Nick Bielik, the lord of Castle Dragonscar commands that we reveal our gaming histories. Squishy-minded and prone to drone-like following as I am ("Will minion for food. Can provide own cult robe"), who am I to argue?
~ = magazine/comic
* = board/table top game
# = books
-- = related event
Primary School
Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harryhausen movies and fantasy films
# Greek and Norse myth, Arthuriana
# The Hobbit
Secondary School/Sixth Form
# Lord of the Rings
~ 2000AD comic (UK)
Fighting Fantasy
Lone Wolf
# Michael Moorcock
* Heroquest
* Space Hulk
Mentzer Basic D&D
~ White Dwarf (UK)
Dragon Warriors
AD&D1-2E (any setting; we weren't picky)
~ Dragon magazine
* GW Warhammer (FB/40K/Epic) + Dark Future
TNMT/Heroes Unlimited
MERP
WFRP
~ Game Master magazine (UK)
Elric, Runequest
WH40K Rogue Trader roleplay homebrew
~ Arcane magazine (UK)
Megatraveller
Rolemaster
University
Amazing Engine (TSR generic system - Bughunters, Once and Future King, etc.)
GURPS
-- discover internet --
Cyberpunk
Call of Cthulhu
* GW Necromunda
Vampire
Shadowrun
World of Work
-- LARPing --
Pendragon
Ars Magica
* GW Mordheim/Warmaster
* DBA
Fading Suns (longest campaign)
LUGTrek
Dune
D&D 3.5
WFRP 2E (like tonsil hockey with an old flame: familiar, but still exciting)
D&D 3.5 + Tome Series
-- discover grogblogs --
Castles & Crusades (briefly)
Labyrinth Lord
I am such an archetypal British gamer it's not even worth joking about it. I came up during the 80s NWOBCF (New Wave of British Cynical Fantasy), and it's marked me indelibly.
Showing posts with label list. Show all posts
Showing posts with label list. Show all posts
Thursday, 9 July 2009
Friday, 22 May 2009
The Ferris Wheel of Doom - WIP
My personal homage of the infamous Hellevator of Castle Greyhawk is the so-called Ferris Wheel of Doom which connects the first 6 levels of the Vaults. Why anyone would choose to use a giant observation wheel as a major internal transfer system in an underground complex is an open question.
The Wheel Chambers
When initially encountered it is unlikely that the player will realise that the Ferris Wheel is in fact a wheel. The majority of the workings are hidden behind stone walls, with only the doorways and switches that allow access to the transport capsule visible. The doors, of which there are one on each of levels 1-6 of the Vaults are made of heavy bronze, elaborately-decorated and surrounded by a baroque profusion of pilasters, architraves, and friezes. A single "call capsule" button (each of unique appearance and operation) is generally to be found in the same room as the door.
Random Call Capsule Buttons
| 1d10 | Gimmick |
|---|---|
| 1 | a statue of a succubus holding a bowl. The bowl must be filled with 1d6x1d6 hp worth of intelligent humanoid blood to call the capsule. |
| 2 | a gong. Possible secondary effects as per Amityville Mike's fine article on gongs and the bonging thereof |
| 3 | small silver butler's bell on a podium. When tinkled the bell unleashes a full 8 bell carillon which attracts monsters as a Shrieker. |
| 4 | an open-mouthed idol. 1d10x1d10gp, a gem, or a magic item must be fed into the mouth. |
| 5 | a 3-foot long railway signal locking lever. Expect catastrophic consequences if pulled by a dorf. |
| 6 | a chased and enamelled hunting horn chained to the podium. Can only be blown by someone of Con 13 or above. |
| 7 | a chased and enamelled drinking horn containing 2 pints of: 1 - a light ale - heals 1d6 damage (as Grognardia Jim's liquid courage rule) 2 - a heady mead - gives a +2 bonus to Int, Wis or Cha checks (choose, or determine randomly) for next 1d3 turns 3 - a burning winter ale - heals 1d10 damage, character is -2 to all checks for 1d3 turns 4 - a smoky arval ale - grants +4 bonus to the next save the character makes The horn must be drained in a single draught (unmodified Con check) by a single drinker to call the capsule. |
| 8 | a wire and nail puzzle (plonk one in front of the players if you have it handy) |
| 9 | an elemental focus. Must be dealt a particular amount of elemental damage to call capsule. 1 - fire/heat 2 - water/cold 3 - air 4 - earth/stone 5 - quintessence (weird sh*t of the DM's choice - wood, void, heart, molybdenum, etc.) 6 - two of the above (roll twice) |
| 10 | a speaking tube. The requirements to call the capsule (singing, speaking a particular phrase or language, having the players recite some verse, etc.) are at the DM's warped discretion |
There is a 1 in 6 chance that the capsule is absent when the button is pressed. Absent capsules will return in 1d6 turns.
