From http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=45079&start=30
PHB/OSRIC lists prices for "gold rush" areas. If you use these generally for what NPCs have to pay then some wages will need to be multiplied too, around x5.
For more typical prices in OSRIC I use 1 cp = £1, 1 sp = £10, 1 gp = £100, noting that 1 sp is a typical daily wage for an unskilled labourer, or 20 sp/month + accommodation, probably a place on a warm floor - in the middle ages private rooms were rare.
Some typical prices in my City State game:
Weapons & Armour - mostly by-the-book
Private Inn room, 1 night, can hold 4 people: 2 sp (£20)
Inn food, cheap, 1 day: 1 sp (£10)
Large flagon of ale/beer at Inn: 1cp (£1)
Roast pork dinner at tavern: 1 sp (£10)
Horse, riding, good: 25gp, by the book
Slave, adult, healthy: 15-25gp+ (by the CSIO book)
Wages - mostly by the book, eg:
Labourer: 20 silver/month
Infantry, heavy: 40 silver/month from OSRIC
Constables: 100 silver/month from CSIO (but as gentry they have a lot of fixed costs)
Temple Guard of Odin, elite: 120 silver/month (1 PC has this job) without accommodation
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Wandering Monsters
From http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/294548-has-wandering-monster-concept-died.html
Published modules in 3e and 4e often don't use them, yup. This leads to modules which are incredibly static as written and encourage the 5-minute-day - go in, do 1 encounter, rest, do the next, etc.
Personally I will always use the possibility of wandrering monsters, especially if the PCs are spending a long time in the dungeon. If necessary I'll roll to see if 'static' monsters in nearby locations come wandering by, which can be as much a benefit as a detriment to the PCs.
Running a sandbox wilderness I don't know where or when the PCs will go, so wandering/random monster encounters are a vital GMing tool. But for 4e, rather than a huge d% monster table, I'll often pregenerate a small number of detailed monster encounter groups and use one of those when a random encounter is rolled.
Even with 1e, depending on the complexity of the tables I may often roll up several wandering/monsters prior to the session which I can use as appropriate, this helps prevent me being wrongfooted by something in the session I'm not prepped for. Eg running City State of the Invincible Overlord, the city encounter tables are very complex, and can be hard to use 'cold' in play, whereas a simple d12 dungeon wandering monster table can easily be used ad hoc.
Published modules in 3e and 4e often don't use them, yup. This leads to modules which are incredibly static as written and encourage the 5-minute-day - go in, do 1 encounter, rest, do the next, etc.
Personally I will always use the possibility of wandrering monsters, especially if the PCs are spending a long time in the dungeon. If necessary I'll roll to see if 'static' monsters in nearby locations come wandering by, which can be as much a benefit as a detriment to the PCs.
Running a sandbox wilderness I don't know where or when the PCs will go, so wandering/random monster encounters are a vital GMing tool. But for 4e, rather than a huge d% monster table, I'll often pregenerate a small number of detailed monster encounter groups and use one of those when a random encounter is rolled.
Even with 1e, depending on the complexity of the tables I may often roll up several wandering/monsters prior to the session which I can use as appropriate, this helps prevent me being wrongfooted by something in the session I'm not prepped for. Eg running City State of the Invincible Overlord, the city encounter tables are very complex, and can be hard to use 'cold' in play, whereas a simple d12 dungeon wandering monster table can easily be used ad hoc.
Thursday, 23 September 2010
Classes,Levels and Hit Dice in the CSIO
In my Wilderlands City State of the Invincible Overlord campaign (1e/OSRIC with Weapon Spec), NPCs with PC class levels make up around 1% of the population. Those I create myself have tended to be 1st-4th level, while official NPCs go up to around 16th, 20th for the Overlord.
Most NPCs have hit dice rather than levels. Few are 0th level; most have 1-4 hit dice and fight/save as follows:
Scholar: d4 hd, F/S as M-U - includes eg the DMG Sage
Tradesmen: d6 hd, F/S as Thief - includes Merchants, eg the NPC Merchant class from Dragon 136
Aristocrat: d6 hd, F/S as Cleric
Warrior: d8 hd, F/S as Fighter - includes eg the Ruffians on the DMG Town encounter table
Warriors are functionally identical to 0e-BX (etc) Fighter class. Typical street toughs are the 2d8 hd Ruffians from the DMG town encounter table, fight/save as F2. I've used the same 2d8 hd stats for Customs Officers, Slavers' Guildsmen, and many others.
Common Pirates, Nomads and various other 0-level Men from the MM fight/save as F1 (no weapon spec) with d6+2 hp. Berserkers get d6+3 hd or better. Men-at-arms typically fight/save as F1 with d4+4 hp. Constables are straight out of the CSIO book, F/S as F1 with 8 hp.
PCs and many NPCs receive max hp on their first hit die.
Some sample detailed NPCs I've created for the game, noting that PC level range is 1st-4th:
Lady Thaya, bored wife of Sir Gorm: 2d6 hd aristocrat
Jana Thadeus, novice teacher at School of Ancient Knowledge: 1d4 hd Scholar
Hroff the Cheerful, dwarf mercenary: Fighter-3
Many official NPCS listed with class levels are converted to NPC hit dice, eg:
Enist Cuspidor, Bywater Bath owner: Fighter-4 > 4d8 hd
Ragolet the Ruffian, Slavers Guildmaster: Fighter-9 > 9d6 hd Merchant
etc
Most NPCs have hit dice rather than levels. Few are 0th level; most have 1-4 hit dice and fight/save as follows:
Scholar: d4 hd, F/S as M-U - includes eg the DMG Sage
Tradesmen: d6 hd, F/S as Thief - includes Merchants, eg the NPC Merchant class from Dragon 136
Aristocrat: d6 hd, F/S as Cleric
Warrior: d8 hd, F/S as Fighter - includes eg the Ruffians on the DMG Town encounter table
Warriors are functionally identical to 0e-BX (etc) Fighter class. Typical street toughs are the 2d8 hd Ruffians from the DMG town encounter table, fight/save as F2. I've used the same 2d8 hd stats for Customs Officers, Slavers' Guildsmen, and many others.
Common Pirates, Nomads and various other 0-level Men from the MM fight/save as F1 (no weapon spec) with d6+2 hp. Berserkers get d6+3 hd or better. Men-at-arms typically fight/save as F1 with d4+4 hp. Constables are straight out of the CSIO book, F/S as F1 with 8 hp.
PCs and many NPCs receive max hp on their first hit die.
Some sample detailed NPCs I've created for the game, noting that PC level range is 1st-4th:
Lady Thaya, bored wife of Sir Gorm: 2d6 hd aristocrat
Jana Thadeus, novice teacher at School of Ancient Knowledge: 1d4 hd Scholar
Hroff the Cheerful, dwarf mercenary: Fighter-3
Many official NPCS listed with class levels are converted to NPC hit dice, eg:
Enist Cuspidor, Bywater Bath owner: Fighter-4 > 4d8 hd
Ragolet the Ruffian, Slavers Guildmaster: Fighter-9 > 9d6 hd Merchant
etc
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Latifundia of the City State
Vladicu commented:
"Comment: Latifundia is an unexpected and excellent social label."
I think intensive commercial Roman-style slave farms work well with what we know of the City State - eg lots of urban nobility and a huge slave market. The Latifundia plantation system supports both of those. I'm thinking a square mile of farmland in the exceptionally rich belt between the Mermist and Troll Fens takes around 50 healthy adult labour slaves to farm and produces crops for around five times that many, around 250/sq mile. Actual population probably around 150/square mile, so an excess of food of 100 persons/sq mile. With around 800 square miles of food-producing farmland that's food for 80,000, which is the population of the City State. Tweak as desired.
Note that this system depends on constant import of fresh labour slaves - healthy male adult humans and similar, worked until they die. If you start letting the slaves have families, wives & children, letting the old retire etc, then the excess population supported goes way down, with disastrous consequences for the City State.
Latifundia-based farming: 150/square mile, excess 100/square mile supports 80,000. Result: Happiness (for the City State).
Feudal-based farming: 200/square mile, excess 50/square mile supports 40,000. Result: Misery (for the City State).
"Comment: Latifundia is an unexpected and excellent social label."
I think intensive commercial Roman-style slave farms work well with what we know of the City State - eg lots of urban nobility and a huge slave market. The Latifundia plantation system supports both of those. I'm thinking a square mile of farmland in the exceptionally rich belt between the Mermist and Troll Fens takes around 50 healthy adult labour slaves to farm and produces crops for around five times that many, around 250/sq mile. Actual population probably around 150/square mile, so an excess of food of 100 persons/sq mile. With around 800 square miles of food-producing farmland that's food for 80,000, which is the population of the City State. Tweak as desired.
Note that this system depends on constant import of fresh labour slaves - healthy male adult humans and similar, worked until they die. If you start letting the slaves have families, wives & children, letting the old retire etc, then the excess population supported goes way down, with disastrous consequences for the City State.
Latifundia-based farming: 150/square mile, excess 100/square mile supports 80,000. Result: Happiness (for the City State).
Feudal-based farming: 200/square mile, excess 50/square mile supports 40,000. Result: Misery (for the City State).
Monday, 13 September 2010
The Adventures of Katie Caballo
I'm running a PBEM on the Barbarians of the Wilderlands Yahoogroup (link above), concerning the adventures of Katie Caballo, a young Earth native from 2009 brought to the Wilderlands by a mix of science and sorcery.
Katie Caballo:
Katie Caballo, med student
Stranger 3 XP 5525 (+5% for CHA)
ST 13 (+1) DE 14 (+1) CO 10 IN 12 WI 11 CH 14 AC 6 inc +2 Base TH0 18, melee & missile 17, club d6+1, Aeron's knife d4+1 HP 24/24 twine/rope, stone knife. potion doses heal: 3 Saves: Death 8, Spell 12, 4 man-days rations
FULL PC SHEET:
Character Name: Katie Caballo
Rank/Position/Concept: Bored medical student transplanted to another world!
Sex: Female
Species: Human (21st century) - 2009
Homeland: U.S.A.
Age: 19
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 130lbs
Colour of Hair:Dk.Brown; Eyes:Lt.Brown; Skin:Lt.Brown (Latino)
Appearance: Stunning
Clothing: Panties & halter strip cloth.
Demeanour: Normally quiet, but prone to fits of excess. Becoming
increasingly strong-willed as she approaches 20 years old.
Motivations: Bored and unhappy with her life, looking for excitement!
Background: Katie is a med student at Harvard University. She is
currently doing an exchange year at Cambridge, where she met Timothy
(a graduate student in mathematics) to whom she is currently
affianced... much to she shock of her now-ex-boyfriend, whom she had
been previously dating since her sophomore year in highschool.
However, her life is not as happy as it may seem... she is discontent
with university life, finding it stultifying and oppressive (only
having enrolled to please her family and boyfriend), and is becoming
increasingly unhappy in her personal life as well to the point she has
secretly decided to call off the wedding! She has a card in her purse
from a man who runs a modeling agency who told her she could make good
money as a model, she is sorely tempted to quit school and follow up
on it but she is unsure of the man's motivations.
Timothy has convinced her to come view a demonstration by a "Doctor
Weissmuller" he has been working with, saying that its a
once-in-a-lifetime experience. She has agreed to go, but is intent on
breaking the bad news to him immediately afterwards...
~~~~
Class: Stranger
Level: 3
Str 13/ +1hit,damage,open doors
Dex 14/ -1AC, +1missile,init
Con 10/ 0
Int 12/ 0
Wis 11/ 0
Cha 14/ -1 rx'n adj, +5%XP
HP: 24
AC: 6 including +2 Stranger bonus
Armour: none
_______________________
Stranger Class
Requirements: CON 9
Prime Requisite: CHA
Hit Dice: 1d8
Maximum Level: None
As their name implies, Strangers are human beings from another world/time/dimension, who are trying to make a life for themselves as best they can in their new homes. Despite their otherworldly origins, Strangers possess preternatural adaptability, being able to learn local customs and languages with surprising ease. Consequently, Strangers may learn the local equivalent of Common within hours of first hearing it, regardless of their INT score. Similarly, they suffer no reaction penalties when dealing with alien species/cultures. Indeed, many Strangers find themselves looked upon as long-sought heroes and liberators, whose mysterious arrival portends revolutionary changes in the status quo. Unsurprisingly, Strangers find allies and enemies in equal number.
Members of this class use the same saving throw charts as Fighters but gain a +4 bonus. Owing to the unusual nature of their fighting styles, Strangers gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class when unarmoured.
__________
Katie's Companions:
Dr Isobel Wilson of Emanuelle College, Cambridge, England
Dr Malene Espen of CHER, Cambridge, England
Sammy Brady of Emanuelle College, England
Katie Caballo:
Katie Caballo, med student
Stranger 3 XP 5525 (+5% for CHA)
ST 13 (+1) DE 14 (+1) CO 10 IN 12 WI 11 CH 14 AC 6 inc +2 Base TH0 18, melee & missile 17, club d6+1, Aeron's knife d4+1 HP 24/24 twine/rope, stone knife. potion doses heal: 3 Saves: Death 8, Spell 12, 4 man-days rations
FULL PC SHEET:
Character Name: Katie Caballo
Rank/Position/Concept: Bored medical student transplanted to another world!
Sex: Female
Species: Human (21st century) - 2009
Homeland: U.S.A.
Age: 19
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 130lbs
Colour of Hair:Dk.Brown; Eyes:Lt.Brown; Skin:Lt.Brown (Latino)
Appearance: Stunning
Clothing: Panties & halter strip cloth.
Demeanour: Normally quiet, but prone to fits of excess. Becoming
increasingly strong-willed as she approaches 20 years old.
Motivations: Bored and unhappy with her life, looking for excitement!
Background: Katie is a med student at Harvard University. She is
currently doing an exchange year at Cambridge, where she met Timothy
(a graduate student in mathematics) to whom she is currently
affianced... much to she shock of her now-ex-boyfriend, whom she had
been previously dating since her sophomore year in highschool.
However, her life is not as happy as it may seem... she is discontent
with university life, finding it stultifying and oppressive (only
having enrolled to please her family and boyfriend), and is becoming
increasingly unhappy in her personal life as well to the point she has
secretly decided to call off the wedding! She has a card in her purse
from a man who runs a modeling agency who told her she could make good
money as a model, she is sorely tempted to quit school and follow up
on it but she is unsure of the man's motivations.
Timothy has convinced her to come view a demonstration by a "Doctor
Weissmuller" he has been working with, saying that its a
once-in-a-lifetime experience. She has agreed to go, but is intent on
breaking the bad news to him immediately afterwards...
~~~~
Class: Stranger
Level: 3
Str 13/ +1hit,damage,open doors
Dex 14/ -1AC, +1missile,init
Con 10/ 0
Int 12/ 0
Wis 11/ 0
Cha 14/ -1 rx'n adj, +5%XP
HP: 24
AC: 6 including +2 Stranger bonus
Armour: none
_______________________
Stranger Class
Requirements: CON 9
Prime Requisite: CHA
Hit Dice: 1d8
Maximum Level: None
As their name implies, Strangers are human beings from another world/time/dimension, who are trying to make a life for themselves as best they can in their new homes. Despite their otherworldly origins, Strangers possess preternatural adaptability, being able to learn local customs and languages with surprising ease. Consequently, Strangers may learn the local equivalent of Common within hours of first hearing it, regardless of their INT score. Similarly, they suffer no reaction penalties when dealing with alien species/cultures. Indeed, many Strangers find themselves looked upon as long-sought heroes and liberators, whose mysterious arrival portends revolutionary changes in the status quo. Unsurprisingly, Strangers find allies and enemies in equal number.
Members of this class use the same saving throw charts as Fighters but gain a +4 bonus. Owing to the unusual nature of their fighting styles, Strangers gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class when unarmoured.
__________
Katie's Companions:
Dr Malene Espen of CHER, Cambridge, England
Sammy Brady of Emanuelle College, England
Frendrel of the Twilight Conclave
FRENDREL Player: Lord Raffles
Name: Frendrel
Class: Magic User Level: 1 XP: 0/2400
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Age: 40
AC: 10 Hit Points: 4
Base Roll: 15, 13, 11, 13, 11, 14
STR: 11+1 > 12
INT: 15 Know Spell 65%
WIS: 14
CON: 13+1 > 14
DEX: 11
CHA: 13
SPELLS IN BOOK
Read Magic
Sleep
Shield
Magic Missile
Shocking Grasp
Special Powers:
Twilight Conclave Cantrip Magic: ‘Mage Hand’ 3/Day
CANTRIP MAGIC: All graduates of the School learn the Mage Hand cantrip: telekinetically manipulate 2 lbs weight, within 20’ for 1 round. Eg: Turn key in lock, unbutton a blouse, lift a small object. Graduates may employ it 3/day, Students from 0-3 times/day.
EQUIPMENT
Twilight Conclave Grey Robes
Staff (Proficient) THAC0 21 dam: 1d6/1d6
Backpack
One week rations (standard)
Tinder and Flint box
Spell Scrolls, CL 1 20gp each:
1 x Magic Missile (1 missile)
1 x Sleep
MONEY
3gp
_______________________________
BACKGROUND NOTES:
Frendrel has just finally graduated from the Twilight Conclave (3rd in class), as the oldest student in the Class of '33, and like several others has been staying on awhile for post-graduate study.
Name: Frendrel
Class: Magic User Level: 1 XP: 0/2400
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Age: 40
AC: 10 Hit Points: 4
Base Roll: 15, 13, 11, 13, 11, 14
STR: 11+1 > 12
INT: 15 Know Spell 65%
WIS: 14
CON: 13+1 > 14
DEX: 11
CHA: 13
SPELLS IN BOOK
Read Magic
Sleep
Shield
Magic Missile
Shocking Grasp
Special Powers:
Twilight Conclave Cantrip Magic: ‘Mage Hand’ 3/Day
CANTRIP MAGIC: All graduates of the School learn the Mage Hand cantrip: telekinetically manipulate 2 lbs weight, within 20’ for 1 round. Eg: Turn key in lock, unbutton a blouse, lift a small object. Graduates may employ it 3/day, Students from 0-3 times/day.
EQUIPMENT
Twilight Conclave Grey Robes
Staff (Proficient) THAC0 21 dam: 1d6/1d6
Backpack
One week rations (standard)
Tinder and Flint box
Spell Scrolls, CL 1 20gp each:
1 x Magic Missile (1 missile)
1 x Sleep
MONEY
3gp
_______________________________
BACKGROUND NOTES:
Frendrel has just finally graduated from the Twilight Conclave (3rd in class), as the oldest student in the Class of '33, and like several others has been staying on awhile for post-graduate study.
101 Sword & Sorcery Tropes
A fun list on rpgnet
Originally Posted by Carl Stanford
A summary:
The World
Decadent, Fading Empires
Remnants of a greater, ancient age.
