tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10142486908082152062024-03-16T06:33:18.181-07:00Den of the Lizard KingGaming for (Painted) Dragons -
Home of Stellagama PublishingOmer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.comBlogger485125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-80947806387824081902024-03-06T12:20:00.000-08:002024-03-06T12:43:48.095-08:00What's New in the Second Edition of The Sword of Cepheus?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjep0XenkuLeMV2yhYYzsoWw99RQanCHyutZmHxFgOfv3QMMpRAGHxB31CkNFP03EK4pDckNwq2e1xz_jQQhuiFESfXCjhqoBk-Y_PDChIMpL-4e2oIqvyHFcufsW_bwqfxFMzxZwpQrztxXYnPOnnsIykGp1BXYqdDwNnxoM8ck4EG0HmdLGNai1YUxViK/s2400/Sword%20of%20Cepheus%202%20Landscape%20dev12.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="2400" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjep0XenkuLeMV2yhYYzsoWw99RQanCHyutZmHxFgOfv3QMMpRAGHxB31CkNFP03EK4pDckNwq2e1xz_jQQhuiFESfXCjhqoBk-Y_PDChIMpL-4e2oIqvyHFcufsW_bwqfxFMzxZwpQrztxXYnPOnnsIykGp1BXYqdDwNnxoM8ck4EG0HmdLGNai1YUxViK/w640-h360/Sword%20of%20Cepheus%202%20Landscape%20dev12.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">The <b><i>Second Edition</i></b> of <b>The Sword of Cepheus</b> refines and redefines the game, upgrading it for greater usability and playability by a wide variety of players with varying playstyles. Among the changes, you may find:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;">All-new <b>A5 layout</b> for maximum portability and readability.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;">The well-loved art of the first edition supplemented with <b>new high-quality artwork</b>.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;">Mechanics are now 1<b>00% compatible</b> with the bestselling <b>Cepheus Deluxe: Enhanced Edition</b> sci-fi rules. Add sorcerers and mythical monsters to your Cepheus Deluxe interstellar campaign! Add lasers and grav vehicles to your <b>The Sword of Cepheus</b> game!</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Both random and non-random character generation</b> mechanics - your group can now choose whether it likes to trust its fate to the dice, or design the characters your players want.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Brand-new sorcery rules</b>. No more "shaded magic" and corruption; more frequent mishaps and mutations replace the old Corruption mechanic. No more weak spells! All sorcery is powerful and dangerous - as it should be in a sword & sorcery tale!</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>No more digit-string "UPPs"</b>; more readable NPC and monster stats.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Much less "standard fantasy" elements</b> among spells, monsters, and magical artifacts. More original and genre-appropriate content.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;"><b>Depending on stretch goals being met</b>, <b>non-human species and careers</b>, <b>expanded equipment</b>, and <b>superscience </b>rules!</li></ul><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Layout samples:</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5idsdk_msWD5YCTB09E_rwUhXJZrM1VC-iqX6gzCHVz8rQlAhZzBL9ib9CpfUnvZLmF2uISw4Ky1P_GruzxyiH9kugp5I0yI7l3vN3eWac7lHpWV2LyInslzVV45LCGTKsdrrARyZ4JoylctcPyfFdu2Rk25o3boI3WfkVKN5l1cyf_8usvMaQHz5XtOE/s867/Sample3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="611" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5idsdk_msWD5YCTB09E_rwUhXJZrM1VC-iqX6gzCHVz8rQlAhZzBL9ib9CpfUnvZLmF2uISw4Ky1P_GruzxyiH9kugp5I0yI7l3vN3eWac7lHpWV2LyInslzVV45LCGTKsdrrARyZ4JoylctcPyfFdu2Rk25o3boI3WfkVKN5l1cyf_8usvMaQHz5XtOE/w453-h640/Sample3.png" width="453" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWR6ZtfDq0sTnkBGsb36u1Qo0sSxp04-bZiisV3e8AAywp2yvaY4GINqRFnSfksuXB0seYsUB9aTUtx8JUv56-ciTDyF3nKHmko-LOo6TsJ1Tl4U0gGZYYcIdc0_u4l4uLscI7JarV7g32FsC7TWbrxWF5fxwIV3EVnWkwbJn02VhsAFcZCg0967JTmji/s1211/Sample4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1211" data-original-width="854" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWR6ZtfDq0sTnkBGsb36u1Qo0sSxp04-bZiisV3e8AAywp2yvaY4GINqRFnSfksuXB0seYsUB9aTUtx8JUv56-ciTDyF3nKHmko-LOo6TsJ1Tl4U0gGZYYcIdc0_u4l4uLscI7JarV7g32FsC7TWbrxWF5fxwIV3EVnWkwbJn02VhsAFcZCg0967JTmji/w452-h640/Sample4.png" width="452" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Coming to Kickstarter late March 2024!</span></b></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-617168652386834432024-01-24T01:37:00.000-08:002024-01-24T01:37:04.797-08:00Box-Centric: an Approach to Proto-Traveller<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxQOGB7f4xNIbo9HXBbi7t5xKpGeq3tXg6hjOOpLkbnAiUEkLK74V_iMu-XDQ0SfAXXk15aAIXqHhzNkIAu83gdFuyVKsmkXDlzac0RNpwGzu7J7oC1r9VO3n9VnC_BbHrKeiGr0ffg12oKaoTEoXii-p4oZrz6oTaKwU9j5s4iO2spntMmpIDL_mMkpZ/s1069/traveller-rpg-first-edition-box.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="808" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxQOGB7f4xNIbo9HXBbi7t5xKpGeq3tXg6hjOOpLkbnAiUEkLK74V_iMu-XDQ0SfAXXk15aAIXqHhzNkIAu83gdFuyVKsmkXDlzac0RNpwGzu7J7oC1r9VO3n9VnC_BbHrKeiGr0ffg12oKaoTEoXii-p4oZrz6oTaKwU9j5s4iO2spntMmpIDL_mMkpZ/s320/traveller-rpg-first-edition-box.webp" width="242" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I have <a href="https://spacecockroach.blogspot.com/2016/05/what-is-proto-traveller.html">written in the past</a> about <b>Proto-Traveller</b>: a way to play Classic Traveller focusing on its older roots, namely the first three booklets released in a black book in 1977. A common rule of a thumb for it is "First Four Books, First Four Supplements, First Four Adventures", including <b>Book 4: Mercenary</b> and even <b>S3: The Spinward Marches</b> in this definition. This, I am told (told by Traveller veterans, as I was only born in 1982 and encountered Traveller in 1999), approximates the "feel" of Classic Traveller around the late 1970's and the early 1980's, notwithstanding the release of <b>Book 5: High Guard</b> in 1979.</div><p style="text-align: justify;">However, I propose a somewhat different approach to Proto-Traveller: <b>Box-Centric Traveller</b>. Inspired by Tales to Astound's highly recommended <a href="https://talestoastound.wordpress.com/traveller-out-of-the-box/">Traveller: Out of the Box</a> series of blog posts, this focuses on the first three books, included in the original 1977 boxed set, admiring the sound design of that original edition.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">However, As opposed to "Strict Proto-Traveller", in which one uses these three books exclusively, Box-Centric Traveller permits material from later books, <b><i><u>provided</u> that it <u>does not contradict </u>the 3 Books</i></b>, and <b><i><u>provided</u> that this later material is <u>carefully chosen</u> to preserve the original spirit</i></b>. This means, for example, that one should be extremely careful when using material from Book 4: Mercenary, but should not ban it outright, especially as the rules for hand grenades are first presented in it, and as some weapons in that book would be conductive <i>specifically </i>to military-themed Proto-Traveller games. On the other hand, the Advanced Character Generation System is definitely out, especially due to the vast number of skills it grants characters, and big guns such as VRF Gauss Guns and FGMPs are carefully considered or even relegated to "McGuffin" status.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This also means being careful with <b>S4: Citizens of the Imperium</b>. While its rules on archery are invaluable, and while some of its careers are beneficial to a Proto-Traveller game, other careers are problematic, include narrow Book 4/Book 5 skills, or grant starships too easily and without enough strings attached. Everything outside the Three Little Books, as you see, is considered on a case-by case basis, to avoid breaking the <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">spirit</u> of the first three books.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For example, one may want clear rules for shipyard capacity (i.e., how many ships the shipyard can build at once). It is always possible, of course, to make them on the spot, but <b>A5: Trillion Credits Squadron</b> already has rules for it. Does that mean that other A5 rules, such as using High Guard ship designs, must be included as well? Of course not! But Box-Centric worldbuilding will greatly benefit from such rules.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The key here is treating the Original Box as the core rules, and avoiding contradicting it or its spirit, rather than adhering to specific publications. This means, <i>inter alia</i>, a small-ship universe using Book 2's drive TLs and no empty-hex jumps; a weaker interstellar government rather than the all-powerful Imperium of later Traveller publications; a focus on high adventure on player character scale; using Book 3 world distribution, with high-tech, high-population, Starport A worlds being rare; and keeping modifiers to the 2d6 curve limited to avoid overloading it.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This is my proposal for one way to play Proto-Traveller.</p><p></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-32365361427202729282024-01-22T09:14:00.000-08:002024-01-22T09:14:21.962-08:00Swords against the Machine!<p style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxVTlb3KDIXUMM6ROTRh10VU7fntDpTVPNRXsGg6sIEuuxYizvw0TRu3J5j4xU3FgX_aMmPB71A8Gm0Cp8soMXVj3LeUiOpRlc2qb4uzjmEFsOJjkXnhJogeIOl8TKuHNrh2UyuQHIJ0E-Taw3WLhH48ShJdPAf833pcu-yaMT0qylIdjn7AGkhU5j92n/s3962/AdobeStock_609110649.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3962" data-original-width="3786" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxVTlb3KDIXUMM6ROTRh10VU7fntDpTVPNRXsGg6sIEuuxYizvw0TRu3J5j4xU3FgX_aMmPB71A8Gm0Cp8soMXVj3LeUiOpRlc2qb4uzjmEFsOJjkXnhJogeIOl8TKuHNrh2UyuQHIJ0E-Taw3WLhH48ShJdPAf833pcu-yaMT0qylIdjn7AGkhU5j92n/w191-h200/AdobeStock_609110649.png" width="191" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Art by deanz; purchased through Adobe Stock</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I was thinking of an OSR-fantasy setting. I have toyed with such ideas in the past, but this came to me with much greater clarity lately.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: justify;">The ingredients are:</h3><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Aliens</b>. Most likely of the classic "Gray" type. With saucers and abductions and everything. But gone for centuries.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Jungles</b>. Potentially the tropical region of an extrasolar planet. I want this setting to be lush. And warm. And humid. And teeming with life - some of it quite hostile.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Empire</b>. Decadent. Inspired by Rome at its worst excesses.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Barbarians</b>. Most likely in the jungles. Mostly/partially human. Default PCs will be barbarians raiding Imperial lands. Opulent palaces instead of dungeons!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Technology</b>. Deteriorating, as it was left behind when the aliens left/were driven away centuries ago and humans cannot fully repair it. Current common tech is Dark Ages and more advanced medieval tech, with remnants of ultratech, mostly as treasure.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Dinosaurs</b>/other giant reptiles ands/or giant insects.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Tokay </b>(Lizardkin). Arboreal gecko-like humanoids. Can climb; maybe shed their tail.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Otherwise</b> - relatively anthropocentric. The Empire is human, and so are most Barbarians. Some Barbarians are Tokay, though - about 10%? Anyhow, no elves, halflings, gnomes, or dwarves</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Sorcery </b>- potentially, D&D-style "Vancian" magic, potentially, The Sword of Cepheus magic. Not necessarily D&D magic items all the way, though.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: justify;">Core Setting Concept</h3><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Reverse D&D!</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">In one common campaign archetype of D&D, the PCs are Civilized Men raiding dungeons in the Wilderness, bringing treasures back to Civilization, and bringing Civilization to the Wilderness.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In this setting, the PCs are (by default) Barbarians from the Wilderness raiding the decadent palaces of rotting Civilization, bring treasure back to their tribe in the Wilderness, and, eventually, getting a chance to sack the cities of Civilized opulence - and lord over their ruins!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: justify;">Setting History in 6 Eras</h3><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Eons ago</b>, the <b>Aboleths </b>lorded over this world as gods. They ruled over the Tokay natives and built giant cyclopean cities in the deeper equatorial jungles and under the lakes and seas.