tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89122198562779267112024-03-26T03:44:05.112-07:00VILE CULT OF SHAPESsmall humanoid bites at CLERIC1 and hits once for one damagevilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-70224741797593667512024-03-23T19:09:00.000-07:002024-03-23T19:09:29.770-07:00TRAPS and the joys not having fun<div>My friend Strawberry Milk on the OSR discord asked me to write an article about traps. You can blame him for this.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br />Traps are environmental hazards which sometimes kill you and usually don't make sense. Typically they prevent you from accessing something you want like treasure, a pathway between locations, or your life.</div><div><br /></div><div>There's two big camps when it comes to traps: people who prefer to telegraph and people who don't have strong opinions about making sure their players have fun.</div><div><br /></div><div>All things in life are ultimately transient and without satisfaction. Playing a game, making a million dollars, being especially good at something, all of these joys are ultimately sources of decay, pain, and displeasure as they ultimately slip through your fingers like so much water. The only true joy in life is the ending of attachments to finite things.</div><div><br /></div><div>With that in mind, I fall into the latter category. I don't care if my players are having fun. I want them to *enjoy* themselves, because I want my friends to enjoy spending time with me, but whether or not they're having fun is ultimately their own personal responsibility.</div><div><br /></div><div>I understand this is probably a huge turn off for a lot of people. That's okay - I've accepted the fact that I'm doomed to be a walking anachronism. There's a lot of different ways to play games and everybody is looking for something different. If someone sits down to my table and ends up not wanting to play with me again, that's okay, this kind of game is not for everyone. </div><div><br /></div><div>I think of it like this: do mountain climbers do what they do because it's 'fun'? How about cave explorers? Marathon runners? Spelunkers? Surely spelunkers aren't having 'fun'. Getting stuck in a cave a quarter mile below the earth is not fun.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Fuck Fun</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>What exactly is 'fun'? Two definitions I found: 1. a source of enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure, and 2. sport, merriment, frolicsome amusement. Therein lies the confusion.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some people think of 'fun' as the sensation of pleasurable joy in the body that comes from the feelings of energetic freedom, playful openness, and getting desires satisfied. That is definition 2. Definition 1 can refer to anything which 'amuses' or produces 'enjoyment' and 'pleasure'.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, all people enjoy 'fun' of both definitions, but I suspect people who prefer Def 2 are less interested in Def 1. Definition 1 fun, in terms of the explanation I'm giving, includes things like knitting a sweater, reading a Russian novel, watching an opera, hiking in the mountains, or meditating. These things don't bring joyful, energetic bliss, but a sense of satisfaction that arises out of communion, concentration, and delaying gratification. Definition 2 is more like eating chocolate cake, playing video games, or watching Wrestlemania.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's sort of like the difference between the pleasure of working hard to overcome an obstacle, seeing our efforts come to fruition, and the pleasure of getting to go to cheesecake factory for your birthday. I've never been inside a cheesecake factory, but I suppose humans enjoy it. One of them comes about through your own efforts, one is blasted as you from the exciting end of a super-soaker.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not trying to denigrate one and laud the other. All people enjoy both. However, I do feel that there is an over-saturation of recreation directed towards Definition 2 fun, and not as much to Definition 1 fun. I like Definition 1 fun better. Definition 2 fun tends to leave me with a hang-over, tends to be addicting, and fries my nerves. It's given to anhedonia. That's why I lean heavier into the long-term, gratification-delaying Def 1 fun in my games. If you don't like it, there's plenty of other things for you to do than play this specific game as my specific table.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Late night thought</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Maybe a good d&d game is described as being somewhere in the middle of Def 1 and Def 2 'fun' - sometimes you have to pull teeth with stone-age dentistry and sometime you get to pie Succubuses in the face and get paid doing it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The part I'm really against is pulling punches or being afraid to hang out punishments or unfair odds. I don't really care about 'fairness'. The point isn't for me to articulate a scenario for the players. I'm an objective party in all this - if the players wanna roll stupid I'm down to fuck around. If they break my stuff, good for them. If my stuff breaks them, maybe they learn something or don't come back and I have to look for new players (Fresh meat). Maybe we play a different kind of game, or adjust the style of the campaign. But this is my default and preferred mode.</div><div><br /></div><div>My fun as the DM comes from seeing players enthusiastically applying ingenuity, gusto, and daring. I get my thrills both from seeing parties decimated <i>and </i>parties overcoming unbeatable odds by the skin of their teeth. I feel that if I bend the odds in any direction I'm tampering with that.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>How to do a trap</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>What exactly is a trap? My loose definition is a potentially dangerous or weird thing that prevents the players from getting something they want. Traps are sometimes mandatory for accessing an area, but they're usually hidden, artificially constructed, or somehow lurking just out of sight. For instance: a series of columns you have to jump across to access a door on the other side of a chasm isn't a trap, although it's dangerous and prevents players from getting somewhere. However, if one of those columns has a 1-in-6 chance of collapsing when landed on, that would be a trap.</div><div><br /></div><div>Good traps are puzzles that create some harm or difficulty for giving the wrong answers, but you should generally be able to experiment with traps to learn what they do and how to overcome them. It's hard to experiment with a floor tile that causes an arrow to shoot out from a statue, but it's easy and fun to experiment with a floor tile that causes a lime-green acid waterfall to pour from the ceiling. In this way, good traps also lend themselves to alternative uses.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's boring if most traps just straight up kill you. Often times players will become traumatized the first time an unexpected trap kills a PC. They'll start turtling up, poking everything with sticks. If you're really unlucky they'll come up with a door routine, or a plan they can just run on script that deals with the basics, like this:</div><div><br /></div><div>Every time we come to a door we do these steps:</div><div>1. Examine the floor, walls, and ceiling around the door for anything weird.</div><div>2. Poke the wood with a stick. Poke the handle with a stick.</div><div>3. Look closely at the handle to see if there's anything weird.</div><div>4. Listen at the door</div><div>5. Look through the key hole</div><div>etc</div><div><br /></div><div>If they're doing shit like this you may be going a bit too hard. Ease off the gas a bit or try telegraphing a little more. However, some players are just babies. They just have to be taught a lesson.</div><div><br /></div><div>The easy and dickish way to get players to stop running door routines is to make each of those steps take 10 minutes. If you roll for a wandering encounter every 10 or 20 minutes, they're bound to be attacked every time they find a door. Instead, they'll just have to use their wits. At a minimum, roll an encounter check when they meet a door and don't walk by or try to open it right away.</div><div><br /></div><div>Encounter checks are <b>DESIGNED </b>to be the force of 'Time' in the dungeon. Encounter checks are how you give time its meaning. The more often you roll them, the more important time is. My default it every 20 minutes or every other turn. I adjust that up or down depending on difficulty of area. I also throw more if the players are being loud, or if they were recently in combat (eg, monsters are on high alert or looking for them)</div><div><br /></div><div>The beatings will continue until morale improves.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Oh, also. Traps thrive on context. Sure, you could roll some generic shit on a table like "paralyzing gas, released from butt statue" or "poisoned arrow, inside umbrella rack" or "electrocuting disco-ball, descends from ceiling when music is played", or "swinging axe pendulum" but those get stale quick. Good traps are integrated with their surroundings in a clever way.</div><div><br /></div><div>No, I don't edit this stuff after I write it. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Edit: That's not true.</div><div><br /></div><div>Arnold K famously defined traps like this:</div><div><br /></div><div>- No obvious solution</div><div>- Multiple possible solutions</div><div>- Solution depends on common sense</div><div>- No specific tool required</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Hazards aren't really traps</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div>A hazard is like a stupid trap. It just sits there, it's not really trying to hide itself. It's dangerous to everybody, even denizens, although denizens are usually aware of it and know how to go around. Hazards also exist higher on the scale of permanency</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsVPzI5eU4SWeWYuj_aFR0TtOg9UOWCj_OqY6mBUriII7SHD6LfjBevGueVoRBNajClg2k76b7GTR-OoV3z5zI9G0ErIBsS7cyWpQjCfNM9a9g7tJBZoERABTDDaylzwnP-nmYA4PEQI1QMRfzQqIy2panYAJk5xI3B7Z6HSFfs1Qwgqbpfr5_uN0DSro/s550/SCALE_OF_PERMANENCE-2439095539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="550" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvsVPzI5eU4SWeWYuj_aFR0TtOg9UOWCj_OqY6mBUriII7SHD6LfjBevGueVoRBNajClg2k76b7GTR-OoV3z5zI9G0ErIBsS7cyWpQjCfNM9a9g7tJBZoERABTDDaylzwnP-nmYA4PEQI1QMRfzQqIy2panYAJk5xI3B7Z6HSFfs1Qwgqbpfr5_uN0DSro/s320/SCALE_OF_PERMANENCE-2439095539.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>This is a thing from Permaculture aka my day job. As you go <i>down </i>the scale (stuff with the bigger numbers, yes it's confusing) things get less permanent, easier to change. Soil can be changed by adding compost, easy. Trees are harder because they take a long time to grow. Farm roads are harder I guess because like it costs lots of money and they're really big? I guess it's harder to move a road than a building, but like, what kind of road are we talking about here? Oh sorry I'm getting pedantic. Anyway, up at the top you have the fucking climate and the terrain, geological factors that require some number of atomic bombs to really change.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hazards are like a 2. They're just there. You can't move em. Barring some magical circumstances, most traps are in the realm of 6-7.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>My process for coming up with traps</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>My creative process is something like this:</div><div><br />1. Pick some stuff to be the 'seeds' of the thing I'm making. Maybe these are ideas from books or TV, things from the campaign setting, or stuff rolled on tables, from tarot or i ching, or grabbed from my subconscious. Just some raw materials.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Smash it together with some other stuff from my subconscious.</div><div><br /></div><div>3. If it's good enough, go. If it's not, pick an element and change it.