Pyramids good; Ziggurats better.
Bands, tribes and hordes of nomads who are savage, greedy and a bane of all civilized travellers, but might be honourable and you might win their respect
Degenerate cannibal savage half-men who don't have any honour and probably worship something bad
Fat merchants in palanquins involved in slave,wine and art trade
'City of Thieves'
Steamy jungles
Inbreeding, usually but not always amongst the nobles, in a isolated locale, generally a jungle city, cavern complex, or wind swept plateau.
Lost city of the ______ people!
Domes and Dais made of lapis-lazuli
Grotesque idols and statuary.
Sorcery and Evil
Human sacrifice to Dark Gods
Sorcerers have pacts for power with strange, dark and/or alien gods.
Necromancers stealing the remains of ancient warlords for their undead armies.
Evil magic users who are the off-spring of human god/demon/alien mating.
There are only two kinds of magic, Necromancy and Demon-Summoning, oh and there's that sissy stuff with herbs and nature that womenfolk and crazy wood people do, but nothing else!
Cults preaching serenity, peace or enlightenment are probably a front for something much worse.
Barbarism vs Civilization
The inherent nobility of the savage condition.
The inherent corruption of the civilised condition.
Fear of death just makes you stronger and stronger.
Heroes who speak many languages and are literate because they are just that well-traveled.
Women
Sultry sorceresses wearing far too little clothing
Undead wizards falling for the hero's woman.
Large-breasted naked princesses in need of rescue therefrom.
The heroes always have some hot chick hanging around. She can be the chick who screams in the background or a mighty warrior in her own right. Either way she is gone by the beginning of the next session.
Warrior-women are almost always redheads.
Peace between warring kingdoms that will save thousands if not millions of lives is far less important than a hot piece of ass.
After capturing the hero, the evil queen is obliged to torture him in a titillating manner, and / or offer him a chance to rule by her side.
Combat
Striking your enemy so hard that your sword gets lodged in his spine.
One in five of your sword strikes will decapitate your enemy.
As a last-ditch effort, throw your sword, it always works.
One of the other four sword strikes will result in your sword "Sticking out between the shoulder blades" of your enemy.
No matter how powerful or ancient the creature is, if you stab it in the face with a sword, it will die or be so badly wounded it has to flee. Might need to be a special sword or a really hard stabbing, or you might need to drop a building on it after stabbing it but the undefeatable Elder Evil has no place here.
Bestiary
Giant inhuman but-not-straight-fantasy beasts... Dinosaurs?
God-monsters from beyond the stars.
Pre-human serpent people - remnant of the snake people lingers in some remote location, scheming to destroy the fast-breeding monkeys!
Man-apes
Giant intelligent Apes
Snakes are evil incarnate. If you come across a ruined temple with tons of snake statues, you know great evil lurks.
Work and Between Jobs
Drinking and brawling.
Working for Wizards
....Whose Magic is actually Technology
Loot
Enjoy the treasure you won for all of 3 minutes before losing it forever and ever.
Gold equals whoring, drugging and getting drunk.
You can a get a kingdom but you can never keep it.
Companions come and go
Sooner or later one of your most trusted friends will turn you in for the reward.
The World
Decadent, Fading Empires
Remnants of a greater, ancient age.
Pyramids good; Ziggurats better.
Bands, tribes and hordes of nomads who are savage, greedy and a bane of all civilized travellers, but might be honourable and you might win their respect
Degenerate cannibal savage half-men who don't have any honour and probably worship something bad
Fat merchants in palanquins involved in slave,wine and art trade
'City of Thieves'
Steamy jungles
Inbreeding, usually but not always amongst the nobles, in a isolated locale, generally a jungle city, cavern complex, or wind swept plateau.
Lost city of the ______ people!
Domes and Dais made of lapis-lazuli
Grotesque idols and statuary.
Sorcery and Evil
Human sacrifice to Dark Gods
Sorcerers have pacts for power with strange, dark and/or alien gods.
Necromancers stealing the remains of ancient warlords for their undead armies.
Evil magic users who are the off-spring of human god/demon/alien mating.
There are only two kinds of magic, Necromancy and Demon-Summoning, oh and there's that sissy stuff with herbs and nature that womenfolk and crazy wood people do, but nothing else!
Cults preaching serenity, peace or enlightenment are probably a front for something much worse.
Barbarism vs Civilization
The inherent nobility of the savage condition.
The inherent corruption of the civilised condition.
Fear of death just makes you stronger and stronger.
Heroes who speak many languages and are literate because they are just that well-traveled.
Women
Sultry sorceresses wearing far too little clothing
Undead wizards falling for the hero's woman.
Large-breasted naked princesses in need of rescue therefrom.
The heroes always have some hot chick hanging around. She can be the chick who screams in the background or a mighty warrior in her own right. Either way she is gone by the beginning of the next session.
Warrior-women are almost always redheads.
Peace between warring kingdoms that will save thousands if not millions of lives is far less important than a hot piece of ass.
After capturing the hero, the evil queen is obliged to torture him in a titillating manner, and / or offer him a chance to rule by her side.
Combat
Striking your enemy so hard that your sword gets lodged in his spine.
One in five of your sword strikes will decapitate your enemy.
As a last-ditch effort, throw your sword, it always works.
One of the other four sword strikes will result in your sword "Sticking out between the shoulder blades" of your enemy.
No matter how powerful or ancient the creature is, if you stab it in the face with a sword, it will die or be so badly wounded it has to flee. Might need to be a special sword or a really hard stabbing, or you might need to drop a building on it after stabbing it but the undefeatable Elder Evil has no place here.
Bestiary
Giant inhuman but-not-straight-fantasy beasts... Dinosaurs?
God-monsters from beyond the stars.
Pre-human serpent people - remnant of the snake people lingers in some remote location, scheming to destroy the fast-breeding monkeys!
Man-apes
Giant intelligent Apes
Snakes are evil incarnate. If you come across a ruined temple with tons of snake statues, you know great evil lurks.
Work and Between Jobs
Drinking and brawling.
Working for Wizards
....Whose Magic is actually Technology
Loot
Enjoy the treasure you won for all of 3 minutes before losing it forever and ever.
Gold equals whoring, drugging and getting drunk.
You can a get a kingdom but you can never keep it.
Companions come and go
Sooner or later one of your most trusted friends will turn you in for the reward.
Sunday, 12 September 2010
THE CONCLAVE OF TWILIGHT ANVIL
THE CONCLAVE OF TWILIGHT ANVIL (TWILIGHT CONCLAVE) - (15 miles/hex)
Leaving the City State by the Gate of the Gods, one enters a narrow belt of heavily settled and farmed land. To the north rises the upland moor of the Troll Fen, while to the south the northern tongue of the Mermist Swamp, nicknamed the ‘Emerald Death’ for its many dangers, edges the Estuary of the Roglaroon.
Proceeding West on the Twilight Road, the farmland opens out into an expanse of small hamlets and noble manors, Alryan commercial farms known as Latifundia, each worked by dozens or hundreds of farm slaves. These Latifundia provide much wealth to their Lords, most of whom reside in the City State, and a good deal of food for the City’s hungry populace.
Thirty miles west of the City State, a good day’s journey on the Twilight Road, lies the market town of Darkfield, a common stopping point for travellers.
Proceeding some six miles north-west from Darkfield along the Twilight Road, one reaches a dirt track running north. Taking this track for three miles, the high towers and walls of the Twilight Coven soon come in view atop a small hill.
The Conclave of Twilight Anvil lies some nine miles’ travel from of Darkfield, on high ground overlooking the Troll Fens to the east and to the west the Vineries of the south-eastern Howling Hills, the south-facing slopes heavy with grape vines that produce some excellent wines as well as much cheap swill. The Coven itself is surrounded by cultivated Latifundia land to the west and south and produces a nice wine on the western hills, mostly for internal consumption though some is exported via the Darkfield merchants. The rich slave-tilled fields also produce enough food for the Coven’s own tables, and in good years a small amount is exported, again via Darkfield.
Reaching the Gate House of the Coven set in a 20’ curtain wall, one is greeted by well-equipped mercenary guards in band & mail, wielding stout halberds. Should all prove satisfactory, one can expect then to be escorted to the Mistress and Vice-Master of the Coven...
Composition of the Twilight Coven
The Coven Mistress is Dorvilla (Wizard 6), a beautiful and gracious half-elven woman with grey-blue eyes and platinum blonde hair. She wears the grey robes of the Coven, cut from the finest silks.
Vice-Master Langeril ‘the Great’ (Illusionist 5), named perhaps for the enormous size of his red nose is her practical equal, and he heads the Coven’s instruction in Illusionist magic.
The inhabitants of the Coven comprise:
40 ‘Magicians’, namely:
2 Leaders: The Mistress Dorvilla (Wizardry) & Vice-Master Langeril ‘the Great’ (Illusionism)
9 Junior Staff, 2 Wiz-4, I Ill 3, 2 M-U 3, 2 Ill 2, 2 M-U 2
5 Graduate Students, 2 Ill 1, 3 M-U 1 (Frendrel, Trelle, Gondar)
24 ‘0th level’ Student Apprentices in the Arts of Wizardry (17) and Illusionism (7).
50 well-paid Mercenaries, Warriors of the 1st-3rd rank (hd 1-3), who guard the Conclave and oversee the farm slaves as they work.
70 Slave Farmers, mostly male, who work the fields and live in Spartan barracks.
40 Slave House Servants, mostly female, who acts as cooks, maids etc and keep the Conclave running smoothly.
_____
CANTRIP MAGIC: All graduates of the School learn the Mage Hand cantrip: telekinetically manipulate 2 lbs weight, within 20’ for 1 round. Eg: Turn key in lock, unbutton a blouse, lift a small object. Graduates may employ it 3/day, Students from 0-3 times/day.
____________
Mages in Frendrel's graduating class included:
1. Tansir, a young mage Frendrel was friends with, who graduated 2nd in class. He recently left the Coven and joined with new adventuring colleagues Miklos Makanos, a Paladin of Mitra, and Sheri, a girl Thief, to explore the mysterious '5 Level Dungeon' beneath the City State.
3. Gondar Maltok, a lean and hawk-faced, well-muscled, handsome young man of 21. Gondar graduated 1st in class by a good margin and is very ambitious, he seems set to follow the classic Wizardly route to power, and talks often of his plans of amassing wealth, minions, and a harem of nubile slave girls in his impenetrable Tower of Sorcery.
3. Trelle Vernehzar, an attractive young brunette girl who graduated 4th, just behind Frendrel. Trelle is quite friendly and flirtatious with Frandrel, although at 22 she's young enough to be his daughter. She's the inquistive sort, maybe a bit naive, and often talks of joining an adventurer party as Tansir did.
Trelle Vernehzar
Leaving the City State by the Gate of the Gods, one enters a narrow belt of heavily settled and farmed land. To the north rises the upland moor of the Troll Fen, while to the south the northern tongue of the Mermist Swamp, nicknamed the ‘Emerald Death’ for its many dangers, edges the Estuary of the Roglaroon.
Proceeding West on the Twilight Road, the farmland opens out into an expanse of small hamlets and noble manors, Alryan commercial farms known as Latifundia, each worked by dozens or hundreds of farm slaves. These Latifundia provide much wealth to their Lords, most of whom reside in the City State, and a good deal of food for the City’s hungry populace.
Thirty miles west of the City State, a good day’s journey on the Twilight Road, lies the market town of Darkfield, a common stopping point for travellers.
Proceeding some six miles north-west from Darkfield along the Twilight Road, one reaches a dirt track running north. Taking this track for three miles, the high towers and walls of the Twilight Coven soon come in view atop a small hill.
The Conclave of Twilight Anvil lies some nine miles’ travel from of Darkfield, on high ground overlooking the Troll Fens to the east and to the west the Vineries of the south-eastern Howling Hills, the south-facing slopes heavy with grape vines that produce some excellent wines as well as much cheap swill. The Coven itself is surrounded by cultivated Latifundia land to the west and south and produces a nice wine on the western hills, mostly for internal consumption though some is exported via the Darkfield merchants. The rich slave-tilled fields also produce enough food for the Coven’s own tables, and in good years a small amount is exported, again via Darkfield.
Reaching the Gate House of the Coven set in a 20’ curtain wall, one is greeted by well-equipped mercenary guards in band & mail, wielding stout halberds. Should all prove satisfactory, one can expect then to be escorted to the Mistress and Vice-Master of the Coven...
Composition of the Twilight Coven
The Coven Mistress is Dorvilla (Wizard 6), a beautiful and gracious half-elven woman with grey-blue eyes and platinum blonde hair. She wears the grey robes of the Coven, cut from the finest silks.
Vice-Master Langeril ‘the Great’ (Illusionist 5), named perhaps for the enormous size of his red nose is her practical equal, and he heads the Coven’s instruction in Illusionist magic.
The inhabitants of the Coven comprise:
40 ‘Magicians’, namely:
2 Leaders: The Mistress Dorvilla (Wizardry) & Vice-Master Langeril ‘the Great’ (Illusionism)
9 Junior Staff, 2 Wiz-4, I Ill 3, 2 M-U 3, 2 Ill 2, 2 M-U 2
5 Graduate Students, 2 Ill 1, 3 M-U 1 (Frendrel, Trelle, Gondar)
24 ‘0th level’ Student Apprentices in the Arts of Wizardry (17) and Illusionism (7).
50 well-paid Mercenaries, Warriors of the 1st-3rd rank (hd 1-3), who guard the Conclave and oversee the farm slaves as they work.
70 Slave Farmers, mostly male, who work the fields and live in Spartan barracks.
40 Slave House Servants, mostly female, who acts as cooks, maids etc and keep the Conclave running smoothly.
_____
CANTRIP MAGIC: All graduates of the School learn the Mage Hand cantrip: telekinetically manipulate 2 lbs weight, within 20’ for 1 round. Eg: Turn key in lock, unbutton a blouse, lift a small object. Graduates may employ it 3/day, Students from 0-3 times/day.
____________
Mages in Frendrel's graduating class included:
1. Tansir, a young mage Frendrel was friends with, who graduated 2nd in class. He recently left the Coven and joined with new adventuring colleagues Miklos Makanos, a Paladin of Mitra, and Sheri, a girl Thief, to explore the mysterious '5 Level Dungeon' beneath the City State.
3. Gondar Maltok, a lean and hawk-faced, well-muscled, handsome young man of 21. Gondar graduated 1st in class by a good margin and is very ambitious, he seems set to follow the classic Wizardly route to power, and talks often of his plans of amassing wealth, minions, and a harem of nubile slave girls in his impenetrable Tower of Sorcery.
3. Trelle Vernehzar, an attractive young brunette girl who graduated 4th, just behind Frendrel. Trelle is quite friendly and flirtatious with Frandrel, although at 22 she's young enough to be his daughter. She's the inquistive sort, maybe a bit naive, and often talks of joining an adventurer party as Tansir did.Trelle Vernehzar
Saturday, 11 September 2010
Climate Zones of the Wilderlands
Originally posted here
The 1e City State book has a frontispiece sketch map of the Wilderlands, with the Equator clearly shown. It runs in a line west to east through the Underwing Jungle, Grindwell, Gulf of Pinnacles, just north of the Eyestones Jungle, just south of the Starlight River.
This, combined with the Great Glacier to north of Valon, the Ament Tundra in the SW, and the scattered nature of the rain forest cover, raises the inevitable conclusion: THE WILDERLANDS IS AN ICE AGE WORLD. No getting away from it, and it explains a huge amount about the world - for instance, Ice Age = Dry. No vast tropical rain forests as we presently see on Earth, just scattered patches. It explains the Ament Tundra very nicely. It means the 'Demon Empires' to the south would seem to be mostly a howling frozen wasteland - but why not? That would explain why they've played so little part in the history of the world.
With the official Equator line in play, using 15 miles to the hex and a polar circumference of 24,000 miles gives the following latitudes:
+4.5 Degrees: Ossary, Trident Gulf
+9 Degrees: Croy, Thunderhold
+13.5 Degrees: Forbidden Forest, Uther Pentwegern Sea
+18 Degrees: Just North of Valon
(At 5 miles/hex either divide by 3 or accept a very small planet!).
Conclusion: The Wilderlands is not like contemporary Earth. It more resembles Earth in the grip of a more severe glaciation than any in the current Ice Epoch.
Still, parrallels to Earth climate zones can be drawn within the compressed climate zones necessitated by the overarching dominance of the Ice.
Some of my thoughts for my campaign, from equator northwoods:
Antil: The coastal areas are swampy and humid, with a Caribbean climate suitable for maize, sugar cane, and cotton. The Windgod Hills are much drier, largely treeless and carpeted in a soft red moss.
Ossary: A warm, sunny Mediterranean climate - think Normans in Sicily.
City State: Warm, but well inland and subject to more seasonal variation than Ossary, with regular snowfall in the winter months of Gloomfrost and Thawmist BCCC (White Wolf & Snow Leopard in CC) .
Croy, Brezal: Cool and windy, with a climate generally similar to north Germany, Denmark and Southern Sweden, glaciers in the upland mountains.
Valon: Often very cold, but amenable to the Valonese, with low humidity and little wind.
leadjunkie wrote:
"For years I decided to imagine mine much further south. It was not until I read a post Bob Bledsaw made on these forums that I came to the same conclusion that you did about an ice age"
Hi leadjunkie - yes, I too had assumed a much further south equator, and then wondered why the southern Wilderlands is temperate, turning to subarctic in the Ament. But I realise now that the climate zones depicted fit very well with what we know an Ice Age to be like, you don't even need any magic AFAICS, though the Land of Beasts seems unusually warm compared to Valon to the east. That may be due to off-map geography, notably the Great Glacier pushing down from the north affecting the Valonese climate, eg by calving Icebergs into the Uther Pentwegern.
"I would very much like to see expanded comments from you on other Wilderlands areas."
A lot of areas in the Necromancer WoHF have local climate notes, I haven't seen any that needed changing. It'd probably be worth noting that the Ghinor Highlands are temperate turning cool at higher elevation, and the 'Demon Empires' in the far south are likely cold to Arctic.
"Are your latitude demarcations intended to indicate tropical, subtropical, temperate and subarctic generalities?"
Roughly speaking:
+0 Degrees: Tropical
+2 Degrees, ca Antil: Sub-tropical
+4.5 Degrees: Ossary, Trident Gulf: Mediterranean warm-temperate
+9 Degrees: Croy, Thunderhold: Northern European cool-temperate
+13.5 Degrees: Forbidden Forest, Uther Pentwegern Sea: Cold temperate
+18 Degrees: Just North of Valon: Sub-arctic, to Arctic on the Glacier
My current campaign is set in the CSIO so I give a fair degree of thought to the climate there. I see it much like Rome ca 1 AD, Mediterranean climate but rather warmer and wetter than today, far enough inland to have a hot summer and short cold winter, but most months being balmy, such that a loinclout is usually adequate garb for poor commoners and slaves alike.
