How many leaders? Demographics of command

Just a small thing I noticed examining B/X encounters.

Some humanoid groups have a 2 HD leader for every 10-20 people, a 4 HD leader for every 40, etc. 

A few examples: merchants, pirates, brigands, etc.

It changes from creature to creature, but it would be easy to say, for example:

- One 2 HD leader for every 20.

- One 3 HD leader for every 30.

- One 4 HD leader for every 40, etc. 

Maybe up to level 9 (or lower for demi-humans; humans are the most organized and can get more levels).

If you ever find a group of 100 warriors, it would be organized like this:

- Led by a 9th-level warlord.

- One of each level 6, 7, 8 characters as advisors, maybe clerics, magic-users, etc.

- A couple of 5th-level captains.

- A couple of 4th-level lieutenants.

- Three 3rd-level and five 2nd level lieutenants.

This assumes an organized army. About 20% of the individuals are above 1 HD.

But most groups are way smaller, and it only have 10% of exceptional individuals or fewer.

I used to think the best way to calculate the number of exceptional people in a population was exponential: for example, one out of ten fighters would be level 2 or more, one out of a hundred for level 3, etc.

You'd need a army of MILLIONS to find a 9th-level fighter!

But come to think of it the difference between level 5 and 6 is not as extreme as level 1 to 2, so maybe level 6 is just a bit less common than level 5, a suggested above.

For larger populations (cities etc.) I'd say 50% are simply non-combatants, 25% are level 0, and 25% level 1 or more.

Anyway, it is nice to have more leaders. Gives NPC bands more personality.

This should definitely affect morale, BTW. 

I always found odd that you can defeat a group of 40 by killing one and forcing a morale check. 

Maybe this applies to leaderless groups - but with a leader, you only check when the leader or half heir numbers is killed, for example.

Anyway, just something to consider for my future encounters.

Minimalist magic resistance (B/X)

As much as I love B/X, I often miss something from AD&D. I tried playing AD&D but found it too complex. What I often do, instead, is simplifying AD&D ideas to use in my B/X(ish) games.

Case in point, I find that magic-users in B/X are just too powerful (and Fighters are too weak, but let's leave that for another day). 

AD&D got things right by adding spell components and magic resistance (MR) to the game - now so you cannot defeat EVERY enemy with a good fireball or two (except for a couple of golems that are immune to fire).

What AD&D gets wrong is adding a MR to EVERY creature (and about 80% of the time, the MR is "standard", which means it can just be ignored).

Here's a simpler version (or two...)

Method 1.

Only a few special creatures have MR.

To "defeat" the MR, a magic-user must roll 1d20+level and beat the target's MR.

For demons, the MR is 12+HD.

For devils, either use the same or 8+HD.

(This is, assuming your B/X games have demons and devils).

For faeries, the MR is 20 regardless of HD.

For golems, AD&D has special rules, but they are mostly impervious to magic. Either use 12+HD like demons, or AD&D rules as written.

If you don't want to calculate for every creature, just make it 20 to everyone - which is similar to giving 50% in AD&D.

Method 2.

Method 1 is already a huge simplification over AD&D. But here is something even simpler:

Demons, devils, faeries and golems have a +10 bonus to saving throws against spells (if the spell doesn't have a saving throw, they get the chance to roll a save with no bonus).

If they succeed by 10 or more, they completely ignore any effects (e.g., instead of taking 50% damage from a fireball, they take none).

If you want to take MU level into account, the target gets a penalty equal to half the MU level.

Notice that in AD&D 2e, the caster's level is ignored. 

So you could just, say, give 50% MR to every monster that has MR, or use 2e monsters as written (which is probably the easiest way of them all...).

Ability scores generation: method X (B/X? S&S?)

In the past few days, I've been considering the many methods of generating abilities scores (again...) for my S&S game. 

The most popular are 3d6 in order (OD&D, B/X, etc.) and 4d6, drop lowest (AD&D, Method I). However, AD&D has several other methods - why can't I find a favorite?

