tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18014834731133637852024-03-17T13:08:21.096-04:00Raven Crowking's Nestravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.comBlogger834125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-52933450211184058202024-03-17T13:07:00.005-04:002024-03-17T13:07:43.359-04:00A Plethora of Mimics<p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtej1SEWrk9fsxmdDaR7D4BGXU0ouTyirjbXbgKKZM57JKS2sSSAWHwZF5hL5OzX4wXYc7SBwC9YmZk8mHMQhBguv-S7TCIcW6epbhKrwPGizuoyGVOpKdcEJLNfwREJ_yNgSH5SBDAI7ALY8SD2pmJHIUEVmSPtZ-v4wyrWB1dohHdH63aawNEpiQLQ/s991/432617186_10231724109950959_3120263303713000090_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="991" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtej1SEWrk9fsxmdDaR7D4BGXU0ouTyirjbXbgKKZM57JKS2sSSAWHwZF5hL5OzX4wXYc7SBwC9YmZk8mHMQhBguv-S7TCIcW6epbhKrwPGizuoyGVOpKdcEJLNfwREJ_yNgSH5SBDAI7ALY8SD2pmJHIUEVmSPtZ-v4wyrWB1dohHdH63aawNEpiQLQ/w400-h400/432617186_10231724109950959_3120263303713000090_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/dccrpgrocks/?post_id=7700396053359622">this
Facebook post</a>:</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So, I’m wanting to do a box of fish
sticks mimic for my RED TIDE campaign and I’m wondering what Daniel J. Bishop
would have up his sleeve here? I’m thinking there will be sizes: freezer box,
case of freezer boxes (pictured), a pallet of cases and a shipping container of
pallets. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">These will be starting life in
Captain Morgan’s fish processing plant and then be shipped through out the land
for their chain restaurants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m having
a blast making this stuff and I hope others are digging the process. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Have a suggestion? Let her rip in
comments!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">So, here we go!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Box of Fish Sticks-Sized
Mimic:</b> Init (always last); Atk pseudopod +2 melee (1 plus sticky); AC 12;
HD 1d6; MV 5’; Act 1d20; SP camouflage, half damage from slicing and piercing weapons,
sticky (Strength DC 15 to break free); SV Fort +4, Ref -2, Will -6; AL N.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">These creatures are made of primordial slime, which has a
rudimentary intelligence able to reshape itself into an object that appears to
fit within the area it inhabits. Shape, texture, and colors are all reproduced –
even the patterns of colors enough to appear as a box of Captain Morgan’s
frozen fish sticks. A suspicious character may see through the disguise with a
DC 16 Intelligence check. The mimic otherwise gains surprise automatically.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Creatures that touch the mimic or are hit by a pseudopod are
stuck to the creature, and cannot break free without a DC 15 Strength check,
granting the mimic a +2 bonus to future attacks. Weapons which strike the mimic
also become stuck, taking a -2d shift to damage, unless pulled free or the
mimic is slain. A weapon stuck to a mimic stuck to a PC is useless until either
the PC or weapon is freed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Case of Freezer Boxes-Sized
Mimic:</b> Init (always last); Atk pseudopod +4 melee (1d4 plus sticky) or bite
+2 melee (1d8); AC 10; HD 2d8; MV 5’; Act 1d20; SP camouflage, half damage from
slicing and piercing weapons, sticky (Strength DC 19 to break free); SV Fort
+6, Ref -4, Will -4; AL N.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">These creatures are made of primordial slime, which has a
rudimentary intelligence able to reshape itself into an object that appears to
fit within the area it inhabits. Shape, texture, and colors are all reproduced –
even the patterns of colors enough to appear as a case of Captain Morgan’s fish
freezer boxes. A suspicious character may see through the disguise with a DC 20
Intelligence check. The mimic otherwise gains surprise automatically.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Creatures that touch the mimic or are hit by a pseudopod are
stuck to the creature, and cannot break free without a DC 19 Strength check. Stuck
creatures have a -2 penalty to attack rolls, spell checks, and skill checks
until they pull free. Weapons which strike the mimic also become stuck, and
therefore useless, unless pulled free.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pallet of Cases-Sized
Mimic:</b> Init (always last); Atk pseudopod +6 melee (1d6 plus sticky) or bite
+4 melee (1d10); AC 10; HD 4d8; MV 5’; Act 3d20; SP camouflage, half damage
from slicing and piercing weapons, sticky (Strength DC 21 to break free); SV
Fort +8, Ref -6, Will -2; AL N.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">These creatures are made of primordial slime, which has enough
intelligence to be able to reshape itself into an object or group of objects
which appears to fit within the area it inhabits. Shape, texture, and colors
are all reproduced – even the patterns of colors enough to appear as a case of
Captain Morgan’s fish freezer boxes. A suspicious character may see through the
disguise with a DC 20 Intelligence check. The mimic otherwise gains surprise
automatically.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Creatures that touch the mimic or are hit by a pseudopod are
stuck to the creature, and cannot break free without a DC 21 Strength check. Stuck
creatures have a -2 penalty to attack rolls, spell checks, and skill checks
until they pull free. Weapons which strike the mimic also become stuck, and
therefore useless, unless pulled free.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Shipping Container-Sized
Mimic:</b> Init -4; Atk pseudopod +10 melee (1d8 plus sticky) or bite
+6 melee (1d12); AC 10; HD 8d8; MV 5’; Act 5d20; SP camouflage, half damage
from slicing and piercing weapons, sticky (Strength DC 24 to break free); SV
Fort +10, Ref -8, Will +0; AL N.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">These mimics are intelligent enough to speak, and can reshape
themselves into reasonably complex objects or groups of continuous objects. Shape,
texture, and colors are reproduced well enough that even a suspicious character
may see through the disguise with a DC 22 Intelligence check. The mimic
otherwise gains surprise automatically.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Creatures that touch the mimic or are hit by a pseudopod are
stuck to the creature, and cannot break free without a DC 24 Strength check. Stuck
creatures have a -2 penalty to attack rolls, spell checks, and skill checks
until they pull free. Weapons which strike the mimic also become stuck, and
therefore useless, unless pulled free. Unlike lesser mimics, mimics of this
size can choose to release creatures or objects, or suppress their natural
stickiness to lure creatures into a false sense of security – possibly getting
creatures to enter the “shipping container” before the doors slam closed and
the creatures attack! </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Because these mimics possess a low intelligence, there is a
chance of parlaying with them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-47841284211187907382024-03-03T15:21:00.004-05:002024-03-03T15:21:30.478-05:00Preserving Statblocks<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I’ve done a few statblocks away from this blog, including
some on the Goodman Games website. I am not reproducing those here, because
that was paid content, but I did try to include some gameable material in each
of the “Real Life Adventures” posts I wrote. You can find them here: <a href="https://goodman-games.com/blog/2017/12/26/real-life-adventures-scotland-and-orkney/">Scotland
and Orkney</a>, <a href="https://goodman-games.com/blog/2020/07/13/real-life-adventures-glimerton-cove/">Gilmorton
Cove</a>, <a href="https://goodman-games.com/blog/2018/10/12/real-life-adventures-algonquin-park/">Algonquin
Park</a>, and <a href="https://goodman-games.com/blog/2018/09/08/real-life-adventures-haliburton-canopy-walk-and-wolf-centre/">Halburton
Canopy Walk and Wolf Centre</a>. The first and last of these have statblocks
which may be of interest to you.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I’ve also done statblocks as part of other posts, for the sheer
fun of it. I am reproducing them below in case the original posts go to 404
Error heaven.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=63472&start=90#p1442824"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Atali’s
Brothers</b></span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrlt8nLsgQ0srOVjddngah1hJ0Z9eNiabvTDJQ-x3S1WNuok9vHSc_jVpQ_czdwndYw7pHdfBtIoQj2GcNooOhunc0jSwZ5i3OiHVcRE5VPxq3ZKbk9jCuXCQriJ3zTaIZYA70XkIiyLiAucKdcQyAZ72mQd6fn85TIdozNvHunQIAeozzA6Y5l4EDslg/s877/STK355282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="877" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrlt8nLsgQ0srOVjddngah1hJ0Z9eNiabvTDJQ-x3S1WNuok9vHSc_jVpQ_czdwndYw7pHdfBtIoQj2GcNooOhunc0jSwZ5i3OiHVcRE5VPxq3ZKbk9jCuXCQriJ3zTaIZYA70XkIiyLiAucKdcQyAZ72mQd6fn85TIdozNvHunQIAeozzA6Y5l4EDslg/w329-h400/STK355282.jpg" width="329" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">If you go back and read some of the Howard stories from when
Conan was younger, such as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rogues in the House</i></b> or <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Tower of the Elephant</i></b>, you can actually see a progression from a
less-powerful and canny warrior to the Conan who can survive crucifixion and
recover enough to take on a demon a month later.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Frost Giant's Daughter</i></b>, we see
Conan after all of his nearby companions have died in battle - clearly just
after the 0-level funnel and having a first solo adventure at level 1. In DCC
terms, this adventure might actually have been part of the 0-level funnel (PCs
level as soon as they reach the needed XP), and consists of Conan failing his
saves against the Frost Giant's Daughter's “allure” ability, making some Fort
saves to avoid being too tired by the time he meets the frost giants, and
fighting the same. His last Vanahiem combatant might have occurred at level 1
or at level 0; what occurs in the story is possible in both cases in the DCC
rules. If Conan has an 18 Stamina, he has a maximum of 7 hp at level 0 and 22
hp at level 1 (minimums of 4 and 10).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">If we assume Conan is a level 1 warrior with an 18 Strength,
using a weapon that does 1d8 damage, we know that he can do 8 + 3 + 3 (Deed
Die), or 14 points of damage on a non-critical hit, or an average damage of 10
on a hit. Conan was born on a battlefield, so his Luck affects his damage
rolls; he might be able to do as much as 17 points on a hit, if he was so lucky
as to gain 3 "18"s in his initial rolls, but I am going to say he
only gains +1.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">As a result, we can stat these creatures out easily enough:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Atali's Brothers:</b>
Init -2; Atk axe +5 melee (1d10+4); AC 13; HD 2d10; hp 10 each; MV 30’; Act
1d24; SP crit on 20-24 as giant; SV Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +6; AL C.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">(And that, thank Crom, is a complete statblock in this
system.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://lordgwydion.blogspot.com/2013/06/someone-should-stat-this-guy-up.html"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Cyclopean Deep One Pugilist</span></b></a><b style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENRTfjqVh1dEXXnw7jI2dIO-B3ZjEFqtNuLQQsm1vIDLsTwkPa4sjwQpm-J_QYDAXDnId9wjYpbQzbGdqi0XlCRQwVv23W4CdfRSt-cqW4NLFjgpzkgg-FtnuM8maTmTtA289Cl98rq06Ezu0dFEtHF2NcAHZjjWJ_8VTeOncEuw5d8aG1NoZbteK3FY/s960/Prizefighters%20poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENRTfjqVh1dEXXnw7jI2dIO-B3ZjEFqtNuLQQsm1vIDLsTwkPa4sjwQpm-J_QYDAXDnId9wjYpbQzbGdqi0XlCRQwVv23W4CdfRSt-cqW4NLFjgpzkgg-FtnuM8maTmTtA289Cl98rq06Ezu0dFEtHF2NcAHZjjWJ_8VTeOncEuw5d8aG1NoZbteK3FY/w266-h400/Prizefighters%20poster.jpg" width="266" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cyclopean Deep One
Pugilist:</b> Init +2 Atk fist +4 melee (1d3+3 subdual); AC 16; HD 5d8+10; hp
35; MV 20’ or swim 40’; Act 2d20; SP See future; SV Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +4;
AL C.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Cyclopean Deep One pugilist has but a single eye, yet
that eye can see into multiple potential futures simultaneously, allowing the
pugilist to choose the best possible future. His hit points, attack modifier,
and saves all reflect this. If somehow blinded, these each suffer a -2 penalty,
in addition to normal penalties for blindness. In the event of a successful
Mighty Deed, the Deep One pugilist should be granted a saving throw (DC equal
to attack roll with all modifiers) to avoid being blinded (representing its
ability to avoid unpleasant futures, unless all futures are unpleasant).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Cyclopean Deep One pugilist beats captured land-dwelling
slaves to a bloody pulp in the arenas of the Deep Ones to stave off boredom on
the long nights of winter.</span></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-4262202297497268622024-03-01T08:44:00.001-05:002024-03-01T13:22:12.335-05:00The Dreaded Grebnenorc<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrRxvJL4kwDWGGFYl9ED0FDFUpK_87OPyKexAAMWwvm3PCVozh8B1fh7esvGosOgeAseuKCsFqkICA-32LrEaQ0AfgeSaaPKPnnCbRZL80TnWLioaA3wseG4ecglbAqLH7egvBkTzxuMQd0dJuHPIWfQTzoWoyerIfbg7lzobP11zrUYxrs-cmKbjicU/s1631/428688490_10231667155327129_6004601398195543855_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1631" data-original-width="1059" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrRxvJL4kwDWGGFYl9ED0FDFUpK_87OPyKexAAMWwvm3PCVozh8B1fh7esvGosOgeAseuKCsFqkICA-32LrEaQ0AfgeSaaPKPnnCbRZL80TnWLioaA3wseG4ecglbAqLH7egvBkTzxuMQd0dJuHPIWfQTzoWoyerIfbg7lzobP11zrUYxrs-cmKbjicU/w260-h400/428688490_10231667155327129_6004601398195543855_n.jpg" width="260" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Grebnenorc:</b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Init +0;
Atk claw +4 melee (1d6) or bite +2 melee (1d3 plus venom); AC 14; HD 6d6; MV 20’;
Act 4d20; SP venom (1d3 Stamina damage plus Fort DC 16 or additional 1d3
Agility damage), slowing aura (100’ radius, -4 to initiative and -10’ to move
speeds), cannot be surprised, immune to mind-affecting, amphibious; SV Fort +7;
Ref +3; Will +0; AL C.</span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The dreaded grebnenorc is a creation of those forces beyond
the ken of mortal minds which lie dreaming in dead cities below the deepest
oceans. They are formed by merging lost (but not dead) sailors, eels, crabs,
and other unsavory things of the depths into fused beings of horror. Although
the dead, dreaming minds which create them are beyond the petty concerns of Law
and Chaos, once they are created they naturally gravitate toward the service of
those chaotic deep-sea beings which oppose the conquest of the surface oceans
by land species. In short, these beings hate us.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Grebnenorc (singular and plural) are completely amphibious,
and are able to survive away from the ocean for extended times. They radiate a
slowing aura, which affects the movement and initiative rolls of all creatures
within 100’ except themselves – the judge can determine that slowed flying or
swimming is not fast enough to be successful, within context. Their bites are venomous,
regardless of which mouths are used, but the venom cannot successfully be
harvested from the creatures. They are immune to mind-affecting magic and
abilities and cannot normally be surprised due to the plethora of eyes studding
their vile forms. Grebnenorc are always facing other creatures, even when
surrounded, due to their amalgamated structure.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">These creatures not only guard the palaces of sinister
submarine entities, but they are sent to infiltrate docks and ports, or are
sent to destroy the shrines of human-friendly oceanic deities. Luckily,
grebnenorc are not built for swimming – they can only walk along the sea floor –
so ships are in no danger from them when not at port. A grebnenorc can
potentially (and laboriously) climb an anchor chain, but it has no particular
skill at doing so. Indeed, its body proves a hindrance to such activities
rather than an asset.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">(Illustration by Noble Hardesty, used with permission. You can check out more of the artist's work <a href="https://www.noblehardesty.com/fantasy-illustration?fbclid=IwAR1OQGPAWIgLBZvQ_4nPtiGJscJ-2FnDJRYgpRaM4M6iKPkZMya8FBjEn3o">here</a>!)</span></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-40178305084382328182024-01-16T09:50:00.006-05:002024-03-16T11:52:42.603-04:00Gary Con Events<p><strike> <span style="font-size: large;">Have now been posted. Hope to see you there!</span></strike></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Update: Changes in health and finances will prevent me from travelling. My apologies. I will really miss what has been the highlight of my year.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQTG7dxrSwbYtgmzW5leX8KEJ_7FGoZIMOZB0TgOfxlcYMLf6yGn3TRxV3xA0JOGQBG1yaNUW61XaCLYim32S5DqZobhbr_t4SEgBKRrUwiBo-nteB2KrBhzNAqcNClF-g9zimp8iwchlyszo7i33o7nKKdlhVekzdP3TIn1Zj4LORKYEUua0ClRdAeQ/s1132/events.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="1132" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQTG7dxrSwbYtgmzW5leX8KEJ_7FGoZIMOZB0TgOfxlcYMLf6yGn3TRxV3xA0JOGQBG1yaNUW61XaCLYim32S5DqZobhbr_t4SEgBKRrUwiBo-nteB2KrBhzNAqcNClF-g9zimp8iwchlyszo7i33o7nKKdlhVekzdP3TIn1Zj4LORKYEUua0ClRdAeQ/w640-h104/events.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-22203232987794702972024-01-04T08:25:00.001-05:002024-01-04T08:25:06.013-05:00Happy Birthday!<p><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Birthday to <b>Andy Markham</b>, who ran <i><b>The Fence's Fortuitous Folly</b></i> to usher out the old year and bring in the new! Andy made a player handout for the chase mini-game in the adventure, and was kind enough to share it with me. Moreover, he was kind enough to allow me to share it with you.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Without further ado, here is a Birthday Mathom from Andy!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqecX9xV3eV-CdszHK7TyrcYmOx7JotWbAHfMpEbaCIOrwMzsOh-hFB23gJCxp278zsucsDThlyurNNGNLuj8ohqxBEt-zOa4guO8skDe04ymcAuA4QYX22UozUAAVZMiO-5CwEwnsVlZ78habcpjYWB0RKEAp_IRGNYv8eki2Gm11PIopkp0kwWHu3w/s991/404555350_916362642829225_504077262410857294_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="991" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqecX9xV3eV-CdszHK7TyrcYmOx7JotWbAHfMpEbaCIOrwMzsOh-hFB23gJCxp278zsucsDThlyurNNGNLuj8ohqxBEt-zOa4guO8skDe04ymcAuA4QYX22UozUAAVZMiO-5CwEwnsVlZ78habcpjYWB0RKEAp_IRGNYv8eki2Gm11PIopkp0kwWHu3w/w640-h494/404555350_916362642829225_504077262410857294_n.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-21323189027025927422023-12-23T10:00:00.003-05:002023-12-23T10:00:23.482-05:00Snow Miser and Heat Miser <p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1omd9xwZZCGz3AfhKOi0C049sqeUYVgVxQkQM9mXK94bsYFo5dv5AgdpVX6IurGENZqCrbGtODEJDeDV8xuscZtmuaiG2H_jLJ1kA098A5ChWfEWXAiTsfA4oUlJy3HXFlD0vbzVXrFJffSJAMsWef1Vr9a-xi3CDD_Bwybn9YPKK7YkfJ-Fayr3sJ8/s720/snow-miser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1omd9xwZZCGz3AfhKOi0C049sqeUYVgVxQkQM9mXK94bsYFo5dv5AgdpVX6IurGENZqCrbGtODEJDeDV8xuscZtmuaiG2H_jLJ1kA098A5ChWfEWXAiTsfA4oUlJy3HXFlD0vbzVXrFJffSJAMsWef1Vr9a-xi3CDD_Bwybn9YPKK7YkfJ-Fayr3sJ8/w640-h426/snow-miser.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">The strange beings known as Snow Miser and Heat Miser are brothers, two of the many children of Mother Nature. Each views the other as his primary antagonist, so that a being bonded with one cannot be bonded with the other – indeed, their patrons will instruct them to actively work against those who bond with their rival sibling! The only thing potent enough to make the Miser Brothers work together is the chance to foil another of their siblings’ plots, such as the North Wind.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Snow Miser dwells in an arctic land, while Heat Miser lives in an active volcano. Somehow, their lands share a common border. They have divided the world between them, and although their agents make frequent forays into the territories of their opposite patrons, the Miser Brothers usually disavow active knowledge of these raids. Heat Miser seeks to frighten mortals with tales of an unending Fimbulwinter, while Snow Miser’s agents warn of global warming. In preindustrial campaign milieus, a new ice age may be a viable threat, but if the campaign takes place in a post-industrial world, it eventually becomes clear that Heat Miser is winning, and Snow Miser’s warnings about global warming are not just hot air.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">In order to bond with Snow Miser, a postulant must travel to a cold location, either due to climate or season. In order to bond with Heat Miser, a postulant must travel similarly to a hot environment, such as a desert, volcano, or steaming jungle. Those bonded to Heat Miser may not cast spells creating or manipulating cold without gaining the ire of their patron. Likewise, Snow Miser forbids his devotees from magic creating or manipulating heat or flames.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm27YvsNlC7n6CB_2r3P22VOD0CRr3EEErS11oGbrWiKSCiYq-Z2r8Dam_60qClJLIi_UvrF-08BP6nBTo0zOhIEhmYtvXIVxKCuzDPK4DDM6wO3K-IJ1CS_Vh1uozaS3yhIgwY0Xq9XMLcbWeNhlIKMpNuoq4_7od6gwFJsDk-me9r0Inlx1CuktBxUc/s1280/maxresdefault%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm27YvsNlC7n6CB_2r3P22VOD0CRr3EEErS11oGbrWiKSCiYq-Z2r8Dam_60qClJLIi_UvrF-08BP6nBTo0zOhIEhmYtvXIVxKCuzDPK4DDM6wO3K-IJ1CS_Vh1uozaS3yhIgwY0Xq9XMLcbWeNhlIKMpNuoq4_7od6gwFJsDk-me9r0Inlx1CuktBxUc/w640-h360/maxresdefault%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td colspan="2" style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 467.5pt;" valign="top" width="623">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Invoke Patron</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"> check results<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.25pt;" valign="top" width="66">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">1<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 418.25pt;" valign="top" width="558">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lost,
failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (3 or less) corruption +
patron taint; (4-5) corruption; (6+) patron taint.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.25pt;" valign="top" width="66">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">2-11<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 418.25pt;" valign="top" width="558">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">Failure.
Unlike other spells, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">invoke patron</i>
may not be lost for the day. Depending on the results of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">patron bond</i>, the wizard may still be able to cast it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.25pt;" valign="top" width="66">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">12-13<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 418.25pt;" valign="top" width="558">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">It
becomes noticeably colder or hotter in the immediate vicinity of the caster
as their patron’s attention is drawn to them. This change in temperature may
be harnessed by the caster, granting a +4 bonus to a spell check made in the
next Caster Level rounds.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.25pt;" valign="top" width="66">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">14-17<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 418.25pt;" valign="top" width="558">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">A
cloak of ice or flames surrounds the caster, providing a +4 bonus to AC for
1d5 rounds. At the end of this period, the bonus is reduced by 1 as the cloak
dissipates, until it is gone when the bonus reaches +0.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.25pt;" valign="top" width="66">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">18-19<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 418.25pt;" valign="top" width="558">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">All
enemies within 100’ must succeed in a Will save vs. spell result or begin to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SGlPnA_iCk">sing about how great the
caster’s patron is</a>. This song-and-dance number lasts 1d5+CL rounds. An
enemy targeted with a spell or attack during this period (successfully or
not) is immediately freed from the enchantment. Otherwise, enemies take no
move or other action except singing and dancing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.25pt;" valign="top" width="66">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">20-23<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 418.25pt;" valign="top" width="558">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
caster chooses 1d3+CL targets within 500’. These take 3d6 damage due to
either cold or fire (depending upon the patron). A Fort save vs. the spell
check result is allowed to reduce damage by half.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.25pt;" valign="top" width="66">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">24-27<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 418.25pt;" valign="top" width="558">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
caster is shrouded in ice or heat, which increases the caster’s AC by 1d4+CL.
Each round, the caster may send either a bolt of ice or fire (depending upon
their patron) to a range of 500’ (5d6 damage, Reflex DC 15 for half), but
doing so reduces the AC bonus by 1. The AC bonus lasts until expended or 1d5
hours have passed. Once the AC bonus is gone, the caster can no longer spend
it on attacks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 8;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.25pt;" valign="top" width="66">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">28-29<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 418.25pt;" valign="top" width="558">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">A
single Miser Imp is sent to assist the caster in whatever manner the caster
commands. The Miser Imp remains until reduced to 0 hp or until the next dawn.<br />
<br />
Miser Imps are half-sized versions of Heat or Snow Miser which act as aides
to their master. They can turn small non-magical objects into snow or melt
them by touch (if attended, the holder gains a DC 15 Reflex save to prevent
this). Objects up to the size of a shield or two-handed sword may be
affected, as determined by the judge. When reduced to 0 hp, Miser Imps
explode in cold or heat, doing 1d6 damage to any creature within 5’ (no
save). When not otherwise commanded, Miser Imps spend their time dancing and singing
the praises of their patron.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Miser Imp:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"> Init +2; Atk touch
+2 melee (1d6 cold or heat); AC 12; HD 3d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP
transform/melt objects, death throes; SV Fort +4; Ref +5; Will +7; AL N.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 9;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.25pt;" valign="top" width="66">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">30-31<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 418.25pt;" valign="top" width="558">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
temperature within 500’ of the caster immediately raises/lowers by 1d4 x 10
degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, enemies of the caster within this range are
chilled/heated even more, taking 1d8+CL damage each round they remain within
this area (no save). The damage remains in effect for 1d5+CL turns, but does
not move with the caster. The change in ambient temperature remains until
natural (or supernatural) conditions cause it to change (as determined by the
judge).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 10; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 49.25pt;" valign="top" width="66">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">32+<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 418.25pt;" valign="top" width="558">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">For
the next 1d6+CL hours, any non-magical weapon striking the caster melts or
turns to snow (no save), doing only half damage. Further, the caster is
charged with heat or cold, and all their physical or magical attacks do an
additional 1d14 damage during this period as this power is conducted by, or
embodied within, them. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcwL7hQGXUFjo2AdTSa2xg_6ZJbAF6aBUJkM8ZssGWxvM6Q-YqE38NjmW8y72DcMVv3VtzkUJ-1mvzBwJFUsAbWmdWtucBMsy0P2GdbxY3K1hKSoumKPHNDnZXi8sxuPFhvBPng1Qy9JMy4sjOeFZRUFcBs4A3rxswe-QB4Sty6qdxkYkcbfM9Qw7P4s/s736/Heat-Miser-song_zpsea135470.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="736" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcwL7hQGXUFjo2AdTSa2xg_6ZJbAF6aBUJkM8ZssGWxvM6Q-YqE38NjmW8y72DcMVv3VtzkUJ-1mvzBwJFUsAbWmdWtucBMsy0P2GdbxY3K1hKSoumKPHNDnZXi8sxuPFhvBPng1Qy9JMy4sjOeFZRUFcBs4A3rxswe-QB4Sty6qdxkYkcbfM9Qw7P4s/w640-h368/Heat-Miser-song_zpsea135470.webp" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Spellburn</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Miser brothers can lend aid to their supplicants
when requested. If a supplicant is casting a spell related to their patron
(such as control ice for Snow Miser or fireball for Heat Miser), they gain an
additional +2 bonus to the spell check when performing spellburn. When a caster
utilizes spellburn, roll 1d4 and consult the table below or build off
suggestions to create an event specific to your campaign.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">Roll<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
</td>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">Spellburn Result<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
</td>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">1<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">Casting
the spell causes uncontrolled shivering or sweating, which manifests as
Strength, Agility, or Stamina loss. The shivering or sweating subsides as
this damage is healed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">2<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">As
part of the casting, the caster must perform an elaborate song-and-dance
routine praising their patron. This temporarily drains part of the caster’s
soul, manifesting as Strength, Stamina, or Agility loss until it is
recovered.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
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<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">3<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">Conflict
with the other Miser Brother prevents the patron from devoting full energy to
the caster. Regardless of the amount of spellburn, the caster only receives
the benefit of 1d4 points, and any remaining amount is lost.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">4<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;" valign="top">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
a moment of magnanimity, the patron offers to double the bonus from the
caster’s spellburn, if the caster will agree to undertake a quest sabotaging
some scheme of the other Miser Brother’s. The nature of this task is left to
the judge to detail, but if not completed in a reasonable time (as determined
by the judge), the patron removes all access to spells save those used in
direct support of the quest.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></o:p></span></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-57133028529486052682023-11-23T13:50:00.002-05:002023-11-23T13:50:53.199-05:00Happy Thanksgiving!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcC3aLXBZDZWVpanhcaC4iKtYSXSIR5IvR_Uoje4HF2AN6yDeFkPSz-s7aU_hnJk-NfW7IbgOQieCUgiUp7jbV5s_CeoUHNssgDCc2-0pxeUAfjhRKpgeUd_ZpSltN7qcFm7_U3IBE0vXeFx5pziQlvyXrUu-JzibsAypi2vt3CDeiXK5XhvYtjxhNSk/s664/404266865_6848701025214076_1958266944005567417_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="664" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcC3aLXBZDZWVpanhcaC4iKtYSXSIR5IvR_Uoje4HF2AN6yDeFkPSz-s7aU_hnJk-NfW7IbgOQieCUgiUp7jbV5s_CeoUHNssgDCc2-0pxeUAfjhRKpgeUd_ZpSltN7qcFm7_U3IBE0vXeFx5pziQlvyXrUu-JzibsAypi2vt3CDeiXK5XhvYtjxhNSk/w640-h480/404266865_6848701025214076_1958266944005567417_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="color: white;"><br /> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tiamurkey:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Init +5; Atk peck +7 melee (1d3+4) or claw
+5 melee (2d6) or breath weapon; AC 20; HD 12d6; MV 40’; Act 5d20; SP breath
weapons, relatively stupid, death throes; SV Fort +8; Ref +5; Will +5; AL C.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Breath Weapon
1: Sonic gobble:</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 60' cone, 1d6
damage and Fort DC 15 or be knocked prone.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Breath Weapon 2: Hot
grease:</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 80' line, 2d8
damage (Reflex DC 15 for half).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Breath Weapon 3:
Stuffing:</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> 10' x 10' space,
creatures therein cannot move until they succeed in a Strength check DC 15 to
escape the stuffing and leave the space.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Breath Weapon 4:</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Barrage of giblets: 30' cone, 3d6 damage
(Reflex DC 15 negates).</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Breath Weapon 5:</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Somnambulance: 30' diameter cloud up to
30' away, Will DC 15 or fall into a torpor, being able to take no actions and move
at only half normal speed for 1d8 rounds.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">Tiamurkey, King and
Master of Evil Turkeys, dwells on a hell plane amid <a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/search?q=cranberry">giant mutated
turkeys</a>, <a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/search?q=cranberry">primordial
cranberry jellies</a>, and <a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2022/07/lets-convert-fiend-folio-aarokocra-and.html">other
evil four-clawed birds of the nether realms</a>. Once every year, on the fourth
week of November, he rises from his fetid breeding grounds to roam the Fields
We Know in search of those who have put up decorations for other holidays too
early in the season. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="color: white; font-size: large;">Each of Tiamurkey’s five
heads has its own breath weapon, and each of these can be used three times each
day. Although Tiamurkey is a genius among turkeys, he is still not that bright
by human standards, and cunning PCs may find a way to outwit him. It is said
that he only appears this late in the year to avoid rain – in times past, he
has been defeated when all five heads looked upward into the rain until he
drowned. Snow doesn’t present this problem.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">When reduced to 0 hp (or
otherwise “killed”), Tiamurkey is not slain, but merely banished back to his
hell plane to recover until his next sojourn to the mortal realm. He will seek
to extract vengeance upon those who defeated him, but, not being that bright,
his vengeance is likely to target the wrong people. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: white;"> </span></o:p></p><br /><p></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-18003983307942190102023-10-29T13:59:00.001-04:002023-10-29T13:59:51.317-04:00Conversion Crawl Classes 20: The One Ring: Tales From Wilderland (2): Of Leaves and Stewed Hobbit<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jBxsyHtn1Y5qbb0dU9C0O2Rl2BxVwUog1QBNZB5V6K1vm8gVNJz_uPTvmbDrxBJpP58WkxZ8F1nx-qaHz9F0Qw3zynyFHO7uSwd5TEi7l3fvObbVnCm4sbpRmU9z4Ej5-hQ2BfQB93fQ5tkPyuKIFeTf3SnDYJD_CdU-xBtzu79HDrwiKf5j2_MrjQY/s737/Tales%201.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="584" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jBxsyHtn1Y5qbb0dU9C0O2Rl2BxVwUog1QBNZB5V6K1vm8gVNJz_uPTvmbDrxBJpP58WkxZ8F1nx-qaHz9F0Qw3zynyFHO7uSwd5TEi7l3fvObbVnCm4sbpRmU9z4Ej5-hQ2BfQB93fQ5tkPyuKIFeTf3SnDYJD_CdU-xBtzu79HDrwiKf5j2_MrjQY/w318-h400/Tales%201.PNG" width="318" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">I feel terrible about last CCC post, wherein I described how
railroady an adventure was without commenting on its name, <b><i>Don’t Leave the Path</i></b>. Of
course, we know that this is taken from Gandalf and Beorn’s advice to the
company in <b><i>The Hobbit</i></b>, while traveling through Mirkwood, but it still
seems a touch on the nose to have not mentioned. If you want to understand the
basic philosophy behind the conversion methodology here, it is recommended that
you read <a href="http://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2023/09/conversion-crawl-classes-19-one-ring.html">that
post</a>.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The second adventure in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tales From Wilderland</i></b> is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Of
Leaves and Stewed Hobbit</i></b>, in which the PCs are invited to rescue a
hobbit from goblins on the High Pass of the Misty Mountains. I am entirely of
the opinion that the choices the players face, and the consequences of what
they choose, is the most <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">important part of adventure design. As a consequence, while <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Of
Leaves and Stewed Hobbit</i></b> offers more player choices than <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Don’t
Leave the Path</i></b>, I am going to suggest that the judge increases the
number and quality of choices available when converting this adventure.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">Part One –
The Easterly Inn<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The first part of the adventure
describes how it came to pass that a Hobbit opened an inn in the middle of the Wild,
the history of the Brandybuck brothers, and the fate of the missing Dinodas.