I treat the Estuary of the Roglaroon as a glacial feature (like a fjord but shallower), an indicator that at least once in the past few million years or so the Ice came within 7 degrees or so of the Equator, and threatened to enfold the world.
I have the Wilderlands' Sun be notably (to an Earth native) redder and cooler than our own, the planet is probably further towards the cold limit of habitability and may initially indeed have been too cold for life, but over the billions of years of the Main Sequence gradually increasing solar output has sufficiently warmed the globe for non-crystalline life to take root.
Edit: Axial Tilt looks to be around 6 degrees, so that in the Summer the Sun is directly overhead as far north as the City State, leading to hot summers, while lands further north remain cool all year.
The 1e City State book has a frontispiece sketch map of the Wilderlands, with the Equator clearly shown. It runs in a line west to east through the Underwing Jungle, Grindwell, Gulf of Pinnacles, just north of the Eyestones Jungle, just south of the Starlight River.
This, combined with the Great Glacier to north of Valon, the Ament Tundra in the SW, and the scattered nature of the rain forest cover, raises the inevitable conclusion: THE WILDERLANDS IS AN ICE AGE WORLD. No getting away from it, and it explains a huge amount about the world - for instance, Ice Age = Dry. No vast tropical rain forests as we presently see on Earth, just scattered patches. It explains the Ament Tundra very nicely. It means the 'Demon Empires' to the south would seem to be mostly a howling frozen wasteland - but why not? That would explain why they've played so little part in the history of the world.
With the official Equator line in play, using 15 miles to the hex and a polar circumference of 24,000 miles gives the following latitudes:
+4.5 Degrees: Ossary, Trident Gulf
+9 Degrees: Croy, Thunderhold
+13.5 Degrees: Forbidden Forest, Uther Pentwegern Sea
+18 Degrees: Just North of Valon
(At 5 miles/hex either divide by 3 or accept a very small planet!).
Conclusion: The Wilderlands is not like contemporary Earth. It more resembles Earth in the grip of a more severe glaciation than any in the current Ice Epoch.
Still, parrallels to Earth climate zones can be drawn within the compressed climate zones necessitated by the overarching dominance of the Ice.
Some of my thoughts for my campaign, from equator northwoods:
Antil: The coastal areas are swampy and humid, with a Caribbean climate suitable for maize, sugar cane, and cotton. The Windgod Hills are much drier, largely treeless and carpeted in a soft red moss.
Ossary: A warm, sunny Mediterranean climate - think Normans in Sicily.
City State: Warm, but well inland and subject to more seasonal variation than Ossary, with regular snowfall in the winter months of Gloomfrost and Thawmist BCCC (White Wolf & Snow Leopard in CC) .
Croy, Brezal: Cool and windy, with a climate generally similar to north Germany, Denmark and Southern Sweden, glaciers in the upland mountains.
Valon: Often very cold, but amenable to the Valonese, with low humidity and little wind.
leadjunkie wrote:
"For years I decided to imagine mine much further south. It was not until I read a post Bob Bledsaw made on these forums that I came to the same conclusion that you did about an ice age"
Hi leadjunkie - yes, I too had assumed a much further south equator, and then wondered why the southern Wilderlands is temperate, turning to subarctic in the Ament. But I realise now that the climate zones depicted fit very well with what we know an Ice Age to be like, you don't even need any magic AFAICS, though the Land of Beasts seems unusually warm compared to Valon to the east. That may be due to off-map geography, notably the Great Glacier pushing down from the north affecting the Valonese climate, eg by calving Icebergs into the Uther Pentwegern.
"I would very much like to see expanded comments from you on other Wilderlands areas."
A lot of areas in the Necromancer WoHF have local climate notes, I haven't seen any that needed changing. It'd probably be worth noting that the Ghinor Highlands are temperate turning cool at higher elevation, and the 'Demon Empires' in the far south are likely cold to Arctic.
"Are your latitude demarcations intended to indicate tropical, subtropical, temperate and subarctic generalities?"
Roughly speaking:
+0 Degrees: Tropical
+2 Degrees, ca Antil: Sub-tropical
+4.5 Degrees: Ossary, Trident Gulf: Mediterranean warm-temperate
+9 Degrees: Croy, Thunderhold: Northern European cool-temperate
+13.5 Degrees: Forbidden Forest, Uther Pentwegern Sea: Cold temperate
+18 Degrees: Just North of Valon: Sub-arctic, to Arctic on the Glacier
My current campaign is set in the CSIO so I give a fair degree of thought to the climate there. I see it much like Rome ca 1 AD, Mediterranean climate but rather warmer and wetter than today, far enough inland to have a hot summer and short cold winter, but most months being balmy, such that a loinclout is usually adequate garb for poor commoners and slaves alike.
I treat the Estuary of the Roglaroon as a glacial feature (like a fjord but shallower), an indicator that at least once in the past few million years or so the Ice came within 7 degrees or so of the Equator, and threatened to enfold the world.
I have the Wilderlands' Sun be notably (to an Earth native) redder and cooler than our own, the planet is probably further towards the cold limit of habitability and may initially indeed have been too cold for life, but over the billions of years of the Main Sequence gradually increasing solar output has sufficiently warmed the globe for non-crystalline life to take root.
Edit: Axial Tilt looks to be around 6 degrees, so that in the Summer the Sun is directly overhead as far north as the City State, leading to hot summers, while lands further north remain cool all year.
Friday, 10 September 2010
Looks familiar?
This guy wears Tharbrian trews, but he reminded me of a certain red-haired Skandik PC!
Thursday, 9 September 2010
The Crystal of Distant Vision
The Crystal’s Vision:
Suddenly a beam of violet light shoots out from the crystal, to a point in the air between the mound and the others at the shore, and a vision begins to form there...
You hear music in the air - "Da da dum - Dee Da!" The violet light coalesces into swirling runes, some kind of script that looks a very little like Alryan, and these fade, to an image of a brightly lit marble desk, an elegant looking woman with the scarlet skin of a pureblood Altanian is sat behind it, staring "out" of the vision. Her black hair is subtly coiffed, and she wears a diaphonous white gown. She begins to speak, in archaic Altanian, similar enough to Alryan that you can all understand.
"Here is the news. Combat Command has confirmed that Orichalan forces now occupy Delta Sector. There is no word of survivors. Fighting in Theta Sector continues. .."
"Combat Command lists Altan confirmed casualties at eight thousand, three hundred and thirty two. Orichalan losses are estimated at zero."
"Prime Minister Mendel has urged the populace not to give up hope. He remains confident that..."
There is the sound of a crashing noise from somewhere outside the vision's field of view. The woman looks up, suddenly frightened. Then a massive black battle-axe descends, smashing the marble desk-top. The woman screams. You see a scaly black, clawed hand gripping the shaft of the adamatine waraxre. Then there is a shower of white motes, a crackling noise, and the vision ends.
Suddenly a beam of violet light shoots out from the crystal, to a point in the air between the mound and the others at the shore, and a vision begins to form there...
You hear music in the air - "Da da dum - Dee Da!" The violet light coalesces into swirling runes, some kind of script that looks a very little like Alryan, and these fade, to an image of a brightly lit marble desk, an elegant looking woman with the scarlet skin of a pureblood Altanian is sat behind it, staring "out" of the vision. Her black hair is subtly coiffed, and she wears a diaphonous white gown. She begins to speak, in archaic Altanian, similar enough to Alryan that you can all understand.
"Here is the news. Combat Command has confirmed that Orichalan forces now occupy Delta Sector. There is no word of survivors. Fighting in Theta Sector continues. .."
"Combat Command lists Altan confirmed casualties at eight thousand, three hundred and thirty two. Orichalan losses are estimated at zero."
"Prime Minister Mendel has urged the populace not to give up hope. He remains confident that..."
There is the sound of a crashing noise from somewhere outside the vision's field of view. The woman looks up, suddenly frightened. Then a massive black battle-axe descends, smashing the marble desk-top. The woman screams. You see a scaly black, clawed hand gripping the shaft of the adamatine waraxre. Then there is a shower of white motes, a crackling noise, and the vision ends.
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
From "Barbarians of the Wilderlands" PBEM
Was just looking at my PBEM from last year - some cool stuff there.
Eg, Lucy Prentice's first appearance:
Centre for High Energy Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, 2009
"The energy read-outs are green, Dr Weissmuller"
The short, balding man in white lab coat, spectacles and moustache looked up at
the beautiful young brunette bending over the read-out VDU.
"Thank you, Miss Prentice."
He turned to the curvaceous Scandinavian blonde stationed at a second screen.
"Dr Espen, how is coil integrity?"
The blonde looked up and nodded.
"Integrity is good, Dr Weismuller."
A surge of anticipation went through Dr Jacob Weissmuller. After all these days
- today was the day! To create an actual Wormhole, albeit for little more than
the Planck Instant - to prove it could be done! The Nobel Prize for Physics...
Weissmuller turned from the screens to survey the assembled gaggle of
scientists.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. Today we make history!"
Jacob turned to the central terminal and, without further ado, pressed the Big
Red Button...
*BANG*
________
Dr Jacob Weissmuller:
_________________________
Barbarian Altanis hex 1311 Day 1 - Ragnar the Tharbrian
Ragnar the Slave Guard, formerly of the Grimalon Plains, more recently of Antil,
is breathing hard as he climbs higher through the dusty red hills. It has been
hours since he saw any of his pursuers, the armoured cavalry of Antil, and
longer since he saw any of his erstwhile companions, the gladiator slaves he
aided in their revolt against their cruel Antillian overlords. Many of the
gladiators were Tharbrian, like himself, and the female ones were treated in a
manner that affronts the honour of any true-blooded Tharbrian warrior... Still,
he can't but suspect he might have made a mistake...
A stone rolls down, past his head.
Ragnar looks up, up the rocky slope, and sees an amazing sight! A beautiful
girl, shapely as any amazon, is bounding down the slope towards him at amazing
speed! Brunette, naked but for a tiny piece of cloth at her loins, her eyes are
wide with fear. And it's not hard to see why! Coming after her, hot on her
heels, is the black-furred, bestial form of an enormous ape!
Now the girl sees Ragnar and her running slows, and she hesitates as if he
seemed to her as much a threat as the great ape behind her, intent upon seizing
this luscious booty for its own foul ends!
The ape will be on her in moments...
_______________
Lucy Prentice of CHER:
___________
Re: Barbarian Altanis hex 1311 Day 1 - Katie Caballo
Consciousness returns slowly to Katie Caballo. There's a weight on her chest...
Cautiously she opens her eyes, blinking against the strong and unexpected
sunlight. She's outside, a clear blue sky above - the dark specks of a couple
of birds wheeling high overhead. The sun is high in the sky, but the light
seems redder than normal - almost like sunset?
The weight - she looks down - the weight is the body of old Professor
Weissmuller, lying on top of her! He's asleep, or unconscious. And apart from
his rather greyish underpants, he's naked!
A quick check reveals that apart from her panties, Katie is naked, too!
Moving Prof Weissmuller gently aside, Katie takes in a gulp of air - hot, dry,
slightly dusty - and looks around. She's in a rocky bowl-shaped depression,
red, craggy hills rising all around. It looks a bit like Greece, only redder -
red like Arizona? But she is - was? - in Cambridge, England!
Around her, in a ring about 40' wide, are standing stones - dolmens - each about
6-8' high, shaped like crude spear-tips. Katie looks around. Behind her, only
about 4' from her head, is a long low block of white marble - somehow she knows
immediately it's an altar. And the dried brown substance in the cracked stone
indicate its use is sanguinous - blood sacrifice.
Dr Weissmuller stirs slightly, muttering inaudibly in his sleep.
Other than that, all is silence. Yet Katie suddenly has the strong feeling
she's being watched...
____________
Re: Barbarian Altanis hex 1311 Day 1 - Ranvik of Altanis
Arriving on the eastern coast of the Antillian Peninsula some months ago;
Ranvik, mercenary warrior of Altanis, had stayed for time with a local Altanian
tribe whose clan-hold lies in the southern Windgod hills (in hex 1313), hard by
the eastern slopes of the great mountain Lagh Anon. Aiding them in slaying a
great demon-vulture, a Chaos Spawn that had lately taken to preying on their
sheep-herds - and shepherdesses - Ranvik had won reknown, and a place of honour
among them, his distant kinfolk.
But at last, as always, it is time to move on. So now Ranvik is moving north
through the hills, in the direction of Antillian territory - cursed Antillians,
it would satisfy him to end a few! But he is cautious, like all his sort. His
eyes scan the sky, for demon-vultures and for the winged Windriders, humanoid
allies of the Antillians, said to dwell near these parts.
Thus it is that for a moment he does not see the figure, kneeling by the clear
blue pool in the dell ahead, until he is almost upon her! Such mistakes can
mean death - but luckily the figure is crouched over with her back to him,
apparently oblivious as she cups water from the pool and drinks eagerly, with
the desperation of thirst, so that much runs down her chin and neck, wetting her
body.
Ranvik has time to pause, and take her in properly. The young woman seems
entirely naked, with the long blonde hair of a Skandik or Tharbrian, and the
lush, voluptuous curves of a dryad or love goddess - it does occur to Ranvik
that she could be a water-spirit, potentially dangerous. There seems something
very human about her, though he cannot see her face. And surely a local spirit
would already have sensed his approach? An escaped slave? But there is no
collar, brand, or other marking - and the Antillians are known to always do
such.
Ranvik considers...
____________
Dr Malene Espen of CHER:
____________
Game Mind-Map:
Lord Myuni of Karak:
Eg, Lucy Prentice's first appearance:
Centre for High Energy Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, 2009
"The energy read-outs are green, Dr Weissmuller"
The short, balding man in white lab coat, spectacles and moustache looked up at
the beautiful young brunette bending over the read-out VDU.
"Thank you, Miss Prentice."
He turned to the curvaceous Scandinavian blonde stationed at a second screen.
"Dr Espen, how is coil integrity?"
The blonde looked up and nodded.
"Integrity is good, Dr Weismuller."
A surge of anticipation went through Dr Jacob Weissmuller. After all these days
- today was the day! To create an actual Wormhole, albeit for little more than
the Planck Instant - to prove it could be done! The Nobel Prize for Physics...
Weissmuller turned from the screens to survey the assembled gaggle of
scientists.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. Today we make history!"
Jacob turned to the central terminal and, without further ado, pressed the Big
Red Button...
*BANG*
________
Dr Jacob Weissmuller:
Barbarian Altanis hex 1311 Day 1 - Ragnar the Tharbrian
Ragnar the Slave Guard, formerly of the Grimalon Plains, more recently of Antil,
is breathing hard as he climbs higher through the dusty red hills. It has been
hours since he saw any of his pursuers, the armoured cavalry of Antil, and
longer since he saw any of his erstwhile companions, the gladiator slaves he
aided in their revolt against their cruel Antillian overlords. Many of the
gladiators were Tharbrian, like himself, and the female ones were treated in a
manner that affronts the honour of any true-blooded Tharbrian warrior... Still,
he can't but suspect he might have made a mistake...
A stone rolls down, past his head.
Ragnar looks up, up the rocky slope, and sees an amazing sight! A beautiful
girl, shapely as any amazon, is bounding down the slope towards him at amazing
speed! Brunette, naked but for a tiny piece of cloth at her loins, her eyes are
wide with fear. And it's not hard to see why! Coming after her, hot on her
heels, is the black-furred, bestial form of an enormous ape!
Now the girl sees Ragnar and her running slows, and she hesitates as if he
seemed to her as much a threat as the great ape behind her, intent upon seizing
this luscious booty for its own foul ends!
The ape will be on her in moments...
_______________
Lucy Prentice of CHER:
Re: Barbarian Altanis hex 1311 Day 1 - Katie Caballo
Consciousness returns slowly to Katie Caballo. There's a weight on her chest...
Cautiously she opens her eyes, blinking against the strong and unexpected
sunlight. She's outside, a clear blue sky above - the dark specks of a couple
of birds wheeling high overhead. The sun is high in the sky, but the light
seems redder than normal - almost like sunset?
The weight - she looks down - the weight is the body of old Professor
Weissmuller, lying on top of her! He's asleep, or unconscious. And apart from
his rather greyish underpants, he's naked!
A quick check reveals that apart from her panties, Katie is naked, too!
Moving Prof Weissmuller gently aside, Katie takes in a gulp of air - hot, dry,
slightly dusty - and looks around. She's in a rocky bowl-shaped depression,
red, craggy hills rising all around. It looks a bit like Greece, only redder -
red like Arizona? But she is - was? - in Cambridge, England!
Around her, in a ring about 40' wide, are standing stones - dolmens - each about
6-8' high, shaped like crude spear-tips. Katie looks around. Behind her, only
about 4' from her head, is a long low block of white marble - somehow she knows
immediately it's an altar. And the dried brown substance in the cracked stone
indicate its use is sanguinous - blood sacrifice.
Dr Weissmuller stirs slightly, muttering inaudibly in his sleep.
Other than that, all is silence. Yet Katie suddenly has the strong feeling
she's being watched...
____________
Re: Barbarian Altanis hex 1311 Day 1 - Ranvik of Altanis
Arriving on the eastern coast of the Antillian Peninsula some months ago;
Ranvik, mercenary warrior of Altanis, had stayed for time with a local Altanian
tribe whose clan-hold lies in the southern Windgod hills (in hex 1313), hard by
the eastern slopes of the great mountain Lagh Anon. Aiding them in slaying a
great demon-vulture, a Chaos Spawn that had lately taken to preying on their
sheep-herds - and shepherdesses - Ranvik had won reknown, and a place of honour
among them, his distant kinfolk.
But at last, as always, it is time to move on. So now Ranvik is moving north
through the hills, in the direction of Antillian territory - cursed Antillians,
it would satisfy him to end a few! But he is cautious, like all his sort. His
eyes scan the sky, for demon-vultures and for the winged Windriders, humanoid
allies of the Antillians, said to dwell near these parts.
Thus it is that for a moment he does not see the figure, kneeling by the clear
blue pool in the dell ahead, until he is almost upon her! Such mistakes can
mean death - but luckily the figure is crouched over with her back to him,
apparently oblivious as she cups water from the pool and drinks eagerly, with
the desperation of thirst, so that much runs down her chin and neck, wetting her
body.
Ranvik has time to pause, and take her in properly. The young woman seems
entirely naked, with the long blonde hair of a Skandik or Tharbrian, and the
lush, voluptuous curves of a dryad or love goddess - it does occur to Ranvik
that she could be a water-spirit, potentially dangerous. There seems something
very human about her, though he cannot see her face. And surely a local spirit
would already have sensed his approach? An escaped slave? But there is no
collar, brand, or other marking - and the Antillians are known to always do
such.
Ranvik considers...
