I’m sure a lot of hacks and other pieces of original content were posted on the Torchbearer G+. Now that it’s dead, however, I’m wondering if anyone out there saved any of it? I’d be very sad if it was all lost to the ether.
(I’m also going to ask the same about the Burning Wheel G+)
I saved a little. What were you interested in specifically?
I mean I’d love to look through it all, technically, but I’m mostly looking for homebrew that people created - monsters, spells, items, etc.
I was saving pages by hand and each one takes about half a minute to load due to broken links. I know that several of the monsters posted on G+ were later reprinted, sometimes with mechanical changes; either on the blog, or in Middarmark, or in the Grind.
Take a look at Formian Guardian and Giant Centipede from the blog. These were the Ankheg and Carrion Crawler on G+
The Thursar from Middarmark was originally an Ogre on G+ with Might 4 and Kill 13, Flee 9, Convince 6, Trick 3 with the special Brutish Fists. When unarmed or disarmed in a fight, the Ogre does not suffer the -1D penalty to all actions. Brutish Fists ignore chainmail and increases the odds of damage to plate armor.
Yeah I’ve already collected everything from the blog and from supplements. I wanted to chronicle anything else from G+ that didn’t appear in a later form, mostly for the sake of historical preservation.
Basically it’s a huge mess for various reasons. Neither G+ nor the forums are particularly friendly formats for sharing information. Daniel Cruickshank made a few posts about goats in 2017 that I haven’t seen elsewhere:
Inspired by yesterday’s release of Journey rules and the Middarmark setting, My GM and I whipped up a beast of burden that I felt was missing
Might 2 Nature 4 (Hauling, Browsing, Climbing)
+1D to resist the Toll, with an additional +1D in inclement weather
Pack 4
OB 2 Resources to buy
12 miles if grazing, 18 miles if carrying feed
+1 Lifestyle to stable in town
Feed requirements: same as donkey
Special; Iron Stomach: A goat can forage for food in any environment with even sparse plant life such as above the tree line in mountains, badlands, or underground mushroom caverns
The pack goats of Middarmark are known for being tough, hardy creatures. While not capable of carrying heavier loads like donkeys or mules, the pack goat is useful in the rocky terrain that criss crosses Middarmark. Known for trying to eat anything (including gear and supplies), pack goats are a common choice for those adventurers foolish enough to explore the mountains far from civilization.
Might 2 Nature 4 (Herding, Browsing, Climbing)
+1D to resist the Toll, with an additional +1D in inclement weather
Pack 0
OB 3 Resources to buy
12 miles if grazing, 18 miles if carrying feed
+1 Lifestyle to stable in town
Feed; same as pony
Special;
Iron Stomach: Goats can forage for food in any environment with even sparse plant life such as above the tree line in mountains, badlands, or underground mushroom cavern
Milk producing: Once per camp turn a character may attempt to milk a milking goat with an OB 1 Peasant test. Success provides 1 fresh ration of goats milk if the goat is feeding on forage or 2 fresh rations of goats milk if the goat has been fed feed since it was last milked. Milk that isn’t consumed immediately must be stored in skins, bottles or kegs, and will spoil by the next camp phase if not turned into cheese, either through Cook test (Preservation factors) or a Peasant OB 2 test to make one portion of milk into one portion of cheese.
On the hoof: a character can make a OB 1 Hunter or OB 2 peasant test to convert a milking goat into 2 portions of fresh game. This kills the goat.
It seems like every farmstead, inn yard and peddler’s wagon in Middarmark has a milking goat tied up in the back. Though useless for hauling gear, forward thinking adventurers occasionally bring one along when exploring far off ruins and mountain holds as a reliable food source. With even a sparse supply of forage, a milking goat can consistently provide fresh food to the party. And if there is no forage, they can still provide the makings for at least one last good meal for a party of adventurers.
From John Love in 2014:
Might: 1
Nature: 3
Descriptors: Harassing; Bartering; Thieving
Conflict Dispositions and Weapons:
Capture: 3
Defend and Maneuver: +2D, Wings
Attack: +1D, Sharp Talons
Trick, Convince or Barter: 7
Feint and Maneuver: +2D, Clever Bird Brain
Drive Off: 2
Attack: +1D, Sharp Talons
Maneuver: +2D, Relentless Pecking
Defend: +2D Wings
Instinct: Always steal unprotected things. Especially the shiny things.
