mysterious Circle of the Secret Fire, which could threaten the world, if only it could get its act together; more on that group in future Old Bones publications. Underlying all, we have a fairly vanilla pantheon of gods worshiped throughout the barbarian lands, and in the single civilized country.

No, I do think the OP was about straight Mythras RAW, so you're right to discuss that. I just wanted to point out that all this had been addressed, to the satisfaction of the Makers, in an official sourcebook. Why reinvent the wheel? Lack of access, perhaps, but it would probably be worthwhile to just save up for LA.

IIRC, there's a bit of boxed text in the Mysticism chapter about being careful not to accidentally create unbeatable Mystic warriors, who can boost their AP to ridiculous levels. That may be useful here. Yes, I agree, it's about game balance. If you don't see a problem here, don't worry about it. Just use the extra AP as usual. Yes, the point of this limiting is that he can only use (some or all of) his original AP for attacking. The others can't be used that way. They can free up those other points, so the difference may seem academic, but he can't get more attacks than his natural maximum.

Try using Luther Arkwright.

Maybe I don't understand the question. You can use AP for defense at any point in the cycle, when you are attacked. That's a Reactive Action. You only get one Proactive Action per cycle, at the point when Initiative indicates it's your turn, but Reactive Actions may occur at any time (unless you're caught flat-footed by Surprise). Either of your characters, then, could spend their bonus defense-only AP at any point in any cycle of the round. It doesn't have to be up front, or at the end, or anywhere in particular. Only Proactive Actions are restricted that way. Am I having a senior moment? Have I misunderstood?

Personally I think you should have a mechanism for the Grimm to develop his/her Mystic abilities in a more self-directed way, by spending Experience Rolls, rather than forcing that development to be as a result of something uncontrollable (and bad) happening to the character. After all, if the player makes really good decisions or is lucky and things turn out well most of the time, then those locked abilities will never get unlocked, and the major development path for the character is stymied. How about this? The character can use typical story-based means (long hours of meditative contemplation, study, finding and learning from a master, reading the lost writings at a sacred site, etc.) to raise his Grimm powers by spending XP--the usual stuff--, and in addition, if anything really bad happens to him as you have suggested, to make lemonade out of those lemons he also gets a free opportunity to attain a suitable Talent or whatever. "That which does not kill us makes us stronger."