____________
Dr Malene Espen of CHER:
____________
Game Mind-Map:
Lord Myuni of Karak:
The Ape-Men:
XP and Treasure
I discuss my approach to XP and treasure here.
I find the solution to "Too much money" is "Less Money". Even 100gp - 1000sp - is a heck of a lot of money in an economy where a labourer earns 1 sp/day, if he can get employment.
Mind you, I haven't messed with by-the-book monetary treasure. What I have done is not give out vast amount of cash for selling magic items, and reduced the value of random-table-generated gems/jewelry typically to 1/10. The value of treasure in published materials is kept or amended as seems appropriate.
I use an optional level-training fee of 100gp/level for 1 week, which gives the PC a chance to raise their prime stat (must roll over it on d20, if so get +1d3 pts). Or they can self-train for free for 2 weeks, no stat increase roll.
On XP - I give out OD&D-based monster XP (100 XP/hd) but this isn't to make the game kill-centric. Replace treasure XP with suitable XP rewards for whatever goals are achieved, such as rescuing prisoners. Heck, I give XP for successful seductions!
Re maintenance, the base cost for PCs IMC is only around 2-3sp/day, but if they wanted to raise their social status in the City State it would be more, around 1-1.5 gp/day to live like a gentleman. A junior officer NPC in the military IMC (Ftr-2 Lt) is taking home 40gp/m, and may well be spending more than that on upkeep, typically 45gp/m.
_______
For hit dice above 4 I typically give x2 XP per +2 hd, +1000 XP/hd over 9, ie:
hd XP
3 300
4 400
5 600
6 800
7 1200
8 1600
9 2400
+1 +1000
Or where I feel it's appropriate, such as where defeating a high level monster is a major adventure goal, I give up to x5 the listed 1e monster XP. Eg when the level 2-3 PCs rescued Captain Iremath of Marsh Gate from an Annis recently I gave x5 the 1e MM2 listed Annis XP, which worked out as around 1800 XP each per PC for the session, the biggest award they've had in 12 sessions. The PCs did well though Black Annis took 1 PC to -9 hp, 1 off 'dead', before she went down, I felt they earned the XP.
I follow Arneson in giving XP for gp spent on carousing, charity, large-scale projects, training etc, but not personal equipment or basic upkeep. I may also use a gp reward for a mission as a guide to the XPV of the mission, but not as a set XP entitlement.
And in my online City State game I give XP for player time spent on non-combat roleplay stuff such as forming NPC and PC contacts and allies, carousing, and anything which is fun to roleplay. No XP if I'm bored. I use a guideline 100 XP per hour.
After 12 game sessions, or a bit over 40 hours' play, the two highest level PCs (Fighter-4, Paladin-3) have a smidgin over 9000 XP, or about 225 XP/hour, with actual session XP awards varying from 200 to 1800 per PC, and levelling about once per 4 sessions. The rate of XP gain increases over time but I expect the levelling rate to fall off as more XP is needed to level.
_________
Not to say the GM can't use treasure value as a guide to XP awards, but I don't generally think that killing a tribe of 100 Orcs (say 1500 monster XP per RAW) with no treasure should earn vastly less XP than killing a tribe of Orcs with 10,000gp (11,500 gp per RAW). But sneaking into the Orc lair to steal their 10,000 gp without killing any of them should certainly earn XP, and depending on the risk it might even be reasonable to award the full 10,000.
I find the solution to "Too much money" is "Less Money". Even 100gp - 1000sp - is a heck of a lot of money in an economy where a labourer earns 1 sp/day, if he can get employment.
Mind you, I haven't messed with by-the-book monetary treasure. What I have done is not give out vast amount of cash for selling magic items, and reduced the value of random-table-generated gems/jewelry typically to 1/10. The value of treasure in published materials is kept or amended as seems appropriate.
I use an optional level-training fee of 100gp/level for 1 week, which gives the PC a chance to raise their prime stat (must roll over it on d20, if so get +1d3 pts). Or they can self-train for free for 2 weeks, no stat increase roll.
On XP - I give out OD&D-based monster XP (100 XP/hd) but this isn't to make the game kill-centric. Replace treasure XP with suitable XP rewards for whatever goals are achieved, such as rescuing prisoners. Heck, I give XP for successful seductions!
Re maintenance, the base cost for PCs IMC is only around 2-3sp/day, but if they wanted to raise their social status in the City State it would be more, around 1-1.5 gp/day to live like a gentleman. A junior officer NPC in the military IMC (Ftr-2 Lt) is taking home 40gp/m, and may well be spending more than that on upkeep, typically 45gp/m.
_______
For hit dice above 4 I typically give x2 XP per +2 hd, +1000 XP/hd over 9, ie:
hd XP
3 300
4 400
5 600
6 800
7 1200
8 1600
9 2400
+1 +1000
Or where I feel it's appropriate, such as where defeating a high level monster is a major adventure goal, I give up to x5 the listed 1e monster XP. Eg when the level 2-3 PCs rescued Captain Iremath of Marsh Gate from an Annis recently I gave x5 the 1e MM2 listed Annis XP, which worked out as around 1800 XP each per PC for the session, the biggest award they've had in 12 sessions. The PCs did well though Black Annis took 1 PC to -9 hp, 1 off 'dead', before she went down, I felt they earned the XP.
I follow Arneson in giving XP for gp spent on carousing, charity, large-scale projects, training etc, but not personal equipment or basic upkeep. I may also use a gp reward for a mission as a guide to the XPV of the mission, but not as a set XP entitlement.
And in my online City State game I give XP for player time spent on non-combat roleplay stuff such as forming NPC and PC contacts and allies, carousing, and anything which is fun to roleplay. No XP if I'm bored. I use a guideline 100 XP per hour.
After 12 game sessions, or a bit over 40 hours' play, the two highest level PCs (Fighter-4, Paladin-3) have a smidgin over 9000 XP, or about 225 XP/hour, with actual session XP awards varying from 200 to 1800 per PC, and levelling about once per 4 sessions. The rate of XP gain increases over time but I expect the levelling rate to fall off as more XP is needed to level.
_________
Not to say the GM can't use treasure value as a guide to XP awards, but I don't generally think that killing a tribe of 100 Orcs (say 1500 monster XP per RAW) with no treasure should earn vastly less XP than killing a tribe of Orcs with 10,000gp (11,500 gp per RAW). But sneaking into the Orc lair to steal their 10,000 gp without killing any of them should certainly earn XP, and depending on the risk it might even be reasonable to award the full 10,000.
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Lucy & Malenn?!
In the game today Deod & Ragnar speculated about the possibility of Lucy & Malenn 'together'... dunno how likely that is to happen with our two belles, but there are indeed a good number of pics out there addressing that possibility...
One I particularly like:
Bosom buddies - Oo-err missus, as Bob likes to say! >:)
And honourable mentions to:
Lots of books there - studying hard?
Well, their guys can always dream...
One I particularly like:
And honourable mentions to:
Lots of books there - studying hard?
 |
Great Wilderlands Links
Monday, 6 September 2010
Collated House Rules Document
GENERAL GUIDANCE - THE WILDERLANDS AND THE CITY STATE OF THE INVINCIBLE OVERLORD.
This is an 'Old School' kitchen-sink Swords & Sorcery setting, specifically 1970s S&S. It's often raunchy and very Politically Incorrect. It contains pretty much everything that's cool ca 1977, from Aragorn-esque Dunael Rangers, to mighty-thewed red-skinned barbarians, many buxom underdressed damsels and Amazons, giant eagle ("Tarn") riders, ancient alien technology, noble Paladins of Mitra, green Viridian slave girls, winged Hawk-Men, Cthuloid lake monsters... Not for the faint-hearted or humourless. I guess you could call it 'Immature Themes'. :)
GUIDANCE TO NEW PLAYERS ON RACE & CLASS SELECTION
Race:
Humans of Mature Adult age (21-40) get +1 STR +1 CON, making them the most powerful race overall. Other races get different stat mods and various powers, such as dark vision, but are usually limited in maximum level advancement.
Class:
Fighters and their sub-classes' very powerful Weapon Specialisation makes them the most powerful combat classes, and are typically the most powerful and most common classes overall.
The sub-classes have stringent ability requirements and moral codes, in return gaining great additional powers and benefits. Rangers are Good-aligned racial defenders protecting Humanity from the ravaging inhuman hordes, while Paladins are Lawful Good holy knights sworn to their just and benevolent deity.
Clerics are a powerful class, those with high Wisdom begin with multiple spells. Well-armoured, they are decent back-up melee combatants, their healing spells greatly aid their party, and they are often doom to the Undead. A well played Cleric is immensely valuable to any party. Druids are Neutral human Nature priests specific to certain cultures.
Thieves have only moderate combat ability, aided by their Backstab class feature. Mid & High level Thieves can seem weak compared to Fighter types. They gain up to +50% to skill use, depending on the difficulty of the task. Imaginative application of their skills can make them a very versatile class. They gain levels faster than other classes. Assassins, if allowed, are an extremely lethal sub-class, who must be Evil, often bringing them into conflict with other PCs. Impromptu assassinations may require a to-hit roll.
Magic-Users initially have a hard road to hoe, limited by the difficulties of spell acquisition and the low number of castings per day. They can use Darts to good effect as a back-up missile combatant, and a few 1st level spells such as Sleep and Charm Person are very powerful. In time, however, successful Magic-Users become the most powerful class, able to bend reality with a word. Illusionists depend on subtle effects and imaginative play.
My AD&D/OSRIC House Rules
Attributes:
Only humans receive age mods at Young Adult and Mature Adult ages. All races receive age mods starting at middle-aged.
Net Age Modifiers:
Young Adult (16-20): +1 CON -1 WIS
Mature Adult (21-40): +1 STR +1 CON
Hit Points: Maximum hit points on first hit die, at least half maximum hp each die thereafter, eg a d10 roll of 3 gives +5 hp.
FIGHTERS and FIGHTER sub classes.
Multiple Attacks for Fighters, Paladins, Rangers
The progression continues as follows:
Fighter Level Ranger/Paladin Level Attacks Non-Specialised Attacks Specialised
1-6 1-7 1 3/2
7-12 8-14 3/2 2
13-18 15-21 2 5/2
19-24 22-28 5/2 3
25+ 29+ 3 4
Fighter Bonus Melee Attacks vs Opponents of less than 1d8 hit dice
Fighter Level Bonus Attacks Total #Attacks Specialised
1-3 0 1-3: 3/2
4-7 1 4-6: 5/2 7: 3
8-11 2 8-11: 4
12-15 3 12: 5 13-15: 5 1/2
16-19 4 16-18: 6 1/2 19: 7
20+ 5 20-24: 8 25+: 9
Fighters and their sub-classes may use a shortsword as an off-hand weapon.
It is possible to double-specialise with the Two-Handed Sword.
Berserkers are a Fighter sub-class common amongst barbaric cultures (eg Altanians, Skandiks, Amazons, Tharbrians). They fight unarmoured, but can use shields. They have a minimum STR 12 CON 9 DEX 9.
They lose armour proficiency and cannot be proficient in bows, but gain a base AC 7 unarmoured and can either attack at +2 to-hit, or fight with two weapons at no to-hit penalty. The off-hand weapon must be a hand axe or dagger. They never check morale, and are immune to Fear effects during combat once they have attacked. They are otherwise treated as Fighters.
MAGIC-USERS and their sub classes
They begin play with the spell Read Magic plus a number of additional 1st level spells in their spell book equal to their maximum number of bonus languages, per their Intelligence attribute.
They can study and use other people's spell books, amassing a library of captured books. Time spent learning new spells can be combined with the level-up training period. Attempting to learn a new spell under the instruction of a mentor who knows the spell takes 1 day per spell level. Without a mentor it takes 2 days per spell level. At the conclusion of the learning period, the Know Spell % roll is made. If the M-U's Intelligence increases he can attempt a second period of study to learn the same spell. A caster may also attempt to research a spell they failed to learn as a functionally identical spell at a higher level, eg Otto's Fireball as a 4th level spell.
Trainning to Level under a mentor normally includes the gaining of one new spell, known by the mentor. % to learn must be rolled as normal.
Only 'known' and 'memorised' spells can be cast, you cannot cast direct from a spell book.
Scrolls are partially-cast spell packets, they don't contain the entire formula of the spell, so you can't learn/transcribe a spell from a scroll.
Maximum spell damage for high level casters is 20 dice, any sort, eg Fireball caps at 20d6 at 20th level, Magic Missile caps at 20 missiles, 20d4+20, at 39th level.
THIEVES and their sub classes
Thief Ability %
As with monster Magic Resistance, this is normalised for a standard 11th level threat/difficulty. The chance of success increases by 5% for each level lower, to a maximum of +50% for a 1st level threat, and decreases 5% for each level higher, to a minimum of -50% for a threat of level 21+.
__________________
Equipment
Scale armour gives a 90' move.
Plate mail can be stripped to Breastplate (partial plate) and helm, gives protection as Bandmail (AC 4, speed 90'). If bought alone it costs 250gp.
__________________
COMBAT
Two-Weapon Fighting: Characters 5'6" and taller may wield a shortsword as an off-hand weapon if proficient with it. The usual penalties apply.
GRAPPLING
The attacker rolls to hit AC 5, modified only by the defender's dexterity and (from the front) shield bonuses, plus any displacement effects. If successful they have grabbed the target and get a % chance to pin him/her, base 50% +/- 10% per point of STR difference (+/- 1% per 10% of percentile STR). The grappled characters' % chance to break free is the inverse of the attackers' chance to succeed.
Low STR characters are thus easy to pin. Against high STR targets a mob can coordinate, +20% per additional character of similar STR, +30% for using a net, etc.
Grappling & pinning doesn't normally do any damage and it's a good way to signify 'fight over'. If the grappler's friends then try to kill the pinned target they can attack at +4, if he can't break free they'll eventually kill him.
Example: 6 men (STR 12) try to grapple Conan (STR 18/50). All 6 hit. Make the Grapple roll. STR difference is 6.5 so they have a base 50-65 = -15% chance, +100% for 5 additonal men = an 85% chance to pin him. He can attempt to break free once per round, with a 15% chance of success.
Note that trying to grapple someone typically gives them a free attack on you as you close in, per 1e Weapon Length rules.
Grappling from the rear would give a bonus on the initial to-hit roll, eg +4 with surprise, +2 otherwise. I don't think it should affect the % roll to pin the target but you could give a cirumstance bonus if desired, +10% might be reasonable in some circumstances.
Multiple Attackers with Variable Strength use their average strength. In that case you can either eyeball it or add up all the STRs of the successful grapplers and divide by the number of grapplers, using a calculator.
Note that I'm assuming man-sized foes and that bulk is a factor; eg STR 9 guys are individually much weaker than STR 18/50 Conan, with an individual 50-95= -45% chance to pin him, but if 6 pile on him that chance goes to -45+100=55%.
NB Low level foes generally won't succeed on the base-AC5-roll to initiate the grapple, so Fighter-8 Conan probably has little to fear vs 0th level schmucks, especially if his back is to the wall, but a squad of higher level Fighters could hope to grapple a Fighter Lord.
DEATH AND DYING
At 0 to -2 hp, characters are unconscious but stable. At -3 to -9 hp characters are dying, losing 1hp/round until death at -10 hp. It takes 1 round and a successful WIS check to stabilise a dying PC. Stable PCs regain conciousness after a few minutes (2d4 rounds), but are incapacitated until returned to positive hp.
______________
SPELLS
A spellcaster may memorise lower-level spells in a higher-level slot, eg a 1st level spell in a 2nd level slot.
A few spells are adjusted for balance.
______________
ADVANCEMENT
XP for Gold follows the Arneson rule and is gained only when the gold is spent, on something other than personal equipment, or donated to a worthy cause - such as a temple or tavern. Minimum 100gp.
Maximum Advancement from a single XP award is 2 levels. The PC receives at most enough XP to put them at the minimum XP for the second level gained, and any excess XP is lost.
Replacement PCs: Within the same campaign, the player may roll over half the XP gained by a dead or retired PC to their new PC.
Training to Level Up
Training under a mentor to advance a level takes 1 week. The PC must be 1st-8th level. Typical cost is 100 gp per current level. At the completion of such training The PC may roll a d20, if the d20 roll is higher than their prime requisite they may raise their prime requisite by 1d3 points, to a maximum of their racial limit. Exceptional strength: If the PC is eligible for exceptional strength and rolls 19-20 on the attribute check, their Strength increases by 2d10%, to a maximum of their racial limit.
Multiclass characters with 2 classes get at most 1 check every 2 levels gained. Multiclass characters with 3 classes get at most 1 check every 3 levels gained.
Self training takes 2 weeks and can be done at any level. It It costs no money beyond standard upkeep, but does not offer the possibility of an attribute increase.
Coins: Coins are typically small, typically around 1/100 lb, or else heavily adulterated with base metal.
NPC Hit Dice
For settings such as the Wilderlands, where non-adventuring NPCs are often higher than 0th level.
These classes normally have a maximum level of 8, and receive hit dice at all levels. Some may have special abilities, eg the DMG Sage is an 8th level Scribe with some magical powers. They do not normally receive XP as PCs, but if desired may be progressed using the class table they fight and save as.
Warrior: Hit Dice d8. Fight & Save as: Fighter
Aristocrat: Hit Dice d6. Fight & Save as: Cleric
Merchant: Hit Dice d6 Fight & Save as: Thief
Scribe: Hit Dice d4 Fight & Save as: Magic-User
____________
Thief Skill %s:
An unaware, not particularly alert 1st level or 1 hd opponent would usually be a 1st level threat. Typically a threat encountered on dungeon level 1 would typically be 1st level, on the 8th level it'd be 8th level. Eg a simple lock on a tradesman's chest might be 1st level, while a sophisticated merchant's lock might be 6th level, the lock to the Imperial Treasury might be 12th level, and locks in a demigod's mansion might be 15th level or higher (the Cat Lord's locks might max out at 21st, -50% to pick). The exact level distribution will depend on the campaign.
Likewise, a well maintained castle stone outer wall might be 11th level, while a crumbling ruin's wall might only be 1st level, easy for any Thief to climb.
Another way of looking at is simply that the GM should feel free to adjust the chance of success by up to +/- 50%, giving low level Thieves a decent chance to succeed, and preventing automatic success in stealing Odin's treasury.
__________
Long Jump: For unencumbered PC in typical environment (dungeon corridor) with 90' move: (STR+DEX)/3 + 1d6 in feet.
PC Speed:
120' > x1
90' > x3/4
60' > x 1/2
_________
Dungeon Level Typical Items Found
1-3 +1
4-6 +2 (or special +1)
7-9 +3 (or special +1-+2)
10-12 +4 (or special +2-+3)
13+ +5 (or special +3-+4)
________________
Armour AC Move Cost
No Armour +0 12" 0gp
Leather or Quilted Jerkin +2 12" 5gp
Ringmail, Reinforced Leather +3 10" 15gp
Scale Hauberk +4 9" 45gp
Chain Hauberk +5 9" 75gp
Banded Lamellar & Chain +6 8" 90gp
Breast Plate +6 9" 250gp
Plate Mail +7 8" 400gp
Max STR damage bonuses for Missile Weapons
Thrown Weapons
Darts: +2 NB Darts are expended on use, like arrows, but like arrows can be repaired.
