Tag: House Rules

Experience Points for Replacement Characters

Posted on by Vagabundork

When a PC dies, a replacement character is created (level 1, 0 xp). When ready, she can eat 1d4 organs of the recently deceased unlucky motherfucker, at the player’s option. Eating more than this number will have no effect (unless the referee can think of something truly nasty). The player may choose to eat less than the number given.

Available organs for gourmet adventurers:

  1. Eyes
  2. Brain
  3. Heart
  4. Spinal cord

1. Eyes

Benefit: The new PC gains 25% of the dead PC’s experience points. All perception and ranged combat rolls have a +1 bonus.

Downside: Restless dreams. While asleep, there’s a 1 in 6 chance the new PC has nightmares that are too restless to rest. No HP can be regained that night, and no spells can be prepared the next day. After a night like this, she will be able to sleep for 1d4+2 days without worries. Then roll again.

2. Brain

Benefit: The new PC gains 25% of the dead PC’s experience points. +3 bonus to saving throws vs. magic and magic effects. If the new PC is a magic-user, she automatically learns one of the dead PC’s spells (chosen by the referee), which she can add to her book at any time, at the cost of not being able to prepare spells that day (but no coin is spent). All other classes get that same spell, but in their memory, and they can only use it once, no matter how long they keep it in their brains.

Downside: In stressful situations, there is a 1 in 6 chance that the dead PC’s personality will try to emerge, causing confusion for the PC. -3 penalty to all rolls (referee can grant exceptions if needed), and this confusion must be interpreted or described by the player.

3. Heart

Benefit: The new PC gains 25% of the dead PC’s experience points. +1 to Strength, permanent. She also can hold her breath for up to 20 minutes (underwater, smoke, and so on, and so on).

Downside: Cardiac arrest! If her hp reaches 0, she dies; this is for Lamentations of the Flame Princess; in other games, if hp reaches 1, the PC must make a saving throw vs. poison or death at -3 or die.

4. Spinal cord

Benefit: The new PC gains 25% of the dead PC’s experience points. +1d4 to total hp and +1 hp for any healing effect (while sleeping, receiving medical aid, healing magic, etc.)

Downside: The PC must consume a human spinal cord (elves lack spinal cords, dwarf spinal cords are made of nonedible iron, hobbits have very small one so they are worthless) once a month or lose all benefits, as well as -1d4 to total hp and -1 to all healing effects (you could actually die!)

Artwork by Sentient Sword

Combat Techniques for Spellbook Nerds

Posted on by Vagabundork

Once a magic-user has used her spells for the day, she is no longer a useful member of the adventure, and the player controlling her may be relegated to a mere spectator for the rest of the session, especially during combat. Nevermore! From now on, a magic-user can unlock new combat abilities.

These abilities are magical, but they are not spells. Thy must be acquired or learned. Two suggestions are given for each (almost), but the referee may prefer other ways to grant them that are more appropriate for a specific campaign.

1. Amber Fluid

The magic-user empties her bladder at will (she wets herself, you see), and the liquid travels on its own for one round, snaking its way until it reaches an enemy (chosen by her). When it reaches the enemy in the next round, an electric shock from within runs through the thread of urine, dealing 1d3 damage, plus the target must make a saving throw vs. paralysis or fall to the ground in convulsions for one round.

Risks and limitations: Once per day. The magic-user may not carry a metal object larger than a small weapon, or the discharge will be nullified.

How to acquire: The magic-user must survive an electric shock; or she must wear at least 500 gp worth of amber jewelry in the form of piercings or subdermal implants in all the usual areas of the body, including the erogenous zones.

2. Dagger of Evil Eye

The magic-user inflicts a wound upon herself and sacrifices all but 1 hp. From the next round on, each successful attack will cause her to regain the same amount of hp that she dealt to her enemies.

Risks and limitations: As many times per day as her Constitution modifier. Only with a dagger, which is now considered unholy.