The Capsules
There is a 1 in 6 that a capsule is occupied when the door open. The DM should create a random encounter from a randomly determined level to which the Ferris Wheel has access. There are no limits on creature types or number due to size, intelligence, etc. (Yes, vermin and dragons both love to ride the Ferris Wheel)
The Ferris Wheel chambers are 10' x 20' rooms of mutable appearance and decoration. Sometimes there are seats, sometimes not. Sometimes there are windows onto strange vistas, at other times the walls are panelled with inlaid maquetry of exquisite design, or with diamond pattern sheet steel, or with marble. Sometimes the light comes from torches in wall sconces, at other times it radiates from ceiling panels, wall-mounted globes, or even the floor. The one commonality is the control panel, which is mounted at human eye level to the right of the door (when facing it).
The Control Panel
The control panel (however it chooses to appear today) has 12 buttons/settings/plugs. These are numbered 1-10 (in a random alphabet), with the last two buttons being invariably marked with a hold door button, and with an infinity symbol.
Numerals 1-6 - roll 1d6, add number pressed, count in base 6. The capsule ends up on that level of the Vaults. How often the sequence changes, or if it is entirely random, is at DM discretion.
Numerals 7-0 - By themselves these numbers do nothing. But, when used in combination with others, they can be used to reach particular areas outside the Vaults (see Combos section, below)
Hold Door button - can be used to hold doors open or closed.
Infinity symbol - When pressed a demonic, gape mouthed green face appear, laughs maniacally, and then vanishes. The capsule jerks violently. Roll 1d30 on the table below...
Cities
1 Adamantinarx-on-the-Acheron (Wayne Barlowe's "God's Demon")
2 Altdorf (Warhammer World)
3 Atlantosh - the cheap theme park version of Atlantis
4 Erelhei-Cinlu or Menzoberranzen (50/50)
5 Lankhmar or Viriconium (50/50)
6 London (roll 1d8)
-- 1 Ruined London (Diamond Dogs/Steel Tsar)
-- 2 Londres (Hawkmoon)
-- 3 Steampunk London 1855 ("The Difference Engine")
-- 4 5,000AD - After London (Forgotten Futures 5)
-- 5 Puritan London ("The Adventures of Luther Arkwright")
-- 6 Elizabethan Londinium (Moorcock's "Gloriana")
-- 7 New Crobuzon or Armada (50/50)
-- 8 Sigil or Earth 2009 (50/50)
7 Ancient Rome, Athens or Alexandria (1in3)
8 MegaCity 1 or Mos Eisley (50/50)
9 Metropolis (50/50 - DC Comics or the 1926 movie version)
10 Taashban (Narnia) or Kublai Khan's Xanadu (50/50)
Locales
11 Doomed City (roll 1d8)
-- 1 Atlantis - the day before
-- 2 Numenor - the day before
-- 3 Pompeii - the day before
-- 4 London - the day before the Great Fire
-- 5 Lisbon - the day before the 1755 earthquake
-- 6 Port Royal - the day before the 1692 earthquake
-- 7 Tokyo - the day before (roll 1d6)
-- -- 1 - 2 the great Kanto earthquake
-- -- 3 - 4 the Tokyo firestorm
-- -- 5 - 6 "Gojirah!"
