Felltower Current Status

Felltower is currently in a summer hiatus.

We're mid-delve, so we're needing at least a certain number of players, and certain players, to get anything done.

We're also in the middle of crucial decisions, as outlined here - Felltower Status.

The problem is that this summer is especially bad for gaming. We have:

- one player moving

- one player just moved, still dealing with issues at the previous place

- one player missing in action for a few weeks on a trip (well, one GM, anyway)

- two players with exaggerated work situations

- and then just the standard summer plans and difficulties.

So we can't play for the meantime. That sucks, because generally this is a good time to get some extra gaming in. But circumstances have consipired against us. I hope to get in some GMing of something, even if I only have a few players who can play. Or playing of something.

But while Felltower will return*, it'll be a bit.






* In THUNDERBALL!

Well, maybe not.

Possible weapon skill mergers for GURPS DF Felltower

I've long been mulling reducing the number of weapon skills. I've reduced a few already, by ditching Main Gauche and making it just Knife skill, and by getting rid of Two-Handed Flail as seperate from Flail, and Shield and Buckler as two different skills.

He is what I've considered doing. I haven't implemented this yet . . . but it's under consideration.

Broadsword and Shortsword become One-Handed Sword. Fencing weapons could go under here, but that might cause a bit of confusion and they're rarely taken in Felltower, anyway.

Spear and Polearm and Staff become one skill. Wizards can use spears and halberds but won't because of the restrictions on the Staff spell. And their low ST.

Kusari gets merged into Flail, because why not.

Everything else would stay as-is. But that should get rid of some false choices and odd decisions.

Thoughts on this?

Fire in the Lake . . . still waiting

I amused myself earlier this year by hoping I'd have Fire in the Lake during August, when I'd have a bit of time to sit and play it.

So far, that is not the case.

It's still At the Printer, with 931 orders. It has to go to charging, and then shipping. So it's another step away at least.

Boo.

I still want it, very much, but it's getting less likely I'll get it when I have free time to really dig into it.

Where the heck am I?

So my blog is still on a bit of a break. Here is why:

- I'm working on a GURPS book project, which hopefully you'll hear more about soon.

- I'm on a trip back to Japan, "researching martial arts." Okay, fightin' round the world, specifically with my old friends from when I lived here, and new ones met on the trips in between.

- Felltower is on a brief hiatus, because summer has been rough for several players and between work and travel I haven't been able to run game, either.

So the blog isn't dead, but it is going to be dormant for another week-ish while I get back and caught back up.

I did take a few pictures of bizarre things to turn into monsters, which I'll drop into Felltower ASAP. Thank you bizarre Japanese toys!

Felltower & the (in)ability to study

Thinking about the experience system in Traveller, and Felltower, it occurs to me that they're two completely different ways to go about it.

In Traveller, getting better is a matter of study. Adventuring doesn't do it - although it can get you Psi, so there is that. Adventuring can get you a lot, but not more skills.

In GURPS, it's a matter of getting points and spending them. In Felltower, getting those points is about looting and exploring. Mostly looting. It's loot-driven. You basically cannot get better except by adventuring.

Sometimes you do need to study:

- to learn new spells, skills, abilities, etc.

- to research information

. . . and that's about it. The first requires cash (to pay training costs - tutors, consumables, tuition, dues, etc.) and points. The latter costs cash and time.

Unless you adventure, you'll lack the cash and points needed to "study" successfully. None of them take you out of play for any time, because the point is to advance your playable paper man. No slam on systems that don't do this - this is what we intended with our XP system.

Random Links for Friday 7/1/2022

- Still finishing up The Traveller Book. The experience system is interesting. Basically, if you spend 4 years and make an 8+ roll on 2d, you can get a +1 to a skill. But then it goes away, unless you roll another 8+ and spend another 4 years to cement it in. So getting from basic familiarity with, say, a Vacc Suit or a Revolver to enough skill for a +1 to rolls takes 8 years and solid dedication. Yowza. More amusing is that a low Intelligence gives a bonus, and a very low Intelligence a big bonus, to that roll . . . to improve Strength, Endurance, and Dexterity. The less intelligent you are, the more dedicate you are to the gym . . . geez, I forgot how deep the jocks vs. geeks rift was. It's codified with rules in Traveller.

- I can vouch for a lot of these - 100 true murder hobo stories.

"There is nothing a murder hobo hates more than imprisonment. They will fight to the death rather than be captured and pronounce it like its a personality trait. "

- A look at Talisman. I play the computer version sometimes, still.

- Big Summer Sale at Warehouse23, with freebies in the physical orders. Most of what I wrote is on sale.

- Summer is a rough time for gaming. We're mid-delve and don't have time to play again thanks to everyone's schedule for a couple weeks and then due to mine for a few more.