How to acquire: The magic-user must survive a mêlée without using magic and without suffering any damage; or she must perform a blood ritual of fertility and blood during a new moon, alone.

3. Evil Face

The magic-user shows her true face and terrorizes her enemies (and perhaps allies). Enemies up to one level above her have their morale reduced by 1. Enemies below that level also have their morale reduced, but they immediately make a morale check. Allied NPCs will have their loyalty to her or even the party (whichever makes sense) reduced by 1.

Risks and limitations: As many times per day as her Charisma modifier.

How to acquire: She must kill an enemy in combat, and that death must cause a morale check on the opposing party; or she must research it as if it were a new spell.

4. Lightning Strikes Twice

The magic-user makes herself a small wound to the wrist or chest and sacrifices 1 hp. The next round, she can make two attacks, one on her initiative with an extra +1 bonus, and one at the end of the round without that bonus.

Risks and limitations: As many times per day as her Dexterity or Constitution modifier, whichever is higher. Only with a staff.

How to acquire: The magic-user must have been near death in combat (taking maximum damage without dying); or must sacrifice a total of 10 hp in combat (causing wounds to herself).

5. Magic Barrier

The magic-user summons her willpower for a number of rounds equal to her Wisdom modifier. During this time, she takes only half damage (cumulative with other forms of damage reduction).

Risks and limitations: Magic-users without a positive Wisdom modifier can’t use this ability.

How to acquire: The magic-user must bathe in the blood of an enemy killed with a mêlée weapon; or it can be given as a gift when sacrificing a friend or loved one in honor of Lucifer or Mictlantecuhtli or Hades or any other god of the underworld.

6. Parasite

The magic-user releases the parasite in her brain. Her mouth opens unnaturally and a black centipede with a demonic face or alien features emerges. The magic-user can now make 2 attacks per round, a normal attack or spell, and a parasite attack: a bite that deals 1d6 damage and requires the target to make a saving throw vs. poison.

Risks and limitations: Although the magic-user has full control of her body and mind, she can no longer hide the parasite, so it’ll be very difficult to go unnoticed or deal with other people (a benevolent referee may find a way to remove it, but it certainly shouldn’t be easy).

How to acquire: The magic-user must introduce a centipede into her brain through her ear and survive a saving throw vs. poison (the type of venom determines the damage taken if the throw fails, as well as the damage dealt by the parasite); or she can… honestly, I don’t have a good alternate idea, I really like this one.

7. Rejection of Death

The magic-user pays a pending debt: a piece of her soul is torn off and she immediately loses one magic-user level. If the caster dies in combat (now or at any other time, but it must be in combat), she will remain dead for only one round, and then will come back to life with her HP and spells of the day restored.

Risks and limitations: Once in a lifetime.

How to acquire: The magic-user must make a pact with a demon or god of death; or she must commit an act of absolute evil that colors a fragment of her soul to necrosis.

8. Scorpion Sting

The magic-user runs the blade of her dagger across her tongue, causing it to bleed. The dagger is now poisoned, and the victim of an attack with it must make a saving throw vs. poison or die immediately between convulsions and curses.

Risks and limitations: As many times as she wants, but she must use the same dagger, and after the first time, she must also make a saving throw vs. poison or die.

How to obtain: The magic-user must be stung by three scorpions on three consecutive nights, and survive (she can use antidotes); or she must give a newborn baby to a colony of scorpions to be eaten, and they will grant her the gift in return.

9. Shadow Step

The magic-user summons her inner shadow and gains a +2 bonus to her AC for a number of rounds equal to her Dexterity modifier, when dodging attacks as if they were attacking her shadow and not her.

Risks and limitations: Once per day. Magic-users without a positive Dexterity modifier can’t use this ability.

How to acquire: The magic-user must sacrifice her own shadow in a defiled temple of the setting’s major religion; or devour the shadow of a priest of that same religion.