Special:
Swarms: A group of 10 or more Ravens count as Might 2
Damn Clever Bastards: A Raven can always find and use Supplies , granting +1D for Criminal -like Tests. Supplies can be anything from a small stick, to using a distraction as an opportunity.
A speaking bird?: The Clicktongue Clan was taught the language of men generations ago. They can all speak near-fluent Common.
Commanding Caw: At the end of every other round, if their disposition hasn’t been reduced to 0, the ravens’ squawking calls in more ravens. Bring in 1d6 -1 more ravens and assign them one disposition each. Raise the ravens’ maximum disposition by this number.
Some history about the Clicktongues
The Clicktongue Clan is the only unkindness (Damn, I love that groups of ravens are called that!) in the entire Clovencliff Mountains that can speak the Common Language.
Originally, the first of the clan were employees of a messenger rookery within an ancient beacon tower, named Bers Aedün, which sits atop a single mountain called The Fortress Island, resting in the middle of a 40 Mile wide basin.
The master, an elf, spent centuries and hundreds of raven generations teaching them the ability to not only speak his language, but to learn new languages as well.
For whatever reason over the ages, the tower became abandoned by it’s original inhabitants, and became the roost-capital of Clan Clicktongue for hundreds of years.
However, twenty years ago, the clan was evicted of their home by a massive Ettin by the name of Scargut. Scargut was stubborn and tough.He wanted the tower only to himself. The ravens could not hope to defeat him. To avoid further casualties, the Clicktongues fled.
The clan was ousted, and has since been trying to reclaim their capital from Scargut.
From D. Koch in 2018:
Lake hydrae are ferocious, serpentine amphibians with multiple heads, serving as guardians to the Otherworld.
Might: 5
Nature: 8
Descriptors: Masticating, Gliding, Lurking
Kill: 17
Attack: +1D, Many-fanged bite
Defend: +1D, +2s Regeneration
Capture: 12
Maneuver: +1D, Virulent blood
Defend: +1D, +2s Regeneration
Drive Off: 8
Attack: +1D, Poisonous Breath
Maneuver: +1D, +1s, Deadly Scent
Defend: +1D, +2s Regeneration
Flee: 4
Attack: +2D, Slithering Chase
Feint: +1D, Snapping Tail
Instinct: Never let mortals enter the Otherworld.
Specials:
Brute: Cannot be convinced or riddled.
Multiple Heads: Lake hydrae possess six heads. In a conflict, each head receives disposition hit points but does not add to the
conflict disposition. Each head should use its own monster token and provides help to the actions of the other heads or monsters. Heads share weapons for the whole hydra. If a weapon is disarmed, none of the heads can use it.
Otherworldly Immunity: While the hydra has two or more heads remaining, it is immune to being charmed, blinded, deafened, frightened, or stunned. Once it has only one head remaining, not only does it cease to be immune but it cannot use its Regeneration weapon until a second head is brought back into the conflict.
Notes:
I based it off the ancient Greek myth and not the D&D version so much. It’s interesting how, over the centuries, the number of heads in Heracles’ story went from 6, to 9, to 12, to 50, and so on (humans and their Boasting nature, I guess). I don’t know how D&D settled on five , but I went with the earliest 700 BCE version that had six and could only heal back heads and not duplicate severed heads.
We had a really fun time with it. It was a pretty long and challenging conflict that lasted over an hour. The trick is surviving long enough to get it down to one head. If it was a kill conflict, I might have played Defend - Defend - Defend to see if I could heal it back to full, but this was a Drive Off conflict so I didn’t feel I had to go that route.
The party (six 3rd level characters with a disposition of 10) did a drive off conflict. Most of the time the hydra rolled 13-14D (with weapons) vs the party’s base 9-10D until they started lobbing off those heads to get rid of helping dice.
The first round I announced “Deadly Scent” as the hydra’s weapon. All three characters tapped Nature to prevent success and even the odds.
