Chronicles of Neverwhere: Expanded Setting

In the beginning.
Once upon a time, long after the battle of the Gods and Titans an evil Witch King drunk on the stolen power from a fallen titan rose to power. He demanded that his people forsake the Gods and worship only him.  Eventually, the people turned against him and pierced his body with arrows and swords after a costly battle. The Witch Kings blood seeped into the ground, and his malevolence spread. It warped and twisted everything it touched, causing great upheavals as the land revolted. When everything settled, it brought a terrible cold. The people called this the White Curse, and learned to endure it. But the Witch Kings spirit also endured. As time passed, he grew stronger in the afterlife, ever yearning to return and take revenge. The twisted lands began to hear his call. Now, the veil between the living and the dead grows thin. Horrible shadows slip into the world, and old artifacts of the Witch King begin to awaken.

The Premise Continues...
As the campaign begins, 400 years have passed since the death of the Witch King. To most his demise is just a myth, created to explain the hard facts of life: its damned cold, there are monsters outside, and sometimes your kids are born twisted. These facts of life are harder for
some then others though. All elves, dwarves, and halflings have been struck by the curse. Their ancient cultures in ruins.

The White
The curse has truly changed the land. Earthquakes have buries cities, toppled mountains, turned the flow of rivers, and ruined dwarven kingdoms. The old roads and caverns of the underground are treacherous, and you may run into sunken buildings that nobody has entered for centuries. A perpetual winter has transformed the wilderness, which is now simply called "The White". It is full of goblins, orcs, wild animals, and monsters, sometimes made more dangerous by the curse. From the ruins of old come fiercer beings still, seizing the chance to gain power: Great Wyrms have been sighted on numerous occasions.

It takes courage, proper equipment, and skill to brave the White. This is one of the reasons why the Crimson Company rose to such prominence in the last 200 years. Though, tt is best to find a ship and travel along the coast or on the large lakes and their connecting rivers. The waters hold monsters too, though, drifting ice and even icebergs make ship loss common. When there are no waterways, getting aboard a rock snail or following a caravan with some proper giant guides are good if not entirely safe choices. Travelers stick to the known routes even when the run below ground.

Civilization
Decent folk seek refuge near rivers, hot lakes, in villages protected from the wind, in large walled cities, and in Vorn, the largest city in the lands which is located in the mountains. But you cannot hide from the curse. It seems to make people more cunning, greedy, and sometimes prone to violence. Human communities are crowded and rife with intrigue and social strife.

Religion
People of different cultures worship similar Gods, though sometimes under different names. It is said that a Gods power is relative to its following. Open worship of any non-human Gods have been banned by the Council of Vorn but it can only be enforced within large cities. Amongst humans, there are the following;

• Correan: The very picture of the paladin's ideal, Corean is an unflinching crusader among the gods. He has the strength of mountains, and his smoky armor reflects his ties to the earth and the metals that run through it. He bears a longsword that he forged himself from scraps gleaned from a titan's forge - that of Golthagga, who was the first to taste the blade's edge. Corean is generally unwilling to compromise, although he generally errs on the side of compassion rather than on the side of law. Many people praise him as the ideal of virtue, although more people pay lip service to him than are willing to live up to his standards.
• Madriel: Madriel flies on wings of peacock feathers, an armored angel with a spear formed from the purest, whitest sunlight. Although relentless in her struggle against suffering (and particularly against her rival Belsameth), she is the most merciful and compassionate of the gods. Her temples are popular across Neverwhere, particularly in areas where people pray for fertility to return to their fields.
• Tanil: Of all the gods, Tanil is most likely to spend some of her time quietly walking the face of Neverwhere. However, this doesn't make her sociable - she prefers back roads and untrod wilderness to highways and villages. The ultimate champion of the underdog, she is the queen of archery and stealth, generally favored by rogues, bards and wayfarers. She appears as a lithe archer wearing flexible bronze armor. Her arrows are silver-tipped, as she dislikes the poor treatment of animals and considers the world's werebeasts an insult.
• Hedreda: The Lawgiver is keeper of all the things that civilized beings have learned, and is the patron of society itself. He is the ultimate impartial judge, striving to make certain that each person receives what he or she has earned (for good or ill). He's commonly shown as a stern man in somber robes, crowned with gold and wielding a massive two-handed hammer. 
• Denev: The only surviving titan, Denev sided with the gods - in particular, her children - against her brothers and sisters who ravaged Neverwhere. However, the long battle left even more wounds on the world's surface, driving her to retreat to its heart in frustration and fatigue. She still answers prayers from those who venerate her, and is honored by the other gods. She is not a generous or merciful mother, though; she respects nature at its bloodiest as well as at its most beautiful. She is rarely depicted in humanlike form - tales paint her as a mountain range or forest come to life - although she is said to wield a stone sickle when roused to make war. 
• Enkili: The real wild card of the gods, Enkili can't really be said to be on anyone's side - not even his own. His tempestuous and stormy personality is mirrored in each freak storm or sudden calm. He commonly shapeshifts from form to form, even changing gender so regularly that no two temples portray the same image of him (or her). As the trickster figure of the pantheon, he also gets into trouble far more often than any divine being should. When he uses a weapon, he commonly wields a thunderbolt-hurling flail that lashes so wildly that others doubt it's under his control.
• Chardun: Tyrant among gods, Chardun exemplifies the worst traits of the most despotic generals, emperors and masters. His weapon is a golden macelike scepter that's stained deeply with blood. He wears the white regalia of a conquering hero, but his robes and sandaled feet are splattered with blood and dusted with powdered bone. He is particularly venerated by militaristic people with powerful ambitions, but anyone who craves domination is a worthy follower. A general who seeks a throne and a man who covets absolute obedience from his woman are both near to Chardun's black heart.
• Belsmath: The vulture-winged goddess Belsameth is the incarnation of everything people fear about the night. Her basalt throne sits on the dark side of the moon; her power over the moon grants her power over lunacy and makes her the patron goddess of Neverwhere's werebeasts. Her preferred weapon is a jet-black dagger, and she is favored by evil sorcerers and witches, Neverwhere's harpies, wily and murderous goblins, and of course by werewolves and their like.
• Vangal: The volcano-god Vangal is the very embodiment of war. He is commonly depicted as a huge charioteer in filth-covered armor, beard and dreadlocks matted with blood. He wields two massive axes still encrusted with the blood of the titans he overcame. He has few human followers, as it's said that when he gains sufficient power, he'll bring about the destruction of Scarn itself. The few cults dedicated to him, called the Horsemen, are much-dreaded doomsayers and warriors.
• Ded: Is the only new good that appeared 200 years ago. He is a harsh and unforgiving God of Laws, has several churches and knightly orders, the White Cloaks being one of them. Ded also has a traitor son who name has been banished from existence. He is still worshiped in mystic blood cults under the name of the Bleeder. Bleeder cults are outlawed in most civilized areas and their priests are feared by all.  
 