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's not a lot to go on, but a lot of the creative process kind of happens in the dark, on the inside. I could meditate on it and find out more about the process, but maybe I'll save that for a different post. If you don't know how to be creative you might be in the wrong hobby (although not necessarily).</div><div><br /></div><div>So let's do it with traps. Let's say we're working with a dungeon that has a "Dinosaurs" and "Lava" theme. Easy. First 10 ideas off the top of my head, stream of consciousness style:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Lava geyser</div><div>2. Rock slide</div><div>3. Paranha fish...thing?</div><div>4. Tarantulas, webs,</div><div>5. Giant emerald that sucks your soul out</div><div>6. Friendly bunny rabbit?</div><div>7. Magnetic stalactites</div><div>8. A t-rex skull that hides a door, bites the first approacher in half</div><div>9. Pteradactyl riding amazons</div><div>10. Earthquake</div><div><br /></div><div>Okay, so some of these are traps, some of these are hazards, some of these are monster encounters, all of them are half-baked. Let's move on.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next, traps need something to interact with. Call it a 'trigger'. It might be an actual trigger, like the aforementioned depressible floor tile, or it might just be a thing, like a cool glowing floating skull, or a lightning rod hooked up to an impressive machine. When you fuck with it in the wrong way it goes boom.</div><div><br /></div><div>Take the lava geyser: maybe it spurts out on a timer. Every sixth turn it goes off with a GOOSH. Not really trappy, more like a hazard. To be a trap it has to A, have surprise and B. Protect something. Did I cover this already? Maybe when you get too close a dino-man tries to run out and push you in.</div><div><br /></div><div>Paranha fish thing. I liked this one. I was imagining a cartoon fish skeleton trying to bite you, but that's not enough. Let's make it metallic and electrified. It's huge and affixed to the stone wall, like some kind of futuristic fossil. Oh, and some asshole has hooked it up to the underground river flowing nearby, so if you get in you get fried.</div><div><br /></div><div>OH or maybe like there's a hydro-electric dam the fish is hooked up to, like they're trying to power it, but there's all these wires laying everywhere so you might get shocked, but if you have rubber gloves you could take the wires and zap dudes with them. Sounds like a dangerous place to have a fight.</div><div><br /></div><div>Okay, next, tarantula webs? Easy. Webs, with tarantulas. You don't see 'em 'til they catch you. But the tarantulas don't want to eat you, instead they just want to drone on about niche subjects. Roll on your favorite "spider's favorite niche subjects" table or this one:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Flavors of baby scalp</div><div>2. Reading fortunes in bat guano shapes</div><div>3. How cool it is to absorb light oscillating parallel to your long axis.</div><div>4. Preferred mode of cleaning silk ducts</div><div>5. Genres of decomposed ooze</div><div>6. Brenda</div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe if you're really interested you actually learn something useful. Otherwise save vs sleep. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is just an annoying NPC encounter, not really a trap.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This sucks. Okay, maybe I can't dissect how my creative process works. Instead, I'm just going to give you a list of traps.</div><div><br /></div><div>1. A brain in a jar. Can cause hallucinations in one PC within 20' per turn. Tucked away on a shelf.</div><div>2. A stuffed coyote with its mouth open. Bites your hand off if you reach in. Gems contained within butthole.</div><div>3. A suspicious pull-rope dangling from the ceiling. When tugged 2 tons of corn spills on hapless fool.</div><div>4. A chair. IT'S ELECTRIFIED.</div><div>5. That t-rex skull door that bites you in half I mentioned earlier I liked that one</div><div>6. A floor of greased glass. The walls are spikes. Below the glass is a pool of acid. The ceiling is made of fire. GOOD LUCK ASSHOLES.</div><div>7. A big statue that shoots lasers. There's a big red power off switch next to it.</div><div>8. In a big cavernous area there's one of those quarter operated binoculars dealies, like at the Grand Canyon, with an "out of order" sign on it. When you look in the viewfinders there's a tiny medusa inside and she stones you.</div><div>9. A field of grass, the grass is razor sharp.</div><div>10. A magical punchy tree. It has a corncob pipe and a jug of moonshine.</div><div>11. Teleporter to the moon. Labeled 'teleporter to the moon'</div><div><br /></div><div>Okay that's enough. I don't know what I'm doing. If you're not having fun just try harder. Goodnight.</div>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-55190656859073355292023-04-30T09:57:00.002-07:002023-04-30T10:02:03.360-07:00Secret Santicorn 2022 - O'Neil Cylinder Generator<p> I've been sitting on this for months worrying about it being terrible because I'm both an overachieve and a self sabotager. </p><p><br /></p><p>Johnvak01 asked for a hexcrawl of an o'cylinder or a way to populate one This is right up my alley! </p><p>Now that the pressure is off to actually release it I might come back and do a version 2.0. Originally I wanted the cylinder creation be similar to Hosting a Dungeon, or making a character in Traveler - a kind of worksheet where you roll and spend points and do little mini games and end up with something weird.</p><p>Instead of that what you're getting is a shit load of tables and suggestions. I'd like some feedback as to what you like/dislike. It hasn't been play tested. Lemme know if you use it.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ldxzXzOTdYBeW7ZoN481Lji1oHgYJaVq3EJpgcLuOjE/edit?usp=drivesdk" target="_blank">So tired must stop moving</a><br /></p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-3344033670640578462023-04-13T12:05:00.013-07:002023-04-13T12:35:20.958-07:00 dungeon generator<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnbaYKRLnEFh5Fl5Rwr19GCRPcGMFY9zr9KD0V_owUF21wTTa-ptEjH1VgLPsH_IrVdDY21aBhE3GtwEl-UjL6peeM1Ah5nLc6bYi_a4JGNjVi1HzFdEz9Xy7eFU3bgLPw8Z-aeny08Yfk7Y4F2Vp0xn7u1ZovKmopVjKITRoP_O7ms5xa1loOHZP7g/s768/40071ea2c546c5c9f167c1a44821e5944f2c8a8e828e69de5a4dba2ce79814b5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnbaYKRLnEFh5Fl5Rwr19GCRPcGMFY9zr9KD0V_owUF21wTTa-ptEjH1VgLPsH_IrVdDY21aBhE3GtwEl-UjL6peeM1Ah5nLc6bYi_a4JGNjVi1HzFdEz9Xy7eFU3bgLPw8Z-aeny08Yfk7Y4F2Vp0xn7u1ZovKmopVjKITRoP_O7ms5xa1loOHZP7g/s320/40071ea2c546c5c9f167c1a44821e5944f2c8a8e828e69de5a4dba2ce79814b5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>d20 rooms split between d4 floors. Alternatively you got d6 floors with d8 rooms each.</p><p>You can expand a dungeon easily but it's hard to fill a dungeon that's too big when you run out of ideas. Start small and don't use up all your ideas in one place.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDNUjNaPRfTOTbb5O3jvBI5ZTncXVownhelUXFS8PcEo2ynUf1Cp24b2R3OnuWspXUWlRCFN2teQJMxgvhwJYUHXCuGVsULJr4Ua8uSlUUr8vnZfOy82Z3WicVidmxiOuoxVGYLRUDtOhcyImFojZQ-smGIVszPBzP-QzHHeB99gD4UPaWnBXbZg-rw/s768/fb4de0b7bc3c677fdf3c23f5bd53f1a66226c96df2be20d025453811ce70c4ba.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNDNUjNaPRfTOTbb5O3jvBI5ZTncXVownhelUXFS8PcEo2ynUf1Cp24b2R3OnuWspXUWlRCFN2teQJMxgvhwJYUHXCuGVsULJr4Ua8uSlUUr8vnZfOy82Z3WicVidmxiOuoxVGYLRUDtOhcyImFojZQ-smGIVszPBzP-QzHHeB99gD4UPaWnBXbZg-rw/s320/fb4de0b7bc3c677fdf3c23f5bd53f1a66226c96df2be20d025453811ce70c4ba.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>For each floor take as many random dice shapes as you need rooms and drop em on grid paper. Draw a room around each die. The numbers can be influence size, shape, and/or exits. Even numbers mean empty (no monsters) odd means a monster inhabitant.</p><p>Next, connect the rooms. I let the points on the die, the number facing, the orientation to other dice, and my own whim dictate the direction and angularity of the corridors. Remove each die as you finish drawing the connections, marking rooms that have monsters with some sign </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhYVD1PE0lnu_-Gz251BFDEXlv-GaoBgAAmTjKdDJo2-MDsEL_cObeviilRDUOx3S64e0e90yVNdIPICjvfDJpw3C2APLfcG8Tyv6Fdnq3ohlZHDEJ-K1pCYWvE8eTmuzOnbvXPESzqXTmSkGKtdQuVqpOVvq4RyN5yGhZihTXfI_wnHuCeioJnEMag/s768/4ec876f0f2344b30b6ff5240aeb85f288ef34bf88f4d54a028ca8eecab6ad616.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUhYVD1PE0lnu_-Gz251BFDEXlv-GaoBgAAmTjKdDJo2-MDsEL_cObeviilRDUOx3S64e0e90yVNdIPICjvfDJpw3C2APLfcG8Tyv6Fdnq3ohlZHDEJ-K1pCYWvE8eTmuzOnbvXPESzqXTmSkGKtdQuVqpOVvq4RyN5yGhZihTXfI_wnHuCeioJnEMag/s320/4ec876f0f2344b30b6ff5240aeb85f288ef34bf88f4d54a028ca8eecab6ad616.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p>Look at what you have so far. Are there any choke points, issues, improvements, or features or ideas that jump out? Write down all your impressions stream of consciousness on a separate sheet of paper. Make any adjustments to dungeon layout now.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you had any ideas for room keys start writing them. You can be verbose if you like but try to trim them down to a few sentences max as you continue iterating. Forget worrying about being good or fun at the table, just have fun right now.</p><p>Remember the golden rule: quit and come back if it stops being fun.</p><p>TIP: set yourself a timer, say 15-20 minutes. Try to finish a whole floor before the timer ends. If you stop and you still have some ideas going just let it be and come back to it. You'll jump back into the flow quicker next time. If you run out of time just erase the extra rooms or fill them with monsters, statues, collapsed columns, furniture, mushrooms, robot parts, bottomless pits, and rivers of acid.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj34t3qXmNnphhuOV1bLHTvDnslkOpeYAxk2HhBGP2rIu7VvN0ofmD1bVNvMsVXxxqa44G0iT87la02vU8j2rnIKyyb8D01d02cJC3QWf0JlTGYuPi7kBx8MlG7PcGKYurYdpwfP0U-fOAcfdt6RI_7eA4h532K7x6zHQGPV2vlm972MZARJqdqoRSaqA/s768/dc36f153d89ed981a8c99c0dbd2a6cda81fced09d4d696efa07f4f5de33d7947%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj34t3qXmNnphhuOV1bLHTvDnslkOpeYAxk2HhBGP2rIu7VvN0ofmD1bVNvMsVXxxqa44G0iT87la02vU8j2rnIKyyb8D01d02cJC3QWf0JlTGYuPi7kBx8MlG7PcGKYurYdpwfP0U-fOAcfdt6RI_7eA4h532K7x6zHQGPV2vlm972MZARJqdqoRSaqA/s320/dc36f153d89ed981a8c99c0dbd2a6cda81fced09d4d696efa07f4f5de33d7947%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b>Theme</b></p><p>The organizing idea of a dungeon is the theme. Each dungeon should have a principal theme, and each floor could have a variation of that theme. You may or may not have an initial theme at this point. If not, roll on the spark table below for ideas. To make a variation roll on one or both spark tables again and smash the result with the previous theme.</p><p><br /></p><p>#rolled | element 1 | element 2</p><p>1. | Military | Fire</p><p>2. | Famine/plague | Earth</p><p>3. | Graveyard | Water</p><p>4. | Factory | Forest</p><p>5. | Experiments| Sky</p><p>6. | Grandeur | Galactic</p><p>7. | Melancholia | Caves</p><p>8. | Medicine | Hollow</p><p>9. | Forlorn hope | Swamp</p><p>10. | Crystal | Vapor</p><p>11. | Ancient Magic | Conjoined</p><p>12. | Solitude | Stone</p><p>13. | Primordial | Poison</p><p>14. | Prison | Building</p><p>15. | Beasts | Withering</p><p>16. | Weather | Knowledge</p><p>17. | Machines | Mutated</p><p>18. | Mushrooms | Hidden</p><p>19. | Precipices| Separated</p><p>20. | Hallowed | Organs</p><p><br /></p><p>Filling the rooms</p><p>For each monster room, roll a monster.</p><p>For each empty room, roll for contents:</p><p><br /></p><p>1-2. Really empty</p><p>3. Really empty, with treasure</p><p>4-5. Trick/Trap/Obstacle</p><p>6. Trick/Trap/Obstacle, with treasure</p><p><br /></p><p>Decide on the contents, whether it's random bric a brac or traps, based on the theme. Here's another spark table for room contents. You can throw on the first table once for a simple usage, twice for a "what was it originally? what was it now?", the same on the second table for more ephemeral ideas, or combine the two and even mix with the first table to go really far out. The second table is good for trap effects.