Oh No They Didn't!

Look Out!  Mutants are incoming!

Just saw a news feed that Amazon has a listing from Wizard’s of the Coast for a 4^th Edition D&D setting for Gamma World.  Post apocalyptic goodness is sure to abound in this tactical centric version of the game.  I may have to force the gang back to the table again for some mutants and other shenanigans.

Link says October of this year: http://www.amazon.com/Gamma-World-Roleplaying-Game-Setting/dp/0786955082/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264605405&sr=8-3

jp

Oh yes they did!

Savage Worlds

First things first.

First - I'm a gaming whore and I know it. Knowing is half the battle.
Second - I'm not dropping the 4e campaign. I like it and hope to run it for a very long time.

With those caveats out of the way, let me speak a moment about the Pinnacle Entertainment's Savage Worlds: Explorer's Edition. I picked up down at Meta-Games during WARMACHINE Weekend. It was dirt cheap, $9.99 for the book, normal retail. It is a 160 page booklet style format that is crammed with what appears to be a great little rules system. Art is good as well, I would love to have a poster size print of the Rocket Man picture on page 5!

Why this sudden interest in the game? I have heard of folks playing in the past and been given some abstract descriptions. I had also heard that it was uber easy to convert a setting to fit the rules structure, plus it utilized a minion type system to ease the combat with the grunts of the world. I had heard folks used it to create an Iron Kingdom's setting and since I am a card carrying member of the Privateer Press Fan Boy Association I thought it would be cool to utilize it for that reason.

Well... Since reading it, I'm not sure I want to just do that! The possibility of running some interesting settings is just too cool. Two that I am thinking of tinkering with in my 'oh so available' free time are...

• Modern (Near Modern) Horror/Conspiracy like X-Files and Fringe
• Fictional High Magic Pirate Setting

Either of these might be way too cool to develop into a playable format. When would I have a chance to develop and run? Who knows... Maybe after the guys get in the apartment, a week night might present itself for a bi-monthly shing-ding. Only time will tell.

With that bit of an introduction let me tell you a bit on how the system works.

Each character has a set of five attributes (Agility, Smarts, Spirit, Strength, & Vigor) and skills (many). Each level is represented by a die type. You buy more levels in each, increasing your die type with each purchase... D4 -> D6 -> D8 -> D10 -> D12. Each time you attempt to do something you roll the die type for that skill an/or ability. If you get '4' or over you succeeded. Players and big bad guys are 'wild cards' and always get to roll a D6 as well as the stat/skill die and take the best of the two. The target number can be modified by in game situations (cover/concealment/etc.). Players control their own minion/followers during combat, which frees up the GM to run the bad guys. Lackeys are either up, shaken, down. Easy peasy. Wild Cards have a toughness stat that keeps them up longer.

The book has rules for vehicles, chases, mass combat, and much more.

I just re-read that and I feel I did it no justice. The game just seems real easy to play, despite my horrible attempt to explain the character.

Any Hoo... I may start to work on the Modern Horror setting for S&G, just to come up with some ideas in case I can squeeze in the time with the guys! :)

jp
I'm John, and I'm a gaming addict.

Point of light in the dark of night

The party has ventured forth in a 4e adventure for the first time. Our players are:

• Uhlk - Human Great Weapon Fighter that likes to smash.
  
• Extel - Human Blade Ranger who's haunted memories of his past lives fill his waking days
• Elladen Paeris Halladan - Eladrin Swordmage who's family fought the Bloodspear Orcs to the end of their line.
• Valgar Talean - Dragonborn Swordmage on a quest far from his homelands to better learn the skills of his trade
• Zoltan the Reformed - Human Wizard that is a bitter and corse man, often thinking of his own gain over those in the party, that is until the chips are on the table.
• Eldacar - Halfling Rouge who is light on his feet and quick with a blade, walking the path of his own choice and not afraid of those that he may cross.
  
• Sliver Elmwalker - Elf Bowmaster Ranger that is looking for revenge against the enemy that destroyed his family and clan. His only clue a dropped medallion.
  

The party meet in Fallcrest and quickly found work supporting Lord Warden Markelhay in ridding a particularly nasty clan of Kolbolds that had taken residence near by.

After traveling for 1/2 a day the party hound the Kobold Hall under the remains of an old manor house. The first encounter proved to be a easy, by and large, for seven adventures as they quickly dispatched several Skirmishers and Slingers. However the second room, the crypt seemed to be tougher. The Slinger's glue pots seemed to be more effective and the hidden traps added to the damage, causing the players to slow down. We began to see the 'healing' nature of Elladen come into play as he used his healing skill since the Cleric took a drastic direction to fighterdom.

