My players, like the original group back in the days of Raggi's Roughnecks, want to build a bridge.
Sadly, the notes about the cost and weight of that bridge are gone - they're not on the blog that I can find, and I can't find any notes in my email that details the cost. I know it was based on a GURPS Low-Tech ladder, but more costly. One of my players started there.
A wooden ladder costs $10 and 2.5 lbs x the square of the length in yards. So a 24' ladder is $640 and 160 lbs. By my figuring, a ladder isn't quite the tool for the job . . . and isn't designed to lay flat with a potentially heavy weight (say, a knight or barbarian carrying a fallen friend, or a pair of delvers with a heavy chest or stretcher between them) right in the middle.
So I just double the numbers to $20 and 5 lbs, ending up with $1280 and 320 lbs for a 24' portable bridge, with minimal spacing between planks, side rails, carrying handles, and loops on the ends to fit over iron spikes to keep it from shifting. It's a two-person job at least to carry it, four is better, and it's potentially looped for six to carry it.
Those are the stats I'm going with unless someone can provide me with specs that make sense and an explanation of why that is so. "That seems expensive and heavy" isn't convincing. It's a custom job, since there isn't much call for man-portable 24' briges in general situations, and the weigh doesn't seem crazy for a reinforced bridge designed for heavy loads. If someone else knows better I'm all ears, but I'll need something to back up the numbers.
Showing posts with label equipment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label equipment. Show all posts
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Friday, January 5, 2024
Random Links & Thoughts for 1/5/2024
First Friday of 2024.
- Whose Mechanic is it Anyway?
An interesting idea, here - you track what you want to use. I'd do it differently in some cases, but I like this train of thought.
But then why do players track their HP? It's not in their interest to track them, right? Well . . . I'm mostly joking, but one reason I say, " . . . which kills (so-and-so) instantly" after telling the PCs how much damage they took is to make them prove to me otherwise. You track your HP because otherwise I'll just say you're dead, and you can't prove me wrong. Track your HP and your paper man lives as long as he lives. And if he dies, he dies.
No shocker, in my games every player can list off each wound and how it was healed to prove they're 1 HP above automatic death if that's what it takes.
- Happy New Year, and the annual DriveThruRPG report
- The Gladius! A nice article over on ACOUP. According to this article, the gladius, the classic "short sword," was around 75-85 cm, with a medieval arming sword being around 90 cm. 2 1/2 feet total length doesn't seme that short; it's right around the stick length I generally used when we did FMA stickfighting. They get shorter, later . . . but start out pretty long. I found that really interesting as a detail.
- Still putting tokens but not maps up on Forge. I still need to find a way to scan my maps and make them smaller . . . maybe a lower-res image will keep it working despite the massive size of the map. I'm not really sure.
- First game of the year should be the Sunday after next.
- Whose Mechanic is it Anyway?
An interesting idea, here - you track what you want to use. I'd do it differently in some cases, but I like this train of thought.
But then why do players track their HP? It's not in their interest to track them, right? Well . . . I'm mostly joking, but one reason I say, " . . . which kills (so-and-so) instantly" after telling the PCs how much damage they took is to make them prove to me otherwise. You track your HP because otherwise I'll just say you're dead, and you can't prove me wrong. Track your HP and your paper man lives as long as he lives. And if he dies, he dies.
No shocker, in my games every player can list off each wound and how it was healed to prove they're 1 HP above automatic death if that's what it takes.
- Happy New Year, and the annual DriveThruRPG report
- The Gladius! A nice article over on ACOUP. According to this article, the gladius, the classic "short sword," was around 75-85 cm, with a medieval arming sword being around 90 cm. 2 1/2 feet total length doesn't seme that short; it's right around the stick length I generally used when we did FMA stickfighting. They get shorter, later . . . but start out pretty long. I found that really interesting as a detail.
- Still putting tokens but not maps up on Forge. I still need to find a way to scan my maps and make them smaller . . . maybe a lower-res image will keep it working despite the massive size of the map. I'm not really sure.
- First game of the year should be the Sunday after next.
Tuesday, December 26, 2023
Modifiers to In-Town Item Availability Rolls
We use some special rules for item availability, as detailed here.
Right now, most consumable magic items are 9 or less. How do you increase that roll?
- spend extra on upkeep* (every doubling is +1, so x2 = +1, x4 = +2, up to x32 for +5)
- Reputation bonuses
- Status (which you can't just buy, you need to do in-game stuff to gain access to it.)
- any special in-town bonuses in game (currently none in play).
* Upkeep doubling happens last - so if your upkeep is higher from disads, that cost doubles, too.
Notes:
Why don't normal reaction bonuses apply? Because it's not a reaction roll, it's a flat set of odds applied that there are some of these items in town. The modifiers that do count reflect that if you have status, or are flinging money around, or are famous for specific deeds, it's likely people are coming to you to offer such things. Just because you're likeable - or unlikeable - doesn't change the odds, here.
Shouldn't Wealth matter? Possibly, but DF Wealth is more structured as connections to buyers, not sellers.
Can I angle for Status or Reputation? Yes, but the only way is to accomplish things in Felltower and then spend the points when they come up.
Does this number ever change? Yes. If delvers spend enough money in town, the number can change. Generally, the more directly money goes into the economy (upkeep, services) the more it impacts it.
Right now, most consumable magic items are 9 or less. How do you increase that roll?
- spend extra on upkeep* (every doubling is +1, so x2 = +1, x4 = +2, up to x32 for +5)
- Reputation bonuses
- Status (which you can't just buy, you need to do in-game stuff to gain access to it.)
- any special in-town bonuses in game (currently none in play).
* Upkeep doubling happens last - so if your upkeep is higher from disads, that cost doubles, too.