-- 8 San Fransisco - the day before the 1905 earthquake
12 The Lost World
13 Skull Island (50/50 - Treasure Island/King Kong)
14 Mythic Lands (roll 1d8)
-- 1 Khemri (Egypt)
-- 2 Achaeia (Greece)
-- 3 Midgard (Norse)
-- 4 The Four Worlds (India)
-- 5 Chung Kuo (China)
-- 6 Sinbad's Araby
-- 7 Mandevillean Asia
-- 8 The Seven Cities of Gold
15 Swiftian Lands (roll 1d6)
-- 1 Lilliput
-- 2 Brodingnad
-- 3 Laputa
-- 4 Luggnagg
-- 5 Balnibarbi
-- 6 Glubbdubdrib
Worlds
16 Tekumel
17 Arrakis (Dune) - "Spice must flow" (25% chance Didcot 3 (Urn) - "Tea must flow")
18 The Dying Earth
19 The Mighty Land of Vanth
20 Middle Earth (roll d3 for Age of the World)
21 Gamma World/Mutant Future
22 The Hyborian Age of Thuria (Conanistan)
23 Pavane Europe (steam-Catholicism)
24 Naziworld (The Man in the High Castle)
The Depths of Space
25 The Moon (roll 1d8)
-- 1 Wellsian Selenites
-- 2 Baron Munchausen/de Bergeracian allegorical oddness
-- 3 ...made of Green Cheese
-- 4 Lunar jungle (Aldiss' Hothouse)
-- 5 ...dominion of the Feral Clangers
-- 6 The Tibetan Afterlife
-- 7 ...of the Lovecraftian Dreamlands
-- 8 You gatecrash the Apollo 11 landing
26 Venus (roll 1d4)
-- 1 Saurian-infested jungles
-- 2 Weird Tales/Northwest of Earth-style
-- 3 The Treen Empire
-- 4 Militaristic Teutonic craftsmen (Mutant Chronicles)
27 Mars (roll 1d4)
-- 1 Burroughsian
-- 2 Wellsian - "Uuuuuuh-lah!"
-- 3 Mad Gods and Moravecs (Dan Simmons "Ilium")
-- 4 Canals and Colonies (Space:1889)
28 Mongo ("Flash! (Aah-ah)")
29 Skaro (Dalekworld)
30 Deep Space (roll 1d6)
-- 1 Wildspace (Spelljammer)
-- 2 Hippyspace (spacewhales, nebulae, etc.)
-- 3 The Ulyssesverse
-- 4 Starship Warden
-- 5 Moonbase Alpha
-- 6 Chiron Beta Prime or The Dark City (50/50)
Where exactly in this new world the door opens, whether the PCs are forcibly ejected, and how long the door remains open are entirely at the DM's option.
Combos
Poking at mysterious, inexplicable objects in the underworld is rarely a wise choice. The Ferris Wheel of Doom is no exception. Random button-mashing may have no result, may cause dangerous environmental effects, or may take experimenters to particular locations.
22 - Glorantha
34 - You really don't want to know.
42 - Earth, Galgofrincham or Ursa Minor Beta
69 - San Dimas ("Excellent!")
410 - The Library of Babel
666 - Hell (Barlowean, Dantean, cartoony...)
9001 - DBZ world
1010001 - the machine realm (Mechanus)
5550690 - a dark-skied world where self-willed automata farm human beings
0112358132134 - Leonardo Fibonacci's study in 13th century Florence
etc.
(bronze door image plundered from transoxania.org)
Monday, 23 March 2009
Player Handout: 5 Things You Should Know About the Wilds of Nagoh
This is my quick and dirty game world infodump for new players in the Vaults of Nagoh game. The astute will note that it is modelled after Jeff's original.
You Crazy S.O.B; You Blew It Up!
The ancient civilisations have fallen, leaving the world in chaos and a scattering of city-states and bandit kingdoms bickering over the scraps. There are no ‘true princes of the blood’ waiting for the right moment to gather up a motley band of followers and restore the glories of the old regime. People are isolated from one another by mutual mistrust, envy, and by tracts of untamed wilderness full of wild creatures, hostile tribes and strange phenomena. The desperate, the brave and the foolhardy scrabble in the ruins for lost objects of power. You’d better secure those for the greater good before vile miscreants loot them all.
The Gods Are Many, Strange, And Have The Best Candy
Gods rise and fall over the ages. Sometimes they disappear; sometimes rival gods, abominations, or adventurers kill and supplant them. The fallout of all this god-on-god violence is that there are various godly artefacts (Mjolnir, the Aegis, the Nemean Lionskin, etc.) scattered about the world waiting to fall into the right(?) hands.
The major faiths are:
There are Cankers In The Skin Of The World
There are weak spots in the fabric of reality. Dungeons are not merely lairs or oversized basements: they are strange places, foci of arcane energy where the laws of the surface world gradually break down. Travelling deep into a true dungeon is almost like walking into a waking nightmare. For those with the knowledge and power it is a simple thing to slip from one layer of the multiverse to another. The Deep Ether, Astralspace, and the Shadowland are all open to the initiate. Be warned that portals to other planes, eras and dimensions (genres) are everywhere.