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Then came the Grays</b>. They deposed the Aboleths, causing many Tokay to flee into the jungles, away from anyone's control. The Grays established their main colony, now known as the City of Eternity, and several smaller sub-colonies. They brought with them human and Mantid abductees, as well as stranger beasts, as experimental subjects and slaves.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Grays' interstellar empire declined with time</b>. As it crumbled, humans on this world rebelled and overthrew their Gray masters; the few surviving Grays fled to distant stars, leaving the world alone. The rebellion's leaders became aristocrats ruling over a Republic, stretching from the City of Eternity to distant sub-colonies. Young and with an insatiable appetite for war, the Republic conquered many of the scattered human "Barbarian" tribes (originating from escapees from the old Gray colonies) and Tokay tribes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>With size came corruption</b>. The once robust Republic eventually became a den of societal and moral rot, with its aristocratic Senators constantly plotting against each other. Its economy faltered; the toiling masses grew restless. Then, Aressarus Komeus, a Republic general, seized power and declared himself Emperor, and brought order and renewed prosperity under the Imperial iron grip. He ruled with grandeur and cruelty for centuries, dreaming of an eternity for his regime.</p><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>As the Grays' <b>old machines sustaining the Empire slowly broke down</b> with time and with insufficient technical knowledge among the local humans, general technology declined as well. Eventually, to feed the Empire and maintain its opulence, vast armies of slaves had to toil in its fields and manufactories. While millions suffered under the Imperial yoke, the Emperor and his nobles lived in utter decadence. The Empire began to crumble as well.</div><p><b>The Empire is dying</b>. Its slaves are restless; its aristocrats are selfish, haughty, and more concerned about backstabbing each other than protecting the Empire as a whole. Its legionnaires are now little more than thugs led by power-hungry generals eyeing the Imperial Throne. It is now time for Barbarians to throw off the Imperial yoke once and for all. Endless treasures await in the palaces of rotten nobles and in other edifices of decadent opulence.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Maps coming next!</b></p></div>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-70996798236533644822024-01-22T08:55:00.000-08:002024-01-22T08:55:33.663-08:00The Sword of Cepheus 2nd Edition in the works!Our artist, Maximilian Schmuecker, who made the <i>Cepheus Deluxe: Enhanced Edition</i> cover, is hard at work on the cover of the <b>second edition of The Sword of Cepheus (SoC2)</b>.<br />In addition to a cool sword & planet cover, SoC2 will feature an improved sorcery system, new magic items and monsters, a better layout, and greater faithfulness to the sword & sorcery source material.<br /><br />It will also be 100% compatible with <i>Cepheus Deluxe</i>. Perfect for including sorcery and monsters in your sci-fi game, or crashing your starship crew on a sci-fantasy world!<br /><br /><b>Initial sketches:</b><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRqAf7n6F3I8SUVDjT47FNMD-RBsMVYuly8u00tJQJFdLrZPhg5PSTT6_FCivneAJaEpeRmySgehiCOSco9PnE2y9Q0Vm_xrKsemHZoY4nfJqdebpM9-ZVk0q1LscxFeHgCbO042vDasqgbFM3nwIC4vAJTl5h-zDD0FE_BiIAx_kEs91wJRY-AqvkaRH/s915/20231225_171547_resize_97.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="915" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRqAf7n6F3I8SUVDjT47FNMD-RBsMVYuly8u00tJQJFdLrZPhg5PSTT6_FCivneAJaEpeRmySgehiCOSco9PnE2y9Q0Vm_xrKsemHZoY4nfJqdebpM9-ZVk0q1LscxFeHgCbO042vDasqgbFM3nwIC4vAJTl5h-zDD0FE_BiIAx_kEs91wJRY-AqvkaRH/s320/20231225_171547_resize_97.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoK7Y13Hk3uTNWuSMvklwW0EPChm9DpYA3Ylhn6rodMLxAVBG8c-CxRk95AlHoGFNxdNSsMchLtj9P8JQKpL62Esg3a_B2mt9QXFNOEgnRS1cnYbRZhWPu4ji1-aDLYheZ2g2V7iXt5yTfulqgFWlEsI6rmsSbRYx1W5WOSIGsOek-5Psg7qFa5vymXv_s/s1200/20240104_003214_resize_74.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoK7Y13Hk3uTNWuSMvklwW0EPChm9DpYA3Ylhn6rodMLxAVBG8c-CxRk95AlHoGFNxdNSsMchLtj9P8JQKpL62Esg3a_B2mt9QXFNOEgnRS1cnYbRZhWPu4ji1-aDLYheZ2g2V7iXt5yTfulqgFWlEsI6rmsSbRYx1W5WOSIGsOek-5Psg7qFa5vymXv_s/s320/20240104_003214_resize_74.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SV-ppU8pk5J6AjVoYzZetFSxUhxBM3uY4gqw-PJ-6rlH8_eNHEiqdcG5nXNLC4e1Gip5N8Tc84I4zDI7v1A8felyhL0y70bU8AtjxwQoc6Tw4myVZy5Wto1y3WU29ZDRpbj3Mk5yzAyFjY3t1Wy7248TPu5AO2HzcrUDTVDvCSBAdDNl_84yJyxcStta/s1200/20240104_003219_resize_66.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SV-ppU8pk5J6AjVoYzZetFSxUhxBM3uY4gqw-PJ-6rlH8_eNHEiqdcG5nXNLC4e1Gip5N8Tc84I4zDI7v1A8felyhL0y70bU8AtjxwQoc6Tw4myVZy5Wto1y3WU29ZDRpbj3Mk5yzAyFjY3t1Wy7248TPu5AO2HzcrUDTVDvCSBAdDNl_84yJyxcStta/s320/20240104_003219_resize_66.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0yqtY8Wu2k9y0gQlAIYLedMlDMGeic46eQK6cdUsZM-K_zDiN2vNzqI-XzSIsuD4ZGvLzQOnj2aLY8_pmnn7RMav8b-HcudHoTsIRo-gjwFihJndB1PUFKIsbI-8S88Hl6YQZADlNw1B8bYLymvxEW0JjPKdJ-wE64r099x-wYj5IYepsSE-yE89quJo/s429/image-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="429" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0yqtY8Wu2k9y0gQlAIYLedMlDMGeic46eQK6cdUsZM-K_zDiN2vNzqI-XzSIsuD4ZGvLzQOnj2aLY8_pmnn7RMav8b-HcudHoTsIRo-gjwFihJndB1PUFKIsbI-8S88Hl6YQZADlNw1B8bYLymvxEW0JjPKdJ-wE64r099x-wYj5IYepsSE-yE89quJo/s320/image-3.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-50274108821277465022024-01-08T06:10:00.000-08:002024-01-08T06:10:00.213-08:00Solar Winds<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOMf_K1WUh5-eTstexK7z6cVOQkpXTl0Bn9JmV8ojAvZiYp8oLYSDLNjw3BSm7jbB_Xa-4wK4s_K-wLe4qyZ6YUndhrjHUNPm3nvlMT8ep4rrb6998nAzxQkqLD7YWwMa9hQiwilYLR8vxjXBgqHVYPxfINKB7WYLtNqdglo4pHT84xgEYkhqKkGZFeKG/s630/Solar%20Winds%20Cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="630" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOMf_K1WUh5-eTstexK7z6cVOQkpXTl0Bn9JmV8ojAvZiYp8oLYSDLNjw3BSm7jbB_Xa-4wK4s_K-wLe4qyZ6YUndhrjHUNPm3nvlMT8ep4rrb6998nAzxQkqLD7YWwMa9hQiwilYLR8vxjXBgqHVYPxfINKB7WYLtNqdglo4pHT84xgEYkhqKkGZFeKG/s320/Solar%20Winds%20Cover.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Cepheus Quantum has evolved</b>! I have developed a new lightweight ruleset inspired by Cepheus Quantum, but streamlined and rounded up with various new features and options. The result, <b>Solar Winds</b>, grew into its own ruleset. It shares some mechanics with the old Cepheus Quantum but is significantly different.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Get it <a href="https://golan2072gmailcom.itch.io/solar-winds">HERE</a>!</span></b></div><p></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-41598297686591130022023-11-24T00:23:00.000-08:002023-11-24T00:24:35.333-08:00Coming Soon: Faster Than Light: Nomad!<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJuI0ZaLuF2Mncb1y8nUrPN5KnadpMeITpy0ikGiBQ4oSpt4gAVxnaHHy2yc_g6cv5AXyW2Ix42xAlVYLavlvsvFg7QbFs-PfTWp1V9PAuBDjTeJAjwpXMevQECHSm-rmMuasuiBYZn0BehgNIIsScLrSZBvPLPXJtPBHvyir-EcbI27-Rx1bJQtNi32y/s2480/New%20Cover.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2480" data-original-width="1748" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJuI0ZaLuF2Mncb1y8nUrPN5KnadpMeITpy0ikGiBQ4oSpt4gAVxnaHHy2yc_g6cv5AXyW2Ix42xAlVYLavlvsvFg7QbFs-PfTWp1V9PAuBDjTeJAjwpXMevQECHSm-rmMuasuiBYZn0BehgNIIsScLrSZBvPLPXJtPBHvyir-EcbI27-Rx1bJQtNi32y/s320/New%20Cover.png" width="226" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">I have been working on a brand new science fiction role-playing ruleset, named <b>Faster Than Light: Nomad</b>. It is, in a way, an evolution of my existing <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/353866/Quantum-Engine-SRD">Quantum Engine</a> rules, but many of its mechanics are radically different. The goal is to develop a sleek but comprehensive sci-fi ruleset, which will be an in-house <i>Stellagama Publishing</i> title, and which will have its own Reference available for all to use under a Creative Commons license.<br /></p></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>It is expected to be released in Q1 2024.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">To give you a taste of the new rules, here is an excerpt of the core game mechanic:</span></b></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>"<span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In dangerous situations, where failure carries dire consequences and where luck plays a major role, </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">throw 2d6</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">: throw two six-sided dice and add the results together, and </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">add</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> the relevant skill level as a modifier. If the total equals or exceeds 8, you succeed. Otherwise, you fail.</span></i></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-317e9eca-7fff-73e7-b295-44d2b8c182e0"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Skill notation</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">: "Throw Skill" means throw two dice, add them together and add the relevant skill, and if the total equals or exceeds 8, you succeed.</span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>An unmodified, “natural” result of 12 constitutes a critical success.</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><i><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Note that - as noted above - intrepid interstellar adventurers are competent</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. If your character has no points in a skill, treat it as “Skill 0”, and simply roll 2d6 on its checks, without any modifiers. There is no need to note this on your character sheet or monster description: when a skill is absent, simply assume that it is at 0.</span></i></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-size: 14pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Advantage and Disadvantage Dice</i></span></h3><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: white;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Various circumstances affect the skill roll. In cases where these circumstances are significant, these rules apply Advantage Dice (+1D) and Disadvantage Dice (-1D). When making a skill roll with Advantage and/or Disadvantage Dice, sum up all Advantage Dice and subtract all Disadvantage dice from the sum. If the result is positive, roll 2d6 + skill and an additional number of dice equal to that sum, and choose the </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">highest </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">two dice. If the result is zero, simply roll 2d6 + skill. If the result is negative, roll 2d6 + skill and an additional number of dice equal to the sum, and choose the </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">lowest </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">two dice.</span></span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The same applies to the Personnel Damage roll; throw 2d6 without any modifier and check the Personnel Damage table. Apply Advantage and Disadvantage dice as given by weapons and armor.</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span id="docs-internal-guid-d3b75195-7fff-d5c7-628f-929726621d03" style="color: white;"></span></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: white;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>We note Advantage and Disadvantage Dice as (+1D) and (-1D), respectively. Multiple dice are noted in the same way, for example “+2D” or “-3D”.</i></span><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">"</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">---</span></p><h1 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">Highlights if the FTL: Nomad ruleset include:</span></span></h1><div><span style="color: white;">(Note that the following are subject to change based on playtester feedback)</span><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Streamlined 2d6 core mechanic with "dice pool" components</b>, as described above. Instead of rolling 2d6 with a series of modifiers as in the old Quantum Engine rules, you roll a bunch of dice, and choose the lowest or highest two, then add them together and add the skill modifier.</li><li><b>Fast but deeply customizable character generation</b>. Distribute 5 points among 7 skills (3 points max in any single skill), choose an Archetype, choose a Talent, and roll for starting cash. That's it. But this means that a wide range of combinations are possible!</li><li><b>Straightforward psionic rules</b> using a simple skill roll rather than "psi points". If you fail that roll, you can't use the same power again until the next day. 36 powers included.