The Shadow Realm
The Shadow Realm, also called "The Black"; is just that: a shadow of the world of the living. It is void of color and filled with undead, shadows, and other frightful creatures. The Witch King is a force to be reckoned with in there, but there are older and more powerful beings still, and they have their own agendas. The Shadow Realm is just as much phenomenon of time as it is one of space and dimension. It currently follows the lay of the land as it used to be, before the cataclysmic death of the Witch King. There are mountains, rivers, lakes, roads, and buildings in there that are ruined or do not exist in the world of living anymore. There are no nights or days, and winds and weather changes are rare (and usually ominous). Most of the time, there is just a perpetual autumn, gloomy but
comparatively warm. Flora and fauna in the Black are strange. Fungi, moss, poisonous fruit trees, and white grass abound, and the animal creatures in there are barely recognizable to a visitor from the land of the living. Sometimes, you may encounter objects or individuals that seem to come from another world entirely. Scholars and scientists that study his subject say that the Shadow Realm moves, and that it has never been this close before. But the world is old and filled with mysteries. There are old inscriptions on stones, weapons and magically preserved tomes that tell of means to travel the Black. Ancient entrances and exits are hidden throughout the land, and those know know where to look can find them.

The Twisted
The twisted are victims of a terrible curse. Most have been disfigured, a lot or just a little. Some seem to have been changed on the inside instead, becoming indifferent, cunning, ingenious or suspicious. Ordinary people fear and animals fear, exile, enslave, persecute, or even kill the twisted. It is a powerful social stigma that some say is the true nature of the curse.

Major Organizations

• Watchers: A secret society sworn to lift the curse and prevent the Witch King's return. They hunt down shadow creatures; try to expose the lurking Witch Cult and work against the spread of evil. They also delve into the mysterious of the past, in order to better understand the curse and learn how to undo it.
• Witch Cult: Members are loyal servants to an undead master, sworn to see him return from his shadowy exile. They work with the horrid messagers of from the Shadow Realm, topple just rulers, rediscover evil artifacts in sunken ruins and help spread the curse. They fight against the Watchers and back stab their allies to advance in the cult's hierarchy.
• White Cloaks: The White Cloaks are a strong religious organization with political ambitions. The members believe that the curse is a test of perseverance. Those who endure shall be rewarded by the God of Law (Deb) in the afterlife. They organize correction camps for the twisted, who they believe to be morally corrupt and sometimes show off examples of cured twisted individuals. The White Cloaks are growing in numbers, and fast. They offer their services as peace keepers and work to outlaw all beliefs except their own and want all magic users to be tested for the curse. There are three types of White Cloaks. Most are unarmed and unarmored missionaries. The Knights are the armed peace keepers. They are equipped with chain mail, shields, and swords. The priests are learned and a lot of times spell casters. They wear light armor and carry daggers. All wear variants of the White Cloak that has given them their name.

• Rat Kings Thieves Guild: They are the second largest and prominent guild in the lands. They are largely secretive and retain their power and control through cunning and the use of black powder. Their members were the ones that invented it and hold the monopoly. All sales go through them in way or another and stock is closely monitored. 
• The Crimson Company: The largest guild in the lands. Their organization is split into three divisions; The Garrison Division (which are paid city and town guards. Their coast of arms bear a twin rose motif), The Imperial Division (which are king/queens/palace guards. Their coat of arms has a unicorn motif), and the Scout Division (which are the pathfinders, the monster hunters, the trouble shooters, the postal carriers, the artifact finders, and the civil servants that conduct rites of passage such as funerals/marriages/baby naming/etc. Their coat of arms have a crossed wings motif). They arose as a neutral power after the death of the witch king to help the common man. 