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qYoX5gmdw7l67u46chN_BEm6Pa3whMZq0Ch_XmjcfA-dHdCiP5DlEnuG6jy7Y__LK0UxZAqEf2jNA44SL3L9VC5O6PzRJJXoIzuCXUAEg9O5yIAmHqn6W0373ujQ9Z1uzZUoUlQnmJpRkVkjMB0d3B3qcNrvOPXWX6q08nv7TeyIQT4Z2pD03LjdQw/s768/cb2d683c66d25a55818353aed9002ca930c466c99d53d63f99b6bd5d86392d13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qYoX5gmdw7l67u46chN_BEm6Pa3whMZq0Ch_XmjcfA-dHdCiP5DlEnuG6jy7Y__LK0UxZAqEf2jNA44SL3L9VC5O6PzRJJXoIzuCXUAEg9O5yIAmHqn6W0373ujQ9Z1uzZUoUlQnmJpRkVkjMB0d3B3qcNrvOPXWX6q08nv7TeyIQT4Z2pD03LjdQw/s320/cb2d683c66d25a55818353aed9002ca930c466c99d53d63f99b6bd5d86392d13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>It can help to take the spark you roll and free-associate some names based on it, and use that to get an idea for the room. Example: for "Abandoned Drift" in a dungeon whose theme is "Melancholia Poison" you could call the room "Prison of Oaks" "Void distemper" "Revolving catastrophe" "Slime warren" "Ocean of Dreams". You might roll one more spark element to help break a block, but avoid rolling on the tables a bunch of times.. all the extra detritus just muddies the waters.</p><p>Remember to just take a break if you feel a serious block coming. Many times if you quit before the ideas stop all together it'll start flowing again more quickly.</p><p><br /></p><p>Try to keep a description of the room itself to a single sentence! Remember that 15 minute timer? You might be the kind of person that shuts down when the pressure is on. It can help you as a person to practice working through those feelings.</p><p>Oh, sorry, did you think this blog was only about d&d? Haha.</p><p>Sorry, here's that table:</p><p><br /></p><p>#rolled | element 1 | element 2</p><p>1. | Barracks | Gravity</p><p>2. | Apothecary | Vaporized</p><p>3. | Workshop | Evoke</p><p>4. | Ballroom | Decrepit</p><p>5. | Leisure | Drift</p><p>6. | Jail | Sewage </p><p>7. | Library | Crushed</p><p>8. | Storage | Ransacked</p><p>9. | Judicial | Overrun</p><p>10. | Foyer | Sealed</p><p>11. | Refectory | Unstable </p><p>12. | Office | Split</p><p>13. | Clinic | Contaminated</p><p>14. | Atrium | Buried</p><p>15. | Agriculture | Dissolved</p><p>16. | Disposal | Deluge</p><p>17. | Mine | Torched</p><p>18. | Abandoned | Forgotten</p><p>19. | Mistake| Mistake</p><p>20. | Economy | Temporary</p><p><br /></p><p>If there's rooms containing monsters next to each other consider making them a faction or at least allies. Decide what they're doing in the room and what nearby rooms they know about/have influence over. Give them things they want, as well as problems and enemies. A single room entry might look like this:</p><p><br /></p><p>Room 6 - Prison of Oaks </p><p>12 blind mushy mushroom men make out with rotting trees growing thru cracks in walls, fed by a continuous light cast on a brass idol of a monkey. The monkey idol is burning hot to the touch. The mushroom men are drowsy/drunken and barely hostile to interrupters. In the middle of each is a blue crystal worth 50 gp.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOru9nLoZz7fsYcPU0wHWbDdgEjBZCP-27ThnnKGrpHYruszOa2fKzwKBBmojphHairN5lJpdyeWDxb3eNjEkKha6zoHhSia_62VMi5VYLjZpbKDYkhFqi0ozPSXMEawcrft0hubTTYvH9XAx9kGqPXmmk2NFKTmr83yCtv6WDWfr3VnM25ZpxZPVpNg/s768/376d22586cc08d66a2e67a4df1dc8587dc5742bc5b789742ac4ad1d89a5f7e33.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOru9nLoZz7fsYcPU0wHWbDdgEjBZCP-27ThnnKGrpHYruszOa2fKzwKBBmojphHairN5lJpdyeWDxb3eNjEkKha6zoHhSia_62VMi5VYLjZpbKDYkhFqi0ozPSXMEawcrft0hubTTYvH9XAx9kGqPXmmk2NFKTmr83yCtv6WDWfr3VnM25ZpxZPVpNg/s320/376d22586cc08d66a2e67a4df1dc8587dc5742bc5b789742ac4ad1d89a5f7e33.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Once you get the first draft done go over it again, see if any new ideas come up. Next, cut out stuff you hate. Don't be afraid to just leave some rooms totally empty. Add some locked or secret doors, extra corridors, dead ends, more dangerous obstacles, weird effects, highways that connect disparate sections, flooded or caved in areas, alternate entrances, and elevators/stairs/chutes that skip whole floors forming shortcuts.</p><p><br /></p><p>How much treasure should you put in? Here's my formula:</p><p>( Number of expected players * dungeon floor * 2000 + 20% )</p><p><br /></p><p>I rarely though sometimes make treasure in the form of coins and gems, though that can have some great old school flavor. Mostly it's furniture, weird junk, or pseudo magical junk that players often walk right past.</p><p>Half of it is in monster possession, half of what remains is hidden where nobody would look, and the rest is just laying around under/in stuff, or is heavy or bolted down.</p><p><br /></p><p>Oh yeah last thing make a d6 or d8 encounter table for each floor. You might save deciding what monsters to use until you get your table, or draw the monsters in the table from what you already keyed, or pick totally new monsters for the encounters. I like my encounter tables to have one or two entries from main dungeon factions, then the rest be unique encounters.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRYXQbtvZXOfWoEFlWFCejywjhxDfAPTFC9Nld0Z4nzTB1FRfRu7vOaJ-y2rC8Gx-6JHrvYLVX9-R8kB0odLYYQQ72n6a4b7cWul6jQ14IYyzjonrRB8o0CbcuPooh1AIBaZdUt5_qYr4DOxNqB9jedpW0OviyNYnEUk60TxdzCQy3Ba4O8YL5w2jgw/s768/56f0539aeba5a745dd32abef31dc5f5c5cf4158cba5226f870060c6f3fb3d6fc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRYXQbtvZXOfWoEFlWFCejywjhxDfAPTFC9Nld0Z4nzTB1FRfRu7vOaJ-y2rC8Gx-6JHrvYLVX9-R8kB0odLYYQQ72n6a4b7cWul6jQ14IYyzjonrRB8o0CbcuPooh1AIBaZdUt5_qYr4DOxNqB9jedpW0OviyNYnEUk60TxdzCQy3Ba4O8YL5w2jgw/s320/56f0539aeba5a745dd32abef31dc5f5c5cf4158cba5226f870060c6f3fb3d6fc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>The rules for making monsters in Worlds Without Number is great for when you're feeling dumb. Actually WWN is just great.</p><p><br /></p><p>(PS <i>All art is made by AI because I'm lazy as fuck)</i></p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-66742458411645588682023-04-12T12:44:00.005-07:002023-04-13T12:08:31.407-07:00Small games for small people<p> </p><p>In a funk. Peeling all the onion layers back and discarding things that complicate my life. Taking a step back from OSR and d&d in general.</p><p>Lately I've been sort of working on two video games. Both of them take heavy cues from the original Legend of Zelda.</p><p>The first one is a first person dungeon crawler made in RPG maker. You make a party of 4 characters (two classes: fighter and mage). Open world. Explore around, talk to people, trade treasure for EXP. There's no "point" to the game, no storyline. Considering adding some basic win condition like "find princess Ophelia and ask her to come back home".</p><p>The second game is a first person walking simulator made in Unity where you sometimes fight creatures. Again, no point, no story. It's more like King's Field for the PS1 but more open ended and less fighting.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Basically I'm tired of things needing to be polished, needing to eat up your time, demanding money and attention. I feel like the OSR does a lot of that stuff. I'm more interested in searching out meaningless liminal freeware crap.</p><p><br /></p><p>I want a game that feels like being a tiny beetle with a sword checking out stuff in a garden world, like an old log surrounded with wildflowers but zoomed in microscopically. Maybe you fight a centipede or a sparrow, but the game is really just "cool a flower" "here's a piece of paper with a poem" "sweet, a blueberry +1 hp"</p><p><br /></p><p>When I was a kid I liked to lift up rocks and gaze with wonder at the sub-world I found there. A toad, a termite and an ant nest that share a few tunnels, rolly-polies, a few sprays of purslanes.</p><p><br /></p><p>There's magic in smallness, modesty, and quiet wonder. No need to save dragons, fight kingdoms, or rescue wizards. When you get a magic sword +1 that's the best sword in the game. Max level is 5. Your hero is adventuring not because they're a social outcast but because they're curious.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>As for tabletop RPGs I'm not playing anything at the moment, but I re-read the rules for Knave and I'm enthralled all over with the idea of a game that takes 1 minute to set up a character, is so pared down that next to zero explanation is required, and still has mechanics for getting better at stuff, and has no classes. Get the boring stuff out of the way so we can crawl around in holes and sometimes get a +1 thing.</p><p><br /></p><p>Oh yeah, I'm fine with non-descript +1 swords and gaining a level means nothing more than a few more HP and +1 stat increase. </p><p><br /></p><p>Instead of d100 spells what if you had like d20 spells and in order to cast them you had to collect WHISPERS. What is a whisper? It's just a bit of lore or an interesting experience. You spend a whisper to cast a spell.</p><p><br /></p><p>You learn a new spell/knack by being taught it by someone magical (a wizard, gnome, fox, midwife)</p><p><br /></p><p>1. Heal d6+2 HP, or heal illness.</p><p>2. Cause.d6+2 damage.</p><p>3. Create an illusion.</p><p>4. Make somebody fall asleep.</p><p>5. Hide in shadows.</p><p>6. Foil a lock.</p><p>7. Find your way.</p><p>8. Make somebody else get lost.</p><p>9. Produce a day's worth of food.</p><p>10. Talk to an animal.</p><p>11. Mend something broken.</p><p>12. Calm fear or anger.</p><p>13. Change the weather.</p><p>14. Assume a terrifying aspect.</p><p>15. Be invulnerable for a few minutes.</p><p>16. Float.</p><p>17. Breathe underwater.</p><p>18. Create a wall of stone.</p><p>19. Generate a bright light.</p><p>20. Make an enemy into a friend.</p><p><br /></p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-55778382974417314912023-04-10T13:32:00.002-07:002023-04-13T12:09:03.819-07:00How to start adventuring <p> Draw a map. Use whatever format inspires you the most. I like the freedom of a blank sheet of printer paper and a nice mechanical pencil, or thick sketchbook paper and micron pens. Let the ideas flow as you go. If you get stuck quit and go do something else.</p><p>Once you've got your map pick the place the players will start. Choose 4 nearby locations to be important.</p><p>Who lives there? What do they want/need? What are they afraid of? What's something that makes them different from their neighbors?</p><p>Write 3 sentences for 3 different settlements. They can be human trade down, elven bastions, evil war-barons, or a city of zombies leftover from the demon wars who are just trying their best to mimic their old way of life. </p><p>Whatever you do, avoid the temptation to be good, to write something others would enjoy, or to make something that would bring you accolades. If you catch yourself thinking at any point "that's not good enough, so-and-so on that blog said ideas like this are stupid" or "if I bought this product on drivethru would I be disappointed?" just stop and go do something else. Take a shower, drink some water, go for a walk.</p><p>Throw a d6, make that many adventure locations. Every location needs:</p><p>- a physical thing marking the location</p><p>- something valuable</p><p>- something dangerous</p><p>- a trick</p><p>- a living or non-living being to befriend</p><p>- a connection to something else on the map</p><p><br /></p><p>Draw a map if you feel inspired, or make a diarama out of clay, or make a playlist on Spotify.</p><p><br /></p><p>At this point put everything down and go watch a movie like Secret of Nimh, the Bakshi LoTR movies, or Castle in the Sky. Go for a walk in the woods, or sit at the subway and people watch.</p><p><br /></p><p>Come back, doodle more. Eventually work your way toward a dungeon. For inspiration go play NES Zelda, Castlevania, Metroid, or Dragon Warrior.</p><p><br /></p><p>Make a dungeon of 20 rooms. It should have:</p><p>- 8 empty rooms</p><p>- 5 rooms with monsters</p><p>- 4 traps</p><p>- 8000 gp worth of treasure, broken up into chunks and scattered randomly (2000, 1000, 1000, 500, 500, 500, 500, 250, 250, 250, 250, and the last 1000 in small change tucked in little places or in the form of cutlery)</p><p>- 3 things that aren't traps that are obstacles and only potentially dangerous (if you can't imagine what that looks like go for a walk by the train tracks, sewers, river, docks, or junk yard)</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Play some D&D. Start the players at the dungeon. Run them on it. Let them decide what they want to do. If they seem stuck give them two options. Don't be afraid to wait. Take notes.