The Easterly Inn is described in detail, as the company may return here again
and again on their travels.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Easterly Inn is described well enough to use in play, but is
not described in the same detail as, say, the Inn of the Welcome Wench in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Village of Hommlet</i></b>. No map of the Inn is included. There is a great
deal of background, which may be useful for the judge when framing the Inn and
its inhabitants within the game milieu. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The one thing that the judge should change in this section is the
adventure hook. Variable levels of success is great, but I would not tie this
directly to skill checks. Or, rather, the judge should determine how much Dodinas
trusts the adventurers based on their conduct, and then roll a Personality
check using a die (from 1d8 to 1d30) based on that determination. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In the </span><a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2023/09/conversion-crawl-classes-19-one-ring.html"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">last post
of this series</span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, I suggested setting 1 point of treasure at approximately 10 gp.
I feel that still works well enough for this adventure. This might not be
enough recompense to motivate your players, and that is okay. The real treasure
is the friends the PCs make along the way – a safe base of operations. The real
danger is that the PCs’ refusal sours their reputation. Judges should take into
account their PCs’ previous actions when role-playing NPCs, for good or ill.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another thing the prospective judge might do is have the Easerly
Inn appear in previous game sessions. If the PCs know the halflings –
conversion to DCC, remember? – they might be a lot more willing to help. A note
of caution here: players who believe sympathetic NPCs only exist to pull their
characters into danger will generally resist becoming too attached to anyone.
Use this type of plot hook sparingly!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">Part Two –
Searching the High Pass<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This section deals with the journey
across Wilderland to the foothills of the Misty Mountains and the High Pass. The
company encounter several dangers on this journey, and pass through the ruins
of a town built many centuries ago. They find signs that the caravan was
attacked.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WKtoQd59fxJuJOs3pvkP_M44ECRvaxilkLP9rCAcTa6cUZeALM2aXf99ZNl89Enlf-Bh5ybN9l-sid9XI8GrEH8NbkiHhekBnsYTeryLHcTgQn_MNL0Klf7_IslLhfxqQJHgNJt_coZ-urXbI7zwekER0c4d98s5t7msuqHZT8PC1JmlZCx2Tb5Q2RY/s525/Night-Wight.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="415" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WKtoQd59fxJuJOs3pvkP_M44ECRvaxilkLP9rCAcTa6cUZeALM2aXf99ZNl89Enlf-Bh5ybN9l-sid9XI8GrEH8NbkiHhekBnsYTeryLHcTgQn_MNL0Klf7_IslLhfxqQJHgNJt_coZ-urXbI7zwekER0c4d98s5t7msuqHZT8PC1JmlZCx2Tb5Q2RY/w316-h400/Night-Wight.PNG" width="316" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">As with the first adventure in this volume, there is nothing
inherently wrong with the encounters suggested herein, but they are linked to
GM whims and resolved via die rolls, and they could be made more meaningful.
For example, Summer Storm catches the company in unexpected weather, where a
check is used to determine whether they find shelter or suffer an increased
chance of fatigue. Instead, a judge could allow the PCs to find shelter in
exchange for a lost day of travel, or travel while taking a -1d penalty to all
rolls until they gain a proper rest. With a random encounter table and a
consequence for delay, the choice becomes meaningful. This also makes the
Beornings encounter potentially meaningful.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The judge will need statistics for the Eager Feet encounter, and probably
for A Stranger on the Road. The judge is directed to A Stranger in the Road as
an encounter resolved almost entirely based on PC choices. In DCC, an Intelligence
check (DC 12) can recognize Longbottom Leaf – smokers and halflings roll 1d20;
all others roll 1d10.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Most of the creatures in this adventure either appear in the
core rulebook, or are easily extrapolated therefrom. The Night-Wight in this
section is the most interesting creature in the adventure, and that is what we
will be converting to DCC.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Remembering that monsters don’t have to play by the rules,
we need to deal with this bit of text and turn into DCC goodness:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The company’s Look-out Men must
make <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Awareness</b> tests; the Target
Number for this roll is determined using the table on 168 of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The One Ring Roleplaying Game</i>, and ranges
between TN 14 and TN 18 depending on how wary the characters are. If the roll
fails, then the Night-Wight automatically places one of the company in an
enchanted slumber and carries him off to its lair. The Look-out men must then
make more <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Awareness</b> tests, dropping
the TN by 2 each time. For each failed check, another member of the company is
taken by the Wight.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">And a bit later:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Those kidnapped by the Wight are
dragged away to the brook nearby. There, the wight submerges them in the muddy
banks of the river, pushing them into boggy graves so that only the victims’
faces remain at the surface. They are entombed alive in the clinging mud.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once battle is joined with the
Wight, the victims may make a Valour test every round to awaken (starting at TN
16, and dropping by 2 each round of battle). Once awake, escaping from the mud
needs a successful <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Athletics</b> test. A
hero who was buried in the mud is considered to be temporarily Weary, until he
is able to wash away the clinging dirt.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In DCC terms, we can say that the Night-Wight has a special
ability we will call “Enchant and Submerge”. Anyone on watch may make an
Intelligence check (DC 18; cumulative -2 to DC per failed check), or the
Night-Wight steals away a companion (lowest Luck first). The stolen companion
is placed in an enchanted slumber (no save) and submerged in the river mud with
only their faces above the surface. Once combat is joined, an enchanted PC may
attempt a Will save (DC 16, cumulative -2 per failed save) to awaken. The round
after they awaken, a PC may act with a -4d penalty to all die rolls, which
decreases by 1d per round thereafter until the PC is rolling normally.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Init:</b> “The Night-Wight is a thing of shadow, haunting the remains
of a warrior who once fell into corruption. It attacks using a wicked spear
with a barbed head, and will resort to using its claws if disarmed. Let’s say
it was a level 2 warrior in life, and give it a +2. But wait…Fell Speed. Let’s
say +5.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Atk</b>: A spear does 1d8 and claws 1d3, but we can also take the
warrior’s deed die (from life) into account and grant a +2 attack and damage
bonus. Spear +2 melee (1d8+2) or claw +2 melee (1d3+2).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AC:</b> The monster has Parry 7 and 4d Armour, based on the difficulty
of harming its semi-corporeal shadow form. Let’s make it AC 18.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">HD:</b> Endurance 54 is again indicated as a result of the Night-Wight
being difficult to damage with corporeal weapons. The design suggests to me
that driving it off with fire is the best option, so I will happily say that the
creature has 8d12 Hit Dice, and also say that it only takes half damage from
any non-magical source.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MV:</b> The creature has Movement 3 and “Fell Speed”, which I am going
to interpret as giving it MV 50’.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Act: </b>1d20 seems right to me.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SP: </b>In addition to the things already described, the Night-Wight
has Fear of Fire. From the text, “Hate” appears to indicate a creature’s
motivation (and hence willingness) to fight. “Based on its special abilities,
the Night-Wight loses 1 point of Hate at the end of the first round of combat
for each companion wielding a torch (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fear
of Fire</i>) but still profits from its enhanced power at night (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Denizen of the Dark</i>). When reduced to 0
Hate, the Night-Wight flies away into the night shrieking in frustration (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Craven</i>).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We can say that the Night-Wight
must make a Morale check at the end of each round it faces an enemy armed with
fire. It takes a -1 penalty for each fire-wielder it faces, and an additional
-2 for each successful save it has already made.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let’s also give it a good bonus to
Stealth. +10 seems right to me.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SV:</b> Reflexes are important for a creature with “Fell Speed”, but Fortitude
less so. A craven creature probably has a low Will, but as we are dropping save
bonuses due to fire, choosing a high Will bonus is better. Fort +3, Ref +7,
Will +12.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AL:</b> Chaotic.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Crit:</b> Following the table on page 385 of the core rulebook, we get
a result of U/1d12.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Put altogether, our statblock looks like this:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Night-Wight</b>: Init +5; Atk spear +2 melee (1d8+2) or claw +2 melee
(1d3+3); AC 18; HD 8d12; hp 54; MV 50’; Act 1d20; SP Un-dead, enchant and
submerge (see below), stealth +10, half damage from non-magical sources, fear
of fire (see below); SV Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +12; AL C; Crit U/1d12.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Enchant
and Submerge:</i> Anyone on watch may make an Intelligence check (DC 18;
cumulative -2 to DC per failed check), or the Night-Wight steals away a
companion (lowest Luck first). The stolen companion is placed in an enchanted
slumber (no save) and submerged in the river mud with only their faces above
the surface. Once combat is joined, an enchanted PC may attempt a Will save (DC
16, cumulative -2 per failed save) to awaken. The round after they awaken, a PC
may act with a -4d penalty to all die rolls, which decreases by 1d per round
thereafter until the PC is rolling normally.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fear
of Fire:</i> The Night-Wight must make a Morale check at the end of each round
it faces an enemy armed with fire. It takes a -1 penalty for each fire-wielder
it faces, and an additional -2 for each successful save it has already made.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Of course, if the PCs just sleep with no one on watch, it is
time to either roll up some new characters or pick up the action in hell.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">Part Three
– Battle at the Ringfort<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The company comes upon the survivors
of the caravan, and aid them in a desperate battle against a Goblin host. The
company is victorious (or else perish in the battle!), but discover that the
Goblins carried off Dinodas as they fled.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For the most part, this section can be run as presented.
Statistics for goblins, orcs, and men-at-arms can be found in the core
rulebook, and judges should find this fairly easy to adapt. The difficult part
is allowing players full agency, as the adventure assumes the kidnapping of
Dinodas. There is even a sidebar acknowledging this!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My personal recommendation is to try to distract the PCs with
attacks on the ringfort – which is, after all, the goblin’s plan – but allow
the PCs to prevent the kidnapping if they keep their wits about them. There is nothing
worse than having a brilliant plan and having it thwarted because the plot has
plot armor!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It should be noted that the Allies in Battle table (and similar)
can be reformatted as a normal d12 table – there is no requirement for special
dice! Likewise, the benefit of the defensive fortifications can be described as
a +4 bonus to AC as long as the defensive ramparts are held. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbA2xZGBpQer65BNEbYrnTdEBmGVXfr9G8XPrtXt9HBkZiN2BSApIJ7VL8Fgmm5XQevw-MybhcJsFllY3olSWmSx_PSA8bJfiDmbKj1WOp9PWMaNHRl0alCVAD5PEW4p2hyphenhyphenXcUcyApVlOcj51CEyYlOWjS0dVLWLB5SsodHsZdHibFtlOUtDieTezZRSw/s862/Allies%20in%20Battle.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="862" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbA2xZGBpQer65BNEbYrnTdEBmGVXfr9G8XPrtXt9HBkZiN2BSApIJ7VL8Fgmm5XQevw-MybhcJsFllY3olSWmSx_PSA8bJfiDmbKj1WOp9PWMaNHRl0alCVAD5PEW4p2hyphenhyphenXcUcyApVlOcj51CEyYlOWjS0dVLWLB5SsodHsZdHibFtlOUtDieTezZRSw/w640-h274/Allies%20in%20Battle.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></p><span style="font-size: large;">Part Four
– Under the Hills</span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Following the Goblin kidnappers
brings the adventurers into the tunnels under the Misty Mountains. After
braving these dark passages, they find that the Goblins have<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>imprisoned Dinodas with an unbreakable chain.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Spend the time to draw up even a basic map, and know the way
that the goblins have gone. Most of the potential hazards should be
consequences for choosing the wrong path; many of these make no sense in terms
of hazards along a regular route. Consider a long curving route where the PCs
can risk hazards to get ahead of the goblins. And don’t regard this in terms of
ten-foot squares – the goblin tunnels run for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">miles</i></b>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Part Five – The
Goblin Feast<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The reputation of Hobbit cooking
has reached even the caves of the Goblins, and they demand that Dinodas cook them
a feast. The adventurers can use this feast to trick the Goblins into fighting
amongst themselves, or to steal the key and free Dinodas from his bonds.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The situation and map as the PCs first discover it is fine.
The goblins owning an unbreakable chain with an unpickable lock? Once the PCs
are on the scene, don’t try to force a particular outcome. In the case of an
escape, you still have a potential running battle in the goblin tunnels (look
to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Hobbit</i></b> for inspiration). Besides, this is DCC – a high enough roll on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sleep</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">charm person</i> can resolve this part, as can <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">knock</i>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Remember, as a judge, it is your job to discover what
happens along with your players. It is not your job to force what you deem is
most dramatic to be what happens. Dice and system will create drama. Let your
players have their moment!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">(Another way to look at this is that players going through
early adventures, such as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Keep on the Borderlands</i></b>, faced
situations. When they talked to other players, how they faced those situations
and what happened as a result made for lively conversation. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Of
Leaves and Stewed Hobbit</i></b> attempts to narrow the potential solutions so
that the situation can only be resolved in one way – by acquiring the key to
Dinodas’ chains. There may be a small range of options within the only possible
resolution, but the PCs are very much following a path laid out by the writer’s
plot. This is not great design.) </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Epilogue - Back to
the Inn<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">After rescuing Dinodas, the company returns to the Easterly
Inn for their reward.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is nothing wrong with this section, but you should
consider how it is changed if thieves attacked the inn while the PCs were away.
There is, after all, a potential encounter pointing in that direction. The
judge may also want to include one or more encounters on the return journey.
Even if these are only flavor encounters, they provide an opportunity to lay
new adventure hooks!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGELFLoozAcZ7108zN-8aVwVOKPNKWC781AeBy0wF4WFe4JG1VKxZoQGqXw3oGHm_uRmv9ONKqY5jOYG6vMzmemPJcEWLjurJ0HN_FkJyDWrdDiAD9FajU5JxIwCvouGDqXpMZUAl294yFt_Q4LGY3TIuRcqE2FEDpxjheN9XOKLePguUpZOfsBZ4Dn8/s933/TotW.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="933" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGELFLoozAcZ7108zN-8aVwVOKPNKWC781AeBy0wF4WFe4JG1VKxZoQGqXw3oGHm_uRmv9ONKqY5jOYG6vMzmemPJcEWLjurJ0HN_FkJyDWrdDiAD9FajU5JxIwCvouGDqXpMZUAl294yFt_Q4LGY3TIuRcqE2FEDpxjheN9XOKLePguUpZOfsBZ4Dn8/w640-h292/TotW.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Next: Hawkmoon!</span><o:p></o:p></b></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-46266112772658077422023-10-03T17:23:00.004-04:002023-10-03T17:23:40.603-04:00Now Live!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7zTGz2JW7IaU8_Tc6sQcSCZWufOXETfiQkKNmNO2x5b49S0pyqLryNxVs6vlinTiCqsg_eylK_7HVyGH6F5mPjdAGkVPSYvqNIlE0pK9Q29n0INE0zzAG5YFwUeOba3stB5DuQSdYpVdGGT3jRpvyJrSKztLx79lfmJV5q5MMZ85KsKX-0mSIg8QWUE/s1100/Prisoners%20of%20the%20Secret%20Overlords%20web%20res.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="850" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7zTGz2JW7IaU8_Tc6sQcSCZWufOXETfiQkKNmNO2x5b49S0pyqLryNxVs6vlinTiCqsg_eylK_7HVyGH6F5mPjdAGkVPSYvqNIlE0pK9Q29n0INE0zzAG5YFwUeOba3stB5DuQSdYpVdGGT3jRpvyJrSKztLx79lfmJV5q5MMZ85KsKX-0mSIg8QWUE/w309-h400/Prisoners%20of%20the%20Secret%20Overlords%20web%20res.png" width="309" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">This is just a reminder that <b><i>Prisoners of the Secret Overlords</i></b>, which I talked about <a href="http://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2023/09/coming-soon-prisoners-of-secret.html">here</a>, is <a href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kickstarter.com%2Fprojects%2F1527088011%2Fprisoners-of-the-secret-overlords-dcc-rpg%3Fref%3D7jj4km&data=05%7C01%7C%7C30079f1621314a906c6a08dbbee81139%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638313676267925057%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=wxWojfCtu7%2F%2BZc4lQJz6nFbuln2PQE9k5cz%2FkT%2BbSCI%3D&reserved=0">now live!</a></span><p></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-85530211649785554912023-09-27T21:31:00.002-04:002023-10-29T13:00:18.319-04:00Conversion Crawl Classes 19: The One Ring: Tales From Wilderland (1): Don’t Leave the Path<p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9sIKxQD-yLSh1Titg7_knkY1tuC2z8EuwgVZmjSRoXq0ny-az_f27nux9_QS_nqaDa7YrpGuB772857jUh39KowiK8SK8MKdwEgRV110KdK_3vMUinRGB15TyBQpD6nSucv-vWg0bXEwMcQp68pPPhDVUjjPu1kLghQlR8pnRcoN7AB985-VqnUr6jI/s737/Tales%201.PNG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="584" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9sIKxQD-yLSh1Titg7_knkY1tuC2z8EuwgVZmjSRoXq0ny-az_f27nux9_QS_nqaDa7YrpGuB772857jUh39KowiK8SK8MKdwEgRV110KdK_3vMUinRGB15TyBQpD6nSucv-vWg0bXEwMcQp68pPPhDVUjjPu1kLghQlR8pnRcoN7AB985-VqnUr6jI/w318-h400/Tales%201.PNG" width="318" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Continuing our exploration of games based off <b>Appendix N</b> literature, we turn to <b><i>The
One Ring</i></b>, which is also based off of the works of <b>J.R.R. Tolkien</b>. I am going to examine the first two adventures in <b><i>Tales
From Wilderland</i></b>, each in its own blog post. I have averred throughout
this series that any adventure should be convertible, and that access to the
game’s base rules should be unnecessary. In this case, I am truly putting my
money where my mouth is. I do not own the base rules for <b><i>The One Ring</i></b>, have never
played the game, and my understanding of it is gleaned by perusing the
adventures in question. If you are an aficionado of <b><i>The One Ring</i></b>, you will perhaps
be able to judge the effectiveness of my methodology by examining these two
posts.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Basics</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The first thing to note is that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The One Ring</i></b> is a far
more narrativist game than <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dungeon Crawl Classics</i></b>. The basic
terms for statistics, the order of play, and even the nature of play are
different. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The One Ring</i></b> seems to focus a great deal on narrative travel,
where PCs take various jobs – such as Lookout and Scout – making various rolls
to avoid or resolve hazards and/or prevent Fatigue or loss of Hope. At various
points, the PCs may have experiences which cause them to fall under the Shadow.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">While thematically appropriate for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hobbit</i></b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Lord of the Rings</i></b>, this is going to increase the work needed to run
these scenarios in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dungeon Crawl Classics</i></b>. Despite being quieter adventures
overall, both adventures contain encounters that would be fun to play out
regardless of system. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The first thing to address is how to use the scenarios in
the first place. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Do We Change the
Game?</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The overall answer is No.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">At the end of the day, we are trying to make a playable DCC
adventure out of the original. When converting material from a very different
system, these is always going to be a temptation to port mechanics from the
original system into whatever game you are converting it to. After all, any
decent adventure takes advantage of its original system’s mechanics, and you
are bound to lose something by not using those mechanics.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">From my reading, loss of Hope or falling under the Shadow
are events which should be generally under the players’ control. Fatigue plays
a major part of these journeys, again from my reading, so we could model that
with penalties if the characters are not sufficiently rested. The dice chain
works admirably in this regard.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I get the sense from reading these adventures that, in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
One Ring</i></b>, the PCs are generally destined to succeed, and the only real
question is how much success they have. It also seems to me that player choice
is severely limited; the outcomes the GM wants to happen occur regardless of
player choices seems to be the expectation. In the second adventure I will be
looking at, there is even a sidebar discussing how some GMs might “prefer to
let everything be ruled by the whims of the dice, and always give the players a
chance to stop their foes from acting. The advantage of this approach is that
the players never feel like their fate is out of their hands”. The downside is
that if the players are quick and lucky, they might derail the GM’s
expectations. That allowing player choices to greatly affect the outcome of an
adventure is characterized by “the whims of the dice” is more than a little
problematic to me. Of course, if you are playing <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dungeon Crawl Classics</i></b>,
you are probably perfectly fine with allowing player choice and the dice to
each affect the outcome of the game!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Meaningful Encounters
and Color</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In my three-part essay on Context, Choice, and Consequence (<a href="http://ravencrowking.blogspot.ca/2011/05/c-is-for-choices-context-and.html">part
1</a>, <a href="http://ravencrowking.blogspot.ca/2011/06/c-is-for-choices-context-and.html">part
2</a>, <a href="http://ravencrowking.blogspot.ca/2011/06/c-is-for-choices-context-and_06.html">part
3</a>), I argued that the primary job of the GM is to provide context for
player choices, and then adjudicate the consequences of those choices, which
becomes part of the new context for future choices. If you understand that
general idea, then it should be easy to see how meaningful encounters derive
from choices which have consequences. In this case, the consequences are the
stakes of the encounter.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">For example, in many combat encounters, the stakes are
character survival. Survival need not be the only stakes, though, and having
additional (or different) stakes adds spice to adventures. Harm to an allied
NPC, for example, can create additional stakes requiring choices which take
those stakes into account. “Win conditions” are the conditions that the PCs
must meet to reach a favorable outcome. Meeting the win conditions means that
the consequences fall in the PCs’ favor. They obtain or retain the stakes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Conversely, color encounters are not meaningful. This
doesn’t mean that they are useless or uninteresting. They act to help set tone,
create verisimilitude, and set context. In fact, color helps to allow the
players to understand the stakes when they have meaningful encounters. Color
encounters, for example, can establish an NPC as an ally, making threats to
that NPC meaningful, and hence the survival of the NPC reasonable stakes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Color encounters also help to disguise meaningful
encounters, so that the players cannot always be certain whether or not they
are in a situation with potential dire or wondrous consequences. Maybe that
room is really empty. Maybe it contains a secret door, a hidden treasure, an
invisible monster, or some form of trap. If everything is meaningful, then no
tension exists trying to discover which details are worth paying attention to
and which are not. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In addition, encounters can blur the lines between meaning
and color. Evidence that a basilisk is in the area might seem like color, but
if it informs your choices going forward, including how you tackle the
potential encounter with the monster itself, you could easily argue that the
information obtained were the stakes, and your ability to understand it was the
win conditions. There is no hard-and-fast divider between the two encounter
types. Understanding them, though, will be useful when converting adventures
from a system like <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The One Ring</i></b>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Part One: Where
Rivers Run With Gold</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The company rescue Baldor the
merchant from three ruffians, and he asks them to serve as his caravan guards
on the crossing of Mirkwood.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This part doesn’t require a lot of conversion. The three
ruffians in question are former men-at-arms from Esgaroth, so the man-at-arms
statblock from page 434 of the DCC core rulebook seems more appropriate to me
than bandit stats. Because they are ruffians, shift their alignment to neutral
(or even chaotic) and because they are cowardly, change their Will save modifier
to -4. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nothing else really has to be done, but the adventure would
become far stronger if it was part of a larger narrative, where the PCs already
wanted to cross Mirkwood on some Quest For It motive of their own. This changes
the hook from merely being convenient to Baldor and his son to being convenient
for the PCs as well. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Another possibility: The PCs require some aid from the
Elfking, and are only planning on accompanying Baldor as far as the edges of
Mirkwood. Seeing Baldor and his son safely through the forest might be the
price of the Elfking’s aid, or even getting an audience. The point is that by
linking the PCs’ motives to Baldor’s desire to cross Mirkwood, you have a far
better chance that the PCs will not simply return to Laketown and try to loot
Smaug’s corpse for its jewels. In fact, you better have a good reason that the
PCs not do just that, or that will be exactly what the PCs do.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">You shouldn’t need special rules for intimidating the
ruffians. The simplest thing to do is make a Personality check modified by
circumstance (such as group size, armaments, and reputation) vs. the thug’s
Will save. Likewise, you shouldn’t need special rules for Riddle or Courtesy to
role-play talking to Baldor and learning some of his history.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Payment offered is two points of treasure each, and we will
have to decide what that means in DCC terms. I would recommend that a point of
treasure be equivalent to approximately 10 gp, but that treasure is assigned
specifics rather than left as an abstract. A silver arm ring might be a point
of treasure, or 10 bags of wool. The difference is more than just color – one
is far easier to transport than the other!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Part Two – The Edge
of the Woodland Realm</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Baldor has friends in Thranduil’s
court, so the first part of the journey is on board the Elven rafts up the
Forest River. The company are escorted to the edge of the forest kingdom and
warned not to leave the path.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This part is largely color, until the party reaches the Wood
Elves’ Court. At that point, there is a meaningful encounter (in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
One Ring</i></b> system), as follows:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lindar suggests that as the Elves
do not know the company, they should remain here to ‘guard the supplies’. In
two days, the Elves will bring the company to the edge of Thranduil’s realm. In
the meantime, they can remain here in the caves; Lindar promises to send down
some bread and wine.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">To win Lindar’s trust, the company
need three successful tests of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Persuade</b>,
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Courtesy</b> or <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Song</b>. If they show they are worthy guests, then they are permitted
to stay in better quarters in the upper caves, and may even hear the Elves
singing. The combination of soft beds and good company relieves the company of
any Fatigue they have accumulated so far.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am not sure how fatiguing it is, even in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
One Ring</i></b>, to sit on a raft being poled by wood elves for several days,
so I am not certain that the stakes in this encounter work in either system.
They certainly don’t in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dungeon Crawl Classics</i></b>, so making
the stakes more meaningful is required to salvage the encounter when converting
it. I have already suggested giving the PCs reason to want to speak with the
Elf King. Another possibility is that better accommodations results in 1 point
of Luck for those who can manage it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The “three successful tests” reminds me of skill challenges,
which we looked at <a href="http://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2023/08/conversion-crawl-classes-15-d-4th.html">here</a>.
In this case, I would have the players role-play their attempts to persuade
Lindar, setting a base DC of 15 (because persuading him is not easy), and
determining what die to roll based on occupation with a modifier ranging from
-4 to +4 based on my adjudication of the appropriateness of their attempts. Each
failure decreases the chance of success, which can be modeled by raising the DC
by +2 (or even +4) per failure, with three successes still being required.
Knowing something about the history of Thranduil, I would raise the base DC to
20 if the party contains one or more dwarves and give a +1d bonus to any checks
made by elves.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">While this encounter is hardly worth spending much time on,
the consequences of sneaking out of the caves – both if caught and if not – are
something the judge should at least think about. The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MERP</b> version of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mirkwood</i></b> has maps and information
about Thranduil’s Halls that the judge may find useful if they are up to more
conversion work. Otherwise, a quick sketch map, and probably some details about
the dungeon cells, will have to suffice. Remember that Thorin & Co. were
not found sneaking about the palace itself in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Hobbit</i></b>, and this
should probably come with some dire consequences.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Part Three – The Long
Road</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The company set off for the west,
braving the perils of the dark wood.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">We don’t have to worry about Hope or the Shadow, but it is
certainly worthwhile to say that travel through Mirkwood is fatiguing. Instead
of Fatigue tests, have the PCs make Fortitude saves while traversing the great
forest. The “TN” listed in 16, and we can imagine that this is roughly
equivalent to the DC. Failure indicates 1d3 Stamina damage, with total
exhaustion and a need for rest occurring at Stamina 0. We don’t have to make
this a quality of all travel; we can make this a quality of Mirkwood.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">(As a result, we also need Stamina scores for Baldor and his
son, Belgo.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">What we want to do here is establish some stakes for
upcoming encounters. In DCC, characters can always recover 1 point of Stamina
each day, but fatigue can compound, making it difficult for characters to face
further challenges. Hunkering in place is also possible – and may even be
necessary – but the caravan probably has limited supplies of food and water.
