Monday Moodsetter 38

RPG Rorschach: What's the first gaming thought that pops into your head?

Sanity Rules!

Yes, it does. But not in the dungeon.

Keep this under your hat, as I don't want the rest of my gaming group knowing this: I have been using a rudimentary sanity rule in my Montporte Dungeon Campaign. Basically, there are certain circumstances where the players (and NPCs) are forced to make a saving throw and, if they fail, they lose a point of wisdom. Eventually, their wisdom points return and all is well. Unless the wisdom score drops below 3, then all bets are off. The player characters recently witnessed an NPC, Ansarkhan the mushroom man, go permanently insane. He is now in a catatonic state that is occasionally interrupted by quiet mumblings of gibberish.

I have used this simple sanity mechanic twice: In Session 1 and, more recently, in Session 24. In the first instance, there was no permanent damage done, but the second episode resulted in permanent insanity.

I like the idea of having a simple sanity mechanic in our current dungeon campaign, but I didn't want to spill the beans with the players or on my blog until I was able to use it to its full effect and the players learned that the victim (an NPC in this case) went insane.

I think adding sanity/insanity into the mix makes the dungeon a scarier place, but I think it only works when used sparingly. D20 rules do not really support a sanity-focused game and there are better rule systems if insanity is the focus. As an occasional threat, however, it could make the game more interesting.

I would like to fine-tune my sanity rule a bit but I am not sure if I should bother creating an actual house rule. I am also a bit undecided what it would look like. Here are a couple of options:

• Wisdom + Charisma + Level = Sanity: I like bringing wisdom and/or charisma into the mix and also sort of modification for level. Under this scenario, characters would have a considerable amount of sanity and it would only slightly as characters progress (assuming a D20 rule system with level advancement).
• (Wisdom + Charisma)/2 + Level = Sanity: This version takes an average of Wisdom and Charisma and then adds a bonus for level. Sanity is lower, but still influenced by both attributes. Level bonus has more influence, proportionally. I like this particular approach a lot, except that it looks like real math.
• Wisdom Score + Charisma Modifier + Level = Sanity: My first reaction was "meh" but the more I look at it, the more I like it. Wisdom is the primary attribute here--being grounded, having deep insight, and common sense seems like it should be the buffer against insanity (playing fast and loose with the medical understanding of mental illness here). It is modified by "force of personality" (charisma) but charisma is not the primary determinant. After all, there are plenty of insane people with strong personalities.
• Charisma Score + Wisdom Modifier + Level = Sanity: I really liked this, at first blush, as it makes charisma very important. However, I like the logic of having wisdom as the primary attribute.

There are a number of variations on these approaches but it seems a bit much to do an exhaustive list.

There are other ways that sanity scores could be modified: Race and Class come to mind. But that is a topic for another post.

I have read a number of blog posts on this, as well as various rule sets (I really like Crypts & Things). I am curious to know what you think.

Goblin (Fey)--Montporte Dungeon Campaign Critter

GOBLIN (FEY)
Armor Class: 5 [14]
Hit Dice: 3
Attacks: By Weapon
Saving Throw: 14
Special: Spells; Move Silently; Improved Saves Versus Magic; +1 to Attack Rolls
Move: 10
Challenge Level/XP: 4/120

The goblins of the Montporte Dungeon Campaign are very different than traditional RPG goblins. Montporte goblins are fey and usually reside on the plane of Umírající (the plane of the fey). They are magical, devious, and quite cunning. While most fey have little interest in the plane of Aarde (the plane on which Montporte exists), goblins travel there frequently and interact with humans and, to a lesser extent, gnomes. They have nothing to do with dwarves and will only interact with elves under duress. Most of their interactions with humans are related to trade and commerce. Despite their frequent travel, they are very rarely seen by the inhabitants of Aarde and only trade with select trading partners.

Goblins are nominally aligned with the Summer Court of the fey, although they much prefer the art of the sale to the art of court politics. They typically sell weapons and supplies to both fey courts when Winter and Summer go to war.

While goblins can be a very tough foe versus the average human warrior or mage, they are among the weakest of the fey. To survive--and to avoid being minions/battle fodder--goblins rely on:

• Their wily and cunning intelligence.
• Their charm with non-goblins.
• Providing superior customer service.
• Expert use of the Seelie Accords (the laws governing the fey) to their advantage.
• Investing in muscle and protection. They are rarely without guards of some sort.
• Being a tightknit community. Goblins are very true to each other.
• Having friends living on other planes.

Goblins are usually found traveling in small bands, peddling their wares. They usually have a bagoi with them, a brightly-colored wagon that is larger on the inside than on the outside. Their bagoi is often drawn by a single foribus pony. Foribus ponies are highly prized for their intelligence, mild nature, and ability to travel between the planes. They also are accompanied by tough, not-so-smart bodyguards, such as oafs or ogres. While ogres are giant-class creatures, residing on Aarde, oafs are fey.

COMBAT: Goblins avoid combat whenever possible by using clever bargaining, their bodyguards as shields, or, as a last resort, buying their way out of trouble. If they have to fight, they use short swords, daggers, and short bows (typically magic).

SPELLS: Goblins can use first and second level magic-user spells as if they were a third level magic-user. They have knowledge of all the first and second level spells available to magic-users.

