Pocket Provinces #1

Since its inception, I've been a subscriber to Mythoard. April's box, to my delight, included an A7 hex paper notebook. I've been wanting to improve my mapping abilities anyway, so I'm going to be carrying this little book around with me, doodling maps on each page. The purpose, aside from getting better at cartography, is to supply micro-settings, areas of interest that can be dropped into a game or farmed for inspiration, you'll find the first after the jump!

Hacking Barebones Fantasy

Recently, I purchased Barebones Fantasy (hereafter BBF). A lightweight system that's deserving of a review. But a review will have to wait until Finals are done and gone. But in brief: I enjoy the game, it's a lightweight system that's easy to modify, it's complete in one slim book, and it steps away from D&D sensibilities in most areas. I love my retroclones, but familiarity is starting to breed contempt.

One thing that BBF DOES provide, however, is something I'm not really a fan of these days. The Tolkien Quartet. By design, the authors chose to make those staples of modern fantasy (The Elf, the Dwarf, the Halfling and the Human) the available player races.

While I respect that, and understand it's an easy, familiar concept for even non-gamers to get into (Thanks Jackson!), I'm wanting something a bit different. Being a big boy with big boy sensibilities, I got out my glue stick, crayons, and construction paper before getting to work.  Click through the jump to see what I've done to make Barebones Fantasy mine.

A Fool and his Gold

 So, I took part in Card Kingdom's (not an affiliate, by the way, I just like the shop.) Fool's Gold special. Not knowing what to expect, I was eagerly awaiting my envelope. And then today...

What wonders await?!

Awwwe yiss. Let's crack this bad boy open!

Great googily moogily!

 Well played, Card Kingdom, well played. I look forward to next year's special!

In which Dan made stuff up, and everyone got seduced by a snake.

This weekend passed, I had the luxury of visiting a cabin with some friends and new acquaintances. Part of the festivities was a request to play Dungeons and Dragons. while two of the newcomers had never played the game before, the others were familiar with 3rd edition D&D. Not my favorite edition, but playing the game is more important than waving my edition banner.

The adventure was run with no prep other than looking at the lake and a picture of a boat for inspiration. 

What followed was nothing that memorable, a boat-crawl that culminated in a battle with a serpent demon from the Frozen Hells. The guys had a blast with the snake, so I thought I'd share it here. Stats are somewhere between 3.5 D&D and an OSR block, so take of it what you will.

The Frozen God:

AC-16 

HP-26

Move - 50

Attacks: Bite (1d6 cold damage + Save vs Poison (paralysis)

The Frozen God fights through domination, saving its bite for a last resort. Choosing the strongest looking foe, the serpent offers all other targets promises of power, plucking their heart's desire and framing it in a seductive air. They will have their wishes, if only they slay the Frozen God's intended victim.

The Frozen God's flesh is bitterly cold. Sucessful melee attacks inflict 1 point of subdual damage, and impart a chill that never quite leaves the character.

Finally, the Frozen God's  flesh is scribed with writhing  patterns of infernal runes, offering it a shield against spells arcane and divine. There is a 20% chance that the spell will backfire, resulting in a roll on the minor corruption table from DCC.

Not bad for a Level 1 mini-dungeon end boss, aye?

The Hungry Folk

Thaumiel Nerub over on Google Plus was asking about Mushroom PC races for Basic / Expert D&D. Here's a project I've had kicking around in a design notebook for a while, but have yet to post. It's written more for Blueholme Prentice Rules (Holmes Basic), but hopefully he can find some use of it.

Song of Swords: The Blade of Peace

A princeling went to war one day, beautiful and bold in his armor of gold. To prove himself he went, to claim the lands of his father's foes and weave his name into the tapestries of history. Beyond the borders of his father's lands he rode, and beyond the knowledge of kith and kin went the princeling.

Time passed, and to the forge of Kailel, chiefest smiths, came a maiden slight and fair. "Oh smith!" she cried, casting at his feet a purse of gold. "Grant to me a boon, that which will fetch my brother home."

"The price is too great." Kailel  thrust out his hand, denying the girl her boon. "Away, your brother is lost."

"Oh smith!" she cried again, casting at his feet the circlet of her rank. "No price too great. Grant to me that which will fetch my brother home."

"The price is too great." Once again, Kailel thrust out his hand. "Away with you."

"Oh smith!" she cried, taking from her belt a little knife, "No price too great!" Her braid she cut, and cast at Kailel's feet, "For love of my brother, I will go. Grant to me that which will fetch him home again."

With heavy heart, Kailel turned himself away, "I will grant what you ask."

A princess  went to quest one day, in a gown of gray and green. For the love of family she went, and in her hand a bright blade gleamed. Beyond the borders of her father's land she rode, and none marked her passing.

A sabre light and razor sharp, the Blade of Peace bears simple adornments, a series of lodestone teardrops pointing towards the eight winds rest in the flat of its blade near the simple handguard.

Despite its lethal edge, the Blade of Peace is useless as a weapon. Instead, the songs woven into the steel from which it was forged turn aside all but the most cunning of attacks. When wielded, the Blade of Peace grants a +3 bonus to the wielder's Armor Class.

Additionally, when pursuing the heart's desire the Blade of Peace acts as a compass of sorts. It will always point the truest path, though not necessarily the safest.

The Sword of Truth

Inspired by a friend's comment on IRC.  Not exactly the sort of weapon you take into a knife fight, but I'm mostly happy with it...