</li><li><b>Streamlined combat</b>, with only 4 "range bands"; a "FRENZY!" mechanic for multiple attacks if you "drop" an enemy; and "hit point"-less wounding damage for strong grittiness and minimal book-keeping.</li><li><b>Tech Ages rather than numerical "Tech Levels" as in Traveller/Cepheus</b>. Your ship was made in the <i>Early Interstellar Age</i>, not "TL12".</li><li><b>Varied equipment</b>, including a detailed collection cybernetics, low-tech and high-tech weapons and armor, pharmaceuticals, and, of course, many Galactic Age and Cosmic Age (i.e., ultra-tech) gadgets!</li><li><b>A long list of vehicles and streamlined vehicle combat</b>, using the "chase" mechanic inspired by the Quantum Engine and our old Cepheus titles.</li><li><b>Robot design rules</b>!</li><li><b>New "harder science" spacecraft design rules</b>. These are an advanced version of the rocket rules first published in <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/432307/Solar-Sagas">Solar Sagas</a>. Build your rockets - which involves design and mass trade-offs - then travel to the stars with it!</li><li><b>Streamlined world generation</b>, focused on things players are likely to encounter, in both game-mechanic and descriptive manners.</li><li><b>Detailed starship, social, and xenofauna encounter rules</b>!</li><li><b>Reference document released under a Creative Commons license</b>, available for download in an editable file for anyone who purchases FTL: Nomad!</li></ul></div></span><p></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-16349930308877809172023-11-12T00:34:00.000-08:002023-11-12T00:34:48.200-08:00[Variant OTU] Broken Cradle - Draft Virus-less 1140 Solomani Rim Map<p style="text-align: justify;">Following my overall setting concept for Broken Cradle, my Virus-less 1140 Imperial OTU setting for Classic/Mega Traveller, I have firmly decided to use the Solomani Rim, with all its complex politics and ample useable canonical inspiration, to run my game(s) in this setting. Therefore, I have started reading <i>GURPS Traveller: Rim of Fire</i>, an excellent canonical source for this setting despite being set in a Rebellion-less milieu. I have also started converting a map of the Solomani Rim rendered by <a href="https://travellermap.com/?p=-0.433!0.5!2">The Traveller Map</a> to this setting.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The first task is deciding on the various <i>Hard Times</i> zones, which affect how each world regressed - in most cases - due to over two decades of warfare and political-economic collapse.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The following map is a rough draft. It still has the 1105 Golden Era starport and base data, but shows where the various zones are present. Later maps - probably on the subsector or two-subsector level - will show post-<i>Hard Times</i> data.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The gray area represents the Outland: areas abandoned by the shrinking polities, with worlds left to their own devices, without significant warfare. The red area is the Wilds - areas affected by warfare, which spread like disease across Known Space, often with worse damage. The blue area shows the Frontier areas, where damage was more limited, and some semblance of government remains. Finally, green areas are Safe zones, where order prevails and war destruction is minimal.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Subsectors marked with an asterisks were notable warzones in the Rebellion and/or the subsequent Solomani Civil War. Areas marked with a large "X" were major battlefields, typically in the Solomani Civil War.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Note that the main polity in this sector is the Solar Commonwealth, a successor-state of the Solomani Reformists. Off the map, and slightly on it, is the much larger True Solomani Confederation - led by the Hardliner Solomani. While appearing small on this map, they control a large Frontier, as well as a Safe zone, around Home/Aldebaran. The enjoy great industrial might compared to the Solar Commonwealth, but suffer from greater political instability.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Tentative starting setting are the Dingir and Albadawi subsectors, including both Frontier and Wilds areas, as well as the totalitarian True Solomani Confederation being merely a few jumps away... A perfect area for adventuring!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4tVs_WjiQ-SVS2G-ZoUb8Pf4338kYnJvwTbhcELgWR5VZ9zogGiyBv4hcWHv_KS9GhTYcjk2sm85Gtgd3EgbunFDP-llfFl09nQvFDq9G3apGZ3yl_mJTO8_E2bNkeKtNkkv5hzw3s5qoEvDuGi2KYjJldl2dCwRv0NJnLyCvqxQVboRiG6ONl0bFpjj/s2604/Solomani%20Rim%201140%20Draft.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2604" data-original-width="1801" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4tVs_WjiQ-SVS2G-ZoUb8Pf4338kYnJvwTbhcELgWR5VZ9zogGiyBv4hcWHv_KS9GhTYcjk2sm85Gtgd3EgbunFDP-llfFl09nQvFDq9G3apGZ3yl_mJTO8_E2bNkeKtNkkv5hzw3s5qoEvDuGi2KYjJldl2dCwRv0NJnLyCvqxQVboRiG6ONl0bFpjj/w443-h640/Solomani%20Rim%201140%20Draft.png" width="443" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Legal Disclaimer</b>: The Traveller game in all forms is owned by Far Future Enterprises. Copyright 1977 - 2023 Far Future Enterprises. Traveller is a registered trademark of Far Future Enterprises. Far Future permits web sites and fanzines for this game, provided it contains this notice, that Far Future is notified, and subject to a withdrawal of permission on 90 days notice. The contents of this site are for personal, non-commercial use only. Any use of Far Future Enterprises' copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this web site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks. In addition, any program/articles/file on this site cannot be republished or distributed without the consent of the author who contributed it.</span></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-64889732559522721092023-11-11T07:07:00.000-08:002023-11-12T11:16:47.197-08:00[Variant OTU] Broken Cradle - Virus-less Traveller Universe Variant<p style="text-align: justify;">For some time - for almost two decades, in fact - ever since I first read the Official Traveller Universe background in full in <i>Traveller: New Era: 1248</i> - I have been wondering about various routes the Official Traveller Universe might have taken. In short, I have a love/hate relationship with the Virus, the Empress Wave, and the New Era. On one hand, many <i>Traveller: New Era</i> books are of superb writing, though the T:NE rules are less to my liking. On the other hand, the uniform almost-gray-goo destruction of Imperial space and neighboring polities was less appealing to me than the more "textured" and nuanced <i>MegaTraveller: Hard Times</i> setting (a book I adore).</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Thus, I have set forth to write a setting for future Traveller gaming - be that solo or with a proper group - based on my speculations on how the Traveller setting would have evolved in absence of wholesale Viral cyber-destruction. I have named the setting, focusing on the Solomani Rim Sector - for which I can find ample pre-Rebellion canon inspiration - Broken Cradle, in honor of the interstellar Cradle of Humanity now beset by interstellar war and later civil warfare.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Disclaimer</b>: <b>Broken Cradle</b> is <b>not </b>canon. I repeat: it is <b>not </b>canon in any way. It is set in the Official Traveller Universe (OTU), though in a variant thereof. Specifically, I use Classic Traveller rules and a MegaTraveller (or, more accurately, post-MegaTraveller) setting. However, this should not be seen as a challenge to Traveller canon, but rather it is my humble attempt at taking a road not taken by canon.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, on to the setting's recent history - this time, the Virus-less Midnight 1130 map. The timeline has advanced 5 years from the latest (1125 Imperial) map in <i>Hard Times</i>, so Wilds have expanded and Frontiers and Safe areas have contracted. This is prior to the Solomani Civil War and the Aslan invasion of Solomani space, both of which will alter the map further.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUKj5FeAVAaEun_MpHD4XIxyS16jEwOL65SFEY1NeHEumh69dHkUvVJcbzZazcCV4HbcQwkKdG8z9Vyt2YM87E9VYDN1jlde_gXo8d36VmpBiA7xuvKKN4IkKEzCafhLmHx1YMrh4GQeDoD7mn5FogKdV74ZdCpjpUOi_u0_ATVpIVlBxnZrvzfxzPGGN/s1465/Midnight%201130.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1465" data-original-width="1359" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUKj5FeAVAaEun_MpHD4XIxyS16jEwOL65SFEY1NeHEumh69dHkUvVJcbzZazcCV4HbcQwkKdG8z9Vyt2YM87E9VYDN1jlde_gXo8d36VmpBiA7xuvKKN4IkKEzCafhLmHx1YMrh4GQeDoD7mn5FogKdV74ZdCpjpUOi_u0_ATVpIVlBxnZrvzfxzPGGN/w594-h640/Midnight%201130.png" width="594" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The question begging itself, of course, is why am I beating a horse which is dead for the past 30 years? After all, Official Traveller has taken its course from the Rebellion to the New Era to the (now semi-canonical) 1248 to the Galaxiad from the early 1990's on. But the joy of alternate fictional history and twisting the lore-laden OTU to my tastes was too tempting, let alone the beauty of the late-1980's <i>Hard Times</i> sourcebook. So, onward on my Quixotic quest to chart a variant OTU!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>And now, to the "present" (1140 Imperial):</b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwHAaHxaGyJBXqbF5GwSQEj6cqW4BuxSSgIqvyJ1ZAB_ZuA9YaO8CHbW9lRIGCXlwTArgDmwxfNhMXcRGAImezHQbcZyd-SB-a1-IOiY2Yzsqh3nvyGAwd5bcIFmBBYCXkqEvz4X_aup9obfLPQBqmUDlUls-O20DbDGASHFDONC_wyfTZn31-TI1Ran3/s1465/Before%20Dawn.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1465" data-original-width="1359" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwHAaHxaGyJBXqbF5GwSQEj6cqW4BuxSSgIqvyJ1ZAB_ZuA9YaO8CHbW9lRIGCXlwTArgDmwxfNhMXcRGAImezHQbcZyd-SB-a1-IOiY2Yzsqh3nvyGAwd5bcIFmBBYCXkqEvz4X_aup9obfLPQBqmUDlUls-O20DbDGASHFDONC_wyfTZn31-TI1Ran3/w594-h640/Before%20Dawn.png" width="594" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;">While the Vilani, Margaret's Imperium, Dulinor's "official" Imperium (Core), and Ilelish/Verge show recovery, the frontier areas in Ley, Gushmege, and Glimmerdrift Reaches collapsed. The Solomani are locked in a civil war between the Reformists, centered on Terra/Sol, now calling themselves the Solar Commonwealth, and the Hardliners, centered on Home/Aldebaran, who now call themselves the True Solomani Confederation. The Aslan have then seized upon this weakness of their Solomani neighbors to invade former Confederation space en-masse.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I had to make the tough choice, in the absence of an all-destroying Virus, between Dulinor dying trying to retake the Iridium Throne, thus allowing for Lucan to become a Cyber-Emperor as was done in canon (both in the original plan and in actual canon), and Dulinor taking the Iridium Throne and reigning over the smoking ruins of the Imperium he so desired to reform. Dulinor's karma won the argument in the end: his destiny was one of a Pyrrhic victory and of a tragic fate as the emperor of ruins.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am drawing some inspirations from Charles Gannon's excellent <a href="https://www.travellerrpg.com/index.php?threads%2Fthe-road-not-travell-er-ed-charles-gannon-and-post-hard-times.15100%2F">proposals for a MegaTraveller sequel</a>, which were at least partially rejected in favor of Traveller: New Era in the early 1990's, but am not adhering to them.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">More to come.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Legal Disclaimer: The Traveller game in all forms is owned by Far Future Enterprises. Copyright 1977 - 2014 Far Future Enterprises. Traveller is a registered trademark of Far Future Enterprises. Far Future permits web sites and fanzines for this game, provided it contains this notice, that Far Future is notified, and subject to a withdrawal of permission on 90 days notice. The contents of this site are for personal, non-commercial use only. Any use of Far Future Enterprises' copyrighted material or trademarks anywhere on this web site and its files should not be viewed as a challenge to those copyrights or trademarks. In addition, any program/articles/file on this site cannot be republished or distributed without the consent of the author who contributed it.</span></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-66473007816031385862023-11-10T00:47:00.005-08:002023-11-10T00:47:42.619-08:00Gargoyle 74 - An OSR Ruleset by Stellagama Publishing<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BD4cr4zSJ-EzF_TJjxErGlg1F42L1LH-b7JYuzeFx5ezOr7Aq1OEnKQSHSkMfSvr7xnm9O5uqjc6LPBLHh0wmrZAAqaFfuGsFiRMk9gfJJO59uUYanke9uowPrAOknG499oICGU7QgK686BKbmH1oYQYEQVn6LwFP73qrewq5R-1wWaqA6J8OoniPoWQ/s1276/427259.