</p><p><br /></p><p>Afterwards start making connections between everything seen, said, done, talked to, heard about. Go forth and prosper.</p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-1274783339491263602023-02-21T11:38:00.005-08:002023-02-23T08:20:00.376-08:00COMICSANS23 - 02 AND 03<p> I had a pretty serious knee injury so I've been laid up. Rather than working on comic sans 23 as normal I've instead been playing Shadow of the Colossus and messing around with character.ai. The site let's you make an AI chatbot by describing it's personality.</p><p>There's a few characters people made that are DMs. Most are boring. One has a set up that start you out as a miserable stupid peasant hated by everyone in a fantasy world. The adventures I had with it are hilarious and bizarre. </p><p>I'm including them as week 2 and 3 of COMICSANS23. Even if there's not much game able content, the AI DM is pretty good as running things on the fly, and it's a good example of player agency and sandbox style gaming. I wish human play reports were this entertaining to read.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Adventure 01: the Bizarre Adventures of Cugel</b></p><p>In this one Cugel fumbles around, lying and stealing. The AI starts getting weird and putting treasure everywhere, so Cugel destroys the universe and recreates it in his own image. Weirdness ensues.</p><p><a href="https://c.ai/p/gO5dI_Z3ILDSB011WMG2tuJYYAgVYNEtiCazT6hdVdw" target="_blank">https://c.ai/p/gO5dI_Z3ILDSB011WMG2tuJYYAgVYNEtiCazT6hdVdw</a><br /></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Adventure 02: The Homunculus</b></p><p>A more traditional adventure where a thief joins the mage's guild, argues with his mentor, uncovers the secrets of dark magic, and learns a lesson about friendship and sacrifice.</p><p><a href="https://c.ai/p/VP1UX9ctXk7xSH_QkIyXJ5iyhsXQ_7HPFKk3IZKpCRA" target="_blank">https://c.ai/p/VP1UX9ctXk7xSH_QkIyXJ5iyhsXQ_7HPFKk3IZKpCRA</a><br /></p><p><br /></p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-90712710500618973422023-02-15T19:36:00.004-08:002023-02-15T19:37:12.227-08:00COMICSANS23 01 - GOBLIN GROTTO<p> Here it is, the first entry in my year long experiment to produce a sloppy half-cocked adventure module a week. I plugged away at this one a bit a day since my introductory post. I think I may have overdone it a bit. It's a fully realized two level dungeon with mostly unique monsters, encounter tables, everything. 20 entire pages of adventure fuel.</p><p>The next ones will probably be simpler. My original idea was to make non-dungeon adventure scenarios, but this is caught and stuck.</p><p>Read it and die.</p><p><br /></p><p>https://drive.google.com/file/d/13skKZQiO94MckrO03HXDXKJSqmVW_HiP/view?usp=drivesdk</p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-77681787618950908132023-02-08T14:46:00.002-08:002023-02-08T14:46:35.860-08:00COMIC SANS 23<p> A lotta people are doing the Dungeon23 thing, where you write a dungeon room per day and by the end of the year you have a 12 floor megadungeon. Some people are using it as an excuse to do other stuff, like hexcrawls etc.</p><p>Me? I always have to be different. I noticed there's a sad lack of low-quality homebrew adventure modules bouncing around the scene and I want to try and rectify that.</p><p>Product brain is stupid. The hyperfocus on sleek polished for profit products over hobbyist zines is a disease. OSR, like punk music, is better when it's made by obsessed eccentric amateurs and not well uh obsessed competent slightly-less amateurs. I like my shit free, ugly, mediocre, and BRUTAL.</p><p>so that's my reasoning. I'll die on this hill. Y'all can have your stuff involving paid artists, editors, and graphic designers and kickstarters. I want to see more free burning garbage.</p><p><br /></p><p>Comic sans 23 is intended to be that - a molten lead injection of so bad it's good hearkening back to the game materials I wrote in word pad back in 1998 when comic sans, verdana, and courier new were the only fonts worth fucking with. When crazy fun, gleeful cackling, and awful ideas were more important than good design. Think early 00s zine culture, plus art drawn by that kid in your class that draws cool dragons, plus wayyy too many hours watching heavy metal or playing FF1 on a CRT monitor, drinking mountain dew. HERE CHECK OUT WHAT I MADE</p><p><br /></p><p>But it's not a nostalgia project. It's something to fill a void and inspire others that you too - YES YOU! - can write and self publish fun game material just as you are right now, nothing added. If you have a laptop capable of running abiword or a smartphone with Google docs you have no excuse to not be writing modules and game material instead of shunting out yet another BX rewrite retroclone heartbreaker nobody will use.</p><p><br /></p><p>If you write modules people might actually use it! Well, parts of it. Maybe. If you send it to me I definitely will rob it for ideas and republish the good parts as my own thing. CC-NO YO</p><p><br /></p><p>Parameters: I have to do a little bit every day. Even if it's just another adventure seed or a character or a pen and ink picture snapped on my smart phone. At the end of each week I'll throw up a pdf of insane trash.</p><p>If I skip a week I'll publish two the following week. Unless I forget. But even if somethings half finished and I don't feel good about it I'll try to just tie the knots and throw the slab of meat on the table, good, bad, and ugly. That's the point, but life has a way of throwing curve balls. Listen, I've got a life and shit too, okay?</p><p><br /></p><p>#####################################</p><p><br /></p><p>JOESKY TAX</p><p><br /></p><p>ADVENTURE SEED GENERATOR</p><p>https://drive.google.com/file/d/1li9FLQwEQm_X8FM6eG1BmqygySnCmseL/view?usp=drivesdk</p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-85649051412734930772022-12-22T15:48:00.003-08:002022-12-22T16:02:56.633-08:00Eat everything, aka the rule of rations<p> Aka vilecult abuses math</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMkRKkuGHGKmAYX2N-fnk-lXaJV9H5M9RPZQCgJ23KoOtOy4x3t0o2OlP1iKzDFkNzRd_Qj4kkK_cqswu0JTm5CDU8yg9-HVwiNAKqvTt8hpOCJnkDNjx887Sv5q2VKLs8M0v9EtFL00I0hZdCGOsEyw06u1_KN_1zamKiO0Ors6NWYvLVsSz3WOqWw/s900/cavemen-hunting-mammoth-bildagentur-onlinetschanz.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="602" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXMkRKkuGHGKmAYX2N-fnk-lXaJV9H5M9RPZQCgJ23KoOtOy4x3t0o2OlP1iKzDFkNzRd_Qj4kkK_cqswu0JTm5CDU8yg9-HVwiNAKqvTt8hpOCJnkDNjx887Sv5q2VKLs8M0v9EtFL00I0hZdCGOsEyw06u1_KN_1zamKiO0Ors6NWYvLVsSz3WOqWw/s320/cavemen-hunting-mammoth-bildagentur-onlinetschanz.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>An adventurer needs about 4000 calories a day. An iron rations contains this. Meat and carbs are the most energy dense. Plants have very little in the way of calories. You can't survive wild foraging plants.</p><p>Nuts are the most realistic food source. 4000 calories of acorn meat = 2.2 pounds. Plus it takes days to soak and dry the nuts to make them edible. But they're only available for about two months of the year.</p><p>It would take 20 pounds of berries to meet an adventurer's food needs. They'd have to eat the equivalent of fifteen potatoes in wild tubers. Just forget about salad - most leaves contain less calories than it takes to digest them.</p><p>So hunting it is. How much meat is in a wild animal?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-e1zPMFjolkhFF_hDq7PPk9YHs5zuyoMiqZvIR8Gdyr2Zk9ri1Ngi-NY9Jp3luN2e-AJ0a_MMGlIwSEdtmxd0kNGCPCFY-AB0AGzFWuV4slLTY2VzajdM0mbM8XjvZIPpINWFYq4HM474sCj9UDJ201xPq17X2cEo3AGjrn4_O1TrjbYttDiBraU2w/s631/medieval-jobs-occupations_butcher.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="631" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-e1zPMFjolkhFF_hDq7PPk9YHs5zuyoMiqZvIR8Gdyr2Zk9ri1Ngi-NY9Jp3luN2e-AJ0a_MMGlIwSEdtmxd0kNGCPCFY-AB0AGzFWuV4slLTY2VzajdM0mbM8XjvZIPpINWFYq4HM474sCj9UDJ201xPq17X2cEo3AGjrn4_O1TrjbYttDiBraU2w/s320/medieval-jobs-occupations_butcher.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/content/blogs/dan-schmidt-deer-blog-whitetail-wisdom/how-much-meat-is-on-1-deer" target="_blank">This article</a> has a lot of great info about this subject. I get all my numbers below from it.<br /></p><p>A deer is about 40% meat. This doesn't include the guts, which you would definitely want to eat in a survival situation. In the article they say you can get close to the live weight of the deer by multiplying the field dressed weight by 1.28 - field dressing just means taking out the organs and blood. So if you have a 125 pound field dressed you've thrown away about 35 pounds of viable food.</p><p>So that's like, what, 60% of the deer is edible?</p><p><br /></p><p>I'm pedantic enough to figure out how many iron rations are in a deer, but I'm not pedantic enough to figure out how many calories are in deer liver (885/lb) versus meat (675/lb).</p><p>Okay maybe I am.</p><p>Actually this is pretty easy. You can just multiply the organ meat weight by 885 and the venison weight by 675, add them together and divide by 4000.</p><p>But who wants to do that at the table? Let's just go with 60%. That's a nice clean number for our back of the napkin calculations.</p><p><br /></p><p>Does weigh between 80-120 (average: 100)</p><p>So that's 60 pounds of meat *675 = ~40,000, divided by 4000, or 10 rations</p><p>Bucks between 120-160 (average: 140)</p><p>84 pounds of meat *675 = 56,700 calories or 14 rations</p><p>Beat that, vegans.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRUiISt6P8dUrsPfFLiHFFdVPgAM3I9YyR9zNjsT79inHR_HXvJ906DCWRJFnDkpul2yDPOK7UNJjkFXECfY8xkPaBZPhL8_-RaVwUq9OHSojcIZdbkvZnBTCYb4WbtP4GTo01qfC9O4li8Zubnkvy937vDQ0w_4yKJis7aeoc4QEtAzc-ucpeHwoww/s1600/WILD-GAME-MEATS-.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRUiISt6P8dUrsPfFLiHFFdVPgAM3I9YyR9zNjsT79inHR_HXvJ906DCWRJFnDkpul2yDPOK7UNJjkFXECfY8xkPaBZPhL8_-RaVwUq9OHSojcIZdbkvZnBTCYb4WbtP4GTo01qfC9O4li8Zubnkvy937vDQ0w_4yKJis7aeoc4QEtAzc-ucpeHwoww/s320/WILD-GAME-MEATS-.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>According to this chart most game animals have pretty close to the same number of calories per 3.5 oz portion. Close enough to our magic 675 above that I feel comfortable using that as the number of calories in all meat.</p><p>The thing is that different kinds of animals have different amount of meat on them. But we're not gonna do that, we're just gonna assume all animals follow the same ratio as deer. We actually want people to come back to our game.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5dJZpymvzrURBNsNLaTwchuoNVJj_pDEGpU56qCO_2P7LJI6Yp1DdI0hvJLEZ_FSsMoV3oECPrChdiXe4cNySCi0TSSV38wuirgrVX4Z7Bbd9Ss3NuCVrPaS_UFJmYVpQq0QUVveL8k52QofvBJe4MAQp488VZ5gWDHq0anoC53wyW712ViKCSS3dKg/s1200/medieval-feasts_butchers-meat-scaled.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5dJZpymvzrURBNsNLaTwchuoNVJj_pDEGpU56qCO_2P7LJI6Yp1DdI0hvJLEZ_FSsMoV3oECPrChdiXe4cNySCi0TSSV38wuirgrVX4Z7Bbd9Ss3NuCVrPaS_UFJmYVpQq0QUVveL8k52QofvBJe4MAQp488VZ5gWDHq0anoC53wyW712ViKCSS3dKg/s320/medieval-feasts_butchers-meat-scaled.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Average weights</p><p>Beaver, 25 - 70 (4 rations)</p><p>Porcupine, ~30 (3 rations)</p><p>Female red kangaroo, 40 - 80 (6 rations)</p><p>Male red kangaroo, 120 - 200 (16 rations)</p><p>Female elk ~500 (50 rations)</p><p>Male elk ~720 (72 rations)</p><p>Female moose, 440 - 1100 (77 rations)</p><p>Male moose 840 - 1400 (155 rations)</p><p>Female wild hog, 130 - 180 (22 rations)</p><p>Male wild hog, 170 - 220 (39 rations)</p><p>Female black bear, 90 - 180 (13 rations)</p><p>Male black bear, 130 - 660 (80 rations)</p><p>Female grizzly bear, 400 - 800 (60 rations)</p><p>Male grizzly bear, 400 - 1000 (70 rations)</p><p>Squirrel, ~1 pound (about 10 to a ration)</p><p>Rabbit, 2 - 5 pounds (about 2 per ration)</p><p>Female alligator, 250 - 500 (38 rations)</p><p>Male alligator, 500 - 1000 (76 rations)</p><p>Reticulated python, 170 - 250 (21 rations)</p><p>Rattlesnake, 3 - 5 (5 rattlers make 2 rations)</p><p>Boa constrictor, 20 - 30 (2 rations)</p><p>Note on snakes: you could probably get more rations out of a snake. Might double it.