Notes:
Why don't normal reaction bonuses apply? Because it's not a reaction roll, it's a flat set of odds applied that there are some of these items in town. The modifiers that do count reflect that if you have status, or are flinging money around, or are famous for specific deeds, it's likely people are coming to you to offer such things. Just because you're likeable - or unlikeable - doesn't change the odds, here.
Shouldn't Wealth matter? Possibly, but DF Wealth is more structured as connections to buyers, not sellers.
Can I angle for Status or Reputation? Yes, but the only way is to accomplish things in Felltower and then spend the points when they come up.
Does this number ever change? Yes. If delvers spend enough money in town, the number can change. Generally, the more directly money goes into the economy (upkeep, services) the more it impacts it.
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Revised DRFPG Shield Rush
Let's fix shield slams for DF Felltower.
A Shield rush is a slam with a shield (NOT a buckler) does slam damage, plus 1 point per point of shield DB, and the opponent subtracts 1 point per point of shield DB from their attack.
Got that? If you have ST 13 (1d thrust) and a Medium Shield (DB 2) you slam for 1d-2, +2 = 1d+1. Your ST 13 opponent does 1d-2, -2 = 1d-4.
I find that iffy for a couple of reasons:
- your shield should help, but I don't see why it should help based on size. Weight, construction, etc. yes, but just size? Eh.
- I don't see why your shield should provide DR for you based on size.
- I don't see why your shield makes you more likely to knock a foe down or overrun them - remember, the one who inflicts less damage can fall, and automatically falls if the ratio is 2:1 or more.
Here is what I prefer:
- Your shield provides DR 3 to you from the slam damage.
- Using a shield adds +2 to slam damage, +3 if spiked or dwarven, +4 if both.
- You opponent inflicts damage normally. If your opponent tries to block the slam and the DB of the shield matters, it provides DR 3 for them, too.
And that's that. You still can't shield rush with bucklers.
Oh, and by the way, shield rush, shield bash, whatever - you can still Block with your shield. Having consulted with shield users, it's odd that they can and can't in circumstances that seem otherwise the same.
Editing Later: Optionally, you can allow both bucklers and shields to shield rush. In this case, apply the damage from a shield rush with a buckler to the attacker's hand (since you can't as easily brace it with your body), that of the shield using attacker to the body (since you brace your arm and shield with the body)
A Shield rush is a slam with a shield (NOT a buckler) does slam damage, plus 1 point per point of shield DB, and the opponent subtracts 1 point per point of shield DB from their attack.
Got that? If you have ST 13 (1d thrust) and a Medium Shield (DB 2) you slam for 1d-2, +2 = 1d+1. Your ST 13 opponent does 1d-2, -2 = 1d-4.
I find that iffy for a couple of reasons:
- your shield should help, but I don't see why it should help based on size. Weight, construction, etc. yes, but just size? Eh.
- I don't see why your shield should provide DR for you based on size.
- I don't see why your shield makes you more likely to knock a foe down or overrun them - remember, the one who inflicts less damage can fall, and automatically falls if the ratio is 2:1 or more.
Here is what I prefer:
- Your shield provides DR 3 to you from the slam damage.
- Using a shield adds +2 to slam damage, +3 if spiked or dwarven, +4 if both.
- You opponent inflicts damage normally. If your opponent tries to block the slam and the DB of the shield matters, it provides DR 3 for them, too.
And that's that. You still can't shield rush with bucklers.
Oh, and by the way, shield rush, shield bash, whatever - you can still Block with your shield. Having consulted with shield users, it's odd that they can and can't in circumstances that seem otherwise the same.
Editing Later: Optionally, you can allow both bucklers and shields to shield rush. In this case, apply the damage from a shield rush with a buckler to the attacker's hand (since you can't as easily brace it with your body), that of the shield using attacker to the body (since you brace your arm and shield with the body)
Thursday, November 2, 2023
Still thinking on Shield Damage
Back in 2020, I came up with some simplified rules for shield damage for DF Felltower.
Simplified Shield Damage for DF Felltower
They didn't last long, because I still don't feel like keeping track for NPCs and I noticed players don't really keep track for their PCs, either.
Vic suggested the damage rules from Shields Up!, and ran them in his last session of play. I didn't notice them making it much faster or easier to track.
Here is another possibility:
- Shields have DR per my post above.
- Shields have 1 HP per base pounds of weight; damage in excess of DR + HP in one blow breaks a shield automatically; shields are either fine or broken completely.
- Cumulative damage may break or weaken a shield; GM's call based on particular types of damage - usually corrosion or fire. Such attacks can drop a shield to 0 HP over time and break the shield.
- Shatterpoof, metal, etc. work normally. Lighten makes a shield lighter but not weaker.
Seems like this could work. It makes shields fragile to an extent but dealing with giant monster blows should be risky to weapons and shields alike.
Simplified Shield Damage for DF Felltower
They didn't last long, because I still don't feel like keeping track for NPCs and I noticed players don't really keep track for their PCs, either.
Vic suggested the damage rules from Shields Up!, and ran them in his last session of play. I didn't notice them making it much faster or easier to track.
Here is another possibility:
- Shields have DR per my post above.
- Shields have 1 HP per base pounds of weight; damage in excess of DR + HP in one blow breaks a shield automatically; shields are either fine or broken completely.
- Cumulative damage may break or weaken a shield; GM's call based on particular types of damage - usually corrosion or fire. Such attacks can drop a shield to 0 HP over time and break the shield.
- Shatterpoof, metal, etc. work normally. Lighten makes a shield lighter but not weaker.
Seems like this could work. It makes shields fragile to an extent but dealing with giant monster blows should be risky to weapons and shields alike.