Then, I used Regeneration with one Defend action in the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th round. When I declared the Regeneration weapon at the top of those rounds, it was interesting because they knew a Defend was coming. At first, they failed to line up their Feint, and I got heads back - especially thanks to that nasty +2s on Defend. In the 5th round, with two heads left, I started with a Defend, and they played Attack (10D vs 10D). They tied and went for the roll off and got it.
In the end, the group was pretty tapped out of rewards. The party was able to send it on its way on the 5th round 2nd action, but they had a minor compromise… it slithered off, lurking in the swampy lake beyond the torch light, beckoning others to protect the gateway to the Otherworld.
Hey, you saved my goats! I couldn’t remember the name of the orginal file for those for a while and didn’t have any other back up so I thought I lost them, but found them again a couple months back.
I also posted a spell based on Tenser’s Transformation, and I think some of my magic items. I will try find copies of everything and will post them to this thread as I find them.
Here is the spell that I mentioned that I posted to Google+ (Slightly edited for clarity from the original posting but mechanics are identical):
Invented by a love struck mage who needed to defeat a king’s champion in a duel to win her true love’s hand, this spell can give even the puniest of magic users the skill and strength of a warrior. Potions of this spell are highly valued by adventurers of all types.
Ferocious Transformation
Third circle spell
Bellowing words of power, arcane energies wrack your body, making your muscles creak and joints pop as they surge with magical power, while a red fog fills your mind with thoughts of violence.
Supplies for Ferocious Transformation: The heart of a great beast or foe (must be eaten during the casting of the spell)
Lore Master Ob to learn: 3
Scholar Ob to scribe as a scroll: 3
Scholar Ob to scribe into traveling spell book: 4
Ferocious Transformation Factors:
Bonus Dice (start counting at 3): +1 dice, + 2 dice, + 3 dice
Effect
When successfully cast in a Fight, Capture or Drive off conflict, or before a Fighter Versus roll, Ferocious Transformation provides the caster a magical bonus dice for the Fighter skill (including Beginner’s Luck roll for Fighter) for the turn. Due to being magic, this bonus is not halved in beginners luck rolls. The caster may also treat any weapon or their fists as improvised weapons for the duration of the spell.
You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry: Take + 1D to cast if angry
Red Fog: - 1D to any Arcanist rolls while in effect
Exhausting Come Down: At the end of the conflict or versus test take exhausted as the arcane energy leaves your body.
EDIT: Friend who edits my game design stuff reminded me that I increased it to Third Circle from the rough drafts Second Circle before posting it to Google+, so I fixed that
From Luke Crane in 2016:
Friends and fellow adventurers, a while back, I got to thinking about how to do a magician class without using spell slots or memorization. I came up with the Gray Wizard class. Let me know what you think. This is an untested alpha, so let me know if you use it in your game.
Gray Wizard
The gray wizard is a strange creature, seemingly human but with an inscrutable, alien air. He claims to know magic, but can cast no spells. What is he? What is his destiny? Only time and trial can answer such questions!
Starting Abilities: Health 4, Will 4. Use Human nature questions.
Starting Skills: Lore Master 4, Scholar 3, Persuader 2, Scout 2, Alchemist 2, Arcanist 2
Starting Wises: Choose either Judge of Character-wise, Stench of Magic-wise, or Fools-wise. Plus one additional wise of your choice.
Starting Weapons and Armor: None.Mysterious: No one knows what thoughts are held behind your inscrutable brow, making your motives impossible to guess, but you also speak in a strange manner and have difficulty expressing ideas to those who are not wizards.
Level One
Not of this World: Change one Nature descriptor to Wandering, Concealing or Disappearing. May not use weapons or wear armor. However, the gray wizard can always use a staff as a weapon or tool. Staff provides no bonus, but eliminates the unarmed penalty. It also can act as tools for Pathfinding and as supplies for a variety of dire situations.
Level Two
Friend of Fire: Once per phase, you may conjure a small magical flame to your hand that can light candles, torches and campfires. It can act as a candle for two turns. In addition, you can extinguish or douse a flame (candle, torch, lantern, etc) with a gesture of your hand so long as you can see it. Test Arcanist. Factors: conjure flame, extinguish candle, extinguish torch, extinguish lantern.
Child under the Wind: Inclement weather has no effect on the wizard: cold, rain, snow, heat, all leave her inconvenienced but otherwise unperturbed. Test Arcanist. Factors: resist heat or cold, remain dry in rain, remain unaffected by ice and snow.