10. Stroke of Grace

Knowing that all is lost if she doesn’t do something, the magic-user channels all her concentration and training into a crushing blow. Her next attack will have one of two effects: either the attack roll will automatically succeed, or the attack will cause the maximum damage possible from her weapon (but she must succeed the attack roll).

Risks and limitations: Once per day.

How to acquire: The magic-user must survive a mêlée without using magic; or she must train with a Fighter at least one lever above her for 6 weeks and pay 100 gp each week.

11. Time Rupture

The magic-user can alter her own perception of time and space for a number of rounds equal to her Dexterity modifier, automatically gaining initiative (the rest of the group makes group initiative rolls normally; she rolls separately for now).

Risks and limitations: Once per day. Magic-users without a positive Dexterity modifier can’t use this ability. She must drop everything she carries except a small weapon (and small shield, if carrying), and she must be wearing light clothing.

How to acquire: She must survive three combat encounters with nothing but a small weapon and underwear or similar clothing; or she must eat the beating heart of a cheetah or other fast creature during a full moon.

12. Transmigration

The magic-user chooses from those present the one who will be her new body. Once chosen, she must cut her own jugular vein and bleed to death (1d3 rounds). Once dead, her soul, spirit, psyche, identity, eternal essence, or whatever, will attempt to enter the new body. The target must make a saving throw vs. magic with a modifier equal to the difference between his HD and the magic-user’s HD (as a bonus if his HD is greater than hers; as a penalty if it is lower). If the saving throw fails, the magic-user has a new body with new stats, retaining only her original intelligence; although she has the same level as the original magic user, her HD is equal to the HD of the creature taken. If the saving throw succeeds, well, oops, right?

Risks and limitations: Once per year. All spells that remained in the magic-user’s memory when the body died, are activated at the same time, with the body as the epicenter.

How to acquire: The magic-user must eat only caterpillars, butterflies, and moths for 33 days; or she must mark an ankh with white-red iron on her head (4 hp damage) and renew the mark on the same date each year (same damage).

Note: If you want your magic-user to have any of these abilities from the moment you create her, send me $10 to give you the official authorization.

Saving Throw vs. Combat

Posted on by Vagabundork

Prismatic Wasteland is challenging bloggers to come up with new game resolution mechanics.

come up with a new resolution mechanic for a TTRPG and give it a name

Here’s mine.

Saving throw vs. combat

For many reasons, you may want to skip an encounter that would normally result in combat, but at the same time, ignoring the dictates of the dice does not leave a good taste in our mouth. In such cases, we can resort to the saving throw vs. combat.

  1. Each PC and allied NPC must see which is their best category of saving throw (the one with the best chance of success).
  2. Add up the total HD of the PCs and allied NPCs.
  3. Add the total HD of all enemy monsters and NPCs.
  4. Subtract the lesser of these totals from the greater.
  5. The result is added (if the allied PCs and NPCs have more HD) or subtracted (if they have less) as a modifier to the saving throw of each PC and allied NPC.
  6. Those who fail this roll are killed in combat.

Who’s your Nahual (guardian or totem animal)?

Posted on by Vagabundork

A Nahual (in Nahuatl: Nahualli ‘hidden, concealed, disguise’) is a guardian or totem animal. Each person, at the moment of birth, has the spirit of an animal, which is in charge of protecting and guiding him/her. These spirits usually manifest themselves only in dreams or visions, or with a certain affinity to the animal that took the person as its protégé.

When you create a new character, roll on this table to find out who’s your Nahual and the gift it gives you. Optionally, you can receive one of these gifts if you make a pact with a spirit animal, who then becomes your Nahual.