Well, someone else did the math. Turns out that 3d6 in order gives you an average of 10.5, and Method I gives you 12.24. And ALL the other AD&D methods give you results that are HIGHER than 12.24. 

So there is nothing between the two most popular methods.

But remember, B/X modifiers are bigger than AD&D. If you look at damage modifiers, for example Strength 13 in B/X is similar to 16 in AD&D (+1 damage), and a 16 in B/X means 18 in AD&D (+2 damage). A B/X PC with lots of 16s and 17s looks too powerful, adn a 18 should be extremely exceptional.

I like stats that look like the picture below: above average but not "epic". An average of 11-12, a couple of impressive abilities (14-17), and almost NO dismal abilities. I think someone just chose these abilities instead of rolling, but they feel about right for me.

[Notice that HP is also above average - maybe maximum HP at level 1?]

I feel that what is missing is a list of B/X methods, similar to AD&D: start with 3d6 in order and add several options that give you slightly higher results.

Anyway, I've heard one method I particularly liked: roll 3d6 in order, but re-roll 1s. 

This gives you:

- Average 12.
- Minimum 6.
- Low ability are unlikely or impossible, but high ability scores are not so common either (less than 1% chance of getting a 18, which is lower than AD&D).
- A decent chance of getting a 15+ for one ability at least. 

If you want the possibility of sub-par abilities, re-roll 1s ONCE, so you could STILL get a 3... But it is very rare.

The typical abilities would be something like 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8. Feels almost perfect!

I'm probably using that for my S&S book. 

A regular adventurer is above average in MOST things, can still have a flaw, but is unlikely to be Conan by level 1 either. 

I'll certainly include ability score improvements as you level up, so you can eventually get that 18 if you want.

[IF I were to use point buy, I'm thinking that maybe giving PCs something like 75 points to distribute - but positive modifiers costing points, so that 18 (+3) would cost 21 - would encourage fewer low abilities but also not many high ones. But that is probably for another post...]

Sword&Sorcery I: Introduction

I don't know when I'll finish this book but here is the introduction. Let me know if there is anything missing.

I'll add the following chapters as I write them.

---

Introduction

Old School Sword & Sorcery (OSSS) is exactly what it says on the tin: an old school RPG in the Sword & Sorcery (S&S) genre. We assume you are familiar with RPGs, especially of the OSR type. If you are not, you can easily find explanations online. [add link to "what is OSR"]. This book will not teach you to play RPGs, since it is better to try it in practice or watch videos of other people playing.

If you are not entirely familiar with S&S, this book will discuss several aspects of the genre: characters, magic, monsters, treasure, and so on. The most famous S&S character is Conan the Barbarian, created by Robert E. Howard. Elric of Melniboné (created by Michael Moorcock) and the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser (by Fritz Leiber) are other quintessential S&S heroes. These examples are particularly important because the term “sword and sorcery” was coined by Leiber while discussing Howard’s stile with Moorcock.

Howard (especially due to the Conan stories) is the quintessential S&S author. This book will reference Conan stories multiple times. If you are not familiar, I recommend reading a few short stories to get the idea. Red Nails, The Tower of the Elephant, Queen of the Black Coast, and The People of the Black Circle are some of my favorites. If you want to expand your knowledge of S&S literature, there is a list of authors on page xxx to keep you entertained for years.

There are multiple ways to use this book: as a complete game (with characters, monsters, tools and rules) contained in a single book, or as toolbox to create your own S&S campaign or adapt existing adventures and modules to the S&S genre (see " Compatibility ", below).

No matter how you decide to use this book, we hope you enjoy it!

 

Sword & Sorcery tropes

Sword & Sorcery has its own tropes, somewhat different from the most famous fantasy games. This section explains some of them. Each of these tropes are reflected in the rules (sometimes clearly, sometimes subtly): the heroes are a bit stronger and more competent, alignment is not always clear-cut, magic is dangerous, and so on. Understanding S&S tropes will help you understand some of the rules choices we have made.