Level Three
Mage Light: Once per phase, create a candle light that can only be extinguished if the wizard earns the angry or afraid conditions, otherwise it burns for the whole phase. Increase the power of the ability by one step per level to 5th level: 4th level mage light is equivalent to a torch; 5th level is equivalent to a lantern. Test Arcanist, Ob 3.
Necessity: Ignore class restrictions for weapons and armor as necessity demands, but you can never have more than you strictly need—and must discard whatever was used after the battle (unless the item is a unique artifact).
Level Four
Low Speech: Can speak to animals and similar creatures. Use the Persuader skill to convince said denizens to reveal paths, trails and hidden locations in their domain. Increase obstacle to recover from Exhaustion while in the forest by 1. The voices never stop.
Traveler: Use Arcanist in place of Pathfinder. If you should ever be lost, you accidentally stumble on a bauble, sign or creature that will be of some use in the future (but not for finding your way now).
Level Five
Spell Breaker: Make an Arcanist versus test or a test equal to the obstacle to cast +1 to banish or dispel a spell or prayer.
Spellbinder: Strengthen any spell (+2D to help when using Arcanist to help Arcanist or Ritualist). Increase the duration of any spell by one step after it’s been cast. Test Arcanist, Obstacle equal to duration factor or 2, whichever is higher.
Level Six
Destroyer: Once per session, use Arcanist in a Kill, Capture or Drive Off conflict in place of Fighter. You may use Sorcerous Fire as your weapon: A +1s D: -1D F: -1D M: +1D. Ignores armor. Equip when choosing weapons. Duration lasts the whole fight.
Maker: Use Arcanist in place of Armorer, Mason or Carpenter. When creating something, you may imbue the object with the power of one of your level abilities (except Not of this World, Necessity or Maker). Imbuing magic into something increases the skill test obstacle to make the item by level of the benefit. For example, making a sword glow with Mage Light is a +3 obstacle when creating it.
Level Seven
True Nature Unfolds: Increase Might by 1.
Ageless: The gray wizard stops aging and will never die from old age. Increase Health max to 7, and Health can never be reduced below 1 by injury, sickness, poison or curse.
Level Eight
The Interposing Hand: You may place yourself between your friends and their danger. You shield them from harm, taking on the full force of an attack (or even whole conflict) yourself.
The Voluminous Cloak: You have no limit to your inventory when placed in your cloak. Objects up to three spaces big may be placed within it, without creating any burden on you. However, items placed in the cloak become jumbled and mixed up. To retrieve something from your inventory takes 0-5 turns. Roll 1d6-1. The cloak is a physical item that may be lost, given as a gift, stolen or used as a tent to shield you from the rain. It cannot be destroyed by any means currently known.
Level Nine
Immortal Companion: You bond with another immortal creature who also wearily wanders this world. You two agree to aid one another in times of peril. You may summon your companion. It takes one phase for them to arrive. Choose an immortal horse god, a dragon, leviathan or something similar. The creature is Might 5. Pick and appropriate Nature Descriptor: Galloping like the Wind/Flying/Striding Oceans
To Walk Unseen: While traveling from place to place, you appear to be humble traveler. You are never waylaid, never stopped to be questioned and rarely even seen. Neither can you be detected by magic when walking unseen. Twists for such effects can be avoided with a tip of the hat and a wink of the eye. This effect lasts until you cast a spell (use a level benefit) or otherwise reveal yourself. The effect only applies to you and not your companions. Once this illusion is broken, it can only be reactivated in the next adventure phase. Thus, if reveal yourself in the adventure phase, you must spend the camp (and/or town!) phase as visible and available to be bothered.
Level Ten
Transformation If killed while in service of a goal appropriate to your alignment, and you choose the Terrible Price, your wizard is reborn in a new form. Change Health, Will, Nature or Arcanist to heroic level (3+ for success). However, all wises and traits (aside from Mysterious) are lost. Only may be transformed once. Subsequent deaths are final!
