Druid Specialties for Class Warfare

I didn’t break down the Druid into specialties for Class Warfare because when I wrote that book I didn’t really see how to do it well. I had already figured out the first step, which was realizing that there are only two archetypes to the Druid: a shapechanger and a nature person. The Mechanic class from Inverse World gave me the idea to allow character classes made of 2 specialties, with an advanced move from one of them as an additional starting move. But even then, the Druid has a whole bunch of powers clustered around shapechanging. Spirit Tongue is underpowered compared to the Ranger’s Wild Empathy, while Born of the Soil and Shapeshifter seem inseparable. But if we consider most of these to be half-strength moves, we can bump each of them up a bit and build a specialty based on Shapechanging with the other aspects of it as advanced moves.

Like so:

Druid Specialty #1: Shapeshifter

Starting move is the Druid’s Shapeshifter, but use this rule instead of Born of the Soil:
Choose 3 monster moves and distribute them between 1-3 other forms that you can assume through shapechanging. You can only assume these 1-3 other forms, and you can only spend your hold on the move or moves you have assigned to that specific form.

Example: Dracula can turn into a bat and use the move Fly Away, or he can turn into a wolf and use the moves Track Prey by Scent and Bite the Shit Out of a Foe. Dracula’s other starting moves are probably blood drain and hypnotize.

Advanced Moves levels 2-5:

Born of the Soil, but with this caveat:
Choose a category of creature, and you can assume any form in that category, but the GM assigns that form’s moves. You could also select a category other than “land type,” the same as taking Thing-Talker or World-Talker. And maybe you can take this move more than once, as with The Druid Sleep. The actual categories can be anything, and should probably be based on the campaign setting.

Studied Essence
Add the form of any spirit you contemplate (not just animals). If you can observe a creature or spirit or a spirit teaches you its form, you can transform into that type of creature or spirit.

plus:
Formcrafter
Red of Tooth and Claw
Shed
Thing-Talker

Advanced Moves levels 6-10:
Blood and Thunder
Chimera
Doppelaganger’s Dance
The Druid Sleep
Embracing No Form
Formshifter
World-Talker

As you can see, this is one big-ass specialty, with tons of moves. But I think it balances against the other specialties in Class Warfare okay.

The specialty left over after shapechanging is removed from the Druid is not quite as coherent though:

Druid Specialty #2: Nature Hippy

Either one of these as your starting move
1. By Nature Sustained, the Druid starting move.

2. Wild Empathy (the Ranger move).
(This is basically halved for Druid starting moves, since you can only speak to animals you can change into).

Advanced Moves levels 2-5:
Balance
Barkskin
Communion of Whispers
Elemental Mastery
Eyes of the Tiger

Advanced Moves levels 6-10:
Weather Weaver

This one either needs more moves to fill it out, or we should just redistribute these moves to other specialties. Which is basically what I did. These moves are all in Class Warfare, though I think Barkskin only appears as a Dwarven racial move.

So anyway, this breakdown of the Druid also proposes an interesting way to make classes. Take more than three moves, but reduce the effectiveness of each of them and group them around a theme. It won’t feel like a disparate collection of different abilities if they are arranged around a theme, and by putting greater limits on them, the class won’t be overpowered compared to others or steal spotlight time away from them.

Debtrunner (second draft)

So here’s another unfinished game I’ve been working on. This is the second playtest draft of Debtrunner, a science fiction rpg about a small group of operators driving their starship around in the slowly-recovering ruins of an interstellar, post-capitalist command economy empire. They work in the nascent private sector, made possible by a lack of FTL communications, the precarious nature of space-based civilization, and rampant political factionism. So, it’s basically a mash-up of Apocalypse World and Traveller, set in the Dune universe, kind of.

What sets Debtrunner apart from other space opera Apocalypse World hacks is pretty simple: it’s inspired by the random sector generation rules and the speculative trading rules in the three original Traveller booklets. You can still use these rules for covert missions and spaceship battles, but trading is the default activity. Oppressive political entities are more important than transhumanist ideas, and there are no aliens or robots whatsoever. Adventuring takes a back seat to class struggle.

The first version got some playtesting, so I revised it based on that, and this is the result. It’s not done by any means, and it wouldn’t be too hard to play except you have to generate a sector map first, which can be rather time-consuming. Anyway, it’s here if you want it.

DEBTRUNNER PDF IS HERE

Note: The basic rules are pretty similar to Evil of the Stars, and intentionally so. I still have to update the rules in Black Seas of Infinity so they match, but I haven’t done that yet. I should probably just stick to one game at a time, but it’s hard, y’know…

Edit: I made a character sheet for the ship, because the hit location aspect of it is actually pretty important. It’s more functional than pretty, though, don’t get too excited.

An Overview of Social Mechanics in Apocalypse World Games

Part 1: Basic Moves
My aim in writing this is two-fold: One, to share some ideas, because a lot of great conversations about the AW format have gotten buried in various places all over the interwebs and aren’t easily to look up for people new to it. Two, maybe to start some conversation up again, because I’m not finished writing rules in this vein and new ideas are always good to see.

So anyway, back at the dawn of time, Apocalypse World had the move “when you seduce or manipulate someone, roll+hot” in it. And that was your move for doing the social stuff and then rolling dice for it.

Asymmetrical Effects
Right, so the move works differently on PCs and NPCs. Your influence over NPCs depends on your hot stat and your rolls, not so much on the individual NPC (barring custom moves). Your influence over PCs isn’t absolute, though. You can’t make another PC do something, you can only put pressure on the player through rules-based incentives that model the character’s experience of being socially pressured. This is good if you want to really highlight the fact that PCs and NPCs use different rules, but isn’t particularly elegant. It looks more like two moves than only one.

However, the versions of this move in Dungeon World and Monsterhearts only work on NPCs, because Monsterhearts has other ways to pressure PCs (strings and conditions), and Dungeon World simply isn’t about using the rules to persuade the other PCs.