• The Bleeder Cult: A mystic blood cult that follows the God known as the Bleeder. They hold secret rites and are usually indistinguishable among the common man.

Review: Cha'Alt Ascended

 

When I did my review of Cha'alt I mentioned Cha'alt Ascended as an additional resource. I figured it was time that I did a review on it so people know what it is.  

As a disclaimer, I was given a copy of the PDF for review purposes.

Cha'alt Ascended is a list of 63 "old school" feats designed for Cha'alt and Crimson Dragon Slayer d20. The feats remind me of a mix of 3.x feats (from Dungeons and Dragons 3.0/3.5, Pathfinder, etc) and the ideas behind World of Darkness Merits and Flaws. Though because it is designed to be old school, it is less about numerical bonuses and tactical advantages and more about cool things your character can do. I view these as more class abilities light or mechanical value for background skills. Which, I like a lot better then just adding +x to y. 

Another really great thing Cha'alt Ascended provides is a table with 20 random background events to help breathe more life into your character. 

Presentation: The pdf is full color and the pages look like parchment. The organization is great and there is a mix of drawn and live action art/pictures. There is also a great full page art depicting H.P. Lovecraft in a therapy session with some hilarious dialog.

                                                      

Character Creation: None

Resolution System: Honestly, this is basically system agnostic for any OSR style game. Here are some examples;

 

As you go through the various abilities you will notice there is some terms used in them that are not found in the Dragon Slayer d20 rules. There are also some abilities that provide a benefit like an animal companion but does not provide stats for said companion. This does not bother me as it is easy to figure out a mechanical or narrative benefit for it (quickest would be to use advantage or in regards to the animal companion, work with your game master and roll something up. The power level of the companion is probably going to change depending on the level of the character) - a feature not a flaw. I view all these abilities as feats so to me, they are not one shot wonders/tricks. Going back to the example of the animal companion, if it dies then you can get another one.

If you look for balance (balance is an illusion), you will find a power scale with lows, highs, and mids. In addition, some of these abilities are more narrative driven while others are more mechanically driven. If you think some are over powered for your game or play style then adjust them, this is one of the benefits of using a rules lite system. Honestly, just let your PC's be badass and do crazy things with overly complicated plans.

Crunch: The only additional rules included would be regarding sorcery (which is interchangeable with wizardry) and is actually more of an alternate rule for magic use. In Crimson Dragon Slayer d20 magic use costs HP (this is a common OSR theme and not the first time I have seen it). The Sorcery rules allows the wizard to cast a number of spells per hour equal to their level without any detriment. After that, they become exhausted, which means they move at half speed and make rolls at disadvantage but can still cast magic. This brings to mind the wizard from Discworld and the one from Dragonlance ("I think I remember that fireball spell...").

Final Thoughts: I think this is a great asset to just about any OSR style game and I would highly recommend picking it up and using it (for just about anything really). It helps flesh out characters and give them their own uniqueness. My favorite thing about this is that it gives a great baseline for players and game master's to create their own.

I love the idea of the Sorcery alternate rule because as RAW, wizards are on the low end of HP. Though, I do think this idea can be greatly expanded. Maybe have it include a mishap table. Something like become exhausted or have a chance at a mishap - each choice of mishap increases the chances.

A final note is with the release of Crimson Dragon Slayer Revised, some of the abilities in Cha'alt Ascended overlap and function differently with some of the additional rules in Crimson Dragon Slayer Revised. I prefer the Crimson Dragon Slayer Revised versions of those abilities that overlap (ex. two weapon fighting).

You can find the PDF here.

Dog Days: Session 7

 

After a nights rest after talking to the Captain the party set out back to the spot of the ambush armed with a map of the area that was provided by the Captain. Per the direction of Ghost, the party decided to head towards the hills as there was rumored to be some caves there. 

The trek through the woods went on for awhile without incident as Roger proudly flew is wolf banner just in case they run into the wolves unexpectedly. It was then that Phanes noticed the background noises of the woods were missing and right before he could mention this to his fellows, the ambush was sprung by faeries! Phanes and Roger took the initial brunt of the ambush before the party was able to rally and fight back. As Roger regained his senses from some vicious faerie magic he planted the banner in the ground before drawing his weapons to join his companions. Even though the party valiantly cut down many faeries they were still outnumbered and their wounds started to mount. 

When all seemed hopeless, howls echoed through the woods and a band of wolves showed up through the trees and bushes. The lead wolf noticed the banner and barked orders to help these strangers that were fighting under a wolf banner. This turned the tide of the battle and eventually the last remaining faeries retreated. In the aftermath of the battle, Thorin found a wounded but alive faerie and that faerie was tied up and the entire company was taken to the wolves encampment by the caves of the hills.

Thane and Ghost explained the situation of the town and why the party was investigating the situation they learned that wolves have been killed in the same way of the townspeople and it has been happening for about five years as well. The wolves also told them that they indeed have the shipment of steel and they told them that they would freely give it to them if they helped them solve their murders as well. About this time some of the wolves came into the tent and explained that their prisoner is awake and should be interrogated. 

