That way, my players are looking at the exact rules I am, and can prepare appropriately. After all, the characters can sense tiredness or know how hot they are or experience the jungle, but the players can only make decisions based on descriptions and roll mods. I'll describe as I go, but I wanted to put the roll mods in front of them so they can make informed decisions.
(In game, the characters will have put up with this crud on the way to the starting point, so they'll be experienced with it. This helps explain why their loadouts reflect the area so well.)
Vic suggested people would like to see it. I think this is true, but it's mostly from DF16 so I can't just cut-and-paste-and-post what I largely cut-and-pasted. It's stuff that is in DF16. But what stuff?
Here it is!
Movement and Travel Time as written, from p. 23. We don't using Hiking skill but successful Navigation will keep you on the x0.4 trail instead of the x0.2 jungle. Sometimes, "I'm pretty sure it's the right fork" and being wrong means backtracking!
Nasty Weather is from p. 30-31, but I simplified Weather Sense down to mitigating the effects because you do some unspecific "preparations" and "adjustments." Why don't you do them all the time? Because it'll slow you down even when the weather is good.
Camping, p. 24-25, as written. Actually I didn't put these on the cheat sheet as people have them down by now. Everyone say it with me, success means pick two!
Scouting, from p. 25, as written.
Heat and FP, from Harsh Climates, p. 30 and Travel Fatigue, p. 24. I adjusted the +1 FP for "plate" to "metal armor" because GURPS is extremely generous about armor worn in heat. The daily Survival roll is at -2, net, for conditions and temperature.
It's a trek to a known destination, not an exploration, so those and some random encounters with bad conditions and trail problems as well as biting flies and jungle leaping leeches and the dreaded tree lobster is really what it's all about. These ensure being heavily equipped and under-prepared suck, but also ensure being prepared means you know, in game, what you're getting for giving up DR and heavy but useful gear.
Sounds like a really cool adventure. I am really interested in adventures that are set in tropical environments. I only ask one thing, make the creatures that live there different than the standard DF trope. Please no jungle elves, jungle dwarves, jungle orcs, jungle ogres etc. It would be so much cooler to read about something new.
ReplyDeleteMy DF game uses Hiking skill. It's about a 30-mile hike from the town to the dungeon, and if everyone makes their Hiking roll then they get there a bit faster. This doesn't really matter much because it's not a very dangerous area, but the players are happy if they make the roll, and they badger whoever misses the roll into putting more points in Hiking.
ReplyDeleteI deliberately made the trip from the town to the dungeon long enough to be mildly annoying (to deter excessive trips back to town) but safe enough to not be a major distraction from the dungeon. Because I wanted a dungeon campaign rather than a wilderness game. But I think making the journey a big part of the adventure is equally valid. And I really like the idea of heat deterring heavy armor. (Encumbrance works for that too, until someone builds Mr. Lifting ST.)