Some of the encounters which might otherwise be merely color in DCC can also be
described as potentially draining the party’s energy reserves.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The hazards in the game are triggered by a check, but for
DCC I would just include a chance of a hazard occurring each day, with a random
table to determine what hazard occurs. I would include a chance to roll twice,
combining the hazards. Nine hazards are listed, so a 1d10 table would work,
with the “10” indicating “roll twice”. Multiple “10”s compound.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">DCC doesn’t have characters take set roles like Look-Out,
Huntsman, Scout, or Guide, so who gets to roll to resolve an encounter is
really up to the judge. Luck might be in play, or marching order. The chase
mini-game in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fence’s Fortuitous Folly</i></b> has encounters based on where PCs
are in the chase, and might offer some guidance to the judge.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Some example hazards, to give the judge ideas, follow.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Spider Webs (Guide - Dangerous Meeting)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The company enter a region of the
forest where the trees are covered in spider-webs. None of these webs cross the
path, but this is a very dangerous place to make camp.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The company’s Guide must make a
Travel test to keep the company moving. If this test is failed, then the
company fails to get clear of the spider-haunted region before night falls and
they have to make camp. If they camp near the spider-webs, then the company are
attacked by Attercops at night (assume two Attercops per companion).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The adventure doesn’t provide statistics for Attercops, but
there are plenty of examples in DCC modules, and the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">DCC Annual Volume 1</i></b>
provides base statistics and guidance. Because we are looking at random
encounters, let’s not assume two per companion. Instead, since we are imagining
these spiders are statted up so that two per PC is a reasonable challenge,
let’s say 1d8+5. Or even 1d10+5. The party could be in for a difficult battle
or an easy one, depending upon the dice.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now, how do we make trying to escape the spider-infested
area interesting? How about this: Everyone must make a DC 10 Fort save or take
1 Stamina damage from fatigue. A random PC then makes a Luck check; success
indicates the party has left the infested area. The players may gamble as many
attempts as they like, until they have either left the area or every PC has
attempted a Luck check and failed. Discount PCs who have already failed when
determining who gets to attempt a Luck check next.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fat Pheasants (Huntsman - Wrong Choices)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The huntsman spots a flock of juicy
fat black pheasants on a branch. He is permitted a single Hunting test to bring
one down before the rest scatter. If this test succeeds, the company eat well
that night. If the test fails, the pheasants vanish, and the company are
tormented by the thought of what they might have had if they were luckier. This
discontent increases the Target Number of their next Fatigue test by one level.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Choose a PC with a ranged weapon. A hunter, forester, or the
like would be a good choice. That character spots the pheasants and gets a
single attack roll against AC 12. Success means a joyful meal in which everyone
can recover 1 point of Stamina damage. Failure means that the next Fort save to
avoid Stamina damage is made with a -2 penalty.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Blanket of Butterflies (Look-Out - Fatigue)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A flock of huge purple butterflies
flutter down from the treetops and nest on the sleeping company. These butterflies
are like a velvet shroud; if left undisturbed, they smother their victims. The
butterflies hum a lullaby as they land. The Look-out must make an Awareness
roll to stay awake; if successful, he fends off the unnatural sleepiness and
drives the butterflies away. If this roll fails, then the humming of the
butterflies puts him to sleep too. The company are saved when one of the
insects is inhaled by a sleeping companion, and his choking snorts wake the rest.
In that time, though, all the company were partially suffocated and feel
drained. Add Fatigue again, or twice if the Look-out failed the test with a
roll of an Eye.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Whoever is on watch at the time makes a DC 15 Will save to
avoid the unnatural slumber. Failure means that the butterflies drain 1 Stamina
from each party member, plus make a DC 10 Fort save or take an additional 1d3
Stamina. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">“The company are saved when one of the insects is inhaled by
a sleeping companion, and his choking snorts wake the rest”? Hmmm. Everyone
make a Luck check. If anyone succeeds, that is indeed what happens. Otherwise
rinse and repeat until someone makes their Luck check or everyone reaches 0
Stamina and dies.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Part Four – Castle of
the Spiders</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As the company make camp, Baldor
falls afoul of the enchanted stream that runs through Mirkwood. Temporarily
deprived of his memories, he flees into the woods and is trapped by Spiders in
a ruined castle.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This should be a fun encounter, although you will again need
to provide your own statistics. The encounter calls for a number of tests where
the judge should simply supply information. Climbing the wall is a DC 10 Climb
Sheer Surfaces or Strength check. Traversing spider webs without alerting the
spiders should be tricky – let’s call that a DC 15 Move Silently or Stealth
check. Armor check penalties, of course, apply. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pulling Baldor up requires a DC 10 Strength check. Cutting
him free shouldn’t require any kind of check or test unless under attack, and
then we can say DC 15 modified by Luck. An edged weapon is required; a dagger
offers a +1d bonus. It might take more than one round to cut him free; each
round of work reduces the DC of future checks by a cumulative 2 points.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">A lot of attention is paid to Belgo’s amulet, but it doesn’t
really do much in the adventure itself. I would be tempted to let the amulet
act like B<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ê</span>lit’s
ghost in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Queen of the Black Coast</i></b>. Why not let it channel his mother’s
spirit, once, to save him from certain doom? At least then you can end the
adventure with some sense of closure for Baldor and Belgo.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This encounter brings another thought to mind – how do we
describe the waters of Mirkwood in game terms, should some player be so foolish
as to have his character drink from them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A Fort save to prevent sleep and memory loss, followed by a Will save to
avoid memory loss if the first save is failed?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Part Five – The
Hermit of Mirkwood</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The company find shelter with a
crazed hermit. Can they convince him to aid them, or is he planning to murder them
in their sleep?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let’s give this hermit the statistics and abilities of a
friar. Let’s then ignore all the various tests from the text, and allow the
players to gain information from their character’s actions. Let’s role-play
interaction with the hermit, and then allow a party member to make a single DC
10 check to see how the hermit reacts, with the group’s role-playing
determining what size die they use – noting, of course, that the hermit can
demand they leave any time the judge decides that the PCs have gone too far.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let’s say that sleeping outside in the storm forces everyone
to make a DC 15 Fort save or take 1d4 Stamina damage as well as gaining no
benefits from rest. This represents their taking ill if they fail; no one gets
benefits from rest regardless of the save result. Let’s say the storm hasn’t
abated if the PCs are kicked out. Let’s say killing the hermit in his home
costs everyone 1 Luck, as he was beloved of the Valar.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Now</i> we have
reasonable stakes. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The potential reward is the remains of an axe-head, the
fabled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wolfbiter.</i> Apart from the
rewards granted if it is returned to Woodland Hall, we have no details of what
the axe would be like if reforged and fitted with a proper handle. Let’s use <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sword magic </i>and some judicious tinkering
to find out:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wolfbiter</i>
(+2 Lawful battleaxe): This weapon can communicate by simple urges, and has a 7
Intelligence. It has an additional +2 bonus to attack and damage wolves of all
types, and its critical range against these foes is extended by +1 (so that a
thief wielding the axe would score a critical hit against a wolf on a roll of
19-20). The axe is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cursed</i> so that any
who takes it by force must succeed in a DC 15 Fort save whenever it strikes
down a non-lupine foe, or be turned to stone permanently. This curse would
certainly affect anyone involved in killing the hermit and uncovering his
treasure.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Part Six – The Well
in the Wood</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The last danger of the woods comes
from the trees themselves. Their contempt for everything that goes on two legs
threatens to turn into a deadly trap.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1pW3qN6ezqxZViC8Zxig_dsEey5xi5iydmLDj0MtCuKHv-jApsEzW1_Z1eQBz4KYjJIe7CTQlJoFtWTey5PDKHcpVVj52LIMbXSHc0uqghlNBmMzG2iRz-SsUpFufcqwG8g4XmFrRnMxrtx0fMhoBfRcHJB73qpNjSyPnH9sUk9oyAAVwzeJuzDD2rE/s609/Tales%202.PNG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="328" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1pW3qN6ezqxZViC8Zxig_dsEey5xi5iydmLDj0MtCuKHv-jApsEzW1_Z1eQBz4KYjJIe7CTQlJoFtWTey5PDKHcpVVj52LIMbXSHc0uqghlNBmMzG2iRz-SsUpFufcqwG8g4XmFrRnMxrtx0fMhoBfRcHJB73qpNjSyPnH9sUk9oyAAVwzeJuzDD2rE/w344-h640/Tales%202.PNG" width="344" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">As the party approaches the well, everyone must make a DC 16
Will save, with the party halting if more than half fail. The encounter
otherwise works much as written, save that Belgo calls out “Mother! Mother!”
not his mother’s name. Resisting sleeping requires a DC 15 Will save; resisting
madness requires a DC 10 Will save. Only characters who failed the initial Will
save need to roll to resist madness, but all characters need to roll to resist
falling asleep if the PCs stop.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here we have the chance to let Belgo’s amulet come to the
fore, rescuing him from certain death and rekindling his father’s memory.
Should father and son both survive, their bond is restored. Leaving this thread
hanging just seems wrong to me.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Fighting the
Creature:</b> PCs in the well have a -1d penalty to both attack rolls and
damage, while the Thing in the Well has a +1d bonus to both attack rolls and
damage against them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Thing in the Well is an obvious choice for converting to
DCC. Looking at the statistics provided, we can see that they are quite
different from what <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dungeon Crawl Classics</i></b> uses, but that presents no great
difficulty. In some ways, we might even consider it an opportunity as we have
little fear of getting it wrong. In fact, if there is any lesson you take from
this, please consider that you cannot “get it wrong”. A monster has the stats
you give it, and they don’t have to play by the rules!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Init:</b> How fast is the Thing? We don’t really know. But as it relies
on illusions and sleep, it is probably not terribly fast. Let’s just say +0.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Atk</b>: The Thing attacks with a lashing tentacle, or attacks with a
strangle once it hits. We make strangulation a special ability, so that it
attacks with a tentacle lash. The earlier thugs have 2 for their weapon skill,
and this creature has 3, so let’s just give it a +3 bonus to hit. Damage is
listed as 5, but in DCC terms 1d6 is probably appropriate.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AC:</b> The monster has Parry 4 and 3d Armour. If we assume this
indicates an AC of 14 and some form of damage reduction, we are probably not
far off.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">HD:</b> Endurance 45 is probably the Thing’s hit points, so 6d12 seems
appropriate to me.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MV:</b> The creature has Movement 2, which is the same as the thugs in
the beginning of the adventure. This would argue a speed of 30’, which I
dislike. The creature hides in a well. It doesn’t come out to attack. Let’s
give it MV 10’ or climb 10’.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Act: </b>“Every round, the creature may attack up to three different
opponents” is a compelling argument to choose 3d20.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SP: </b>Lure, sleep, and illusions are all part of the set-up and may
be considered part of the Thing’s powers. Strangulation causes 1d8 automatic
damage per round (a successful Mighty Deed, Strength check, or 6+ damage in a
single edged attack to escape). Three times per day the Thing may make a single
tentacle lash attack that targets all foes within 30’, using all action dice to
do so. Damage from non-magical weapons is reduced by 2 points per die. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SV:</b> Fortitude should be good, Reflexes poor for a creature of its
Hit Dice, and Will phenomenal. Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +9.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AL:</b> Chaotic.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Crit:</b> Following the table on page 385 of the core rulebook, we get
a result of M/1d12.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Put altogether, our statblock looks like this:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Thing in the Well</b>: Init +0; Atk tentacle lash +3 melee (1d6
plus strangulation); AC 14; HD 6d12; hp 45; MV 10’ or climb 10’; Act 3d20; SP Lure
(Will DC 16 negates), sleep (Will DC 15 negates), illusions and madness (Will
DC 10 negates), strangulation (1d8 automatic damage per round, successful Mighty
Deed, Strength check, or 6+ damage in a single edged attack to escape), hateful
lash (3/day, uses all action dice to make a single tentacle lash attack that
targets all foes within 30’), 2 point damage reduction per die from non-magical
weapons; SV Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +9; AL C; Crit M/1d12.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This may not be a perfect rendition, but it gets the job
done.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Epilogue - The Forest
Gate<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Where the company exits Mirkwood,
and possibly reaps the benefits of their deeds.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This section falls a bit flat. Instead, Baldor and Belgo
urge the party to continue on with them to Woodland Hall, but will pay the PCs
if they must. Perhaps at this point the PCs must make another dangerous trek
through Mirkwood to visit the court of the Elf King now that they have seen the
merchants safely through the forest. Perhaps they have something else to do.
Perhaps Baldor, Belgo, or both died. Perhaps they continue on to Woodland Hall.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Watching father and son drift apart through madness and
shadow, and then be drawn back together, at least draws events to a conclusion
which is a bit more satisfying than merely reaching the end of the forest. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In an <a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2013/06/megadungeon-crawl-classics-2-but-can-i.html">earlier
blog post</a>, I described the three types of adventures as persistent
locations, opportunities, and player-initiated quests. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This adventure is an opportunity which may, or
may not, intersect with one or more player-initiated quests. It contains
persistent locations, but there is insufficient development to make them persistent
in the campaign milieu without additional work by the judge. While adequate as
a single session of travel between meatier adventures, the judge would get more
out of this by making Baldor and Belgo recurrent characters, and by doing more
with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wolfbiter</i>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkdIKN7KOcxcamhfSeFBv478bWitKisVB9fkVtFo2aYkNSiuTYP6pR7xj8DSdNnaFLI55T8FeUyZ5T2qiAMsRpWG63CSs3rsHglj3vTbWn87dWbUKKBaVvNFD7e63TyDWSd-Umi2ouxHK_akMjDkSgIOd7QJgzRdGxwy6zO78T7uq9yLp84KRnMYuKR4/s1392/Tales%203.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="1392" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkdIKN7KOcxcamhfSeFBv478bWitKisVB9fkVtFo2aYkNSiuTYP6pR7xj8DSdNnaFLI55T8FeUyZ5T2qiAMsRpWG63CSs3rsHglj3vTbWn87dWbUKKBaVvNFD7e63TyDWSd-Umi2ouxHK_akMjDkSgIOd7QJgzRdGxwy6zO78T7uq9yLp84KRnMYuKR4/w640-h286/Tales%203.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Next: The One
Ring: Tales From Wilderland (2): Of Leaves & Stewed Hobbit</span><o:p></o:p></b></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-10717499029637357982023-09-26T13:17:00.004-04:002023-09-26T19:48:25.603-04:00Coming Soon: Prisoners of the Secret Overlords<p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGwY3H7_Vx20h1iX0pIGa83Fc7lxpOdSCXBwWJKSd1Yp6ro62xBmG01xIcb2uP4EqSdO-iMflsYDip2NblGkLkhMndadnc3R5pMR_h0UJqRaLclAge-jUBOCJ5Rkb2l0uwP3P9JzkbkFBgX_tjIYS6BA4I0bxc8z737vCd2VSwzyV1j8CL9kGuzSWc_I/s1100/Prisoners%20of%20the%20Secret%20Overlords%20web%20res.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="850" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGwY3H7_Vx20h1iX0pIGa83Fc7lxpOdSCXBwWJKSd1Yp6ro62xBmG01xIcb2uP4EqSdO-iMflsYDip2NblGkLkhMndadnc3R5pMR_h0UJqRaLclAge-jUBOCJ5Rkb2l0uwP3P9JzkbkFBgX_tjIYS6BA4I0bxc8z737vCd2VSwzyV1j8CL9kGuzSWc_I/w309-h400/Prisoners%20of%20the%20Secret%20Overlords%20web%20res.png" width="309" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">I was recently given the opportunity to take a gander at
<b><i>Prisoners of the Secret Overlords</i></b>, a 1st to 2nd level adventure by <b>David
Matalon</b>, soon to be come to Kickstarter by <b>Dragon Peak Publishing</b>. It is
intended as the first installment of <b><i>Against the Secret Overlords</i></b>, which has a
nice nostalgic echo of the <b>A Series</b> of modules published by <b>TSR</b> for <b><i>Advanced
Dungeons & Dragons</i></b>.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">The adventure is also clearly inspired by <i><b>Expedition to the
Barrier Peaks</b></i>, and characters will find a good mix of encounter types with a
strong helping of the otherworldly mixed into them. Fans of comic books and
<b>Appendix N</b> fiction will find other references which are not overly subtle. I
suspect that the adventure will be very fun to play through, although I have
not done so yet. There is no clear need to have later modules in the series;
this should stand well enough on its own.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">I am very aware that I am looking at a pre-launch version of
this adventure, with placeholders for some artwork, less-than-finalized maps,
etc. Still, I am impressed with the artwork already in place. General layout,
artwork, and font choices are reminiscent of <b>Goodman Games</b> modules, which is
always a plus in my book.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">On the other hand, this adventure requires more work than
average for the judge to run. There is a lot of background information, which
is a blessing, but which increases prep time. The module would be improved by
another editing pass. Because of its complexity, a short recap of elements at
the start would be appreciated before diving into the longer background information.
This would include word/page count, of course, and the pdf I am looking at is
already 56 pages long (including covers). For those unfamiliar with publishing,
page counts are always in units of 4, comprised of two front-and-back pages
from a folded sheet, so adding a recap isn’t always an easy decision.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Although the module is intended as the first in a series of
linked adventures, there is no reason why it cannot be run on its own, without
using the later adventures. The adventure also could be easily modified by the
judge to shift from one campaign milieu to another. There is more than adequate
opportunity to use <i><b>Prisoners of the Secret Overlords</b></i> to shift from the <b>Shudder
Mountains</b> to <b><i>DCC Dying Earth</i></b> or whatever else you want to do. Again, this
requires some adjustment, and the basic adventure doesn’t force these kinds of
changes on you. I would argue that the adventure would work fairly well in
<i><b>Mutant Crawl Classics</b></i> with only minor changes to the adventure start, and would
be a good way to transplant MCC seekers to a DCC world.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">This is a big adventure with strong science-fantasy aspects. PCs get to use strange alien weapons and meet NPCs who've been kidnapped from multiple worlds. For most groups, running the adventure will probably take at least 4 sessions, and there is plenty of material for a creative judge to use in an ongoing campaign. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">I would definitely run this adventure, and I have no doubt that I will get it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">The Kickstarter launches October 3rd. If you are interested,
<a href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kickstarter.com%2Fprojects%2F1527088011%2Fprisoners-of-the-secret-overlords-dcc-rpg%3Fref%3D7jj4km&data=05%7C01%7C%7C30079f1621314a906c6a08dbbee81139%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638313676267925057%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=wxWojfCtu7%2F%2BZc4lQJz6nFbuln2PQE9k5cz%2FkT%2BbSCI%3D&reserved=0">youcan check it out here</a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Absolutely check out the work of artist Kiril Tchangov <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kirilot/">here</a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYKSg8U3ZQDYd6DN1NQOwtX0dc2Qxr1xOT6anRufVFGpk8P5FU2_KCMVu6RRzAxz8QJ-X1JiKwECh3F5bPTAPqU-867UqXeFCVn78dqia-4Bz70WWDeUkQZX_Gu0wOuSaFkNrUgnyWFnvIz_Qay7nIJZbeNGhKw3ScKfayjwitKxaV2azPzlY4behBS8/s1920/thumbnail_Kzyk_F%20web%20rez.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYKSg8U3ZQDYd6DN1NQOwtX0dc2Qxr1xOT6anRufVFGpk8P5FU2_KCMVu6RRzAxz8QJ-X1JiKwECh3F5bPTAPqU-867UqXeFCVn78dqia-4Bz70WWDeUkQZX_Gu0wOuSaFkNrUgnyWFnvIz_Qay7nIJZbeNGhKw3ScKfayjwitKxaV2azPzlY4behBS8/w640-h426/thumbnail_Kzyk_F%20web%20rez.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-90283759268296995852023-09-19T15:49:00.008-04:002023-09-27T21:32:03.241-04:00Conversion Crawl Classes 18: MERP: Moria<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK1t6ke_ndmqR-axzM0c8eRZV9FrhSSgVb82oN5XqA6xi_ZXkTpa9XTS1U4HKV6pYgS9WhUvCltJQ-17u0EM9TYaXqI5DoaXlFYogu78H3fHzPj4j-vouSM3RspbO-M7siI6-YfFMDWBhg-Rf5XiRJI-ib7QXE6mcX8XW63hhKgxxy-5k1C5GDNcSiEc/s824/MERP%20Moria%20-pre%20MERP%20maybe.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="637" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiK1t6ke_ndmqR-axzM0c8eRZV9FrhSSgVb82oN5XqA6xi_ZXkTpa9XTS1U4HKV6pYgS9WhUvCltJQ-17u0EM9TYaXqI5DoaXlFYogu78H3fHzPj4j-vouSM3RspbO-M7siI6-YfFMDWBhg-Rf5XiRJI-ib7QXE6mcX8XW63hhKgxxy-5k1C5GDNcSiEc/w309-h400/MERP%20Moria%20-pre%20MERP%20maybe.JPG" width="309" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Moria is not the earliest example of a megadungeon in <b>Appendix N</b> literature. It is not even
the earliest example in <b>J.R.R. Tolkien</b>’s
work – the goblin tunnels in the Misty Mountains certainly qualifies, and the dwarven
hold beneath the Lonely Mountain arguably does as well, both from <b><i>The
Hobbit</i></b>. Nevertheless, Moria is probably the best known. When gamers
think of megadungeons, the Fellowship’s days-long check through the fastness of
Moria probably comes to mind.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Because good depictions of demihuman strongholds are rare,
the discerning judge may well wish to use this product to reproduce the dwarven
kingdom of Khazad-D<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">û</span>m before its fall. However, I am going to assume that the
judge is interested in Moria in its later state, ruined and deserted by dwarves…and
ripe for adventure. I have already talked about converting MERP in <a href="http://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2023/09/conversion-crawl-classes-17-merp-bree.html">this
post</a>, so I am going to shift focus here. As with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2023/04/conversion-crawl-classes-5-basic-d.html">Palace
of the Silver Princess</a></i></b>, I am going to provide a number of creature
statblocks, but I am also going to look at some of the other materials which
have gone into this product.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Things That Heal and
Harm<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Lord of the Rings</i></b>, much is made of athelas, and with it the healing
power of herbs and herb-lore in general. The writers of MERP clearly took that
to heart, and expanded on it considerably. On page 8 of Moria, there is a
section on growing things that might either heal or poison you to be found in
the vicinity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since your PCs might
actually have “herbalist” or “dwarven mushroom farmer” as an occupation, it
might be useful to convert some of this material.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">For the first example, we will look at “lothfelag”, which
has both a healing and a toxic effect. Name, form/prep, and cost require little
adjustment. In the case of prep, you may wish to assign a DC based on
Intelligence, remembering that those with unrelated occupations roll 1d10
instead of 1d20. Failure by 5 or more indicates that the ingredients are
ruined. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Looking at “Codes” we see that lothfelag is “t-U-7W”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the flowers are found in temperate
underground regions and is extremely hard to find (-30%). Lothfelag is found on
the western part of the continent, if that matters to the judge (for example,
if you are using <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ICE</b>’s version of
Middle Earth as a setting rather than filing the serial numbers off and
presenting Moria under a different name). Because we don’t want to look
anything up in the rulebook, we need to set a period for the search (say, over
the course of 1 day) and a DC. If we assume a base DC of 10, we could set this
at DC 16 (30 divided by 5 + base 10). The judge could also place the herb in
specific locations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Effects-wise, we have this as an herb:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cave-flowers will preserve and
protect a wounded Dwarf for up to seven months in a “Lifekept” state and will
give life (as “Lifegiving”) to a Dwarf who has died within the preceding seven
hours. Others who eat the enchanted flowers will immediately be relieved from
any effects from concussion hits or stunning blows. Proper preparation requires
removal of toxic resin (see Poisons below).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">And the toxic effects are:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(Lvl 1) Victims failing by 01-50
fall into fall into an unwaking sleep for 1-10 hours. RR failure of 51+ results
in a coma for 1-7 months.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Putting this together in DCC terms, we can say:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lothfelag</b> (Int DC 16/day to find 1d5 doses; Int DC 16 plus
successful Handle Poison check to properly brew; Handle Poison check to prepare
as poison); 1d20+10 rounds preparation): When a properly prepared dose I administered
to a dwarf, this brew prevents ongoing damage for 1d7 months, although the
dwarf has a -2 penalty to Initiative during this time. Administered to a dwarf
who has died within the last seven hours allows another chance to recover the
body, even if the dwarf is 0-level. All recipients (including dwarves) gain 1
HD of healing, up to ½ damage taken.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As a toxin, Fort DC 10 or fall into
asleep for 1d10 hours (cannot be wakened without magic). Failure by 5 or more
results in a coma for 1d7 months.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This isn’t exactly the same as the MERP version, but it is
playable in DCC terms and doesn’t require looking at the MERP core rules to do
the conversion.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Special Minerals<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dwarves mine, and Moria was famous for its mithral deposits.
On page 34, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Moria</i></b> offers a table for game effects related to various
substances mined here. I would largely ignore this, giving some weapons instead
the ability to avoid breaking from fumbles or crits if they are made from
special metals. Likewise, a sword made from tin might have a -2d penalty to
attack rolls and damage, breaking on any natural “1” or “20”. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Traps<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pages 46-47 describe traps that can be found in the ruins of
the dwarven city. Luckily, the DCC core rulebook offers some help in converting
these traps, because the thief skills include sample DCs. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Detection Difficulty:</b>
Using the Find Trap skill, “Medium” difficulty is DC 10. “Hard” is DC 15. “Very
Hard” is DC 20. “Ext. Hard” is DC 25.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Disarming Difficulty:</b>
Using the Disable Trap skill, with the same DCs. “Light” is DC 5. Remember that
a natural “1” triggers the trap.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Avoidance Difficulty:</b>
This helps determine the DC for any save to avoid the effects of a trap. In the
case of “Dart Traps”, it is better to make these act as attack rolls. Seven
darts with +10 to hit (+75 in the text would be +15 if you are feeling cruel).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Effect:</b> To convert these effects, you need to apply common
sense. In DCC, falls do 1d6 damage per 10’ fallen, with each “6” indicating a
broken bone. If there are spikes in a pit, the judge could offer a save to
avoid falling on (say) 1d7-1 spikes, each of which causes 1d4 or 1d6 damage.
Spike traps, as described in the text, might cause 3d6 damage with a save for
half. Steam traps could cause an additional 1d6 damage, plus 1d6 per round
until the PC escapes. Wheel traps can be set at 5d10 damage with a successful DC
20 Fort save, or death on a failure.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some Statistics<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am not providing statistics for giant bats, orcs, goblins,
or other creatures which could easily be extrapolated or taken directly from
the DCC core rulebook. I will strongly suggest that, unless the judge’s goal is
to set play in Middle Earth, they follow the advice to Make Monsters
Mysterious. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chamber Bird Swarm</b>:
Init +5; Atk swarming bite +3 melee (1d4); AC 12; HD 4d12; MV fly 40’; Act special;
SP Attack all creatures in 20’ x 20’ area, swarm (½ damage from non-area
attacks), echolocation; SV Fort +2, Ref +10, Will -2; AL N; Crit M/1d8. For
additional thoughts on crits from swarms, see <a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-joy-of-swams.html">this
post</a>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cave Bear</b>: Init +3;
Atk claw +5 melee (1d4+5) or bite +3 melee (1d6+5); AC 18; HD 8d8+16; MV 40’;
Act 2d20; SP Maul (if both claws hit the same opponent, free bite attack); SV Fort
+8, Ref +2, Will +5; AL N; Crit M/1d4.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Death Shrew</b>: Init
+2; Atk bite +4 melee (disease); AC 24; HD 1 hp; MV 20’; Act 1d16; SP Disease
(Blue Hand, Fort DC 10 or 1d3-1 Agility damage per day, blue skin
discoloration, boils, bleeding ears and nose); SV Fort -4, Ref +10, Will +0; AL
N; Crit n/a. Blue Hand doesn’t result in death, but can lead to permanent
paralysis. Agility damage heals normally, but if the disease isn’t removed natural
healing can only delay, not overcome, the long-term effects.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Red Jaw</b>: Init +3;
Atk bite +1 melee (1d4); AC 16; HD 2d6; MV swim 50’; Act 1d20; SP Light-producing
organs make surprise virtually impossible; SV Fort +0, Ref +3, Will -2; AL C;
Crit M/1d8.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Balrog<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I suppose we cannot take out leave of Moria without
encountering the balrog. The Fellowship of the Ring certainly could not. And
here we have to accept that MERP and DCC are very different beasts. Within the
context of DCC, the balrog can be seen as a Type VI demon, which will certainly
color our conversion.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Init:</b> MERP stats include Ag: 99, which I think translates to a 17
Agility (+2 bonus). A random Type 6 demon I created at <a href="https://www.purplesorcerer.com/demon.php">Purple Sorcerer</a> has a +12
bonus to Initiative. Nothing in the text of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Lord of the Rings</i></b>
suggests to me that the balrog was superfast, so I am willing to give it a mere
+8 bonus to Initiative.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Atk</b>: The balrog attacks with a sword and a whip. MERP adds a spear
and a thrown rock, but I don’t think that this is necessary. We will definitely
add a claw attack if the creature is disarmed. The random stats were +21 to hit
with 1d6+6 damage. I am going to raise the sword to 1d10+6 damage (in line with
a two-handed sword, which the balrog uses one-handed). Claw damage can be
1d6+6, but we can reduce the attack bonus to +18 to make disarming the thing
meaningful.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AC:</b> DB 60 is presumably a Defensive Bonus equivalent to +12. Our
random demon is AC 24. I will make the creature AC 24.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">HD:</b> Our random demon has 15d12 hp, which seems adequate to me, but
the MERP version has 420 hits. I am therefore tempted to raise my balrog to
18d12 hit points. After all, this is a creature which strikes absolute terror
into those who encounter it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MV:</b> The balrog is huge, and our random demon has a move of 40’, so
we can use that. The balrog can also fly (we will say 60’), but has special
rules to this movement which we will convert from MERP.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Act: </b>Our random demon has 4d20, but the balrog in the novel and
MERP should probably have 2d20 (one for his sword and one for his whip).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SP: </b>In addition to standard traits for a Type VI demon, we want to
include some special abilities taken from MERP’s version of the balrog:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Clumsy Flight: </i>The balrog can only move 10’ on his first round of
flight, 20’ on his second, 30’ on the third, and only reaches full flight speed
on the fourth round.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Immolation:</i> The balrog can sheath himself and his weapons in fire
at will, doing +1d6 damage per attack, and doing an automatic 1d6 damage per
round to any creature engaged in melee with him. Complete submersion ends and
prevents further use of this ability for 3d6 hours.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Presence:</i> Upon sighting the balrog, all creatures must succeed in a
DC 20 Will save or lose their next action. If they fail by 5 or more, they are
unable to act for 1d6 rounds.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We are also going to add:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Entwine:</i> When he hits with his whip, the balrog may entwine the
lashes around a foe, pulling him up to 10’ each round unless they succeed in an
opposed Strength check vs. +6. An opponent may escape with a DC 20 Agility
check (requiring an action) or a Mighty Deed of 6+.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Lord of the Rings</i></b>, we
never see the balrog cast a spell, but it does oppose Gandalf when he is trying
to hold a door shut magically (casting <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ward
portal</i> in DCC terms). So we can add another power:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Counterspell:</i> The balrog can engage in spell duels with a +15 bonus
to his spell check, but is limited to casting <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dispel magic</i> for this purpose, which has no effect other than
cancelling an opposing spell.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We are also going to want to remove
the standard projection power. Although we are using a Type VI Demon as a
basis, this power makes no sense for the balrog.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SV:</b> We can just take this from our sample demon: SV Fort +16, Ref
+14, Will +17.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AL:</b> Creatures of Morgoth, including the balrog, are Chaotic.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Crit:</b> Following the table on page 385 of the core rulebook, we get
a result of DN/1d20.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Put altogether, our balrog becomes:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Balrog (Type VI Demon of Morgoth)</b>: Init +8; Atk two-handed sword +21
melee (1d10+6) or whip +21 melee (1d6+6 plus entwine), or claw +18 melee
(1d6+6); AC 24; HD 15d12; MV 40’ or fly 60’ (special); Act 2d20; SP Demon
traits, entwine, presence, immolation, counterspell, clumsy flight; SV Fort +16,
Ref +14, Will +17; AL C; Crit DN/1d20.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Demon
Traits: </i>Telepathy, infravision, cast <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">darkness</i>
(+20 to spell check). Immunities (weapons of less than +4 enchantment,natural
attacks from creatures of 9 HD or less, fire, cold, electricity, gas, and acid),
crit range 16-20.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Entwine:</i>
When he hits with his whip, the balrog may entwine the lashes around a foe,
pulling him up to 10’ each round unless they succeed in an opposed Strength
check vs. +6. An opponent may escape with a DC 20 Agility check (requiring an
action) or a Mighty Deed of 6+.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Presence:</i>
Upon sighting the balrog, all creatures must succeed in a DC 20 Will save or
lose their next action. If they fail by 5 or more, they are unable to act for
1d6 rounds.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Immolation:</i>
The balrog can sheath himself and his weapons in fire at will, doing +1d6
damage per attack, and doing an automatic 1d6 damage per round to any creature
engaged in melee with him. Complete submersion ends and prevents further use of
this ability for 3d6 hours.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Counterspell:</i>
The balrog can engage in spell duels with a +15 bonus to his spell check, but
is limited to casting <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dispel magic</i>
for this purpose, which has no effect other than cancelling an opposing spell.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Clumsy
Flight: </i>The balrog can only move 10’ on his first round of flight, 20’ on
his second, 30’ on the third, and only reaches full flight speed on the fourth
round.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Conclusion (With Apologies to Laura
Branigan)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></b></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></i></p><blockquote><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You really don't
remember<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Do we just turn left
or right?<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Wandering in
eternal night, Moria<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Moria, now Gandalf's
fallen<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If the balrog wants
you<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">At least the orcs are
stalling<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You don't have to
fight them<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Gandalf said to fly
fools fly<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh-oh, down in Moria<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Moria (Moria)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I think your wizard's
spent now (Moria)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I think those orcs are
coming (Moria)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And they have your scent now (Moria)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You really don't
remember<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Do we just turn left
or right?<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Wandering where it's
always night, Moria</span></i></p></blockquote><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRq_4IPGJL12SLPfiBtNIkU-keDy-B7y68pwvEhxN2OkacY6VMacFzA189HZA3W9JDhk0_-bP6L7ACFJUPsOFB4SMh-5vOEoiTjId9ufp1qIuX1hVitXDGWfQIIksORkYONn6ru9rK1nsT5eYze_giluoWsL9E3LT77AZFJ8o30Nt1bGHDKWrNjpriY14/s1038/moria.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="647" data-original-width="1038" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRq_4IPGJL12SLPfiBtNIkU-keDy-B7y68pwvEhxN2OkacY6VMacFzA189HZA3W9JDhk0_-bP6L7ACFJUPsOFB4SMh-5vOEoiTjId9ufp1qIuX1hVitXDGWfQIIksORkYONn6ru9rK1nsT5eYze_giluoWsL9E3LT77AZFJ8o30Nt1bGHDKWrNjpriY14/w640-h398/moria.PNG" width="640" /></a></span></i></div><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Next: The One
Ring: Tales From Wilderland (1): Don't Leave the Path</span><o:p></o:p></b></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-4852980227672057082023-09-09T20:57:00.000-04:002023-09-09T20:57:00.038-04:00Conversion Crawl Classes 17: MERP: Bree and the Barrow Downs<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJuvWetIC3DzoLCJbqgamdyaIv3OHizYVuCKYL3dh7Ijms_Mg6P2XWuvUy1vxWxvhNtw1oqo_EeSY73MrKxEq-kOSBjcSws2vrvt2Ahqa3gLdL0jGM3x0yx1wIqZkAo5PX0BlERxAc3vt4Rli2AfZIWcWYROf-EAY5Z6fG6IOs-q8sXMUFl6XmH-gUxo/s910/bree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="910" data-original-width="687" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJuvWetIC3DzoLCJbqgamdyaIv3OHizYVuCKYL3dh7Ijms_Mg6P2XWuvUy1vxWxvhNtw1oqo_EeSY73MrKxEq-kOSBjcSws2vrvt2Ahqa3gLdL0jGM3x0yx1wIqZkAo5PX0BlERxAc3vt4Rli2AfZIWcWYROf-EAY5Z6fG6IOs-q8sXMUFl6XmH-gUxo/w303-h400/bree.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the really nice things about <b><i>Dungeon Crawl Classics</i></b> is
that it really takes the vibe of <b>Appendix
N</b> to heart. It’s therefore pretty natural that judges may wish to use materials
designed to emulate stories contained therein. <b>MERP</b> – Middle Earth Role-Playing – was an early game which attempted
to bring the creatures and setting of <b>J.R.R.