MOVE SILENTLY: Goblins can move silently as if they were a third level thief.

IMPROVED SAVING THROW VERSUS MAGIC: Goblins gain an additional +1 to any saving throw versus magic or cleric spells, but not against magic items (wands, potions, etc).

BONUS TO ATTACK: Goblins are quick and clever opponents in combat. They gain an additional +1 to all melee and ranged attacks.

Five For Friday 25: Dungeon Campaign Ideas

"Underground City" by Elias Lewinsky

We have made it to Session 25 of the Montporte Dungeon Campaign and our sessions are still going strong. It has me thinking about some other ways to use the dungeon setting that I have already created for some future campaigns (this won't happen for a while because the other four guys in our Monday Night Gaming Group are all chomping at the bit to GM). Here are five thoughts that I have had, in no particular order:

• Montporte Dungeon + GURPS Dungeon Fantasy: I really like what I have been reading about GURPS Dungeon Fantasy on other blog posts. More specifically, I have thought about GURPS templates based on the Holmes version of D&D (or maybe B/X), except I would drop halflings and add gnomes (based on what has already transpired with the Montporte Dungeon. I'd be tempted to start at 175 points for characters, but I think I would be fine with 250. I had also thought about a American Wild West or Victorian smash-up and then an hour later saw Peter D's (Dungeon Fantastic) review of Pyramid #3/60: Dungeon Fantasy III, I am definitely interested in checking out the article by David Pulver, "Eidetic Memory: High-Tech Dungeon Crawl."
• Montporte Dungeon + Fudge: I have been really interested in watching +Rob Conley adapt his Majestic Wilderlands setting to Fudge. I have played two campaigns in the Majestic Wilderlands, with Rob as GM--the first campaign using Swords & Wizardry and a second using GURPS. I have been in on one playtest session with the Fudge version of the Majestic Wilderlands and really liked it a lot. 
• Montporte Dungeon + Savage Worlds: This just looks like loads of fun (no apologies to those gamers who hate fun). I am not sure how Savage Worlds would hold up under a long campaign, but it would be groovy to do a shorter mini-campaign perhaps just to see how Savage World works (I haven't actually played it yet).
• Montporte Dungeon + Heavily House-Ruled Swords & Wizardry: I would combine the human classes of Crypts & Things (warriors, barbarians, thieves, and sorcerers) plus dwarves, elves and gnomes (using the race-as-class concept). Maybe I would drop the non-humans and just go with a slightly modified version of C&T.
• Montporte Dungeon + Onyx + GURPS: I thought about combining my half-baked idea for a medieval urban fantasy campaign (Onyx) with the dungeon by placing the city of Onyx deep in the Underdark. GURPS would be my preferred system. This seems like a lot of work, but I have parts of it already done.

Not sure if any of this will happen, but a boy can dream.

Montporte Dungeon Maps--After 25 Sessions

I posted the maps of the Montporte Dungeon after 15 Sessions back in September 2013. Here are the maps of the same dungeon after 25 sessions of play. I have kept the maps simple this time. I placed a purple "U" next to any unexplored door, corridor, room, or area. I placed a red "U" for the two ladders that lead down from Level 2 to an area still unexplored (maybe Level 3?).

Click on the maps to enlarge them. 1 square on the map equals 5 feet.

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

(1 square = 5 feet)

Gaming Goals and Resolutions for 2014

I have none. No goals. No resolutions. Nothing I want to buy. Nothing I want to sell. Just bringing some dice to the next session. To quote the philosopher, Cyndi Lauper: "Girls just want to have fun."

Review: "Execution Corner"

Disclaimer: +Tim Shorts and I are in the same gaming group and I am sometimes involved in his RPG projects. However, I was not involved in this one so you can totally trust me on this one. Really and truly.

Product Stat Block
Title: Execution Corner
Author: +Tim Shorts (Gothridge Manor)
Publisher: GM Games
Format: PDF
Pages: 5
Cost: Pay What You Want
System: n.a. (neutral)

Description
Execution Corner is a small rural location that can be added to almost any fantasy or medieval RPG campaign. While the PDF product is runs five pages, the actual gaming material is contained in a one page map and one page description of the area.

The Map
The map is hand drawn, which I personally like. Unlike some more stylized maps, it can actually be used during a gaming session. I think it would work well on GameTable or Roll20.

The Location Description
The location description is simple, but effective. I get a sense of the area and can picture the location and the people in my mind quite easily. That is important to me in running a gaming session. There is an overview of each feature in the area, including the "No Tomorrow Tavern."

There are also four NPCs described: Gerald (a peddler); Ferren (a peddler); Willem (the executioner); and Max (owner of "No Tomorrow Tavern"). I believe that Tim is at his best when he is creating and describing NPCs. Rarely are they heroic or noble, rather they are a grim, hardscrabble lot. The NPC descriptions are short and evocative and they would be easy to roleplay.

Conclusion
You will not find an adventure, stats, loot, or such things in Execution Corner. You will be unhappy if you get this product with that expectation in mind. However, it is a simple and excellent product to use in spicing up a long overland journey or serving as a very simple location to start a session (assuming you are providing additional stuff). And, with Pay What You Want, you can get it for less than a song.