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-BD4cr4zSJ-EzF_TJjxErGlg1F42L1LH-b7JYuzeFx5ezOr7Aq1OEnKQSHSkMfSvr7xnm9O5uqjc6LPBLHh0wmrZAAqaFfuGsFiRMk9gfJJO59uUYanke9uowPrAOknG499oICGU7QgK686BKbmH1oYQYEQVn6LwFP73qrewq5R-1wWaqA6J8OoniPoWQ/s320/427259.png" width="226" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Earlier in 2023, Stellagama Publishing launched <b>Gargoyle 74</b>, a fast-play, old-school-flavored OSR game written by Tamir Levi and translated from Hebrew by Omer Golan-Joel. This ruleset grew organically from Tamir's extensive gaming, and enjoyed prolonged playtesting by him and by his various groups. The key aspect of <b>Gargoyle 74</b> is taking the 1974 Original RPG rules, and gently adapting them to modern play in which the rules fade into the background and adventuring occupies the foreground.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Gargoyle 74</b> draws its inspiration from both myth and sword & sorcery literature. Monsters have a mythical twist, such as kobolds being miners transformed to monsters by their greed, and undead being difficult to kill without a Cleric's blessing. Once again, these rules developed out of its author's need for a system which does not get in the way of playing, and which the Referee may mostly play from his or her head after reading the rules once or twice - without unnecessary page-flipping during play. The goal is high adventure and heroic (or villainous) exploits - unobstructed by rule bloat.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The system itself is mostly compatible with the 1974 Original RPG and Swords & Wizardry, with some modernization (such as ascending AC), and almost exclusively uses 1d20 and 1d6 for the sake of simplicity. It also uses a unified XP progression chart and has spot rules for common adventuring pursuits, from stealth to listening at doors to wilderness travel, all simple and straightforward. It is quite easy to use any OSR adventure with <b>Gargoyle 74</b> with minimal or no conversion, and hacking these rules is extremely and intentionally easy.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Available in PDF and print format from Stellagama Publishing.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Get it <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/427259/Gargoyle-74">HERE</a>.</span></b></p><p></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-59675327767679084632023-09-28T23:49:00.002-07:002023-09-28T23:49:29.227-07:00Your OSR Setting is a Deathworld<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK9mhVJgX1jA2v0bLmTo1c1Ga7yyLkex1MLDT2-PuTGxvD3ZlNFJqRwwNWNUEuPR76aINENuGx1hoWGLGVw4gTBtmwp9oinvhXIMpKrK9r1_q7bKE0gCUvZDnsNOqjtQZbCRlQ4UvT93eppkzLDx4jDpYrngtpMNu7HnNyNG917zWg2OCBkvExRiey_c1/s1200/Dragon's_Head_(Digital)_(49594984026).jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="1200" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK9mhVJgX1jA2v0bLmTo1c1Ga7yyLkex1MLDT2-PuTGxvD3ZlNFJqRwwNWNUEuPR76aINENuGx1hoWGLGVw4gTBtmwp9oinvhXIMpKrK9r1_q7bKE0gCUvZDnsNOqjtQZbCRlQ4UvT93eppkzLDx4jDpYrngtpMNu7HnNyNG917zWg2OCBkvExRiey_c1/s320/Dragon's_Head_(Digital)_(49594984026).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Art by Cristian Ibarra Santillan; used under CC license</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Your OSR setting is a deathworld. This may not seem obvious - indeed, many settings appear to have an expansive and relatively safe countryside - but an examination of the encounter tables and monster descriptions of popular Old School Revolution (OSR) games speaks otherwise.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A "deathworld" is a term popularized (or maybe coined) by the Warhammer 40K universe. It refers to a world which is inimical to Humanity, be that due to climate, atmosphere, or biosphere. Such worlds require a major effort to survive on, and, in Warhammer 40K, typically breed elite warriors forged by the world's overall hostility.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Encounter tables in various OSR games, if you examine their implications, depict a world not unlike these deathworlds. Even in the perfect fantasy environment, with a temperate climate and pleasant terrain, monsters abound. Not just wolves and goblins, but rather dragons, powerful undead, owlbears, and worse. A sea journey may even be interrupted by a dragon turtle or a kraken - monsters sometimes above the ability of even "Name Level" (level 9) characters to fight without specialized tactics, or even with them.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The encounter tables are laden with powerful monsters. In OSE, for example, on pp.218-222 of the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/279183/OldSchool-Essentials-Classic-Fantasy-Rules-Tome">Roles Tome</a>, the encounter tables depict a frightening world. There is a 1-in-8 (!) chance, for example, to encounter a dragon in most biomes, always a tough encounter for characters of any level. While some dragons may be reasoned with, many of these regal beasts would demand tribute, or simply try to eat whomever they encounter. Lycanthropes are common, as are undead, including powerful mummies and vampires. In <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/99123/Adventurer-Conqueror-King-System">ACKS</a>, tables are similar to those in OSE, with a 1-in-8 risk of a dragon and a major piracy risk (yarr!) in the high seas. In the <a href="https://www.basicfantasy.org/downloads.html">Basic Fantasy RPG, 4th Edition</a>, pp.180-181, dragons are a somewhat less common (only encountered on the results of 2 and 16 on 2d8), but still an extant threat in almost all biomes. Giants and rocs in the mountains and giant octopi in the sea are more common.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Note that neither ruleset has a "safe countryside" column. Even ACKS's "Inhabited" column has a dragon in it! It's either cities, with their own criminal and undead problems, or the deadly Wilderness!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Anything PCs can encounter, villagers and even sedentary villages will encounter often. Even if you reduce the encounter rate in "Civilized" areas to once a month, on the long run, dragons, giants, and other monsters will come to your village to raze it or demand tribute. Goblinoid tribes will raid villages on a frequent basis. It's a dangerous world out there! Not your idyllic fantasy countryside. Not the Lord of the Rings Shire, where danger is a rare occasion worthy of an epic saga. It's closer to Catachan of Warhammer 40K fame!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And add to that monsters outside the encounter tables, but present in your typical OSR ruleset's Monsters chapter, such as Cloud Giants in their flying castles.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The implications are numerous:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>The default setting, given the encounter tables and monster chapters, would be Points of Light. That is, most of the world is deadly, and Humanity huddles around the few safer spots - typically city-states as noted below. Outside these safer points - the world is out to get you.</li><li>It is likely that the setting is post-apocalyptic, with a strong Gamma World vibe to it. Maybe the past was safer, with a mighty empire keeping the monsters at bay. Maybe even most monsters did not exist before the apocalyptic event.</li><li>A dispersed population would be at much greater risk than a concentrated settlement pattern. Defending disparate villages is much harden than defending a walled city-state and its adjacent farmland. Thus, settlement pattern will be closer to that depicted in sword & sorcery literature, namely city-states rather than vast expanses of countryside.</li><li>There is a reason Name Level - when characters can become "proper" lords - is at Level 9. Below that, the local lord would be hard pressed to defend his protection ra---- sorry, feudal domain - from roving monsters and humanoid hordes. But even then, remote villages ruled by high-level characters would still be at greater risk than the city-states, with their high concentration of name-level characters, strong walls, and the ability to raise large armies.</li><li>Personal power would equal political power - the ability to defend one's turf against monsters and usurpers.</li><li>Outside Civilized territory, monsters will form their own domains. A dragon may be worshiped as a protective deity, sometimes enjoying human sacrifices from its subjects. A powerful undead monster may be able to carve a domain of death or even construct a necropolis around it. Humanoid tribes are also affected by this - they will often be at the bottom of the monstrous food chain, giving tribute to more powerful monsters, and sometimes serving them as cannon fodder.</li></ul>So, expect a Points of Light setting with a concentrated settlement pattern, mighty city-states, and a vast, deadly wilderness challenging adventurers seeking danger, glory, and wealth.<p></p><p></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-61569882699501598502023-09-15T02:57:00.003-07:002023-09-15T11:31:10.888-07:00On the Free Kriegsspiel Revolution<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYu01GYNMUPRpEH6Mzzc_hKmQgo2ZIo-yQ06WtJOSMpB-aziBYky2pSa7eM6DrPJnwIvyPr3BdOdku8K5cNVcxO70PNPAG8HGlQpKsxlyxo3OfPhhf8dbV_s7VitguFNICCBbBrvo-ChsIsnLzVonVbFXuUwxA8vzNfkAfn-QjuUhIhe3o7rTRTlWleNj1/s611/Kriegsspiel-match.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="611" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYu01GYNMUPRpEH6Mzzc_hKmQgo2ZIo-yQ06WtJOSMpB-aziBYky2pSa7eM6DrPJnwIvyPr3BdOdku8K5cNVcxO70PNPAG8HGlQpKsxlyxo3OfPhhf8dbV_s7VitguFNICCBbBrvo-ChsIsnLzVonVbFXuUwxA8vzNfkAfn-QjuUhIhe3o7rTRTlWleNj1/s320/Kriegsspiel-match.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">A new wave washes over the shores of role-playing games - the <b>Free Kriegsspiel Revolution (FKR)</b>. While the concept itself is not new by any means, this Revolution follows the heels of the traditional OSR, brushing aside the stricter rule systems and granting greater freedom to players and Referees alike.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The name "Free Kriegsspiel" itself comes from 19th century Prussian wargames initially used for training military officers in battlefield tactics (the word "Kiegsspiel" simply means "Wargame" in German). Originally, there was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriegsspiel">Strict Kriegsspiel</a>, a rules-heavy, high-complexity refereed Napoleonic tabletop wargame using a map, counters, and dice, first developed in 1824.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The rules, however, were of such complexity that many officers had to invest much time learning the rules, at the expense of playing the game itself and learning tactics. Thus, half a century later, in 1873, a new movement began - the <b>Free Kriegsspiel Movement</b>. This movement dispensed of most rules, in some cases of all rules, and replaced them with referee discretion. The game became a conversation between the players and the referee (often an experienced military expert), where the referee would adjudicate military actions based on his expertise rather than using complex table and dice (at least for the most part). This movement became highly popular among Prussian officers, as this permitted faster play, as well as allowed for expert referees to utilize their knowledge and experience in a more realistic manner rather than rely on tables.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A century and a half later, the term <b>Free Kriegsspiel</b> was adopted by role-players. While this was a translation of the principles from wargaming to role-playing games, the core idea remained - "<b>ruling, not rules</b>", and a Simulationist approach based on conversation between the Referee (or Game Master) and the players and the Referee's judgement of the situation, with dice kept in the secondary role of resolving dangerous situations where luck is of great importance.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This does follow the "rulings, not rules" approach presented by the <a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/matthew-finch/quick-primer-for-old-school-gaming/ebook/product-3159558.html">Quick Primer for Old School Gaming</a> by Matthew Finch. However, the new Revolution crystalizes the greater freedom and secondary nature of rules, presenting a strong case against the "new school" approach. "New school" being the spirit of post-2000 d20 and similar games, where it is customary to use dice to resolve many, if not most, in-game situations.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">For example, in a (new school) D&D 5E game I am a player in, the Dungeon Master calls for ability or skill checks very often, sometimes even 5-10 times per scene or dungeon room. I find this fatiguing and distracting from the game world, especially when basic clues are "gated" behind linear 1d20 die rolls. This also makes characters feel incompetent, as even a high-level character may fail in relatively trivial tasks he or she should be an expert in.