During the interrogation the faerie ended up admitting that they have been responsible for the murders and both sides and did it in such a way that it pitted the wolves and the townspeople against each other. This was because both parties were responsible for destroyed sacred lands and shrines. The wolves were responsible in trampling a faerie circle that they ran through in their hunting path when the settled permanently into the area. Then the blacksmith of the townspeople cut down some memorial spirit trees for fuel for his forge and other building requirements. 

The faerie was convinced to deliver a message to its leader describing a possible peace treaty after it was agreed that the faeries wounds will be completely healed and granted safe passage. The faerie said they will leave a message regarding their answer and where the meeting will be (if any) in two days time.

The party returned to the town to speak to the Captain and start planning for this three way peace treaty.

Chronicles of Neverwhere: An Introduction

The Seeds of Inspiration

For a long time I have been wanting to put together a campaign and run. Over the last few years between time, the waxing/waning of motivation, gamer ADD, lack of people to run it for, and countless other reasons my campaign has never happened. Though, at this moment despite various obstacles I find myself motivated, inspired, and I have people to run it for.

My main inspiration for the core concept of this game as come from three places. The first one bringVincent Baker's Dogs in the Vineyard (sadly the game is currently unavailable but additional information can be found here, here, and here.) Secondly, from the work done regarding the Ashen Company on the Runehammer Forums and Justice: An Ashen Company Adventure. Finally, I cannot forget the Night's Watch from Game of Thrones.

The base setting is heavily influenced from Warhammer Fantasy with ideas mined from The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane.

So, the world is dripping with the usual fantasy tropes, politics, chaos, corruption, a dash of black powder, and beings that just want to see the world burn.  

The Premise
All characters are members of the Crimson Company (they get their name from the crimson cloaks they wear which acts like a badge of office) which is a company of Rangers that are set up like a guild. The Crimson Company has authority to seek out corruption, act as law officers, and sit in as a judge if necessary (their authority is recognized throughout the various lands and kingdoms - think something like the UN). Though, with that being said the Rangers mostly deliver mail, assist towns with problems, protect people and towns from monsters, retrieve artifacts from forgotten places, etc. The Rangers get a monthly stipend for travel and food, access to some specialty items,  and must submit a percentage of their wealth found to the guild in addition to logging in magical items.

The System of Choice

This is where I have went round and round with myself to decide what system to use. I have done a lot of prep work using differences systems then decided to scrap it at the last minute and look for something else. I have finally decided on using The Black Hack Second Edition along with some of my rules variants (One of the systems I have had to mess with the least).

Setting Notes

I am keeping the setting vague for various reasons and some of them I cannot discuss because I know my players read this blog. Mainly because I want to the world to be a living, breathing, and growing situation so my players can add to it. There are a few points to note about the setting:

• The war between the Gods and the Titans (from Scarred Lands) did happen in the distant past of Neverwhere. 
• I am using the pantheon from The Scarred Lands.

• There is a strong element of Chaos and and the substance warp stone which both cause mutations and other nasty effects. I was going to post my page of rules regarding that but I want to keep it a surprise when my players encounter mutants or suffer the taint themselves. 

Well, that is it for now. I hope to have a Session 0 up in a few weeks or at least some more setting information.

Dog Days: Session 6

Thorin gained passage on a ship called the Wave Runner that was heading to Retriever. During the voyage the crew of the Wave Runner spots another ship (which is called the Golden Dragon) and assumes it is a pirate vessel because the other ship starts to close and fire on the Wave Runner. Both ships circle each other and shots are exchanges as minimal damage is sustained by both ships. Eventually both ships get close enough to board each other and mass melee ensues. During the battle, Thorin notices his other companions on the Golden Dragon and sees Phane mouth the word "slavers". As Thorin fights his way to his companions he finds Ghost in trouble and kills his now former shipments to save Roger and this leads to Thorin obviously switching sides. As the battle quickly turns in the favor of the Golden Dragon Roger and Phane slip below the deck and set a fuse to blow up the Wave Runners gun powder stores. During their trip down, Phane and Roger do not notice any slaves. 

Both Phane and Roger return to the deck of the Wave Runner as the battle ends and the Captain of the Wave Runner is killed. The Golden Dawn sets sail away from the Wave Runner to find a port for repairs and the party reunites as the Wave Runner explodes in the distance. During Thorin's introduction to the Captain and the first mate of the Golden Dragon, Phane informs the Captain that there was no slaves on the ship and he demands to see the Wave Runners manifest. An argument ensues the ends when the Captain yells to everyone that he will share the manifest when he is done studying it and anyone that thinks differently can swim with the fishes. Ghost escorts Phane away from the Captain to avoid anymore trouble.

The Golden Dragon finds a port a few days later and docks for repairs. As most of the party stays with the ship to help with repairs Roger heads to the local tavern and Thorin decides to track down the local blacksmith to see if he could trade some work for new armor. The blacksmith did not have any work that Thorin was qualified for but did mention a few weeks ago his shipment of steel was stolen by wolves and if I am able to return it he would make me armor and pay Thorin 500 gold. 