The Lawbreaker: You may instill life into inanimate matter, be it once living or forever dead. This level benefit calls forth spirits to bring life to inanimate objects or corpses. Meeting the obstacle animates one object or corpse. Margin of Success may be spent to animate additional beings, up to a maximum equal to the wizard’s Will. These animated servants have Might, Nature and a single nature Descriptor according to the type of object. Additional descriptors raise the obstacle by +1 (max: three Nature descriptors). Once animated, the object will follow the wizard’s orders (each action costs a turn). Test Arcanist with the following factors:
Forever dead (start at 3): clothing or tool, weapon, cart or boat, construct (q.v. guardian statue)
Once-living (start at 4): zombie, tomb guardian, skeletal honor guard (see The Dread Crypt of Skogenby)
Suppose the wizard desires to animate a broom to sweep the floors. The obstacle is 3 for this simple task. If the wizard wished the broom to fetch water, this raises the ob by +1 to 4.
Animated Broom: Might 1, Nature 2 (Sweeping, Fetching)
At the end of each phase after being animated, the objects may return to their inanimate state: the wizard must test Will against an obstacle equal to the number of phases the object has been animated. This test does not cost a turn. Failure indicates the object reverts to inanimate/dead state or may break free of the wizard’s control. As long as the wizard remains in control, this unnatural life may be revoked at any time.
Retirement
Return to Whence He Came: You return to the land across the sea, and into bosom of the gods you’ve served these long years - never to be seen in these lands again. Leave your next character a mysterious gift from your inventory.
Left to Wander: The wizard will roam the world, gently enacting his will. Even if killed, his spirit will wander and attempt to do his will. You may mentor your next character (or anyone who would have such a strange sort as you).
From Luke Crane in 2016:
Here’s the second of my spell-less spellcaster classes: The Seer. This class is meant to provide an alternate to the cleric. It’s a crazy class. Potentially very useful, but also very difficult to play. Let me know what you think!
Seer
It is unclear whether your fate is a blessing or a curse, but one thing you do know is that it is inescapable. The Immortal Lords use you as their instrument in the same manner as a fiddler plucks a tune. As their power flows through you they demand you speak their will from the temples to the Street of the Gods and bring doom down on any who do not heed their will.
Starting Abilities: Distribute 8 points between Will and Health; neither stat may have a rating lower than 2 or higher than 6.
Starting Skills: Ritualist 4, Theologian 3, Scholar 2, Mentor 2, Orator 2.
Special: Choose one of the following at rating 3 to represent you which of the Immortal forces favored you as a child: Armorer, Cook, Fighter, Weaver, Criminal, Peasant or Sailor
Starting Wises: Choose either Immortals-wise, Young Lords-wise or Pilgrimage-wise.
Starting Weapons and Armor: Dagger.Fervent Faith: There is no question to you who the powers and forces of the world are, and you serve them with body and soul, but this service taxes your mind as there are many demands from many masters.
Level One
Sworn to the Gods: As an orphan or a lowly third child, you have been placed in the care of the gods. You know their terrible will. You may not wear armor. You may use a dagger as a weapon. In addition, open the Beggar skill at rating 2. It may be used in town to acquire food, drink and lodging. Begging is done in place of Haggling when entering town.
Level Two
God of the Lost: Use Ritualist in place of Pathfinder to determine the path. Use Theologian in place of Cartographer to draw maps.
God of Portals: Use Ritualist to open any door using the following factors:
Portals: Stuck door, locked chest or door, portcullis or iron gate
Note: Add one factor if magic was used to create the bond or lock.
Level Three
God of Hunger: Ignore the Hungry/Thirsty condition once per session. If you earn a second H/T condition before having eaten or drunk, then you gain the Exhausted condition.
God of the Blind: So long as you are not Angry or Afraid, you can navigate or act in darkness without need of light and without penalty (you still may not read or fight).
Level Four
God of War: Use weapons and armor as necessary to serve the will of the God of War. No restrictions beyond the fickle whim of the gods. In addition, your Theologian skill may be used to help the Commander skill in battle.
God of Emptiness: Carry no backpack or satchel and wear no armor and gain +2D to recover from Exhaustion and +1D to recover from Sick and Injured. You must start and end the session without said accoutrement in order to maintain this bonus.