Magic Always Has A Cost
Beyond a certain level characters are capable of the patently impossible. They have invariably found a way to tap into the inherent magic of the world and have gained abilities that make them something more than human. However, using magic to force change on the world also inexorably changes the person using it. All power has a price, and being “Cursed with Awesome” is still a curse.
Destiny is For The Weak
There is no plot immunity and no guarantee that you will face ‘fair’ opposition; so pick fights carefully. If you face overwhelming numbers or creatures immune to normal weaponry there is no shame in bravely running away like sissy little girls. You can always come back later with reinforcements and heavier weaponry. Characters will suffer and some will die. But they will have the satisfaction of forging their own destiny through their own choices, words and deeds (I’m reliably informed that adversity just makes eventual triumph all the more satisfying). As Mike Mornard, who has played this game since 1974, put it:
You Crazy S.O.B; You Blew It Up!
The ancient civilisations have fallen, leaving the world in chaos and a scattering of city-states and bandit kingdoms bickering over the scraps. There are no ‘true princes of the blood’ waiting for the right moment to gather up a motley band of followers and restore the glories of the old regime. People are isolated from one another by mutual mistrust, envy, and by tracts of untamed wilderness full of wild creatures, hostile tribes and strange phenomena. The desperate, the brave and the foolhardy scrabble in the ruins for lost objects of power. You’d better secure those for the greater good before vile miscreants loot them all.
The Gods Are Many, Strange, And Have The Best Candy
Gods rise and fall over the ages. Sometimes they disappear; sometimes rival gods, abominations, or adventurers kill and supplant them. The fallout of all this god-on-god violence is that there are various godly artefacts (Mjolnir, the Aegis, the Nemean Lionskin, etc.) scattered about the world waiting to fall into the right(?) hands.
The major faiths are:
- The Pantheon of Twelve – A pantheon of fifteen (…or possibly 16, but who’s counting?) godlings. Some few are native to this world; but most have entered it either as a refuge, or as a new power base.
- The Cults of the Demon Lords – Exactly what it says on the tin. They hate everything and want to burninate the world.
There are Cankers In The Skin Of The World
There are weak spots in the fabric of reality. Dungeons are not merely lairs or oversized basements: they are strange places, foci of arcane energy where the laws of the surface world gradually break down. Travelling deep into a true dungeon is almost like walking into a waking nightmare. For those with the knowledge and power it is a simple thing to slip from one layer of the multiverse to another. The Deep Ether, Astralspace, and the Shadowland are all open to the initiate. Be warned that portals to other planes, eras and dimensions (genres) are everywhere.
Magic Always Has A Cost
Beyond a certain level characters are capable of the patently impossible. They have invariably found a way to tap into the inherent magic of the world and have gained abilities that make them something more than human. However, using magic to force change on the world also inexorably changes the person using it. All power has a price, and being “Cursed with Awesome” is still a curse.
Destiny is For The Weak
There is no plot immunity and no guarantee that you will face ‘fair’ opposition; so pick fights carefully. If you face overwhelming numbers or creatures immune to normal weaponry there is no shame in bravely running away like sissy little girls. You can always come back later with reinforcements and heavier weaponry. Characters will suffer and some will die. But they will have the satisfaction of forging their own destiny through their own choices, words and deeds (I’m reliably informed that adversity just makes eventual triumph all the more satisfying). As Mike Mornard, who has played this game since 1974, put it:
“Remember the Conan story “Tower of the Elephant”? Remember the guy who went up the tower with Conan? Well, he thought HE was the hero of the story…right up until the giant spider killed him.”
Saturday, 14 March 2009
My Ten Favourite Monsters
"Hmmmm. Many bandwagon pass this way kimosabe."
10: Goblins
I have killed more characters with these screeching little maniacs than I've had hot dinners. Heck, I've killed characters in sci-fi games with goblins. WFRP. WowCraft. Rokugani. Pathfinder. Whatever your flavour, everthing's better with added goblins!
9: Blue Dragons
What's scarier than a dragon breathing fire on your poor sorry earthbound monkey butt? A dragon that shoots lightning from its mouth (and probably fireballs out its' erse). Blue dragons are living thunderstorms. Consult your inner geek: you know they're cool.
8: Winter Wolves
I always loved the Norse myths, and there's just something primal about these guys. A slavering pack of giant wolves that hunt you down across foggy moors and then literally freeze your breath in your throat.