</p><p>Female water buffalo, 400 - 700 (55 rations)</p><p>Male water buffalo, 600 - 1200 (91 rations)</p><p>Female bison, 800 - 1200 (100 rations)</p><p>Male bison, 1000 - 2200 (162 rations)</p><p>Domestic cow, 800 - 2400 (162 rations)</p><p>Domestic bull, 1000 - 4000 (253 rations)</p><p>Calf, 25 - 100 (6 rations)</p><p>Domestic sheep, 100 - 220 (16 rations)</p><p>Domestic sheep, 100 - 350 (22 rations)</p><p>Female giraffe, 1200 - 2600 (192 rations)</p><p>Male giraffe, 1800 - 4500 (318 rations)</p><p>Female elephant, 6000 - 8000 (708 rations)</p><p>Male elephant, 4000 - 14000 (911 rations)</p><p>Stegosaurus, 6800 - 11000 (901 rations)</p><p>Triceratops, 12000 - 16000 (1417 rations)</p><p>Ankylosaurus, 11000 - 18000 (1468 rations, but maybe less, they don't look like they've got much good meat on em)</p><p>Apatosaurus, 36000 - 49000 (4151 rations)</p><p>Argentinosaurus 110,000 - 220,000 (16,706 rations holy shit)</p><p>Tyrannosaurus, 11,000 - 15,500 (1341 rations)</p><p>Pteranodon, 55 (5 rations)</p><p>Quetzalcoatlus, 550 (55 rations)</p><p>You get the idea.</p><p><br /></p><p>Do you have a faster way to calculate?</p><p>5 rations per 50 pounds</p><p>So how much do these meat rations weigh?</p><p>The magic meat number is 675 calories per pound, making a 4000 calorie fresh meat ration weigh 6 pounds. If its dried into jerky for iron rations it'll lose 2/3s its weight and be 2 pounds. Organ meats tend to lose more water but let's not be fussy.</p><p>How long does it take to butcher an animal?</p><p>It takes about 20 minutes to pluck and cut up a chicken. Rabbits are faster. It takes me about an hour to skin and butcher a deer. Several people working together on a cow might take a couple hours - we're using old fashioned bone saws at best, or knives. I estimate an hour per 500 pounds. This is mostly for palatability and for drying the meat. Nothing's stopping the party from indiscriminately hacking off chunks and roasting it.</p><p>How long does drying meat take?</p><p>You have to cut it into thin strips and hang it. That takes a long time, see above. Humidity has to be low or meat will spoil. 8-14 hours in the sun.</p><p>Smoking it?</p><p>Ideally you salt it first. 1 day per 10 rations.</p><p>Salt?</p><p>10% salt per weight. 10 rations = 60 pounds = 6 pounds salt.</p><p>What else?</p><p>If this isn't enough for you get help</p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-32460086210068111942022-12-18T07:14:00.011-08:002022-12-19T06:59:06.206-08:00Hexcrawling Procedures: a Simple Guide<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjkroG2Z6QaCWsPpdQdspXftvzKaw_VafrZFfMbiakFEbODjQ9kkYV__w4Qq-wBgonujvN_FxA_rBaHntO8TOdFtnDJjfRwvshq4-ucJm3Pz6wQFkUgLhEjO85FLXESju2L5IDkO6KMBC2Rd7JHYD9rzDjtlxalJReZv3xHv4FLbw5L1qhBlcDKsvCA/s2604/Community_Hexmap-2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2604" data-original-width="2208" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjkroG2Z6QaCWsPpdQdspXftvzKaw_VafrZFfMbiakFEbODjQ9kkYV__w4Qq-wBgonujvN_FxA_rBaHntO8TOdFtnDJjfRwvshq4-ucJm3Pz6wQFkUgLhEjO85FLXESju2L5IDkO6KMBC2Rd7JHYD9rzDjtlxalJReZv3xHv4FLbw5L1qhBlcDKsvCA/s320/Community_Hexmap-2.png" width="271" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Over at the OSR discord we get a lot of questions about how to run a hexcrawl, often from 5e refugees. There's a lot of great how-to posts out there, but many of them overcomplicate what is, in my opinion, a very simple thing. </p><p>Here's my hexcrawling procedures, without all the extraneous junk, culled from various sources. Start here and expand your own methods as your own experience requires.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoeUotKYGOaF5i7Q3SW6uhAa7BJ9JzAX2wXscm74SP1t9812EiGnYfEZdllpAOLD-oRm0QooAwPyTnTdfn3KGEUxVHw1tmgUfZgO8CU-y4PGbIeAolvgFe0X7RuJmGm3sa_BCrowHGeClQMuXqdXR2p6jbPRZiaHE-Jp8y6AaId6aQ6icMRb8Ghac3Q/s1036/FiE-_evX0AE7Mwy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="1036" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVoeUotKYGOaF5i7Q3SW6uhAa7BJ9JzAX2wXscm74SP1t9812EiGnYfEZdllpAOLD-oRm0QooAwPyTnTdfn3KGEUxVHw1tmgUfZgO8CU-y4PGbIeAolvgFe0X7RuJmGm3sa_BCrowHGeClQMuXqdXR2p6jbPRZiaHE-Jp8y6AaId6aQ6icMRb8Ghac3Q/s320/FiE-_evX0AE7Mwy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b><p></p><p><b>Why hexcrawling?</b></p><p>This is pure sandbox. Complicated prep is unnecessary. It simplifies wilderness exploration. It puts players in the driver's seat, letting them choose where they go, what they do, and how they solve problems. It's simple, fast, and open ended. If you like open world RPGs like Fallout, Elder Scrolls, Arx Fatalis, this is like that. Random tables and reaction rolls keep things fresh and interesting.</p><p>When preparing a hexcrawl you're freed from dreaming up plots, adventure paths, or stories. Instead, you focus on populating the map with dangerous locations and interesting situations, letting what happens unfold in play.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqSLF7Y6iE5SuvONJ218YBWqgLa7PK7s8iM4OZIpi8GNoApZipP9h-Zf0_n2WrnMZ-6wgPKbPMF0P4To-OXkqsV5-lTxd0zp_W47jPSgzGdctIf9KOx6PAHXn5euccJZZhKtpzuj1pqPaL8IyRhO2JdLjYR1C2Vd1_nAnI4tSxFZOYKwKVm_QobncyA/s768/9k312.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqSLF7Y6iE5SuvONJ218YBWqgLa7PK7s8iM4OZIpi8GNoApZipP9h-Zf0_n2WrnMZ-6wgPKbPMF0P4To-OXkqsV5-lTxd0zp_W47jPSgzGdctIf9KOx6PAHXn5euccJZZhKtpzuj1pqPaL8IyRhO2JdLjYR1C2Vd1_nAnI4tSxFZOYKwKVm_QobncyA/s320/9k312.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><b>The Concept</b></p><p>There's some similarities between dungeon crawling and hex crawling. Both have a DM facing terrain map, a key to locations, and encounter tables. Both have a map the players create as they play. However, dungeons use grid paper and hexcrawls are on hex paper.</p><p>The key for your hexcrawl is numbered by coordinates on the sheet. If your hex sheet is 10 hexes by 10 hexes the top left hex is labeled 0101 and the bottom right hex is 1010. A couple hex key entry might look something like this:</p><p><br /></p><p><i>0508 Cave of Wonders - at midnight on the full moon a stone lion head emerges from the sand. When the passcode is uttered ('Lama Innut') the mouth of the lion opens, permitting entry into the Lair of the Manticores.</i></p><p><i>0602 Lake of Largess - this lake is home to 12 gnomes which will do all in their power to befuddle unwelcome trespassers. Bathing in the pool causes random change in size (equal chance to double or half in size) for one week.</i></p><p><br /></p><p>Once the key of interesting locations is made players are presented with a blank hex sheet of equal size. Only the starting location and perhaps a few obvious landmarks or known areas are pre-marked.</p><p>As play progresses players explore the given area, revealing the terrain, uncovering secrets, and plundering monster lairs. The keyed locations, procedures, random events, and player actions work together to create a unique, unplanned, organic narrative.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUKR48Alu-FdS86Yk4Mjcw1ycSP-K1u_gEm8UCoQ66ZkuAevzuH6BtpJpCZGhWFwvS8mqfOabxl_osp2ir86FgoXEatsIygY5ZLekX2xoURuRdCr3gEE27yT-nRcNS-fzHRr8aP9HsTzBCNioDiJCeul3w4JdOVGzLcIkfrzsUNVEq-OYAqagyjseBw/s1000/UZSj84L.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="707" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUKR48Alu-FdS86Yk4Mjcw1ycSP-K1u_gEm8UCoQ66ZkuAevzuH6BtpJpCZGhWFwvS8mqfOabxl_osp2ir86FgoXEatsIygY5ZLekX2xoURuRdCr3gEE27yT-nRcNS-fzHRr8aP9HsTzBCNioDiJCeul3w4JdOVGzLcIkfrzsUNVEq-OYAqagyjseBw/s320/UZSj84L.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b>Details</b></p><p>The hexcrawl world is a microcosm. Usually, and certainly at first, you'll be working with a postage stamp sized corner of land in a distant kingdom. In all cases resist the urge to plan the entire articulated clockwork of world-spanning cultures, continents, and histories. In time, and as necessity dictates, you may expand the starting range by adding additional maps to the world. At first it is unnecessary and wasted busywork to prepare more, as well as constrictive to the natural growth of the campaign. It is enough to know scraps and hints that a wider world exists 'over there'. You will have time. A properly prepared 10x12 hexcrawl map can provide numerous sessions of adventure without exhausting.</p><p>The sandbox world of hexcrawling isn't concerned with the big picture; the movement of cosmic forces or matters of earth shaking consequence. Instead, it is focused on scenarios of a more provincial sort. Robber barons, dragon hoards, goblin reavers. The game world is expressed through the variety of encounters.</p><p>Most hexcrawls are measured at 6 miles across each hex. Some use 12, 24, or more. I find 6 miles to be the ideal level of granularity. At the larger scale you'll find yourself in need of mapping the important hexes on their own, creating more fusty busywork. These distances are based on human walking speeds over rough, wild terrain.</p><p>I know from experience that walking 24 miles over flat road in an 8 hour period is truly grueling. Real world death marches have taken place over similar distances in rough terrain. If you wish to use common sense in adjudicating your campaign, I would limit travel on foot over rough terrain to 12 miles or 2 hexes per day, adjusted by terrain difficulty (see "direction of movement" below) unless the players wish to perform a forced march.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzS7zmVSGo97bVMIjbRVzBADev40AfW1us7fsyi-OLeHfYpU7jR_6zKyI7JUbjC1PLT9pswm8Z-si-NhKjZvEox7QiFhErV6T_JGEYRvmqBMOOUXvUPavWsOjAyw-lH6GchdQiVxhUp9cv4zpo_Io-gW-OKzwOae4dkGP-Mj_dwPx_E9cPbOAuGrSM2w/s688/FiFxvRuWYAAiCAt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="688" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzS7zmVSGo97bVMIjbRVzBADev40AfW1us7fsyi-OLeHfYpU7jR_6zKyI7JUbjC1PLT9pswm8Z-si-NhKjZvEox7QiFhErV6T_JGEYRvmqBMOOUXvUPavWsOjAyw-lH6GchdQiVxhUp9cv4zpo_Io-gW-OKzwOae4dkGP-Mj_dwPx_E9cPbOAuGrSM2w/s320/FiFxvRuWYAAiCAt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b>How to make a hexcrawl map</b></p><p>Start with something small. 10x12 is a good size. No more than 20x20. You can expand later.</p><p>Generate random terrain and adjust to suit your taste. There's several automatic hexmap generators online. Hexographer can do it. There's tables in Delving Deeper. I'll include my own tables at the end of this post.</p><p>It's good to start with a large body of water on one side of the map. Initially this will prove a limiting barrier. Eventually, however, it may give the opportunity for seafaring adventures and provide a connection point to the wider world. A variety of modes of travel and obstacles is an important part of encouraging player agency within the game.</p><p>One way to place the water is to throw a d8 for which side or corner, then a 2d6 or d20 for number of water hexes. Afterwards, fill in the remaining land using your preferred method.</p><p>You can think of this as procedural generation. Combining random elements with your natural human faculty for pattern recognition and symbolic thinking is what creates a living, breathing world.</p><p>You'll want a varied terrain, a mix of swamps, icy mountains, forested hill, jungles, etc. Try to avoid large swaths of one terrain type - the diversity of ecosystems will encourage variety. You'll want about 6-10 different terrain types.</p><p>Pay attention to how the diversity of the landscape effects travel. Rivers can impede movement across, but serve as a helpful landmark, or offer a highway when traveling downstream. Mountains, forests, deserts, tundra, and swamps all provide their own challenges. Having diverse terrain allows players to discover, and then choose, the best possible route and what dangers they're willing to face as they explore.</p><p>Once you have your terrain in, look at where the bodies of water, mountains, and swamps are located. Swamps, lakes, and seas indicate low elevation. Pick a few mountains (maybe d4 or d6) and add rivers winding their way toward the nearest body of water.</p><p>Important features, such as villages, cities, castles, and dungeons, should be placed logically. Settlements must have a water source, often a river or lake, place them nearby. Castles need a defensible location and are often situated near trade routes, or in areas where their influence will be most felt. Dungeons are generally off the beaten path, hidden in the tangles beyond the reach of law.