Tough protagonists

S&S protagonists are very tough but often amoral, and sometimes true anti-heroes, unlike the noble heroes of epic fantasy. They are driven by their own interest and passions for wealth, romance, revenge or simple survival, instead of honor and compassion.

The protagonists are often competent from the beginning of their stories, instead of going “zero to hero”. They excel in multiple fields: warriors that can climb and move silently, thieves that fight with sword and spell, and sorcerers who are also skilled swordsmen.

Peril everywhere

S&S settings are dangerous and unstable. They contain pure Evil, but pure Good is harder to find. The opposition is rarely a single “Dark Lord” that threatens the realm with his goblin minions. Instead, the world is full of callous humans, prehistoric beasts, fallen civilizations, and cosmic entities that are unknown to most people.

Limited scope

S&S narratives often focus on characters and small locations rather than big armies and the fate of entire nations. Sometimes the world and the characters appear remarkably unchanged from one story to the other.

Many S&S authors choose to tell stories in episodic fashion rather than part of a big narrative. Unlike epic fantasy sagas such as The Lord of The Rings or The Wheel of Time, the stories take shorter format and uncertain chronology. You can enjoy Conan’s stories in any order (and the same can be said of Fafhrd, Gray Mouser and even Elric to some extent). 

Dark magic

Magic is seldom a superpower or a universal solution to your problems; instead, it is dangerous and costly. Most sorcerers are antagonists, but magic is a sinister tool even when wielded by the protagonists.

Wicked cities

Civilization is not merely threatened by outside forces: it is often rotting from the inside and a threat unto itself. Cities and realms are not always safe harbors in S&S settings, but places full of intrigue and backstabbing in dark alleys. Sometimes barbarism is preferable – at least it is more honest.

Weird worlds

The S&S genre flourished in pulp magazines that also featured horror and sci-fi stories, in addition to fantasy. “Weird Tales”, the most important pulp magazine in this context, featured works by Howard, Lovecraft and Ashton Smith. Sometimes, the genres (and settings) were combined to generate dark fantasy, sword and planet and others subgenres. Even within S&S, horror and sci-fi elements are present, and the protagonists often have to face aliens and demons, magic and technology, without being able to tell them apart. One example is “The Tale of Satampra Zeiros”, by Smith, that seamlessly mixes influences by Howard, Lovecraft and Dunsany.

Unique creatures

In S&S, unique monsters are more common than evil hordes of orcs or various dragons. Each monster is shrouded in mystery. This includes “nonhuman humanoids” – elves and dwarves are rare, and, if they are present, they often have a dark twist. Protagonists are almost always humans from various backgrounds, usually from a strong or mythic lineage (e.g., from fallen Atlantis or Lemuria).

Unreliable deities

Deities in S&S settings are often unreliable or simply absent. Demons, monsters, monarchs and even gigantic beasts can be worshiped in lieu of actual deities. If deities exist, they are often capricious and mysterious, sometimes having their own hidden agendas and dark appetites.

Blood and passion

Some S&S stories are famously for its violent aspects, including bloody descriptions of combat. Sexuality and romance is portrayed in a more realistic and cynical manner – or leading to tragic consequences. S&S art often contain bare-naked bodies of muscular men and voluptuous women. A few stories include (more or less obvious) references to murder, torture, sexual assault, and so on. Needless to say, you do not have to include any of these aspects in your games.

 

 

The rules

My favorite kind of rules are easy to use and remember, while also providing players enough variety for their characters.

In addition, I like them to be compatible with my favorite modules - usually, those using the OSR label or the classic ones written before the year 2000. The goal is being able to use these modules whenever I need, with minimal or no conversion.

At the same time, I enjoy the simplifications and the additions that often come with modern (post-2000s) games: a single unified mechanic for multiple tasks, skills and feats to customize PCs, and so on.

Basic Fantasy RPG (BFRPG) by Chris Gonnerman was one of my greatest inspirations for writing this game – not only for being a great set of rules but also for adopting a Creative Commons license that allows others to use their material.