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
Random questions as we're getting ready for Felltower
Just rounding up some questions I was hit with regarding our swapover to DF Felltower from Vic's Felltower Adjacent game.
Equipment
- anything with multiple prefixes is going to be a special order - 1d+1 weeks for manufacture or delivery. Getting something with one prefix is immediate, but then upgrading with another prefix will take 1d+1 weeks to do after it arrives, because don't get cute.
- any enchantment time starts after you take delivery of it, it's not concurrent but consecutive.
- you can get a Staff spell on a knobbed club and use that with Axe/Mace.
- You can do the whole rent-some-armor approach by buying and selling back at 100%, but I do apply a "used gear" wear factor on the base price, so expect it to come with some occasional losses per these rules.
- You can't get a Cornucopia of non-ammuniton items. It cannot be cast on a weapon - so no endless streams of daggers, shuriken, axes, swords, whatever. Just arrows, bolts, sling and prod bullets . . . and that's it.
Cose Combat
- we're not using basket hilts, cutlasses, or backswords. If you want to hilt punch in close combat, see GURPS Martial Arts, p 111. Remember that Weapon Master may factor in to the damage if you're hilt punching with a weapon covered by your advantage.
- the other weapons in CC rule worth reading is GURPS Martial Arts, p. 117, Long Weapons in Close Combat.
Welcome to Stericksburg!
- The PCs will arrive in Stericksburg on 10/28, the day before our next session. Special orders can be made then. This does mean that people will need to delve with what they have now, plus any non-special order items. Minor Healing and Major Healing potions, as well as Paut, are available in unlimited quantities for anyone who feels the need to stock up before delving the next day.
- PCs will need to pay one week's upkeep before play on 10/29, to cover miscelleous costs for travel, etc. The usual modifiers apply (extra cost for Compulsive Behavior, having Chi Talent, whatever.)
- Training can take place between, for learning spells, adding lenses, whatever. Pay the cost and pay the points.
Equipment
- anything with multiple prefixes is going to be a special order - 1d+1 weeks for manufacture or delivery. Getting something with one prefix is immediate, but then upgrading with another prefix will take 1d+1 weeks to do after it arrives, because don't get cute.
- any enchantment time starts after you take delivery of it, it's not concurrent but consecutive.
- you can get a Staff spell on a knobbed club and use that with Axe/Mace.
- You can do the whole rent-some-armor approach by buying and selling back at 100%, but I do apply a "used gear" wear factor on the base price, so expect it to come with some occasional losses per these rules.
- You can't get a Cornucopia of non-ammuniton items. It cannot be cast on a weapon - so no endless streams of daggers, shuriken, axes, swords, whatever. Just arrows, bolts, sling and prod bullets . . . and that's it.
Cose Combat
- we're not using basket hilts, cutlasses, or backswords. If you want to hilt punch in close combat, see GURPS Martial Arts, p 111. Remember that Weapon Master may factor in to the damage if you're hilt punching with a weapon covered by your advantage.
- the other weapons in CC rule worth reading is GURPS Martial Arts, p. 117, Long Weapons in Close Combat.
Welcome to Stericksburg!
- The PCs will arrive in Stericksburg on 10/28, the day before our next session. Special orders can be made then. This does mean that people will need to delve with what they have now, plus any non-special order items. Minor Healing and Major Healing potions, as well as Paut, are available in unlimited quantities for anyone who feels the need to stock up before delving the next day.
- PCs will need to pay one week's upkeep before play on 10/29, to cover miscelleous costs for travel, etc. The usual modifiers apply (extra cost for Compulsive Behavior, having Chi Talent, whatever.)
- Training can take place between, for learning spells, adding lenses, whatever. Pay the cost and pay the points.
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Handsome's points and gear haul
Handsome has some stuff, now.
- $9,942.80 in cash, largely in gold (so just under 2 lbs. of coins.)
- a one-shot Resist Fire amulet from the hobgoblin spellcaster.
- a plate helmet from a draugr, giving him skull DR 6 for 5 lbs.
- a fine, balanced, dwarven axe from a draugr, for 4 lbs., replacing his hatchet. He could have had a Butcher Blade from Magic Items 2, but he went with Axe/Mace as an off-template replacement for Shortsword. Oh well, axe suited him better, and we sold the falchion instead.
- a ST 15 Elven Composite bow. Can you get a bow's rated strength modified? I have no idea. I've never allowed it, but I don't know if it's a thing or not. Either way, he can shoot a ST 17 Elven bow so that's on his "wish list" - a Fine, Elven, Balanced Composite bow for $21,600, with Puissance 1 for $5,000 on top of that. Anyway, his new bow is thr+3 impale with a 1d+1 ST rating so 1d+4, +2 for WM, for a 1d+6 base. He can reach 1d+9 with impaling or cutting arrows and 1d+8 with piercing. Good stuff.
- This puts Handsome to Light encumbrance, instead of None. All he needs to do is quick-release his backpack, or simply leave his bedroll behind, to get to None.
I don't think Handsome got anything else . . . not any of the magic swords, armor, potions, etc. we found. But the fact is he doesn't need them. I'd have argued for them if I thought he could use them . . . but it's probably better the folks who continue in Felltower get to use them. He won't, because I won't play him as a GMPC or an NPC, and I'm probably not going to hand him over to someone else to play, either.
Oh, and his points? He ended with 35 saved, so I went Combat Reflexes and Weapon Master (Bow). Why not. He needs more Per and skill, but those are easy purchases as he gets played while those two bigger purchases are out of the way.
- $9,942.80 in cash, largely in gold (so just under 2 lbs. of coins.)
- a one-shot Resist Fire amulet from the hobgoblin spellcaster.
- a plate helmet from a draugr, giving him skull DR 6 for 5 lbs.