Other Thrown: Unlimited
Bows
Bow, Long: +4 for a 'Mary Rose' type English longbow
Bow, Short: +0
Comp Bow, Long: +6
Comp Bow, Short: +2
Crossbows: +0 unless specially crafted for high STR, in which case they can either do higher damage die or reload faster
Sling
Depends on bullets - unlimited if both sling and bullets are specially crafted to the wielder's STR.
This is an 'Old School' kitchen-sink Swords & Sorcery setting, specifically 1970s S&S. It's often raunchy and very Politically Incorrect. It contains pretty much everything that's cool ca 1977, from Aragorn-esque Dunael Rangers, to mighty-thewed red-skinned barbarians, many buxom underdressed damsels and Amazons, giant eagle ("Tarn") riders, ancient alien technology, noble Paladins of Mitra, green Viridian slave girls, winged Hawk-Men, Cthuloid lake monsters... Not for the faint-hearted or humourless. I guess you could call it 'Immature Themes'. :)
GUIDANCE TO NEW PLAYERS ON RACE & CLASS SELECTION
Race:
Humans of Mature Adult age (21-40) get +1 STR +1 CON, making them the most powerful race overall. Other races get different stat mods and various powers, such as dark vision, but are usually limited in maximum level advancement.
Class:
Fighters and their sub-classes' very powerful Weapon Specialisation makes them the most powerful combat classes, and are typically the most powerful and most common classes overall.
The sub-classes have stringent ability requirements and moral codes, in return gaining great additional powers and benefits. Rangers are Good-aligned racial defenders protecting Humanity from the ravaging inhuman hordes, while Paladins are Lawful Good holy knights sworn to their just and benevolent deity.
Clerics are a powerful class, those with high Wisdom begin with multiple spells. Well-armoured, they are decent back-up melee combatants, their healing spells greatly aid their party, and they are often doom to the Undead. A well played Cleric is immensely valuable to any party. Druids are Neutral human Nature priests specific to certain cultures.
Thieves have only moderate combat ability, aided by their Backstab class feature. Mid & High level Thieves can seem weak compared to Fighter types. They gain up to +50% to skill use, depending on the difficulty of the task. Imaginative application of their skills can make them a very versatile class. They gain levels faster than other classes. Assassins, if allowed, are an extremely lethal sub-class, who must be Evil, often bringing them into conflict with other PCs. Impromptu assassinations may require a to-hit roll.
Magic-Users initially have a hard road to hoe, limited by the difficulties of spell acquisition and the low number of castings per day. They can use Darts to good effect as a back-up missile combatant, and a few 1st level spells such as Sleep and Charm Person are very powerful. In time, however, successful Magic-Users become the most powerful class, able to bend reality with a word. Illusionists depend on subtle effects and imaginative play.
My AD&D/OSRIC House Rules
Attributes:
Only humans receive age mods at Young Adult and Mature Adult ages. All races receive age mods starting at middle-aged.
Net Age Modifiers:
Young Adult (16-20): +1 CON -1 WIS
Mature Adult (21-40): +1 STR +1 CON
Hit Points: Maximum hit points on first hit die, at least half maximum hp each die thereafter, eg a d10 roll of 3 gives +5 hp.
FIGHTERS and FIGHTER sub classes.
Multiple Attacks for Fighters, Paladins, Rangers
The progression continues as follows:
Fighter Level Ranger/Paladin Level Attacks Non-Specialised Attacks Specialised
1-6 1-7 1 3/2
7-12 8-14 3/2 2
13-18 15-21 2 5/2
19-24 22-28 5/2 3
25+ 29+ 3 4
Fighter Bonus Melee Attacks vs Opponents of less than 1d8 hit dice
Fighter Level Bonus Attacks Total #Attacks Specialised
1-3 0 1-3: 3/2
4-7 1 4-6: 5/2 7: 3
8-11 2 8-11: 4
12-15 3 12: 5 13-15: 5 1/2
16-19 4 16-18: 6 1/2 19: 7
20+ 5 20-24: 8 25+: 9
Fighters and their sub-classes may use a shortsword as an off-hand weapon.
It is possible to double-specialise with the Two-Handed Sword.
Berserkers are a Fighter sub-class common amongst barbaric cultures (eg Altanians, Skandiks, Amazons, Tharbrians). They fight unarmoured, but can use shields. They have a minimum STR 12 CON 9 DEX 9.
They lose armour proficiency and cannot be proficient in bows, but gain a base AC 7 unarmoured and can either attack at +2 to-hit, or fight with two weapons at no to-hit penalty. The off-hand weapon must be a hand axe or dagger. They never check morale, and are immune to Fear effects during combat once they have attacked. They are otherwise treated as Fighters.
MAGIC-USERS and their sub classes
They begin play with the spell Read Magic plus a number of additional 1st level spells in their spell book equal to their maximum number of bonus languages, per their Intelligence attribute.
They can study and use other people's spell books, amassing a library of captured books. Time spent learning new spells can be combined with the level-up training period. Attempting to learn a new spell under the instruction of a mentor who knows the spell takes 1 day per spell level. Without a mentor it takes 2 days per spell level. At the conclusion of the learning period, the Know Spell % roll is made. If the M-U's Intelligence increases he can attempt a second period of study to learn the same spell. A caster may also attempt to research a spell they failed to learn as a functionally identical spell at a higher level, eg Otto's Fireball as a 4th level spell.
Trainning to Level under a mentor normally includes the gaining of one new spell, known by the mentor. % to learn must be rolled as normal.
Only 'known' and 'memorised' spells can be cast, you cannot cast direct from a spell book.
Scrolls are partially-cast spell packets, they don't contain the entire formula of the spell, so you can't learn/transcribe a spell from a scroll.
Maximum spell damage for high level casters is 20 dice, any sort, eg Fireball caps at 20d6 at 20th level, Magic Missile caps at 20 missiles, 20d4+20, at 39th level.
THIEVES and their sub classes
Thief Ability %
As with monster Magic Resistance, this is normalised for a standard 11th level threat/difficulty. The chance of success increases by 5% for each level lower, to a maximum of +50% for a 1st level threat, and decreases 5% for each level higher, to a minimum of -50% for a threat of level 21+.
__________________
Equipment
Scale armour gives a 90' move.
Plate mail can be stripped to Breastplate (partial plate) and helm, gives protection as Bandmail (AC 4, speed 90'). If bought alone it costs 250gp.
__________________
COMBAT
Two-Weapon Fighting: Characters 5'6" and taller may wield a shortsword as an off-hand weapon if proficient with it. The usual penalties apply.
GRAPPLING
The attacker rolls to hit AC 5, modified only by the defender's dexterity and (from the front) shield bonuses, plus any displacement effects. If successful they have grabbed the target and get a % chance to pin him/her, base 50% +/- 10% per point of STR difference (+/- 1% per 10% of percentile STR). The grappled characters' % chance to break free is the inverse of the attackers' chance to succeed.
Low STR characters are thus easy to pin. Against high STR targets a mob can coordinate, +20% per additional character of similar STR, +30% for using a net, etc.
Grappling & pinning doesn't normally do any damage and it's a good way to signify 'fight over'. If the grappler's friends then try to kill the pinned target they can attack at +4, if he can't break free they'll eventually kill him.
Example: 6 men (STR 12) try to grapple Conan (STR 18/50). All 6 hit. Make the Grapple roll. STR difference is 6.5 so they have a base 50-65 = -15% chance, +100% for 5 additonal men = an 85% chance to pin him. He can attempt to break free once per round, with a 15% chance of success.
Note that trying to grapple someone typically gives them a free attack on you as you close in, per 1e Weapon Length rules.
Grappling from the rear would give a bonus on the initial to-hit roll, eg +4 with surprise, +2 otherwise. I don't think it should affect the % roll to pin the target but you could give a cirumstance bonus if desired, +10% might be reasonable in some circumstances.
Multiple Attackers with Variable Strength use their average strength. In that case you can either eyeball it or add up all the STRs of the successful grapplers and divide by the number of grapplers, using a calculator.
Note that I'm assuming man-sized foes and that bulk is a factor; eg STR 9 guys are individually much weaker than STR 18/50 Conan, with an individual 50-95= -45% chance to pin him, but if 6 pile on him that chance goes to -45+100=55%.
NB Low level foes generally won't succeed on the base-AC5-roll to initiate the grapple, so Fighter-8 Conan probably has little to fear vs 0th level schmucks, especially if his back is to the wall, but a squad of higher level Fighters could hope to grapple a Fighter Lord.
DEATH AND DYING
At 0 to -2 hp, characters are unconscious but stable. At -3 to -9 hp characters are dying, losing 1hp/round until death at -10 hp. It takes 1 round and a successful WIS check to stabilise a dying PC. Stable PCs regain conciousness after a few minutes (2d4 rounds), but are incapacitated until returned to positive hp.
______________
SPELLS
A spellcaster may memorise lower-level spells in a higher-level slot, eg a 1st level spell in a 2nd level slot.
A few spells are adjusted for balance.
______________
ADVANCEMENT
XP for Gold follows the Arneson rule and is gained only when the gold is spent, on something other than personal equipment, or donated to a worthy cause - such as a temple or tavern. Minimum 100gp.
Maximum Advancement from a single XP award is 2 levels. The PC receives at most enough XP to put them at the minimum XP for the second level gained, and any excess XP is lost.
Replacement PCs: Within the same campaign, the player may roll over half the XP gained by a dead or retired PC to their new PC.
Training to Level Up
Training under a mentor to advance a level takes 1 week. The PC must be 1st-8th level. Typical cost is 100 gp per current level. At the completion of such training The PC may roll a d20, if the d20 roll is higher than their prime requisite they may raise their prime requisite by 1d3 points, to a maximum of their racial limit. Exceptional strength: If the PC is eligible for exceptional strength and rolls 19-20 on the attribute check, their Strength increases by 2d10%, to a maximum of their racial limit.
Multiclass characters with 2 classes get at most 1 check every 2 levels gained. Multiclass characters with 3 classes get at most 1 check every 3 levels gained.
Self training takes 2 weeks and can be done at any level. It It costs no money beyond standard upkeep, but does not offer the possibility of an attribute increase.
Coins: Coins are typically small, typically around 1/100 lb, or else heavily adulterated with base metal.
NPC Hit Dice
For settings such as the Wilderlands, where non-adventuring NPCs are often higher than 0th level.
These classes normally have a maximum level of 8, and receive hit dice at all levels. Some may have special abilities, eg the DMG Sage is an 8th level Scribe with some magical powers. They do not normally receive XP as PCs, but if desired may be progressed using the class table they fight and save as.
Warrior: Hit Dice d8. Fight & Save as: Fighter
Aristocrat: Hit Dice d6. Fight & Save as: Cleric
Merchant: Hit Dice d6 Fight & Save as: Thief
Scribe: Hit Dice d4 Fight & Save as: Magic-User
____________
Thief Skill %s:
An unaware, not particularly alert 1st level or 1 hd opponent would usually be a 1st level threat. Typically a threat encountered on dungeon level 1 would typically be 1st level, on the 8th level it'd be 8th level. Eg a simple lock on a tradesman's chest might be 1st level, while a sophisticated merchant's lock might be 6th level, the lock to the Imperial Treasury might be 12th level, and locks in a demigod's mansion might be 15th level or higher (the Cat Lord's locks might max out at 21st, -50% to pick). The exact level distribution will depend on the campaign.
Likewise, a well maintained castle stone outer wall might be 11th level, while a crumbling ruin's wall might only be 1st level, easy for any Thief to climb.
Another way of looking at is simply that the GM should feel free to adjust the chance of success by up to +/- 50%, giving low level Thieves a decent chance to succeed, and preventing automatic success in stealing Odin's treasury.
__________
Long Jump: For unencumbered PC in typical environment (dungeon corridor) with 90' move: (STR+DEX)/3 + 1d6 in feet.
PC Speed:
120' > x1
90' > x3/4
60' > x 1/2
_________
Dungeon Level Typical Items Found
1-3 +1
4-6 +2 (or special +1)
7-9 +3 (or special +1-+2)
10-12 +4 (or special +2-+3)
13+ +5 (or special +3-+4)
________________
Armour AC Move Cost
No Armour +0 12" 0gp
Leather or Quilted Jerkin +2 12" 5gp
Ringmail, Reinforced Leather +3 10" 15gp
Scale Hauberk +4 9" 45gp
Chain Hauberk +5 9" 75gp
Banded Lamellar & Chain +6 8" 90gp
Breast Plate +6 9" 250gp
Plate Mail +7 8" 400gp
Max STR damage bonuses for Missile Weapons
Thrown Weapons
Darts: +2 NB Darts are expended on use, like arrows, but like arrows can be repaired.
Other Thrown: Unlimited
Bows
Bow, Long: +4 for a 'Mary Rose' type English longbow
Bow, Short: +0
Comp Bow, Long: +6
Comp Bow, Short: +2
Crossbows: +0 unless specially crafted for high STR, in which case they can either do higher damage die or reload faster
Sling
Depends on bullets - unlimited if both sling and bullets are specially crafted to the wielder's STR.
Friday, 3 September 2010
Campaign Calendar to Beginning of Session 13
Approximate Dates of Prior Adventures and Campaigns, 4433 BCCC
Day 11 (Thawmist): The Slave Master's Party - 1st PBEM, C&C. RL: 2006 March-April
Day 61-124 "Spring": Garth, Arnora & co, 2nd PBEM, C&C, 64 days. ended in TPK "Month 5 Day 4" (CC) near Council Spire. RL: 2007 Feb-2008 March.
Day 81-128 : Caverns of Thracia/Razorfish 'Sailing Southern Seas' - 48 days, 3rd PBEM, C&C. RL: 2008 April-ca Oct
Day 141-145: 'Groups'/Tegel Manor - 4th PBEM, C&C. RL 2008 May-Dec
Day 181-200 approx - "Late Summer" (Harvestime): 'Ilhiedrin Book' & 'Tower of Mabeleck' Dinas/Moffet - 1st chat game, LL. RL: 2009 March - 2010 June
Day 181-182 (Harvestime): 'Barbarians of the Wilderlands' - 5th PBEM, LL. RL 2009 Aug-Oct
Day 221+ (Blackmoon+): CSIO Deod & co - 2nd chat game, OSRIC. RL: 2010 July -
CSIO Campaign
In game time we started on afternoon of Day 221 of 4433 BCCC, it's now lunchtime Day 257, so 36 days later in-game.
In real time we started 6th July 2010, session 11 was yesterday, so just under 60 days real-time.
CAMPAIGN CALENDAR - BCCC - 4433 BCCC
Month of Blackmoon (M12/18), Days 221-240, Samhain is on Day 232, when the Dead Walk!
Day 221 (221st day of 44333), Campaign Start, afternoon & evening: Sessions 1-2 - Deod & Ath meet Malenn, fight slavers, meet Morri.
Day 224, evening:
Session 3, PCs have rested 3 days 2-4 (6 hp each normal, Malenn heals Tal +3) Tal Deo & Malenn at full hp, Chris' PC still laid up, Kjato's PC enters play. Meet Marcus, agree to help Tinker the halfling find his nephews.
Session 4: Karmak rescues Teri from Orcs, they meet Deod Tal & co at the Inn. Deod loses arm-wrestle to Orson, but wins Malenn in the bath...
Day 225, morning-afternoon:
(Karmak goes to Sage's Guild)
Session 5-6 - PCs go to Despot Ruins, battle goblins and zombies, rescue Jana Thadeus and 2 halfling brothers. Outside halfling bakery Tal tries to flee with the loot, Orson stabs him, he gets away minus his backpack.
At End sess 6: Marcus Hystaspes + Jana on way to School of Ancient Knowledge.
Orson, Deod, Malenn (semi-conscious at -1 hp) and Orestes (NPC'd) at the Pirate's Cove Inn
Taliesin fled away down Bywater Rd
___________________
Session 7 - Later Day 225 - battle with Orson's pirate friends, rescue of Thaya, meet Karmak
Day 226:
Dawn - Orson the Northron leaves on his pirate ship.
Deod Malenn Marcus Orestes Karmak Thaya breakfast at Inn, go seek training.
Days 226-232: PCs training. Finish evening of Day 232; Samhain!
Day 227 - late, Sir Gorm wakes hungover, Thaya can get back in.
___________________________
Session 8 Start: Day 232, evening
PCs go into caves under Patrician Theatre, encounter crocs
____________________________________
Session 9:
Day 232-233: PCs encounter the Badl, rescue Sara Brightpage from the Tentacle Beast that was once Sir Tomas Prosperino, battle crocodiles, the last PCs (Deod Malenn Ragnar Nadra) get back up the rope and return after midnight, they are rewarded by Ikjude. Get free tickets! PCs rest through the day. Most of the cash goes on a new healing potion.
Day 233, evening: Grand Opening of "Phantom Cats of the Rainbow Dreamcoat" at the Patrician Theatre is a big success, watched by the Overlord and several of his harem in the Royal Box, and most of the City State's aristocracy. Nadra, Ragnar & Lucy, Deod & Malenn, and Marcus get to watch from the cheap seats.
Days 234-240: Deod trains up to 3rd level at the Temple of Odin. PCs rest, hear various rumours etc
_____________________
Session 10 (Tues 31 Aug 2010)
start: Evening, Day 240 - Deod completes his training regime. PCs meet at Inn.
Dawn Day 241: Set off into Mermist Swamp after Captain Iremath, kill Black Annis and rescue Iremath, her sisters are angry! Get back to Marsh Gate after midnight (early Day 242)
Day 242 - PCs fatigued, rest
Days 243-249 - PCs who can afford to pay for Training, train and level up (Marcus, Malenn)
Deod:
GM: OK, with the reputation gained by rescuing Captain Iremath from the swamp hag Black Annis, Deod is able to get a position as a temple guard of Odin - 4 sp/day for 8 hour shift covers basic living expenses for himself & Malenn at the Inn (or he could take a bunk at the temple barracks - 3 square meals/day, but no net pay & no Malenn!). He can rearrange to change shifts but he would need permission for a leave of absence for any long-term adventuring beyond the city.
Day 245 - Kothy sells his girls to Ragnar when he comes back with 30gp each.
Day 247 - Deod and Marcus battle a gargoyle.
Days 250-256 - PCs too poor to pay for training, train and level up (Karmak, Ragnar, Nadra)
_________________
Session 11 (Thurs 2nd Sept 2010)
Morning Day 257: Training completed, PCs assemble, visit Sage's Guild, then Karmak Marcus Malenn Deod & Teri to Wild Boar Tavern, lunch there 1-2pm.