Level Five
God of Devils: Set forth the laws and commands of the Immortal Lords. Once per phase, you may force a devil, demon or similar creature not of our world to engage in a Banish conflict. Your faith is a shield in Banish/Abjure conflicts: +2D to Defend, +1s Maneuver. Your knowledge of the holy verses is a weapon: +2s Attack/-2D Defend. You must equip these weapons as per the normal rules.
God of the Sick: Use Ritualist in place of Healer. Margin of success over what is necessary to tend an injury or sickness can be applied to other conditions currently vexing the one being tended to. If the MoS equals the obstacle for that condition, alleviate it. MoS is expended for each condition so alleviated.
Level Six
God of Coin: Once per session, use Ritualist to make a Resources test. Failure indicates the God of Coin is busy gambling away the holy monies (apply a twist; Ritualist cannot be taxed). If successful, your debt is paid but you must make an offering to the temple of an equivalent value when you next return to town. Failure to make an appropriate offering increases your lifestyle maintenance cost by one permanently while in town (and all future towns).
God of the Harvest: Once per session use Ritualist to pray over crops or forage to immediately increase their bounty using the following factors:
Amount: one fresh ration, two fresh rations, four fresh rations, eight fresh rations
Location: In the fields or forests, in grasslands, in barren wastes, in town, below ground
Level Seven
God of Fire: Once per session, test Ritualist to control flame using the following factors:
Protection: douse small fire, protect someone or something from being burned by fire
Creation: a single small flame (acts as tinderbox), a campfire which never burns through its fuel, a fire that will consume a wood structure in four turns, a ball of fire that immolates an enemy (1), a pillar of fire that terrifies and destroys your foes (2)
- The fireball counts as a weapon that grants +2s Attack, +2D Maneuver, -1D Defend and Feint in Kill and Drive Off conflicts.
- The pillar is cast while equipping weapons in Kill or Drive Off conflicts. All foes must make a versus test of Health against your Ritualist skill or suffer 1 point of damage without armor protection; failure condition: Afraid.
God of Storms: Once per session, use Ritualist to raise and quell winds or storms using the following factors:
Summoning: dispersing morning mist or fog, filling your sails (1) or calming an errant wind, dispersing rain clouds, hurling people or debris into the air (2), summoning torrential rains, summoning a tempest strong enough to uproot trees and rip the roofs from buildings (3)
- Filling your sails grants +2D to Sailor skill tests.
- Ob4 Health test to avoid being blown to the ground for one turn.
- Ob5 Health test for anyone caught in the storm. Failure indicates they are knocked unconscious or blown into a precarious life threatening position; condition: Injured.
Level Eight
God of Wisdom: For the small price of a single eye, you may choose a new wise at the start of each session. Your wise cannot name a specific person or creature.
God of Rituals: Increase your maximum Ritualist and Theologian ranks to 7 (from 6).
Level Nine
Heroic Ability: Change your patron skill (chosen at first level) to a heroic ability (needs 3+ as successes)
Avatar: Change one of your nature descriptors to Commanding Armies, Inspiring Crowds or Toppling Thrones
Level Ten
God of Eternity: You no longer suffer worldly privations. Do not record the Hungry, Afraid or Exhausted conditions should they be applied to you. This effectively makes you immune to the grind, but you can still earn Angry, Injured and Sick through normal twist/condition results.
God of Doom: Our fates are woven into the Skein of Destiny. The God of Doom reads those fates and knows the end of each of us. Test Ritualist at an Obstacle equal to your target’s Nature. Doing so allows you to pronounce a doom upon your target - a fate suitably epic or tragic awaits them. The victim must change their goal to match your doom. You in turn must change your Belief or Goal to something that hastens the culmination of your target’s doom. Should the doom come to pass, both you and your victim receive an additional persona point (above and beyond normal rewards). This award may be granted posthumously.
Retirement
Ascension: You join your patrons as a Young Lord or Lady in their service. Your followers found a temple in your name. Change one of the level benefits for Priests of the Gods to represent your experience on the path to Ascension.
Possession: When you die, you are reborn into the fragile shell of a level one character of a new class. Retain one trait and one wise, but otherwise, all skills and abilities are as the new character.
Beggar
Beggars ply their trade on the streets of towns and cities, appealing to the generosity, pity or disgust of passersby to gain free food, drink or lodging. Note that in some places, use of this skill is a crime.