</p><p>Speaking of roads, these are links between civilization. However, they should be used sparingly. Adventure happens in the Wilderlands, not under the watchful eye of a tightly organized society. Roads indicate safety, security, and a strong enough force to maintain and patrol them. You may wish to connect the starting village with one or two other locations (perhaps a megadungeon or castle) via a road, facilitating a little movement and a familiar 'safe zone' for the party while they're still fresh. Since this area is less dangerous it'll also be less profitable - the 'good stuff' requires risk.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaTrmta2eeUytn23Rl0Vb2d5YypmVFrPvEzmXQ-3ZJg528hAWwwE0JByGuCb53lyl60zrwD0GAt_IJxmY9AZoQgXoRlJAju_EfPxOzcd8LOY-qnX6WlNAqCF6d4hiy-lxJhzEtdYNmhXmmm_3ZpELVgoU4wwWxThYUbtYX-Z_wbUUcSP4_q8YRuDLvw/s1200/unknown-6.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="919" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaTrmta2eeUytn23Rl0Vb2d5YypmVFrPvEzmXQ-3ZJg528hAWwwE0JByGuCb53lyl60zrwD0GAt_IJxmY9AZoQgXoRlJAju_EfPxOzcd8LOY-qnX6WlNAqCF6d4hiy-lxJhzEtdYNmhXmmm_3ZpELVgoU4wwWxThYUbtYX-Z_wbUUcSP4_q8YRuDLvw/s320/unknown-6.png" width="245" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b>Stocking your hexmap</b></p><p>Once you have your body of water, rivers, terrain, and a sprinkling of civilized outposts, possibly with a road, it's time to populate the map with dangerous and interesting locations.</p><p>For each hex throw 2d10, each of a different color. One color is for 'monster lairs' the other for 'ruins'. A 1 indicates an interesting location - mark it with a dot on your map. Some may have two. For mixed terrain types, say forested hills or jungle mountains, throw for both types, for a possibility of 4.</p><p>In this example a 'monster lair' is a mini-dungeon or small area, perhaps d12 rooms, which serves as the lair for a particular monster type and their treasure hoard. Delving Deeper contains rules for generating monster lairs, though you'll need to create the map yourself. The two examples I gave above are both of the lair type.</p><p>A 'ruin' can be anything. A crystal obelisk, a wizard tower, a field of soporific poppies, or an actual ruined castle or proper dungeon.</p><p>Feel free to adjust these as whim dictates. You are the master of your domain.</p><p>The exact content of each location is detailed on your separate key, as demonstrated above, using the four-digit coordinate for the hex. Much like with dungeons, brevity and flavor are the meat and potatoes of this type of keying, allowing for improvisation and open ended play. Keep your descriptions short, punchy, and to the point. Refer to my examples above, or the linked hexcrawls at the end of this post as a guide.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCTQDXujLoJLNPpJZPCuZ1bwcz-eCmUgGhhvqD8c7udosOU2XLyZH8fq2r1KBsiRviCa-ZXyUiD3gh8R_5KuVIAOzwuYeRJAU-Jfb0lxA9OCQ0yq65vI_CyHz3AksoihGOjLACeyqWx6x7aId8exxe8V4TxEpp6fhg7yZ-ZsO8KtsecVcmJpHovR7uQ/s768/one_point_perspective,_postmodern_art_chartreuse_green_Build_caf_,_in_the_style_of_romanti.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCTQDXujLoJLNPpJZPCuZ1bwcz-eCmUgGhhvqD8c7udosOU2XLyZH8fq2r1KBsiRviCa-ZXyUiD3gh8R_5KuVIAOzwuYeRJAU-Jfb0lxA9OCQ0yq65vI_CyHz3AksoihGOjLACeyqWx6x7aId8exxe8V4TxEpp6fhg7yZ-ZsO8KtsecVcmJpHovR7uQ/s320/one_point_perspective,_postmodern_art_chartreuse_green_Build_caf_,_in_the_style_of_romanti.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Getting ideas</b></p><p>There are a limitless number of tables and generators online for creating content to fill your map with. Likely you already have ideas of your own. You can also shamelessly steal ideas from other people's games and hexmaps, real world history, mythology, and fairy tales, as well as books, movies, and games, with or without manipulating them to obscure the source. You can also drop in published adventures.</p><p>Do not even think of creating a hexmap to sell as a product until you've developed your faculty in this playstyle. However, I fully encourage you to share your creations on a blog, website, or on the OSR discord so that we can rifle through them and steal from you. Tis only fair.</p><p>Finally, once you've done all that, think of a few competing factions in the area. Large lairs of powerful monsters, potent wizards, castles, and cities are all ripe for this. Put a couple in with their hex key description noting their goals, allies, enemies, or resources.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibc1q8vMxtFU5mxAcjjiKkS2EySE9GpM1nYTlpQCkWw0agzJgJ-_yQxNow9iEdH_zG_IJRQSTc3HtWDBRhAy3Z4a_i5iwD2f4cAnxbfYsLpg7AYQGnM0gOIUKJ6-rypAMK2mBPL5C5e6qhCumlYEAfsSOhwVH9WR5hVl1nKpI7uGE-54dbg0mMUZw8eg/s512/652652546254.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibc1q8vMxtFU5mxAcjjiKkS2EySE9GpM1nYTlpQCkWw0agzJgJ-_yQxNow9iEdH_zG_IJRQSTc3HtWDBRhAy3Z4a_i5iwD2f4cAnxbfYsLpg7AYQGnM0gOIUKJ6-rypAMK2mBPL5C5e6qhCumlYEAfsSOhwVH9WR5hVl1nKpI7uGE-54dbg0mMUZw8eg/s320/652652546254.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b>Running the hexcrawl</b></p><p>You've generated your map, peopled it with people (and monsters), and a few interesting locations, but what exactly are the procedures of play? That's why you're really here, isn't it?</p><p>Nothing could be simpler.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5wCgiEKXlvpuBxA2LGW5i3D7CSyKD8HF7JwXh7Z7BnHT0uSgGidvHdfaqPuA2yEIC1PrdRMxfZZc6zmjBjU31PU4PsPeQZmQLySy8Y0B9zzoERTy31JBS6tkgoR-dkNNAo2zRBPHLPNvr7rAtQoHUO09NV6Foh2l_-WsAoobFJqp_Md3GekdGlfX0A/s512/nmnmmn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5wCgiEKXlvpuBxA2LGW5i3D7CSyKD8HF7JwXh7Z7BnHT0uSgGidvHdfaqPuA2yEIC1PrdRMxfZZc6zmjBjU31PU4PsPeQZmQLySy8Y0B9zzoERTy31JBS6tkgoR-dkNNAo2zRBPHLPNvr7rAtQoHUO09NV6Foh2l_-WsAoobFJqp_Md3GekdGlfX0A/s320/nmnmmn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Opening and context</b></p><p>First, decide where the players are to start, and the context for the beginning of their adventure. I would caution the intrepid referee from starting new players in town, especially those unfamiliar with hexcrawling, or used to being lead by the hand through an adventure path. Often times they become lost and overwhelmed by the variety of choices and possibilities at their disposal, leading to a rather flat initial experience.</p><p>Also I would recommend against starting the players in the middle of the wilderness with nothing to go on, for the same reason. Although these starts are viable, they are better reserved for veteran players who already know what to expect from this type of campaign.</p><p>Instead, I would suggest starting them in the middle of something interesting, which gives them a small number of interesting choices to make right out the gate. An obvious goal and a direction. The olden and golden standby here is plopping them in front of the local dungeon with a tattered map to the location and a few rumors about the treasures and dangers that await then within. Go get 'em!</p><p>Once they've done what they will and are ready to get back to safety you can allow them to travel back to the nearby town where they can nurse their wounds, hire henchmen, refresh spells, identify and sell loot, collect additional rumors of other locations or about the previous dungeon, and ready for the next adventure. This is the original mode of play and works perfectly well today as it ever did.</p><p>It may seem counter-intuitive that a campaign based on exploration, agency, and free-wheeling adventure should begin with a shoe horn, but think of it as a warm-up. Once the players get their feet wet they'll begin to develop ideas of their own. Giving the uninitiated a cold-open leads to decision paralysis.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCq808h0Uk7T53QOc0k8w1CnxnGv7ns2c4hiK4qcDmdC1sV3JpOC0ajuSEDmnoziH9vi6-VNoT0rkcYFt6mZIWwqQ4hVXFVgd07ImdHCnhwNmtOg3x4hNnBVqCiYOnMHr9nnXr--rQ_FOHknDXomUDp7tuV7ovKmvLVSxocH9GNd3i0DJux1C-Ojxlg/s2048/FjjhZBLXgAE4a5Y.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1584" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKCq808h0Uk7T53QOc0k8w1CnxnGv7ns2c4hiK4qcDmdC1sV3JpOC0ajuSEDmnoziH9vi6-VNoT0rkcYFt6mZIWwqQ4hVXFVgd07ImdHCnhwNmtOg3x4hNnBVqCiYOnMHr9nnXr--rQ_FOHknDXomUDp7tuV7ovKmvLVSxocH9GNd3i0DJux1C-Ojxlg/s320/FjjhZBLXgAE4a5Y.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Procedures for Play</b></p><p>Here's what you've been waiting for. Your players have got back from their first delve. Maybe they have some loot, maybe they got their butts kicked, but now they're safe and there's a big world. What now?</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN38XtTYjD9MHPTeSENUKOZgRSrbxES5JaAyLXjofxR3NtnQSPh6QgKhwgcXqkUvftRNaf-fju3mqYkO7R4VotR-ZjDyYY9PQA6gyGuvrVF2aJcdbyLRDb5GkFbiu7sGsFaGMic9pHHyxdG6OEEz0FvvtQEgpHR8StEjDdUAibRA30xizjasDqfrJy1A/s768/Dungeon_room,_monster,_dark,_foreboding,_green,_psychedelic,_painting.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN38XtTYjD9MHPTeSENUKOZgRSrbxES5JaAyLXjofxR3NtnQSPh6QgKhwgcXqkUvftRNaf-fju3mqYkO7R4VotR-ZjDyYY9PQA6gyGuvrVF2aJcdbyLRDb5GkFbiu7sGsFaGMic9pHHyxdG6OEEz0FvvtQEgpHR8StEjDdUAibRA30xizjasDqfrJy1A/s320/Dungeon_room,_monster,_dark,_foreboding,_green,_psychedelic,_painting.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Rumors and Hooks</b></p><p>These are of the utmost importance. Without them a game cannot progress. Rumors and hooks are the sign posts that direct your players towards ADVENTURE! They tell them what's out there, which way to go to find it, and what dangers they may find. They can be specific or vague, true, false, or a mix. Put a rumor at the lips of every washer woman, midwife, nanny, town guard, inn keeper, bard, leige lord, roustabout, bandit, child, and pig farmer they bump into. Have a table of d20 rumors about places near or far. Improv when you must and squeeze them in. OR give the players a hint but make them twist, poke, prod, threaten, extort, and pay for the details. With a handful (not too many at once! Two or three is good!) the players can decide what they want to investigate and what risks they're willing to take. Here's some examples.</p><p><i>"The elf queen is looking for a new husband. She has wealth beyond measure and beauty to match. Eh? What happened to her last husband? He disappeared in the mountains looking for a magic sword ten years ago! The fool!"</i></p><p><i>"The goblins of Black Crag keep turning up with Dwarven gold. Where are they getting that stuff?"</i></p><p><i>"I heard tell there's a gnome living in the Sundering hills - will grant a wish to anyone who manages to catch him! I'd go but my fool husband would drink up the farm while I was away. Ah well, might be worth it?"</i></p><p><i>"Don't go to the keep in the desert. Trust me on this. The wizard there dabbles in Necromancy. Shut hisself in. That place wasn't always a desert you know."</i></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzf6j2RGIqZyUeBBVw84TPL4nzs-ng3Y7jh8ckNhojfNspZZQ3M0jaGm4qfvor0JMme882V-FSup7u_RLpcmE_Y5W6-ZT0xHbYIEhD8vl3KcSg7uIGyIBuGmAWOgxBsLi-ZgGPWZi95da3Aw4BdTgUu3g5eQdv9Pyvj2Jz-c9AfIz-dNxmMoa87iBmg/s512/Pen_and_ink,_human,_warrior,_standing,_sword,_Moebius,_psychedelic.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzf6j2RGIqZyUeBBVw84TPL4nzs-ng3Y7jh8ckNhojfNspZZQ3M0jaGm4qfvor0JMme882V-FSup7u_RLpcmE_Y5W6-ZT0xHbYIEhD8vl3KcSg7uIGyIBuGmAWOgxBsLi-ZgGPWZi95da3Aw4BdTgUu3g5eQdv9Pyvj2Jz-c9AfIz-dNxmMoa87iBmg/s320/Pen_and_ink,_human,_warrior,_standing,_sword,_Moebius,_psychedelic.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b>Descriptions</b></p><p>When the party enters a hex briefly describe where they are, what interesting things there are to see, and a bit about the adjoining hexes.</p><p>Example:</p><p><i>"As dawn spreads you pack up camp and head on your way. You begin to cross an expansive field, dotted with small trees. To the north, a day's journey away, you see the peaks of the steel mountains, shrouded in rain clouds. To the west is the edge of a black forest. Your view east is obscured by high forest hills."</i></p><p>Say they move towards the mountains. They're nearer now, but perhaps still in a grassland hex. You could describe the sun lowering in the sky as the day wanes on, drizzle moving in from mountains, or a stream or castle they couldn't see from their previous location.</p><p>It is good if the players ask questions about what they see, make adjustments to their plans, or become distracted by interesting things along the way. If a sudden thunderstorm strikes they may be forced to take shelter in the forest, which could be the haunt of robbers, werewolves, or the beautiful elven queen.