7: Fire Giants
Another favourite from Norse myth. The sons of Surtr. They spend their days in volcano forges crafting the weapons they will use to crush the world of men. They sound like the Isengard music from the LOTR movies, and they want to burn the world.
6: Iron Golem
As animated by Ray Harryhausen. Breathes poison gas and crushes all in its path. Yeah, it's just that awesome.
5: Kraken
The Dragger Down. The dweller in the depths. The stuff of nightmares. If you're being all "MM1 only!" pedantic about it then substitute Giant Squid/Octopus. Either way, malicious giant cephalopods ftw.
4: Mummy
Vampires? Too Bela Lugosi for my tastes. Liches? If I wanted deathly, foul-smelling bibliophiles I'd go to the FLGS. Zombies? Dialogue is too limited. The ancient dead were first and are still the best. Plus they have the best aesthetic. All hail King Tut!
3: Type III Demon
It's a giant dog-headed demon with pincer arms sprouting from its chest. I thought it was cool when I was 13, I still think it's cool now. The Type III is what every blood-soaked idol in a smoky cult temple should look like.
(The DiTerlizzi illustration in the "Planescape" monster book did the beast no justice and does. not. exist. Got it?)
2: Aboleth
I first read about these guys in the 1E Dungeoneer's Survival Guide. I was hooked. Then I read their monster write-up in the MM2. I had a new favourite ancient evil from the depth. Illithids? Kuo-Toa? Sorry, who?
1: Sahuagin
Pick out your 1E Monster Manual. Open to the Sahuagin entry. Read it. There are highly-intelligent evil devil-worshipping mutant Atlanteans living in the oceans, and they like to farm the coast dwellers like humans do fish. They have whole kingdoms down there, and they're smarter than us.
Read China Mieville's "The Scar". His grindylow <==> my sahuagin.
10: Goblins
I have killed more characters with these screeching little maniacs than I've had hot dinners. Heck, I've killed characters in sci-fi games with goblins. WFRP. WowCraft. Rokugani. Pathfinder. Whatever your flavour, everthing's better with added goblins!
9: Blue Dragons
What's scarier than a dragon breathing fire on your poor sorry earthbound monkey butt? A dragon that shoots lightning from its mouth (and probably fireballs out its' erse). Blue dragons are living thunderstorms. Consult your inner geek: you know they're cool.
8: Winter Wolves
I always loved the Norse myths, and there's just something primal about these guys. A slavering pack of giant wolves that hunt you down across foggy moors and then literally freeze your breath in your throat.
7: Fire Giants
Another favourite from Norse myth. The sons of Surtr. They spend their days in volcano forges crafting the weapons they will use to crush the world of men. They sound like the Isengard music from the LOTR movies, and they want to burn the world.
6: Iron Golem
As animated by Ray Harryhausen. Breathes poison gas and crushes all in its path. Yeah, it's just that awesome.
5: Kraken
The Dragger Down. The dweller in the depths. The stuff of nightmares. If you're being all "MM1 only!" pedantic about it then substitute Giant Squid/Octopus. Either way, malicious giant cephalopods ftw.
4: Mummy
Vampires? Too Bela Lugosi for my tastes. Liches? If I wanted deathly, foul-smelling bibliophiles I'd go to the FLGS. Zombies? Dialogue is too limited. The ancient dead were first and are still the best. Plus they have the best aesthetic. All hail King Tut!
3: Type III Demon
It's a giant dog-headed demon with pincer arms sprouting from its chest. I thought it was cool when I was 13, I still think it's cool now. The Type III is what every blood-soaked idol in a smoky cult temple should look like.
(The DiTerlizzi illustration in the "Planescape" monster book did the beast no justice and does. not. exist. Got it?)
2: Aboleth
I first read about these guys in the 1E Dungeoneer's Survival Guide. I was hooked. Then I read their monster write-up in the MM2. I had a new favourite ancient evil from the depth. Illithids? Kuo-Toa? Sorry, who?
1: Sahuagin
Pick out your 1E Monster Manual. Open to the Sahuagin entry. Read it. There are highly-intelligent evil devil-worshipping mutant Atlanteans living in the oceans, and they like to farm the coast dwellers like humans do fish. They have whole kingdoms down there, and they're smarter than us.
Read China Mieville's "The Scar". His grindylow <==> my sahuagin.
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