After finding a bit of gold, the players moved into the second crypt and found slingers and minions tossing a giant sticky ball on a rope that would push the players back. The device made it hard to move forward, given the glue pots as well. The players seemed to have things mostly in hand when two guard drakes appeared, and they were tougher then any Kobolds. Uhlk went down and need several turns of repair.

The next room provided a greater challenge. The boulder trap chased the players around the room, that with the glue pots left Extel to be crushed, if not for his timely save and use of an action point to move out of the way. Eldcar and Uhlk both went down as Elladen and company continued their armature hospital routines. :) Finally finishing off the baddies, the party found a Magic Staff and some coin as well as the secret door to the...

Dragon's Room! A young white dragon was being taken care of by the Kobolds and he attacks. I bothced his surprise move and flame. So the party spread out making it hard for him to hit. He did drop Elladen and put the hurt on several others. Five encounters on no rest the party took the loot and headed back to town.

Some rewards and gold are exchanged, the party meets some interesting characters, and gets a charter by Lord Warden to carry word to the Lord of Winterhaven. On the road, they are waylaid by another band of Kobolds. A bit more aggressive, these guys had some fire pots as well. Zoltan and Eldacar get a bit too ahead of the party and are ambushed by the Dragonshields. Valgar gets stuck in combat with a Dragonshield and two slingers that use the mob tactics to ensure powerful hits. In the end the party dispatches the evil Kobolds and makes it to Winterhaven, where most of the party levels up.

Good session. Got to spend a lot of time playing, even if I had to raise my voice from time to time to get hold of the table. Might be a two week gap as we have a WARMACHINE tournament and a Flames of War tournament back to back.

jp
Keeper of the Bad Guys

D&D 4e Quick Look.

So.

I’m a crack head.

What can I say?

I’ve picked up the three core books for the new edition of Dungeons and Dragons. So this is my quick look review in 80 words or less…

I like the promise. I’ve been more of a miniatures game player then RPG’er over the past 10 year and this game has a feel that it is a connection of miniature battles, tied together with a little story, but with you and your buddies each only playing one guy versus a hoard. The combinations are going to be interesting as new stuff comes out. It reminds me of WARMACHINE in many aspects because of the combos.

I’ve pitched the idea of trying a session with the gang. Some are OK, some (one) were vocal against the idea of a long term campaign, but was willing to try a night of it.

Sometime after finishing the current Dark Heresy game, I’m going to flex my powers of persuasion and have the guys roll up characters and do a battle or two in one night of play. Just to try out the rules and see how it plays. I’ll let you know!

jp

Dungeon Master Wanna-Be

Back in the Saddle Again...

So after much time off, the gang has come together in a much darker universe. I picked up the Dark Heresy Role Playing Game and the gang has allowed me to 'try again' the whole role play experience.

We have actually had our second session. I'll catch you up on those later...

But for know lets introduce you to our characters...

Dramatis personæ

Raltus - A Skeletal thin Void Born Tech Priest with an infinity for Autoguns (Kyle)
Talon - A Scrawny Gunslinger Assassin with multiple piercings from Gun Metal City (Paul)
Dar - A Guardsman conscripted from a Feral world who loves his Axe very much (Eric)
Klightus - An older Arbiter from the Paradise Planet who has shotgun envy (Rob)
Frak - Rangy young punk of a Scum doing his best to fit in (Mark)
Thadius - A Noble Born Arbiter learning the robes in the family security teams (Steve)

The first adventure I ran the team through was the one provided in the back of the main rule book. Illumination was an interesting start. It didn't have enough pre-programed action I think for a miniature junky to enjoy the game more, but it did have some action to test the combat mechanics.

The group is large and that necessitated increasing some actions a bit. My early feedback on the system is that it can be enjoyable, but does have a lot of dice roll actions. Players could be doing all the right things, but the dice just don't cooperate. For example... The players encountered a Hexilid (Which has no description... Bad adventure, bad!) which causes fear. 5 of the 6 players plus the NPC fail the fear test, not by a little but by 4 degrees. Characters were puking over each other or passing out as this chaos toad thing (my best guess) charged into the party... It was a sticky problem. In short, the game is deadly and unforgiving. The GM must take caution to make it an enjoyable experience.

More to follow...

jp
Inquisitor Globus Vaarak's Representative in Omaha

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