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In comparison, in an FKR game, the table resolves most exploration by conversation between the Referee and the players, with the players asking questions about their environment and the Referee answering them. The dice come out only where there is imminent danger and when luck plays a role even for competent experts such as higher-level player characters. There may be structured minigames with more die rolling (such as combat and character generation in Classic Traveller, for example), but the core game loop is conversational.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This seems to be the way Marc Miller, Traveller's creator, <a href="http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=136978">Referees his own game</a>. Yes, even with the high-complexity Traveller 5th Edition rules, from what I understand. Outside of minigames, his games are often very conversational in nature, and with limited die rolls. This also explains why Classic Traveller has no clear "task system" outside of the minigames, as the game assumes such situations would be resolved by discussion between the Referee and the players, or, at most, that the Referee will improvise a die roll when needed, based on the situation and not on a rigid resolution mechanic.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Note, however, that FKR games are Simulationist and not Narrativist. The key here is exploring a living world and interacting with it, with the "story" being emergent, rather than explicitly weaving a story together or following the GM's pre-planned story. However, this simulation relies more on Referee judgement than on complex rules, except for specific situations where, again, there is danger and luck plays a part.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: red;">I am now in love with this concept of FKR, and it may inspire my future game design!</span></b></p><p></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-51075049421086930682023-09-13T01:48:00.000-07:002023-09-13T01:48:21.199-07:00Starfield Video Game Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgos4MOtRKtLIlT94siKY8Dvn1iKTAHeCAIT9K8JRBVOmfhu9McDTHGp4bmZ5LimhzRnmeffJxcHxBTI4z1FB8igSk6h7Fd8juKNjXH-2X-Amu4oGMB5rdHBvv-iEcAkE9vRO-zt2ehgZ3YsRihSHU1MDD7IQPnE7UL7kpdNZzhYJZvNkkN9zhEe94th8dX/s373/Bethesda_Starfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgos4MOtRKtLIlT94siKY8Dvn1iKTAHeCAIT9K8JRBVOmfhu9McDTHGp4bmZ5LimhzRnmeffJxcHxBTI4z1FB8igSk6h7Fd8juKNjXH-2X-Amu4oGMB5rdHBvv-iEcAkE9vRO-zt2ehgZ3YsRihSHU1MDD7IQPnE7UL7kpdNZzhYJZvNkkN9zhEe94th8dX/s320/Bethesda_Starfield.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">I began playing the new video game, Starfield, immediately when it came out, and I have clocked 18.9 hours in it. It is thus a good time to review it for the benefit of my readers, based on my experience with the game. Note that I am greatly enjoying Starfield, and that I was drawn deeply into it in a manner which did not happen to me with video games since Cyberpunk 2077.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><b>My System Specs:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>AMD Ryzen 5700X CPU.</li><li>32 GB RAM DDR 4.</li><li>AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB VRAM.</li><li>MVMe SSD.</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Rating: 7/10</span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>TL;DR:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This is an enjoyable game, but flawed. It is also a very typical Bethesda game. If you enjoyed Fallout 4 and Skyrim, by all means give Starfield a try. If not, you may consider waiting for a discount on it in a few months, as well as for quality-of-life and graphics mods.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>I made an effort to keep this review spoiler-free.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Good</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>Starfield's space and ground combat, while not perfect, are highly enjoyable to me, with a vast array of weapons having different "feel" to each.</li><li>The engine runs smoothly on my good machine at 54 FPS on average, on maximum settings, with relatively few bugs in my case so far.</li><li>Side missions are quite often very fun and interesting, with different worlds having different flavors. As expected from Bethesda.</li><li>The musical score is amazing!</li><li>I like the crafting and outpost system, which is an upgrade from the Fallout 4 system, which I liked very much.</li><li>I like exploration! While the content is procedurally generated, which is a disadvantage, I enjoy visiting the various planets and feeling like a space explorer.</li><li>Mercifully, the game lets you "fast travel" quite easily, with certain limitations, conveniently even between star systems, though I usually avoid doing this as flavor. But, see below for the associated flaw.</li></ul><b>The Bad</b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>The engine used by Starfield is Bethesda's own Creation Engine, in what is marked as its second version. However, the original engine from 2011 still shows up very clearly under the layers of new paint, with all the associated aspects. It feels like a 2011 game in some respects. The engine aged poorly, with multiple content "cells" gated by loading screen between them as in Skyrim/Fallout 4 and with graphics that look dated even on maximum settings.</li><li>Enemies are not very varied; you have alien monsters on life-bearing worlds, which are often similar to each other across worlds, and about 4 hostile or semi-hostile factions repeatedly thrown at you.</li><li>Space travel is by fast travel and cinematics/loading screens. On one hand, I like the convenience of this, as noted above, but on the other hand, this reduces from the space travel flavor.</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The Ugly</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>Starfield's main quest is downright boring. It has no urgency to it, no existential threat, no portal to Oblivion, dragon attacks, or abducted children. The story itself involves exploration and some artifacts, but, so far (almost 20 hours into the game!), nothing interesting.</li><li>"Dungeons" are recycled! I entered a mine on one world on random, then went to a main story mission on another world, and lo and behold, it is the same mine exactly! Not even slightly changed as in, say, Dragon Age 2. Which was a <b><i>huge </i></b>disappointment from a game with such a massive development budget!</li></ul><b>The Bottom Line</b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Starfield feels like Fallout 4 in space. It is an enjoyable game, marred by a dreary main quest, content recycling, and an aging engine. If you liked Fallout 4, as I do (I have 323 hours on F4!), you are likely to enjoy Starfield very much. If you dislike Fallout 4, you should consider waiting with its purchase for a good discount and for quality of life and graphics mods to come out.</p><p></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-61690034503549824102023-07-25T23:57:00.004-07:002023-07-25T23:57:35.441-07:00Sword & Planet & Sorcery Careers for Classic Traveller<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWcz8aObL7qItNL6lRt3NUB3VFoFPo42E_cR2CPgCvSuY7dkDn-6DgYJtWm8elLg4cToEUpTqWr_zXmXg5WDWKqDzNVttWyzLAzXmGMGqktBRyegmhzDMOTL6vP1lWPyPW2Vz71yxMGt3R_4LB5NRspWOQVMdIdTIp18hRB0SRqMdyXifuxCB-9Ftr1aw/s1516/sorceress.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1516" data-original-width="1201" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWcz8aObL7qItNL6lRt3NUB3VFoFPo42E_cR2CPgCvSuY7dkDn-6DgYJtWm8elLg4cToEUpTqWr_zXmXg5WDWKqDzNVttWyzLAzXmGMGqktBRyegmhzDMOTL6vP1lWPyPW2Vz71yxMGt3R_4LB5NRspWOQVMdIdTIp18hRB0SRqMdyXifuxCB-9Ftr1aw/s320/sorceress.png" width="254" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Following <a href="https://spacecockroach.blogspot.com/2023/06/prototraveller-sword-planet.html">my musings about a sword & sorcery setting for Classic Traveller</a>, I have created six careers, as well as supporting rules, for playing humans in a Classic Traveller sword & planet & sorcery setting. Note that this assumes a relatively "conservative" approach to sorcery, that is, "magic" being Classic Traveller psionics and badly-understood alien "Xenotech" rather than a new, full-blown magic system.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Enjoy!</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Get the careers <a href="https://app.box.com/s/i2pobaxrc94nnib0smmilr8e8u1kd54j">HERE</a>.</span></b></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-58879994887888439782023-06-03T00:52:00.004-07:002023-06-03T00:52:46.670-07:00ProtoTraveller Sword & Planet!<p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJOQ4IXQFZG9g4IE_cxZzVhdn7LPJmzlK8h-NhTuu202WhuPdK8eq5Gg-6J-FXS44OuMlkwNyACUk1BvLbkshCiazAopSKU1p5w4KV8DDavV3Z_hgssRtI6WUb5Z3o_mNLTKnBribKOpWIKM5PvfzWh4GIC4g3pXww4hSENKSSgCmGxaPOqCl2F9Z0A/s4178/pxfuel.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="4178" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJOQ4IXQFZG9g4IE_cxZzVhdn7LPJmzlK8h-NhTuu202WhuPdK8eq5Gg-6J-FXS44OuMlkwNyACUk1BvLbkshCiazAopSKU1p5w4KV8DDavV3Z_hgssRtI6WUb5Z3o_mNLTKnBribKOpWIKM5PvfzWh4GIC4g3pXww4hSENKSSgCmGxaPOqCl2F9Z0A/s320/pxfuel.com.jpg" width="320" /></a>Something I want to run in "strict" Books 1-3 + Supplement 4 Classic Traveller. Maybe later in Barbaric! or The Sword of Cepheus.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red;"><i><b>The elevator pitch is</b>: Grays abducted humans (and other aliens?) to a colony in a tropical part of a planet inhabited by xenoreptiles. The Grays are now gone, leaving behind their former captives and tech. Now, heroes (and villains!) must adapt and survive on a hostile world using barely-understood Xenotech (TL15-16 alien tech) and psionics. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Think a less "kitchen sink" Gamma World meets X-Com meets various Lost World stories, all using <b>ProtoTraveller</b> rules. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Another feature of this setting would be <i>Godlings </i>- powerful unique alien creatures with "eldritch"/miraculous-level psionic abilities. Such as healing/regenerating people, having vast arrays of esoteric knowledge, turning people into monsters, influencing the weather, influencing land fertility, etc.</p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><div>They all are ageless but have physical localized bodies, and may be killed by mighty heroes, or negotiated with to use their powers on a mortal's behalf - usually for a price.</div><div><br /></div><div>And have special combat abilities, such as unlimited Powerful Blows and multiple attacks per round. </div><div><br /></div><div>There is no "D&D Magic", or even Barbaric!/SoC-style sorcery in this setting, but rather a combination of tech, psionics, and "Godlings". A Sorcerer in this setting acts by combining salvaged Xenotech, psionics, and (roleplaying-based, rather than mechanics-based) deals with Godlings.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rules would be <b>ProtoTraveller</b> with a few additions such as more TL16 tech, careers for "barbaric" people born on that forsaken world, rules for Godlings and rules for "barbarians" trying to use tech well above their own tech level. But, in general - <b>ProtoTraveller</b> by the book.</div><div><br /></div><div>(Godlings being an idea I am exploring for other settings and rulesets as well).</div><div><br /></div><div>I still have no name for such setting, but am toying with the idea quite widely.</div></div>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-64384098718837187932023-06-03T00:40:00.003-07:002023-06-03T00:40:24.055-07:00Modern Careers for Classic Traveller<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wUckFkdFAnXTY78HMQ3Kv49QbjPo_uF-6aLghExog67JOicvW5eC5pRWeudy3BiD3X3gwfkcqmKdWL5jfPk9Crlb6IuaKs4FWMt_mN4OAFYaMyq8X7GwGRT-9hk2kHmh2xkePiJZVNlIB-__7h750wwxwwNUm9-Y95NH8PQ78BkTCG5xjtLbm8Jfiw/s1200/image-from-rawpixel-id-3583335-jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wUckFkdFAnXTY78HMQ3Kv49QbjPo_uF-6aLghExog67JOicvW5eC5pRWeudy3BiD3X3gwfkcqmKdWL5jfPk9Crlb6IuaKs4FWMt_mN4OAFYaMyq8X7GwGRT-9hk2kHmh2xkePiJZVNlIB-__7h750wwxwwNUm9-Y95NH8PQ78BkTCG5xjtLbm8Jfiw/s320/image-from-rawpixel-id-3583335-jpeg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Classic Traveller is a highly versatile role-playing game, capable of
simulating a wide range of exciting and gritty scenarios. While the rules were,
of course, written with science fiction in mind, they can serve for other
genres as well. One such genre is modern gaming, which herein I define as
taking place between 1923 to 2023 – and most likely a bit beyond that.