The rules contained in this book attempt to fulfill the requirements described above and enforce some of the S&S tropes mentioned above. You might notice that PCs are tougher than usual, magic is more dangerous, magic items are a bit scarcer, etc.

The rules contained herein are “advanced” in the sense that we assume you are familiar with other RPGs. Still, they should be clear enough that no important question is left unanswered.

 

A note about Dark Fantasy Basic

Sword & Sorcery tropes, as explained above, shares some tropes with dark fantasy. This book is, in some ways, a sequel to my first RPG, Dark Fantasy Basic. While some ideas are similar, the rules have been almost completely rewritten not only to make them better fitted to S&S but also to take advantage of all the years of experience I had with that system since then.

 

The basic mechanic

Before delving into PC creation, it is useful to understand the basic mechanic of the game.

When a character tries to do anything that carries a risk of failure, roll 1d20, plus modifiers (usually due to ability and class/level), with 20 or more signifying success. A “hard” difficulty is assumed; the GM may set other difficulty number (DC) for particularly easy or hard tasks, as described in the following chapters.

This process is called a “check”. When the books call for a check, assume it means rolling 1d20, adding the relevant modifiers, and succeeding on a 20 or more, unless otherwise specified.

Combat, spellcasting, skills, all work in a similar way.

Now let’s create some characters!

Simplifying encounter procedures

In a recent post, I mentioned that I find the procedure for random encounters too lengthy - it can require half a dozen rolls or more to go from "is there an encounter?" to "you see 20 surprised, hostile bandits".

There are some simple ways to shorten this procedure significantly - mostly by reducing encounter checks to ONE per encounter (instead of two to six) and folding distance, surprise and initiative into a single roll.

Random encounter check

The chances of random encounters vary according to terrain: usually, 1-in-6 for in grasslands (clear, plains), 2-in-6 in barren lands, hills, deserts, woods, oceans and rivers, and 3-in-6 in mountains, jungles, and swamps. This means you have an average of one encounter per six, three or two days of travels, respectively.

If you want to avoid rolling six times to get an encounter in the grasslands, for example, you can invert the rationale: roll 1d12 to see how many days the PCs will travel before the next encounter (a one means an encounter in the first day of travel, etc.). Use 1d6 for forests and hills, 1d4 for jungles, and so on.

Adjust the numbers to taste – for example, if you want to make encounters more often count 8-hour periods instead of days. Alternatively, if you think deserts should be a little less crowded, use 1d10 or 1d12 instead of 1d6.

(As suggest to me by someone else in social media, also here).

Encounter tables

I think B/X encounter tables are bonkers, but to save some time, you could reduce the process of "1d8 table and 1d12 sub-table" to a single d100 roll. It makes little difference, but you could use the opportunity to "fix" the tables to your liking - giving forests more green dragons and fewer red dragons, for example.

Number appearing

Not much to say or fix here (excepted as noted under surprise and initiative, below), but let me know if you have any ideas!

I've toyed with a couple of ideas, but I ended up simplifying things: 1/3 of NA in "civilized" regions and 1/2 in the "borderlands".

Surprise and initiative

These rolls are connected. You usually only for initiative if you are not surprised. I find this redundant; you can just roll 1d6 for each side to decide both surprise and initiative (with one caveat: if only one side is surprised, it cannot take action in the first round).

If you want to make surprise/initiative more detailed, you could assign a bonus (+1 to +3) to the smaller side, if there is a significant difference. A group of five PCs is very likely to hear 40 brigands approaching – or maybe even a big creature (such as a hydra) in a forest. Alternatively, you can describe someone surprised by a dragon or army as temporarily paralyzed by fear!

One important thing to remember is that rolling for initiative does not mean starting a combat. The side that gains initiative has a good opportunity of running away or making a sign of good will before the other side can act.
 
Distance

Encounter distance in the wilderness is 4d6 × 10 yards (or 1d4 × 10 yards if either side is surprised). This post suggests that the surprise/initiative roll could replace this -  a very elegant solution! 