Monsterhearts actually paves the way for unifying both PC and NPC versions into one move, with advantage and disadvantage. If the move works the same, but you can offer advantage or impose disadvantage, PCs are free to make their choices and the rules for NPC might allow them to refuse in a few, limited circumstances, but overall mandates they behave as expected. The problem here is to work out how the concrete assurances of the 7-9 result play out when PCs ask for them. How much can a PC ask for, anyway?

Wording and Leverage
The versions in both AW and DW both require an explanation of leverage, which (in my opinion) fights with the actual trigger wording, and perhaps makes it redundant and unnecessary except for purposes of a style and consistency (in that every move should have a similarly-worded trigger). Certainly “manipulate someone” is terribly vague and even though “use your leverage over someone to make them do what you want” is long and cumbersome, it does a much better job at explaining what is really happening. It leaves out seduce, however, and that’s an important part of AW, so you can sort of see why it’s that way.

A problem I’ve seen here is that people write special moves referencing leverage, like “you can always use the threat of being beaten up by you as leverage.” This means either that even NPCs who cannot feel fear and ghosts that the character cannot even touch are always afraid of being beaten up by him (unless perhaps the player rolls a 6 or less), or that it’s just a suggestion to the GM to include NPCs that are afraid of being beaten up by this character. If it’s just a suggestion, it should be worded that way, and not as an absolute rule; and as an absolute rule, it has the potential to make absolutely no sense. Not that it’s exactly easy to write a good, snappy alternative (aside from just limiting those affected), and I haven’t seen one yet.

It’s possible for vagueness like that to work in your favour, though. In some cases, it’s quite alright to simply let the people playing the game interpret the trigger wording. Monsterhearts, for example, doesn’t define what manipulating an NPC actually is, it just says you have to actually want something from them. In Throne of Dooms, I went with the trigger “when you try to talk someone into something.” Although there’s some explanation, the move assumes the conversation has already started and the PC’s desired outcome might actually happen, there’s just no certainty. But that game’s a work in progress—the move has changed before and it might change again. In both cases, a sense of the game’s genre is pretty crucial to understanding the move’s trigger. This is true of most Monsterhearts moves—run away works as a basic move, but would seem both oddly specific and opposed to the genre in a game like Dungeon World.

Information-Gathering Social Moves
In the Seclusium of Orphone and Apocalypse World: Dark Ages, there are social moves that let you collect information by asking questions, the same as when you read a sitch or discern realities. John Harper distilled these down to a question-less move in a recent g+ post:

When you manipulate someone to get what you want, roll+[stat] and they’ll name the price. On a 10+, they name the absolute minimum price they’d possibly accept. On a 7-9, they name a price they could live with. On a 6-, they name any price they want.

Essentially, where the AW manipulate moves and those like it allow you to make demands of the fiction, these moves allow you to interrogate it in order to find out what you need to do in the fiction to make something happen. One advantage is that this works equally well on both PCs and NPCs, but it can feel strange right next to more typical perception moves, if players perceive social influence as an active force more than a matter of reading people. I used a hybrid version in Evil of the Stars, stealing the move trigger from AW:DA to finally finish he interview move that’s been kicking around the development of my sci-fi games for several years now:

When you draw someone out in conversation, roll+hot. On a 12+, both. On a 10-11, choose 1:
· Ask 2 questions from the list below.
· Say how you make them feel.
On a 7-9, ask 1:
· How could I get your character to _____?
· Is your character being truthful?
· What does your character intend to do?
· What does your character want or expect from me?
· What is your character really feeling?
On a miss, ask 1 anyway, but they can also ask 2 of you.

Wording Again
It’s good to mess around with the wording of move triggers so they fit the game, the genre, and also your own play style. “Manipulate” isn’t quite the same as “talk someone into something,” and “draw someone out in conversation” is something else again. You want to push the players towards behaviours that support the genre and the style of play the game is supposed to be about, so put that in the move triggers. Here’s a different version of John’s questionless information-gathering move from above:

When you do someone a favour, then make a request of them, roll+stat. On a 10+, they must tell you the easiest way to get them to fulfill the request, or the lowest price they will accept in exchange. On a 7-9, they must name a price they are willing to live with. On a 6 or less, they can name any price they desire, or none, and the GM tells you the consequences.

So instead of manipulating people to get what you want, getting people to do things in this game is about reaching out to them first, building connections, and finding out what it would take to convince them. You bring the king some tribute first, and then you ask about redrawing the borders between your estates and the evil duke’s estates. Or you give the guards cigarettes, and then ask them to let you see the prisoner. You buy someone a drink, then see if they are willing to go home with you.

One of the social moves in Night Witches takes a cue from DW’s Defy Danger, and allows you to modify the dice using different stats based on how you Act Up:

When you try to get your way…
…by acting like a hooligan, roll+luck.
…by acting like a lady, roll+guts.
…by acting like a natural-born Soviet airwoman, roll+medals.

In most other AW hacks, using a different stat has been a matter of having a special stat-substitution move.

Scene Resolution
But the real innovation I saw in this Night Witches move was when the wording in an earlier draft including the words “cause a scene.” In a game with heavy, and especially regimented, scene-framing rules, this can encourage players to frame a scene already in the process of making this move. Because the results of Act Up are broader than simply influencing a single person, the way moves derived from seduce or manipulate are, it can function as either resolution for a single action in a larger scene, or for a whole scene itself.

On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one:
· Make someone do what you want.
· Ensure that there are no consequences for Acting Up.
· Add one to the Mission Pool.

Imagine a Monsterhearts style game with a similar move, where Marcia the scheming vampire throws a birthday party for Clarice (“when you do something nice for someone, roll+hot”), rolls well for the move, and chooses two options. Marcia seduces Keith (Clarice’s boyfriend) as one, and puts the condition “Owes Marcia” on Clarice as the other. As you can see, she didn’t even use the move against Keith, but since he was there in the scene, fair is fair. Not every genre can use this, but for a lot that can, it’s basically half-way there already.