Tolkien</b>’s Middle Earth (<b><i>The Hobbit</i></b>, <b><i>The Lord of the Rings</i></b>,
and others) to the gaming table. Because of the prevalence of <b>TSR</b>-era <b><i>Dungeons & Dragons</i></b> at
the time, <b><i>Bree and the Barrow Downs</i></b> contain a section in converting the
material to d20-based games.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">At this point, there are three main objectives the would-be
converter may have, and they are not always going to align. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">First, fidelity to the thing being converted. It is a fact
that the more of the module you change, the more work you have to do to both
institute those changes and to look out for unexpected consequences for those
changes. We only want to make changes to the material because those changes
align to one of our other two goals.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The second objective is fidelity to the original literary work.
If you absolutely <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hate</i></b> how something from the original source material is
portrayed in the module, you can and should make changes to better match your
vision of the literary source. For instance, my reading of Professor Tolkien’s
work is that magic is, on one hand, rare, and on the other all around us.
Clearly magic items don’t come up nearly as often as items which make you
wonder whether they are magical or not. By contrast, this module fairly drips
with enchanted treasures.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The final – and in my opinion, principle – objective is to
ensure that the final conversion is both playable and fun as a DCC adventure. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Breeland</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_4sLbo0uMZeufyEo5W0KRa4vDSdYXj3b-Ne-e7Kk05nXIlTEEgbixhdZlpzodsEC7gUJ79XW9ctfosXdI8OzPOW5QY_wMD13EzF-jWCK1SVPZ0CqOBHfsue8sTASSF3RiHJjKuXKxYvKO0-lnQpT8gfZRt-iAByQCh-5zR5acHqgoZRfxUPdyKm88t4/s684/MERP1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="657" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_4sLbo0uMZeufyEo5W0KRa4vDSdYXj3b-Ne-e7Kk05nXIlTEEgbixhdZlpzodsEC7gUJ79XW9ctfosXdI8OzPOW5QY_wMD13EzF-jWCK1SVPZ0CqOBHfsue8sTASSF3RiHJjKuXKxYvKO0-lnQpT8gfZRt-iAByQCh-5zR5acHqgoZRfxUPdyKm88t4/s320/MERP1.PNG" width="307" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Most of the text describing Bree, Archet, Combe, and Staddle
is background which doesn’t take system into account. There is a price list
which should be adjusted to the norms for DCC, although there is nothing wrong
with allowing some goods to be locally cheaper (or more expensive, for that
matter). A good benchmark for items which have no DCC equivalent is to multiply
the listed price by 4 (to avoid having to deal with ¼ cp) and then assume the
usual 100 cp = 10 sp = 1 gp from DCC.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cormac the Northman is a local bandit, who according to the
text usually has 10-25 archers on hand. You might want to mark this down as 1d16+9
to make things easier for you, and be thankful that DCC uses funky dice!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">When we look at the statistics for Cormac and his bandits,
we can immediately see that they are inflated beyond the DCC norm. Worse, they
all seem to have shields, which would make archery a bit difficult. I would
suggest<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>using the Bandit entry on pages
432-433 of the core rulebook instead. Reduce all archer’s AC by 1 (no shield)
and arm them with short sword and short bow to better match the setting. Cormac
is a bandit captain, while Eowic is a bandit hero.</span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VQpjsUzDooT8m0eBpQC1EcCHTiu-NIeeS6RfxHK_ekWaFrPl8WB-aHxA1uGUoAhV5fzZmy_uN9AsdN1tQ1kgV-OZOpcaV02bIi1KpCjrKHFTekprhpkiu4jcG10hyAQRAOcvHVa7-cwWQd0wkO6QHsSLvROO_THp6l1D4uwGGY6pcTBwx1V4wxAhtxE/s610/MERP3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="610" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VQpjsUzDooT8m0eBpQC1EcCHTiu-NIeeS6RfxHK_ekWaFrPl8WB-aHxA1uGUoAhV5fzZmy_uN9AsdN1tQ1kgV-OZOpcaV02bIi1KpCjrKHFTekprhpkiu4jcG10hyAQRAOcvHVa7-cwWQd0wkO6QHsSLvROO_THp6l1D4uwGGY6pcTBwx1V4wxAhtxE/w640-h170/MERP3.PNG" width="640" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">For the normal humans and hobbits (halflings) of Breeland
that is really the best way to go. Use basic statistics from the core rulebook,
and then modify them as required. If a character is important to the location,
such as the worthy host of the Prancing Pony, feel free to grant them two, or
even three, Hit Dice.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Barrow Wights<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQ6Aeva8MJmEVFHcmkLfO4uZPDmMthFtEcxB5d4oWc70HoyW23gP_l24amr-QlXsDxUE10oVJ7Xl3HzWrjwocDG_lHcNTNi9zAIKXj154WNCYFB3T0rqfoIezj0zU6dBRH58pyI4lJWPwF2hyBZLbgwOadTxhKjxOFnKBM4uTkwnIx0gBxnfgXDp5sQQ/s565/MERP4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="415" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQ6Aeva8MJmEVFHcmkLfO4uZPDmMthFtEcxB5d4oWc70HoyW23gP_l24amr-QlXsDxUE10oVJ7Xl3HzWrjwocDG_lHcNTNi9zAIKXj154WNCYFB3T0rqfoIezj0zU6dBRH58pyI4lJWPwF2hyBZLbgwOadTxhKjxOFnKBM4uTkwnIx0gBxnfgXDp5sQQ/w294-h400/MERP4.PNG" width="294" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">For our conversion example, we are going to use the barrow
wights of the Barrow Downs. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are
three types of Wight, in descending order from the most powerful to the least:
Major Wights, Lesser Wights, and Minor Wights. When we look at their MERP
statistics, we can see that they are entirely out of keeping with what we want,
so in considering what that might look like in DCC terms we have to keep this
in mind. </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">We are going to start by statting out the Major Wight, and
then use that statblock to create its lesser kindred.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Init:</b> We have no idea from MERP how fast these creatures are, but I
am thinking that an Init bonus is appropriate for at least the more powerful
wights. For the Major Wight, I am choosing +4. This number is really pulled
from thin air, but it allows a +2 bonus for Lesser Wights, and a +0 bonus for
Minor Wights, and that appeals to me.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Atk</b>: A Major Wight attacks with an evil longsword, and has a +30
bonus. The conversion guide in the module suggests that this is +6, and I have
no problem with that. So our creature has an attack of “longsword +6 melee (1d8
plus sleep and paralysis)”. The text also has them casting feat in a 60’
radius, but we can probably include that as a special ability. To make them
more in line with DCC, and to match my personal feelings about The Fellowship
of the Ring, we will grant them spellcasting ability.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AC:</b> DB 30 is presumably a Defensive Bonus which the conversion
information suggests is equivalent to +6. We will make the Major Wights AC 16.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">HD:</b> A Major Wight is described as having 170-220 Hits and being a
25th to 30th level creature. This is obviously much too high, even if reduced
by half. 8d12 feels right to me. We will give them a +8 bonus to spell checks
to reflect this. Remember that 10th level is as high as DCC goes, and, while we
can make creatures with higher Hit Dice, there usually should be some good
reason to do so. Certainly, nothing in the novel would suggest that the wights
be so powerful.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MV:</b> We have no guidance here, so we choose the standard 30’ for a
human-like creature.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Act: </b>Again, there is no guidance, so we choose 1d20 as the simplest
option.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SP: </b>Right off the bat, the wights are un-dead. Sleep and paralysis
also needs a mechanic: (Fort DC 10 + damage done or fall into a deep sleep for
3d6 turns. Upon waking, target is paralyzed until they succeed in a DC 10 Will
save [1 attempt per round]). They have a fear aura (60’ radius, Will DC 12 or
unable to take any action for 1d5 rounds [once per encounter]). Major Wights
also reform in 36 rounds in the text, which we can modify to 3d3 turns. Finally,
since we have allowed them spellcasting, we need to choose what spells are
appropriate. Based on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fog on the Barrow Downs</i></b>, I am going
to suggest <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chill touch</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sleep</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ventriloquism</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">weather
control</i>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SV:</b> An 8 th level wizard has Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +5. We modify
this to Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +7.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AL:</b> That wights are Chaotic should be fairly obvious.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Crit:</b> Following the table on page 385 of the core rulebook, we get
a result of U/1d12.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Put altogether, our DCC Major Wight statblock looks like
this:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Major Wight</b>: Init +4; Atk longsword +6 melee (1d8 plus sleep and
paralysis) or spell; AC 16; HD 8d12; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP Un-dead, sleep and
paralysis (Fort DC 10 + damage done or fall into a deep sleep for 3d6 turns; upon
waking, target is paralyzed until they succeed in a DC 10 Will save [1 attempt
per round]), fear aura (60’ radius, Will DC 12 or unable to take any action for
1d5 rounds [once per encounter]), reform in 3d3 turns unless <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">banish</i>ed or otherwise dispelled, spellcasting
(+8 bonus to spell check: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chill touch</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sleep</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ventriloquism</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">weather
control</i>); SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +7; AL C; Crit U/1d14.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">We can then extrapolate downward for the other wights:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lesser Wight</b>: Init +2; Atk longsword +4 melee (1d8 plus sleep and
paralysis); AC 16; HD 6d12; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP Un-dead, sleep and paralysis (Fort
DC 5 + damage done or fall into a deep sleep for 3d6 turns; upon waking, target
is paralyzed until they succeed in a DC 5 Will save [1 attempt per round]), fear
aura (30’ radius, Will DC 8 or unable to take any action for 1d3 rounds [once
per encounter]); SV Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +5; AL C; Crit U/1d12.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Minor Wight</b>: Init +0; Atk longsword +3 melee (1d8 plus paralysis); AC
16; HD 4d12; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP Un-dead, paralysis (Fort DC = damage done or paralyzed
1d3 rounds), fear aura (15’ radius, Will DC 6 or unable to take any action for
1d3 rounds [once per encounter]); SV Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +3; AL C; Crit U/1d10.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Example Barrow<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In my opinion, there is way too much treasure in these
barrows, and way too much of it is magical. For my example, I am going to look
at the Mendacil barrow (6.32) in detail. The same level of work needs to be
done for every barrow described herein to bring them in line with the DCC aesthetic.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Since they were richer than the
Eldanar family, the Mendacil family built a large and elaborate barrow,
excavating into the side of the hill, and upon it built a decorative mound.
Instead of many small chambers, this barrow contains several spacious rooms to hold
the thirty-nine people interred within. It is shorter than the Eldanar barrow,
but its layout is more complex and less practical than the other barrow. One <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">major wight</b> haunts the tomb.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Major Wights, as we have described them, are no joke in DCC.
I don’t think you necessarily need more monsters here.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A. Entrance.</b> The door of this barrow is made of wood reinforced
with steel; the door is a medium (0) maneuver roll to pick. The key rests with
the Mendacil family in Fornost.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pick Lock DC 10 to open; Strength DC 20 to force.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">B. Passageway.</b> Eight feet wide and eighteen feet long, the
passageway is lined in smooth grey stone. The roof, likse all those found in
the passages here, is eight feet high.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">C. Steel gate.</b> The lock of this gate is a hard (-10) one to pick.
Failure will result in a four foot thick block of stone dropping from the
ceiling and blocking the passage. Since it falls quickly, those beneath it will
likely be wounded or crushed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pick Locks DC 15. Find Trap DC 15; Disable Trap DC 20. Falling
block 4d6 damage; Reflex DC 10 for half, no damage on 16+. Can be forced with a
DC 30 Strength check, but this sets off the trap, potentially trapping PCs in
the barrow.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">When we get to area E, the treasure begins. In this area, we
can make all items non-magical, with only a 1 in 3 chance of still being usable,
except the “sheath that keeps weapons rust-free”, which holds one of the
(obviously usable) longswords. The 125 gp worth of jewelry is okay, but as the
treasure keeps compounding, you may wish to reduce this to 25 gp worth of
jewelry, with an additional 70 gp worth of combined precious objects, jewelry,
and toiletries in the chest.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Area F contains two bodies and three chests. The ring is
interesting enough to keep; all the other magical items should become mundane,
and the value of jewelry can be reduced to 10% of listed. In fact, that is
going to be advice from hereon in: Magic items become mundane unless you really
like them, there is only a 1 in 3 chance that mundane items are still in usable
condition, and the value of gems and jewelry is reduced to 10% of what is
listed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">You may allow some items to be superior examples of their kind
(-1d to Fumble Die, +1d to damage, etc.) without being magical, and some items
have no clear mundane counterparts and can simply be omitted. The MERP magic
system doesn’t exactly scream “Tolkien!” or “DCC!” so don’t be afraid to prune
this area ruthlessly. Magical dried dog food may be a neat idea to stick in
your back pocket for a different setting, but does it really belong on the
Barrow Downs?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bones and rags: the bones are from
a dragon and can be ground to produce medicines (10 doses which double one's hits
and prevent bone, muscle or cartilage damage for 10 minutes); the rags are
actually three Spell Storing cloths which each can hold three spells, but only
once.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This was a really need idea, and you could say that there is
a Intelligence check (DC 15) for compounding 1d16 doses from these bones, with
occupations like Herbalist, Healer, or Alchemist being trained. In DCC terms,
the medicine grants 2d12 temporary hp for 1 turn, with all damage coming from
the temporary hp first.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The rags can be treated as single-spell scrolls that release
their magic when burned (probably for a predetermined spell check result).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ring of Ringholding: eighth level;
allows user 2x power points if Mage; capable of instantly controlling any one
ring within 100’ if target fails to resist; can immobilize target or use its
powers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Thematically appropriate for Tolkien’s work, even if not
100% appropriate for a Lesser Ring in that work. In DCC terms, this ring allows
a +2 bonus to a spell check three times per day. In addition, the wearer can
control any one ring being worn within 100’. The second ring’s wearer gains an
opposed Will save to resist. The wearer of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ring of ringholding</i> can either paralyze the other ringwearer for
1d6 rounds or use that ring’s powers for 1d6 rounds. The wearer of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ring of ringholding</i> takes a -2 penalty
to Luck while the ring is worn.<b><o:p> </o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Next: MERP: Moria</span><o:p></o:p></b></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-53267535795961628292023-09-03T14:36:00.008-04:002023-09-03T15:18:53.008-04:00Conversion Crawl Classes 16: D&D 4th Edition: Keep on the Shadowfell (4): The Keep Itself<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XQbnQY6ZHahwENPW-BZffFdY7PqdeXgwAglVmdvrkhHdcZWT75G5BRHjgoJsmcmWvq0BDE7fhByLjFYf2sO0OyP6Zd5At18kjs7lVMZgI08u6Dscv-MTO7M5cTrEozQ-YZO40Z5ODeqoKT56rdP_qzyAYyab1awY5XCvpw28cFbjHPysub24pd296pg/s803/110212.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="653" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9XQbnQY6ZHahwENPW-BZffFdY7PqdeXgwAglVmdvrkhHdcZWT75G5BRHjgoJsmcmWvq0BDE7fhByLjFYf2sO0OyP6Zd5At18kjs7lVMZgI08u6Dscv-MTO7M5cTrEozQ-YZO40Z5ODeqoKT56rdP_qzyAYyab1awY5XCvpw28cFbjHPysub24pd296pg/w325-h400/110212.jpg" width="325" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">And, at long last, we move on to the titular keep in <b><i>Keep
on the Shadowfell</i></b>. For the purposes of this exercise, I am only going
to look at level 1 of Shadowfell Keep. For one thing, 4th Edition is fairly
verbose. With 11 encounter areas requiring 2 pages each, this section alone is
longer than the entirety of <b><i>The Keep on the Borderlands</i></b>. Consider also how long the statblocks are, as
was discussed in <a href="http://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2023/07/conversion-crawl-classes-13-d-4th.html">Part
1</a> of the conversion guide to this module. Because we are still looking at
low power levels, few of the statblocks in this section are a quarter page, but
that is far too long for my tastes.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Treasure</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Starting off with conversion, we first want to go through
the adventure’s treasure. The general rule for D&D is to reduce treasure to
10% of the listed values, but in this case the monetary value of many of the
treasure hoards listed can either be left unreduced or reduced to a lesser
extent. Personally, I wouldn’t bother too much here, and even looking at the
magic items present I find myself pleasantly surprised. These items need to be
adapted a bit to DCC, but the adventure doesn’t seem overly stocked with them. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">As an example at the low end of complexity, we can look at
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">+1 magic wand</i> found in Area 4:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">+1 Magic Wand:</i></b> This wand
(value 360 gp) provides its user with a +1 bonus on attack rolls and damage
rolls when using arcane powers with the Implement keyword.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">That’s kind of boring, and is really not dissimilar to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">+1 swords</i> scattered through old
adventures just to make sure that your PCs found at least one before they faced
the inevitable creature only harmed by magic weapons, but it isn’t as though
there are several of these items to be found. To liven this up, and at least
make it interesting, we can do something like this:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Graveyard Wand:</i></b> In those
days before the Keep was brought low, the wizard Lobshade created this wand of
twisted iron to aid him in casting necromantic wizard spells. A wizard
utilizing this wand can weave a prayer to Ahriman into any spell involving
necromancy or negative energy, and this acts as though the wizard had
spellburned 3 points in the casting without having to spellburn (this qualifies
as mandatory spellburn when a spell requires it). The caster must know the
secret name of the demon bound to the wand, which is written in the language of
Chaos along the wand’s length. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Each time the caster rolls a “1”
while utilizing the wand, the amount of spellburn provided is permanently
reduced by 1 point. Should the value of the wand ever be reduced to 0, it
implodes in a cascade of necromantic energy – the caster takes 1d3 damage each
to Strength, Agility, and Stamina and must succeed in three DC 15 saves to
prevent permanent damage as follows: Should the caster fail a DC 15 Fort save,
1 point of Stamina damage is permanent; a DC 15 Reflex save or 1 Agility is
permanent; and a DC 15 Will save of 1 point of Strength damage is permanent.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">On the slightly more complex side, Area 6 includes:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">+1 Blackiron Scale Armor:</i></b>
This suit of magic armor (value 840 gp) provides its wearer with a +1 bonus to
AC and Resist 5 (fire, necrotic).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In DCC terms, we might say:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Honor:</i></b> A suit of
human-sized scale mail made of blackened iron, this item offers a +1 bonus to
AC and negates the first 5 points of damage from any necromantic or fire-based
attack. Note that, while this does not negate damage from an un-dead creature’s
physical attacks, it may help against special abilities (per judge). Chaotic
characters who wear this armor for even a minute are plagued by nightmares in
which their sins catch up to them with horrible results, and gain no benefits
from rest that night. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In short, you should have surprisingly few problems adjusting
these items to fit DCC gameplay. Even the magic sword in Area 8 is named, and
should not be too hard to put into DCC terms. The largest question you will
have is, “How do I convert gaining one free healing surge when DCC has no
healing surges?” and the easiest way to deal with this is to simply grant 1 HD
of healing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Back in <a href="http://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2023/07/conversion-crawl-classes-14-d-4th.html">Part
2</a>, we determined that our goblins are the rather primitive “twilight people”
and that they are “fascinated with jewels, metal weapons, helmets,
leatherworking, shoes, etc”, so we could also adjust treasure and gear to
reflect that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Traps and Such<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a bit more work, but honestly not that much more.
Pit traps in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Keep on the Shadowfell</i></b> do 1d10 damage. This should be reduced
to 1d6, with every “6” indicating a broken bone, as per the standard DCC rules.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Things like the terror runes in Area 5 require that you do a
bit more work to bring them into line with DCC. The original reads:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Terror Runes:</b> Several runes are inscribed into the floor of this
chamber, as shown on the tactical map. A DC 20 Arcana or Religion check allows
a PC to realize that the designs are charged with an effect triggered by contact.
A terror rune is triggered whenever a PC enters a square that contains part of
a design. When that happens, the rune releases a ghostly scream. The noise
draws the zombies, plus it is a fear effect that strikes terror into the heart
of the individual who triggered it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When a PC triggers a rune, have the
trap make a +7 attack vs. Will against that character and each other character within
10 squares. On a success, the sound deals 1d4+1 necrotic damage and overwhelms
affected characters with terror, causing them to immediately take a move action
to run toward Area 7 (move speed +2 squares). A PC can be affected by any
single rune only once per day. A character can jump over a rune with a DC 21
Athletics check (DC 11 if a character moves at least 2 squares before jumping).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The runes do not affect any of
Kalarel’s allies (including the undead and the goblins).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is simple enough
to put into DCC terms, and I do so as follows. Note that, because DCC does not
have the hit point bloat of 4e, I have removed the damaging aspect of the
terror runes. Yes, clerical healing is potentially unlimited, but in practice I
find that “potentially” is the key word here, and that disapproval can rapidly
spiral out of the players’ control. The main goals I have preserved here are
drawing the zombies to the PCs, and the initial loss of actions when affected
PCs flee.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Terror Runes (Find Trap DC 15; Disable Trap DC 20): </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several runes are inscribed into the floor of
this chamber, as shown on the tactical map. When a PC touches or crosses a rune,
it releases a ghostly scream which draws the zombies. All PCs within 100’ must
also succeed in a DC 15 Will save or use their next round moving toward Area 7
(using both move and action dice). A PC can be affected by any given rune only
once per day. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A wizard, cleric, or elf can note
the existence of a given rune with a DC 10 Intelligence check, and disable it
with a DC 12 spell check. A spell check result of 7 or lower sets off the rune.
A character can also attempt to leap over a rune with a DC 10 Strength check
(DC 5 with a running start); armor check penalties apply.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The runes do not affect any of
Kalarel’s allies (including the un-dead and the goblins).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The judge should also alter D&Disms to taste. There is
no reason to include Orcus or Bahamut in your adventure, unless you really want
to. When I converted <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dragora’s Dungeon</i></b> for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Goodman Games</b>, for instance, references
to Tiamat became instead references to the primordial dragon-god Baphotet Kor,
who I later brought back for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Through the Dragonwall</i></b>. I talked a
little bit about the conversion process <a href="https://dcctreasures.blogspot.com/2016/12/dragoras-dungeon.html">here</a>.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Take a Good Look at
the Map<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Remembering that I am only looking at the first level here,
we have a map that initially seems complicated, offering a lot of potential
options for movement and exploration. Compared to something like <i><b>Barrow of the
Forgotten King</b></i>, this is definitely true, but examination shows that the map is
divided into three parts, and each of those parts ultimately has a single point
of connection with the first section. There is the upper (western) section
where PCs enter the level, an eastern section, and a lower western section
where the PCs find the stairs leading to the next level. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">At first, it appears that a secret passage allows a second
connection to the eastern portion, but the passage enters the eastern portion
at (effectively) the same location the non-hidden way does. Finding the secret
passage prevents a degree of backtracking through the upper (western) section
only. Preventing backtracking is a real reward, and should not be entirely
dismissed, but it doesn’t change the nature of the map overall.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaK1PCSB164bkHXIUl4zq-LdzDD505NwHecAOwdjt8ZzXNDwy_w06X-to4_WL_OTkmhSP4IQxq1cpnel42pjQVc0qcATRDpn5x89NZ7MsL_cilTx_p3_StiDtgT8cXaRPzg3YWjdDm_207Q8AYA8ajQJR8TQQFcGhGs5EYoFqmv9Bw2wnnHHCgs1Xeo4/s833/294f4284f677544905dd7581750bcc6b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="760" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNaK1PCSB164bkHXIUl4zq-LdzDD505NwHecAOwdjt8ZzXNDwy_w06X-to4_WL_OTkmhSP4IQxq1cpnel42pjQVc0qcATRDpn5x89NZ7MsL_cilTx_p3_StiDtgT8cXaRPzg3YWjdDm_207Q8AYA8ajQJR8TQQFcGhGs5EYoFqmv9Bw2wnnHHCgs1Xeo4/w584-h640/294f4284f677544905dd7581750bcc6b.jpg" width="584" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">It should be remembered that the leveling expectations for
4e and DCC are quite different. There are regular “Level Up” notes in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Keep
on the Shadowfell</i></b> where PCs are expected to level. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dungeon Crawl Classics</i></b>
has no such expectations. One consequence of a steep power curve and expected leveling
during an adventure is that the order of encounters is important to avoid
encounters that are either too challenging or not challenging enough.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is nothing objectively wrong with designing an
adventure where elements are divided, or intended to be encountered in a given
order, but we should avoid doing this too often. We should also have a care
that the divisions make sense to us within a narrative context. X gives you the
way to Y, which in turn provides the way to Z is fine, so long as there is no
narrative reason why X should go directly to Z. In a game like DCC, finding
that you’re in over your head is sometimes part of the fun. And, because
combats are so quickly resolved, so too are those moments when it turns out you’re
a total badass against whatever foes you are facing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I would strongly recommend drawing in some additional
connections on these maps. Nor do I think it is necessary to restrict oneself
to just one level. Perhaps there is a way from the Maze of Caves (Area 10) to
the 2nd level of the complex.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Monsters, Monsters
Everywhere!<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">As already mentioned, in <a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2023/07/conversion-crawl-classes-14-d-4th.html">Part
2</a> we determined that we have primitive green goblins, appearing rather like
humanish cave people which glow with a gentle green aura. We therefore want to
make sure that our opponents here are also armed with slings and clubs
predominantly. For fun, let’s say that when they are wounded in the Keep, the
walls also pulse briefly with a gentle green glow. This has no effect, but it
should be fun, and will keep the players guessing. And keeping the players
guessing is the point of Making Monsters Mysterious!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The hobgoblin in Area 2 can be treated as a larger twilight
person (our goblins), using stats from the core rulebook as a base. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The skeleton warriors in Area 7 can be treated as 3 Hit Die
skeletons armed with longswords, while the decrepit skeletons are normal
skeletons (albeit armed with longswords and short bows).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I examined the 4e statblock in <a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2023/07/conversion-crawl-classes-13-d-4th.html">Part
1</a>, and I don’t propose to do so again today, but I will provide the gentle
reader with four example converted statblocks to help them along their way.