Suggested Help for Beggar: Criminal, Orator
Beginner’s Luck for Beggar: Will
Location: remote village, religious baston, busy crossroads, bustling metropolis, elfland, dwarven halls, wizard’s tower
Breadth: alleviate hungry condition, pack of travel ready rations (2) or full wineskin, stables lodging for town phase, flophouse lodgings, 2D of copper coins
Came across an interesting alternative for choosing party actions in a conflict, from 2015:
Paul O’Connell
Played an awesome game last night as party leader with Owen O’Connell as GM and we tried to do something different with conflicts that we had talked about. GM set up the scene, and when it came time for the PCs to choose actions, instead of talking about who was going to attack/maneuver/feint/defend we talked about what the PCs were doing a la “describe to live”. The description then informed what the PCs action was. After everyone had figured out their actions, the conflict captain decided the order of actions for the round.
The result was a very descriptive and fun experience. The conflicts flowed organically and was one of best games I have played in a while.
Owen O.
Point of clarification: the passage we’re citing is actually “Description Forward!” from page 6 of the rulebook, not Describe to Live. It should be noted that we really emphasize GM weapon selection before the players choose their descriptions. That helps to even the playing field a bit. This only works with 3 or more players in the fight, btw. If you get knocked down to two, you might well have a single player who needs to take two different actions.
James Dudli
That’s what Luke did for Satine Phoenix on the Game School podcast, which I just listened too last night. It’s great how excited he gets about sharing these games! Using this method will really help in the con game I’m running in November.
Paul O’Connell
One of the interesting things about this method is that it keeps people RPing and sometimes making suboptimal decisions rather than JUST considering strategy. Smart players try to do both, but over all there is less of a football style huddle before the team takes on their opponents.
For example, we had a thief in our party who naturally gravitated towards actions that lended themselves to feints. Because everyone gets to act eventually, it meant as a party we had to figure out where to use this risky move. The first feint was met with attack and an undead drake snapped up the sneaky thief and tossed him through a tower window. The second feint (after the thief was pulled back into the tower by the clerics defend action) was more successful, countering a defend action by said drake. The thief’s dagger finally met the drake’s soft underbelly, and was crucial in the party surmounting the conflict.
In effect there is more of an emotional element to a conflict done in this manner. PCs who are afraid, defend rather than attack. Those who are angry will likely end up attacking rather than defending.
James Dudli
That sounds like a great game! How did you handle the 3 actions per turn, when all players were narrating what they did? Did you incorporate some descriptions as help instead of actions when you had more players than actions in a round? Or did you explain the 3 action limit and still have the conflict captain nominate players and sequence while players individually narrated their characters based on the captain’s decisions (still allowing fiction to dictate the specifics)?
Owen O.
The person who didn’t act in the first round was not locked into their previous description – each turn, after the GM selected his moves and declared weapons, we’d go around the table and hand each player the card that matched their description. Then the Captain would choose which three actions to use and their sequence.
A thread last summer:
What is the Noble skill? It appears on page 161 as the first skill of an NPC Noble. But it’s not described anywhere.
From Jared Sorensen:
Noble is mostly for recognizing banners and courtly folk, as well as court etiquette.
Suggested Help: Scholar, (Appropriate Social Grace), Steward
Beginner’s Luck: Will
Etiquette: informal gatherings, society gatherings, court ceremonies, religious rituals (ob +1 to etiquette tests when entertaining foreign guests or in foreign lands, ob +1 for etiquette outside one’s own stock—human, elf, dwarf, halfling, etc.).
Gossip (starts at 2): One’s own family, a friendly family, a rival family, a foreign or remote family (ob +1 for gossip outside one’s own stock—human, elf, dwarf, halfling, etc.).
Local Knowledge: recent history, famous lineages and heraldry, famous deeds and exploits, obscure lineages and heraldry, obscure deeds and exploits (ob +1 for knowledge outside one’s own stock—human, elf, dwarf, halfling, etc.).
Facial Recognition: Royals (Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses), Dukes and Duchesses, Marques and Marquesas, Earls and Countesses, Viscount and Viscountess, Barons and Baronesses, Knights and Baronets (ob +1 to recognize nobles outside one’s own stock—human, elf, dwarf, halfling, etc.).
That Noble skill is super made-up content, so beware!
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