And Now For Something Completely Different
Or if you like the idea of a game that runs entirely on the workspace rules, instead of rolling 2d6 all the time, you can have information-gathering moves without the dice:

When you try to manipulate someone in order to get your way, the GM will tell you what it will take (1 to 4 of the following):
· First you must __________.
· It’ll take (hours/days/weeks) to convince them.
· They want to get paid.
· They’ll only do part of what you want, if someone else does the rest.
· You must keep __________ out of it.
· You’ll need help to convince them, from __________.

So that’s a bunch of stuff, but it doesn’t cover things like Hx, bonds, aid and interfere, and currencies like hold, strings, and debts. Maybe I’ll cover that in Part 2 and maybe I’ll just slack off and not.

edit

Additional Commentary:

Rob Brennan pointed out the interplay between social influence and the perception moves. In AW, you don’t usually go looking to seduce or manipulate without knowing you have leverage—either you know they want something, because it’s clear in the fiction, or you use the read a person move to find out.

In cases where you ask questions, the general idea is that this occurs between players, and that the information is conveyed to the PC through any and all means available, which can include the characters talking exactly like the players, or can be (in the fiction) entirely non-verbal. This can be expressed in phrasing the questions to the player (“What is your character really feeling”), but could also maybe be explained in a paragraph somewhere if the game you are writing is marketed towards people who aren’t AW vets.

I thought about playing around with triggers to achieve a completely different effect and came up with this one:

When you pretend you’re something you’re not, in order to deceive an enemy, roll+[stat]. On a 10+, they take you at your word. On a 7-9, they require concrete proof before they believe your lies.

Here’s a test for you: Why is there a second clause (“in order to deceive an enemy”) in that trigger?

Setup Questions for Nonhumans

So, when you’re running a game, you need to spend a bit of time coming up with what elves and dwarves and stuff are like, right? Or you could just let one or more of the players do all that and spend your time doing more important things, like thinking up exciting situations to put the PCs in. So here are some questions you can ask people playing elves and dwarves and children halflings to get them to tell you about their societies.

DWARVES

• Do all dwarves have beards?
• Do dwarves have books, or some other kind of writing? How do they make them?
• How does one build up a good reputation for themselves amongst the dwarves?
• What dangers do dwarves face, deep down below the earth? How do they deal with them?
• What do dwarves think of halfling pipeleaf?
• What does dwarven romance look like?
• What does family mean to dwarves? What must a dwarf do to be disowned?
• What is your favourite kind of stone? What does this say about you, compared to other dwarves?
• What kind of music do dwarves like?
• What place do oaths have in dwarven society? What happens when someone is branded an oathbreaker?
• When do dwarves wear masks?
• When dwarves leave their homes to live amongst humans, what do most of them do? Is there a guild for dwarves? Do humans expect you to all perform the same kind of work for them?
• Where do dwarves get their wood from?
• Which animals do dwarves keep in their underground homes? Do they have steeds or cattle, that are praised amongst other races for their ability to live and work underground?
• Why do dwarves have such a rivalry with elves?
• Why do dwarves live underground? Are there dangers on the surface, some kind of enemy scouring the earth for dwarves to kill?
• Why haven’t dwarves poured forth from their halls to conquer the kingdoms of the other races?

ELVES

• Are elves really as stoic as the other races think, or are there times where they express their emotions more readily?
• Are musical instruments just as prized by the elves as song is?
• Can elves really talk to plants? Why do people think they can?
• Do elves change colour with the seasons, just like the trees do?
• Do elves ever eat meat or are they strict vegetarians?
• Do elves only live in forests? Where else do they live?
• How common is magic among the elves?
• How long do elves normally live?
• How well do elves get along with dragons?
• What are elven naming conventions like? Do you have a secret name, or more than one, even?
• What do elves think of fire? Do they believe in a god of fire?
• What happened the last time the elves went to war?
• Who are the natural enemies of the elves? What creatures do they fear the most? Are these the same things the other races fear?
• Why are elves so secretive?
• Why are there so few elves?

HALFLINGS

• Are there barbarian halflings, living in the wilderness, with no hint of civilized agriculture?
• Do halflings tend to feel small and uncomfortable in the company of other races? Do you?
• Halfling lawyers—you opinion?
• How many songs does a halfling know? Do your people prefer to write their own, or do they borrow whatever songs they like?
• Is there such a thing as halfling literature? If not, why not? If so, what is it like?
• What are halflings like after they find religion?
• What contributions have halflings made to human society?
• What do halflings think of theatre?
• What does red hair on a halfling mean? Are there limericks about red-headed halflings?
• What is the most popular halfling sport? What do you think of it?
• What kind of reputation do halflings have amongst the other races?
• What’s the one thing no halfling would be caught dead without, when they go travelling?
• Why are halflings such good gardeners?
• Why do halflings love to gamble so much? Is it all halflings or just some?

cc-by unported 3.0

Oh, hey, if you want to take a bit of Red Box Vancouver cannon for your own game:
Dwarves all talk like Sean Connery.
Elves talk like surfer Keanu Reeves.
Halflings all have Italian accents.

Last post was this stuff for character classes.

Setup Material

Here’s a list of stuff to help GMs run character-driven adventures, arranged by class.
If you’re playing Dungeon World, you can use these bonds instead of the normal ones. If you aren’t, you can use these bonds to create links with other PCs or important NPCs.

BARBARIAN
Bonds

• __________ does not understand me, or my culture. I will explain myself to them, no matter how long it takes.
• __________ got me involved in a questionable adventure and I’m having second thoughts about it now.
• __________ has seen the lands of my home, more recently than me.
• __________ showed me how to get high.