- a fine, balanced, dwarven axe from a draugr, for 4 lbs., replacing his hatchet. He could have had a Butcher Blade from Magic Items 2, but he went with Axe/Mace as an off-template replacement for Shortsword. Oh well, axe suited him better, and we sold the falchion instead.
- a ST 15 Elven Composite bow. Can you get a bow's rated strength modified? I have no idea. I've never allowed it, but I don't know if it's a thing or not. Either way, he can shoot a ST 17 Elven bow so that's on his "wish list" - a Fine, Elven, Balanced Composite bow for $21,600, with Puissance 1 for $5,000 on top of that. Anyway, his new bow is thr+3 impale with a 1d+1 ST rating so 1d+4, +2 for WM, for a 1d+6 base. He can reach 1d+9 with impaling or cutting arrows and 1d+8 with piercing. Good stuff.
- This puts Handsome to Light encumbrance, instead of None. All he needs to do is quick-release his backpack, or simply leave his bedroll behind, to get to None.
I don't think Handsome got anything else . . . not any of the magic swords, armor, potions, etc. we found. But the fact is he doesn't need them. I'd have argued for them if I thought he could use them . . . but it's probably better the folks who continue in Felltower get to use them. He won't, because I won't play him as a GMPC or an NPC, and I'm probably not going to hand him over to someone else to play, either.
Oh, and his points? He ended with 35 saved, so I went Combat Reflexes and Weapon Master (Bow). Why not. He needs more Per and skill, but those are easy purchases as he gets played while those two bigger purchases are out of the way.
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Adding Balanced later?
Just thinking about the various weapon prefixes, it's generally clear that most of them can't be added later. You can't make your bow into an Elven bow later on. Your mace can't become Dwarven through some add-on. It's way to late to make a weapon Fine.
Balanced is a little tricky. Changing the balance of a weapon is possible. I'm not saying trivial, but changing a hilt, modifying the shaft, adding or changing the weight of a secondary point, etc. would probably work for many weapons, given a properly made weapon in the first place.
I'm thinking it's not going to be cheap - not as cheap as one that's been properly balanced in the first place. Probably changing +6 CF instead of +4 CF as a retrofit would work.
I'm going to put that in front of the group and see if it flies.
Balanced is a little tricky. Changing the balance of a weapon is possible. I'm not saying trivial, but changing a hilt, modifying the shaft, adding or changing the weight of a secondary point, etc. would probably work for many weapons, given a properly made weapon in the first place.
I'm thinking it's not going to be cheap - not as cheap as one that's been properly balanced in the first place. Probably changing +6 CF instead of +4 CF as a retrofit would work.
I'm going to put that in front of the group and see if it flies.
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Sharp Swords vs. Spears according Roland Warzecha
Is a wooden sword just a sword, but doing crushing?
GURPS says so.
It's one thing that hasn't sat well with me for a while Per the rules, it's basically just turning the weapon to crushing. Same weight, fraction of the cost.
But it doesn't affect anything else about the weapon at all. I just don't buy that. One thing that supports that idea is this interview. I'd heard it a while back (say . . . 2020?) but I couldn't find it again. I mentioned it to Doug, who knows Roland Warzecha, and he said, "That sounds like something Roland would say." Sure enough, I found it thanks to him.
That's GW - Guy Windsor - and RW - Roland Warzecha om The Sword Guy Podcast episode 8.
You could apply this to GURPS, if you like - reduce the effectiveness of wooden swords, or increase the effectiveness of edged metal ones, in the bind and parry. You could give it an edge in any skill vs. skill contest (Feints, Beats especially) as well vs. a wooden weapon.
It's an extra complication, but games either privilege swords over all - like D&D games, where swords are the best tool for butching unarmoured foes or cutting up iron golems or anything in between - or weaken them to the point that axes and maces and spears suddenly seem like the best weapons. Yet, as RW says, anyone who could use a sword got a sword. Rules that gently nudge you that way without making them super-weapons is helpful.
I'm not sure how I'd want to put this in . . . but it's one more thing I would consider as a factor in weapons rules if I could write them all from scratch.
GURPS says so.
It's one thing that hasn't sat well with me for a while Per the rules, it's basically just turning the weapon to crushing. Same weight, fraction of the cost.
But it doesn't affect anything else about the weapon at all. I just don't buy that. One thing that supports that idea is this interview. I'd heard it a while back (say . . . 2020?) but I couldn't find it again. I mentioned it to Doug, who knows Roland Warzecha, and he said, "That sounds like something Roland would say." Sure enough, I found it thanks to him.
RW: Exactly. And then we know about the physics of this or we know how to move a sword efficiently. You called it a labour saving device at one point. So if you know how to effortlessly use that implement, then you can get a much better idea of swordsmanship. Also, you understand why it has been such a popular weapon for such a long time. Because that’s another thing that people misconceive. I remember in my re-enactment days, people said “The spear, that’s the Gatling gun of the Viking age. It’s super efficient.” I thought it was really funny, but then I thought, hmm, it’s kind of strange that they were so obsessed with swords all the time when the spear was so much greater than the sword. It almost seems like in history, anybody who is able to pick up a sword, picked up a sword. One really interesting experiment, I ran at one point – we were talking about swords earlier on and how it really helps to better understand swordsmanship – so there was this experiment with my friend Mikkel Mønsted. He was a really good spear fighter. He was using a blunt two-handed spear and I was putting on the mask and some additional protection and I had a sword and a buckler, a blunt sword. There’s one 15th Century depiction of that kind of match, this kind of setup. So we wanted to see how it actually works. If you have a shorter weapon, you have to shorten the range as quickly as possible so you get into your killing zone, so to speak. While the other one with a longer weapon can take it easy, just retreats so that you impale yourself. So you have to make a charge. And eight out of 10 times he just poked me in the face. It was really easy. I mean, I would bind his spear, trying to it keep it safe while I entered and he would just gently rotate and disengage. Also, a good spearmen can change the length of the spear pretty easily by withdrawing it. It’s a great weapon. But then I traded my blunt for a sharp.