Prohibition-era gangsters, World War II, the Cold War, and various tales of
adventure, warfare, and espionage in the 20<sup>th</sup> and 21<sup>st</sup>
centuries. This also include science fiction scenarios involving modern-day
humans, such as X-Com - special operatives vs. an alien invasion, The Thing,
and other thrilling tales.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So, I have created 12 careers, using mostly Classic Traveller Book 1 and Supplement 4: Citizens of the Imperium, to generate modern-day characters for the aforementioned scenarios. They use the Classic Traveller Book 1: Characters and Combat and Supplement 4: Citizens of the Imperium rules as written.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://app.box.com/s/ppdib4smsu37acm34ubwfskwoeffrmoi">GET THEM HERE</a>!</span></b></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-960621360567132732023-01-07T00:45:00.001-08:002023-01-07T00:45:28.376-08:00Sector 23: Week 1!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWZ_GmR2E5N4gQgKJoyZ5AuyGlzjTEQhPG13bhPOUCj908A5QVRVOyhQ1MywhaEQqWezS1TMRFwBPk12diwiJ2Qq4pzhBuEdt3ZqueKnDzr3B0ye7z9vjxZlwEbhET86SmQBPK9IVOQ9shSIxDYzxmhhQD0Rf9VtOdkPCrC7N6w1YwACcQ7GMoKb_kg/s2955/Subsector%20A.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="1919" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWZ_GmR2E5N4gQgKJoyZ5AuyGlzjTEQhPG13bhPOUCj908A5QVRVOyhQ1MywhaEQqWezS1TMRFwBPk12diwiJ2Qq4pzhBuEdt3ZqueKnDzr3B0ye7z9vjxZlwEbhET86SmQBPK9IVOQ9shSIxDYzxmhhQD0Rf9VtOdkPCrC7N6w1YwACcQ7GMoKb_kg/w416-h640/Subsector%20A.png" width="416" /></a></div><br />I have been working, one world a day, on <a href="https://spacecockroach.blogspot.com/2022/12/sector-23-challenge.html">Sector 23</a>. Here are the first seven worlds in the project!<p></p><h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Subsector A</span></span></h1><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">0103 Melqart B741544-9 Ni Po Scout and Naval Bases</span></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">An otherwise marginal colony, Melqart housed an Imperial Naval Station before the Collapse, with a Scout attachment. When the Star Empire fell, Melqart’s population retained both the advanced starport and a few naval assets, which they still maintain, albeit at a partial level. Their fleet, however, is aging, and they can only manufacture replacement small craft locally. Melqart lacks the industrial might to become even a regional power, but its strong martial roots and remaining advanced facilities permit it to repel foreign intervention and keep pirates away from their system. However, this still leaves Melqart as a prime target for technological larceny.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Themes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: vast decaying starport and naval yard; jury-rigged, patchwork technology; strong martial culture.</span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">0104 Anu E563270-7 Lo Ni Gas Giant RED ZONE</span></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">A dry but otherwise hospitable world, Anu was devastated by a pandemic - potentially a bioweapon - during the Collapse. The few survivors live in three isolated, tiny tribes in the ruins if past civilization. Developing an effective vaccine for that pandemic would permit re-colonization, and several neighboring worlds are developing such technologies to open up Anu for their own colonization.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Themes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: vast ruined cities; biohazard; zombies???</span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">0106 Suen C510585-9 Ni Gas Giant</span></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Suen is a small, remote, but active, mining colony. While it lost part of its population to migration during the Collapse, it did retain its technological base and starport, and was thankfully not a frequent target for raiders. Suen has a well-known Antediluvian site, which was already excavated and explored centuries ago during Imperial times, but rumors persist of further, untapped sites deep within the local cavern systems.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Themes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: heavy mining; heavy equipment; hidden alien ruins?</span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">0110 Tammuz B674774-9 Ag Scout</span></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Tammuz is a “breadbasket” world, a prime agricultural technology with a population of 80 millions. While its technology partially regressed following the Imperial Collapse, it still aggressively exports food and other agricultural products. Its main weakness, however, is its balkanized nature, with three agricorp-dominated “trading blocs” vying for control over their market shares. So far, violence was kept at the tolerable level of petty border skirmishes, but tensions are slowly increasing in the past few years, opening the possibility of all-out war.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Themes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: agriculture; cold war; espionage and sabotage. Potential open warfare.</span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">0201 Asherah B567888-9 Ri</span></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">The jewel of the subsector, Asherah is a pleasant, well-managed rich world boasting the highest living standard in the Subsector - or so its government claims. Originally ruled by a self-proclaimed Emepror who cited continuity-of-government rules to declare himself the true ruler of the (dead) Star-Empire, such regime was short-lived. Following a successful coup, and a short-lived Revolutionary Council, Asherah developed a stable civil-service bureaucratic government. However, while the so-called Emperor is long dead, rumors have it that his family still plots to regain control of Asherah and build a new Empire funded by this world’s wealth.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Themes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: comfort; sleepy but friendly bureaucracy; plots and intrigue under the surface.</span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">0203 Milkom C620266-7 De Gas Giant Scout</span></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">Milkom is a minor transit station on the Main going to the Trailing from Melquart. The government of Melqart operates this station, maintaining a starport crew of approx. 500 people on-site. The station can produce lower-grade (unrefined) liquid hydrogen fuel (and water) by chemical means from Milkom’s soil, but lacks the equipment to refine it. Melqart also permits the Scout Guild to operate a small base on Milkom for the benefit of interstellar communications. One must note, however, that Milkom was overlooked and held a small transit station even at the height of the Star Empire, so much of its extensive cave systems are barely mapped. Who knows what may await deep in these caves…</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Themes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: loneliness; close-knit community of professionals; caves; hidden alien ruins?</span></span></p><h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">0206 Ashtoreth C566521-7 Ag Scout Gas Giant</span></span></h2><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: white;">When the Empire fell, Ashtoreth, an under-populated frontier world, was settled by the staff of its Scout Base, most of whom became farmers. Only a few still operate the old base, as well as the small starport. The local culture is informal, as is the government. The main threat to the locals’ way of life, however, is the sorry state the remnant fusion power plant is in; it was a TL15 model, so spare parts are rare. The locals are looking for such parts, and slowly building a fission plant as a failsafe.</span></span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Themes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: rural anarchy; informality; decaying technology.</span></span></p><p><br /></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-78597962648805920332023-01-02T10:02:00.003-08:002023-01-02T10:02:47.888-08:00Apocalyptic Swords & Wizardry - Food, Fuel, Bullets, and Parts: The Currencies of the Future<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaV1tgq7XrbqFQfLP0BXoxTjz9opKEX2eaxzQfjhKcz9Z51T6hS93shci9kg367w46hBFGU0o_oGOVDf9sk7k-QiXKzm1WjAPQlgI2_tzqvHiXKwJ1hg0g62ryAyQ-ngqzaJG8CdeLTHfkGVIic_1sLuntH7VKkZGD383Reiex0rYnXcuheEdS888HMg/s681/gas-can.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaV1tgq7XrbqFQfLP0BXoxTjz9opKEX2eaxzQfjhKcz9Z51T6hS93shci9kg367w46hBFGU0o_oGOVDf9sk7k-QiXKzm1WjAPQlgI2_tzqvHiXKwJ1hg0g62ryAyQ-ngqzaJG8CdeLTHfkGVIic_1sLuntH7VKkZGD383Reiex0rYnXcuheEdS888HMg/s320/gas-can.png" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Public Domain Art</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div style="text-align: justify;">First things first: when discussing <a href="https://spacecockroach.blogspot.com/2023/01/first-post-of-2023-gonzo-post.html">a gonzo post-apocalyptic setting</a>, the simplest foundation to build upon is the economy. Or, more specifically, common resources often serving in trade or as treasure: fuel, ammunition, and mechanical/electronic parts. The necessities of post-apocalyptic "civilization", if one can call it so.</div><p style="text-align: justify;">The basic economic unit in my version of the gonzo apocalyptic future is the <b>Trade Unit (TU)</b>. <b>A TU is the worth of enough food for one person for one day</b>. In the less-contaminated parts of the Slag Marsh, water drinkable by mutants who survived for generations on untreated water. In more arid settings, the water required by one person for one day is also worth a TU. Food for one day weighs 2 pounds.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Pre-Collapse vehicles, as well as jury-rigged post-Collapsed vehicles use <b>fuel</b>. I won't go as far as to differentiate the various kinds of petrol products, as an abstraction, a Can of Fuel weighs 10 pounds (just as a US "Jerrycan" weighs) and is worth 100 TU. (Fuel can also serve to create Molotov Cocktails, 10 per Can of Fuel.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Making bullets is relatively easy with certain mechanical tools and chemical supplies a post-apocalyptic town with access to pre-Collapse scrap. However, the standard <b>dirty bullets</b>, made after the Collapse, are inferior to <b>advanced bullets</b>, made before it with mass industrial technology rather than in a post-apocalyptic cottage industry. Dirty bullets are standard; they also jam the gun on a natural result of 1 or 2 on the 1d20 attack roll. The rarer advanced bullets never jam the gun and enjoy a +1 bonus to both attack and damage rolls. Bullets (as an abstraction) come as either <b>handgun </b>ammunition, <b>rifle </b>ammunition, or <b>shotgun </b>shells. 50 bullets of any type weigh 1 pound. 10 dirty bullets cost 1 TU; a single advanced bullet is worth 1 TU.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Most scrap left by the Collapse is not very useful for post-apocalyptic tinkering, such as repairing pre-Collapse tech and jury-rigging contraptions. 1 pound of useful <b>mechanical parts</b> is worth 5 TU, and 1 pound of useful <b>electronic parts</b> is worth 10 TU.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Food, Fuel, Bullets, and Parts may serve as "coinage". Of course, when finding a stockpile of fuel, the intrepid scavenger will have to be careful when carrying such valuable, but flammable, load back to "civilization"... Note that the most valuable "currency" compared to its weight are advanced bullets, at a worth of 50 TU per pound.</p><p></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-73233042548975993892023-01-02T05:35:00.000-08:002023-01-02T05:35:26.500-08:00First Post of 2023 - Gonzo Post-Apocalyptic Swords & Wizardry!<p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rO6w5FK_nzOEu3AxRn9W1YuRZ0_9grOzAAQXcRso0Gv37KXP-X2SgNm8Dg7RyZyQRyKIEzfBPa8PekaliAOHUkETjLdOrm21O3wLItOhM8A3RK7bovm_4bjUAX9Q2DFvVmOxCq1AMiQqahcsz_n70eSLqcGzoFJoQJcjHdiy84Iag4BVeB9JOgCF5g/s3000/Atom_Bomb_Nuclear_Explosion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rO6w5FK_nzOEu3AxRn9W1YuRZ0_9grOzAAQXcRso0Gv37KXP-X2SgNm8Dg7RyZyQRyKIEzfBPa8PekaliAOHUkETjLdOrm21O3wLItOhM8A3RK7bovm_4bjUAX9Q2DFvVmOxCq1AMiQqahcsz_n70eSLqcGzoFJoQJcjHdiy84Iag4BVeB9JOgCF5g/s320/Atom_Bomb_Nuclear_Explosion.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Public domain image by Burnt Pineapple Productions</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div style="text-align: justify;">My first post in this blog for 2023 is an idea I am thinking about for quite a while: writing a post-apocalyptic hack for Swords & Wizardry: Core or Swords & Wizardry: Complete. As I <a href="https://spacecockroach.blogspot.com/2022/11/returning-to-swords-wizardry.html">noted before</a>, I am returning to Swords & Wizardry from other d20 OSR rulesets (such as OSE and before that, ACKS), as S&W has a growing community here in Israel, and I am very actively involved in writing material for it in both Hebrew and English. I also know that S&W is extremely hackable, perfect for creating variant rules.</div><p style="text-align: justify;">Now, why hack S&W for an apocalypse? After all, I have my own 2d6 post-apocalyptic game, <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/324514/Cepheus-Atom">Cepheus Atom</a>, and there are several other prominent and excellent gonzo-apocalyptic games, most notably <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/86683/Mutant-Future-Revised-Edition">Mutant Future</a> by Goblinoid Games and <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/244345/Mutant-Crawl-Classics-RPG">Mutant Crawl Classics</a> by Goodman Games. However, Cepheus Atom is less suitable for the dungeon crawling I had in mind, and I find Mutant Crawl Classics to be a bit too random for my tastes; I am also less fond of some of the design choices in Mutant Future (such as the significant starting hit points).</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, here I am, hacking S&W: Core/Complete for gonzo-apocalyptic gaming, as a side project. Right now, this is a "hobby" project, but it may get published in the future.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">What do I want from my hack?