Roll 1d10

  1. Centzuntli, the one with four hundred voices (mockingbird). You have a beautiful voice and can make a living singing or giving speeches. Look for your highest ability, now your charisma has the same value. If charisma was already your highest ability, add one point; if it reaches 19, your modifier is +4.
  2. Tlotl (sparrowhawk). You have excellent eyes and Spirit Sight: You can make a Search roll (modified by wisdom) to see the spirits of the dead, if there’s one present, but you have to roll again to leave this state. A failure means you have to wait a turn before you can roll again. While in this state, you can talk to the dead.
  3. Axolotl, the water monster. Once you come of age, you never get old and never lose your smile. When you sleep, you recover one extra hit point. If you lose a limb, there’s a 1-in-6 chance (modified by your constitution) you can regenerate it whole in 1d4+6 days, but you need to rest during this time.
  4. Koyotl (coyote). You have a great ability to adapt and it is not easy to kill you. When you die for the first time, you are left for dead, but at the end of the combat, you’re miraculously still alive and retain one hp. From the second death, you must pass a saving throw vs. poison with a penalty equal to your current level (at level 2, the penalty is -2, at level 5 it is -5, and so on).
  5. Tekolotl (owl). You are a bird of ill omen, wherever you go, something bad will inevitably happen. But you’re also wise and can smell death in the living. When you create your character, you gain one point of wisdom. You can make a Bushcraft roll (modified by wisdom) to determine if a person will die within the next 48 hours.
  6. Tsinakan (bat). You have two great loves: night and sex. Sex is at your discretion, but during the night, all your rolls related to exploration have a +1 bonus. In the dark you don’t have better vision than others, but you do have a better sense of direction, and you always know where the south is, and therefore, the other cardinal points.
  7. Sayolin (fly). You grew up in a filthy plaza, where you could see pieces of old mats, shoes and hats in the streets. The uneven cobblestones, the mud in times of rain, the filth in plain sight, the dishonesty in all its impudence, the rotting cooked meats being sold, the insects attacking the people, the most insufferable stenches made the square a truly shameful place. In these environments, your charisma and wisdom gain a temporary bonus of +1. Once per day, you can summon a swarm of flies that will attack a target, causing damage equal to your first HD; you gain the same number of hp.
  8. Xoloitzcuintle (hairless dog). You are smaller than average, which grants you an extra +1 bonus to your AC. You are really good at hiding, which grants you one extra point to your Stealth skill.
  9. Tlakamaye (bear). Once a month, you can invoke the help of your Nahual for a maximum of one hour. It can participate in combat or provide other non-humiliating help (it’s not a beast of burden). If the favor you ask is humiliating, it will abandon you and you will never be able to call it again. If your Nahual dies while helping you, make a saving throw against magic for each ability greater than twelve. Each failure means that the value of your ability becomes its opposite, 13 becomes 8, 16 becomes 5, 18 becomes 3, and so on.
  10. Ozomatli (monkey). Your mother died giving birth to you, you were sent to an orphanage or a monastery, where your origin was kept secret: you are of nobility, but you have no way to prove it. Queen Ñuñuu Dzico-Coo-Yodzo (Lady Six Monkey) appeared to you in a dream and revealed the truth of your origin. During character creation, choose one: Immediately gain Climb +3 or Sleight of Hand +3.

Note: Skills are based on LotFP’s Specialist skills. Click here for how to convert to vanilla Thief or Rogue.

Communion: At your referee’s choice, you are visited by your Nahual, either in dreams, hallucinations, or even in real life. In either case, your Nahual will offer guidance, advice or protection (maybe a magical +2 AC, whatever makes sense).

Lost spell book? Get your formulas back!

Posted on by Vagabundork

“Young wizard, I see you have lost your spell book. Yes, a real pity. No doubt you know how you can recover all your spells*. Yes, of course you do. But you need to get that spell back immediately, you say?

Well, all right, I’ll tell you: there is a way. It won’t cost you anything… just your soul. Ha ha, of course I’m joking. To recover your spells, all you have to do is think of the spells you want back and sacrifice something of enormous value.”