GW: Aha that’s very different as you can actually bite his weapon.
RW: Exactly. And what was more I didn’t have to look. I realised ,when I was using the sharp, that earlier on, to get an idea what is happening in the bind I had in my peripheral vision, tried to take track of where the spear moved, because I couldn’t sense it through the blade. Now I could focus on my target and anything that happened in the bind just happened and I felt, because I got all this tactile information, and disengaging was less easy for him because there was no slippery sensation anymore. It was crystal clear information coming from the bind and that completely reversed the outcome. It was like three to seven or so, but almost reversed the outcome. And because the active sensing is only for me, the wooden pole doesn’t have that, so this is something that a sharp blade gives you. You can sense actively, you have different means of controlling the bind and getting sensory tactile information from it. And that is exclusively for the sword. So I think this is this is one of the reasons why the sword is good.
That's GW - Guy Windsor - and RW - Roland Warzecha om The Sword Guy Podcast episode 8.
You could apply this to GURPS, if you like - reduce the effectiveness of wooden swords, or increase the effectiveness of edged metal ones, in the bind and parry. You could give it an edge in any skill vs. skill contest (Feints, Beats especially) as well vs. a wooden weapon.
It's an extra complication, but games either privilege swords over all - like D&D games, where swords are the best tool for butching unarmoured foes or cutting up iron golems or anything in between - or weaken them to the point that axes and maces and spears suddenly seem like the best weapons. Yet, as RW says, anyone who could use a sword got a sword. Rules that gently nudge you that way without making them super-weapons is helpful.
I'm not sure how I'd want to put this in . . . but it's one more thing I would consider as a factor in weapons rules if I could write them all from scratch.
Thursday, April 6, 2023
GURPS Magic: Staves as bonuses instead of penalty negators
A Staff in GURPS Magic eliminates 1 yard of range penalties for every yard of length. So you can wave -2 of penalties with a staff, -1 with a wand or short staff.
What if it provided a bonus instead? +2 for a full sized staff. +1 for a wand or short staff. And that's it. A flat +1 or +2 for using a magical tool.
I think this would make things a little easier. Instead of extending reach, you just get a flat bonus. It would encourage a full sized staff instead of a shield and a short staff. The cost probably should be more like $20/point to enchant. $40 for a staff with Staff on it is a little low for a +2. $610 is more like it. But it would be worth it.
Just a thought, I haven't tried this at all.
Note, this is +2 effective skill, not base skill. See here.
What if it provided a bonus instead? +2 for a full sized staff. +1 for a wand or short staff. And that's it. A flat +1 or +2 for using a magical tool.
I think this would make things a little easier. Instead of extending reach, you just get a flat bonus. It would encourage a full sized staff instead of a shield and a short staff. The cost probably should be more like $20/point to enchant. $40 for a staff with Staff on it is a little low for a +2. $610 is more like it. But it would be worth it.
Just a thought, I haven't tried this at all.
Note, this is +2 effective skill, not base skill. See here.
Thursday, October 20, 2022
Review: Shields Up!
Time for a review of material that I like.
Two notes:
- I received this as a complimentary copy
- I was a playtester/reviewer (the latter), mostly when the book was largely done
By Danny Macfie
24 pages
Gaming Ballistic, LLC
This supplement is for the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game by SJG produced by Gaming Ballistic. It covers the use of shields in DFRPG through a series of expanded rules options and equipment choices.
Using these rules, you can:
- use shields as cover
- account for shields carried but not readied
- attack with a shield, including throwing, bashing, grappling, and shield rushes
- attack shields, via grappling, hooking, attacking it directly
- attack around shields
- use shields as improvised tools
It also has a dozen new traits and modifications for existing traits, such as Weapon Master, and new kinds of shields.
The book is a very solid expansion. Personally I'd suggest picking and choosing, since shields get a very dramatic expansion in their potential use. Some options make simple sense and can be put into a game without any groundwork - digging with a shield, for example, or evasion or slung shields rules. Others will add some bookkeeping and additional checks - shield damage, for one. And the many additional shield equipment options are cool - but a min-maxer is likely to fiddle around to make the "perfect" shield. It's all well done, however, and really covers the subject of shields in a complete manner. I can't see a thing missing.
Overall: This isn't a supplement you need for the DFRPG, but if you feel like shields don't get their proper due - either from realism or gamist angles - this book will be very useful. It'll work fine for plain GURPS Dungeon Fantasy, too, as much as any other DFRPG supplement will. Recommended.
Two notes:
- I received this as a complimentary copy
- I was a playtester/reviewer (the latter), mostly when the book was largely done
24 pages
Gaming Ballistic, LLC
This supplement is for the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game by SJG produced by Gaming Ballistic. It covers the use of shields in DFRPG through a series of expanded rules options and equipment choices.
Using these rules, you can:
- use shields as cover
- account for shields carried but not readied
- attack with a shield, including throwing, bashing, grappling, and shield rushes
- attack shields, via grappling, hooking, attacking it directly
- attack around shields
- use shields as improvised tools
It also has a dozen new traits and modifications for existing traits, such as Weapon Master, and new kinds of shields.
The book is a very solid expansion. Personally I'd suggest picking and choosing, since shields get a very dramatic expansion in their potential use. Some options make simple sense and can be put into a game without any groundwork - digging with a shield, for example, or evasion or slung shields rules. Others will add some bookkeeping and additional checks - shield damage, for one. And the many additional shield equipment options are cool - but a min-maxer is likely to fiddle around to make the "perfect" shield. It's all well done, however, and really covers the subject of shields in a complete manner. I can't see a thing missing.