Questions to Ask

• Have you brought anyone from your home with you? Who?
• In what way is your home more beautiful than any other land you have been to?
• Of all the other people from your homeland, who would you most like to see again and why?
• What is the most dangerous creature that has stalked the lands of your home? Have you ever defeated one?
• What is the strangest thing about the lands you live in now?
• What precious thing does your homeland lack, that these lands you now roam have in abundance?
• What protects your homeland from invaders (if anything)?
• When did you discover your appetites?
• Why can’t ever return to your home?

Situations to Introduce
A portly and venal merchant has come before you to offer you that which you have an appetite for, or a sure-fire way to get it. But this merchant has brought hidden assassins who spring upon you, in full view of the public. Precious spirits are spilled, braziers are dislodged, tapestries catch fire. Who’s ire have you attracted this time?

You stand before the enemy army, ready to fight their champion. But then you see your own side begin to retreat—they plan to leave you hear to fight alone! Why does the commander bear a grudge against you? Who can you call upon from your side to support you? What are the enemy troops fighting for?

BARD
Bonds

• I told __________ all about performing inside a rich noble’s home and saw the greed in their eyes.
• __________ helped me make some important contacts. I owe them.
• __________ is my lover, or was, or would have been, or… it’s complicated.
• __________ knows I have a secret map.
• __________ started a fight while I was performing, and payback’s a bitch.
• __________ would be an excellent subject for a ballad, if only they got into more adventures. So I’ll just help them out with that.

Questions to Ask

• What are you running from?
• What’s the best thing about performing for others?
• Who trained and taught you the arts you know?
• Why do you travel so much? Would you like to settle down, or no?

Situations to Introduce
Charlatans have been travelling from town to town, selling cursed magical items. You’ve just stumbled across their accounting ledgers, but their guards have just stumbled across you. Have you met them already? What did they think of you before?

For weeks now, you’ve been tracking a band of thieves who have stolen a fantastic artifact that falls right inside your area of expertise. And they’ve just ambushed you. That must mean you’re getting close! Where are you when it happens? What other business did you have here, that’s not related to these thieves?

The Crimson Enchantress has ensorcelled a mob to become violent. Who or what is she trying to provide a distraction for? Who wants you to prevent her plans from coming to fruition?

You’re in the middle of a brawl between the town’s two most powerful gangs. Rumour has it they want to celebrate different festivals on the same day.

CLERIC
Bonds

• I have intervened with other priests on __________’s behalf before.
• My deity has marked out __________ as someone important. I must help them fulfill their destiny.
• __________ has been through hardships that would break me. They can stand against the darkness I see looming over the world.
• __________ has worked with servants of my deity before.

Questions to Ask

• Have you ever failed your deity? What did you do to atone?
• How does your family feel about your calling? Is it a prestigious position, or something that is looked down upon?
• What did you do before dedicating your life to your deity, if anything?
• What did you do the last time a rival temple tried to move in on your territory?
• What social restrictions are placed on the faithful here? How do you feel about this—are they voluntary restrictions, or forced upon you?

Situations to Introduce
Another follower of your deity has been performing miracles. Whispers that she is the “Chosen One” abound, but you know some of those whisperers would like nothing more than to take advantage of her youth and inexperience. Still, you don’t fully trust her. Why?

Demonic influence manifests itself upon the material plane! What’s your relationship to the person acting as conduit? What does your deity have to say about this influence?

The city’s hierophant has asked you to assist in the performance of an important ritual, involving some of the local nobles. Which of your friends and family are in attendance? What’s your history with the hierophant’s temple? Your deity reveals a nefarious plot, unfolding all around you. Which of your deity’s precepts is being violated?

You’re pursuing the kidnappers when they enter the catacombs below the city and a horde of the undead appears to block your passage. Who have they captured and what do they mean to you? What do the rumours you’ve heard say about these catacombs? What else is buried underneath this city?

DRUID
Bonds

• Me and __________ are tracking the passage of a terrible monster through this land.
• __________ has fought in defence of my lands before and has my respect.
• __________ is familiar with the sickness that infects the land, which must be purged.
• __________ seems suitably impressed by my powers and I just can’t help showing off in front of them.

Questions to Ask

• Were you always like this, or did something change to make you one with the land?
• What kinds of people live on or next to your lands, and what problems do they bring?
• What problem has brought you to leave your lands and venture into unknown territory?
• Which animal is your favourite? Why?
• Why does the wealthiest merchant around here welcome you with open arms, every time you show up?

Situations to Introduce
All the animals of the land pass by you, fleeing en mass from the terror that lumbers forward. What do you suspect this mighty monster’s ultimate goal is? What source of magic hereabouts could be powerful enough to draw something so dangerous? Of the people you care about, which ones are closer to it than you are, and why aren’t they fleeing, like the animals are?

The city guards have let you inside the walls, but now they’re demanding the “gate tax,” which you’ve never heard of before and also seems rather exorbitant. At the same time, they just let someone in strange black robes walk right on by them, and you smell something very, very wrong underneath that cloth.

FIGHTER
Bonds

• Me and __________ were both hired by a boss who turned on us.
• __________ proved a worthy ally in the last war, even considering that one mistake they made.
• __________ saw me kill someone important.
• __________ stood up to me and got away with it. That’s how it is, I guess.

Questions to Ask

• Do people ask to become your apprentice or squire ever? What do you say to them?
• Did you join the war willingly, or were you drafted against your will?
• What did you do the last time someone challenged you to a duel?
• What happened to all those coins you used to have?
• What kind of oaths did you swear on the day your old mentor was murdered?
• Which enemy (or enemies) do you spend the most time fighting against? What do they threaten that you want to preserve?
• Who wielded your signature weapon before you? Anyone?

Situations to Introduce
Assassins attack you in a crowded marketplace. Why do they want you dead? How did you defeat their leader when last you met them? Do you owe someone, or did you take something that some villain wants for their own?