Roll 1d6

  1. Your right eye (-1 to -3 on vision-based rolls)
  2. Your left hand (-1 to -3 on rolls requiring the use of both hands or specifically the left hand)
  3. Your tongue (1-in-6 chance of miscast all your spells)
  4. Your memories of youth (-1 to one random ability)
  5. Your good fortune (-1 to all your saving throws)
  6. A loyal or beloved friend or companion
  7. Your identity (no one outside your party remembers you)
  8. Your autonomy (an Outer Being will impose an obligation on you that you must fulfil within a certain time frame; if you fail, you will lose these spells permanently)

After the sacrifice, you recover 1d4 spell levels. For example, if you roll a 4, you can recover four level 1 spells, or two level 2 spells, or one level 4 spell, or any other combination.

This sacrifice is for emergencies only, and doesn’t work for higher level spells.

*1,000 gp and one work week for each level of spell to be recovered.

bras de fer arm wrestling

Opposed rolls in old school games

Posted on by Vagabundork

If two characters want to compete to know who wins a bras de fer competition, or if they are engaged in a game of cards or chess, or any other situation where there cannot really, or should, be a draw, both roll 1d6 and add their most appropriate ability modifier (strength for a arm wrestling, wisdom for domino, charisma for a duel of looks, agility for throwing darts, constitution to endure without breathing, intelligence to solve an equation, etc.)

If there is a tie, another roll is made until there is a winner.

Sometimes it is a good idea to put some tension into these competitions. In those cases, the winner will be the first to achieve 3, 5, 10 or even more victories, for example in a long desert marathon or to determine who finds more decorated stegosaurus eggs at the Volcano Festival.

duel of looks

Staggering vs. Critical Hits

Posted on by Vagabundork

I don’t like critical hits. Never liked. If your weapon causes its maximum natural damage, that’s a critical hit! This is specially true in games where damage is automatic, like Into the Odd, but it works the same in any game based on B/X and similar.

I hate critical hits, but most players expect a high result in their to-hit roll comes with an added benefit. I don’t see why it should be this way, it’s not as though it was obvious, as though natural twenties were a thing in the real world, but ever since Empire of the Petal Throne introduced the concept (natural twenty attack equals double damage), it’s been the expected among players.

So I won’t introduce critical hits in my games, but I don’t want my friends’ enmity, either. Having been playing Dark Souls for the first time, for most of this year, I thing a natural twenty can have a good effect: breaking your enemy’s poise and stagger him.

When you stagger your foe, he loses his next action, and your next attack against him is automatic, so you don’t roll. If you cause maximum damage, that’s your critic. If you cause minimum damage… well, sometimes you miss when you attack a staggered enemy in Dark Souls, because when you make him lose balance, sometimes he missteps or goes out of reach, and he’s still wearing his armor, right?

Note: Keep in mind that I play LotFP, a system where you don’t add neither your STR nor your DEX to your damage rolls, only to your attack rolls, which means all attacks can potentially deal as few as only one point of damage every single time.

Staggering

  • A natural 20 staggers your foe. Staggering lasts one round.
  • A staggered foe loses his next action.
  • All attacks against a staggered opponent are automatic. Damage is normal.

Running away mechanics

Posted on by Vagabundork

These are some quick, easy and no-nonsense rules for running away that would work for most games.

If you are not engaged in combat, running away is automatic. You can be pursued, though.

If you are engaged in combat, in your next action you can run away. If your action takes place before your foe’s (in initiative order), you escape; if your action takes place after your foe’s, he can go after you.

If you are pursued, both roll 1d6, a roll of 1 or 2 adds a point. The first who get 3 points, wins (you escape or he catches you). In a draw, both roll and the lowest result wins.

If a chase doesn’t add enything to the fun, running away is automatic.

If you want to resolve a chase quickly, both roll and the lowest result wins in just one roll. In a draw, the player wins (or roll again if you prefer).

Avoid paranoia-driven dungeoneering

Posted on by Vagabundork

When players become too paranoid and start exploring the dungeon methodically, it’s sometimes fun, but when this behavior becomes too constant, specially when there’s no sensible reason to be extremely cautious (not all dungeons are tombs of horrors and grinding gears after all). Here are some ideas that could solve this situation.