</p><p>The brevity of your descriptions, though peppered with small visceral details, will draw the players in, speed up play, and facilitate an action-oriented game.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ts0aNICPTYnObSglBnx1RxP8GQOi5qRAucrUZ-b0erIpyu0cMPCC4z9QeONQ02XMTs8Yi4d2KnW7moDvCmBaWnB9Fma0ZMBkfmRNjg2osoUVc3Db-UE-FUsZUflfPDiSXAgTLUXclxH_hHFB0leKkyBI4hDQdw-srQit44MR-pNLIeLnGniiS8kGew/s714/pinterest934290.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="570" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ts0aNICPTYnObSglBnx1RxP8GQOi5qRAucrUZ-b0erIpyu0cMPCC4z9QeONQ02XMTs8Yi4d2KnW7moDvCmBaWnB9Fma0ZMBkfmRNjg2osoUVc3Db-UE-FUsZUflfPDiSXAgTLUXclxH_hHFB0leKkyBI4hDQdw-srQit44MR-pNLIeLnGniiS8kGew/s320/pinterest934290.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Direction of movement</b></p><p>Players decide which direction they want to move based on what they see, the rumors they've acquired, and what they know. They may say things like "we go north" or "we go towards the forest", or even ask questions like "how far away is...?" or do crazy things like climb up cliffs to get a better view of their surroundings. Encourage this by providing good answers.</p><p>When the players move you'll need to calculate their movement rate based on the kind of terrain they're leaving. My preference is 3 hexes of easy terrain (18 miles - plains, roads), 2 hexes of difficult terrain (12 miles - forest, hills), and 1 hex of very difficult terrain (6 miles - mountains, swamps). These are based on distances covered by real life hikers over such terrains. You may wish to default to whatever the ruleset you're using says - I won't judge you.</p><p>Note about mounted travel: over open ground or well-maintained roads a horse can cover much more land than a human when moving at a full gallop - say 4 to 6 hexes (24 to 36 miles) a day, depending on the quality of the horse. Such a pace would quickly exhaust and possibly kill your horse if kept up for many days, much like a human. However, at walking or trotting speed, such as over rough terrain, a horse may only cover the same distance as a human. In such scenarios the benefit of the horse is mainly in the ability to carry more gear and the comfort of the rider.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuY7vtYdcgbmn823tB-WdB9QxJc34seESXinGCbkF5dXCMEhzFBknwP-a9HQXNsfDWUwb5YT5oBYUlM5Qf0IQCHZZ_i2fGLaAMmPEOiUth06ZGe4LTevkRu-iqhDTz0DMxSCqUREzL1Yai63eLwhabmtNrG3Ee6pPlPNZCdthop9OUmUB8NO4_XUFqnQ/s1728/pic3208824-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1728" data-original-width="1728" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuY7vtYdcgbmn823tB-WdB9QxJc34seESXinGCbkF5dXCMEhzFBknwP-a9HQXNsfDWUwb5YT5oBYUlM5Qf0IQCHZZ_i2fGLaAMmPEOiUth06ZGe4LTevkRu-iqhDTz0DMxSCqUREzL1Yai63eLwhabmtNrG3Ee6pPlPNZCdthop9OUmUB8NO4_XUFqnQ/s320/pic3208824-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Getting lost</b></p><p>If you are using an old school ruleset they probably contain contingencies for the party getting lost or veering off course, often determined by terrain type. This adds an entertaining degree of uncertainty to travel, encouraging certain things like hiring guides from the locals. However, it can sometimes be an irritating and nitpicky problem. You may have to adjudicate this depending on the party's behavior.</p><p>Personally, I don't roll for getting lost if the players are heading towards a large visible landmark, have a guide, or are moving along a coast, river, or open ground such plains or roads. In such cases the direction of travel is obvious.</p><p>However, I do roll when the party is moving over difficult, trackless terrain such as deserts, swamps, forests, or mountains. In such cases the party may end up in a hex different than what they're expecting. They'll mark their map as if they know where they're going only to find they don't get there. It's up to the players to find a way of correcting their course.</p><p>You may wish for outdoorsy type characters such as druids or rangers to have a reduced chance of getting lost. Either lower the odds or use a larger die.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvFulaRWC9v6oV35gIJgQ0H7N7-FqdY7_amh67Y1J9PRy2qo3CTScCMtOp06je_S1gOD2o3eA1R37t38YOWliLPQkmCvfeaZKVYG_Fvq7xESfKaB0Ts0z63XavdqQWrE9ewQNYvL-GbQ3M1Ju9NbgIBkF7LDFI4GzvLODRvnyh7T6NFuYLyoF7r1EPw/s768/02f0fd3c976a7af46508599d60bb1a1f0ec2ecddc9ff76ce7a8411628b92be90.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvFulaRWC9v6oV35gIJgQ0H7N7-FqdY7_amh67Y1J9PRy2qo3CTScCMtOp06je_S1gOD2o3eA1R37t38YOWliLPQkmCvfeaZKVYG_Fvq7xESfKaB0Ts0z63XavdqQWrE9ewQNYvL-GbQ3M1Ju9NbgIBkF7LDFI4GzvLODRvnyh7T6NFuYLyoF7r1EPw/s320/02f0fd3c976a7af46508599d60bb1a1f0ec2ecddc9ff76ce7a8411628b92be90.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Locations and encounters</b></p><p>When the party enters a hex they find whatever is there to find. If there's multiple locations then determine which it is randomly. Some hexcrawl advice recommends rolling to determine if the party stumbles across the thing. However, the thing is what we're all here for, so just give it to them. You may wish to put obstacles in the way, or otherwise obscure its true nature, however.</p><p>Roll for an encounter check once for the day of travel and once at night, 1 in 6 chance each. I roll these when it seems prudent, often in the morning or evening. If an encounter happens then roll on the encounter table for that terrain type or region. You may assemble your own tables based on what you want or use the ones listed in your ruleset. Don't forget to roll for encounter distance and reaction! Not all encounters are a fight to the death. Especially if you're using a ruleset that includes potentially running into orc warbands numbering in the hundreds! This requires adjudicating. Monsters may wish to avoid the party, trade, ask for help, or anything else.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEuk1etCUl_lXx7qURJ7VNwvq8063bwlu84pnMczFbeYquzRGySRf5u1pRzp3tD6WAI2x1o-eF7ecdY4uG5V3AshucqQdTLh9tjfGdDo552dX7lUyZabuotnz1m9bl8BhKnwaosKO6khZVotCA6O2czSjeQDsurJB0sy1E59WRpEGbuQmlA_swVvfoA/s1200/eQOpJkW.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEuk1etCUl_lXx7qURJ7VNwvq8063bwlu84pnMczFbeYquzRGySRf5u1pRzp3tD6WAI2x1o-eF7ecdY4uG5V3AshucqQdTLh9tjfGdDo552dX7lUyZabuotnz1m9bl8BhKnwaosKO6khZVotCA6O2czSjeQDsurJB0sy1E59WRpEGbuQmlA_swVvfoA/s320/eQOpJkW.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Tracking supplies</b></p><p>One ration is consumed per day of travel, usually in the evening when setting up camp. Iron rations last indefinitely and fresh rations spoil after a few days.</p><p>Parties low on food or wishing to supplement their tack may spend the day hunting or foraging. Roll a d6, adding +1 for the special ability of outdoorsy types, and +1 for terrain with a lot of food. Subtract a point for barren terrain. On a score of 4 the party gains d4 fresh rations, +1 for each point over 4.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCPN3xdXs-XhWnaXw9keMP3SmzlXCWPDJa7ARzk2H-yhz_UYi7v1rBL-kY7aERj0-b_Zq95hhV1Gt3KnFxV02VbRu0kJFES7xgqhEHBDKWTl3XWduzQxzQ0g81I5OJOQ1LD0EWI6_gncSfcKEfKhnCk3AD2LJmchSu3Tl1TarKC9iZ_lWDNglJSHlqQ/s768/88a0867ea795ecdbc3645be6003577b45275983010969453f768275fafbc4cd4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCPN3xdXs-XhWnaXw9keMP3SmzlXCWPDJa7ARzk2H-yhz_UYi7v1rBL-kY7aERj0-b_Zq95hhV1Gt3KnFxV02VbRu0kJFES7xgqhEHBDKWTl3XWduzQxzQ0g81I5OJOQ1LD0EWI6_gncSfcKEfKhnCk3AD2LJmchSu3Tl1TarKC9iZ_lWDNglJSHlqQ/s320/88a0867ea795ecdbc3645be6003577b45275983010969453f768275fafbc4cd4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b>Weather</b></p><p>Your ruleset will probably have rules for this. Usually I just make up what seems prudent or throw a d6 - a low score means sour weather.</p><p>Alternatively I also like <a href="http://www.windsofchaos.com/wp-content/uploads/encroachment/empire-weather.pdf" target="_blank">Empire Weather</a>. Its simple, clean, efficient.</p><p>Make weather matter. Sunshine is fine and dandy - snowstorms, hail, flash floods, and lightning have serious consequences. If players insist on traveling through inclement weather give them a higher chance of getting lost, losing equipment, horses, or worse.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbjT_5Qz6OdUof2HbzzgdoKTP4W8tx5vLm1QRx8SocTwqqMsrudAvR_vd6Oms7FooX3FO0ZzAKcHYCq_9y6DHscWD3TjMJ2bVkSBQ__JcYRHeGjQCj7ZH297m3RVQCd6GKWthuTibiT0UE8UDTyw7HRzG8v8QgxDgfHah-X-pU6iTfoza2iR93mji9A/s768/193bf155d784eb855378306cbbdfc8fc2ff3e4fccc2d46480dc38f2003603e54.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbjT_5Qz6OdUof2HbzzgdoKTP4W8tx5vLm1QRx8SocTwqqMsrudAvR_vd6Oms7FooX3FO0ZzAKcHYCq_9y6DHscWD3TjMJ2bVkSBQ__JcYRHeGjQCj7ZH297m3RVQCd6GKWthuTibiT0UE8UDTyw7HRzG8v8QgxDgfHah-X-pU6iTfoza2iR93mji9A/s320/193bf155d784eb855378306cbbdfc8fc2ff3e4fccc2d46480dc38f2003603e54.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>That's all there really is to it. If you have any questions feel free to ask them and I'll update this how-to with more information.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Example hexcrawls</b></p><p><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/89944" target="_blank">Black Marsh</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/141291" target="_blank">Unholy Lands</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://pendicepaper.com/hexroll/" target="_blank">Empire of Vavia</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://save.vs.totalpartykill.ca/grab-bag/" target="_blank">The Grab Bag</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://arsphantasia.wordpress.com/2014/02/20/hexcrawl-resources/" target="_blank">A collection of hexcrawling resources</a></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Dead simple hex terrain generation table</b></p><p>Save yourself some headaches and throw on this table. When you get your terrain throw d6 for the number of hexes of that type and lay them out where they're touching at least one other terrain of the same time. Then, move on to the next empty space and repeat.</p><p>Any hill or mountain that touches tundra, forest, or jungle on two sides becomes a mixed type.</p><p>Any swamp that touches plains or water becomes marshes.</p><p><br /></p><p>1-3 Water </p><p>4-7 Plains</p><p>8-10 Forest </p><p>11-13 Hills</p><p>14-15 Mountains</p><p>16 Jungle</p><p>17 Tundra</p><p>18 Desert</p><p>19-20 Swamp</p><p><br /></p><p>I like to start in the center of the map and spiral outwards. Another option is to jump around, filling in randomly. Sometimes I try to make mountains and hills meander in a diagonal direction like they're following a fault line.</p><p><br /></p><p>Simple hexcrawl procedures summary</p><p>Prep:</p><p>1. Prepare terrain on 10x12 hex paper, each hex marked with its four digit coordinates. Place settlements, castles, and dungeons logically. Place a river and road or two.</p><p>2. Roll 2d10 of different colors on each hex - one color represents monster lairs, the other ruins. Roll for both terrains on mixed terrain hexes.</p><p>3. Key locations with short flavorful descriptions. Create wandering encounter tables. Come up with a few factions giving them each a leader, a goal, a resource, an ally, and an enemy.</p><p>4. Decide where players will start. Come up with context.</p><p>5. Come up with a rumor table. Include some for nearby locations, dungeons, factions, monsters, or adventures.</p><p><br /></p><p>Play:</p><p>1. Describe hex the players are in and nearby hexes - any obvious features. Be brief but let them ask questions.</p><p>2. Players determine which direction they move and what they do. Tell them what the see. Roll for getting lost if applicable, adjusted by difficulty of terrain. Calculate how many hexes they can move in the day based on their encumbrance and terrain difficulty. </p><p>3. Roll one encounter chance on d6 per day, and one per night. If an encounter is indicated roll for surprise, reaction and encounter distance. Have players subtract a ration at the end of each day of travel </p><p>4. Players automatically find special locations in hexes unless they're deliberately hidden or obscured.</p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-48038654737410229882022-11-30T12:51:00.004-08:002022-11-30T12:51:45.766-08:00Gaming with Kids: Danger and Violence<p> Kids are exposed to too much violence in media. I know this is a controversial subject, and I may seem a little old fashioned for putting it forward. So be it.