Overall: This isn't a supplement you need for the DFRPG, but if you feel like shields don't get their proper due - either from realism or gamist angles - this book will be very useful. It'll work fine for plain GURPS Dungeon Fantasy, too, as much as any other DFRPG supplement will. Recommended.
Thursday, May 26, 2022
Signature Gear, Weapon Bond, and teleport traps
My players recently stumbled into a teleport trap in Felltower that teleported them, but not any of their gear. How would that affect - and be affected by - equipment traits?
Signature Gear
In Felltower, this means you can eventually get it back. It won't be destroyed - but it might get used. It won't disappear forever - but it might be hard to recover. And so on.
So with a naked teleport trap, your gear exists . . . but I won't make exceptions to get it back to you. Serendipity could potentially make for a coincidental recovery, but it would really depend on the circumstances. Otherwise, just know it is waiting for you.
Weapon Bond and Equipment Bond
This doesn't provide any plot immunity for your weapons. I won't treat an item with Weapon Bond or Equipment Bond any differently than any other piece of equipment. Points in these traits can be wasted if that piece of equipment is destroyed or stolen and unable to be recovered. Purchasing a +1 to a specific weapon or piece of equipment for 1 point is an economical investment compared to 4 points in a skill . . . but it comes with some risk and downsides.
Signature Gear
In Felltower, this means you can eventually get it back. It won't be destroyed - but it might get used. It won't disappear forever - but it might be hard to recover. And so on.
So with a naked teleport trap, your gear exists . . . but I won't make exceptions to get it back to you. Serendipity could potentially make for a coincidental recovery, but it would really depend on the circumstances. Otherwise, just know it is waiting for you.
Weapon Bond and Equipment Bond
This doesn't provide any plot immunity for your weapons. I won't treat an item with Weapon Bond or Equipment Bond any differently than any other piece of equipment. Points in these traits can be wasted if that piece of equipment is destroyed or stolen and unable to be recovered. Purchasing a +1 to a specific weapon or piece of equipment for 1 point is an economical investment compared to 4 points in a skill . . . but it comes with some risk and downsides.
Monday, March 28, 2022
Games Diner Rations for DF
I found this post pretty amusing, and I didn't want to wait until Friday to post it:
For my Felltower players, no, none of that is in play. Read it and enjoy it, but I'm not entertaining using it in our game.
Dungeon Dining: Exotic Eats and Remarkable Rations for Fantasy Travelers
It's an old post - 2018. But I don't seem to have noticed it before. Or I did and it's lost to my memory and I can't find it on my blog to confirm that I'd seen it.
For my Felltower players, no, none of that is in play. Read it and enjoy it, but I'm not entertaining using it in our game.
Dungeon Dining: Exotic Eats and Remarkable Rations for Fantasy Travelers
It's an old post - 2018. But I don't seem to have noticed it before. Or I did and it's lost to my memory and I can't find it on my blog to confirm that I'd seen it.
Sunday, January 16, 2022
Felltower & weapon metals
Playing Pathfinder: Kingmaker has reminded me of some elements of D&D. One of these elements are metals.
Cold Iron doesn't exist in Felltower. In the game, it seems to largely serve to injury faerie-type creatures. It was a metal type that got some random mentions in AD&D, too, that I recall, but it wasn't very defined.
Felltower features the usual DF metals:
Steel
Orichalcum
Meteoric Iron
Silver
It also features, although not commonly, bronze weapons and armor as well.
Orichalcum is in short supply - the PCs bought up some items made of it, mostly knives (which are still affordable even with a +29 CF.) Its main value is that it won't break on a parry. The PCs haven't knowingly met anything especially vulnerable to this metal type; it's not clear why anything would be.
Meteoric isn't uncommon, but is sufficient rare to be cheap and always require a special order. Its main use is to frustrate defensive magic. The PCs haven't knowingly encountered anything especially vulnerable to this metal type; presumably beings with some kind of sensitivity to a lack of magic could be affected more than usual by it, but cases are likely to be extremely rare.
Straight-up steel is the main metal. It's common, and almost nothing takes extra damage from steel.
Silver is excellent against were-creatures and presumably some other beings as well. In general, if it shifts shapes, silver might help.
Bronze is uncommon because working with it is a speciality task. It is useful against rust monsters (for sure) and rust slimes (presumably), but suffers against steel and orichalcum.
That's about it for metals for weaponry. "Cold forged" weapons or "iron" weapons aren't getting you much of anything. A being vulnerable to "iron" is just as vulnerable to steel.
Felltower is pretty much vanilla DF in that regard.
Cold Iron doesn't exist in Felltower. In the game, it seems to largely serve to injury faerie-type creatures. It was a metal type that got some random mentions in AD&D, too, that I recall, but it wasn't very defined.
Felltower features the usual DF metals:
Steel
Orichalcum
Meteoric Iron
Silver
It also features, although not commonly, bronze weapons and armor as well.
Orichalcum is in short supply - the PCs bought up some items made of it, mostly knives (which are still affordable even with a +29 CF.) Its main value is that it won't break on a parry. The PCs haven't knowingly met anything especially vulnerable to this metal type; it's not clear why anything would be.
Meteoric isn't uncommon, but is sufficient rare to be cheap and always require a special order. Its main use is to frustrate defensive magic. The PCs haven't knowingly encountered anything especially vulnerable to this metal type; presumably beings with some kind of sensitivity to a lack of magic could be affected more than usual by it, but cases are likely to be extremely rare.
Straight-up steel is the main metal. It's common, and almost nothing takes extra damage from steel.