The festival was in full swing, and then the iron golem appeared, intent on kidnapping shrine maidens and delivering them to the evil warlock who hides inside a local mountain. What did the warlock hire you to do, and why did you have so many misgivings? What will happen if the shrine maidens cannot finish appeasing the local spirits? Which of them do you suspect is actually in league with the warlock?

You stand between the caravan and the bandits. They have some kind of monster with them, intent on seizing some “special” cargo. Why didn’t you kill the bandit leader when you had the chance? Did you know about the risks before you joined the caravan?

PALADIN
Bonds

• For what they have done, I have sworn to guide and protect __________.
• I have heard of _________’s exploits and am suitably impressed.
• __________ gave me food and shelter when I had nothing.
• __________ obviously doesn’t trust me, and this needs to change.

Questions to Ask

• Are you dedicated to a particular lord, deity, or social institution? Are you on a personal quest, for yourself? Why or why not?
• Is there something particular in your past that drives you to fight the good fight? What are you looking to atone for, personally?
• What do you think about other local authority figures? Are they using their power responsibly, or are they corrupt and venal?
• What was your first job, and why do they want you back?
• Why did your family send you away?

Situations to Introduce
The innkeeper’s daughter stumbles back to the inn, clutching her neck, covered in blood. She collapses, dying from a vampire’s bite. Everyone staying at the inn begins to fight. Why did you keep an eye on those fur traders? What is that monk hiding beneath his robes? Why does the nobleman bear a grudge against you? What will you do about the innkeeper’s dying daughter? What will you do about the vampire, still on the loose?

The séance just turned ugly. Which of your dead relatives do you see, standing in the darkness before you? What don’t you want them to say to you? How did the ghost-talker convince you to attend, and what kind of bargain did the two of you agree on? Why is it so important that the baroness doesn’t die during this ritual?

You’re caught in a mob of beggars and vagrants, rioting against the king’s new laws. The mob is surging towards the palace. Where were you trying to get to, originally? You see a team of thieves in the midst of the mob, using strange magic to disguise their activities.

RANGER
Bonds

• __________ and I took down a great beast once, and paid for it dearly.
• __________ left me in a pinch when they were supposed to come through for me.
• __________ once talked me into guiding some halflings on the run through dangerous territory, and never thanked me properly for it.
• __________ was once my enemy, but we’ve since reconciled.

Questions to Ask

• What did you lose that now you seek to regain, out here in the wilderness? Who took it from you (if anyone)?
• What monster lives around here and why do you try to avoid it?
• What’s the most important thing about this forest, that needs to be protected, at all cost?
• When the dwarves petition to get their lands back from the king, which side of the argument do you support? What’s your relationship with the dwarves like?
• Where did you first meet your animal companion?

Situations to Introduce
You can see the orcs, just across the river. They have the ferryman and his family captive, and they’re chopping up his boat. The sheriff is itching to get at them. Did he tell you why? What kind of dealings have you had with these orcs before? If they enact their plan, you would benefit in some way—how?

You’ve been poking around some ruins next to the city of Tyr for a few days now, and right in front of you there’s some traders making a deal with a band of monsters. Where do you know these traders from? Do they know you’re there? How far away is the city they’re headed for (and is it Tyr)?

THIEF
Bonds

• Me and __________ are the only survivors of a dubious adventure.
• __________ helped me steal something really valuable from someone who is really dangerous.
• __________ knows where I stashed some loot.
• __________ still owes me for some stuff they were supposed to fence for me.

Questions to Ask

• Are you part of a thieves’ guild? Why or why not?
• How were you involved with the notorious criminal who just turned up this morning, dead in a ditch?
• What’s the biggest score you’ve ever taken down?
• Who’s your competition?
• Why did you return the last thing you stole?

Situations to Introduce
A friend of yours gives you something to stash for safekeeping—something you’ve been trying to get a hold of for months. What sort of danger is your friend in? What job did you already take on in an effort to raise the money to buy this thing, and how soon do you need to complete the contract?

The room begins to fill with water and the manticore emerges from a secret doorway in the ceiling. What other traps did you find here, that haven’t been triggered yet? What were you hoping to find in this dungeon? What do you regret most about bringing the blacksmith’s only son down here with you?

You find your poison dealer dead at home, apparently by suicide. But there is something suspicious—where have you seen that faint bluish tinge before? Which two books are missing from the house’s library, and why would no one else but you notice their absence?

You’re stuck in the city jail. What did they catch you doing? The guards throw a shopkeeper in with you. From the way they talk, a wealthy merchant has bribed them because he doesn’t want to pay the shopkeep for goods delivered to his manse. A very wealthy merchant…

WIZARD
Bonds

• __________ and I shared a mystical vision, after drinking the blood of the demon world together.
• __________ has supplied me with forbidden tomes.
• __________ once brought me safely through the Haunted Forest.

Questions to Ask

• A wealthy stranger offered you a fat purse of coins to perform some kind of ritual. Who do you think they were and why did you refuse?
• How do people treat you usually, when they know you are a wizard?
• What did you miss out on by studying magic?
• What magical mystery have you been yearning to solve for years now?
• What strange vision haunts your dreams, night after night?
• Who taught you magic, and what kind of terms are you on these days?
• Why does your mentor want you to collect parts of rare monsters?

Situations to Introduce
An arcane tower has suddenly appeared on a nearby hilltop. The local militia broke through it’s gate only hours before your arrival and have not emerged since. Now the overseer of the Stevedore’s Guild is collecting “taxes” and the children of the town implore you to rescue their fathers from the evil-looking, magical tower. Why did you come to this town in the first place? Who do you know amongst the missing? How much do you owe the stevedores?

Finally, you arrive at the magical centre of the Great Forest, a place of power if ever there was one. But the elves have arrived here, too—hot on the heels of a monster. What can this monster offer you for your aid? Why does the leader of these elves dislike you so much? Why is the Elf Queen so interested in your arcane research?