Thorin finds Roger at the tavern to explain to him the job opportunity. During their conversation, Thorin learns that Roger has been talking to the barkeeper and has learned some interesting things that shed light into the Blacksmith. About five years ago there was another blacksmith in town that did better quality work but he died in a mysterious fire and he was not the last person that has died mysteriously over the years. In addition, the current blacksmith does shoddy work on purpose so he is needed to keep fixing door hinges and other things around the port. The barkeep also knew about the missing shipment of steel and offered the party 2,000 gold to give the steel to him has he has a plan to run the blacksmith out of business and out of town. 

Roger and Thorin then return to the ship and explain the entire situation to the rest of the party. It was decided that the party will return the steel shipment to the bartender. The party takes the night to rest and then heads to the blacksmiths at first light. The blacksmith says he will send his son as our guide to lead us to the spot of the ambush. 

 

As the party travels to the ambush spot the kid opens ups and explains that the murders have been happening for five years and the bodies are usually found skinned. The kid also explains that he has fleas that talk to him and tell him things which is one of the reasons why he is able to keep safe. The party finally makes it to the ambush site and finds a note nailed to one of the bodies, the note reads;

"this is revenge for the murders" 

The kid interrupts the parties discussion and says the fleas are telling him that it is not the wolves fault - they just retaliated. Roger decides it is time to pull out his wolf banner and the kid says the fleas told him the banner will keep them safe. During the following discussion it is decided that whoever is doing the killing they are killing both the wolves and the townspeople. The townspeople suspects the wolves and the wolves suspect the towns people. The party decides to head back to town to talk to the local guard captain to see if they can get more information before setting out to track down the wolves. 

Regis the guard captain offers us a reward if the party helps him solve the murders. The captain goes on to explain that the bartenders wife was murdered shortly after the last blacksmith was, The captain continues to explain that the current blacksmith borrowed a lot of money from the bartender to start up his forge and never paid the bartender back so the bartender tries to sabotage the blacksmith every chance he gets. 

First Role Playing Experiences

The other day I had random memories flood back to me and it made me realize something. That something was that when I am asked what were my first gaming experiences I usually talk about World of Darkness 2nd Edition and Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition. For whatever reason, I forgot to mention what they actually were back in 5th grade before I discovered dice and rule books.  

 

In 5th grade I lived in a small town and a lot of the neighborhood kids were older. My next door neighbor R started a "game night" where we would all hang out in his room and pass a notebook around creating group fiction. Though, before the story started we all made characters and listed some of the abilities we had. R listed what were basically Dungeon and Dragons/Diablo/fantasy archetypes or classes. I choose the Paladin because I thought it was awesome that I could enchant any weapon to catch on fire, heal people, and grow wings for some amounts of time. R had various rules for how abilities would affect the story and how long they would last. We met once or twice a week and some of us were regulars while other players rotated. Between sessions one of us would take the current notebook home to add more story and a plot hook. I do not remember how many of those composition notebooks we ended up filling up but R's dresser was stacked with them - a safe guess would be far into the double digits.

I do not remember when we made the transition into X-Men inspired by the comics and the awesome 90's cartoon but we did. Though, there was a main difference - it went from notebooks to live action. We all started playing LARP X-Men throughout the neighborhood and the elementary school grounds that was within walking distance. We each got to pick three characters and rotate through them as needed. I remembered that my choices were Cyclops, Mr. Sinister, and Gambit (ya, I know there was some meta in that decision). We all contributed to creating a stack of mission cards/plot points and those were used but a lot of time in game the story just kind of unfolded. The interesting thing about this experience as I compare it with my later LARP experiences is that there was no fancy costume requirements, no props to think of, and no GM/Storyteller or other Staff, everyone was a player and the story just evolved through interaction with the random aid of those mission cards (which were written on 3x5 index cards). A lot of time was spent running around the neighborhoods, wrestling in the grass, and exploring Goonies style. 

Both of these first experiences took up all of my 5th grade year and spilled over into my 6th grade year. My memory is not perfect as it has been so long ago but my favorite thing about these memories is how organic and simple it was. No politics, no alternate motives, no edition wars, no you can't play because you don't have x/y/z, or rules lawyering. 

But I digress, I need to remember to tell people about these experiences next time I asked what my first RPG was...

Dog Days: Session 4 & 5

Below are quick recaps of three sessions that I missed due to life. These were written by another player.

Session 4

Felcher and Thorin separated from Phane, Roger, and Ghost.  Thorin and Felcher went with the villagers into the mountains to protect them, to meet in the nearest city at a later date.  Roger, Ghost, and Phane traveled towards the city.  They crossed paths with numerous soldiers setting out for war with the cat empire, who had declared war on the triumvirate.  They continued on and helped a merchant replace his wagon wheel, which was broken.  They traveled on with him to the city and left word with one of his colleagues to give to Felcher and Thorin that they were going to get passage on a ship to the Island of Retriever.  

Session 5

Roger, Ghost, and Phane traveled towards the city to book passage on a boat with the merchant.  They were stopped three times by highwaymen asking for a toll payment.  Ghost paid the toll each time.  However, when they were stopped by the actual guards who were supposed to be protecting the roads from highwaymen who requested a toll, they refused.  They argued and nearly did battle until the toll was paid eventually.  Once arriving at a border city, they discovered that wolves had attacked the city and destroyed it.  Roger assisted the wolves in tracking down a missing cohort and fought against some dogs they were in battle with.  He received a special banner which would grant protection and safe passage by wolves.  They got to the city and booked passage on a ship.  Ghost was on guard duty at the aft of the ship and discovered a pirate was closing in on them.  They did battle with the pirate ship and defeated its crew and sank the ship.