These correspond to the ochre jelly in Area 9, and the three stages of kruthik
in Area 10. The ochre jelly is built from the primeval slime on pages 423-424
of the core rulebook.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ochre jelly:</b> Init
(always last); Atk pseudopod +4 melee (1d4 plus 1d4 acid); AC 10; HD 4d8; hp
20; MV 5’, climb 5’; Act 4d20; SP acid (1d4, Fort DC 15 for half), division, half
damage from slicing and piercing weapons; SV Fort +6, Ref -8, Will -6; AL N; Crit
M/1d10.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Division:</i> The
first time an attack hits the ochre jelly, it takes no damage, but instead
splits into two, with each half having half the total jelly’s hit points and action
dice. Left alone, the two halves eventually converge into a single creature
once more.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kruthik hatchling:</b>
Init +3; Atk claw +1 melee (1d4) or bite -2 melee (1d3); AC 14; HD 1d4; hp 1
each; MV 20’ or climb 20’ or burrow 5’; Act 1d20; SP gnashing horde (free bite
attack with +2 bonus against adjacent opponent at the end of each round); SV
Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +0; AL N; Crit M/1d6.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kruthik young:</b>
Init +4; Atk claw +3 melee (1d6) or bite +0 melee (1d4); AC 15; HD 3d6; hp 10
each; MV 20’ or climb 20’ or burrow 5’; Act 1d20; SP gnashing horde (free bite
attack with +2 bonus against adjacent opponent at the end of each round); SV
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1; AL N; Crit M/1d8.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kruthik adult:</b>
Init +6; Atk claw +5 melee (1d8) or bite +2 melee (1d6) or toxic spike +3 ranged
(1d6 plus toxin); AC 19; HD 5d6; hp 22; MV 30’ or climb 30’ or burrow 10’; Act 2d20;
SP gnashing horde (free bite attack with +2 bonus against adjacent opponent at
the end of each round), toxin (1d3 damage plus Fort DC 13 or 1d3 Agility
damage); SV Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +4; AL N; Crit M/1d10.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">An adult kruthik has 2d5 toxic spikes available, which can
be released at targets up to 30’ away. They can regrow used spikes at a rate of
1d3 per day, to a maximum of 10 spikes. Examination of a dead kruthik shows
that whatever spikes were not available are in various stages of growth. A
thief can extract the toxin from unused available spikes with a Handle Poison
check for each spike. Each successful check yields one dose.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Next Steps </span></b></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>I realize that </span><b>D&D
5e</b><span> would be the next logic thing to progress to, but at this point doing so
will lead to a lot of repetition of points already made with other flavors of </span><b>WotC-D&D</b><span>. I am going to jump ahead
and look at some games which attempted to emulate </span><b>Appendix N</b><span> material directly. I can always circle around to more
D&D examples later if tide and time take me in that direction!</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Next: MERP: Bree and
the Barrow Downs!</span><o:p></o:p></b></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-54226468841825919432023-08-24T18:55:00.006-04:002023-08-25T08:33:18.321-04:00Half-Levels Revisited: An Example<p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnxnVAcIQw96De3VB7V33n85KC1CKbFAcLbgV9NkLfmbR-SE-Hizr_H6st7aXj4uiIhjjCY9EFhDPlSvNM7O0r8sXaQIz8hxrHHD_8nn5IXo0I4-9MSed6auZ-ZDwK5kAJnQlV66AMdOeINer8FeiQ6kmzypVpOM5IJpCLWpBZCMybGFziqz9C2ixFsQ/s497/elf.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="393" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnxnVAcIQw96De3VB7V33n85KC1CKbFAcLbgV9NkLfmbR-SE-Hizr_H6st7aXj4uiIhjjCY9EFhDPlSvNM7O0r8sXaQIz8hxrHHD_8nn5IXo0I4-9MSed6auZ-ZDwK5kAJnQlV66AMdOeINer8FeiQ6kmzypVpOM5IJpCLWpBZCMybGFziqz9C2ixFsQ/w316-h400/elf.jpg" width="316" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">I was asked to provide an example of how <a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/search?q=half+levels">this system</a>
works. As I am nothing if not obliging, here you are:</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Steve gets through the funnel, and his only surviving
0-level PC is an elven barrister. He really wants to play a thief, so he
decides to take a half-level in thief. His PC is considered to be 1st level,
retains the 0-level elven qualities (good and bad), and gains the bonuses for a
half-level thief: a d2 Luck Die, 1d5 on Table II for critical hits, a +1 bonus
to Reflex saves, and thief skills at half their listed bonus (rounded down).
Although the character is considered to be 1st level, and gains a full 1d6 hp
as a thief, they are not yet a 1st level thief, and do not learn Thief’s Cant.
The PC can cast spells from scrolls using 1d10.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">At 50 XP, Steve chooses to make the PC a full Elf as well.
Because an elf never has to take a half-level in Elf, Steve’s PC is a 2 nd
level character with ½ level in Thief and 1 level in Elf. As an Elf, the PC
gains 1d6 additional hit points, now rolls 1d6 on Table II for crits, can cast
spells, and gains a +1 bonus to Fort and Will saves. The +1 bonus for Reflex
saves is the same for both classes at this point, so doesn’t change.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">At 110 XP, Steve decides to finish off the Thief level. The
character is now 3rd level, and a 1st level Thief and a 1 st level Elf. They
gain 1d6 hp, their Luck Die increases to 1d3, their Crit Die increases to 1d10
on Table II, and their thief skills gain the full Level 1 bonus. The character
also now understands Thief’s Cant.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">At 190 XP, Steve is entitled to select (a) a full level as
an Elf, (b) a full level as a Thief, or (c) a half-level in another class (such
as Warrior). A warrior half-level would grant 1d12 hit points, a 1d2 Deed Die,
and better criticals (1d8 on Table III). At 290 XP, Steve could then choose
another Elf level, another Thief level, to become a 1st level Warrior (with
full Deed Die, extended crit range, and better critical hits), or choose a
half-level in yet another class. If he were to choose the Warrior class, the PC
would be 5th level overall, and 1st level as an Elf, Thief, and Warrior.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">At this point, the character has the following hit dice: 1d4
(0-level), 3d6 (twice as a Thief and once as an elf) and 2d12 (as a Warrior).
The character has not gained more than a +1 bonus to each saving throw because
they are taking the best option from each class. They don’t have the skills of
a 5 th level Elf, Thief, or Warrior, but they have a broad range of abilities
to draw from. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Note that the same PC could have become a 5th level Elf, 4th
level Thief, or 4th level Warrior at this point had different choices been
made.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeRoRdrw6HBeXs4L9-UbOao6LYp5IcynotCuZxie8Ch27BozJ-zqD1eMj6rz0jSa5SHn-kYSf70JNe1GabnWKrJs377UwWQvEW_8u0U8xxChOTFp5-BrbOAKE18sq83u0bsyk1mqfRSEcXCivjbQjsbGQYPD0XKDa7xRA39nkBPCdlZXGgwgZKAnyr_o/s960/6719531b47bdc0897a54ebd15b34eaa8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="960" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeRoRdrw6HBeXs4L9-UbOao6LYp5IcynotCuZxie8Ch27BozJ-zqD1eMj6rz0jSa5SHn-kYSf70JNe1GabnWKrJs377UwWQvEW_8u0U8xxChOTFp5-BrbOAKE18sq83u0bsyk1mqfRSEcXCivjbQjsbGQYPD0XKDa7xRA39nkBPCdlZXGgwgZKAnyr_o/w640-h486/6719531b47bdc0897a54ebd15b34eaa8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>ADDENDUM</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This differs from the <a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2020/06/big-damn-heroes.html">Big Damn Heroes</a> method of multi-classing because each system is designed to offer something different.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Half-levels are designed to offer an interesting choice: versatility versus the depth that comes from specialization. Because there is a cost involved, no choice is clearly "the best", but you can end up with interesting ideas for PCs.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Big Damn Heroes is intended as an initial power boost to make PCs work better in a game with fewer players.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">There is no reason you cannot use both in the same game: Your Big Damn Heroes dwarven wizard could, for example, pick up a half-level of Thief.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>SECOND ADDENDUM</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I was asked specifically about action dice. so here goes.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">A 5th level Elf has 1d20 + 1d14 action dice, but Steve's character is not a 5th level Elf. A 1st level Thief, Warrior, and Elf all have 1d20 action dice, so Steve's PC also has 1d20 for their action dice. They can use that action die to cast spells, attack, or make a skill check (the benefits of each class carry to all action dice).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">By the time Steve has amassed 890 XP, he has used all of the additional XP to increase his Warrior level to 5. The PC is now a 9th level character, a 1st level Thief, a 1st level Elf, and a 5th level Warrior. As a 5th level Warrior, they gain 1d20 + 1d14 action dice. This is better than 1d20, so that's what they get. They most emphatically <i><b>do not</b></i> get a 1d20 for being a Thief, a 1d20 as an Elf, and 1d20 + 1d14 as a Warrior. These are <b><i>not</i></b> cumulative. Multi-classing does not turn you into the Flash.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnh2krwT9QWg5ss8bsUOTseh0GNphbDU6XW3p11VbuOa8tKV8-JOpidyncR04YOb_WUooENmmo6m6gu8B27oeLP7d7nGVyEKby2QdRU43Qj7fBAPPXFq0V84aOtqfUZ_QKstNlu1p1aGKaFAWCsiWk4XViPaDyzVIWyz6R-BJNEqwKEX0HAyCnUbEZSs/s1000/otus5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1000" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibnh2krwT9QWg5ss8bsUOTseh0GNphbDU6XW3p11VbuOa8tKV8-JOpidyncR04YOb_WUooENmmo6m6gu8B27oeLP7d7nGVyEKby2QdRU43Qj7fBAPPXFq0V84aOtqfUZ_QKstNlu1p1aGKaFAWCsiWk4XViPaDyzVIWyz6R-BJNEqwKEX0HAyCnUbEZSs/w640-h368/otus5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-47168787954064757192023-08-22T19:48:00.009-04:002023-08-22T19:50:15.090-04:00Stat This Up! Un-dead Euryale<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Y_8O7d9RCyGvNZfkapov2WhBXjuxTMGfmCkCOf7-aEs1Sr8w9-i4FbGTlb7ys87lhq7h91xmggxMpAzG7xUu-vgtmyY90c5Ry0IfDMZuRUcfqsfFdnIFm0vvw_QN_QkAi3EqUejJHaFN6wm__hRM1bP8IwB1gBGVLejritadXvgoX2tDczlNSu4VuM4/s741/368276531_6664380823623248_5180334605205636682_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="555" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Y_8O7d9RCyGvNZfkapov2WhBXjuxTMGfmCkCOf7-aEs1Sr8w9-i4FbGTlb7ys87lhq7h91xmggxMpAzG7xUu-vgtmyY90c5Ry0IfDMZuRUcfqsfFdnIFm0vvw_QN_QkAi3EqUejJHaFN6wm__hRM1bP8IwB1gBGVLejritadXvgoX2tDczlNSu4VuM4/w300-h400/368276531_6664380823623248_5180334605205636682_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></b></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Un-dead Euryale:</span></b><span style="font-size: large;">
Init +4; Atk bite +4 melee (1d4 plus serpent bites) or serpent bites +2 melee
(2d4 plus venom) or claw +7 melee (1d3); AC 14; HD 5d12; MV 30’; Act 2d20; SP un-dead
traits, serpent bites, venom (1d3 Agility damage plus Fort DC 15 or additional
1d3 Agility damage), infravision 120’;
SV Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +8; AL C; Crit U/1d10.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The animated remains of a gorgon-like creature, the
un-dead Euryale is a free-willed un-dead creature of horrible aspect. It hates
men, and attacks them by preference. Only when all male opponents have been
defeated does it turn toward female opponents. In each case, it attacks the
highest Personality target of the specified gender first, if at all possible.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">When an un-dead Euryale succeeds in making a bite attack, it
gains an automatic free attack with its serpent bites. The skeletal serpents
which form the un-dead Euryale’s “hair” are envenomed with a magical toxin
causing 1d3 Agility damage, and requiring a DC 15 Fort save to avoid an
additional 1d3 Agility damage. If a character’s Agility reaches 0 as a result,
they are petrified. Otherwise, Agility damage heals as normal.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-30266867880407724352023-08-15T20:54:00.003-04:002023-08-15T20:57:40.091-04:00Conversion Crawl Classes 15: D&D 4th Edition: Keep on the Shadowfell (3): Skill Challenges<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZglVvuIkVHs49D9ZDnRiCZa0Uf7JfulJGBsg51wNeIQ-bwiUrU0UW8I9hF87_vj1zIc4lnkPOtGvqz2ZrM2zo4E2LHg1s7TBl1YEwecZ472r7eR4eYZv4vRcxmiwYLRpdqOUAK_O8mE1WJHmCV9pstw-IzjevsDnSc3BeArD7MCMgBfUCQ5a471PKIrM/s803/110212.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="653" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZglVvuIkVHs49D9ZDnRiCZa0Uf7JfulJGBsg51wNeIQ-bwiUrU0UW8I9hF87_vj1zIc4lnkPOtGvqz2ZrM2zo4E2LHg1s7TBl1YEwecZ472r7eR4eYZv4vRcxmiwYLRpdqOUAK_O8mE1WJHmCV9pstw-IzjevsDnSc3BeArD7MCMgBfUCQ5a471PKIrM/w325-h400/110212.jpg" width="325" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">“But…wait,” you say. “There is no skill challenge in <b><i>Keep
on the Shadowfell</i></b>!”</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">True, but I don’t feel like examining multiple <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4th Edition</b> adventure, and, if I am going
to offer some guidance about converting 4e to DCC, skill challenges have to be
addressed. At their most basic, skill challenges are an attempt to codify
complex skill uses with consequences for failure. To take it away from fantasy
games for a moment, in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The End of the World</i></b>, the second
episode of the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doctor Who</i></b> revival, the Doctor attempts to open a door, and the
computer controlling the door “fights back”. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a perfect example of how a skill challenge should be
built: There is an advantage gained from the initial success, the initial
success is not sufficient for clear reasons, and the challenge itself can be
solved through bypassing the challenge and trying something else. If you know
the episode, the method the Doctor uses to solve the problem could also be
written as a skill challenge.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The point I am trying to make is that codifying a challenge
is not in itself a bad thing. In a way, that is exactly what a monster
statblock does. Nor is it entirely antithetical to the fictional narrative that
is being woven, as one could easily argue that some of the events in various
Sword & Sorcery stories could be modeled as skill challenges. In DCC, a
similar structure is used in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Imperishable Sorceress</i></b> (where
three successes must be made on a Will save, with each failure reducing
Personality, before Personality is reduced to 0 and disaster befalls the PC in
question). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Okay, So How Does
This Skill Challenge Thing Work?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-EHLFTZ2iVcN1l4fln-P1MZ68eMHOs-IeZNrZUNcXp6YFFnt3NSt-3N0W073-q1Ycbo-5iwmztDFICzJ2719pOx46ZkB0_lZ5gUspvCS08QI6P8pSUTKIP6MDKYQTnAmagHJ4EM1V431MLyx80W6shw4eluYvVwMmT3hf1W2jnAinA7E7ytHqhEdmHw/s645/Skill%20Challenge%20Template.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="645" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-EHLFTZ2iVcN1l4fln-P1MZ68eMHOs-IeZNrZUNcXp6YFFnt3NSt-3N0W073-q1Ycbo-5iwmztDFICzJ2719pOx46ZkB0_lZ5gUspvCS08QI6P8pSUTKIP6MDKYQTnAmagHJ4EM1V431MLyx80W6shw4eluYvVwMmT3hf1W2jnAinA7E7ytHqhEdmHw/w640-h400/Skill%20Challenge%20Template.PNG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Remembering that our goal here is not to have to reference
the actual book, we want to glean what we can from the skill challenge
statblock itself. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The most important thing is the flavor text</i></b>, because that tells
us what the skill challenge is trying to simulate and what we, in turn, must
simulate in our conversion. The basic idea is that you must gain X successful
skill checks before 3 failures. There are some skills that work better than
others. Both success and failure result in their own consequences.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In some ways, a skill challenge is analogous to combat, but
in combat each roll has the potential of changing the nature of the remaining
challenge, and that is unfortunately not true with poorly written skill
challenges. That it takes three missed checks to fail is also a problem with
the system, although I suppose it makes things easier to systematize. Setting
up more dynamic fail conditions is more interesting. For instance, in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Imperishable Sorceress</i></b>, the first adventure I wrote for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Goodman Games</b>, there is a situation
where a PC has to make three Will saves to succeed, and each failure
temporarily reduces their Personality score, making future saves more likely to
fail. The similarity to a skill challenge is obvious. Equally obvious is the
difference: each roll has a potential consequence on the next, and the number
of failures before all is lost remains unknown. There is, in my opinion, more
meaning to the rolls, and more tension this way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In our example from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doctor Who</i></b>, the Doctor is trying to
keep a sun shield from rising, which would result in his companion, Rose, being
cooked to death. It is easy to see that, in the 4e model, three failures means
the sun shield has risen, and Rose is cooked. How much more interesting, more
tense, and more true to what is seen in the program if three successes lock the
fully lowered sun shield in place while each success or failure moves the sun
shield either down one step or up. One could then include potential consequence
for each step the sun shield rises to ramp up tension.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The chase sequence in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fence’s Fortuitous Folly</i></b> is,
again, resolved by a series of rolls, but each roll has potential consequences
and the rolls are broken up by encounter points in which one or more players
have the opportunity to make interesting choices. This is ultimately the key
toward any successful mini-game within the game: Each roll should be
potentially meaningful, and if the mini-game lasts more than a minute or two
there has to be an opportunity for interesting choices with consequences that
matter.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Choosing an Example for
Conversion<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALumdHTvHPFO-IplClJh1sE8buf7bo3b0Uh_A9-v9tHQuVFqNQTyS9DMipamoR3lKKT6aNJBJRr5klRGtdjKB_MV9xKCsKO1mvHRaJdI-jVI_CP46F-DraR1RIpGmR2PU3Pxc9gVBfzFYy09K0MT11IMknP6itH-1Ml_zEkY7bTM78u21qI2gDwfA7mI/s630/pic2350891.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="487" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALumdHTvHPFO-IplClJh1sE8buf7bo3b0Uh_A9-v9tHQuVFqNQTyS9DMipamoR3lKKT6aNJBJRr5klRGtdjKB_MV9xKCsKO1mvHRaJdI-jVI_CP46F-DraR1RIpGmR2PU3Pxc9gVBfzFYy09K0MT11IMknP6itH-1Ml_zEkY7bTM78u21qI2gDwfA7mI/w247-h320/pic2350891.webp" width="247" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">I am going to use a skill challenge from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kingdom
of the Ghouls</i></b> as my example. This adventure was designed for 24th to
26th level characters. I will assume that I am converting the adventure for 3rd
level DCC characters.</span><div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">NEGOTIATING WITH THE REAPER SKILL CHALLENGE</span></b></div></blockquote><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
sit in the stone chair and see a smoky form begin to coalesce before you. After
a few moments, the shape takes the guise of a spectral reaper clutching a
scythe. Its eyes burn with a red, unholy light, and its skeletal body is mostly
concealed by a tattered, hooded robe. In a dusty voice, the reaper whispers, “Show
your worth to death’s true master, and pass.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Level:</b> 23 (XP 5,100).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Complexity:</b> 1 (requires 4 successes before 3 failures).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Primary Skills:</b> Bluff. Diplomacy, Religion.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bluff
(DC 24, standard action):</i> The character tells a tall tale of the
adventurers’ exploits that is untrue but nonetheless impresses the reaper. This
skill can be used to gain 1 successes in this challenge.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Diplomacy
(DC 24, standard action):</i> The character explains that, despite their many
exploits, the adventurers are humbled to be in the presence of a servant of “death’s
true master.” This skill can be used to gain 2 successes in this challenge.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Religion
(DC 29, standard action):</i> The character describes how the party's actions
have been worthy of death’s true master by citing religious texts and obscure
prophecies. This skill can be used to gain 1 success in this challenge.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Secondary Skill:</b> Insight.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Insight
(DC 29, minor action):</i> The reference to “death’s true master” is a clue
that the reaper serves Orcus. If the character realizes this connection, it is
easier to prove the adventurers’ worthiness to the reaper. A success on this check
provides a +2 bonus to all subsequent skill checks during this challenge.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Success:</b> The reaper disables all four pillar traps and unlocks the
curtains.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Failure:</b> The reaper takes a toll in life force for the time it has
spent in negotiation. All characters who have taken part in the skill challenge
lose a healing surge. The reaper then unlocks the curtains but does not disable
the pillar traps.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">You can see, I hope, that this would lead to game play were
the player says “I roll diplomacy!” and the DM then tells the player what their
character does. In my opinion, humble or not, this is the opposite of how game
play should proceed. Of course, the DM could have the players in question say
what they wish to do, and then determine what skill this is closest to; there
is nothing in the system preventing that. While 4e is far from my favorite
edition, and the one I have the least play time with, it has been my experience
that the skill challenge system encourages deciding what skill to use over
deciding what your character actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">does</i>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">(Arguably, the same is true for combat, which is one of the
reasons that the Mighty Deed system in DCC is so wonderful…it encourages you to
think about what your PC is actually doing! DCC also encourages judges to
include monsters which require engaging in the fiction to defeat, rather than
simply relying on rolls, as in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Emerald Enchanter</i></b>.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">On the other hand, earlier editions of D&D tend to focus
on combat and traps, because that is where the quantifiable interesting choices
lie in those systems. You wouldn’t tend to see something like Negotiating With
the Reaper in earlier D&D, because those games weren’t built for that kind of
challenge. It isn’t that people weren’t interested – see the interaction with
the guards of at the gate of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Keep on
the Borderlands</b> – but that the game wasn’t designed to quantify those
interactions.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A DCC Conversion<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The goal of this conversion is to focus on player choices
within the game milieu, rather than what skills might be most likely to succeed
on a character sheet. DCC players don’t tend to roll for what their characters
think; that is determined by the player. Because there is no Insight skill, the
players need some way to reason out that “death’s true master” refers to Orcus,
through a past encounter, inscription, legend, etc. The clue need not be found
in the current adventure – one of the greatest rewards in old school play is
that past adventures allow the players a better understanding of the world
their characters inhabit. That Orcus is “death’s true master” could be a clue
from a funnel adventure, with a payoff now which rewards players who paid
attention to, and retained, that information.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">My version would look like this:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Negotiating With the Reaper<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As
you sit in the stone chair, a smoky form coalesces before you. After a few
moments, the shape becomes clear – it is a wraith-like reaper clutching a
scythe. Its eyes burn with an unholy red light, and its skeletal body is mostly
concealed by a tattered, hooded robe made of charnel ash and grey cobwebs. In a
dusty voice, the reaper whispers, </i>“Show your worth to death’s true master,
and pass.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Characters may attempt anything
they wish, but the spectral reaper is immune to all mundane attacks and most
magic. Effects that would charm or otherwise delude it into thinking the PCs are
friendly to the worship of Ahriman may work, but the spell check for these
magics must be made at a -1d shift and the reaper saves with a +8 bonus. Clerics
or patrons of Ahriman who swear their devotion to the god of death and disease
likewise sway the reaper. Otherwise, depending upon the PC’s tactics, a
Personality check is in order.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Attempts to tell some tale of the
adventurers’ exploits, whether true or otherwise, may impress the reaper,
especially if they highlight the death and destruction the party has caused (DC
15).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">C</i>iting
religious texts and obscure prophecies to show that the party is chosen to walk
this path may also work (DC 20). Characters with appropriate occupations or
classes roll using 1d20; others must use 1d10. Two things may modify what die
the PC rolls on: (1) demonstrating humility before a servant of “death’s true
master” allows a +1d bonus on the roll, and (2) recognizing that Ahriman is “death’s
true master” allows a +1d bonus on the roll.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Players may come up with other
tactics, which the judge must set a DC for, but unless particularly brilliant,
such tactics should have DCs of 30 or higher. Note that it is not necessary to
impress the reaper for the PCs to move forward; doing so just makes moving
forward easier.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">PCs may attempt to diverse tactics
so long as one remains seated on the stone chair. However, each failed roll
(whether a spell check that fails to affect the reaper through failure or a
successful save, or a failed Personality check) causes the PC 1d3 Stamina
damage, with death resulting at 0 Stamina (recovering the body is still
possible).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If the reaper is impressed, it magically
disables all four pillar traps and unlocks the curtains. If the reaper remains
unimpressed (including if the PC simply rises from the seat without engaging
it), it unlocks the curtains but does not disable the pillar traps. In either
case, as it fades away, it intones <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Go
forward then, to the doom which awaits you.”</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">That really is about all there is to it. If you want further
examples, I converted both <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dragora’s Dungeon</i></b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Curse
of the Kingspire</i></b> from 4e to DCC for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Goodman Games</b>. And note that, while I snipped the explanatory image
of a skill challenge from an <a href="https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/dnd4/images/3/34/4E_SRD.pdf/revision/latest?cb=20190609232255">online
4e SRD</a>, conversion didn’t require opening a single 4e rulebook. A simple,
intuitive conversion is often the best conversion!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Next: D&D 4th
Edition: Keep on the Shadowfell (4): The Keep Itself</span></b></p></div>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-53397087680200923642023-07-23T15:38:00.000-04:002023-07-23T15:38:00.542-04:00Conversion Crawl Classes 14: D&D 4th Edition: Keep on the Shadowfell (2): Winterhaven<p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5V5q2WCJN1-yHg3UeXBT1KmrHq6fYPgUhZh-IskQnHBzSrDdsoY2pGDwl-wko5qt4vfc8hNdNpLPAfYe0Db2WQdfsux_WqoWai-iJdwtNHWQw7HeKjcC6o8muFQgeJjAEXezWmloUyYcRlU5hIY2T8LpPnw3iRrxLVSBW9riH6MXD6RCHYGpwLHjY0w/s803/110212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="653" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5V5q2WCJN1-yHg3UeXBT1KmrHq6fYPgUhZh-IskQnHBzSrDdsoY2pGDwl-wko5qt4vfc8hNdNpLPAfYe0Db2WQdfsux_WqoWai-iJdwtNHWQw7HeKjcC6o8muFQgeJjAEXezWmloUyYcRlU5hIY2T8LpPnw3iRrxLVSBW9riH6MXD6RCHYGpwLHjY0w/w325-h400/110212.jpg" width="325" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">It is no secret at all that <b>4th Edition</b> is my least favorite version of <b><i>Dungeons & Dragons</i></b>, but
I have to admit that Winterhaven is fairly well done for a “starting base”
community. There is some conversion work that needs to be done to bring it in
line with the DCC aesthetic – Winterhaven is properly tied into the needs and
expectations of its ruleset – but these are fairly simple to do. As none of the
NPCs are given statistics, we can just use the ones in the Men and Magicians
section (pages 432-434) of the core rulebook, modified slightly to taste.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">First Things First:
What Are Your Needs?</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Whether a village, town, city, or farm, a civilized point in
a fantasy role-play game has a few requirements. One is an answer to the
question: Where can the PCs sleep? This could be an inn, possible apartments or
villas for rent, or even the loft in the barn. The judge needs to know what it
costs, as well as any security risks or knock-on effects that relate to staying
there. For instance, a villa may come with servants, but one or more of those
servants may be spies, and not necessarily for the same master. An innkeeper
might sell some guests to a cannibal cult while keeping their goods (<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/42196/42196-h/42196-h.htm">Shadows in
Zamboula</a>) or might not be a real inn at all (<a href="https://appendixnbookclub.com/2017/10/16/episode-11-john-bellairss-the-face-in-the-frost/">The
Face in</a><a href="https://appendixnbookclub.com/2017/10/16/episode-11-john-bellairss-the-face-in-the-frost/">
the Frost</a>). In some cases, staying in the right house may increase the PC’s
prestige, offer them social opportunities they would not otherwise have, or
even provide a unique adventure hook.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">PCs require a place to purchase new equipment, sell loot,
and to seek out advice, rumors, and answers to questions that have arisen in
game play. Not every community will have all of these things, nor should they.
You might be able to pick up a hoe staying at a farm, but few farmsteads have
spare weapons or suits of armor laying about. In general, the larger the
community, the more it will offer in terms of goods and the opportunity to sell
treasure. A small village <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">may</i></b> have a local sage or hedge
wizard who can help identify found items through their lore (or by magic), but,
then again it may not. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Prices and reliability of goods may vary depending upon
where they are purchased. A renowned dwarven smith’s armor costs more than that
of ordinary armorers, for the prestige alone. For an even higher price, the
smith may be able to increase AC bonus, or decrease weight and/or Fumble Die.
Equipment does not have to be magical to provide bonuses or be cool. Similarly,
a slipshod weaponsmith’s work might automatically shatter (in addition to other
effects) on any critical hit and/or fumble.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Even a hermit knows something of the lands about them, and
may be able to provide interesting rumors and leads. Not everyone loves to
talk, but enough do that a little coin spent directly or on food and drink can
often profit a would-be adventurer. The judge can have pre-written rumors, know
the area well enough to make some up on the fly, or fly by the seat of their
pants. Most judges in my experience do some mixture of all three.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">One thing you might not realize that you need is a unified
feeling to a community, even if that feeling is one of great diversity. For
instance, Winterhaven sounds very North American or British. It is located in
the Cairngorm Mountains, which are Scottish (I have driven through them). The
ruler is Lord Padraig, which is Irish. The other names throughout the text are
a similar hodge-podge, and there is no reason given why the area should be so
diverse. Exotic names only sound out of place when they contrast to a naming
convention, and we notice this subconsciously even if we are not aware of it.
You may not realize how careful <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">J. R.R. Tolkien</b>
was with naming people and places in Middle Earth, but his <a href="http://tolkien.ro/text/JRR%20Tolkien%20-%20Guide%20to%20the%20Names%20in%20The%20Lord%20of%20the%20Rings.pdf">notes
for translation to other languages</a> show just how consistent he was being.
There is no expectation that you or I need be as careful, but making a few
naming changes to Winterhaven’s population would make the setting better.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">For more on NPCs in general, see <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Care and Feeding of NPCs</b> <a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2019/01/care-and-feeding-of-npcs-part-i.html">Part
I</a> and <a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2019/01/care-and-feeding-of-npcs-part-ii.html">Part
II</a>. I talk a bit about naming in Part II.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let’s look at some specific areas.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wrafton’s Inn<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This spacious inn and tavern serves
as the public house for the region. Like alehouses everywhere, Wrafton’s Inn
offers beer, wine, and, on occasion, spirits. Meals are served for those with
the coin, and beds for travelers are available. A crowd of villagers gathers
each night to drink, gossip, sing, and play games of chance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In addition to village residents,
any travelers passing through Winterhaven are found here.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyone in Wrafton’s knows the
general history of the village and the nearby ruined keep. Only Valthrun knows that
the ruined keep was built to contain a rift into the Shadowfell.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Salvana Wrafton:</b> Wrafton’s owner and proprietor is a female human
named Salvana Wrafton. She employs several waiters, waitresses, and cooks.
Salvana is friendly and open, quick with a smile and a warm welcome.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Eilian the Old:</b> This old farmer is a regular customer at Wrafton’s.
Every night, Eilian takes a seat at a table in the corner. He has a farm down
in the valley along the Old King’s Road. Eilian has an interest in
Winterhaven’s history. He is a good source for local information, and he loves
to talk.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Valthrun the Prescient:</b> Valthrun is a sage and scholar who lives in
a tower within Winterhaven’s walls. On occasion he shows up in Wrafton’s to
socialize. Valthrun is knowledgeable about the area, though he knows nothing of
death cult activity in the vicinity. He does know about the sealed rift beneath
the ruins of the old keep, but he doesn’t discuss such things with just any
adventurer, and he never talks about it with the villagers since he doesn’t
want to cause a panic. Valthrun is a good listener, asking just enough
questions to keep whomever he speaks with talking.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lord Padraig:</b> From time to time, the town’s lord (level 3 human
warlord) visits Wrafton’s. All those present doff their hats and call him Lord,
after which he retreats to a corner table and sips beer. He is amenable to
speaking with adventurers who approach him. He initially assumes they are
dignitaries from another village or possibly merchants scouting new trade
routes. Regardless, if he believes they are merely treasure hunters, his
respect diminishes unless they prove their worth.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ninaran:</b> A quiet elf hunter who usually drinks alone, Ninaran is
not interested in conversation. Stiff and bitter in demeanor, she is Kalarel’s
agent in Winterhaven and reports back to him about happenings in the village.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is good stuff, and most of what you need to know to run
visits to the inn successfully. There are also some specific questions and
answers given in the adventure, designed for each of the people the PCs are
likely to ask, and this is also useful. 4e assumes that the PCs are “heroes”
while DCC does not, so you might need statistics for NPCs beyond what is given
here. You can assume most NPCs are AC 9 or 10, with 2 hp. Important NPCs might
have 6 hp. Truly important NPCs (Lord Padraig, Valthrun the Prescient, and
Ninaran) should probably be given full statblocks. I would suggest building
them from King, Magician, and Assassin respectively.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">My proposed statblock for Ninaran is:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ninaran, Elven Spy:</b>
Init +4; Atk bronze dagger +9 melee (1d4 or 1d10) or shortbow +12 ranged (1d6);
AC 14; HD 3d6; hp 12; MV 30’; Act 2d20; SP infravision 60’, thief skills 75%
(disguise, move silently, climb, pick locks, hide in shadows), iron
vulnerability; SV Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +4; AL C.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you compare that with the Assassin statblock on page 432
of the core rules, you will see that I made very few changes – changed weapons,
removed the poison, and added infravision and iron vulnerability because the
character is an elf.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Market Square<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Every other day or so, carts and
wagons gather in the square and offer goods to the people of Winterhaven. Once
each week, the official Market Day acts as a siren’s song, calling most of the
villagers to shop and socialize in the square. Farmers sell produce, hunters
hawk smoked meats, villagers sell crafts, and sometimes a trader from the east
sells implements or costly goods.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On any given day, there is a 50%
chance that items from the adventuring gear list in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Player’s Handbook </i>are available for sale here. Adventurers will
almost never find armor, weapons, implements, or magic items in the market square,
however.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Delphina Moongem:</b> Delphina turned away from the forest of her elven
roots to live an urban existence, if Winterhaven can truly be called such.