For example, you could add the rolls from both sides and multiply it by 10 yards in dungeon, or multiply the three numbers in wilderness.

I might use 20-40 yards in open plains, deserts, etc., IF there is nowhere to hide. 

Reaction

To be honest, I simply do not want to simplify the reaction roll. On the contrary, I like the social mini-game it can create. 

One thing to consider is maybe only rolling in the creature's initiative, so that PCs do not know how they'll act beforehand (and the PC's actions may affect the roll). Another idea is giving chaotic monsters a reaction penalty, and lawful ones a bonus.

A book of encounters?

I'm working on a PDF about B/X encounters, to be released in May! It includes these ideas and much more. 

It reduces encounters to a single d100 roll, each giving a result such as:

24 Berserker 11:00 130/20 No (5) 12 (F) Gromm’s clan is extremely hospitable.

Stay tuned or follow me on social media if you're interested.

Affiliate links - by using this, you're helping to support this blog!

Building the perfect campaign - CHAPTERS

Writing a coherent campaign is tricky.

As we've discussed before, RPGs are not "stories". On the other hand, they can occasionally produce a satisfying "emerging narrative" - a series of events in which you participate and, looking back, can outline a beginning, a middle and an end.

Many RPG players/GMs fall into strict "must have story" and "must not have story" camps. 

I believe that there is a middle ground to be found - the merging narrative/metaplot that Gygax describes in AD&D:

Furthermore, there must be some purpose to it all. There must be some backdrop against which adventures are carried out, and no matter how tenuous the strands, some web which connects the evil and good, the opposing powers, the rival states and various peoples. This need not be evident at first, but as play continues, hints should be given to players, and their characters should become involved in the interaction and struggle between these vaster entities. Thus, characters begin as less than pawns, but as they progress in expertise, each eventually realizes that he or she is a meaningful, if lowly, piece in the cosmic game being conducted. When this occurs, players then have a dual purpose to their play, for not only will their player characters and henchmen gain levels of experience, but their actions have meaning above and beyond that of personal aggrandizement.

A "purposeful" campaign has an ultimate goal. For example, defeating Strahd, Acererack or Vecna, saving the realm from a powerful red dragon, saving the world from a Lovecraftian horror, etc.

Notice that the paragraph above mentions how CHARACHTERS - not only players! - will eventually realize their place in the grand scheme of things.

How to deal with character death, then?

Again, there are usually two big camps: "fudge to save PCs from unjust death" and "just create new PCs". I will notice that the DMG has contradictory advice on the matter.

IMO, it is difficult to imagine a coherent story if the main characters keep changing, but it is ALSO difficult to have a good adventure story if there is no risk involved. 

One good example of this is A Song of Ice and Fire, that manages to keep a few important characters while making you believe anyone can die at any moment.

Anyway, there are a few solutions to this problem:

- "Fudge" the dice to save PCs (which I dislike).

- Create a new PC.

- Turn hirelings or NPCs into PCs.

- Use some form of resurrection, raise dead, etc.

- Make 0 HP mean unconsciousness/maiming as suggested in the 1e DMG.

- Have immortal PCs (examples: Toon RPG, Dark Souls).

Today I was thinking of a different solution; a campaign that is divided in distinct chapters, each in a separate place and time, but all connect trough a bigger struggle.

In the event of a TPK, you just skip to the next chapter.

This is not dissimilar to 5e campaigns (Strahd, Tomb), or old school "series" of interconnected modules. 

I'm just thinking that maybe with a few requirements I could create a coherent campaign that could still support the death of a PC - or a TPK - without total ruination.

For example:

- Each chapter has two beginnings, one assuming the PCs "won" and other assuming the PCs failed or died.

- There should be consequences either way (this is tricky, you NEED to avoid the temptation of starting anew each chapter, because if you do nothing the PCs have done will matter).

- Each beginning has its own "hooks" (why would PCs be interested), and they must be renewed at every chapter.