You’re in someone else’s arcane laboratory. Why aren’t you supposed to be here? What would be most useful to you? Were there any defences you had to overcome to get in here? Who’s with you and why did you bring them?

cc-by unported 3.0

Next post is questions about fantasy races.

The Metamorphica: A Book of Random Mutation Tables

UPDATE: A new, revised version is now available.

See the new blog post HERE.

As promised, the book is finally done!

The Metamorphica is a very large system-agnostic collection of random mutation tables, for any table-top role-playing game. The digest-sized PAPERBACK VERSION is available from lulu.com for only US$6.66 plus shipping, but you can download the pdf version for free (either FROM LULU or FROM HERE for less hassle) from DriveThruRPG HERE.

How did this happen? Good question!

I was originally inspired to make this when I started using the old Realm of Chaos mutation tables while I was running old Red Box D&D. We had a lot of fun with mutagenic substances so I decided to make a much larger collection that included mutation ideas from a whole range of other role-playing games. Along the way I added a lot of new ones as well, and when it became too big to be a stapled booklet, I decided to add procedures for creating all sorts of monsters and mutants. And also to make it available as a printed book and not just a pdf.

The Metamorphica is system-agnostic, meaning there aren’t any rules in it per se: no attack bonuses, no hit points, and no task or conflict resolution systems. I intend to use this for more than just D&D, but making the book compatible with such disparate systems as Metamorphosis Alpha, Burning Wheel, Apocalypse World, and Diaspora would make it way too long, and take way too much time. You can just make up rules in play if you need them, that’s what I do. It’s really not that hard.

The Metamorphica was written by Johnstone Metzger and illustrated by Andrew Gillis, Nathan Jones, Johnstone Metzger, and Nathan Orlando Wilson. If you need to get in touch with anyone about this book, Red Box Vancouver (no spaces) has a standard gmail address that will accept your inquiries.

Also? It’s free!

Yes, this is (essentially) a free book. But if you would like to not-so-subtly encourage future products of a similar nature, or just buy me and/or the artists a drink by way of thanks, feel free to donate whatever you feel is appropriate. I will also happily accept pdfs, which you can send to the above-mentioned gmail address (the name of this blog, no spaces).

Or, if you would really like to do me a favour (warning, real-life bummer stuff follows):
I find the violence surrounding coltan mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the economics of the electronics industry that encourage it, particularly concerning. Especially since this book would not have been possible without such electronics. However, I have neither the time nor the expertise to track down and properly vet charitable organizations working to solve this issue. If you know of one, and can make an adequate case as to their accountability and their work in the DRC, please let me know. If you don’t know any charities working in this area specifically, don’t worry about it, just enjoy the book. And if you are unaware of this issue, please look it up, the information is readily available. Thank you.

Book Announcement: Random Mutation Tables Collection

So it has been a long time since either cr0m or I updated this blog. But things are still happening!

I have been working on a book of random mutation tables, which is now in the final stages of preparation. The Red Box Vancouver guys always get excited when I pull out the Realms of Chaos books, so I decided to make my own thing that’s got more mutation stuff and none of the stuff I don’t need (because those books are thick and heavy). And since I started doing that, I figured why not just make it a product, too, right? I might as well, so…

It’s called The Metamorphica and it should be ready for public consumption before the end of May. It will be available as a free PDF, or as a print-on demand softcover for I-don’t-know-how-much, but hopefully pretty damn cheap. It’s 160 pages, digest-sized, with the occasional illustration. It’s system-agnostic, so you still have to make up your own rules, but I figure that’s a lot easier for you to do than it is for me.

How does The Metamorphica compare to the mutation tables you already have? It’s basically an amalgamation of every mutation idea in every role-playing book I’ve ever looked at, plus a bunch of my own research. It’s no cut-and-paste job, though, it’s original text and interpretations, even if some of the ideas are old and/or classic.

Here’s the back matter:

From the sorcerous influence of the Gods of Chaos to the ferocious inhabitants of hostile and unexplored planets, from uncontrolled experiments conducted in top secret laboratories to the demonic hordes of Hell, table-top role-playing games the world over teem with monstrous and bizarre creatures. If your game has a need for random mutation tables and procedures for creating all sorts of mutant abominations or unnatural things, whether they are corrupt demons and unique monsters or strange aliens and new superheroes, The Metamorphica is the book for you. As a collection of biological, psychic, and supernatural mutations, all grouped into tables so results can be randomly selected using dice, this book is a system-agnostic resource for campaigns of such diverse genres as dark fantasy, four-colour comic book, post-apocalypse, modern horror, science fiction, transhumanism, and weird high fantasy.

The Metamorphica contains:
Over 650 individual mutations, all with their own descriptions.
Physical and metal mutations, as well as psychic and supernatural powers.
Several different types of mutation-generating tables.
Lengthy random creature tables.
Procedures for using mutations in four different campaign types.
Procedures for creating aliens and demons.
Procedures for creating mutant animals, humans, and plants.

I’ll post again when it’s ready.

What I Have Learned from Random Mutation Tables

Here is a lesson I have learned from using random mutation tables in D&D. I normally use the old Realms of Chaos books for mutations, and usually it’s because characters come into contact with a mutagenic substance like warpstone or liquid derived from it.

First, let me define a term: All fiction, including role-playing games are composed of certain elements: characters, setting, props, and situation. Props are things that are important to the story but aren’t characterized, and aren’t just part of the setting. Right? Mostly, I’m ‘a talk about props here.

One of my main joys in being a DM is putting the players into a strange situation, with a whole bunch of moving parts they can interact with, and seeing them invent solutions to their problems that I would never have thought of in a million years. When you introduce a puzzle, the payoff is pretty minimal, because either the players figure out the solution you’ve already devised, or they don’t and there’s failure and disappointment. But when there’s no set solution, you can be surprised and have to improvise. This is one reason why I like random tables as well, and certainly other DMs will agree. I know Tavis Allison has written a post or two about improvising based on random tables.