Silver is excellent against were-creatures and presumably some other beings as well. In general, if it shifts shapes, silver might help.
Bronze is uncommon because working with it is a speciality task. It is useful against rust monsters (for sure) and rust slimes (presumably), but suffers against steel and orichalcum.
That's about it for metals for weaponry. "Cold forged" weapons or "iron" weapons aren't getting you much of anything. A being vulnerable to "iron" is just as vulnerable to steel.
Felltower is pretty much vanilla DF in that regard.
Thursday, November 4, 2021
Meteoric Roundup Post
Meteoric is one of those prefixes in DF/DFRPG that causes me a lot of headaches. I've never yet had anyone get a piece of meteoric gear without also coming in with a question about how it works. Here are all of the posts I can find on the subject for my game:
What good is Meteoric Armor?
Rules & Rulings from 1/3/21: Meteoric, Knife & Swashbucklers, and Silvering Meteoric
Another ruling from 1/4/21
Meteoric in my DF game
DF Felltower Gear: Meteoric Iron Bullets
And if you want to ensure a complete "seal" against a floor-based magical attack, you'll need plate armor footwear to ensure nothing gets through. That's a "new" ruling but I don't think it's inconsistent with anything I've posted, or with a sense of what magic-dead armor could actually do vs. magic that reacts to physical contact with the floor.
Meteoric costs a lot, and does a very narrow of things very well . . . and that's that. It's not terribly convenient to use in a magic-using party but it has its moments.
What good is Meteoric Armor?
Rules & Rulings from 1/3/21: Meteoric, Knife & Swashbucklers, and Silvering Meteoric
Another ruling from 1/4/21
Meteoric in my DF game
DF Felltower Gear: Meteoric Iron Bullets
And if you want to ensure a complete "seal" against a floor-based magical attack, you'll need plate armor footwear to ensure nothing gets through. That's a "new" ruling but I don't think it's inconsistent with anything I've posted, or with a sense of what magic-dead armor could actually do vs. magic that reacts to physical contact with the floor.
Meteoric costs a lot, and does a very narrow of things very well . . . and that's that. It's not terribly convenient to use in a magic-using party but it has its moments.
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Repairing Armor & Weapons in Felltower: Part II
My players are finally getting around to repairing their damaged equipment.
Here are the rules we use for armor and weapons:
Armor & Weapon Repairs in Felltower
How long does it take? Mundane repairs take 1d+1 weeks; payment (and replacement parts, if they need supplying) is on putting the gear in for repair.
Magical repairs - with the Repair spell - are immediate. For simplicity, in Stericksburg you do not need to roll to find a wizard with the Repair spell. Payment (and replacement parts) must be supplied immediately; Repair spells are skill 15 and are rolled at the table. Luck cannot be used.
Magic items require the Repair spell to fix.
What about equipment? Most gear uses the rules for weapons. Sufficiently damaged gear may not necessarily be repairable - anything damaged past 50% is generally a total loss, and replacement is almost always going to be cheaper.
Here are the rules we use for armor and weapons:
Armor & Weapon Repairs in Felltower
How long does it take? Mundane repairs take 1d+1 weeks; payment (and replacement parts, if they need supplying) is on putting the gear in for repair.
Magical repairs - with the Repair spell - are immediate. For simplicity, in Stericksburg you do not need to roll to find a wizard with the Repair spell. Payment (and replacement parts) must be supplied immediately; Repair spells are skill 15 and are rolled at the table. Luck cannot be used.
Magic items require the Repair spell to fix.
What about equipment? Most gear uses the rules for weapons. Sufficiently damaged gear may not necessarily be repairable - anything damaged past 50% is generally a total loss, and replacement is almost always going to be cheaper.
Monday, November 1, 2021
Subtractions from Felltower: Orichalcum
Here is a change I've been giving some thought for a while:
- Orichalcum items are no longer available to be purchased or "special ordered" in town.
It's a simple flavor thing. I'd prefer items of a special, indestructable bronze to be available but from special sources. Obvious sources of orichalcum items? Olympus, for one, and the "Ape Gate" is a likely source, too. Neither is an easy place to show up, flash some coin, and special order some sword or knife or shield. But they're at least possible places to get items made of the material.
Existing items made of orichalcum still exist - and those purchased are still in play. You just can't order new ones.
This should affect almost no one - few items have been made of orichalcum and no one has any on order than I know of. Price (for sale purposes) is unchanged.
- Orichalcum items are no longer available to be purchased or "special ordered" in town.
It's a simple flavor thing. I'd prefer items of a special, indestructable bronze to be available but from special sources. Obvious sources of orichalcum items? Olympus, for one, and the "Ape Gate" is a likely source, too. Neither is an easy place to show up, flash some coin, and special order some sword or knife or shield. But they're at least possible places to get items made of the material.
Existing items made of orichalcum still exist - and those purchased are still in play. You just can't order new ones.
This should affect almost no one - few items have been made of orichalcum and no one has any on order than I know of. Price (for sale purposes) is unchanged.
Monday, October 25, 2021
Holy Water - a list of what it doesn't do
In GURPS Dungeon Fantasy, Holy Water is all of $15 a vial, $7.50 for clerics. It's expensive for water, even by 2021 standards, but it is cheap as dirt compared to potions and other concoctions. Even a 1d6 healing potion costs $120, and mild poisons - easily resisted and doing minor damage - range from $20 per dose.
Yet, despite that, my players are convinced - half-seriously, half-kidding - that it should do more. Much, much more.