_____________
Session 12
2-3pm: PCs spend an hour exploring the 5-Level Dungeon, battle giant leeches and hairless rat-things, recover a "Crystal of Far Vision" and return to the Storage Pit under the Wild Boar.
__________
Session 13
Day 11 (Thawmist): The Slave Master's Party - 1st PBEM, C&C. RL: 2006 March-April
Day 61-124 "Spring": Garth, Arnora & co, 2nd PBEM, C&C, 64 days. ended in TPK "Month 5 Day 4" (CC) near Council Spire. RL: 2007 Feb-2008 March.
Day 81-128 : Caverns of Thracia/Razorfish 'Sailing Southern Seas' - 48 days, 3rd PBEM, C&C. RL: 2008 April-ca Oct
Day 141-145: 'Groups'/Tegel Manor - 4th PBEM, C&C. RL 2008 May-Dec
Day 181-200 approx - "Late Summer" (Harvestime): 'Ilhiedrin Book' & 'Tower of Mabeleck' Dinas/Moffet - 1st chat game, LL. RL: 2009 March - 2010 June
Day 181-182 (Harvestime): 'Barbarians of the Wilderlands' - 5th PBEM, LL. RL 2009 Aug-Oct
Day 221+ (Blackmoon+): CSIO Deod & co - 2nd chat game, OSRIC. RL: 2010 July -
CSIO Campaign
In game time we started on afternoon of Day 221 of 4433 BCCC, it's now lunchtime Day 257, so 36 days later in-game.
In real time we started 6th July 2010, session 11 was yesterday, so just under 60 days real-time.
CAMPAIGN CALENDAR - BCCC - 4433 BCCC
Month of Blackmoon (M12/18), Days 221-240, Samhain is on Day 232, when the Dead Walk!
Day 221 (221st day of 44333), Campaign Start, afternoon & evening: Sessions 1-2 - Deod & Ath meet Malenn, fight slavers, meet Morri.
Day 224, evening:
Session 3, PCs have rested 3 days 2-4 (6 hp each normal, Malenn heals Tal +3) Tal Deo & Malenn at full hp, Chris' PC still laid up, Kjato's PC enters play. Meet Marcus, agree to help Tinker the halfling find his nephews.
Session 4: Karmak rescues Teri from Orcs, they meet Deod Tal & co at the Inn. Deod loses arm-wrestle to Orson, but wins Malenn in the bath...
Day 225, morning-afternoon:
(Karmak goes to Sage's Guild)
Session 5-6 - PCs go to Despot Ruins, battle goblins and zombies, rescue Jana Thadeus and 2 halfling brothers. Outside halfling bakery Tal tries to flee with the loot, Orson stabs him, he gets away minus his backpack.
At End sess 6: Marcus Hystaspes + Jana on way to School of Ancient Knowledge.
Orson, Deod, Malenn (semi-conscious at -1 hp) and Orestes (NPC'd) at the Pirate's Cove Inn
Taliesin fled away down Bywater Rd
___________________
Session 7 - Later Day 225 - battle with Orson's pirate friends, rescue of Thaya, meet Karmak
Day 226:
Dawn - Orson the Northron leaves on his pirate ship.
Deod Malenn Marcus Orestes Karmak Thaya breakfast at Inn, go seek training.
Days 226-232: PCs training. Finish evening of Day 232; Samhain!
Day 227 - late, Sir Gorm wakes hungover, Thaya can get back in.
___________________________
Session 8 Start: Day 232, evening
PCs go into caves under Patrician Theatre, encounter crocs
____________________________________
Session 9:
Day 232-233: PCs encounter the Badl, rescue Sara Brightpage from the Tentacle Beast that was once Sir Tomas Prosperino, battle crocodiles, the last PCs (Deod Malenn Ragnar Nadra) get back up the rope and return after midnight, they are rewarded by Ikjude. Get free tickets! PCs rest through the day. Most of the cash goes on a new healing potion.
Day 233, evening: Grand Opening of "Phantom Cats of the Rainbow Dreamcoat" at the Patrician Theatre is a big success, watched by the Overlord and several of his harem in the Royal Box, and most of the City State's aristocracy. Nadra, Ragnar & Lucy, Deod & Malenn, and Marcus get to watch from the cheap seats.
Days 234-240: Deod trains up to 3rd level at the Temple of Odin. PCs rest, hear various rumours etc
_____________________
Session 10 (Tues 31 Aug 2010)
start: Evening, Day 240 - Deod completes his training regime. PCs meet at Inn.
Dawn Day 241: Set off into Mermist Swamp after Captain Iremath, kill Black Annis and rescue Iremath, her sisters are angry! Get back to Marsh Gate after midnight (early Day 242)
Day 242 - PCs fatigued, rest
Days 243-249 - PCs who can afford to pay for Training, train and level up (Marcus, Malenn)
Deod:
GM: OK, with the reputation gained by rescuing Captain Iremath from the swamp hag Black Annis, Deod is able to get a position as a temple guard of Odin - 4 sp/day for 8 hour shift covers basic living expenses for himself & Malenn at the Inn (or he could take a bunk at the temple barracks - 3 square meals/day, but no net pay & no Malenn!). He can rearrange to change shifts but he would need permission for a leave of absence for any long-term adventuring beyond the city.
Day 245 - Kothy sells his girls to Ragnar when he comes back with 30gp each.
Day 247 - Deod and Marcus battle a gargoyle.
Days 250-256 - PCs too poor to pay for training, train and level up (Karmak, Ragnar, Nadra)
_________________
Session 11 (Thurs 2nd Sept 2010)
Morning Day 257: Training completed, PCs assemble, visit Sage's Guild, then Karmak Marcus Malenn Deod & Teri to Wild Boar Tavern, lunch there 1-2pm.
_____________
Session 12
2-3pm: PCs spend an hour exploring the 5-Level Dungeon, battle giant leeches and hairless rat-things, recover a "Crystal of Far Vision" and return to the Storage Pit under the Wild Boar.
__________
Session 13
Thursday, 2 September 2010
PC Summary, end session 11
XP award end session 11:
Deod, Marcus Malenn: 600 (+60 for Deod)
Ragnar, Karmak: 200 (+20 for Ragnar)
PC Party combatants:
1. Deod, Skandik Ftr-4 CG - Deo - Inn room 5 (w Malenn) DE 13 CHA 12 AC 4 HP 27/27 +1 bardiche XP 9253/16000 Enemy: Slavers, Pirates Friends: Malenn
+ 2. NPC Malenn of Mitra, Pal-3 (f) LG - Deod's girlfriend - Inn room 5 DE 8 CHA 17 AC 3/4 HP 24/24 XP 6333/12500 Enemy: Thieves, Slavers
3. Marcus Hystaspes, Desert Lands Pal-3 LG - Kjato - Inn room 7 DE 14 CHA 17 AC 4/5 HP 23/23 XP 7793/12500 Enemy: Pirates Friends: Jana
4. Ragnar the Young, Tharbrian Ftr-3 CG - Bob - Inn room 6 - DE 16 CHA 13 AC 3 HP 31/31 XP 6142/7750 +10% Friends: Lucy Prentice
+ NPC Lucy Prentice of Cambridge (f) HD 3 DE 13 CHA 14 AC 8 HP 21/21
5. Nadra of the Dunael, 'Corporal' Rgr-3 NG - Craig - Inn room 4 - DE 12 CH 8 AC 4 HP 27/27 sbow spec has +1 arrows: 12 XP 5233/9500 Friends: Marquis Ikjude
6. Karmak the Slayer, Tharbrian Ftr-2 CN - Mobad - Inn room 8 DE 17 CHA 11 AC 0 HP 15/15 XP 3033/4250 Enemy: Orc Thugs
Deod, Marcus Malenn: 600 (+60 for Deod)
Ragnar, Karmak: 200 (+20 for Ragnar)
PC Party combatants:
1. Deod, Skandik Ftr-4 CG - Deo - Inn room 5 (w Malenn) DE 13 CHA 12 AC 4 HP 27/27 +1 bardiche XP 9253/16000 Enemy: Slavers, Pirates Friends: Malenn
+ 2. NPC Malenn of Mitra, Pal-3 (f) LG - Deod's girlfriend - Inn room 5 DE 8 CHA 17 AC 3/4 HP 24/24 XP 6333/12500 Enemy: Thieves, Slavers
3. Marcus Hystaspes, Desert Lands Pal-3 LG - Kjato - Inn room 7 DE 14 CHA 17 AC 4/5 HP 23/23 XP 7793/12500 Enemy: Pirates Friends: Jana
4. Ragnar the Young, Tharbrian Ftr-3 CG - Bob - Inn room 6 - DE 16 CHA 13 AC 3 HP 31/31 XP 6142/7750 +10% Friends: Lucy Prentice
+ NPC Lucy Prentice of Cambridge (f) HD 3 DE 13 CHA 14 AC 8 HP 21/21
5. Nadra of the Dunael, 'Corporal' Rgr-3 NG - Craig - Inn room 4 - DE 12 CH 8 AC 4 HP 27/27 sbow spec has +1 arrows: 12 XP 5233/9500 Friends: Marquis Ikjude
6. Karmak the Slayer, Tharbrian Ftr-2 CN - Mobad - Inn room 8 DE 17 CHA 11 AC 0 HP 15/15 XP 3033/4250 Enemy: Orc Thugs
Deodanth, Skandik Fighter (end session 11)
Name: Deod Anthersson
Race: Human
Class: Fighting-Man
Level: 4th (Hero)
Alignment: Neutral Good
Armor Class: 4 (Heavy Skandik mail armour)
Move: 9"
Hit Points: 27 (current 27)
THAC0: 17
Experience: 9253 xp (trained)
Str 16 +1 dmg, +35#, open 1-3, bend/lift 10% (Trained +2)
Int 10
Wis 11
Dex 13
Con 12 System Shock 80%
Cha 12 Max 5 henchmen
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 190#
Hair: Red
Eyes: Blue-gray
Age: 21 (Young adult)
Land of Origin: Croy, Skandik
Traits: Friendly, bawdy, vigorous
Interests: Fighting, drinking, singing war songs, wenching
Primary Skills: Sail, Swim (+2 on ability checks)
Secondary Skills: Bowyer/Fletcher
Languages: Common, Skandik, Altanian
Proficiencies: Great Axe (3 slots/Double Spec), Javelin, Longbow (2 slots)
Attacks: 3/2 rounds great axe +4 | 1d10+5/3d4+5
2/1 round longbow +0|1d6+1
1/round javelin +0|1d6+1
Background:
A fighting Sea-Wolf of the Rock Clan of Skandik people, from the Winedark Sea.
Just landed in the City-State aboard the Wave Maiden, from Croy.
Equipment: Skandik heavy mail (AC 4), small helm, +1 Bardiche, longbow, 3 javelins, leaf-bladed shortsword, quiver & arrows (19)
Leather satchel, silk rope (50'), iron spikes (10), large sacks (4), messkit, work gloves, waterskin, belt pouch, 1 day std rations (4 sp)
Potion of Healing (1, 2d4+2 hp + remove paralysis, lent to Malenn)
Money on hand:
75 gp
26 sp
20 cp
0 Gemstones
0 Jewelry
Treasure from the goblins:
1 horseman's flail, headed by 2 heavy sharpened rings rather than by a spiked ball
six pairs of work gloves (1 to Taliesin)
a Sopok, a combination Blowpipe/Spear which is just under 4' long
Race: Human
Class: Fighting-Man
Level: 4th (Hero)
Alignment: Neutral Good
Armor Class: 4 (Heavy Skandik mail armour)
Move: 9"
Hit Points: 27 (current 27)
THAC0: 17
Experience: 9253 xp (trained)
Str 16 +1 dmg, +35#, open 1-3, bend/lift 10% (Trained +2)
Int 10
Wis 11
Dex 13
Con 12 System Shock 80%
Cha 12 Max 5 henchmen
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 190#
Hair: Red
Eyes: Blue-gray
Age: 21 (Young adult)
Land of Origin: Croy, Skandik
Traits: Friendly, bawdy, vigorous
Interests: Fighting, drinking, singing war songs, wenching
Primary Skills: Sail, Swim (+2 on ability checks)
Secondary Skills: Bowyer/Fletcher
Languages: Common, Skandik, Altanian
Proficiencies: Great Axe (3 slots/Double Spec), Javelin, Longbow (2 slots)
Attacks: 3/2 rounds great axe +4 | 1d10+5/3d4+5
2/1 round longbow +0|1d6+1
1/round javelin +0|1d6+1
Background:
A fighting Sea-Wolf of the Rock Clan of Skandik people, from the Winedark Sea.
Just landed in the City-State aboard the Wave Maiden, from Croy.
Equipment: Skandik heavy mail (AC 4), small helm, +1 Bardiche, longbow, 3 javelins, leaf-bladed shortsword, quiver & arrows (19)
Leather satchel, silk rope (50'), iron spikes (10), large sacks (4), messkit, work gloves, waterskin, belt pouch, 1 day std rations (4 sp)
Potion of Healing (1, 2d4+2 hp + remove paralysis, lent to Malenn)
Money on hand:
75 gp
26 sp
20 cp
0 Gemstones
0 Jewelry
Treasure from the goblins:
1 horseman's flail, headed by 2 heavy sharpened rings rather than by a spiked ball
six pairs of work gloves (1 to Taliesin)
a Sopok, a combination Blowpipe/Spear which is just under 4' long
Ragnar the Young
Ragnar's player requested I post him online for reference:
Ragnar the Young, Tharbrian Fighter Level 3
XP bonus (+10%)
ST 17 (+1 +1)
DE 16 (+1 -2) Jump 11'+1d6'
CO 16 (+2)
IN 12
WI 9
CH 13
Al. CG
Speed 90'.
Hit Points: 31
AC 3 (scale 6, -2 DEX, -1 shield), THAC0 base 18, melee/missile 17, non-prof 19
Weapon Proficiencies: Broadsword (3 slots, x2 spec), Shortbow (2 slots, proficient)
Wpn: Broadsword (x2 spec) THAC0 14 (+3 spec +1 STR) dam: 2d4+4 (S&M) /1d6+5 (L) (inc +1 STR +3 spec) ATT 3/2
Wpn: Shortbow THAC0 17 damage: 1d6/1d6 FR: 2
Cash: 10 cp, 5sp, 39gp
Companions/Slaves:
1. Miss Lucy Prentice - graduate student of CHER, Cambridge. Shapely brunette. From Earth 2009
2. Lani Chapman - from Earth-1994
3. Maria Torelli - from Earth 1994
__________
From BoTW:
Ragnar The Young
Rank/Position/Concept: Ex Gladiator Slave guard, whose disdain for the casual
mistreatment of the slaves he regards as highly dishonourable
, he's assisted the slaves to escape in the hopes that at the very least they
will be able to take some of the slavers and their less
enlightened guards with them.
Sex: Male
Species: Human, Tharbrian
Homeland: home village has been reducing yearly following a major outbreak of
some illness, those left are dwindling as the village is in its death throes
Age: 18
Height: 5 feet 11 inches
Weight: 170lbs
Colour of - Hair: - Eyes: - Skin: Black extremely short hair, green eyes
Appearance: imposing for his age, leanly muscled
Clothing: common tunic and breeches, leather armoured greaves
Demeanour: grim and yearning for a glorious death or possibly a glorious story prior to death
Motivations: Ragnar is fed up being the poor offspring of a famous warrior in
the village, finding the words of the elders who remain there to be hurtful
where they are not actually so.
He wishes to make his own way in the world and achieve fame to equal his sire
Background: Forced to seek employment as a guard for slavers due to the collapse of his home villages ability to raid...
_____________
CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES LL
Class: Fighter Level: 3 XP: 5001
Stats / LL Bonuses (refer to rulebook)
Str /17
Dex /16
Con /16
Int /12
Wis /9
Cha /13
Broadsword, Scalemail w Scale hood, common helm with faceguard, roundshield
Equipment: bedding roll, 7 days rations, flint & tinder, backpack
_________
The Adventures of Ragnar the Young, 4433 BCCC
Day 182 - Windgod Hills - No sooner had Ragnar rescued a pretty little blonde girl from the Ape, Kang, than she vanishes in a sparkle of white light! Lucy Prentice looks down at her own body, as if expecting to vanish too, but remains solid. Ragnar and Lucy trek on south through the hills.
Day 183: Windgod Hills. They trek on. The peak of Lagh Anon rises close by to the west.
Day 184 - Moving south, Ragnar & Lucy encounter friendly Ibyx Clan Altanians, 77 strong, who permit them to stay with them for two nights (184, 185) and trade for supplies - food, and footwear for Lucy. After initial misunderstandings with a couple of Altanian youths, Lucy discovers it's safer to pose as Ragnar's slave-girl. Eventually they are directed on south, with advice to look out for and avoid the vicious Datta Goblins. Beyond Goblin territory lie human lands and possible means back to civilisation.
Day 186 - Bid the Ibyx Clan farewell, continue south with two guides.
Day 187 - At the edge of Ibyx Clan territory The guides leave, with some advice: "Continue south through the Hills, avoid the Ape-Man Jungles to the east. Once the hills end, you will come into jungle to the south. Beware of dangerous beasts. Veer south-east towards the coast. This will take you further from Goblin territory. Eventually you will come to the River Ayesha. You will need to cross it to continue south."
Day 188 - The Hills descend into Jungle, Ragnar and Lucy veer SE as instructed, towards the coast.
Day 189 - Trekking through hot and humid Jungle. Ragnar's scalemail is hot and uncomfortable compared to Lucy's sandals-and-loincloth.
Day 190 - Ragnar and Lucy spot ahead of them the statue of a huge wolf, and forewarned they manage to avoid the terrible Basilisk, a 6'+ 8-legged petrifying lizard, though as they creep away Ragnar catches a sight of its fat grey tail among the trees.
Day 191 - Lucy and Ragnar come across a fully furnished chariot, mired in the muck. Very strange. They leave it and head on, Ragnar spots huge boar tracks. There is a fierce lightning storm that night.
Day 192 - Around noon Lucy and Ragnar come out on a sandy beach overlooking the blue waters of the Straits of Maerstag. After trekking some way along the beach, they come across a campfire at which a ship's foraging party of six men is resting and cooking a sheep-sized cabybara. Their ship can be seen in the bay, being repaired. Ragnar approaches and talks to the men, who prove friendly - the ship is a fast CSIO (City State) ship, the Keen Kraken under Captain Kothy Penderghast, come from Antil with a cargo of Antillian silks, and a few female slaves (the latter news causing nervousness from Lucy). The crew stopped in to take on fresh water, hunt, and make some repairs following the storm last night, which did some damage. Captain Penderghast happily offers Ragnar a ride, in return for his services as a marine guard and general helper. With the alternative being weeks in goblin-infested wilderness, Ragnar accepts. Lucy is put to work in the ship's galley, helping the cook.