However, random tables are a means to encourage improvisation on the DM’s side. What I want to discuss here is improv on the players’ side, and one of the key ways to do this is to introduce complicated props.

In a typical D&D game, your average treasure haul will include mostly coins and swords +1. The problem with these is that the only thing coins actually do is buy stuff, and the only thing a weapon or armour +1 does is change the probabilities of your dice rolls. Having a magic weapon or not might make the difference between fighting a certain creature or running away, but it’s a pretty minimal encouragement to creative problem-solving.

Props that Do a Thing

Better is a prop that does a specific thing: A sword that glows when goblins are near, a staff that casts cure light wounds, a sword that bursts into flames. Now you have a prop that does a thing, and the player’s options just increased by one (and a very visible option, too).

Sometimes, doing a thing can put extra work on a DM, though. edit. There’s a magic spell from Postmodern Magick (the Unknown Armies supplement) that lets you read any book you know of, just by opening any other book. It’s pretty cool, as long as you don’t have to sit there inventing books and texts for hours on end to entertain the players. But if you have some really awesome random book tables (or a really cool library), this is dope.

In essence, though, these are props that create more props. They get your character access to information, which hopefully leads to some sort of action, because the action is where the game is really at. I want to see how the players combine the various props and spells and stuff that they have, and create some sort of plan. Especially when it involves props I introduced, and the players use them in some way that totally surprises me. And a sword +1 is never going to do that. What will? Let’s think of some examples…

Ring of Protection
Your average ring of protection +1 gives you a slightly better armour class. Whoop-de-doo. How about a Ring of the Untouchable? Whoever wears this ring cannot be touched by another living being, or by that beings clothes. This is an effective mosquito repellant, and it protects against viruses and bacteria that are not already infecting the wearer. Other creatures cannot touch the wearer, even if they are wearing metal gauntlets. Natural attacks, such as claws or bite, have no effect. The wearer cannot be pushed around, unless the pusher uses a tool. Weapons still have full effect, even lassos. Whatever the wearer is wearing or carrying is also affected, so it defeats pickpockets as well. The wearer can be touched by the undead, and by demons and other extra-planar entities.

Sword +1, +3 versus Gnocchi
This sword may or may not give a bonus to hit and damage. However, it hates all gnolls and gnomes and anything else whose name begins with a gn-, even Pietro Gnocchi. Anytime it hits one of these creatures, the wielder may immediately make another attack against anything close enough to hit. If the wielder chooses not to make an attack, he must quench the blade’s thirst with his own blood. Even a small amount will do, but he must take 1 point of damage.

Stonecutter
This sword does not actually cut through stone, it’s blade just ignores all non-organic material. It can pass through stone, metal, fabric, dirt etc. as if it were not even there. Stonecutter ignores AC bonuses from metal armour, but not leather, and can attack through doors and walls that are thin enough. Keeping it in a scabbard can be a problem, although the hilt of the sword does not share the properties of the blade. The hilt can be strapped to a belt and will not pass through walls, doors, or armour.

Potion of Mutation
If you drink it, you gain a random mutation! Actually, this is a lot like  a prop that makes new props. Instead of, say, a book that tells you how to kill trolls, it gives you, say, a third arm which ends in a giant lobster pincer. Good thing I have some random mutation tables!

That was pretty rambly, but I’ve got stuff to do so there it is.

An Alternate Reward System for Playing Your Role

For Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax, “role-playing” didn’t mean funny voices or acting out your character’s unique personality. It meant playing your role, whether that was cleric, fighter, or magic-user. Role-playing awards might mean re-roll tokens, or an xp bonus, but were not given out for dramatic performances.

With that in mind, here is an alternate reward system for role-playing, with roll bonuses, saving-throw re-rolls, and allows abilities to increase. It fulfills two different goals. The first is that it incentivizes certain class- or role-specific behaviours, by rewarding appropriate actions and making it easier to increase class-elated abilities. The second is that it allows for more player-determined advancement, by allowing players to choose which abilities they will try to increase.

As much as I stand behind the sentiments in the last post, I also like it when characters can improve and overcome their faults, or hone their strengths. And this is a rather simple way of allowing a player to indicate what they find interesting or important about their own character, instead of being locked into a fixed, undeviated improvement path based on class, level, and what spells are found during adventures. Players should be able to make choices about improvements before 9th level, I think.

Each character class has five experiences that help define their role. When you do one of these five actions, mark the circle next to it. Do not mark it again until after you erase it.

You may erase all your marks to get certain bonuses, at any time:
* Erase all your marks to get a bonus to a single roll equal to the number of marks you erased.
* If you have 2 or more marks, erase them all to re-roll a saving throw.
* If you have 3 or more marks, erase them all to attempt to increase one of your favoured abilities.
* If you have 4 or more marks, erase them all to attempt to increase any one ability.

When you attempt to increase an ability, erase all your marks and choose which ability you would like to increase. If you are erasing 3 marks, you may only choose one of the two abilities favoured by your class. If you are erasing 4 or more marks, you may choose any one of your six abilities. Once you have chosen an ability, roll a d20. If you roll equal to or less than the ability’s current rating, it does not increase. But if you roll higher than the ability’s current rating, it increases by 1. Favoured abilities are listed next to the class names, below.

The seven B/X Classes listed out in alphabetical order:

Clerics (Charisma and Wisdom):
○ When you defend someone weaker than yourself (fewer hit points).
○ When you heal or rescue a fallen comrade.
○ When you ignore attacks in order to heal, bless, consecrate, or turn undead.
○ When you survive a battle against the servants of enemy gods.
○ When you tithe half your wealth to your temple (minimum 100gp).

Dwarves (Constitution and Strength):
○ When you defend someone weaker than yourself (fewer hit points).
○ When you donate half your wealth to a Dwarven institution (minimum 100gp).
○ When you find a trap before it is triggered.
○ When you slay a superior foe (more hit dice).
○ When you survive a battle where your side was outnumbered.