Delphina can be found in the square on Market Day selling wildflowers from her cart.
She is happy to tell visitors about Winterhaven. She collects wildflowers north
of the village, and she has seen goblins around the ruined keep visible in the
foothills to the north.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">We already decided that <a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2023/07/conversion-crawl-classes-13-d-4th.html">the
kobolds were instead “ratlings”</a>. Now we need to decide what to do about the
goblins. Page 380 of the core rulebook is once more handy to help make our
monsters mysterious! A roll of 12 on Table 9-1 tells us our goblins are green –
nothing unusual there! A 5 on Table 9-2 arms them with slings and clubs
predominantly. While we still don’t have a hook, a 14 on Table 9-3 tells us
that our goblins have a glowing aura. Finally, a 7 on Table 9-4 reveals that
our goblins are “fascinated with jewels, metal weapons, helmets,
leatherworking, shoes, etc”, indicating (with their weaponry) a rather
primitive group of humanoids. Let us call them “twilight people”, appearing
rather like humanish cavemen who glow with a gentle green aura. Like other
goblins, they are predominantly nocturnal, and Delphina (from Latin) has only
seen them at dusk.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Smithy</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A dwarf named Thair Coalstriker
owns the village smithy. PCs can purchase a variety of mundane wares here,
including spikes, weapons, heavy armor, and so on. Simple weapons are readily
available, but military weapons require one day to complete, and superior
weapons require a week of work.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">My rewrite for DCC:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">A dwarf named Thair Coalstriker (AC 10, 4 hp) owns the
village smithy. PCs can purchase a variety of mundane wares here, including
spikes, simple weapons (dagger, short sword, spear), light armor, and so on. More
complex weapons require at least one day to complete (roll 1d5), and superior
weapons can be purchased for 1d3+1 times the normal cost. These do +1d damage,
and are only broken on a critical hit or fumble that would break or damage a
normal weapon if the wielder fails a Luck check. Such weapons require at least
1d3 weeks to create, and the judge should increase this time for larger or more
complex weapons. Medium armor can be created in 1d3 weeks +1 week per point of
AC bonus, but heavy armor is beyond Coalstriker’s skill to produce.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Valthrun’s Tower</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This five-story structure is the
highest building in Winterhaven. The tower is rumored to be over 300 years old,
and Valthrun the Prescient is its most recent resident.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Valthrun doesn’t use much of the
tower; he inhabits the top two levels. The bottom three levels are locked and empty
except for the stairway connecting them to Valthrun’s quarters. Valthrun is
described briefly above in the section on Wrafton’s Inn. The sage and scholar
has a small selection of 1st and 2nd level rituals that he is willing to sell
once he determines the worth and merit of an adventurer. Refer to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Player’s Handbook</i> for a list of rituals.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the goals in this method of conversion is that you
have to neither own nor consult the rules you are converting from. Therefore,
we will assume that Valthrun uses the basic statistics of a Magician, from pages
433-434 of the core rulebook. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Under <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Monsters Don’t
Play By the Rules</b> on page 383 of the core rulebook, it says “Spellcasters
in particular, whether human or monstrous in nature, should have powers that
are unavailable to the players. This does not mean fully defined spells of the
same sort learned by the characters. This means a unique power of some kind
that would provide a plot hook, leading the player characters to seek out the
wizard character and attempt to enlist his services, either as a an ally,
hireling, or hostage.” It is, therefore, perfectly fair to give Valthrun
whatever unique powers you wish. These can be rituals from the 4th Edition <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Player’s
Handbook</i></b> if you own it, or they can be as simple as the ability to
identify magic items with a degree of accuracy chosen by the judge. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bairwin’s Grand
Shoppe</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bairwin Wildarson traveled the
world, or so he claims, before setting up shop in Winterhaven ten years ago. He
has a variety of items available for sale, including anything off the list of
adventuring gear shown in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Player’s
Handbook</i>. He occasionally has a few 1st-level magic items for sale, and he
sometimes has a couple of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">potions of
healing</i> available in the shop.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In DCC, you should be very careful about having magic items
available for sale, and even in 4e you will note that availability is left up
to the DM. I would caution you also against having any normal item available,
unless you want your PCs to patronize Bairwin’s exclusively. The Grand Shoppe
is, however, an excellent place to sell loot, and could have an occasional
occult trinket.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you have access to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">DCC Lankhmar #2: The Fence’s Fortuitous
Folly</i></b>, the opening bit is a good model for this kind of shop – a lot of
junk that might be occult, and might not be, but being treated as though it
were.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sometimes having healing potions isn’t a terrible thing.
Choose a chance of having them, and a period you need to wait before checking
again (for instance, a 1 in 10 chance of having 1d3 healing potions every 1d5
weeks), as well as some details about the potions (25 gp, Luck check to heal
1d3 hp when consumed, sour taste, created by the Sisterhood of Mending in the
Temple of Dian Cecht some 25 miles away).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Warrior Guild</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Winterhaven villagers can join the
Warrior Guild and train, once per week, in basic sword and shield skills. The guild
trains in Market Square on days when the market is not open. Some citizens earn
militia pay (a few silver pieces per year) by training at least once per month
and being on call for emergencies. Rond Kelfem, captain of the Winterhaven
Regulars, also oversees the Warrior Guild. He can be found here, in the
barracks, or on guard duty, depending on the time of day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a bit of flavor in 4e, and probably in your DCC game
too. However, under <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Weapon Training</b>
on page 24 of the core rulebook, it notes that “Generally, using a weapon
without training imposes an attack penalty” and this penalty is further
clarified on Table 4-1: Attack Roll Modifiers on page 78 as being -1d. The
Warrior Guild offers a perfect “Quest For It” opportunity, should the players
see it. After every 1d5 weeks training with the guild, the character may make a
check to become trained in the use of a longsword. I would add other weapons –
short bow, short sword, and spear – as additional weapons one could potentially
become trained in. We can set the DC for the check at 15, and make it a
Strength check for melee weapons and an Agility check for ranged weapons. You
can keep training until you get it right. There is no fee, but the village <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can</i> call upon you for its defense in
times of need.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tenements</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The large tenement structure
features apartments for the village residents who don’t own farms or who work
in the businesses within the walls. Several families also live in the homes
(buildings labeled H) on the west side of the village. Most of the villagers
who live outside the walls are farmers and crafters who bring their wares to
the Market Square to sell or trade.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">You may as well set a rental fee, monthly and/or annually,
for residence here. Sooner or later, your players are likely to ask. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Temple</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This large stone structure is the
village temple. Of the several deities worshiped by locals, Avandra, goddess of
luck and change, is the most prominent.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The temple priest, Sister Linora,
runs services in the temple three times per week, but otherwise she is not often
present. She prefers to travel among the homes outside the walls, dispensing
care to villagers and animals and helping with various farm projects. Although
Linora is not a cleric, she is a non-heroic priest of Avandra. She doesn’t have
access to cleric powers, but she does know the following rituals: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gentle repose</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cure disease</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">raise dead</i>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Graveyard:</b> Winterhaven has a graveyard for which Sister Linora serves
as caretaker. The graveyard is located<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a
short distance south of the walled town.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">While you could shift Avandra two one of the Gods of the
Eternal Struggle from the core rulebook, I rather like the idea of a goddess of
luck and change, which meshes well with DCC. Sister Linora (apparently Australian)
can be treated as a Friar from page 433 of the core rulebook, but what to do
about her rituals?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gentle repose</i> just
makes sure the dead are quiet in their graves – or at least, that is what the
name implies – so we don’t have to do anything. Properly buried, the dead do
not usually become un-dead. Sister Linora is the caretaker of the graveyard. She
knows how to properly inter the dead. Easy-peasy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cure disease</i> is
equally simple. A friar can heal 2/day. We will just allow Sister Linora to
choose to cure a disease instead of heal hit points. Alternatively, we can just
say that each day under her care allows an additional save to end a disease.
Also easy-peasy, and the goal really is to avoid complications that don’t make
game play any better.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Raise dead</i>,
however, is a game changer, and an ability not normally available in DCC. My
first instinct is to simply remove the ability, but…well, remember that bit
about NPC spellcasters having abilities no available to the PCs? What if we let
Sister Linora keep her ability to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">raise
dead</i>, but introduced some cost to the procedure? Here is my version:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sister Linora has the ability to restore life to the dead by
transferring life from the living. In a ritual taking 3 hours, and which must
include at least one close associate of the deceased, Sister Linora permanently
transfers some of the associate(s)’ energy to the deceased, restoring them to
life. The body of the deceased must be reasonably intact (per judge), or the
ritual fails.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Roll 1d3 for each day (or partial day) that the deceased has
been dead. This is the number of ability score points which are permanently
lost from the associates to fuel the magic. Lost points are evenly, and randomly,
distributed, with each point coming randomly from (roll 1d5): (1) Strength, (2)
Agility, (3) Stamina, (4) Intelligence, or (5) Personality. These points are
lost even if the ritual fails.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the ritual is
completed, the deceased rerolls their Luck on 3d6, and then makes a Luck check.
If the check succeeds, they are restored to life with 1 hp, and their Luck is
now whatever score they rolled. At the judge’s discretion, a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">raised</i> character may be haunted by vague
memories of an afterlife, good or bad, and these memories may serve as a conduit
of information or hooks to potential adventures.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Final Words</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Under “Next Steps”, this adventure says “Regardless of what
the player characters decide to investigate next, kobold bandits descend upon
them the next time they leave town, seeking revenge for their fallen comrades.”
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is an attempt to make the PCs more interested in the
kobold lair than whatever else they might have decided to do, and it is not
something you should do in your own game. How do the kobold bandits know when
the PCs plan to leave town? If they are not careful, and talk about their plans
were Ninaran can hear, and wait long enough for her to report and the kobolds
to prepare, fine. Otherwise, this is seriously problematic. “No matter what
choices the players make, the consequences are the same” should not be part of
your adventure design.</span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijA1pjGVatbh2FWMwGoOGcq-eMTyRNTs4-VhQr72W4ZOD70sj6CFxdYYpaIuaR1xX0MecelAB5QXm2nn_QEe_73w4_YvBvVtim4mYM4Lbtzrbwb6fDq9wSfaVT1RZsP_89yrmZTMc6JUi70MMn4Lc9JXQda5zBWO2_tQ5XnRfMObHEjAasGIcn_4_3S1E/s550/d79d53ee32d5973927676f1b481b2a92--rpg-map-fantasy-map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="550" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijA1pjGVatbh2FWMwGoOGcq-eMTyRNTs4-VhQr72W4ZOD70sj6CFxdYYpaIuaR1xX0MecelAB5QXm2nn_QEe_73w4_YvBvVtim4mYM4Lbtzrbwb6fDq9wSfaVT1RZsP_89yrmZTMc6JUi70MMn4Lc9JXQda5zBWO2_tQ5XnRfMObHEjAasGIcn_4_3S1E/w640-h428/d79d53ee32d5973927676f1b481b2a92--rpg-map-fantasy-map.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Next: D&D 4th
Edition: Keep on the Shadowfell (3): Skill Challenges</span></b></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-9962687088503806512023-07-20T13:58:00.004-04:002023-07-20T20:02:28.521-04:00DCC DAY: Crash of the Titans<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjUO42bXGXIf8oiRjXAOzqEY41cgzcSqO4aJa4Fzbff3g4M0Scan-xPiDEkSatttVzIUjZdFEoZM9D2HJndpQng1xV5XTrxtV37LunUlPAmBxFLzsyav_uw1HULTOJUHKbdu7Zb11BSgV9EWvK0-Myijn75v56lyT5rd07yc_3suXmpS9BfY3f6d8yYs/s1584/Pages%20from%20DCC_Day2023_CrashOfTheTitans_combined_screenRes.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1584" data-original-width="1224" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjUO42bXGXIf8oiRjXAOzqEY41cgzcSqO4aJa4Fzbff3g4M0Scan-xPiDEkSatttVzIUjZdFEoZM9D2HJndpQng1xV5XTrxtV37LunUlPAmBxFLzsyav_uw1HULTOJUHKbdu7Zb11BSgV9EWvK0-Myijn75v56lyT5rd07yc_3suXmpS9BfY3f6d8yYs/w309-h400/Pages%20from%20DCC_Day2023_CrashOfTheTitans_combined_screenRes.png" width="309" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Saturday July 22nd</span></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">12 - 4</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">At the <a href="https://www.theswordandboardtoronto.com/">Sword & Board</a></span></b></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">All Materials Provided!</span></b></div><p></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-23721771870999062022023-07-10T00:31:00.006-04:002023-07-10T00:31:47.717-04:00Down Among the Wreckers<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZRToihGCjjIStUeqN9KER7X6C5jV_E8HwzdtLdlIFX0HFVJwP4qTa2UJ0goA4dsQB4Uxwz2y1awJFa3fl1gbWYZIGAQYcUSVcYFRQRXeNLE4EgEBCYvyBXj3YZwdgXeUY6v_BwmHdZ0GbxyqgYvO034ZFBa5STWTmL1zxNaWOmjwbnAwwJtfAJTc3vk/s1043/zacbg1kvinimnuthysxr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="695" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZRToihGCjjIStUeqN9KER7X6C5jV_E8HwzdtLdlIFX0HFVJwP4qTa2UJ0goA4dsQB4Uxwz2y1awJFa3fl1gbWYZIGAQYcUSVcYFRQRXeNLE4EgEBCYvyBXj3YZwdgXeUY6v_BwmHdZ0GbxyqgYvO034ZFBa5STWTmL1zxNaWOmjwbnAwwJtfAJTc3vk/w266-h400/zacbg1kvinimnuthysxr.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">In other news, <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/down-among-the-wreckers-dcc-adventure/x/699890#/"><b><i>Down Among the Wreckers</i></b> is now live</a>!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Danger comes in with the tide.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Things are not as they seem in the seaside village of Whitcliffe. Hard men work the wrecking trade, luring ships onto Deadman’s Reef to take their cargo and sell the survivors as slaves. But last night’s storm brought an unexpected treasure to the village – and with it an unexpected terror!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Caught between rival wizards seeking the <i>Crystal Gryphon</i>, a vampire desperate to recover its native soil from the ocean floor, and villagers with their own agendas, the PCs must decide who they can trust and which smiling face conceals a hidden dagger. No one is safe when they go down among the wreckers!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This adventure includes the Village of Whitcliffe, the caves of the wreckers, and a timeline to help the judge create a sense of rising tension. Also included are The Hungry Islands and a collection of five maritime monsters to use for your aquatic or dockside adventures.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Hungry Islands</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">A perfect mini-encounter for your shipboard adventures, colossal mollusks raise shells large enough to be mistaken for islands rising from the sea, and these islands can get so large that low mountains rise from their backs. Millennia of sea birds have carried guano and seeds to these monstrous shells, so that soil, grasses, and trees now grow here. And, although what appear to be islands are themselves alive, they now also offer shelter for other living things. Their metabolism is so slow that they do not require much food to sustain them…yet food they must have, and the Hungry Islands have the means to obtain it</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Strange & Perilous Beings of the Waves</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Here are several new creatures statted out for <b><i>Dungeon Crawl Classics</i></b>. If you are going to have adventures asea or along the coast, these creatures are must-have!</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Brachytaurs are great crustacean centaur-like creatures with a love of rotting meat. They may be willing to work with you, but you are never their friends!</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">The Leviathan is a horrific 50-foot long monster that delights in the pain and fear of its victims. If it pleases the gods, only one of these monstrous beings exists, but the gods are fickle, and what is described herein may not even be the most horrible of their kin.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Sand fairies are spontaneously born with the lowest outgoing tide within a 24-hour period, and perish into sea foam with the highest rising tide in the 24 hours after their birth. They have the gift of prophesy, and they sometimes grant wishes to those who please them. Are you willing to give up part of your natural lifespan to get your questions answered?</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">The Wharf-Side Strangler is an un-dead spirit inhabiting a man-shaped mass of wet kelp and sea-wrack, seeking lonely victims to throttle in the dark.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">No oceanic adventure is complete without at least sighting whales, and statistics are given for toothed whales, baleen whales, and orcas. In a pre-modern civilization, where there are no conservation laws, these creatures may be hunted for meat, oil, ambergris, whalebone, and other valuables.</span></li></ul><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Don't be caught wallowing in the bilge when there's adventure to be had! </span></b></div><p></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-1746264695059457412023-07-04T22:49:00.002-04:002023-07-04T23:22:10.655-04:00Is Keep on the Borderlands a Linear Adventure?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRDcKS8v7qNiObA003q1pYCuG7ISB5cZsYcsaLSxkv_S1EH3YXpyWH6Wl_ZwyEmn3QtTR78NsAGVFDTmpUgXyH0OdxM9lXJgnbaHq2-ct8iAIlVueUwLOLqjHXlE6s1VjIfY92_IHykfgOg6joZ5SW03ClKjayaVVZ0lP_LGUJtnxI0FcXgvCquyO6Ms/s1600/b2%20front.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1229" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRDcKS8v7qNiObA003q1pYCuG7ISB5cZsYcsaLSxkv_S1EH3YXpyWH6Wl_ZwyEmn3QtTR78NsAGVFDTmpUgXyH0OdxM9lXJgnbaHq2-ct8iAIlVueUwLOLqjHXlE6s1VjIfY92_IHykfgOg6joZ5SW03ClKjayaVVZ0lP_LGUJtnxI0FcXgvCquyO6Ms/w308-h400/b2%20front.png" width="308" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">In <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/dccrpg/comments/14o4wqm/conversion_crawl_classes_13_dd_4th_edition_keep/">this
Reddit thread</a>, I had a conversation with one <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Chojen/">Chojen</a>. In case the argument was
at all unclear to others, I am going to take the unusual step of diagramming it
out. In this case RC is myself, and CH is Chojen. By diagramming the argument
out, I hope to illustrate the logical (or illogical) connections involved.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RC: Specifically, adventures were
designed so that encounters, or series of encounters, occurred in a specific
order to facilitate leveling expectations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: Aren’t all modules
that span multiple levels designed that way regardless of edition or even
system?<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RC: No.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a function of the
steepness of the power curve. An AD&D 1e adventure could span multiple
levels in its intended PC range and not assume leveling at all. An old school
adventure can span multiple levels, assuming leveling, but leave it up to the
players to determine when they are willing to enter deeper/more dangerous
areas. For a long time, player decisions determining encounter order was the
norm for D&D.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: I only have
personal experience with 3.0/3.5 onwards but even in those editions you were
told at the beginning of the module what level players were expected to be at
the end of it and the way it got you there was by having the design of the
dungeon/progression of the adventure have you face enemies in a specific order.
In Barrow of the Forgotten King for example you start facing a small pack of
wolves and worgs and low level undead to fighting big encounters with multiple
NPC's with character levels along with their henchmen. The whole module you're
moving through this excavated tomb and there isn't really a way to navigate
ahead of most of the lower level encounters.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Do you have an example
of a module having the option to navigate to the hard stuff before intended?<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RC: Take a look at module B2 (The
Keep on the Borderlands) for Basic D&D. This module has no intended order
of play. Closer caves are easier, but there is nothing stopping PCs from
heading into more difficult territory immediately. The players, not the DM,
determine the order in which encounters occur. This was once so much the expectation
of play that the 1e Player's Handbook warns players that the DM may attempt to
trick them (through sloping passages, etc.) into a more dangerous area before
they are ready.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">B2 was intended as an
introductory module to teach both players and DMs how to engage with the game.
Players starting at level 1 would be level 3-4 before exhausting the challenges
presented.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Starting with Dragonlance, and
becoming more prevalent though 2e until being codified in 3e, an idea arose
that the order of encounters was important, and, eventually. there was a shift
in the original idea that the PCs were exploring a world where they were
responsible for deciding what risks they would take to the DM presenting a
story where the DM became responsible for encounter order.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Once the DM became responsible
for choosing which encounters the PCs would face, it became important that
those encounters were "fair". Modern gaming's obsession with
encounter balance is an outcome of this. In early gaming, if Eric the Cleric
died, that was Eric's players fault. Now, if Eric the Cleric dies, that is the
DM's fault.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Almost every problem in modern
gaming arises from that shift. DMs feel the need to fudge because they are
responsible for the encounters. The idea that DMs, rather than players, are
responsible for pacing is a direct result of games that arise from DM, rather
than player, choices. Long prep times arise from balance concerns, and godawful
long combats arise, at least in part, from trying to balance encounters on the
DM's side and offer at least some meaningful choices to the players.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You need to go back to see what
gaming can be. I would suggest that looking at Basic and 1e adventures is a
good thing, but you need to take into account that 1e tournament adventures
have a more linear style to facilitate tournament scoring. IMHO, Barrow of the
Forgotten King is the worst example of linear adventure design that I know.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It might not be for you, but I am
a strong advocate of that original game philosophy. Enabling real player choice
is, to my mind, the greatest strength of RPGs, and the most obvious thing they
do far better than video games.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The above lays the groundwork, as well as the initial
argument. From hereon in, I am going to separate out the threads of the
argument rather than posting them sequentially. If you wish to go back and read
the original sequence, follow the link at the beginning of this post.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thread One: RC: [M]odule
B2 (The Keep on the Borderlands)…has no intended order of play. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: I'm reading
through it now and regarding the ability for players to go off course you're
right but the manner in which you're describing PC's just veering off course is
the same in every module, even the modern ones. Modules don't generally have
walls, they have guardrails that you can hop over. Even in my example Barrow of
the Forgotten King if the PC's took the insane step of just tunneling straight
down in the dirt adjacent to the crypts and popped out in the final chamber
with the Yuan ti they can skip to the end. The Design of the module heavily
influences going in a linear fashion but there are ways to circumvent them if
the party really tries.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RC: For the love of Crom, no one
ever said that players couldn't find "totally insane" ways to
circumvent heavily linear modules. That shifts the goal posts onto another
field entirely. You've gone from "Do you have an example of a module
having the option to navigate to the hard stuff before intended?" to
"In any module, you can navigate the the hard stuff before intended if you
try hard enough", which has nothing to do with the original point.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: My point with the
tunneling in Barrow of the Forgotten King was to contrast it with your example
of Keep on the Borderlands and show that just because you can go in a different
way doesn't mean the module isn't guiding you along a planned trajectory. In Keep
on the Borderlands the opening background for the module says that you're there
because you've heard about the caves of chaos. The other major encounters which
are beyond the players are behind natural obstacles that the players have no
reason to go to because again their main goal and the reason they're here (the
caves) is literally on the road from the keep. In that module the players have
no reason to just randomly veer off the road and bushwack through the forest or
ford the river to get to the more challenging encounters like the Raider Camp.
You are very clearly meant to go to the caves of chaos and enter the lower
levels of the caves to fight Kobolds and Giant rats before progressing to the
harder stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RC: And in your various responses
you showed a clear understanding that Barrow is designed that way. You seem to
have a hard time understanding that Keep is not. The caves are not
"literally on the road"; they are 2-3 squares from the road in forest
that is described as dense.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: And the caves are
100 feet tall at the highest level. Each square is only 100 yards long, at 1000
feet a 100 foot high cavern complex is pretty hard to miss.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">[EDIT: I feel it is fair to point out here that the ravine
the caves are located in are part of a general rise in elevation. If anything,
the players might check the area because where the ravine is located the land
is not rising so steeply from the level of the road. The caves are not a
100-foot high cave complex, but much smaller openings in the ravine, as anyone
with access to B2 can easily see. The nearest (low) caverns are about 500 yards
from the road through dense foliage. The highest caves in the clearest part of
the system are some 800+ yards from the road, and, again, trees do not have to
be 100 feet high to obscure small openings at a distance, if the ravine can
even be seen.] </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RC: You are not "meant"
to go to the easier caves first; you are advised to. Nothing prevents you from
doing otherwise, and in my more than four decades experience with this
adventure, it is not at all uncommon for players to tackle harder areas first.
It is also not at all uncommon for players (who do not know the caves are near
the road) to stumble into another encounter first.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes, players can fight against
linear design. No, that does not make the design any less linear.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes, there are ways to approach
non-linear design which are better than others. No, that does not make them
linear.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: I'm reading
through keep on the Borderlands right now and it honestly seems the same way.
There are other things you can do but you really have to go out of your way to
get to them. The Lizardmen Mound, the Raider Camp, and the Spider's Lair are
all across the river while the Hermit is deep in the woods. The Caves of Chaos
are literally on the road and there is zero chance of wandering monsters unless
you're within 6 squares of one of those listed encounters. It's 100% corralling
you towards the caves, even in the notes it says the players receive advice to
"stay at the beginning of the ravine and enter the lower caves first"
The guardrails are lower here but they're definitely still there.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: As far as I know
no one at the Keep is aware of any of the other encounters and with the natural
obstacles in their way (dense forest or huge river) why would they end up
anywhere but the caves? You can choose to go to the upper caves and potentially
fight the stronger monsters but you are very clearly intended to go through the
lower caves first and level up before facing the higher ones. Even if you can
go out of order, imo the adventure 100% is specifically designed so that
encounters, or series of encounters, will occur in a specific order to
facilitate leveling expectations.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RC: [Y]ou are somehow
interpreting the players having context for their choices as
"guardrails". Having context to attempt to determine the level of
risk you will face =/= the GM determining the order of encounters.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes, the Caves are indeed the
main adventure site. Yes, the closer ones are easier, and the DM is advised to
give the players enough information to make good choices. But the players are
making that choice, not the GM.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: Just because you
have the option to do otherwise doesn't mean there isn't a very clear intent
for the players to fight the lower caves first.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">[EDIT: At this point, I think it is pretty fair to point out
the obvious:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: I only have
personal experience with 3.0/3.5 onwards but even in those editions you were
told at the beginning of the module what level players were expected to be at
the end of it and the way it got you there was by having the design of the
dungeon/progression of the adventure have you face enemies in a specific order.
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: Do you have an
example of a module <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">having the option to</b>
navigate to the hard stuff before intended?<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: Just because <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">you have the option to</b> do otherwise
doesn't mean there isn't a very clear intent for the players to fight the lower
caves first.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">When PCs set out in search of the Caves of Chaos, they have
no idea which direction they are from the Keep. The river is indeed an
obstacle, but not an insurmountable one. PCs which head north looking for the
caves head directly toward the hermit, and this has happened in more than one
game that I have run. It is unlikely, but possible, to encounter the lizardmen
without fording the river if you are going southwest from the hill south of the
caves, toward the river. Why would you assume the caves were near the road?
Maybe, if you have only played modern games you would assume that things are
placed to make them easy to find.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is absolutely true that there can be a clear intent that
X follows Y, even where there is an option otherwise, but simply making the assumption of
that intent is dead wrong.]</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thread Two: RC: Closer
caves are easier, but there is nothing stopping PCs from heading into more
difficult territory immediately. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: I'm reading
through keep on the Borderlands right now and it honestly seems the same way. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RC: Worth reading Melan's article
here: <a href="https://www.therpgsite.com/design-development-and-gameplay/melan-s-dungeon-layout-article/"><span style="color: yellow;">https://www.therpgsite.com/design-development-and-gameplay/melan-s-dungeon-layout-article/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If that doesn't help explicate
linear vs. non-linear for you, nothing I can say is likely to do so.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">[EDIT: In the article, Melan creates a map of the choices of
route available to PCs in the Caves of Chaos, and then compares those choices
to other dungeons in a similar way. If you can read that and imagine that the
Caves of Chaos offers only linear choices, like Barrow of the Forgotten King,
nothing anyone can say will ever convince you otherwise. In fact, if you are
going to either read this post or Melan’s article, you are better off reading
Melan’s article!]</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: There are other things
you can do but you really have to go out of your way to get to them. The
Lizardmen Mound, the Raider Camp, and the Spider's Lair are all across the
river while the Hermit is deep in the woods. The Caves of Chaos are literally
on the road <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: and there is zero
chance of wandering monsters unless you're within 6 squares of one of those
listed encounters.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RC: I imagine you are thinking of
this:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nothing
will bother the party when camped outdoors, unless they are within six squares
of a numbered encounter area. For each square they are within the six square
range there is a 1 in 6 chance that the monsters there will seek them; so at 6
squares there is a 1 in 6 chance, at 5 there is a 2 in 6, at 4 there is a 3 in
6, at 3 there is a 4 in 6, at 2 there is a 5 in 6 and at I square a 6 in 6 -
automatic encounter. Treat otherwise as a normal encounter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Which is fine, except (1) the
players don't know when they are near an encounter area, and (2) nothing is
said about daylight hours. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: They don't need to
know because of how far and unlikely they are to be near an encounter location.
The tallest part of the caves are 100 feet high, given each square is only 100
yards, the caves are 100% visible from the road. It's 100% corralling you
towards the caves<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">[EDIT: It is really hard to read that as anything other than
trolling. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">As mentioned earlier, the ravine the caves are located in
are part of a general rise in elevation, and the ravine is located after
200-300 yards of dense woodland. The caves are not a 100-foot high cave
complex, but much smaller openings in the ravine, the nearest (low) caverns being
about 500 yards from the road through dense foliage. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I have a hard time believing anyone could actually conclude “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the caves are 100% visible from the road. It's
100% corralling you towards the caves”</i> in good faith.] </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">[Another Edit: If the PCs have no idea where the caves are, they have no reason to follow the road. The hermit and the bandits are much closer than the caves but, as Chojen points out, the bandits are across the river, making the hermit encounter more likely. As a point of fact, I have had several groups encounter the hermit first throughout the years, so this jibes with my experience.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RC: It is definitely true that
the caves are easier to find, but they are near the road, not on it, and there
is forest between the caves and the road. They are not literally on the road.
They are literally within 2-3 squares of the road. The author didn't want to
make "find the adventure site" too tedious, but PCs are not
"corralled".<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: They don't need to
know because of how far and unlikely they are to be near an encounter location.