Sword and Backpack

Sword and Backpack is a fantasy game designed by Rothbard and Gazpus that is 100% focused on story and the characters. The only mechanic that exists is rolled a d20 and adding a +5 (if the action falls within your job/class) vs. A target number. The original game can be found here and it is four pages long. What is more is that the pages are formatted to be cut out and taped/glued into a small moleskin notebook. This transforms the notebook into your character sheet and the Chronicle of your adventures. It does not take much effort to assemble it either:

Just reading through the game and the supplemental material was immediately inspiring to me and really changed the way I viewed gaming. It also led to some great adventures and role play moments. 

I finally hit some difficulty with when introducing it to new players or players who have only played crunch heavy games as Sword and Backpack is extremely freeform. So, I went to tinkering with it and all of my early attempts over complicated it which made it lose its soul. I eventually gave up the tinkering until I came across Cecil Howe's Hack and things just clicked (he cracked the code to tinker with it) and I went to work tweaking it after getting some experience playing Cecil's hack. Cecil Howe was kind enough to let me use his work and art on my version as long as I gave him credit. 

You can find my "Breakfast Club" Edition (Hack) here and the cover here. It is already formatted in booklet form and yes, the red cover is inspired by Kung Fu Hustle.

Here is also a four panel character sheet that was put together by Mr. Gone.

The core differences in my "Breakfast Club" Edition are:

• Changed how class bonuses interact with difficulty ratings
• Structured combat
• Added a wound/effort system
• Added a set of optional "Advanced" Sword and Backpack rules that are focused for campaign play

 I would also highly recommend reading the Sword and Backpack Broadsheet Collection. They are a best of GM and Player advice for this game but can honestly be used across the board.

The most powerful thing about Sword and Backack is that it is more then a game, it is a philosophy and that philosophy can be summed up with the Dungeon Punk Manifesto:

1. BETTER LIVING THROUGH ADVENTURE

2. BE AN INTREPID ADVENTURER AND EXPLORER FIRST, A HACK AND SLASH TOURIST SECOND.

3. EXPERIENCE > EXPERIENCE POINTS

4. WARRIOR = DRUMMER, SORCERER = GUITAR PLAYER, ROGUE = BASS PLAYER. EVERYONE SINGS.

5. A GOOD ENCOUNTER SHOULD BE LIKE AN AWESOME 7" SINGLE; A GREAT ADVENTURE SHOULD BE LIKE A SECRET $5 WAREHOUSE SHOW; THE BEST CAMPAIGNS SHOULD BE LIKE AN EPIC TOUR.

6. YOU ARE YOUR CLASS, BUT YOUR CLASS IS NOT YOU.

7. THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS AN INHERENTLY EVIL ORC.

8. A SWORD AND BACKPACK ARE YOUR BEST FRIENDS.

9. D.I.Y.: DUNGEONCRAWL IT YOURSELF.

10. YOUR CHARACTER SHEET AND YOUR DICE ARE YOUR PERSONAL TOTEMS. TREAT THEM AS SUCH.

11. ADVENTURE AND STORY TRUMP THE RULES.

12. IN FACT, WHEN IN DOUBT, SCREW THE RULES!

Thief Redux

Thieves from any of the old school games such as Labyrinth Lord, B/X Essential, Basic Fantasy, Swords and Wizardry, all of the other retroclones, and original editions have all suffered from two main problems. The first one being the horrible d% progression skill system. A d% skill system isn't bad in itself but it is the starting values and progression that that really handicap the class Thief. The second main issue is the Thief's ability to survive as they tend to be rather squishy out of the box. There has been countless proposed alternates including getting rid of the class together and this option had caused many heated debates.

I think the class adds flavor and really helps the party be more efficient at certain tasks (and attract less unwanted attention). They also help parties solve certain obstacles in more creative ways.

This is all do to their specialization but what they are suppose to be good at they are not, especially at early levels.

Before I go further, this is whatever everyone has a chance of doing on a mundane level;

• Hear Noise: 1 in 6 chance, demi-humans have a 2 in 6 chance, Thieves start at 2 in 6 and improve to 5 in 6 by level 11.
• Expert Miner: Dwarves detect slanting passages, traps, shifting walls, and new construction with a 2 in 6 chance. 
• Secret Doors: Anyone has a 1 in 6 chance to find a secret door, elves have a 2 in 6 chance. 
• Hiding: Halflings have a 2 in 6 chance to remain hidden in dungeons.
• Opening Doors: Anyone has a 2 in 6 chance opening a stuck door, modified by Strength.
• Finding Traps: Anyone has a 1 in 6 chance to find a trap (non-magicial), dwarves have a 2 in 6 chance. 
• Lighting Fires: Anyone had a 2 in 6 chance lighting a torch/fire in one round with a tinderbox.
• Foraging/Huning: There is a 1 in 6 chance that anyone can find enough food (suitable animals to eat, etc.) For one day.