Elves (Strength and Intelligence):
○ When you defend someone weaker than yourself (fewer hit points).
○ When you rescue a fallen or captured comrade.
○ When you recover magical items, scrolls, or spellbooks from a dungeon.
○ When you spend half your wealth on magical research (minimum 100gp).
○ When you use magic to defeat a superior foe (more hit dice).

Fighters (Dexterity and Strength):
○ When you lead retainers into battle and they all survive.
○ When you rescue a fallen or captured comrade.
○ When you slay a superior foe (more hit dice).
○ When you spend half your wealth carousing (minimum 100gp).
○ When you survive a battle where your side was outnumbered.

Halflings (Constitution and Dexterity):
○ When you ambush a superior foe (more hit dice or greater numbers).
○ When you get to the other side of a lock or blocked passageway.
○ When you slay a superior foe (more hit dice).
○ When you spend half your wealth carousing (minimum 100gp).
○ When you survive a battle without losing any hit points.

Magic-Users (Constitution and Intelligence):
○ When you cast a spell to directly aid a comrade.
○ When you recover magical items, scrolls, or spellbooks from a dungeon.
○ When you spend half your wealth on magical research (minimum 100gp).
○ When you survive a battle without losing any hit points.
○ When you use magic to defeat a superior foe (more hit dice).

Thieves (Dexterity and Intelligence):
○ When you ambush a superior foe (more hit dice or greater numbers).
○ When you find a trap before it is triggered.
○ When you get to the other side of a lock or blocked passageway.
○ When you spend half your wealth carousing (minimum 100gp).
○ When you survive a battle without losing any hit points.

Designing Quests

So, I spent the other day discussing some game rules I’m working on that use, more or less, “the list method.” At the same time, I was thinking about using the list method for designing quests in old-school D&D, mostly so that Dalamyr and William Parsnip (and others after them) have some systematized framework in which to pursue their individual quests in our Red Box game and feel like it’s a part of the game and not something we hand-wave (or ignore). And then I read Gregor’s post The Whole World is a Savvyhead’s Workspace, and I thought “yes, that’s right, exactly!”

And so I wrote up the generic list-based quest generator for my old-school D&D game. This is the first draft:

As the DM, you can offer quests and adventure hooks to the players. But you must wait until they tell you what quests they wish to undertake before you tell them what that quest entails. Players do not care about the quests you force on them.

Once the players tell you what quest they wish to undertake, use these lists to tell them what they need to do to accomplish their quest. Pick maybe four or five things on the first list, I guess more if you want a really hard quest, and connect them with “and” or maybe “or.” Then flesh out the details using the four other lists. Don’t pick too many things or the quest will never end.

When you tell the players what it will take to accomplish the quest, don’t keep details hidden, and don’t lie. This is a quest, not a mystery! If they are looking for a hidden lair or a lost treasure, fine, but put all the requirements out in the open, so they know what they have to do. Your job is to get them moving, not to hold them back.

Here’s the first list:

In order to complete your quest…
you need (suitable/specific) information;
you need to find a (suitable/specific) location;
you need to obtain (suitable/specific) equipment, material, and/or supplies;
you need to find a particular item;
you need to find a particular person;
you need to obtain help or assistance from others;
you need to protect yourself from something or someone;
you need to build/fix/figure out something first;
you need to create/set up/establish something first;
it will take days/weeks/months/years of labour.

And here’s the secondary lists:

You need information that…
you can only get at a specific location;
you can only get from a specific person;
you can only obtain by performing (suitable/specific) actions;
will allow you to find something, someone, or some place;
will allow you to use something, someone, or some place;
few people know;
many people know;
may be expensive to obtain;
requires research to obtain.

You need to find a location that…
is suitable for a particular task;
will provide you with a (suitable/specific) product;
you can find a (suitable/specific) person at;
is far away;
is dangerous;
is guarded;
is hard to get to;
is hard to leave;
is hidden;
is unique;
you have never heard of.

You need to find a thing or stuff that…
you can only get from a specific place;
you can only get from a specific person;
you need to perform (suitable/specific) actions in order to obtain;
you need specific skills or knowledge in order to use;
is far away;
is dangerous;
has side-effects;
is guarded;
is kept in a secure location or compartment;
is hard to get rid of;
is hidden;
is unique;
you have never heard of.

You need to find a person…
who can only be found at a specific location;
who is suitable for a particular task;
who will provide you with a (suitable/specific) product;
who has (suitable/specific) equipment, material, and/or supplies;
who has a particular item;
who wants something from you;
who is far away;
who is dangerous;
who is hostile;
who has their own agenda;
who is guarded;
who is hard to get to;
who is hard to get rid of;
who is hidden;
who is unique;
of a rare occupation or disposition;
of a common occupation or disposition;
that few people know;
that many people know;
that you have never heard of.

So, an example:

Dalamyr the 5th-level cleric of Stryxus has already begun rebuilding the abandoned village of Yew. Using these quest-building rules, let’s figure out what he needs to do:

In order to rebuild the village of Yew:
he needs suitable building materials;
he needs to obtain help from settlers (i.e. somebody needs to move in);
he needs to establish law and order;
and it will take months, maybe years, of labour.

Luckily, he has a suitable (and specific) location already, and it has roads connecting it to the surrounding area, so he doesn’t need to build those too.

In our game, he’s already spending most of his dungeoneering loot on supplies and labour. Now I’ve established that he needs to convince people to move in and he needs to get somebody to run the village. Where will he get those people from? I don’t care! That’s up to Dalamyr.

Thank you for reading this far. If you have any suggestions for how to improve these lists, or if you use them in your game, please comment. I want to hear from you. Also, please note that these are supposed to be generic, so that lists tailored to specific locations in the game (and in other games) can use this framework. I’ll be writing more setting-specific lists later.