The tallest part of the caves are 100 feet high, given each square is only 100
yards, the caves are 100% visible from the road.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RC: Not according to the
adventure, which clearly has the caves/ravine visible when you pass through the
forest:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
forest you have been passing through has been getting more dense, tangled, and
gloomier than before. The thick, twisted tree trunks, unnaturally misshapen
limbs, writhing roots, clutching and grasping thorns and briars all seem to
warn and ward you off, but you have forced and hacked your way through
regardless. Now the strange growth has suddenly ended - you have stepped out of
the thicket into a ravine-like area. The walls rise rather steeply to either
side to a height of about 100’ or so - dark, streaked rock mingled with earth.
Clumps of trees grow here and there, both on the floor of the ravine and up the
sloping walls of the canyon. The opening you stand in is about 200’ wide. The
ravine runs at least 400’ west (actually 440’) to where the western end rises
in a steep slope. Here and there, at varying heights on all sides of the
ravine, you can see the black mouths of cave-like openings in the rock walls.
The sunlight is dim, the air dank, there is an oppressive feeling here - as if
something evil is watching and waiting to pounce upon you. There are bare, dead
trees here and there, and upon one a vulture perches and gazes hungrily at you.
A flock of ravens rise croaking from the ground, the beat of their wings and
their cries magnified by the terrain to sound loud and horrible. Amongst the
litter of rubble, boulders, and dead wood scattered about on the ravine floor,
you can see bits of gleaming ivory and white - closer inspection reveals that
these are bones and skulls of men, animals, and other things...<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: Pretty sure that's
from the pov of you at ground level while your vision is obscured by the tree
line. On the flat ground near the road/approaching it you'd have a clear view
of at least the rock formation.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">[EDIT: I think that I’ve made my point about the caves being
visible from the road – assuming that the road is even the first thing you
follow – fairly clear by now. It is abundantly clear that the adventure was not
intended to be an exercise in frustration. You are intended to be able to find
the caves. On the other hand, neither are the caves “100% visible from the road”
or the module “100% corralling you towards the caves”.]</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thread Three: RC: The
players, not the DM, determine the order in which encounters occur.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: even in the notes
it says the players receive advice to "stay at the beginning of the ravine
and enter the lower caves first"<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RC: [P]layers may receive advice
to tackle the closer/lower caves first, but they do not have to follow it. Nor
is advise always useful; if they trust the evil cleric in the Keep or decide
that "Bree yark!" is goblin-language for "We surrender!"
they could be in trouble.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">[Y]ou are somehow interpreting
the players having context for their choices as "guardrails". Having
context to attempt to determine the level of risk you will face =/= the GM
determining the order of encounters.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes, the Caves are indeed the
main adventure site. Yes, the closer ones are easier, and the DM is advised to
give the players enough information to make good choices. But the players are
making that choice, not the GM.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chojen goes on to say: “So again, the entire point of
everything I've ever said was in service to replying to the line from your
original post:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Specifically, adventures were
designed so that encounters, or series of encounters, occurred in a specific
order to facilitate leveling expectations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">None of that has anything to do with choice, more about how
the encounters you play and face as a player are generally tailored to the
level they're at. Even in Keep on the Borderlands the insanely hard encounters
that you can walk into immediately in the caves like the Ogre or Bugbears
aren't outside the realm of possibility for a party of 6-9 level 1 adventurers
to take on and defeat.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">And, again we go back to:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is
a function of the steepness of the power curve. An AD&D 1e adventure could
span multiple levels in its intended PC range and not assume leveling at all.
An old school adventure can span multiple levels, assuming leveling, but leave
it up to the players to determine when they are willing to enter deeper/more
dangerous areas. For a long time, player decisions determining encounter order
was the norm for D&D.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">We don’t have to worry about “the insanely hard” encounters,
because the power curve is shallow enough that “the caves like the Ogre or
Bugbears aren’t outside the realm of possibility for a party of 6-9 level 1
adventures to take on and defeat.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">But, outside of that, when you look at the map to the Caves
of Chaos, the really difficult caves – the temple and the minotaur, can be
entered first if you are so inclined. The order of encounters is not up to the
GM; it is up to the players. Even those encounters, because of the shallower
power curve, might be surmountable. I played KotB before I ran it, and the
first cave I entered was the minotaur’s. And we defeated the beast, although
not without sacrifice.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">You are not "meant" to go to the easier caves
first; you are advised to. Nothing prevents you from doing otherwise, and in my
more than four decades experience with this adventure, it is not at all
uncommon for players to tackle harder areas first. It is also not at all
uncommon for players (who do not know the caves are near the road) to stumble
into another encounter first.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CH: The original
comment I responded to was:<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Specifically,
adventures were designed so that encounters, or series of encounters, occurred
in a specific order to facilitate leveling expectations.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Keep on the
Borderlands fits that definition to a T.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: medium;">RC: You clearly are just trolling
here.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">A bit about the
goalposts. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(1) [M]odule B2 (The
Keep on the Borderlands)…has no intended order of play. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(2) In B2, closer
caves are easier, but there is nothing stopping PCs from heading into more
difficult territory immediately. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(3) In B2, the
players, not the DM, determine the order in which encounters occur.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(4) [Modern D&D]
adventures [are] designed so that encounters, or series of encounters, occurred
in a specific order to facilitate leveling expectations.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">None of these goalposts have moved.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In conclusion, by untangling the threads of this discussion,
I hope to make it clearer to the reader. <i><b>Keep on the Borderlands</b></i> is not a
linear adventure.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJQzIWCSovEac73fAUdVGxWzG1lnRi2Uu5aTj53FoLoy7L-cnoMMEiEIc7AOlwIJd1eHLlSgf60hyNz3nLBrHdzvQV4SwDzsEzaKsgu9VchLf99Z1sRJmlDNHaiIjtt2xDPiZ7bXWjVW7f5dRj2nbDc7rjDKNfLAytcjj6tQtzoFt8P8H9IR0Kkrs4AY/s1600/kotb_coc.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="1600" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJQzIWCSovEac73fAUdVGxWzG1lnRi2Uu5aTj53FoLoy7L-cnoMMEiEIc7AOlwIJd1eHLlSgf60hyNz3nLBrHdzvQV4SwDzsEzaKsgu9VchLf99Z1sRJmlDNHaiIjtt2xDPiZ7bXWjVW7f5dRj2nbDc7rjDKNfLAytcjj6tQtzoFt8P8H9IR0Kkrs4AY/w640-h368/kotb_coc.gif" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-65506469007167413852023-07-01T16:08:00.002-04:002023-07-01T16:08:23.152-04:00Conversion Crawl Classes 13: D&D 4th Edition: Keep on the Shadowfell (1)<p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBw5VTsfYik-XNWj4dEzgTY3DDwmRC_Z2pBdGDEBxDzqEcEmLaLGc7dD1WrFWfgkBzWDIEM_5K6I7E0uWV75FXmAJY9sw4xLtSHQ9K3gy-Nzt1ff8WfJEUTSVBr6GsCFZrWe-a-k_HbbtxJTkaVn69i1HVvLbm0qEPHLRjtZ_Rs74LSQ3xH7VZBXEE2cg/s803/110212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="653" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBw5VTsfYik-XNWj4dEzgTY3DDwmRC_Z2pBdGDEBxDzqEcEmLaLGc7dD1WrFWfgkBzWDIEM_5K6I7E0uWV75FXmAJY9sw4xLtSHQ9K3gy-Nzt1ff8WfJEUTSVBr6GsCFZrWe-a-k_HbbtxJTkaVn69i1HVvLbm0qEPHLRjtZ_Rs74LSQ3xH7VZBXEE2cg/w325-h400/110212.jpg" width="325" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">I don’t really mind if you are a major fan of <b>4th Edition</b>. To me, this was the low
point for the various editions of the game, and following the “Delve Format”
from the late 3e era, it had some serious problems in adventure design. Specifically,
adventures were designed so that encounters, or series of encounters, occurred
in a specific order to facilitate leveling expectations. Initially, the
designers indicated that they would address the problems with combat length
from the previous edition, but reductions in resource management coupled with
the idea that PCs should get to use their cool combat maneuvers in every fight
led the designers to instead make combats even longer than those in 3e.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">On the other hand, 4e introduced several good ideas to the
game, even if they were not always utilized in the best possible ways. These
include the idea that creatures have triggering conditions (bloodied) which can
change their statistics in a fight, minions, and a formal system of skill
challenges. These things had sometimes popped up in older adventures on an ad hoc
basis, but it was a good thing that GMs were given reason to think about them.
In addition, some 4e adventures broke with “D&Disms”, either giving new
spins to their creatures or going back to their literary roots. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am working here from the free pdf <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/110212/H1-Keep-on-the-Shadowfell--QuickStart-Rules-4e&affiliate_id=17484">of
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Keep
on the Shadowfell</i></b>, available from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DriveTruRPG</b></a>.
This is a 145-page document containing quickstart rules, characters, and battlemaps
for miniatures in addition to the adventure itself. The adventure contains a
lot of advice for the perspective GM, which pads out its length, but also
offers a good example of how much more concise a DCC adventure can be in
comparison to 4e. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">For published examples of conversion from 4e, I direct you
to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://dcctreasures.blogspot.com/2016/12/dragoras-dungeon.html">Dragora’s
Dungeon</a></i></b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://dcctreasures.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-curse-of-kingspire.html">Curse
of the Kingspire</a></i></b>. Out of all the editions of D&D that I have
converted to DCC, I have found that conversion from 4e takes the most work.
This is not just because the material needs to be seriously pared down, but
because 4e’s skill challenges need to be accessed in terms of DCC. 4e is also
fairly jargon-heavy, and even the names of monsters need consideration. I
believe that this is (at least in part) due to WotC’s first attempt to move
away from the OGL.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">On the Road: Kobold
Brigands<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpgTlfgqDquxc9hdVZtawdEVOW24nWyN6VvnLY3fCK4lZaQz27dcSwuEEraVfxpLe_gjDOHyA5T-Yj3vtCqrvhByqduHVxA0tbi_XEYvMAOlmjnaXRvqtehMiK-xMIMu7G7dlO7tm4Ut9fZpA8iWKdeP80ydfN5UOBkXwPHdQ1qN3rhhjjw5VgX9VxGY/s620/kots1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="292" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZpgTlfgqDquxc9hdVZtawdEVOW24nWyN6VvnLY3fCK4lZaQz27dcSwuEEraVfxpLe_gjDOHyA5T-Yj3vtCqrvhByqduHVxA0tbi_XEYvMAOlmjnaXRvqtehMiK-xMIMu7G7dlO7tm4Ut9fZpA8iWKdeP80ydfN5UOBkXwPHdQ1qN3rhhjjw5VgX9VxGY/w302-h640/kots1.PNG" width="302" /></a></i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Keep on the Shadowfell</i></b> opens with an encounter with 12 kobold
brigands. This was clearly intended as both a warm-up encounter and a chance to
learn the basics of the combat rules. Not including battlemats or GM advice,
the encounter takes up two pages. Because of the nature of 4e combat, it can
also take up considerable time, and I have heard of groups which never made it
past this point. Given the size of the adventure, it should take multiple
sessions to complete, but our goal will be to allow the players to do more than
have a single combat in the first of those sessions.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In this instance, I am including images of the original
statblocks from the adventure rather than trying to convey the same information
via text. It should be obvious why 4e required minions when you look at the
statblocks – in most versions of D&D, kobolds are mostly slain with a
single hit. Hit point bloat in 4e, meant to allow the PCs to use their most
interesting powers in any given combat, would mean that most opponents would be
making attacks against the PCs each round if some of those opponents were not
easy to eliminate. What we are going to do here is reduce all three types of
kobolds to a single statblock. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In fact, because DCC has its own vision of what kobolds are, let’s eliminate that name altogether and call them “ratlings”, reskinning them into </span><span style="font-size: medium;">short rat-like humanoids. It is an easy change, and it helps to Make Monsters Mysterious.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_SZsQUy98AQ7FDpKSR4ryOhKBsYLfmh0GWYjTXR6us24yBH5Zmr-NBbs9306SoW_l-zhsS5Ckn0022Ap_Omm7o6n9MFOFLgRXKmSJ69uEdqQo1C0EtRTenuQOSft-edxvXZP6CVhxzbTEKLN9Ib08-9oIwJwurwSUNTU9NGdE1oPGLluIzLuiCwr520/s309/kots2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="294" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_SZsQUy98AQ7FDpKSR4ryOhKBsYLfmh0GWYjTXR6us24yBH5Zmr-NBbs9306SoW_l-zhsS5Ckn0022Ap_Omm7o6n9MFOFLgRXKmSJ69uEdqQo1C0EtRTenuQOSft-edxvXZP6CVhxzbTEKLN9Ib08-9oIwJwurwSUNTU9NGdE1oPGLluIzLuiCwr520/s1600/kots2.PNG" width="294" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Let’s consid</span><span style="font-size: large;">er how we might convert our kobolds/ratlings to DCC
terms, consolidating all three statblocks:</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Init:</b> The kobold minions and slinger both have a +3, and the
dragonshields have +5. Given the nature of the foes, I am happy to leave these
with +3 across the board.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Atk</b>: We are given the possibility of daggers, sling, spears,
javelins, and short swords. We can include each of these in our statblock, and
then delineate what each group of ratlings has, as you will see below. Let’s
also give all ratlings a bite attack for 1d3 damage, with an additional chance
for disease. Finally, the attack bonuses in 4e are a result of numbers boat,
and even the newest judge should realize that they are far too high. Let’s say
+0 with melee weapons, +2 with ranged weapons, and -2 when biting. Yes, their
initiative bonus might indicate a +3 Agility modifier, but we don’t have to
follow the rules when creating monsters.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AC:</b> Listed ACs are 13, 15, and 18. Given their nature and
initiative bonus, AC 13 might be appropriate, but I am going to reduce their
average AC to 12, with the two shield-bearers have an additional +1 bonus.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">HD:</b> These are not listed, although hit points (24, 1, or 36) are. We
don’t need hp to be this high in a warm-up encounter for a low-level DCC adventure.
Moreover, because the PCs are likely to explore their lair later, we don’t want
to set that precedent. Worse, if they have a large number of hit points, how
does a goblin end up in charge? The easiest thing to do here is to reduce their
hit points, and given them HD 1d4. Note that this eliminates the need for
minions. We can choose to give the shield-bearers 2 HD if we wish.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hp: </b>Based on our new Hit Dice, we can say that the average ratling
has 3 hp, and the shield bearers have 5 hp. Or we could roll for them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MV:</b> I translate “Speed 6” to 20’, based on the size of the
creatures. As with all of these conversions, I have no interest in looking
through the original rules to see if I am “right”. My only interest is to make
this work for DCC.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Act: </b>1d20 is the standard for Action Dice, and I see no reason to
deviate here.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SP: </b>There are a few things to note here. First off, if ratling
bites can cause disease, we need to determine the effects. Because I want to
limit the time it takes to do the conversion, I am just going to say “DC 13
Fort save every hour or 1d3 Stamina damage until a save is successful”. Similar
to the “shifty” ability, we can say that they can disengage from melee without
provoking a free attack. We will also give them a +1 bonus to melee attacks per
ally attacking the same target, and make a note that the slingers have special
ammunition. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SV:</b> Let’s say Fort +1, Ref +2, and Will -2. That seems fair, and in
keeping with the creatures we are presenting.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AL:</b> Kobolds may be Evil in 4e terms, but that doesn’t help us at
all. Reskinning the creatures to ratlings makes Chaotic an easy choice.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Crit:</b> Following the table on page 385 of the core rulebook, we get
a result of III/1d6, and III/1d8 for the shield-bearers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Put altogether, our DCC ratling statblock looks like this:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ratlings (12)</b>:
Init +3; Atk by weapon +0 melee (by weapon) or by weapon +2 ranged (by weapon)
or bite -2 melee (1d3 plus disease); AC 12 (13); HD 1d4 (2d4); hp 3, 1, 3, 1,
1, 1, 4, 1, 2, 3, 1, 7, 7; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP Disease (Fort DC 13 or 1d3
Stamina each hour until save is made, can disengage from melee without
provoking attack, +1 to melee attack rolls per ally swarming the same target,
special sling ammunition; SV Fort +1, Ref +3, Will -2; AL C; Crit III/1d6 (III/1d8).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">5 ratlings are armed with sling (1d4) and dagger (1d4). Each
has three rounds of special ammunition (roll 1d3 when used: 1-2 firepot [DC 12
Reflex or set on fire for 1d6 per round until DC10 Reflex succeeds] or 3
gluepot [DC 14 Reflex or Move 0’ for 3d6 rounds].</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">5 ratlings have three javelins each (1d6) and spears (1d8). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">2 ratlings have 2 HD, 7 hp, and are AC 13 due to shields.
They are armed with short swords (1d6).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hopefully, not only will this take up less space, but is
should be easier and faster to run. It would be possible to even further consolidate
the statblock by removing the shields, making them all 1 HD, and giving them
all the same weapons. I rather prefer this version, however.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Battleground Features<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The text of the adventure gives us some features, among
them:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Boulders:</b> Scattered boulders sit along the side of the road. They
provide concealment and possible cover for creatures hiding behind them. They
also serve as obstacles to movement; a creature can’t move directly into a
square that contains boulders. The boulders are 5 feet high. Climbing onto the
boulders requires a DC 15 Athletics check and costs 4 squares of movement. A
character atop the boulders can move onto other boulder squares; treat them as
difficult terrain.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Foliage:</b> Thick foliage grows near the road in several places. These
areas are lightly obscured and provide normal cover for those attacking from or
into the area. Areas covered by foliage also count as difficult terrain.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rock Outcropping:</b> The sheer rock outcroppings bordered by a heavy
black line are 50 feet tall and require a DC 20 Athletics check and a total of
200 squares of movement to climb.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Gravestones:</b> These stones provide cover to anyone standing in their
spaces.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In DCC terms:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Boulders (5’ high) and gravestones
offer cover, granting +2 to AC. Foliage offers concealment (+4 AC vs. ranged
attacks). The boulders can be climbed with a DC 5 Strength or Climb Sheer
Surfaces check, and the 50’ tall rock outcropping can be climbed with a DC 15
Climb Sheer Surfaces check each round, at a speed of 10’ per round. Faster
climbing is possible, increasing speed by 5’ per round for every -1d shift to
the check.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I would also reduce the 34 sp to 34 cp. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Note that this could be a tough fight for a small group of 1st
level DCC characters, and that is entirely okay. The judge could choose to
reduce the number of opponents or give them some chance to detect the ambush
before it occurs. It should be noted that, in the 4e version, the GM putting
out a battlemap and telling the PCs to place their figures on it should be a
clue that something is up. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Moving Forward<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am going to spend some time with this adventure, spanning
at least four blog posts, because there are multiple things to consider when
converting 4e adventures. We need to examine Winterhaven, map configuration,
skill challenges, and at least two more encounters. By the time we are done,
you should be ready to convert any adventure from 4e to DCC without too much
difficulty.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzsQoP8zbCrsCFvsWxYgsE9MJXjlhGgWkJd455QjkmUPK6H-upPQCl2pZFfiTmeM16lpk4MR8Vx5a6Sdw1h31kkV9Ml6RRzDejJvX_9_6b4csN1DbxxZ36pfSPqYFsf5Qb8SISgTOJdpWtapaWz2rSufgRDiXiZcpe5AlObCDWezHKmLF4BWJ7c4JTKg/s500/ShadowfellKeep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="500" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzsQoP8zbCrsCFvsWxYgsE9MJXjlhGgWkJd455QjkmUPK6H-upPQCl2pZFfiTmeM16lpk4MR8Vx5a6Sdw1h31kkV9Ml6RRzDejJvX_9_6b4csN1DbxxZ36pfSPqYFsf5Qb8SISgTOJdpWtapaWz2rSufgRDiXiZcpe5AlObCDWezHKmLF4BWJ7c4JTKg/w640-h428/ShadowfellKeep.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next: D&D 4th
Edition: Keep on the Shadowfell (2): Winterhaven</span><o:p></o:p></b></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-87371180780748228852023-06-14T21:37:00.004-04:002023-06-14T21:37:46.462-04:00Conversion Crawl Classes 12: 3e 3PP: The Mysterious Tower<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6mFYxS7UjffgAtpYyuHPnQOkzzjJvGf0P96wm3smOcMV2eduHixr2D6SoZCA5zlewtu6Z2lurlnnAFofJTPELS9qlNVoGdYM0okqnIWTurGuXSc9uKl-BjFmo2D-LL3cOYDvKDrg444wSzlLEDDpCkE4tf8X_eTnJJuBV-EOXEjIn6I5dwx9nKfA/s500/b6796948bcbf311b7212a9434b746e9c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="382" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6mFYxS7UjffgAtpYyuHPnQOkzzjJvGf0P96wm3smOcMV2eduHixr2D6SoZCA5zlewtu6Z2lurlnnAFofJTPELS9qlNVoGdYM0okqnIWTurGuXSc9uKl-BjFmo2D-LL3cOYDvKDrg444wSzlLEDDpCkE4tf8X_eTnJJuBV-EOXEjIn6I5dwx9nKfA/w305-h400/b6796948bcbf311b7212a9434b746e9c.jpg" width="305" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>3rd Edition</b>
doesn’t really require multiple conversion examples. But The <b><i>Mysterious
Tower</i></b> holds several distinctions that make it worth posting about.
First off, it is in the original <b><i>Dungeon Crawl Classics</i></b> line of 3rd
Edition adventures. Second, it was written by the Dark Master himself, <b>Joseph Goodman</b>. Third, it is one of the
first adventures that I converted to <b>DCC</b>
for my home table. As such, it may be illustrative of the types of “quick and
dirty” conversions you may wish to use when publication is not an issue. For
published examples of conversion from 3e, I direct you to <b><i>Well of the Worm</i></b> and <b><i>Tower
of the Black Pearl</i></b>.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Background<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">After running a DCC conversion of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2012/10/speaking-of-james-raggi.html">Death
Frost Doom</a></i></b> (which is the first adventure I converted to DCC!), the
PCs had failed hard enough that they needed a second chance at the adventure.
If you know <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Death Frost Doom</i></b>, you are aware of the worst that can (and
probably will) happen. It did. Most of the party died. I therefore ran <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://dcctreasures.blogspot.com/2021/10/through-cotillion-of-hours.html">Through
the Cotillion of Hours</a></i></b> to give them a chance to wish for that
second chance at avoiding that ending. One party member, though, took the
opportunity to wish for a game-breaking thousands of gold and platinum pieces.
I used <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mysterious Tower</i></b> to resolve that wish without actually
handing over the gold, and without simply having the character cease to exist
(as would otherwise happen in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Through the Cotillion of Hours</i></b>).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Instead of doing a full conversion document, I made a
photocopy of the module, and then wrote notes in the margins.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Dream<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">My original “dream” handout survived, and it read:</span></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In your dream, you see a strange tower rising above a wooded
slope, its white marble walls shimmering with a bluish flame. You can hear what
sound like the howling of wolves, or the screams of eagles, in the background.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">You can hear a strange and mournful voice intone:</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>West along the mountain road a keep in ruin lies</i></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Therein are gold and platinum coins for which you asked, and
prize</i></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Gathered long ago by one then trapped by greed and fear</i></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Blue fire sparked from patron's lark left him moaning here.</i></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>If you tread this path of dread where humbler men once
dwelled</i></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Here thy bones may stay enthroned and bitter soul enspelled.</i></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Naught in this cosmos is free,· all comes with cost and
measure</i></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>So it is for god and man and fabled golden treasure.</i></span></p></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The last image you have is of a tall man in a turban, with
dark skin and startling blue eyes. He wears a blue vest, white pantaloons, and
ornate golden slippers, and he sits atop a pile of gold and other treasure. His
face looks as though he is normally good-natured, for his laugh-lines are deep,
but he is serious as he speaks now.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">"Please, friends, stay away from here," the man
says. "I have no wish to harm you. Wait but another three hundred and two
score years and seven, and you may have this without contest."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The dream fades, and you awaken.</span></p></blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Notes<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Page 15, Area 28:</b>
Read-aloud text amended from “a shimmering blue force field” to “shimmering
blue fire”.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Page 20, Area 31:</b>
“red-brown worms w/six feelers around mouth” next to rust monster statblock.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Page 20, Area 32:</b>
Read-aloud text amended from “the shimmering blue force field of the tower” to
“the shimmering blue flames encircling the tower” and “three inches outside the
force field” is amended to “three inches outside the flames”.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Page 22, Area 33:</b>
Columns 2, paragraph 3, is marked to remind me that I changed these contents.
The page which showed the changes has been lost to time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Page 22, Area 34: </b>Force
cages are changed to “cages made of blue fire”.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Page 24, Area 34:</b>
Note by quasit: “DC 12. 1d3 Str” reminding me of the poison’s effect I chose
for this creature.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Page 24, Area 35:</b>
Read-aloud text again changed to make force cages into “cages of blue fire”.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Page 26, Area 36:</b>
Read-aloud text changed from “The room is literally piled high with gold –
there must be thousands of gold pieces strewn about randomly. Various other
glittering treasures can be seen peeking out of the piles of gold.” to “The
room is literally piled high with gold and platinum – there must be thousands
of gold pieces strewn about randomly. Various other glittering treasures can be
seen peeking out of the piles of coin.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Page 27, Area 36:</b>
Next to the djinni’s tactics, I wrote “Passages of the Moon”. I no longer
remember what this referred to.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">I also made several amendments to treasure:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">I added 2,000 platinum pieces to the coin total.</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">For the potions, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mage
armor</i> became just <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">armor</i> (+2 for
1d6 turns) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cure light wounds</i>
became <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">curative</i> (1 HD) (and also
reduced to a single potion).</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">The scroll of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">burning
hands</i> became <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">flaming hands</i> (cast
at +3).</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ring of Force Shield</i>
became <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ring of Magic Shield </i>(+5, wearer
only, 3/day, 1d5 turns).</span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;">I removed the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">+1 light
crossbow</i>, but left the daggers.</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Things Not Captured
In My Notes<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">My notes do not entirely capture my reworking of this
adventure, but looking at them it is easy to see that conversions for play (as
opposed to publication) do not necessarily require a lot of work. Because of my
note on Page 22, Area 33, I believe that I probably also included some
handwritten or printed pages that I can no longer locate. Some of the additional
changes I can remember using include:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The idea of force field magic as almost a science is foreign
to DCC, so I described the entire tower as writhed in blue flame. Mechanically,
this changed nothing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Instead of owlbears, I used hawkwolves. The only change in
stats was to add a 30’ fly speed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Some of the other monsters were reskinned to make them
mysterious. A tall conical mass with three legs and three lashing tentacles is
a lot scarier than a huge gelatinous cube, even if the statistics don’t change!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Conclusion</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The takeaway here should be: If you are getting paid to do a
conversion, pull out all of the bells and whistles. However, if you are doing a
conversion for a home game, you don’t have to move mountains. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWc1kDd0AfAJFu-uOX9J2z9EUdsvtzQZCbhwzRm2OhT02Zm3w8HgpRVJwdi6jv3oVTYtyD6xV1COzyeyNkDTx2u-y9WjokX5LnaVHh2rBtU1m7vl7H76hFbu0ACJcBNbyWvu6PI0H3il7Dg-ITjAdI-PnGXhYc5ASkXCCy7iLS06FrSqwxU7mHpMzN/s617/DCC3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="617" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWc1kDd0AfAJFu-uOX9J2z9EUdsvtzQZCbhwzRm2OhT02Zm3w8HgpRVJwdi6jv3oVTYtyD6xV1COzyeyNkDTx2u-y9WjokX5LnaVHh2rBtU1m7vl7H76hFbu0ACJcBNbyWvu6PI0H3il7Dg-ITjAdI-PnGXhYc5ASkXCCy7iLS06FrSqwxU7mHpMzN/w640-h408/DCC3.PNG" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Next: D&D 4rd
Edition: Keep on the Shadowfell</span><o:p></o:p></b></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-91394485545121146642023-06-03T18:29:00.001-04:002023-06-03T18:29:44.977-04:00Conversion Crawl Classes 11: 3rd Edition D&D: The Forge of Fury<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmu5e82uJkr1tIuhJ2DKB55N4ZKuc8SflE_nhW6wDdKxOXLiI3oYMsyioTyEyJ0l9vj0HD2B4d0rYlZw4yQo-3GDsEjF-SRNcdOybfwU2TvrbxIXNpvUYe4AP3lqhwFwci-CYX8rmPKI2pxjVCXwaXjxL_ZNFaPjVeLSjg_J5qWEStAyOijnPiQxt/s1024/2929b28a3b0ddaad1ce6fdfae902db6c-836x1024.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="836" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmu5e82uJkr1tIuhJ2DKB55N4ZKuc8SflE_nhW6wDdKxOXLiI3oYMsyioTyEyJ0l9vj0HD2B4d0rYlZw4yQo-3GDsEjF-SRNcdOybfwU2TvrbxIXNpvUYe4AP3lqhwFwci-CYX8rmPKI2pxjVCXwaXjxL_ZNFaPjVeLSjg_J5qWEStAyOijnPiQxt/w326-h400/2929b28a3b0ddaad1ce6fdfae902db6c-836x1024.webp" width="326" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">When <b>Wizards of the
Coast</b> purchased D&D, they created an <b>Open Gaming License</b> allowing third-party content creators to produce
and sell products for <b><i>Dungeons & Dragons</i></b>. This was a
brilliant move which revitalized the brand, although there has been some controversy
surrounding the OGL from 4th edition onward. The purpose of this post is not to
discuss the OGL though, and this intro merely serves to illustrate why there is
so much material created for this version of the game. All of it is, of course,
convertible to <b><i>Dungeon Crawl Classics</i></b>. Of course, <b><i>The Forge of Fury</i></b> is an
official WotC adventure.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are some things to keep in mind. First off, 3e has a
steeper power curve than DCC. While a 2nd level DCC character might be roughly
equivalent to a 4th level character in 3e, the jump between levels in 3e means
that an encounter designed for PCs even one level lower might be disinteresting,
while an encounter one level higher might be deadly indeed! Combine this with
an expectation that characters will gain levels during an adventure, and there
is a real incentive for 3e adventure writers to control the order in which
encounters occur. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Melan</b> <a href="https://www.therpgsite.com/design-development-and-gameplay/melan-s-dungeon-layout-article/">wrote
an interesting article</a> about the route choices available to players in
various adventures, including <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Forge of Fury</i></b> and some we have
looked at in the <a href="http://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2023/03/conversion-crawl-classes-0-what-it-is.html">Conversion
Crawl Classes</a> series of posts. He amply demonstrated the more linear nature
of 3e adventures compared to those which came before. I believe this is an
artifact of the factors described above…but it still poses the question when
converting: Do we want to modify the map? I don’t think there is a problem with
some adventures being more linear than others, and I don’t see a major need to
modify this map, but as the 3e era goes on, some <a href="http://www.creightonbroadhurst.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Barrow_web.jpg">examples
of linear maps arise</a> which I would never use without major modifications.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Most of the creatures in this adventure are already in the
core rulebook. Others, such as the <a href="http://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2020/11/dcc-choker-darkmantle-and-roper.html">roper</a>,
can be <a href="http://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2015/04/locating-monsters-in-this-blog.html">found
on my blog</a>. Finally, <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/dccrpg/">Reddit</a> user
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/quetzalcoatlsghost/">Quetzalcoatlsghost</a></b>
did a basic <a href="https://dccmonsters.com/">conversion of all of the
creatures in the 3e SRD</a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He then
invited you to log in and create variants. Indeed, there is a plethora of
riches to help with conversion here! In fact, so much groundwork has been
provided that the difficulty involved in conversion is making certain that the
outcome feels more like DCC, and less like generic D&D, than the original.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">All The Stuff in the
World<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">3rd Edition supplied you with statblocks for things you didn’t
know you needed statblocks for. In DCC, for many of these, you can use them
with small changes or ignore them altogether. Do you need a base DC for a
water-swollen door, or will the DC 5/10/15/20 rule of thumb in the core
rulebook cover this issue for you?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Tastes vary, but to my mind, this is more information than
you need: </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Iron Door:</b> 2 1/2 in. thick; hardness 13; hp 75; AC 5; break DC 28.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">For DCC something like this is probably sufficient, with the
general assumption that the judge is aware that bashing through an iron door
will take a lot of work, if it is even possible. In the 3e version, “hardness”
means that the door ignores the first 13 hp damage from any attack, so the door
is probably not going to be bashed in with weapons anyway. Nor do you really
need an AC to target a stationary object like this – it is not as though you
want to wade through fumbles and critical hits (which are probably not
appropriate anyway) in a yawn-fest of dice rolling. 3e wanted you to realize
you weren’t going to bash through the door by looking at its stats, but those
stats are DM-facing anyway. You have the same result, for practical purposes,
by merely writing:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Iron door (Strength DC 28).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">3rd Edition era trap stats are largely usable as is,
although again minor tweaking might yield better results. Consider:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Poison Gas Trap:</b> CR 2; poison gas creates a 20-foot cone, initial
Strength damage of 1d4 points, secondary Strength damage of 1d4 points; Fort
save negates all (DC 13), second save negates secondary damage (DC 13); Search
(DC 23); Disable Device (DC 13).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In DCC, we might strengthen the poison to 1d4 Strength plus
Fort DC 13 or an additional 1d4 Strength each round until the save succeeds. Overall,
though, the traps in this adventure do not require any form of major
modification. It is important to remember that numbers don’t inflate in DCC the
way they do in 3e, so a DC 23 Reflex save (for instance) might be reduced to DC
15. Likewise, some of the skill checks to find and disable traps can be reduced
to more closely match the examples in the core rules. A good rule of thumb for
easy conversion is to take any DC over 10 and halve the portion above 10. So,
DC 20 becomes DC 15. If the result seems off to you, adjust up or down (as I
did with the DC 23 Reflex save) until you like the result.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Treasure, Treasure,
and More Treasure<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The general rules discussed in earlier posts still applies.