Powers my players have ascribed to, or suggested for, or claimed are logical for, holy water:
- it acts as Paut for clerics and holy warriors
- it acts as a healing potion for clerics and holy warriors
- it's poisonous to evil creatures
- it damages evil creatures on contact, instantly
- it removes curses
- it exorcises evil from anything it is poured on
- it repels evil creatures
- it turns unholy water into holy water
- it neutralizes poison
- it refreshes good creatures, restoring FP and acting as Essential Water
- it turns your mother into a basketball . . . not wait, that's SPACOM.
For my players - anything I have missed?
See also: GURPS 101: Item/Spell Effects or Creature Weakness
Yet, despite that, my players are convinced - half-seriously, half-kidding - that it should do more. Much, much more.
Powers my players have ascribed to, or suggested for, or claimed are logical for, holy water:
- it acts as Paut for clerics and holy warriors
- it acts as a healing potion for clerics and holy warriors
- it's poisonous to evil creatures
- it damages evil creatures on contact, instantly
- it removes curses
- it exorcises evil from anything it is poured on
- it repels evil creatures
- it turns unholy water into holy water
- it neutralizes poison
- it refreshes good creatures, restoring FP and acting as Essential Water
- it turns your mother into a basketball . . . not wait, that's SPACOM.
For my players - anything I have missed?
See also: GURPS 101: Item/Spell Effects or Creature Weakness
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
The Boot Hill story
A comment on yesterday's post reminded me of this story.
Back in 4th grade, we were playing Boot Hill at lunchtime in elementary school.
One of my friends (T.R.) was GMing.
Some of us, including my cousin R~, were making PCs. I think R~ and I wanted our PCs to be brothers, but that's not a certainty.
What I do remember is that we got into an argument with the GM about equipment. We'd been kitting out and he said we needed to buy a suit of ordinary clothes with our starting money.
We disagreed.
He was quite insistent.
So my cousin spent $150 on a horse and I spent $150 on guns and ammo . . . FDR6s and 15Rs, I think . . . and we said we'd ride into town naked and shooot down and take the clothes off the first person to say anything about us being naked except for guns and crossbelts of ammo.
Just goes to show that I'm as annoying as a player as I am as a GM.
Looking back on it, I think I still R~ and I were right. There aren't even clothes on the chargen equipment list for Boot Hill. It's all guns and horses, pretty much.
It would have been an eventful first session, had it ever happened. Of course, after that argument, the game wasn't going to happen. 4th grade isn't a great place for establishing long-lasting campaigns based on compromise and careful rules reading.
Back in 4th grade, we were playing Boot Hill at lunchtime in elementary school.
One of my friends (T.R.) was GMing.
Some of us, including my cousin R~, were making PCs. I think R~ and I wanted our PCs to be brothers, but that's not a certainty.
What I do remember is that we got into an argument with the GM about equipment. We'd been kitting out and he said we needed to buy a suit of ordinary clothes with our starting money.
We disagreed.
He was quite insistent.
So my cousin spent $150 on a horse and I spent $150 on guns and ammo . . . FDR6s and 15Rs, I think . . . and we said we'd ride into town naked and shooot down and take the clothes off the first person to say anything about us being naked except for guns and crossbelts of ammo.
Just goes to show that I'm as annoying as a player as I am as a GM.
Looking back on it, I think I still R~ and I were right. There aren't even clothes on the chargen equipment list for Boot Hill. It's all guns and horses, pretty much.
It would have been an eventful first session, had it ever happened. Of course, after that argument, the game wasn't going to happen. 4th grade isn't a great place for establishing long-lasting campaigns based on compromise and careful rules reading.
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Equipment every delver has, but not on their sheets
One source of endless amusement to me as a GM is when the PCs go to do some "mundane" delver task, and explain how they'll do it.
"We tie up the goblins and gag them."
"We make a litter out of two sticks and a cloak."
"We burn them with oil."
"We make torches out of old rags and sticks."
Etc.
My next question is the showstopper. "With what?" or "Who has those materials?"
In my experience as a GM, every players assumes their delver has, as part of some other thing on their character sheet, some or all of the following:
- string
- rope strong enough for the heaviest guy in the party to hang from, but capable of being used to bind hands
- a cloak, which can function as a rainslicker, bedroll, travois or stretcher canvas, useable for disguise, and an endless source of strips for gags and bandages
- a small knife, capable of any and all edged and pointed tool tasks
- some oil, usable for light or setting anything on fire
Nearby, are:
- sufficient burnables to set anything on fire and keep it that way
- especially straight, sturdy sticks ranging from 6' to 10' long, capable of being made into spears or cut into wooden swords
- water, sufficient to put out that fire they just made
- cover capable of hiding the entire party but not of concealing any enemies
Needless to say, none of this is generally true.
Anything else you've assumed you just have as a fantasy PC, or which your players just assume they have?
"We tie up the goblins and gag them."
"We make a litter out of two sticks and a cloak."
"We burn them with oil."
"We make torches out of old rags and sticks."
Etc.
My next question is the showstopper. "With what?" or "Who has those materials?"
In my experience as a GM, every players assumes their delver has, as part of some other thing on their character sheet, some or all of the following:
- string
- rope strong enough for the heaviest guy in the party to hang from, but capable of being used to bind hands
- a cloak, which can function as a rainslicker, bedroll, travois or stretcher canvas, useable for disguise, and an endless source of strips for gags and bandages
- a small knife, capable of any and all edged and pointed tool tasks
- some oil, usable for light or setting anything on fire
Nearby, are:
- sufficient burnables to set anything on fire and keep it that way
- especially straight, sturdy sticks ranging from 6' to 10' long, capable of being made into spears or cut into wooden swords
- water, sufficient to put out that fire they just made
- cover capable of hiding the entire party but not of concealing any enemies
Needless to say, none of this is generally true.
Anything else you've assumed you just have as a fantasy PC, or which your players just assume they have?
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