</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>If it isn't broken, don't fix it. Much of Swords & Wizardry works perfectly both in a fantasy dungeon or in a gonzo-apocalyptic swamp. No need to write the combat rules, the monster design methods, or even much of the Fighter and the Thief.</li><li>Ease of play, related to the above point. Not making the rules unnecessarily complicated by my hacks and additions.</li><li>Strong dungeon crawl and hex crawl support. The "Old School D&D game loop" of exploration, finding treasure, experience, and mechanical character growth. But mainly, a strong emphasis on exploration of ruins and wilds.</li><li>Gonzo! Mutants! Psionics! Robots! Sentient animals! Mobile sentient plants! Gengineered dinosaurs! Ray gun! Cool stuff that will make my inner child shine with joy.</li><li>Complete compatibility with S&W and most OSR. Once again, the hack must not change the basics too much; I want to be able to port monsters on the fly and turn them into mutants! Muhahahahaha!</li></ul><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Also, behold the tentative setting, the Slag Marsh!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBksieSN4OCqlE3WvXbELGx2RvxW5b83dOv4aQbjcxin_GxbVcOgj_wB2yLXiyNH2eG_gvDSVli_ooWvCqfuxuKK66zk8DGLpf8ECVW2vB3WJteL0fIPo7nMN895IRB0FoFGZ0Wt-71AHgcokbd16kJco2oqU-1XMplwcExTqGAqmE7JwmlyykkI3bA/s1180/Slag%20Marsh.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="893" data-original-width="1180" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBksieSN4OCqlE3WvXbELGx2RvxW5b83dOv4aQbjcxin_GxbVcOgj_wB2yLXiyNH2eG_gvDSVli_ooWvCqfuxuKK66zk8DGLpf8ECVW2vB3WJteL0fIPo7nMN895IRB0FoFGZ0Wt-71AHgcokbd16kJco2oqU-1XMplwcExTqGAqmE7JwmlyykkI3bA/w640-h484/Slag%20Marsh.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-80909432997344410002022-12-31T08:58:00.005-08:002022-12-31T08:58:40.257-08:00Sector 23 Challenge<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKUrKHge49fMR8DX6GsbYiU-IL2k5b4fS26gVqBkqKewp-LZ7FyGkOMtCYlqFeXbLIibQyh7kyQQPj_gV4B_6SiJfT7p7YZwXHIzuHbaeNQWqwNAsA1AzozUGMyV_YNNpoF3SRf6prP_Je9sbaKHZvIYz9JoR9UqBkmELll7k4opMYw7yiaxWdl6SOw/s467/Sector%20Overview.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKUrKHge49fMR8DX6GsbYiU-IL2k5b4fS26gVqBkqKewp-LZ7FyGkOMtCYlqFeXbLIibQyh7kyQQPj_gV4B_6SiJfT7p7YZwXHIzuHbaeNQWqwNAsA1AzozUGMyV_YNNpoF3SRf6prP_Je9sbaKHZvIYz9JoR9UqBkmELll7k4opMYw7yiaxWdl6SOw/s320/Sector%20Overview.png" width="204" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A new writing challenge is spreading like wildfire in online TTRPG spheres: the <a href="https://seanmccoy.substack.com/p/dungeon23">Dungeon 23 Challenge</a>. Create a 365-room megadungeon (or other TTRPG location) in 2023, one room a day. Sean McCoy, who initiated this challenge, wrote it, urges the creators taking up this challenge to not overthink things, and use generators whenever possible.</div><p style="text-align: justify;">I initially thought about creating a post-apocalyptic Bunker 23, but I had trouble choosing a post-apocalyptic dungeon crawl ruleset (I have certain reservations with using Mutant Future, and Other Dust is sometimes a bit too weird for my tastes). I did consider hacking Swords & Wizardry: Core to suit my needs, but that defeats part of the simplicity inherent in this setting.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, back to my usual haunts! A <a href="https://spacecockroach.blogspot.com/2016/05/what-is-proto-traveller.html">Proto-Traveller</a> sector rolled one world a day, with me writing <i>at least one paragraph </i>of descriptive text for each such world. Approx. 30 worlds per subsector. As a Traveller sector has 16 subsectors and a Terran year only has 12 months, I decided to add a rift - a (mostly) empty region of space to this sector, encompassing subsectors D, H, L, and P.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For the rest, before each month, I will prepare a "dot map" of star locations in the subsector, with a number of stars equal to the number of days in that month, then fill it in with actual worlds, one day at a time.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'll write this up digitally, and gradually post here on my blog what I came up with.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Here is the "dot map" of Subsector A:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHFMJOeqfoXIyPuytalrD04rrzcDVvpooxXE9lHkdhL_dxDXxkNE4itN0UVLAVJVPfOxUdQgawMMUbvOWFuw5ZbdLGI5-BrvoaGKzLsPJClXjTTkVk9qLv6IoFMJEW7vohlpr4uWdhCIyAydY-8RNrwComYj8891hdvzuNIHpYVtyvdRwZvtssJzT9w/s2955/Subsector%20A.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="1919" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHFMJOeqfoXIyPuytalrD04rrzcDVvpooxXE9lHkdhL_dxDXxkNE4itN0UVLAVJVPfOxUdQgawMMUbvOWFuw5ZbdLGI5-BrvoaGKzLsPJClXjTTkVk9qLv6IoFMJEW7vohlpr4uWdhCIyAydY-8RNrwComYj8891hdvzuNIHpYVtyvdRwZvtssJzT9w/w416-h640/Subsector%20A.png" width="416" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>A few initial setting notes before I start rolling up worlds tomorrow:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li>The Star Empire collapsed. Two centuries passed. There is no central government controlling the entire sector, but local multi-world governments may exist, depending on my rolls.</li><li>Many worlds regressed following the Collapse. A few retained advanced technology (the Star Empire was TL15, with TL16 in R&D stages). Fewer may have even advanced. This explains the varied technologies and societies on the various worlds. Some worlds lost their population but were re-colonized by their neighbors.</li><li>There may be alien species, both local, at various technological levels, and interstellar. Potentially even some of the Star Empire's many foes invading its badly defended former territory.</li><li>There are alien ruins. At least of one (group of?) ancient species - the Antediluvians - left behind ruins. Additional waves of civilization may exist.</li><li>Technology is Proto-Traveller, that is, having a 1980's flavor to it, with some more "modern" information technologies (and even AIs) at the (rare) high TLs.</li><li>No empty-hex jumps. You need gravity wells on both sides of the jump trajectory. This gives space an interesting "topography".</li><li>Small-ship universe. This means that invading high-tech, high-population star systems is near-impossible without inside help, as it is easier to set up interplanetary defenses than create an interstellar fleet to counter them. The Star Empire may have had big High Guard ships; but they are (mostly?) gone by now.</li><li>This leads to the next point - without vast invasion fleets, interfering with neighboring worlds requires gunboat diplomacy, infiltration, manipulation, covert operations, and other things which may be easy to involve PCs in at prominent roles.</li></ul><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Sources of Inspiration:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><i>Proto-Traveller; think of how Classic Traveller looked with only Books 1-4, Supplements 1-4, and Adventures 1-4.</i></li><li><b><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/873940/Crying_Suns/">Crying Suns</a>, a video game where you control a former Imperial battlecruiser and move through the remnants of a collapsed interstellar empire. Highly recommended!</b></li><li>Dune, at least for the Star Empire's former politics.</li><li>A little bit of inspiration from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fading_Suns">Fading Suns</a>, a semi-apocalyptic interstellar sci-fi TTRPG.</li></ul><p></p><p></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-68664121592454577822022-12-12T10:10:00.009-08:002022-12-12T10:13:34.786-08:00Cepheus Deluxe Enhanced Edition<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sUeA833nQIl-KFZB_jTwpW1sSn0LKlS-tpXeyK88nKx1uyidEr1tUxojH5DdE7zg50mpHvdA6uaR6YI73YX7D6-SeJzmw_gfK09iEOA4wAJ-F0O9Ao4vBiEq-CeXw1JErx4xzOIL4rTw66sUYLDPN5ANoYuj2SqY7h3WK_X8XS0Tt11Xy54RwqYVPg/s906/415159.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="723" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sUeA833nQIl-KFZB_jTwpW1sSn0LKlS-tpXeyK88nKx1uyidEr1tUxojH5DdE7zg50mpHvdA6uaR6YI73YX7D6-SeJzmw_gfK09iEOA4wAJ-F0O9Ao4vBiEq-CeXw1JErx4xzOIL4rTw66sUYLDPN5ANoYuj2SqY7h3WK_X8XS0Tt11Xy54RwqYVPg/w319-h400/415159.png" width="319" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am pleased to announce that we at Stellagama Publishing have recently released </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">Cepheus Deluxe: Enhanced Edition</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;">!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Among the changes from the original edition, one can find:</span></div><p></p><span face="Arial, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><p style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"></p><p style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"></p></span><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">New and better layout.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Full color book.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Rules clarifications.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Correction of all Cepheus Deluxe errata.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Many more, high-quality, full color illustrations.</span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Deck plans for all thirteen included star ships!</b></span></li></ul>And more!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Get the new book <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/415159/Cepheus-Deluxe-Enhanced-Edition">HERE</a>!</b></span><span face="Arial, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><p style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"></p></span>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-29989251806674179502022-11-07T08:11:00.000-08:002022-11-07T08:11:16.886-08:00Returning to Swords & Wizardry!<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqVBDH5IpAAX8cn05jJ2c2okunQgQf8mN3LrR84tszIDJGz8uuHFVck4JRIgqy6LDzjhNVG-15Cf3B_BBAFuNvauBengNEZhYZZPIW1OybWUsxpJY0QU6PlL1iSZ4pmMmh0S0I6k1gJpjKeymN2NuytYxS9yjk3l_JP-HgGbWcI3JfuCNuvkPAR85zw/s4032/PXL_20210924_084224791.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqVBDH5IpAAX8cn05jJ2c2okunQgQf8mN3LrR84tszIDJGz8uuHFVck4JRIgqy6LDzjhNVG-15Cf3B_BBAFuNvauBengNEZhYZZPIW1OybWUsxpJY0QU6PlL1iSZ4pmMmh0S0I6k1gJpjKeymN2NuytYxS9yjk3l_JP-HgGbWcI3JfuCNuvkPAR85zw/s320/PXL_20210924_084224791.MP.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Yours truly holding the Beginner Kit and wearing the local Swords & Wizardry T-Shirt</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">My journey through the OSR landscape was a long one. After abandoning D&D 3.xE in 2008 or so, I moved to the <a href="https://www.basicfantasy.org/">Basic Fantasy RPG</a> (BFRPG). This rekindled my joy of fantasy role-playing, after an almost-burnout by 3.xE, where I felt that prepping game material is a menial chore. In BFRPG, I could simply run with the game and have fun, even as Dungeon Master.</div><p style="text-align: justify;">Afterwards came Lamentations of the Flame Princess; the Adventurer, Conqueror, King System (ACKS), a short bout of Swords & Wizardry: White Box, and, finally, settling on <a href="https://necroticgnome.com/">Old School Essentials</a> (OSE) as my go-to fantasy RPG. However, things have changed recently, and I am returning to Swords & Wizardry!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The reason is that Swords & Wizardry is enjoying rapid growth here in Israel. After the core book was translated in the previous decade, a local team gathered and created an actual Beginner Kit boxed set! This costs 99 NIS (approx. $30 USD) and includes all the rules necessary to play the game up to level 5, as well as dice and two adventures! This Kit is now sold in multiple game, toy, and book stores across Israel, ready to bring new players and Game Masters into our hobby!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulG3-knB1mNnR4F2OaYFoQOKdW79YoXWgRgTylbO3vC3U49VRVFGZ3Ijh8GUZPitz1JHlTGoCtygzH4khhxLKa_EZQK3f05jv00Hw8iUY5DOE4k6ACBKOQxhdEchI9Fc26HxPp_cuG4aJ3KMwnm_yVi6F1usWKffxA9-qDfRHHzic43JKkUmgOEO5lA/s4080/PXL_20221011_091109338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4080" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulG3-knB1mNnR4F2OaYFoQOKdW79YoXWgRgTylbO3vC3U49VRVFGZ3Ijh8GUZPitz1JHlTGoCtygzH4khhxLKa_EZQK3f05jv00Hw8iUY5DOE4k6ACBKOQxhdEchI9Fc26HxPp_cuG4aJ3KMwnm_yVi6F1usWKffxA9-qDfRHHzic43JKkUmgOEO5lA/w240-h241/PXL_20221011_091109338.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Swords & Wizardry booth at a local convention, with a wealth of new products!</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This opened the floodgate to a burgeoning ecosystem of supporting books, especially adventures, put forth both by the local translation team, and by third parties. This happens while D&D 5E is unavailable in Hebrew (other than its mostly-unformatted SRD) due to licensing issues. While most adult Israelis know English relatively well, children are rarely fluent in it, and even many adults prefer to run and play games in our native tongue. So, the game is growing exponentially here!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am also behind the local (Hebrew) Swords & Wizardry fanzine, the <b>Fighting Agama</b>, which already published two issues, and a third one is already in the works - this is intended to be a bi-monthly, or maybe even later monthly, publication.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZMp1MsQSd3Silj6ONLz0W5j-APa6X7WmgUJh8wmqg1QRRbvzyKabY06sfRkmm0R-lLIfdzU8AlBzo6pUZL-AepUx5YAiMsqu5cpUECc1kbkt671XngpGj224cKKZoHXSfJpZ2hxGXEq1wt-_2S-rhMPbRA6aLsKmVp25YXPnwLmhsPwG51mR_9X7Fw/s2048/IMG-20221011-WA0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ZMp1MsQSd3Silj6ONLz0W5j-APa6X7WmgUJh8wmqg1QRRbvzyKabY06sfRkmm0R-lLIfdzU8AlBzo6pUZL-AepUx5YAiMsqu5cpUECc1kbkt671XngpGj224cKKZoHXSfJpZ2hxGXEq1wt-_2S-rhMPbRA6aLsKmVp25YXPnwLmhsPwG51mR_9X7Fw/s320/IMG-20221011-WA0005.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Fighting Agama fanzine!</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Thus, I am switching over, for all my "D20 fantasy", to Swords & Wizardry!</p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Disclaimer</b>: The Hebrew version of Swords & Wizardry is based on Swords & Wizardry: Core by Matthew J. Finch (<a href="https://swordsandwizardry.com/">https://swordsandwizardry.com/</a>). The translation was performed by Itai Greif, Michael Gorodin, Eran Aviram, Itai Horev, and Eran Ben-Saar. the local team is unaffiliated with Frog God Games or Mythmere Games.