 

B/X Essentials 

Swords and Wizardry 

The Thief skills are commonly misunderstood in theory and execution as anyone can attempt some of them and even though some skills are cross pollinated the Theif possesses a higher level of training. This training makes the Thief more effective and almost magical in execution. 

Climb Walls: This skill relates to climbing sheer surfaces and no one else can do that.

Delicate Tasks and Traps: This encompasses things like pick pocketing and disarming traps. It is a speciality skill and the run of the mill classes don't have access to it. 

Hear Sounds: A universal skill. Thieves are better at it and this skill improves in the x in 6 style.

Hide in Shadows: This gets confused with move silently or Stealth which anyone can attempt but the Thief can effective become invisible in corners and at night. 

Open Locks: A specific and trained skill and other classes don't have access to it.

Of all the alternatives I have seen in "official printed" material, five stand out far above the others:

1. The Thief from White Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game by Seattle Hill Games. This using an increasing all encompassing Thievery  x in 6 die that scales with level.

2. The Specialist from Lamentations of a Flame Princess. The Specialist gets skill points to put in various skills using the x in 6 system. They are the only class that gets skill points and these points increase every level. The playtest rules actually make me like this version a lot more as it changes the skills to 1d6+x and you need to get a total of 6 more.

3. The Thief Alternate found in Black Pudding #4 by James V. West.

4. The Thief from Dungeon Crawl Classics has a scaling bonus to the skills and the add to the d20 roll vs. DC.

5. Delving Deeper is actually becoming one of my favorite printed options. The Thief succeeds on all related skills with a 3 in 6 change which means anything 3+ on a d6 is considered a success. This skill does not increase but the class starts out really good at skullduggery and then at higher levels there is still a chance of failure to keeps things dynamic.

Out of all the house ruled proposed alternatives to the skills I have seen or used there are a couple that win the Gold Medal and are extremely viable and even clever.

Option 1*: Use the Ability Check method (which is d20 roll under relative ability and I happen to love this mechanic in general) with advantage. Then at each level (even the first) you get to choose a skill and that skill gets a +1 bonus (so when that specific skill is used the ability in question is considered one point higher for the purpose of the roll). Thieves also begin play with a +4 in Climb Walls because even the original Thief was so good at this. This makes up for the fact that attributes do not increase in these games.

* This is the one I have historically used the most.

Option 2*: For a more modern take (the theory of proficiency), you roll a d20 + ability modifier + Level vs. a DC 15. This is a static DC and is not meant to be modified. Thieves receive an innate bonus of +10 to the Climb Walls checks as they are amazing at that right out of the box.

* I have not used this method yet but I think it is smooth and would really well. 

As for the squishyness of the Thief, the alternate is really simple. Just increase their hit die to d6/d8. Then you can use whatever house rules you want in regards to bonus hp and/or max HD at first level. 

Dog Days: Session 4

Quick Disclaimer: The player who played the ferret Disaster from Session 3 dropped out of the game. 

When we last left our party, the meeting with the senator was set up at his warehouse with the Captain and the Captain was in full knowledge of the situation. 

The party arrived at the warehouse with the Capt. of the Guard in addition to some of his men with him and others to arrive for an ambush if needed. During the meeting with the Senator the Capt. explained that he know that the Senator was in league with the Governor and that he does not trust the Senator to take him into custody to prove his innocence. As who loyalties are where were trying to be discovered in a very tense situation (especially with trigger happy Roger) a brown rat dressed in a blue robe with gold stars on it and carrying a staff seems to appear of out nowhere explaining that he lost is precious jerboa Bobo (there were lots of gerbiling jokes made throughout the night) and asked if anyone has seen him. 

 As many questions are asked around trying to figure out who the hell this person is and if they were betrayed Thorin and Ghost hear noises of combat outside and watch the senator escape to his trap door with his guards. Thorin and Ghost inform the rest of the party what is going on and charge out of the door to discover the Capt.'s men mortally engaged in combat with the Governors soldiers. It is wondered by everyone who the Governor knew they were there. As the party enters the fray it does not look like it is going to end well. Various crossbow bolts, spells, and sword swings miss their targets as Thorin and Ghost take some mighty blows the draws blood. The tide soon turns with the help of the Thane's banging story telling skills which helps the party slaughter most of the Governors men and a final splash of acid to the face of the Sgt. after watching his fellow soldier next to him slip and take two swords to the chest was to much. The  Sgt. throws down his spear and orders a surrounded to his remaining troops. As one of the Governors catches a nasty sword cut to his back fleeing, Roger holds his pistol the the Sgt.'s head and asks him how he knew they were here. The Sgt. replies that the Governors men have spies all over the city and it was only a matter of time before the found the Capt. and who was helping them. Roger then states that is all he needs to know and pulls the trigger...During the lull in the chaos introductions are made and the party realizes that the Rat wizards strongly dislikes the status quo and helped them during the fight...

Now introducing the rat wizard Felcher, who grew up in Dogma and studied magic at one of the most run down and scorned magic schools and has a hatred for the status quo.