Days 193-232 The Keen Kraken sails swiftly south, stopping in at the island trading post of Mysk before heading on south and east around the Pazidan Peninsula, entering the Orichalan Straits between Pazidan and the Isle of the Blest. She stops in at the port of Ludgates to trade, before passing the straits and turning north up Pazidan's eastern coast. Averaging more than 45 leagues/135 miles a day with a fair wind, the ship sails swiftly north, stopping to trade at the ports of Zothay and Kauran before heading out to sea to avoid the fierce Skandik raiders at Ossary. Eventually she passes the Pagan Coast, through the Mouth of Raglaroon, and enters the Estuary of Raglaroon, a great fjord-like cut several hundred miles long and several miles wide. After an uneventful journey up the Raglaroon, with the dark bulk of Dearthwood to starboard (right), she reaches the docks of the City State on Day 232 - Samhain, the Day of the Dead. The Keen Kraken will be in her native port several weeks for extensive repairs, to trade, and to give the crew a chance to work on their marriages with wives long-unseen. Or just get very very drunk. Captain Penderghast bids farewell to Ragnar, at least for now, with advice that if he's looking for an Inn the Pirate's Cove Inn on Sea-Brigand's Street is an honest place, though Ragnar lacks much coin for a private room... But surely a city as great as this must have opportunities, right?
---------
Arrival in CSIO
Eventually Ragnar and Lucy bid Kothy and his crew goodbye, and set off into the city, heading north along the docks as per Kothy's directions. Lucy sighs: "My hair stinks of pig-fat from weeks in that galley, I could really do with a bath..." She pauses as you notice a group of four pig-faced humanoids regarding you from the quayside - Orcs! In the City! But other passers by are ignoring them - it must be normal, here.
The biggest Orc sees Ragnar pull Lucy closer and chuckles nastily, leering at her well-rounded form, but there are lots of sailors, dock-whores, fish-wives and others still around, and the Orcs don't make a move towards you.
Eventually the road you're following, Bywater, leaves the docks at a large brightly lit building signed "Hippotier's Bazaar", heading north through an area of shops and warehouses. There are many masked revellers on the streets, frenetically celebrating Samhain, the Day of the Dead. At a closed Bakery you turn right onto Sea Brigand's Street and spot the Pirate's Cove Inn ahead on your right.
Entering the Inn, Ragnar sees it bustling with sailors, buccaneers, and a smattering of adventurers. Loincloth-clad slavegirls bustle around bringing ale, gruel, crab-cakes and fish stew to the clientele.
Marcus, and Malenn are sat at a table, having just completed their Paladin training at the Temple. They see the young Tharbrian warrior come in, accompanied by a shapely dark-haired slave girl in black loincloth and sandals. The warrior wears black Scale armour.
Ragnar, Evening Day 232
After rescuing Sara Brightpage from the Badl, while relaxing in Ragnar's arms that night after a hot bath and much rumpy-pumpy in their fairly clean Inn bed, Lucy Prentice starts talking about something that's been on her mind.
Lucy: "Mmm...Something I've been meaning to talk about, but I didn't get a chance earlier. About a week ago I got a chance to speak with the two slave girls Captain Penderghast kept in his cabin. I heard them talking together, and their accents sounded familiar, from a place called America, on my world. So I thought they might be from Cambridge, brought here by Myuni and the experiment. But when I spoke with them - they said they were from Boston, a city in America, but they've been here about six months, long before I arrived here. They arrived on a beach near Antil, and were picked up by the Antillians. Their names are Lani Chapman and Maria Torelli. The older woman Lani was a schoolteacher, and Maria was a pupil at her school..."
Lucy pauses.
"And they told me that when they were brought here, the year was 1994, but when *I* was brought here it was 2009! 15 years later! And that's not the strangest thing... I just had time to ask who the President of America was, and they said Bill Clinton! But on my world the American President in 1994 was called Ross Perot... So it seems that they're not just from a different world, they're from a different time-line. What do you think it means?"
Lucy looks over at Ragnar to see if he's still awake.
"Do you think we should try to talk to them again?"
>>Turn for Ragnar:
"Lucy, I think we should talk to them again, if we get the chance to do so. But I'm not sure when we will see the Captain again to be able to do it. What do you think it all means, they are from some alternative version of your own home? Is Myuni to be trusted...well I suppose speaking to the two girls will reveal how they came to be in their predicament."<<
Lucy has half-risen, leaning on her left elbow alongside Ragnar. She nods thoughtfully.
Lucy:
"I think you persuaded Kothy not to sell them for a few days, I think he said he'd keep them in his cabin onboard the Keen Kraken. But I expect he'll sell them at the Slave Market eventually. I remember he said he didn't think his wife would let him keep them."
She sighs.
"I don't know if it's possible for you to buy them? I think the forty gold pieces we got today is quite a lot of money, but..."
She shrugs.
OOC: With his experience working for slavers, Ragnar would know that a typical female slave fetches around 15gp, as opposed to 20gp or so for a healthy male, but notably good-looking ones like Kothy's pair are typically more like 25gp each.
Pics of Kothy's Cabin Girls on my new CSIO game-blog! >:)
http://smons.blogspot.com/2010/08/kothy ... girls.html
_______________________________
Day 245
Having rested for several days and healed under Lucy's tender ministrations, Ragnar makes his way down to the docks, Lucy in tow. He soon finds the Keen Kraken, undergoing a major refit and refurbishment in preparation for its next ocean voyage. Captain Penderghast greets him cheerfully as usual:
"Ah, there y'are, ye young whippersnapper! Just in time, I was just about to sell the girls at the Market today!"
Kothy has the slave girls brought on deck, blinking in the morning sunshine and looking rather nervous. Both wear slave colllars of leather and iron with attached length of chain, the older redhead Lani is wearing rather worn white stockings and suspender belt, both are otherwise nude. Lani blushes under the leering gaze of the assembled crewmem, while the bottle-blonde Maria seems rather brazen, sticking her chest out to emphasise her melon-like breasts. Ragnar notices that both girls have the stylised hawk symbol of Antil branded on the back of their left thighs, a slave brand. Lucy nods to them.
Kothy:
"They're well-used, but in good health. Ye take good care of them now Ragnar, they've brought me much pleasure!"
Both cabin-girls start as Kothy gives them a friendly slap to their bare bottoms for emphasis.
Kothy:
"Ah, the things they can do with their tongues! Why, sometimes I just like to watch 'em go at each other..."
He sighs happily in his little reverie. Lucy nods to Kothy, twirling a short length of cane she picked up from the dockside and trying to look like a 'First Girl'.
Lucy:
"Don't worry Captain Penderghast, I'll make sure they're well trained and cared for."
Penderghast looks at her a little quizzically.
"Aye Lucy girl, I'm sure you will." He turns to Ragnar.
"So, sixty gold. I have their ownership chits from Antil. We'll say you bought 'em from me at sea, that way you're not liable for the local sales tax."
Ragnar hands over the 60 gp (leaving him 10 cp, 9sp, 62gp by my count) and Kothy passes him two lead circles with the girls' names and dates of capture. Ragnar takes the slave girls' chains, Lucy lightly swats both their bare behinds with her cane to get them moving, and you lead them from the ship down onto the dockside.
You bid Kothy farewell, then head back to the Pirate's Cove Inn with your three-girl entourage. Luckily the rooms are big enough for four people.
Back at the Inn, Lucy Prentice addresses the girls:
"So, Lani, Maria. Officially you're Ragnar's slaves, and I think we better stick with that. I've been in this city long enough to see that slave girls are safer than free women, generally speaking. As I told you, I'm a scientist - and I'm looking for a way to get us all home, or at worst, as near-home as possible. In the mean time we need to make the best of things. Ragnar is helping us. We're doing some 'adventuring' to make money, so we can pay a Sage or Wizard to help us. Any questions?"
Lani Chapman and Maria Torelli look at each other, then to Lucy.
Lani:
"H-how long do you think it will take? We've been here so long already, I didn't think we'd ever get home..."
Lucy shrugs.
"As long as it takes. It could be never. In any case you'll need to serve Ragnar and do what we say, if you're going to get through this."
Both slave girls look nervously at the young Tharbrian...
GM: Book-keeping: Ragnar has another 9 days of training to level up, now with 3 dependents that's 2sp (room) +4sp (food) = 6sp/day times 9 = 5 gp and 4sp.
_________________________________________
Day 257-4433 BCCC, lunchtime
Ragnar's Shopping Trip
Ragnar leaves Lucy Prentice, Lani Chapman and Maria Torelli with Learned Varixion while he goes shopping for travel supplies. Dresses are expensive and it's warm enough that you don't need to worry about clothes to keep the girls warm (You're only about 9 degrees north of the Equator, although it is an ice-age planet!), even the nights are warm this time of year - in fact Lucy has been complaining about the muggy heat quite frequently - but bedrolls for their delicate hides would be a good idea, and stout walking sandals for the road. They probably wouldn't say no to a loincloth, either, although Lucy does seem rather keen to keep them 'knowing their place' as low-rank nude slaves - ostensibly for their own good! Hmm...
Ragnar reflects on the practicalities of officially manumitting (freeing) Lani and Maria - from what Kothy has told him, he'd need to go to the government offices on Slave Market Plaza and buy them manumission papers for an outrageous sum - 200 gold each, Kothy said! Well, if Lucy can get them back to their home Plane he won't need to worry about such legalities.
Ragnar yawns as he heads down Bywater road, checking out the market stalls. Lucy has been particularly enthusiastic in her lovemaking this past week, perhaps to demonstrate her possession of Ragnar to the newcomers, leaving Lani & Maria to watch from the other bed. They don't seem to mind - the two often sleep in each others' arms, and sometimes in the small hours as Ragnar lies awake he hears the sounds of subdued love-play issue from their side of the darkened room. Ragnar has heard of the Ladies of Ghinor, said to prefer each other to their effeminate menfolk, and slavers often train girls to perform such acts for the owners' own amusement. It must simply be compensation for their jealousy of Lucy and lack of access to himself, that'll be it...
Something else to consider buying - a horse. Ragnar's heavy Antillian scale armour slows him down, and the girls don't look strong enough to carry much of a weight without being slowed likewise. He's heard that the big Horse Market is the best place for fine steeds, but it lies a long way off, just by the Gate of the Gods, within the walls on the south road out of the City State - probably the best thing would be to buy a horse there when leaving. A good riding horse costs more than most slave girls, though, at least 25 gold... Expenses, expenses... *sigh*
Heading down the street, Ragnar locates a tailors' stall he remembered passing earlier, and peruses the wares. He checks his purse - currently has Cash: GP: 39 SP: 0 CP: 10 (it's 10 coppers to a silver, 10 silvers to a gold). Some things he could get:
Bedrolls, padded - 4 sp each. Could probably make do with 2, 1 for him & Lucy, 1 for Lani & Maria, making 8sp total.
Blanket, wool - 1sp each, 4 for 4sp. Could double as clothing at a pinch. Proper linen dresses are 3gp each.
Loincloth, soft linen - 1 sp each, 2 sp for 2. Although wool loincloths are only 5 cp each, 2 for 1 sp if the girls don't mind a bit of itching!
Nearby is a shoe stall. Sandals - 5 sp each. 2 for 1gp. There are some striking soft leather thigh boots that would look good on Lucy, but they're 2gp - and she already has sandals.
Ragnar also looks for rations - looks like standard rations (2 lb/person/day) will set him back 2sp/person/day, ie 8 sp day, making Inn food seem cheap by comparison! Dried Iron Rations weigh half as much, but cost a whopping 6 sp/person/day.
Sacks, large, hemp - for carrying rations and such - 15 cp each. Or proper leather backpacks are 2 gp each.
GM: Let me know what Ragnar is buying (you can refer to OSRIC equipment list for stuff not listed above, but prices vary).
__________________
Back at the Sage's Guild
After about an hour's shopping, Ragnar returns to the Sage's Guild - his fellow adventurers have left - and a stout slave woman ushers him in to the antechamber, where Lucy is waiting with Lani and Maria.
Lucy: "Hello Ragnar. Learned Varixion told me a lot more about his visitor, Samuel, who bought the Radiant Crystal. I might not have this all straight - I have a good memory, but this is all third-hand information... From what I can gather Samuel was a pupil in high school, on a world like mine. He was in class when a kind of vortex sucked in the teacher and other students, who were all female. He grabbed a girl to stop her being dragged in, and was dragged through the vortex himself. On the other side was a huge tentacle monster, a kind of demon that had created the vortex, I think, inside a ring of standing stones. The demon had been brought forth by an Altanian wizard-priest, Zalgor, working for an Altanian, Baron Gorath, to create the Vortex. Varixion called him a 'Traitor Baron', I think that has a specific meaning in this culture. These Altanians are slavers, the Vortex Demon is a free source of other-world slaves for them... "
She pauses.
"When Samuel arrived, there were lots of female teachers and girls from Samuel's school and elsewhere, being held in the demon's tentacles. It was beginning to... to rape them. Zalgor was going to dispel the demon then, so the girls could be captured, but something went wrong, the demon struck the wizard-priest and knocked him out before that could happen. Baron Gorath tried to fight the demon, but it knocked his magic sword away, and was going to kill him... Then Samuel grabbed the baron's sword and attacked the demon. I think something happened to Samuel, some kind of power-surge - I've felt something similar myself, when Kang was chasing me, and again when I healed you recently. Lani and Maria say they haven't felt anything like that, though. Anyway, Samuel was able to drive off the demon, back to its home Plane, and save the Baron. The Baron, Gorath, was grateful and adopted him as his own son. That was several months ago (6 months), about the same time Lani and Maria arrived here. Since then Samuel's been looking for a way home, adventuring - and yesterday he bought the Radiant Crystal from Varixion. He's heading back now to Gorath's castle, by the Queans Waste in northern Altanis."
Lucy pauses again.
"From what I can tell, Samuel has been working with the Altanian slavers freely, and the slave girl with him yesterday was his own former teacher, from his school. I think he's gone native with the Altanians. He could be dangerous - and he was powerful enough to defeat the Vortex Demon. I don't know how he'd react to us..."
_____________
Ragnar gets Lucy another short dress for 2gp (+3.4gp for the other clothes = 5.4gp total) - a red one to alternate with the blue one she has?
Back at the Sage's Guild, Lucy smiles delightedly at the new dress and boots:
"Thank you Ragnar, that's great!"
Lani takes her new loincloth gratefully:
"Thanks..."
She slips it on. Maria doesn't seem too fussed, but puts hers on too.
Lani and Maria however look disgruntled as Ragnar then explains his decision not to seek a way home right away. The older redhead woman speaks:
Lani:
"I... understand, but we haven't been here 15 years! It's only been about six months - just under four weeks here in the City, six weeks at sea, about fifteen weeks in Antil..."
Lucy frowns:
"Don't be silly Lani. Of course Ragnar meant the time which may have passed on your home Plane, if it's at the same time as mine, since it was 1994 on your world and 2009 on mine."
The younger blonde, Maria, shrugs:
"I dunno, I kinda like it here..."
Lani rolls her eyes at Maria.
Maria looks down, shrugs, blushing slightly.
"I mean, it could be worse... Although staying at the Inn all day is kinda boring..."
Lucy frowns again:
"Well you could be being rogered by some Orc, instead of under our protection."
She says curtly. Lucy turns to Ragnar.
"You're obviously right Ragnar, it would be foolish to go after this Samuel now, with what we know about him. I suggest instead we continue to amass funds, until we have enough to buy another Radiant Crystal, either here in the city or we could travel to where the Dwarves are and see if they have any for sale. We can try to get one for less than the thousand gold Samuel paid."
Lani and Maria reluctantly agree.
Lani:
"I suppose it's for the best..."
Leaving the Sage's Guild, you head back down Bywater Rd. Returning to the Inn and checking in with the bar owner Crusty Makadmer, Ragnar is told that Deod, Marcus & co have recently headed off to the Wild Boar Tavern on Shady Street, on a quest for the Five Level Dungeon - if he hurries he might still catch them.
Crusty:
"That's in the Thieves' Quarter, though - dangerous territory. You'll want to be careful. They ain't nice folks like us pirates."
He grins.
Ragnar the Young, Tharbrian Fighter Level 3
XP bonus (+10%)
ST 17 (+1 +1)
DE 16 (+1 -2) Jump 11'+1d6'
CO 16 (+2)
IN 12
WI 9
CH 13
Al. CG
Speed 90'.
Hit Points: 31
AC 3 (scale 6, -2 DEX, -1 shield), THAC0 base 18, melee/missile 17, non-prof 19
Weapon Proficiencies: Broadsword (3 slots, x2 spec), Shortbow (2 slots, proficient)
Wpn: Broadsword (x2 spec) THAC0 14 (+3 spec +1 STR) dam: 2d4+4 (S&M) /1d6+5 (L) (inc +1 STR +3 spec) ATT 3/2
Wpn: Shortbow THAC0 17 damage: 1d6/1d6 FR: 2
Cash: 10 cp, 5sp, 39gp
Companions/Slaves:
1. Miss Lucy Prentice - graduate student of CHER, Cambridge. Shapely brunette. From Earth 2009
2. Lani Chapman - from Earth-1994
3. Maria Torelli - from Earth 1994
__________
From BoTW:
Ragnar The Young
Rank/Position/Concept: Ex Gladiator Slave guard, whose disdain for the casual
mistreatment of the slaves he regards as highly dishonourable
, he's assisted the slaves to escape in the hopes that at the very least they
will be able to take some of the slavers and their less
enlightened guards with them.
Sex: Male
Species: Human, Tharbrian
Homeland: home village has been reducing yearly following a major outbreak of
some illness, those left are dwindling as the village is in its death throes
Age: 18
Height: 5 feet 11 inches
Weight: 170lbs
Colour of - Hair: - Eyes: - Skin: Black extremely short hair, green eyes
Appearance: imposing for his age, leanly muscled
Clothing: common tunic and breeches, leather armoured greaves
Demeanour: grim and yearning for a glorious death or possibly a glorious story prior to death
Motivations: Ragnar is fed up being the poor offspring of a famous warrior in
the village, finding the words of the elders who remain there to be hurtful
where they are not actually so.
He wishes to make his own way in the world and achieve fame to equal his sire
Background: Forced to seek employment as a guard for slavers due to the collapse of his home villages ability to raid...
_____________
CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES LL
Class: Fighter Level: 3 XP: 5001
Stats / LL Bonuses (refer to rulebook)
Str /17
Dex /16
Con /16
Int /12
Wis /9
Cha /13
Broadsword, Scalemail w Scale hood, common helm with faceguard, roundshield
Equipment: bedding roll, 7 days rations, flint & tinder, backpack
_________
The Adventures of Ragnar the Young, 4433 BCCC
Day 182 - Windgod Hills - No sooner had Ragnar rescued a pretty little blonde girl from the Ape, Kang, than she vanishes in a sparkle of white light! Lucy Prentice looks down at her own body, as if expecting to vanish too, but remains solid. Ragnar and Lucy trek on south through the hills.