The party

Set a timer

The mission must be completed under a certain number of turns, otherwise something happens and the players know it: when it’s 2 minutes to midnight the sect of evil orcs will kill the unborn in the womb to summon The Hand That Threaten Doom, the crazy wizard eats his pet bat and spread disease, the PC’s clothes and weapons turn to rags and scrap, the PC’s carriage turns into a pumpkin at midnight, the artifact only appears for a few minutes after sunset with a waxing moon before it returns to its dimension of origin, &c.

Something wicked comes

This is mostly arbitrary, but if the party spends more than two turns in the same room, a special random encounter check is rolled. If the d6 comes up 1 or 2, this special monsters or ghostly NPCs or something, appears, causing a drawback: “You are under arrest”, “You smell tasty”, “It smells funny, please make a saving throw versus poison; if you fail, you fall asleep”; falling asleep is too boring, though. Maybe this gas contains some mutagen agent which modifies the PC’s DNA, causing a mutation. Don’t abuse this or it becomes more boring than the alternative.

Rival party

Describe a few areas showing traces of another party of adventurers in the same dungeon. “It’s clear this party is not being methodical, but reckless, they really want to get to the treasure sooner than you. What are you gonna do?” The rival party works better if you introduce it, or its leader, beforehand, without specifying what its role in the campaign will be.

Rival Party

You’re not supposed to explore every inch

This works better in a wizard tower or a more linear dungeon, but with a lot of dedication, it can be used in almost any dungeon (but perhaps it’s not worth it). After a period of time, some parts of the dungeon are permanently blocked. For instance, water springs from the bottom of the tower, and you can only explore one or two rooms on each floor before it becomes impossible to explore another and have to go to the next floor; or opening a door permanently seals another, but make sure sealing a room won’t prevent the party to further explore the dungeon or move to the next level; multiple stairs, stairs in hallways, and teleportation pods are helpful.

Make traps reasonable and obvious

Traps should only be put in a room, door or item when it makes sense. Corridors full of traps induce paranoid behavior and should be avoided (unless, of course, it’s a special dungeon of traps or something). I have an ambivalent feeling for visible, obvious traps, I usually prefer classic, hidden traps, but telegraphed traps are useful when you really need to set a faster pace. If your players spend more time searching for traps than doing anything else, maybe obvious traps are for you.

Don’t measure time, measure turns instead

I quote what I wrote in Hidden Shrine of Setebos: “One turn equals a few minutes, maybe ten but that’s not important. Most standard actions take one turn. You don’t have to measure time rigorously. Ignore time, focus on turns.” This means that 6 actions add one hour, it doesn’t matter if six characters take one action each at the same time, in the same room, each one still adds one turn, total six turns or one hour, not because they spent one hour in the room, but because time is fictitious and malleable, which meants that after (6 x 8) 48 actions (specially actions that demand a roll), 8 hours have passed. Let’s just assume there is a lot of dead time between turns and separate actions. I hope it makes sense; in my head it does but it’s not easy to explain.

House rules | Defeat a foe in combat without killing him

Posted on by Vagabundork

Sometimes you want to immobilize, incapacitate or somehow defeat a foe in combat but you don’t want to kill him, and some games add complex mechanics to do that, while other doen’t add any mechanics at all.

Here’s an easy way:

  1. State your intention. “I want to immobilize him but not killing him”.
  2. Attack the enemy as normal, using non-lethal weapons or no weapons at all (punches and kicks might deal anything between a single point of damage to 1d4). When the target reaches zero or less hp, he’s defeated and you achieved what you intended to do.

If mid-combat you decide to try it, and the enemy has suffered damage from lethal weapons, you must use non-lethal weapons or your own hands from now on. But if the target reaches negative hit points, he’s dead, he only survives if he reaches exactly zero (then it’s a good thing to make punches and kicks deal only one point of damage, right?)

Of course, if you want to immobilize him so your friends can kill him, you have to use whatever grapple rules you have.

If you really need more complex rules that these, you know where to find your path to them, if you know what I mean.