Shortly after this incident the part is approached by a beggar jingling some coin in his hat and says it is not safe here, the Governor has sent in the Calvary and numerous reinforcements will be here soon. The beggar also states that the Upright Man (who is the Thief Guild Master of the entire Triumvirate) wishes to meet with us. The party quickly decides that this is really the only option they have and they could use some help. The beggar leads them down a maze of alleyways to a dead in where the rat taps a pattern on the wall and part of the wall opens into another alleyway. The party was led through another maze of alleyways and finally to a waiting carriage with another rat smoking a pipe and everyone entered the carriage. During what seemed like the never ending ride some philosophical conversation is made and it is learned that the Upright Man is a hero among the poor people and especially in the slums. He only steals from the middle class and rich and does what he can to help protect the poor because no one else will. 

The carriage ride finally stops and as the party exists they find themselves in a large room with various other members of the thieves guild around. The party is instructed that to speak to the Upright Man they must leave all weapons behind and after the party disarms they are padded down and they find the dagger Thane tried to hide. The party is then led through a few doors and into a pitch black room that as soon as the last person crosses the threshold the doors slam shut and the hear it lock. A voice then appears to be all around them and introduces himself as the Upright Man and he explains that the Capt. is under arrest - not for the crimes of the ferrets (for that is reason alone to hang him) but for the crimes against the poor of the city. The Upright Man goes on to explain that the Capt. has failed to protect his people and has even facilitated various transgressions. After some back and forth conversation the Upright Man promises a fair trail for the Capt. as he is just and decisions are not pre-decided like the mockery of the courts of the nobles. Due to the parties actions, the Upright Man finds us trustworthy and he appreciates our treatment of the beggars, and he goes on to inform us that the Governor has hired a cat by the name of Sylvester to hunt us down. The very name sends chills through the party and Sylvester is known only by legend, the most blood thirsty assassin to every walk the lands. In hunting is prey, Sylvester will not only kill is mark, but people that come into contact with his mark as well (even if it is a chance meeting). The Upright man says he will give us aid to leaves the city and as long as we are in areas of his power, we can find help. 

 The party is quickly ushered out of the room and retrieve their equipment. During this time, one of the guild members gives them 1,000 guild pieces to split among themselves and a single copper coin that one side depicts a man with a very obvious broken back and the other a very tall man walking upright. The guild member then instructs us that we must show this corn to prove our loyalty to the guild but are also warned to not overreach or overstay our welcome. The party loads back up in the carriage and we are dropped off outside of the south side of the city. 

After some discussion, the party decides that we will head south into the woods (staying off roads and paths) then turn north to head towards Ratatia and Dogma as Thorin explains that he has some friends in the slums the might help.

Days upon days of travel bring nothing of interested until one morning Thorin notices smoke rising above the trees.  Thorin then whispers to the party and points to the smoke. It is quickly decided that Thane should go and scout it out and in an amazing vanishing act (a really obscene stealth check) Thane is able to scout out the area and finds that there is a small clearing with a mud out and no one else around. Upon Thane's return it is decided that everyone will approach the hut and upon entering the hut they find an impossibly old ferret with blind eyes and before a real conversation can start Felcher does not waste anytime offending the old ferret woman in ways that even man Roger look at him with disgust (this is a true feat) as everyone else shook their heads and muttered under their breath. It took some quick wit of Thane to recover the situation and we learned in a very cryptic way that danger is following us and the old ferret went on to explain that one of us will find no friends in Dogma except a few in the slums (but even that is a gamble) as the situation has worsened since one of the party members have left. This causes some side way glaces but nothing more. The party decides to leave the old woman alone even though Felcher tries convince the rest of the party to rob her. 

Many more days of travel ensue until the woods give way to grasslands and upon entering the grasslands the party spots some deer and as they are discussing if they should kill one to eat one a group of the chickens ambush two of the deer and start tearing into it. 

The party is spotted by the lead chicken which rears up and does a few fake charges at the party to try to intimidate us. As the party backs away very slowly it is discussed that young chickens can be domesticated as mounts and Thane breaks away (with another obscene stealth roll) to try to find their tracks so the party can find their nests. Roger follows Thane's efforts but the chickens catch their scent even though they could not see Thane or Roger and after some communication between the chickens they take rip off large chunks of meat and take off as Roger and Thane barely avoid them. It is quickly decided after that that it would be unwise to fight an unknown number of chickens actively protecting their nest and the party travels on. 

Another string of uneventful traveling (to the DM's dismay I am sure) leads to the discovery of small village and after a quick scouting mission it is determined that everyone will enter the village, resupply, gather intelligence, and hopefully a nights rest. After learning that an actual town is only 4 days travel away the party is charged for rations at a ridiculous mark up because winter is coming and offered a place to sleep at their supplies of rations house for the night but they have to sleep on the floor. During the dinner that their hosts provided they learn that the people hear rarely get any information regarding anywhere else unless someone comes through to trade or one of the villagers has no other choice then to make a long trip to one of cities or towns. The party also learns that recently a Warden of the Spine has came down from the mountains to trade and shared tales of strange magics and stranger beasts roaming the lands. 

After dinner the party goes to bed and sets up a watch. During Felcher's watch, he suffers a vision in the fire of a group of cats in the daylight traveling to the village and killing one of the outlaying farmers after the farmer gives the cats information regarding the party. Then Felcher wakes up the rest of the party and explains the situation. It is decided that is not safe for anyone to stay in the village and the party convinces the villagers to leave single file and head to the Warden's outpost in the Spine and the party will head in a different direction. 

This is where the session ended...