Day 183: Windgod Hills. They trek on. The peak of Lagh Anon rises close by to the west.
Day 184 - Moving south, Ragnar & Lucy encounter friendly Ibyx Clan Altanians, 77 strong, who permit them to stay with them for two nights (184, 185) and trade for supplies - food, and footwear for Lucy. After initial misunderstandings with a couple of Altanian youths, Lucy discovers it's safer to pose as Ragnar's slave-girl. Eventually they are directed on south, with advice to look out for and avoid the vicious Datta Goblins. Beyond Goblin territory lie human lands and possible means back to civilisation.
Day 186 - Bid the Ibyx Clan farewell, continue south with two guides.
Day 187 - At the edge of Ibyx Clan territory The guides leave, with some advice: "Continue south through the Hills, avoid the Ape-Man Jungles to the east. Once the hills end, you will come into jungle to the south. Beware of dangerous beasts. Veer south-east towards the coast. This will take you further from Goblin territory. Eventually you will come to the River Ayesha. You will need to cross it to continue south."
Day 188 - The Hills descend into Jungle, Ragnar and Lucy veer SE as instructed, towards the coast.
Day 189 - Trekking through hot and humid Jungle. Ragnar's scalemail is hot and uncomfortable compared to Lucy's sandals-and-loincloth.
Day 190 - Ragnar and Lucy spot ahead of them the statue of a huge wolf, and forewarned they manage to avoid the terrible Basilisk, a 6'+ 8-legged petrifying lizard, though as they creep away Ragnar catches a sight of its fat grey tail among the trees.
Day 191 - Lucy and Ragnar come across a fully furnished chariot, mired in the muck. Very strange. They leave it and head on, Ragnar spots huge boar tracks. There is a fierce lightning storm that night.
Day 192 - Around noon Lucy and Ragnar come out on a sandy beach overlooking the blue waters of the Straits of Maerstag. After trekking some way along the beach, they come across a campfire at which a ship's foraging party of six men is resting and cooking a sheep-sized cabybara. Their ship can be seen in the bay, being repaired. Ragnar approaches and talks to the men, who prove friendly - the ship is a fast CSIO (City State) ship, the Keen Kraken under Captain Kothy Penderghast, come from Antil with a cargo of Antillian silks, and a few female slaves (the latter news causing nervousness from Lucy). The crew stopped in to take on fresh water, hunt, and make some repairs following the storm last night, which did some damage. Captain Penderghast happily offers Ragnar a ride, in return for his services as a marine guard and general helper. With the alternative being weeks in goblin-infested wilderness, Ragnar accepts. Lucy is put to work in the ship's galley, helping the cook.
Days 193-232 The Keen Kraken sails swiftly south, stopping in at the island trading post of Mysk before heading on south and east around the Pazidan Peninsula, entering the Orichalan Straits between Pazidan and the Isle of the Blest. She stops in at the port of Ludgates to trade, before passing the straits and turning north up Pazidan's eastern coast. Averaging more than 45 leagues/135 miles a day with a fair wind, the ship sails swiftly north, stopping to trade at the ports of Zothay and Kauran before heading out to sea to avoid the fierce Skandik raiders at Ossary. Eventually she passes the Pagan Coast, through the Mouth of Raglaroon, and enters the Estuary of Raglaroon, a great fjord-like cut several hundred miles long and several miles wide. After an uneventful journey up the Raglaroon, with the dark bulk of Dearthwood to starboard (right), she reaches the docks of the City State on Day 232 - Samhain, the Day of the Dead. The Keen Kraken will be in her native port several weeks for extensive repairs, to trade, and to give the crew a chance to work on their marriages with wives long-unseen. Or just get very very drunk. Captain Penderghast bids farewell to Ragnar, at least for now, with advice that if he's looking for an Inn the Pirate's Cove Inn on Sea-Brigand's Street is an honest place, though Ragnar lacks much coin for a private room... But surely a city as great as this must have opportunities, right?
---------
Arrival in CSIO
Eventually Ragnar and Lucy bid Kothy and his crew goodbye, and set off into the city, heading north along the docks as per Kothy's directions. Lucy sighs: "My hair stinks of pig-fat from weeks in that galley, I could really do with a bath..." She pauses as you notice a group of four pig-faced humanoids regarding you from the quayside - Orcs! In the City! But other passers by are ignoring them - it must be normal, here.
The biggest Orc sees Ragnar pull Lucy closer and chuckles nastily, leering at her well-rounded form, but there are lots of sailors, dock-whores, fish-wives and others still around, and the Orcs don't make a move towards you.
Eventually the road you're following, Bywater, leaves the docks at a large brightly lit building signed "Hippotier's Bazaar", heading north through an area of shops and warehouses. There are many masked revellers on the streets, frenetically celebrating Samhain, the Day of the Dead. At a closed Bakery you turn right onto Sea Brigand's Street and spot the Pirate's Cove Inn ahead on your right.
Entering the Inn, Ragnar sees it bustling with sailors, buccaneers, and a smattering of adventurers. Loincloth-clad slavegirls bustle around bringing ale, gruel, crab-cakes and fish stew to the clientele.
Marcus, and Malenn are sat at a table, having just completed their Paladin training at the Temple. They see the young Tharbrian warrior come in, accompanied by a shapely dark-haired slave girl in black loincloth and sandals. The warrior wears black Scale armour.
Ragnar, Evening Day 232
After rescuing Sara Brightpage from the Badl, while relaxing in Ragnar's arms that night after a hot bath and much rumpy-pumpy in their fairly clean Inn bed, Lucy Prentice starts talking about something that's been on her mind.
Lucy: "Mmm...Something I've been meaning to talk about, but I didn't get a chance earlier. About a week ago I got a chance to speak with the two slave girls Captain Penderghast kept in his cabin. I heard them talking together, and their accents sounded familiar, from a place called America, on my world. So I thought they might be from Cambridge, brought here by Myuni and the experiment. But when I spoke with them - they said they were from Boston, a city in America, but they've been here about six months, long before I arrived here. They arrived on a beach near Antil, and were picked up by the Antillians. Their names are Lani Chapman and Maria Torelli. The older woman Lani was a schoolteacher, and Maria was a pupil at her school..."
Lucy pauses.
"And they told me that when they were brought here, the year was 1994, but when *I* was brought here it was 2009! 15 years later! And that's not the strangest thing... I just had time to ask who the President of America was, and they said Bill Clinton! But on my world the American President in 1994 was called Ross Perot... So it seems that they're not just from a different world, they're from a different time-line. What do you think it means?"
Lucy looks over at Ragnar to see if he's still awake.
"Do you think we should try to talk to them again?"
>>Turn for Ragnar:
"Lucy, I think we should talk to them again, if we get the chance to do so. But I'm not sure when we will see the Captain again to be able to do it. What do you think it all means, they are from some alternative version of your own home? Is Myuni to be trusted...well I suppose speaking to the two girls will reveal how they came to be in their predicament."<<
Lucy has half-risen, leaning on her left elbow alongside Ragnar. She nods thoughtfully.
Lucy:
"I think you persuaded Kothy not to sell them for a few days, I think he said he'd keep them in his cabin onboard the Keen Kraken. But I expect he'll sell them at the Slave Market eventually. I remember he said he didn't think his wife would let him keep them."
She sighs.
"I don't know if it's possible for you to buy them? I think the forty gold pieces we got today is quite a lot of money, but..."
She shrugs.
OOC: With his experience working for slavers, Ragnar would know that a typical female slave fetches around 15gp, as opposed to 20gp or so for a healthy male, but notably good-looking ones like Kothy's pair are typically more like 25gp each.
Pics of Kothy's Cabin Girls on my new CSIO game-blog! >:)
http://smons.blogspot.com/2010/08/kothy ... girls.html
_______________________________
Day 245
Having rested for several days and healed under Lucy's tender ministrations, Ragnar makes his way down to the docks, Lucy in tow. He soon finds the Keen Kraken, undergoing a major refit and refurbishment in preparation for its next ocean voyage. Captain Penderghast greets him cheerfully as usual:
"Ah, there y'are, ye young whippersnapper! Just in time, I was just about to sell the girls at the Market today!"
Kothy has the slave girls brought on deck, blinking in the morning sunshine and looking rather nervous. Both wear slave colllars of leather and iron with attached length of chain, the older redhead Lani is wearing rather worn white stockings and suspender belt, both are otherwise nude. Lani blushes under the leering gaze of the assembled crewmem, while the bottle-blonde Maria seems rather brazen, sticking her chest out to emphasise her melon-like breasts. Ragnar notices that both girls have the stylised hawk symbol of Antil branded on the back of their left thighs, a slave brand. Lucy nods to them.
Kothy:
"They're well-used, but in good health. Ye take good care of them now Ragnar, they've brought me much pleasure!"
Both cabin-girls start as Kothy gives them a friendly slap to their bare bottoms for emphasis.
Kothy:
"Ah, the things they can do with their tongues! Why, sometimes I just like to watch 'em go at each other..."
He sighs happily in his little reverie. Lucy nods to Kothy, twirling a short length of cane she picked up from the dockside and trying to look like a 'First Girl'.
Lucy:
"Don't worry Captain Penderghast, I'll make sure they're well trained and cared for."
Penderghast looks at her a little quizzically.
"Aye Lucy girl, I'm sure you will." He turns to Ragnar.
"So, sixty gold. I have their ownership chits from Antil. We'll say you bought 'em from me at sea, that way you're not liable for the local sales tax."
Ragnar hands over the 60 gp (leaving him 10 cp, 9sp, 62gp by my count) and Kothy passes him two lead circles with the girls' names and dates of capture. Ragnar takes the slave girls' chains, Lucy lightly swats both their bare behinds with her cane to get them moving, and you lead them from the ship down onto the dockside.
You bid Kothy farewell, then head back to the Pirate's Cove Inn with your three-girl entourage. Luckily the rooms are big enough for four people.
Back at the Inn, Lucy Prentice addresses the girls:
"So, Lani, Maria. Officially you're Ragnar's slaves, and I think we better stick with that. I've been in this city long enough to see that slave girls are safer than free women, generally speaking. As I told you, I'm a scientist - and I'm looking for a way to get us all home, or at worst, as near-home as possible. In the mean time we need to make the best of things. Ragnar is helping us. We're doing some 'adventuring' to make money, so we can pay a Sage or Wizard to help us. Any questions?"
Lani Chapman and Maria Torelli look at each other, then to Lucy.
Lani:
"H-how long do you think it will take? We've been here so long already, I didn't think we'd ever get home..."
Lucy shrugs.
"As long as it takes. It could be never. In any case you'll need to serve Ragnar and do what we say, if you're going to get through this."
Both slave girls look nervously at the young Tharbrian...
GM: Book-keeping: Ragnar has another 9 days of training to level up, now with 3 dependents that's 2sp (room) +4sp (food) = 6sp/day times 9 = 5 gp and 4sp.
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Day 257-4433 BCCC, lunchtime
Ragnar's Shopping Trip
Ragnar leaves Lucy Prentice, Lani Chapman and Maria Torelli with Learned Varixion while he goes shopping for travel supplies. Dresses are expensive and it's warm enough that you don't need to worry about clothes to keep the girls warm (You're only about 9 degrees north of the Equator, although it is an ice-age planet!), even the nights are warm this time of year - in fact Lucy has been complaining about the muggy heat quite frequently - but bedrolls for their delicate hides would be a good idea, and stout walking sandals for the road. They probably wouldn't say no to a loincloth, either, although Lucy does seem rather keen to keep them 'knowing their place' as low-rank nude slaves - ostensibly for their own good! Hmm...
Ragnar reflects on the practicalities of officially manumitting (freeing) Lani and Maria - from what Kothy has told him, he'd need to go to the government offices on Slave Market Plaza and buy them manumission papers for an outrageous sum - 200 gold each, Kothy said! Well, if Lucy can get them back to their home Plane he won't need to worry about such legalities.
Ragnar yawns as he heads down Bywater road, checking out the market stalls. Lucy has been particularly enthusiastic in her lovemaking this past week, perhaps to demonstrate her possession of Ragnar to the newcomers, leaving Lani & Maria to watch from the other bed. They don't seem to mind - the two often sleep in each others' arms, and sometimes in the small hours as Ragnar lies awake he hears the sounds of subdued love-play issue from their side of the darkened room. Ragnar has heard of the Ladies of Ghinor, said to prefer each other to their effeminate menfolk, and slavers often train girls to perform such acts for the owners' own amusement. It must simply be compensation for their jealousy of Lucy and lack of access to himself, that'll be it...
Something else to consider buying - a horse. Ragnar's heavy Antillian scale armour slows him down, and the girls don't look strong enough to carry much of a weight without being slowed likewise. He's heard that the big Horse Market is the best place for fine steeds, but it lies a long way off, just by the Gate of the Gods, within the walls on the south road out of the City State - probably the best thing would be to buy a horse there when leaving. A good riding horse costs more than most slave girls, though, at least 25 gold... Expenses, expenses... *sigh*
Heading down the street, Ragnar locates a tailors' stall he remembered passing earlier, and peruses the wares. He checks his purse - currently has Cash: GP: 39 SP: 0 CP: 10 (it's 10 coppers to a silver, 10 silvers to a gold). Some things he could get:
Bedrolls, padded - 4 sp each. Could probably make do with 2, 1 for him & Lucy, 1 for Lani & Maria, making 8sp total.
Blanket, wool - 1sp each, 4 for 4sp. Could double as clothing at a pinch. Proper linen dresses are 3gp each.
Loincloth, soft linen - 1 sp each, 2 sp for 2. Although wool loincloths are only 5 cp each, 2 for 1 sp if the girls don't mind a bit of itching!
Nearby is a shoe stall. Sandals - 5 sp each. 2 for 1gp. There are some striking soft leather thigh boots that would look good on Lucy, but they're 2gp - and she already has sandals.
Ragnar also looks for rations - looks like standard rations (2 lb/person/day) will set him back 2sp/person/day, ie 8 sp day, making Inn food seem cheap by comparison! Dried Iron Rations weigh half as much, but cost a whopping 6 sp/person/day.
Sacks, large, hemp - for carrying rations and such - 15 cp each. Or proper leather backpacks are 2 gp each.
GM: Let me know what Ragnar is buying (you can refer to OSRIC equipment list for stuff not listed above, but prices vary).
__________________
Back at the Sage's Guild
After about an hour's shopping, Ragnar returns to the Sage's Guild - his fellow adventurers have left - and a stout slave woman ushers him in to the antechamber, where Lucy is waiting with Lani and Maria.
Lucy: "Hello Ragnar. Learned Varixion told me a lot more about his visitor, Samuel, who bought the Radiant Crystal. I might not have this all straight - I have a good memory, but this is all third-hand information... From what I can gather Samuel was a pupil in high school, on a world like mine. He was in class when a kind of vortex sucked in the teacher and other students, who were all female. He grabbed a girl to stop her being dragged in, and was dragged through the vortex himself. On the other side was a huge tentacle monster, a kind of demon that had created the vortex, I think, inside a ring of standing stones. The demon had been brought forth by an Altanian wizard-priest, Zalgor, working for an Altanian, Baron Gorath, to create the Vortex. Varixion called him a 'Traitor Baron', I think that has a specific meaning in this culture. These Altanians are slavers, the Vortex Demon is a free source of other-world slaves for them... "
She pauses.
"When Samuel arrived, there were lots of female teachers and girls from Samuel's school and elsewhere, being held in the demon's tentacles. It was beginning to... to rape them. Zalgor was going to dispel the demon then, so the girls could be captured, but something went wrong, the demon struck the wizard-priest and knocked him out before that could happen. Baron Gorath tried to fight the demon, but it knocked his magic sword away, and was going to kill him... Then Samuel grabbed the baron's sword and attacked the demon. I think something happened to Samuel, some kind of power-surge - I've felt something similar myself, when Kang was chasing me, and again when I healed you recently. Lani and Maria say they haven't felt anything like that, though. Anyway, Samuel was able to drive off the demon, back to its home Plane, and save the Baron. The Baron, Gorath, was grateful and adopted him as his own son. That was several months ago (6 months), about the same time Lani and Maria arrived here. Since then Samuel's been looking for a way home, adventuring - and yesterday he bought the Radiant Crystal from Varixion. He's heading back now to Gorath's castle, by the Queans Waste in northern Altanis."
Lucy pauses again.
"From what I can tell, Samuel has been working with the Altanian slavers freely, and the slave girl with him yesterday was his own former teacher, from his school. I think he's gone native with the Altanians. He could be dangerous - and he was powerful enough to defeat the Vortex Demon. I don't know how he'd react to us..."
_____________
Ragnar gets Lucy another short dress for 2gp (+3.4gp for the other clothes = 5.4gp total) - a red one to alternate with the blue one she has?
Back at the Sage's Guild, Lucy smiles delightedly at the new dress and boots:
"Thank you Ragnar, that's great!"
Lani takes her new loincloth gratefully:
"Thanks..."
She slips it on. Maria doesn't seem too fussed, but puts hers on too.
Lani and Maria however look disgruntled as Ragnar then explains his decision not to seek a way home right away. The older redhead woman speaks:
Lani:
"I... understand, but we haven't been here 15 years! It's only been about six months - just under four weeks here in the City, six weeks at sea, about fifteen weeks in Antil..."
Lucy frowns:
"Don't be silly Lani. Of course Ragnar meant the time which may have passed on your home Plane, if it's at the same time as mine, since it was 1994 on your world and 2009 on mine."
The younger blonde, Maria, shrugs:
"I dunno, I kinda like it here..."
Lani rolls her eyes at Maria.
Maria looks down, shrugs, blushing slightly.
"I mean, it could be worse... Although staying at the Inn all day is kinda boring..."
Lucy frowns again:
"Well you could be being rogered by some Orc, instead of under our protection."
She says curtly. Lucy turns to Ragnar.
"You're obviously right Ragnar, it would be foolish to go after this Samuel now, with what we know about him. I suggest instead we continue to amass funds, until we have enough to buy another Radiant Crystal, either here in the city or we could travel to where the Dwarves are and see if they have any for sale. We can try to get one for less than the thousand gold Samuel paid."
Lani and Maria reluctantly agree.
Lani:
"I suppose it's for the best..."
Leaving the Sage's Guild, you head back down Bywater Rd. Returning to the Inn and checking in with the bar owner Crusty Makadmer, Ragnar is told that Deod, Marcus & co have recently headed off to the Wild Boar Tavern on Shady Street, on a quest for the Five Level Dungeon - if he hurries he might still catch them.
Crusty:
"That's in the Thieves' Quarter, though - dangerous territory. You'll want to be careful. They ain't nice folks like us pirates."
He grins.
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