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Also note that I have not been personally involved in the Beginner Kit's development, though I backed it on local crowdfunding, but I am involved in the upcoming Expert's Kit development.</p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-4368400217244183312022-08-24T10:20:00.000-07:002022-08-24T10:20:55.447-07:00Reignited Stars<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZApK2DC_rQQkVk-Ixyxxj-7z2XmD-v6Q8wFAnfzJyEGVrDmaMXqZxRjFnYaLwzjDWqvtZ1qZ1F1llaXy9xg5a9LKUpwZG4L9kAUnYhXhwNLfxmnS8C6W5IN2AsBvEUkHezCuAnoEFvs1YnAm7pRi9ZDLyAj_aiGOgz6q7dIxtJFV3gdmaA_esM3VjQg/s931/SU%20Emblem.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZApK2DC_rQQkVk-Ixyxxj-7z2XmD-v6Q8wFAnfzJyEGVrDmaMXqZxRjFnYaLwzjDWqvtZ1qZ1F1llaXy9xg5a9LKUpwZG4L9kAUnYhXhwNLfxmnS8C6W5IN2AsBvEUkHezCuAnoEFvs1YnAm7pRi9ZDLyAj_aiGOgz6q7dIxtJFV3gdmaA_esM3VjQg/s320/SU%20Emblem.png" width="264" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Emblem of the Solar Union</span></b></td></tr></tbody></table> </p><p>A post-apocalyptic Classic Traveller setting I am thinking about is as follows, briefly, as a more elaborate and less standard replacement for <a href="https://spacecockroach.blogspot.com/2022/07/classic-traveller-harsh-beginnings.html">Harsh Beginnings</a>:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>In the 22nd century, humanity colonized the near stars (TLs 9-13), mostly near Earth, but eventually around a Quadrant of space.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Apocalyptic war between the power blocs of Earth, spurred by eco-collapse and techno-shock, mostly devastating Earth, and the core colonies.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>With most starships and all shipyards gone, the surviving (mostly further away) colonies were left to their own devices.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Eventually (circa 350 years later), some colonies, as well as Earth, regained interstellar technology and began expanding.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>One prominent power is the Solar Union (TL9) - an authoritarian (but not totalitarian) state created by the union of slowly recovering Earth, surviving Martian colonies, and asteroid Belters. The Solar Union sees all human space as rightfully belonging to it and seek to liberate it from warlords and petty dictators the way it liberated Earth from wasteland raiders and warlords.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>By default, PCs are "Detached" members of REA - the Reclamation and Exploration Agency. Think of a more aggressive Scout Service, or something like the TNE RCES, combined with a "marshal service" of sorts. The Solar Union sees itself as the legitimate government of all human space, and planetary governments not aligned with it as various post-apocalyptic warlords (like the ones the Solar Union defeated on Earth itself...). So, REA is tasked with exploring space, reclaiming pre-Collapse technology, establishing Solar sovereignty when possible, and preparing the ground for military operations if the local governments take an anti-Solar stance. Plus, maintaining the law on far-flung colonies and reclaimed worlds.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Solar Union "marines" are called Starborne Infantry, or SUSI (Solar Union Starborne Infantry). Called "Mother Susie" by the troops; or "The Sushi" by their foes...</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Former colonies vary from worlds dead for the past 350 or so years, regressed colonies, tin-pot dictatorships, and genuinely recovering worlds, some even establishing their own multi-world interstellar polities (mostly TL9, too).</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Science feels "hard" but isn't necessarily "hard". "Black box" alien artifacts permit gravitics, even grav vehicles. Flying cars! Expensive but possible. Adventure may take precedence over realism, as is customary in CT.</li></ul><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">What do you think?</p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-87763574057187969852022-07-15T10:28:00.003-07:002022-07-15T10:57:00.602-07:00Classic Traveller: Harsh Beginnings<p style="text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1Sf-jLPAr9gGQ9jRbgYSMnMGyn9DfWqav6rkgnN6e-Q0Rj1mFxxtHop-VTbtRnCLgqcmaFgiyt__004JYdeYV9EdDhOwSw7LDiocXqq5ppXB8oEKOFsSEEbK4Bdhsgf4p7y6MRS4G55TKnRtSwcfSAJuaY7KWpBySMOn8hannFfQtRV7L1ILnNQU-Q/s1667/Fotosearch_k37713610.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="1667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1Sf-jLPAr9gGQ9jRbgYSMnMGyn9DfWqav6rkgnN6e-Q0Rj1mFxxtHop-VTbtRnCLgqcmaFgiyt__004JYdeYV9EdDhOwSw7LDiocXqq5ppXB8oEKOFsSEEbK4Bdhsgf4p7y6MRS4G55TKnRtSwcfSAJuaY7KWpBySMOn8hannFfQtRV7L1ILnNQU-Q/s320/Fotosearch_k37713610.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image (c) MaksTRV www.fotosearch.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I wanted for some time to create a side "pet project" free/Fair Use setting using 3-book Classic Traveller. I wanted something strictly non-OTU, so this means writing something which is not <a href="https://spacecockroach.blogspot.com/search/label/Dark%20Nebula">Dark Nebula</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I have tried consolidating concepts for my Post-Imperial setting. Still no clear line of thought, only various ideas. Instead, I will focus on my near future/near Earth setting. Hardcore Classic Traveller at TL9, with the only deviation from the rules being using custom world generation based on colonization wave.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This should have a very different tone from my older Hard Space setting concept. Neither "true" hard science, nor chrome-focused cyberpunk. Instead, it will detail a harsh future inspired by the near-future sci-fi novels and other media I consumed in the 1990's, which was mostly from the 1960's, 1970's, and 1980's.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Niven's <i>Known Space</i> tales set prior to Kzin contact; Arthur C. Clarke's stories; <i>Roadside Picnic</i>; <i>Alien(s)</i>; <i>Outland</i>. This will be somewhat less industrial and less hard sci-fi than Zozer's HOSTILE, though.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Ground Rules</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p></p><ul><li>3-book CT at strict TL9. Including gravitics; Jump-2 ships limited to 400 dtons, Jump-1 to 800 dtons; most weapons other than lasers are recognizable to early 21st century people; no Reflec (it's TL10).</li></ul><ul><li>Resist my strong cyberpunk urges. There are megacorps, who even dominate the stars, but there is less focus on technology and tech-related social alienation, or on nihilist rebellion. This is <i>Alien</i>, not <i>Cyberpunk 2077</i> or even<i> System Shock</i>.</li></ul><ul><li>Science feels "hard" but isn't necessarily "hard". "Black box" alien artifacts permit gravitics, even grav vehicles. Flying cars! Expensive but possible. Adventure may take precedence over realism, as is customary in CT. </li></ul><ul><li>No big interstellar wars. Most, or all, armed conflicts are local and small-scale. This arises from the colonies being very lightly populated and starships being small, but also from the general feel of such setting. An interesting change of pace from my TSAO/Terra Arisen milieux. It also makes small PC mercenary forces relevant.</li></ul><ul><li>No living aliens. At all. Only dead ones - the Antediluvians, who were wiped out by a hypothetical event dubbed the Deluge, and left behind incomprehensible ruins and artifacts. Again, a major change of pace from TSAO/Terra Arisen.</li></ul>Some ideas from my older <a href="https://spacecockroach.blogspot.com/search/label/Hard%20Space">Hard Space</a> setting concept would serve here, but the tone is different: unlike Hard Space, CT: Harsh Beginnings is neither cyberpunk nor strictly hard-science.<p></p><p>Maps coming soon.</p><p></p><p></p>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-25296573350789530452022-06-27T06:31:00.002-07:002022-06-27T06:34:24.193-07:00Low-Tech and Fantasy Armor for Classic Traveller<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83U0r0y799K3_NGPUqYQTBEPQFRfsXsvYihQHJZzm3rcpfUIp4ugLmkNvd4FwyxsxceC7Buz5UkIHuck4Ud7YFG_PowK_EUUUNCZrNkP12VhTqfgzlPmACyy3cp-G0UrklUr8ITjGScPpys4nXywVQArBUELwuniTMEib-PuOJ9RjFNgkH7cROfkyGQ/s1200/Rustning,_Gustav_Vasa_-_Livrustkammaren_-_32921.tif.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83U0r0y799K3_NGPUqYQTBEPQFRfsXsvYihQHJZzm3rcpfUIp4ugLmkNvd4FwyxsxceC7Buz5UkIHuck4Ud7YFG_PowK_EUUUNCZrNkP12VhTqfgzlPmACyy3cp-G0UrklUr8ITjGScPpys4nXywVQArBUELwuniTMEib-PuOJ9RjFNgkH7cROfkyGQ/s320/Rustning,_Gustav_Vasa_-_Livrustkammaren_-_32921.tif.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Classic Traveller's <b>Book 1: Characters and Combat </b>provides a surprisingly complete collection of low-tech arms. Weaponry includes a good range of TL0-3 weapons, from spears to muskets, ideal for low-tech lost colonies and to forays into medieval and fantasy role-playing. Furthermore, <b>Supplement 4: Citizens of the Imperium</b> provides bows and crossbows, including the inaccurate but rapidly firing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repeating_crossbow">Repeating Crossbow</a>. <b>Book 3: Worlds and Adventures</b> also provides common adventuring gear, such as torches.</p><div style="text-align: justify;">However, the one thing lacking in these rules is low-tech armor. The only low-TL armor in Classic Traveller is the Jack (leather) armor (TL1). Below I will detail a few additional suits of armor for your Proto-Traveller game.</div><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Chain, TL1, Cr250</b>. A suit of flexible armor composed of many small interlocking metal rings. Treat as Mesh against TL2 or earlier weapons and as Jack against modern weapons. Weighs 18000 grams. Like modern armor, it does not count towards Encumbrance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><b>Elven Chain, TL1, Cr2000</b>. A suit of particularly high-quality and lightweight Chain armor. Treat as<br />Mesh-1, weighing only 8000 grams. At the Referee's option, it may even count as regular Mesh against modern (TL3+) weapons.</p><div><div><b>Plate, TL2, Cr1000</b>. A heavy full-body suit of armor built of metal plating. Treat as Cloth against TL2 or earlier weapons and as Jack against modern weapons. Weighs 25000 grams, and, unlike other suits of armor, Plate does count against the Encumbrance limit.</div></div></div>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1014248690808215206.post-16932348754767885732022-06-26T04:46:00.003-07:002022-06-26T04:46:43.351-07:00On the Implied Setting of Classic Traveller<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_FchUL-X1ZcUP2K9Ynp3bmJRtARxOjbWldL5WZZmkOoqFUKCOCcFO-nyL-bjDJGNK5xty0ise54rZY-i9tWQ3gNi430D-u2v84DHIRjyUCyIYMEWxxH3sSGqGEGHiujj0SWOhQF4v8uq2yS_gzjpQYpnaZNFAMPHyrxrsJ3kMJwIVhLnf6Il79lzMNA/s500/ctboxset01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="351" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_FchUL-X1ZcUP2K9Ynp3bmJRtARxOjbWldL5WZZmkOoqFUKCOCcFO-nyL-bjDJGNK5xty0ise54rZY-i9tWQ3gNi430D-u2v84DHIRjyUCyIYMEWxxH3sSGqGEGHiujj0SWOhQF4v8uq2yS_gzjpQYpnaZNFAMPHyrxrsJ3kMJwIVhLnf6Il79lzMNA/s320/ctboxset01.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Note that, in the setting postulated in Traveller's Three Black Books, especially in their 1977 edition, star travel is infrequent, dangerous, and expensive.</p><div><p style="text-align: justify;">A parsec's passage in cold sleep (with its 15% mortality rate!) is Cr1,000. Traveller Credits are said to be $3 each in 2020-or-so real-world USD (prior to the current wave of inflation). So, $3,000 just to travel, at a risk to your life, to a neighboring world. Crossing the subsector (8 parsecs) would cost you $24,000. One way. In dangerous cold sleep.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Normal "Mid Passage" without the risks of cold sleep costs $24,000 <i>per parsec</i>. Crossing the subsector will cost $192,000.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Add to that the risks of engine failure and/or "misjump" of the ship you are riding even when in "safe" Mid Passage. And frequent piracy. And hijacking (ships are worth a lot, so thieves abound). </p><p style="text-align: justify;">People don't travel casually.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">PCs are <i>Travellers </i>- belonging to the small class of people who actually travel frequently, be that thanks to wealth/Travellers' Aid Society membership, or due to having a job on a starship. Most NPCs stay on their homeworld.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Also, the average (and approximately median) world has hundreds of thousands of residents. The average world, isolated by the dark gulfs of space, has the population of a small city.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Worlds with billions of residents are rare, and, if their tech level permits, are often local hegemons. This has interesting implications to interstellar warfare. First of all, given ship size and availability, expect even large planetary invasions to be the equivalent of the Third Battle of Cartagena rather than of D-Day. Second, as world populations are typically small, a reasonably-sized mercenary unit can often have local military significance.</p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p>That's Classic Traveller as written originally. Within a few years, it evolved and changed into a more "open" space-opera setting, with various unified task systems and with a grander, less isolated setting. Passage costs remained high, but starships grew, and the setting changed from one or two subsectors rolled by the Referee to the vast Imperium.</p><p>My own Cepheus Deluxe books and settings were inspired by these later mechanics, while trying to preserve some of the original spirit. But they are quite different from the original form of Traveller. If I were to write an OSR book in the spirit of such original, it would have looked quite different from Cepheus Deluxe.</p></div>Omer Golan-Joelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09242085820257230639noreply@blogger.com5