Monetary treasures can be reduced to 10%, unnecessary magic items can be
removed or turned into interesting mundane items. If we are going to keep magic
items, most of them can be made more interesting. We can look at four examples.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Treasure:</b> The orcs on patrol chose to take most of their wealth
with them, but a loose stone on the south wall conceals a sack of 250 sp, 40
gp, and a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">potion of cure light wounds</i>.
Yarrack conceals a sack of gold in area 8, since he feels certain he would be
murdered by his followers if they ever learned where he kept his treasure.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In this case, we can turn this into 250 cp, 40 sp, and we
might as well keep the potion. In this case, we can say that it provides 1 HD
of healing, and give it some details like a translucent red color and a taste
mixing cinnamon and chili peppers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Treasure:</b> On the floor of the stirge cave lies the desiccated
corpse of a dwarven explorer who died here many years ago. A leather pouch on
the corpse contains 35 gp and a wand of light with 20 charges remaining.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In this case, we can turn the gold to silver and remove the
wand. 35 gp isn’t the largest payday in the world, so we could leave the coins
untouched if we wished, or mix them (as in 5 gp and 30 sp).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Treasure:</b> Snurrevin has found a little loot in his explorations of the
Foundry; in the cold forge in the northwest corner of the room, he has stashed
320 gp, 1,100 sp, a gold necklace set with ruby stones worth 900 gp, and a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">potion of strength</i>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the things that I like about these write-ups is that
we are told why the treasure is there. However, in DCC terms, this is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> “a little loot”! We can change the
320 gp to silver, the sp to copper, and then reduce the value of the necklace.
While 900 gp is too high, 90 gp seems to low to me – we can set the value at
120 gp. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Finally, we have the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">potion
of strength</i>. One-shot items like potions (and scrolls, sometimes at least)
are useful to include in adventures while having no long-term effect on
campaign play. I am inclined to leave the potion in, and define it as granting
a +3 bonus to all Strength-based rolls (including attack and damage rolls) for
1d5 turns. Lets make it a viscous black liquid that nonetheless flows like oil
and tastes like treacle.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Treasure:</b> Another member of the expedition that perished here
decades ago lies in this room. (Her companions can be found in area 15 and area
42.) This was the party’s thief; her desiccated corpse lies half-buried under
wrecked furniture. A masterwork scimitar is clutched in her hand, and a pouch
at her belt contains 670 sp.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">As an easy fix, we can reduce the silver to 67 pieces. Bandits
use scimitars in the core rulebook doing 1d8 damage, so the masterwork scimitar
is treated as a long sword, but does 1d10 damage based on its quality (+1d on
the dice chain). A normal longsword is worth 10 gp; we can say this masterwork
version is worth 15 gp. We could go as high as 25 gp, if you want your players
to face a real choice between using it and selling it!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Converting Monster
Statblocks<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhioSncJgRxKRA4Qo5kZV6PQsOowsWL5LT11RRwZPvqHsRXiM6UjLfCx9nTpLcI-s8j-2QYrNEwIms0x51R6mRcUQKYLrE4sUl50nvEqXLOtrZJSgRqv60rNMXkiKnzV8nvE8Ooslg6sCRxIaoJOBquVVB2bFQaRWatCUIrvU9ZdF4hEYspVvmSeoNn/s852/Grick.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhioSncJgRxKRA4Qo5kZV6PQsOowsWL5LT11RRwZPvqHsRXiM6UjLfCx9nTpLcI-s8j-2QYrNEwIms0x51R6mRcUQKYLrE4sUl50nvEqXLOtrZJSgRqv60rNMXkiKnzV8nvE8Ooslg6sCRxIaoJOBquVVB2bFQaRWatCUIrvU9ZdF4hEYspVvmSeoNn/w300-h400/Grick.webp" width="300" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Creatures like orcs and troglodytes in the adventure can be
made mysterious, <a href="http://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2023-03-25T16:21:00-04:00&max-results=9&start=4&by-date=false">as
previously discussed</a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The adventure
includes a dragon, and we have also <a href="http://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2023/04/conversion-crawl-classes-7-ad-white.html">discussed
converting dragons to DCC</a>. Although the system has changed, the methodology
has not.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I have a soft spot for gricks. I think they are one of the
better monsters created for the 3e <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Monster Manual</i></b>, and as they appear
in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Forge of Fury</i></b>, they will serve as our example monster here. As a side
note, one of the things I really dislike in WotC-era adventures is monster
stats being grouped together at the back of the book rather than appearing
where encountered in an adventure. Ironic, I know, since at least one publisher
has made the same decision regarding one of <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/398287/TS-1-The-Inn-in-the-Forest">my
own adventures</a>. When a monster is encountered, it is so much better to have
the stats at hand rather than having to flip through an adventure to find them!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In any event, gricks appear in the adventure text as
follows:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grick:</b> CR 3; Medium-size aberration; HD 2d8; hp 9 (average); Init
+2 (Dex); Spd 30 ft., climb 20 ft.; AC 16; Atk +3 melee (1d4+2, 4 tentacles),
–2 melee (bite 1d3+1); SQ Scent, damage reduction 15/+1; AL N; SV Fort +0, Ref
+2, Will +5; Str 14, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 3, Wis 14, Cha 5.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Skills and Feats: Climb +10, Hide
+4 (+12 camouflage), Listen +7, Spot +7; Alertness.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am also going to include the conversion <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/quetzalcoatlsghost/">Quetzalcoatlsghost</a></b>
did <a href="https://dccmonsters.com/monsters/401">here</a>, to provide a basis
for comparison. I hope that what follows doesn’t lead to changes in the main
source, although I would also hope that my version could be included under the
variants tab (there were no variant gricks at the time of this writing). <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Quetzalcoatlsghost</b>’s version is:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Grick<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Size/Type<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Medium Aberration</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Alignment<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Neutral</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hit Dice<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>2d8 (9 HP) </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Initiative<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+1</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Move<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>30 ft. (6
squares), climb 20 ft.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Armor Class<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>16</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Action Dice<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>4d20</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Attack Bonus<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>+2</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Attack<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>4 tentacles
+2 melee (1d4+2); bite -2 melee (1d3+1)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Abilities<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> St</span>rength:
14 ( +1 ), Agility: 14 ( +1 ), Stamina: 11 ( +0 ), Personality: 3 ( -3 )</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Saves<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Fort: +0 ,
Ref: +1 , Will: +0</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Special Properties<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let’s break that down using the DCC statblock formula:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Init:</b> The original statblock grants a +2 bonus; the revised
statblock grants a +1 bonus. The change is based on the values given for stat
bonuses between 3e and DCC (Dexterity 14 vs. Agility 14). However, I am going
to grant the thing the full +2 bonus because I am hoping it will have a chance
to act before it dies. Petty of me, I know. Also, it just feels right.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Atk</b>: The original’s tentacles +3 melee (1d4+2) or bite –2 melee
(bite 1d3+1) as expressed in DCC terms are usable…but unless we want to give
our monster 5 action dice, why would it ever choose to bite? Let’s increase
bite damage to 1d6+1.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AC:</b> We are now converting ascending AC to ascending AC, so we could
just use AC 16. We don’t want our DCC combats to drag the way some 3e ones do, so
we will be very careful about pairing high ACs with high hit points. It is
often useful to make DCC creatures a little harder to hit, but reducing their Hit
Dice so that hits matter. The easiest conversion is to simply use number the
given but in some cases it is worth adjusting an easy conversion up or down to
better meet your vision of a creature. In this case, AC 16 is fine.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">HD:</b> Both original monster and conversion use 2d8 for an average of
9 hit points. That is, again, fine and requires no change.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hp: </b>We are not going to include hit points in our statblock this
time, because we are not converting a specific individual. However, I am going
to recommend rolling hit points to get the full gamut of 2 to 16 hp. Sometimes
using an average number works, especially when facing masses of humanoids, but
for less gregarious monsters we can treat them as individuals. We can also
consider choosing hit points rather than rolling if we know what we want, but
rolling can sometimes create a surprising encounter and should be encouraged.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MV:</b> In DCC terms, 30’ or climb 20’. There is no reason to alter the
original.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Act: </b>The original monster had five attacks (four tentacles plus a
bite). By giving the judge a reason to consider using the bite instead of a
tentacle, we have provided a good reason to reduce this to 4d20, as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Quetzalcoatlsghost</b> did.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SP: </b>The grick has scent and damage reduction 15/+1 listed as
special qualities. We need to keep scent in some way because gricks don’t have
eyes, and can presumably be “blinded” by strong odors. Instead of damage
reduction, we can just say they take half damage from non-magical weapons. This
makes them slightly more vulnerable, but magical weapons are also less common
in DCC.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When we look at the “Skills and
Feats” section of the statblock, we also see “Hide +4 (+12 camouflage)”, so we
can grant our version a +10 bonus to stealth checks.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SV:</b> The original version has Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +5. DCC was
built using the same core three-save system, which should help with conversion.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Quetzalcoatlsghost</b> reduced these to Fort
+0, Ref +1, Will: +0, but I am inclined to go with the original. I am guessing
that the reduction was based on the changes in ability score bonuses between
editions, but I don’t find anything in the original that seems wrong to me. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A lot of conversion is really
deciding what seems right or wrong to the individual doing the converting. You
can have formulae which help with the base work, but even then the original
monster might seem wildly different stat-wise than how you picture it from the
text. This is an issue that rises regularly while converting materials, and if
you own an original <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fiend Folio</i></b>, you can see that it came up quite often in my “<a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/search?q=%22convert+the+fiend+folio%22">Let’s
Convert the Fiend Folio</a>” series of posts. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AL:</b> Gricks are listed as Neutral, and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Quetzalcoatlsghost</b> went along with that, but there is no way I am
not going Chaotic here.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Crit:</b> Following the table on page 385 of the core rulebook, we get
a result of M/1d8. We can choose not to follow the table – or even make up a
unique crit chart if a creature warrants it – but we do not need to do so here.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Put altogether, our DCC grick statblock looks like this:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Grick:</b> Init +2;
Atk tentacle +3 melee (1d4+2) or bite –2 melee (bite 1d6+1), AC 16; HD 2d8; MV 30’
or climb 20’; Act 4d20; SP +10 stealth, half damage from non-magical senses,
scent-based senses effective to 300’ range; SV Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +5; AL C;
Crit M/1d8.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The important thing to note here is that, although <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Quetzalcoatlsghost</b> and I have slightly
different takes on the creature, our conversions both share more than a little
of the same DNA. Ultimately, which conversion a judge uses – if they do not
make their own! – is a matter of taste. You shouldn’t be afraid of being “wrong”
in your conversions. There is no “right” way or “wrong” way, just different
ways based on what you like and what you want.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am still hoping to get some other writers to share how
they do conversions, so that you can see how their processes differ from my
own. So far, people are shy!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiCad8bhBlunS9neyH6WODaH7RR4yIEJPmkjt9Y0x5k3jj67K9TTsI8tZRfy295YBvuZLIfoP7Yqi59bZ4OvYBDVOSNCWrR9rEdU8YnVgh5nwrPFugpez21Mv-372BiroQJ7voS63gEbxgh7HAN6HssOaWR0p96VXaIqUgt5ZnEViljRFEn8GMIZS/s800/forge-fury-map-3e-cross-section.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiCad8bhBlunS9neyH6WODaH7RR4yIEJPmkjt9Y0x5k3jj67K9TTsI8tZRfy295YBvuZLIfoP7Yqi59bZ4OvYBDVOSNCWrR9rEdU8YnVgh5nwrPFugpez21Mv-372BiroQJ7voS63gEbxgh7HAN6HssOaWR0p96VXaIqUgt5ZnEViljRFEn8GMIZS/w640-h480/forge-fury-map-3e-cross-section.webp" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Next: 3e 3PP: The
Mysterious Tower</span></b></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-13075674184411031882023-05-20T20:29:00.007-04:002023-05-20T20:29:54.945-04:00Conversion Crawl Classes 10: AD&D 2e: Swamplight<p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxZKeZ6ftLcFVmq9Tvs1_3GrsOfwSNnVChSFA9i1sYFgT4DRl4-RXgsmnB_jCsAL5kYvSngRFtNEqDnDyUqKHCluQNHaRfGU7wJI3z-WFLZIruO5ER6YDDFNwv9Sc1kVccWwnCe9FhyOWQlfcYMJNW1Xvpb1pFZNJJdyLM-NyGc4amL_vnFSvkDYu/s740/Swamplight.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="551" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxZKeZ6ftLcFVmq9Tvs1_3GrsOfwSNnVChSFA9i1sYFgT4DRl4-RXgsmnB_jCsAL5kYvSngRFtNEqDnDyUqKHCluQNHaRfGU7wJI3z-WFLZIruO5ER6YDDFNwv9Sc1kVccWwnCe9FhyOWQlfcYMJNW1Xvpb1pFZNJJdyLM-NyGc4amL_vnFSvkDYu/w298-h400/Swamplight.PNG" width="298" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">During the late era of 1st edition AD&D, the <b><i>Dragonlance</i></b>
adventures (and, to a lesser degree, adventures like <b><i>Ravenloft</i></b>) set the scene
for a different kind of large-scale storytelling. Adventures prior to <b><i>Dragons
of Despair</i></b> had back stories, of course, but <b><i>Dragonlance</i></b> brought the
PCs along for a ride where large-scale events were going to happen regardless
of what the players decided to do. <b><i>Dragonlance</i></b> provided the thrill of a
larger narrative, where both the DM and the players were discovering “the story”
as it was revealed with each module released, and I think that there will
always be a place for adventures set up in this manner…but it did lead the next
edition away from “Here is the situation; let’s find out what happens” far too
deeply toward “Here is the situation, and here is what is supposed to happen.”</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">At the same time, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dragonlance</i></b> taught <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TSR</b> that there was a lot of money to be
made in selling setting materials as well as adventures. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The World of Greyhawk</i></b>
was, of course, the baseline setting for 1st edition, but there was an expectation
that most DMs were going to create their own worlds. Modules tended to be more
modular, in that they could be placed in any world with only minimal changes. By
the time the new edition rolled out, adventures became more tied into setting
lore – even when the setting didn’t tie directly to the adventure itself. Forging
these ties sold more products, in the same way as comic cross-over events sell
more comics.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Finally, the human-centric world of earlier D&D was
giving way to a fantasy game where PCs might be not just humans and
demi-humans, but a great many types of humanoids. One might argue that the
minotaurs of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dragonlance</i></b> were influential here as well, but having drow and
duergar PCs in the original <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Unearthed Arcana</i></b> opened that door
for others to follow. While 2nd edition did not go as far down this road as
subsequent editions, some of the weird fantasy vibe of the earlier game was
lost to treating monsters as simply part of the fantasy milieu – subjects for
natural histories and anthropological studies rather than creatures inimical to
human (and demi-human) civilizations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Consequently, while 2nd edition adventures are statically as
easy to convert as 1st edition modules, the structure of the adventures
themselves require more work. It is not that there is anything wrong with
lizardmen being set up by other monsters, or with an adventure where lizardmen
are relatively peaceful if left alone. An adventure where said lizardmen are
set up by rakshasas, which punishes players failing to take the “correct”
course of leaving the lizardmen alone, is a bit of a challenge once you step
away from 2nd Edition assumptions. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This era of the game is also, shall we say, a bit
railroad-y. To wit:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is up to the PCs whether they
agree to aid Chala. If they appear indecisive, Vant suggests that Chala is only
the beginning – other cities in the area will be visited by disaster as Tefnut’s
rage grows. He says even adventurers such as themselves will not be safe. It is
better to right the situation now.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chalans come forth and plead with
the PCs to help their cause, promising the player characters what wealth they
have stored away in their homes.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Eventually, the PCs should agree.
In the event they do not, the rakshasas may disguise themselves as lizard men
and attack or kidnap the PCs.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is up to the PCs. But, if they don't decide the way you want, decide for them. It is this sort of thing which led certain individuals to argue that even including a module perforce meant you would railroad your players.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fixing the Story<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is great potential here, but first we have to fix the
story. There is a mystery; we must make sure that the players have the chance
to realize that things are not as they seem. Instead of trying to drive the
narrative into “Heroic adventurers save the Chala and the lizardmen!” we can
bring the adventure right back to the game’s Sword & Sorcery roots by
making the idol of Tefnut the prize and being relatively indifferent to the
fate of human city, lizardman village, and rakshasa encampment alike.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The first step might be to replace the lizardmen with more technologically
primitive humans. Suddenly, the PCs have a motive to talk to them. More, if
they are captured, the PCs will not be eaten in a lizardman feast, and might
even get a chance to learn something before they escape. The idol becomes the
prize – whether it remains in the “lizardman” village, is returned the Chala,
or is taken by the PCs to melt down or sell as treasure becomes the players’
decision (if they can recover it). Stealth, magic, diplomacy, or brute force
might be used.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">The idea that a god pays attention to what occurs around
their idol is great, and is certainly in keeping with Sword & Sorcery
fiction, but let’s not be subtle about it. Instead of slowly debilitating
characters, let’s go with something dramatic. Rains and flooding come directly
to mind considering the god involved. There might be some loss of Luck involved
because this is, after all, DCC.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Speaking of thematic appropriateness, let’s fix the
inclusion of an Egyptian god, Indian demons, and generic lizardmen. You can go
any way you want with this, but I think that the Egyptian theme fits in well
with a great swamp. The “lizardmen” can then be human worshipers of Sobek (the
Egyptian crocodile god), which both accept Tefnut (after the miraculous
appearance of his idol) and Sobek. Captured PCs are to be ritualistically fed
to the sacred crocodiles at the new moon (to give them time to escape in
Tarzan- or Conanesque fashion). We’ll make the rakshasa demons of Set, which is
a lot stronger thematically to my mind. That this means we can use a Lawful, a
Neutral, and a Chaotic god our divine wrangling is icing on the cake!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dealing With Treasure</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">As with earlier editions, we want to remove unnecessary
and/or bland magic items. Some magic items appear only to make certain parts of
the story possible – the rakshasa might need <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">boots of varied tracks</i> to leave misleading footprints; we can just
give that ability to our demons of Set. Monetary rewards should be reduced to
10%. Gold becomes silver, silver becomes copper, and so on. We could choose to
halve the value of Tefnut’s idol and it is still an amazingly rich prize!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let’s go back to story considerations for a minute, because
Chala should not be showing off this valuable chunk of metal to all and sundry.
Nor should the Chalans be encouraging every ne’er-do-well with a sword to go
after that idol. After all, there is no reason to believe they will return with
it. Instead, let us create a few rival parties of Chalans to be seeking the
idol. Let’s have the Chalans <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">discourage</i>
the PCs from pursuing the idol as a local matter (although the judge makes sure
the players know the idol’s value).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hazards</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">There are a number of hazards in the blackwater swamp which
can be converted. It should be noted that a judge doesn’t need to use the same
mechanics for quicksand or bogs in all adventures. Sometimes, a mechanic can be
specific to the unique conditions of an adventure location. Lightning sand in
the fire swamp does not have to follow the same rules as quicksand in
blackwater swamp. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I mention this because there might be an impulse to scour
DCC adventures, looking for the “correct” way to stat out a hazard. The goal
here, unless you are being paid for your work, should be to convert without
undue work. For instance, take this hazard from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Swamplight</i></b>:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bogs in the swamp range from 4 to
nine 9 feet deep (1d6+3). Characters who fall in a bog might or might not be
submerged based on the depth of the bog. They must roll an Intelligence check
at -3 on 1d20 (rangers pass this check automatically). Failure means the character
has panicked and must be rescued. Characters who are successful with the saving
throw can attempt to swim to safety at a -3 proficiency penalty because of the
weeds and roots. Characters can be rescued with the methods suggested under
“quicksand.” Characters who are submerged or who cannot swim can hold their
breaths for one-half their Constitution score rounded up before they are considered
drowned. Characters in heavy armor or who are heavily loaded down cannot swim
in a bog.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">In DCC terms, this might look like:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bogs are 1d6+3’ deep. PCs who fall
into a bog must attempt a DC 10 Intelligence check (characters without
appropriate “outdoorsy” occupations roll on 1d10). Success allows a DC 10
Strength check to swim to safety (armor check penalty applies), but failure
means the character must be rescued. If the bog is deep enough to submerge trapped
characters, they suffer 1d3 temporary Stamina damage each round until rescued
or they drown. This temporary damage is fully healed with 10 minutes of rest
and unobstructed breathing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Monsters</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Most of the monsters in this adventure are already converted
in the DCC core rulebook, which will make things easier when converting the
adventure. The judge may wish to replace some creatures with more thematically
appropriate (Egyptian) ones, or reskin existing monsters to make them fit
better. Some of these monsters originated in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fiend Folio</i></b>. You can find
conversions of the <a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2022/07/lets-convert-fiend-folio-algoid-al.html">algoid</a>
and <a href="https://ravencrowking.blogspot.com/2022/08/lets-convert-fiend-folio-garbug-black.html">fog
giant</a> in this blog. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Converting monsters from 2nd edition <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dungeons & Dragons</i></b> is
very similar to converting monsters from 1st edition. The biggest change is
that 2nd edition monsters now include THAC0 in their statblock. THAC0 means “To
Hit Armor Class 0”, which is equivalent to 20 in DCC. So, one can use 20 minus
THAC0 to determine a monster’s base attack bonus.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">For this module, the obvious monsters to convert are the
rakshasas, which we are going to make into demons of Set. In <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Swamplight</i></b>,
they are given these stats:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rakshasa (3): AL LE; AC -4; MV 15;
HD 7; hp 35,38,42; THAC0 13; #AT 3; Dmg 1-3/1-3/2-5; SA Illusions, spells; SD
+1 or better weapon to hit; ML 15; XP 4,000 each.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rakshasa #1 wizard spells: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">enlarge</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">grease</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">protection from good</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">spider climb</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Priest Spells: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cure light wounds</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">entangle</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">faerie fire</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rakshasa #2 wizard spells: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dancing lights</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">protection from good</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">spook</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ventriloquism</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">detect invisibility</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">invisibility</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">whispering wind</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fly</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Priest spells: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cure light wounds</i> x2, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">invisibility
to animals</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rakshasa #3 wizard spells: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">burning hands</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">color spray</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">detect magic</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">magic missile</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">blur</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fog cloud</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">web</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hold
person</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">suggestion</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Priest spells: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">entangle</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pass without trace</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">protection from good</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Before breaking this creature down into a DCC statblock, let’s
jump over to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.purplesorcerer.com/demon.php">Purple Sorcerer Demon Generator</a></b>
and create 10 Type II demons. We are creating 10 because we want a 7 HD demon
for a baseline (to match the rakshasa’s Hit Dice). What I came up with is:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lion, Horse, Clay Demon (Type 2)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Init +2; Atk Constriction +7 melee
(1d6+2) ; AC 14; HD 7d12 (37hp); MV 30'; Act 2d20; SP Drain ability score +6;
Drain blood +6, Drain blood +6 Target Save 18, demon traits; SV Fort +6, Ref
+5, Will +8, AL C.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Traits: Horns, Antennae</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Standard Type 2 Demon Features</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Communication: Speech, ESP (read
minds but not converse)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Abilities: Infravision, darkness
(+8 check)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Immunities: Immune to non-magical
weapons or natural attacks from creatures of 3 HD or less; half-damage from
fire, acid, cold, electricity, gas</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Projection: Can teleport back to
native plane or any point on same plane, as long as not bound or otherwise
summoned</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Crit Threat Range: 19-20</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I cannot overstate the value of using free tools like this.
Even though we are looking for a very specific thing, it is incredibly useful
to have a baseline creature to look at…especially when converting demons,
dragons, and the like. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now that we have some idea where we are coming from, we can
look at the statblock in DCC terms:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Init:</b> No Init bonuses are supplied in our original monster, so we
will use the +2 from the sample demon.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Atk</b>: Our rakshasas attack with two claws and a bite. From their
THAC0, we know that the base attack bonus should be +7 (20 minus a THAC0 of
13). This is right in line with our sample demon, so we are good to say “claw
+7 melee (1d3) or bite +7 melee (1d4+1) or spell.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AC:</b> 2nd edition D&D still uses descending AC, and the easiest
conversion is still 20 subtract the given AC. In this case, we would get AC 24,
and our sample demon is AC 14. I think it would be fair to use an average AC of
19.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">HD:</b> The listed HD is 7, which is indicated 7d8 in AD&D 2e. In
DCC, this becomes 7d12.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hp: </b>7d12 yields 7 to 84 hp, with an average of 42 hp. The original
creatures have 35, 38, and 42 hp. 7d8 would have yielded an average of 28 hp,
so our rakshasas were above average as originally presented. I am going to give
each one +6 hp, so they are 41, 44, and 48 hp.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MV:</b> The 15 MV in AD&D 2e is faster than a human’s speed of 12,
so I will give our demons of Set a MV of 40’.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Act: </b>The original had three attacks, so 3d20 seems appropriate.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SP: </b>In addition to our standard demon traits, our demons can take
on the appearance of other humanoid creatures (including individuals). Let’s
say that they can shift appearance using an action die. They can also cast
spells, so we need to think about that. The three original creatures had
different spellcasting abilities, so we might as well make our demons of Set
have variable spellcasting as well. Do we need to cast wizard and cleric
spells? That seems like overkill to me, so we can just say “Casts spells as a
level 1d4+1 wizard with an additional +2 bonus to the spell check”.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SV:</b> The original creature doesn’t really help us here, but the
sample demon has Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +8. We can swap Fort and Ref because our
demons are a bit snake-like themselves.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AL:</b> Rakshasas are Lawful Evil. In nine-alignment systems, it is
easy to peg Lawful Good and Lawful Neutral as Lawful. It is easy to peg Chaotic
Neutral and Chaotic Evil as Chaotic. Neutral is, of course, Neutral. All other
alignments have some wiggle room, and I am going to make our demons Chaotic. First
off, that matches demons normally in the core rules. More importantly, it
follows the Tefnut = Lawful, Sobek = Neutral, Set = Chaotic that I had pointed
out before.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Crit:</b> Following the table on page 385 of the core rulebook, we get
a result of DN/1d8.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Put altogether, our DCC statblock looks like this:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Demons of Set (3):</b>
Init +2; Atk claw +7 melee (1d3) or bite +7 melee (1d4+1) or spell, AC 19; HD 7d12;
hp 41, 44, 48; MV 40’; Act 3d20; SP demon traits (converse with ESP; infravision
90’; cast <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">darkness</i> with +8 spell
check; immune to non-magical weapons or natural attacks from creatures of 3 HD
or less; half-damage from fire, acid, cold, electricity, gas; can teleport back
to native plane or any point on same plane unless bound or otherwise summoned;
crit range 19-20), illusions (can use action die to appear as any humanoid,
including individuals), spellcasting (as level 1d4+1 wizard with additional +2
bonus to spell check); SV Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +8; AL C; Crit DN/1d8.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Demon 1 (CL 3, +5 spell check): <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">charm person</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chill touch</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mending</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">spider climb</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">patron bond</i>/<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">invoke patron</i> (Set), and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shatter</i>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Demon 2 (CL 2, +4 spell check): <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">animal summoning</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">flaming hands</i>,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">read magic</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ropework</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">spider climb</i>,
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">patron bond</i>/<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">invoke patron</i> (Set).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Demon 3 (CL 2, +4 spell check): <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">comprehend languages</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ekim's mystical
mask</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">magic missile</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sleep</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">patron bond</i>/<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">invoke patron</i>
(Set).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">I would use Set-Utekh the Destroyer from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://dcctreasures.blogspot.com/2016/09/angels-daemons-beings-between-extended.html">Angels,
Daemons, & Beings Between</a></i></b> as a reasonable stand-in for Set.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Conclusion</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a 16-page adventure in 34 pages (including maps).
This is not the fault of the author; like wearing an onion in your belt, it was the style of the time. Although it
may seem that I am looking down on the adventure, I am not. This would be a
great adventure converted well to DCC. The rallying cry of 3rd Edition (“Back
to the dungeon!”) came about at least partly in response to the criticisms I
have made here about 2nd Edition, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t strip
any 2nd Edition module back to its core elements. It just takes a little more
work.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykUoUe258mVTmmpc2ySDvT0BCThtic7MP2u-YaMVO41zdeyNuPm6tcBNihLTOeiAj6KO3D8B-Qwe7ab1ZwKdNKFp5RKqoEcMczne-TR_1CK9u5osjbZVVuFsuHqr8W50t0twEvFCEwfBNRKGCkUvXSpPlzX3O2I2MkngWctXHwX6EIqe8niW8JWUI/s1019/swamplight%20end.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="1019" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykUoUe258mVTmmpc2ySDvT0BCThtic7MP2u-YaMVO41zdeyNuPm6tcBNihLTOeiAj6KO3D8B-Qwe7ab1ZwKdNKFp5RKqoEcMczne-TR_1CK9u5osjbZVVuFsuHqr8W50t0twEvFCEwfBNRKGCkUvXSpPlzX3O2I2MkngWctXHwX6EIqe8niW8JWUI/w640-h396/swamplight%20end.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Next: D&D 3rd
Edition: The Forge of Fury</span></b></p></span></b><p></p>ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.com0