- There should be a "clean break" between chapters - different place, different time; I think allowing time to pass make things more organic and believable than "a new party immediately arrives".

- If a different level is required, new PCs start on the appropriate level.

- PCs should still be free to ignore the "mission" and roam around to different chapters/places, although they may arrive "too early" ("before the goblin invasion", for example).

Maybe you know some campaigns that work like that - let me know in the comments. 

I'll use an a hypothetical example (with some AI help):

* Chapter 1 (Levels 1-3) - The adventurers arrive in a small village besiege by goblins. If they fail, the city is overrun. If they succeed, they become heroes and may follow to join a local force of goblin-killers going into a goblin infest forest.

* Chapter 2 (Levels 3-5) - The party delves into the depths of the forest to confront the source of the goblin raids. If they succeed, they may be invited to the king's army, but if they fail the forest might be lost to goblins.

* Chapter 3 (Levels 5-7) - One year later. Goblins have been defeated or consolidated their domain. Now the kingdom faces a bigger threat: a dragon has awakened in the nearby isles. The PCs are veterans of the king's army...

And so on. The main difference to something like "Curse of Strahd" or "Tomb of Annihilation" is that you have multiple entry points, which IIRC is unlikely in these campaigns. 

For example, ToA has a time limit of a couple of months to look for a lost city; it would feel strange (but doable) to say, after a TPK, that the PCs are a group of explorers that have just arrived in front of the lost Tomb.

CoS has an "automatic resurrection" clause that prevents a TPK from ruining the sequence of events. Which is also a fine solution, but not what I'm looking for.

(Maybe one method is starting chapters like some Conan stories - the PCs suddenly find themselves in a far city, without money...).

One advantage I see is that the players (not the PCs) will get progressively more familiar with different parts of the setting.

I don't know if I`m making sense here. This is just a brainstorming post for now.

I`d love to hear different opinions, examples, etc.

ORWELL @2081 - the PDF is now available!

ORWELL @2081*, by my friend Jens, is now available on DTRPG in PDF format, as mentioned in his blog.

As I've mentioned before, this is an interesting RPG - one of a kind, really.

Maybe you could see it as the "current" version of the classic Paranoia* - once we were afraid once war, treason and constant vigilance, now we are threatened by social media, AI, infantilization, pharmaceuticals, fake news and, well, constant vigilance again.

It also reminds me of Misspent Youth* or Cyberpunk* somewhat. 

But these are just references - ORWELL (or Ø2\\‘3||) has its own thing going on.

The writing is provocative and enticing; it paints a very grim picture of the future (and present...). 

The art is dark and awesomely creepy, check this out:

The layout is clean and good looking.

The system is quite unique, using 3d12 and various twists that distinguish it from the D&D-like RPGs I'm used to. 

Anyway, here's the blurb:

    Welcome to a very dark world ...

    The setting is Europe in the year 2081, unified under one totalitarian party called The Family. The United States of Europe (USE, for short) are a playground for all the bad ideas this century has already come up with (and some of the classics from the last 100 years). Citizens are rated by an arbitrary and mean Social Status system, puberty blockers are mandatory for all but the Elites. All of this is shrouded through a huge media ruse: reality is hidden behind a fully augmented and gamified layer, maintained by an AI implanted at birth and controlled by The Family. Citizens never grow up, just grow older and if they aren't high in social status, they are bled and used for everything they have, most of the time without even realizing it. That veil is lifted for some, and with that comes resistance (or opportunity).

    It’s a game that assumes players are open to exploring all kinds of ideas and willing to put some thought into the stories they tell and experienced DMs who want to explore a system that challenges them as well. It is also a satire of a dystopian future that may not yet fall upon us …

I'd recommend you check this one out especially if you like:

- Tragic/satiric views of our possible futures.

- Very dark humor.
- Games such as "Paranoia" and "We happy few".
- Books like 1984 (Orwell), Brave New World, and The Futurological Congress, or anything by PKD.
- Black Mirror.
- Amazingly creepy art.

- An innovative, unique system.

* Affiliate links.