</p><p>Now, I don't think all violence is bad. It's all about context. When you're dealing with kids you always have to ask yourself 'what message am I giving?' Kids are gonna take whatever you're doing at face value and if it clashes with their lived experience it'll be hard to process.</p><p>The stories you give kids tell them what the world is like and how we solve problems. Children are still in the process of developing their symbol system, so all new symbols will become part of that.</p><p>Yes, this is an esoteric subject, and I'm not explaining everything. There's a reason for this.</p><p>As adults we've built our symbol system - we know what the world is like. If we are exposed to something that doesn't fit our expectations, we reject it. This is an evolutionary part of our development.</p><p>As children grow every new experience becomes part of their dictionary of what 'is'. The psyche, or subconscious, takes everything at face value and accepts it. This is why mantras, dream interpretation, tarot, and creative visualization work. Since the psyche has so little to work with in kids it's especially sensitive to new symbols to use.</p><p>So anyway, violence without context creates a system shock. It's important that we instill in kids a sense that the world is safe and good, that morality matters, and that there is abundance. They can learn the hard lessons when they're older, but when they're still vulnerable it's important that their primary symbols are ones they can draw strength from later in life. If they're imprinted with symbols that the world is dangerous and help won't come and violence is random and unavoidable, these negative primary symbols set them up for a hard time at life.</p><p>I strongly feel that exposure to violent media at a young age, before children have built a resilient symbol system strongly contributes to a weakened psychic immune system. It's like building your body on frozen pizzas and fast food. The nutrition isn't there.</p><p>So when are kids old enough to be introduced to d&d? The short answer is not before age 10.</p><p>Up until this point the child's mind is wide open - they're totally dependent on their caretakers. Anything that threatens them physically, emotionally, spiritually, teaches 'this world is not safe". If the world is not safe development is hindered.</p><p>From 7 to 9 children are beginning to develop enough that they can perceive a wider world beyond the scope of their parental matrix. Around the age of 9 kids begin to see themselves as fundamentally separate from their caretakers, with their own power and agency. Yet they're still fragile. Repeated failures and exposure to danger outside their abilities can hinder development. By 10 they've hopefully had enough time to begin to build a suite of skills to prepare them for life outside their parents. This skill set won't be fully developed until much later, but it's a good time to be testing themselves against danger. </p><p>I could go deeper into this subject, but I'll leave it surface level for now. I know this is very different from how most people think about child development, but I think they if you spend some time with these ideas you'll find a kernel of truth.</p><p>What do you do if your kids are younger than 10?</p><p>7 and younger read them folk tales from a variety of different cultures. The D'aulaires Book of Norse Myths is great, the 7 Year Old Wonder Book, Beetle Tamer and Other Stories, the Andrew Lang Fairy Books, and Grimm Fairy Tales. Many of these stories have violence, but within the context of a moral worldview which renders then comprehensible to children. Heroes always win and there is meaning and goodness.</p><p>8 and 9 you can do more realistic hero stories and mythologies. The Old Testament has a bunch of great stories (disclaimer: we're not Christian, we present them as myths like any other), the Norse Ragnarok stories, King Arthur, maybe some tamer Greek myths. At this age it's good for kids to be exposed to stories like Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden, the Hobbit, or Pandora's Box, the idea that there IS suffering and evil in the world, and that we are separate from God, and that there is a darker world outside the doorstep. This is because at this age children are awaiting to their separation from their caretakers.</p><p>9 to 10 kids are ready for subtlety. Robin Hood is a great example - Robin does bad things for good reasons. At this stage kids should be exposed to life skills, such as gardening, woodworking, house building. If you can take them hiking, primitive camping, and introduce them to stories where people defy the odds or commune with nature all the better. I recommend My Side of the Mountain, the Chronicles of Prydain, Septims Heap, and the Giver for this age. In these stories kids are thrust into dire situations without their caretakers, which challenge and strength their abilities to rely on themselves. Along the way the young kids meet older adults who are good role models and sources of advice and strength, but the kids are still forced to prove themselves in the end rather than relying on adults to bail them out. A careful balance to strike.</p><p>From 8 to 10 you can play roleplaying games with kids that aren't about using violence to solve your problems. If they struggle against an enemy the threats should be transformation, capture, losing something dear, getting lost, but never overtly life threatening. When you fail you have a set back, but you don't die.</p><p>At 10 I think it's okay to start introducing life or death situations as long as they aren't too gratuitous. I think Cairn is a great introduction to this kind of gameplay. I don't think kids of any age should be shielded from natural consequences or failure, I just think it's a little much for children younger than this to have their avatar torn limb from limb, get their head cut off, eaten alive, boiled, burned, or gutted. They experience their imaginative characters as part of themselves. 10 is just right because they can now understand the difference between imaginary-for-fun and imaginary-as-practice-for-life.</p><p>This is such a big subject and there's a lot more to cover. Kids 10 and younger will act out in their games with other kids stuff they experience in their media. So fairy tale stories might lead to situations where one child is threatening to eat another in an imaginary game. Play between children is different from play between children and adults. It's important to understand that they view us as providers of symbols. Our imaginary play with them has a wholley different character of instruction that play with other kids does not. It's the difference between exploring the woods with your peers and exploring the woods with your science teacher. As an adult we cannot and should not strive to form the first relationship, and always remember our role is the secondary one.</p><p>Parents teach, children rehearse.</p><p><br /></p><p>Rules to modify death in Cairn.</p><p>When failing critical damage you are knocked unconscious and out of the combat. You come to an hour later. Put a tally mark in the corner of your sheet.</p><p>The second time you take critical damage you are wounded - you can't walk unaided. If you perform any check or roll you collapse afterwards, too weak to move. You are Deprived.</p><p>If you aren't treated in 24 hours you develop a fever only powerful medicines or magic can cure. Three days later, if still untreated, you die.</p><p>If at any time you recieve a third critical damage you die.</p><p>After several weeks of rest and healing, say a couple months in a Haven between adventures, all tallies go away and you're fit to quest again.</p><p>The point of these changes isn't to reduce the danger. A character who fails is still 'out of the game' for a while. Instead, it increases the *threat* of danger while still giving players a chance to overcome and learn from their mistakes. This fits in with a lot of youth fiction</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-89569513891615921012022-11-18T06:49:00.004-08:002022-11-18T06:54:10.261-08:00Eldritch Sorcery<p> Here's some notes I have about elves, magic, and low fantasy campaigns. The part about elves is lifted almost directly from the Japanese Wizardry TTRPG. The campaign thing came from a discussion on the discord.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTcF-Axv-G0qBwzEm8_PBOrR5wdaVKfiGeSh3K_LokfmLuhG3f6SPLjyZtUNLjbbHn_wuY1MnWcnLSVfGGVAtRdsPxUrH-jyGqCzW1T1ehERT0JFdohSK7HerdTEjjCjzVY7Ti6dxf9f6p9N4Ea6J5xxFaWXG9pzZnudmNdhE-7vmuzRjuzL2xmCIOA/s640/9do3jb81gwn51.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdTcF-Axv-G0qBwzEm8_PBOrR5wdaVKfiGeSh3K_LokfmLuhG3f6SPLjyZtUNLjbbHn_wuY1MnWcnLSVfGGVAtRdsPxUrH-jyGqCzW1T1ehERT0JFdohSK7HerdTEjjCjzVY7Ti6dxf9f6p9N4Ea6J5xxFaWXG9pzZnudmNdhE-7vmuzRjuzL2xmCIOA/s320/9do3jb81gwn51.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Reddit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Elves are a truly ancient race with a long history. They prefer solitude and do not readily share their sacred knowledge with outsiders. No elf is known to have died from natural causes.</p><p><br /></p><p>Their race is slender and light-boned, like a bird's. Average height is about 5' 6" for both men and women. Elven skin is greenish-white and their facial expressions stoic, almost humorless, except for an occasional tell-tale reddening of the cheeks.</p><p> Elves live in small, isolated bands of 30 to 100 individuals. Some larger communities contract dwarves to build elegant castles deep in the mountains or near waterfalls, though most prefer to live nomadically, wandering the ancient forests.</p><p> Because elves are, by nature, only concerned with the pursuit of knowledge, they are often dependent on other races for their material existence, hiring gnomes and hobbits to do household chores. This makes the originally incapacitated elves an even weaker race. They feed on the production of magical medicines and scrolls. You can think of most of the magical things you see today as being made by elves.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfYccPqgUevf0wtcsnC-3CV5cTdFtegxeVPuGk0Xq_41G-H6csdY3FtzLQtHV_H27ZQM2iNXl1_Bxt7jYll4ZsDPJEt538msWJMxTaU9CHsqn3LZj5MCGe-IZnGK6s-fMkflhrAhKGW4SrJvKI84po1XD1uiO2bW-ivT03pcyDUtFAEu1LAWngJ_zSw/s640/tpqg6nbpicp51.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="640" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfYccPqgUevf0wtcsnC-3CV5cTdFtegxeVPuGk0Xq_41G-H6csdY3FtzLQtHV_H27ZQM2iNXl1_Bxt7jYll4ZsDPJEt538msWJMxTaU9CHsqn3LZj5MCGe-IZnGK6s-fMkflhrAhKGW4SrJvKI84po1XD1uiO2bW-ivT03pcyDUtFAEu1LAWngJ_zSw/s320/tpqg6nbpicp51.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Reddit</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Would be a cool setting for a low fantasy campaign with no magic</p><p>City is beseiged, plague corpses thrown in and the dead walk again, the city flees to the depths of the tunnels walling up the underground until they find something even worse creeping in from below them. Now they've been huddled in enclaves of the undercity for a generation and the plague corpses are rotted and withered to dust as adventurers go in looking for the riches that the church supposedly hauled with them to the tunnels to escape destruction by the seige.</p><p>So are the descendents like reduced to cannibal cretinism or what</p><p>Magic=science+meritocracy+fascism</p><p>there's an idea - to perform magic on something, you have to sincerely believe that it is lesser than you</p><p>it's easy to telekinesis rocks around, set plants on fire, whatever, and generally people can do magic at animals but doing it to people requires that you believe that you're just better than them, whether through lichdom, connection to the divine, or godawful racial theocracy or godawful racial theory</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreGcqSkgQlXYFXY3ZzD8jrpEBm6NpbQ7K6Di1VVtHeOuA17UhDLa9vNXBXE2vAkGdX6nIN0CQTWMmQbNGNRYJ0EaBp60MYQuDGjgmAYVpjiXJdNLPQuc-TWiMaX--09nppv0autPe2sZ88HrW59ePDgEMARbJ7SoPJ5qRY_Ioe607BibTXfQRCen5Pw/s768/A_psychedelic_portrait_of_asphalt_vajra_safahr_,_vibrant_color_scheme,_highly_detailed,_in.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjreGcqSkgQlXYFXY3ZzD8jrpEBm6NpbQ7K6Di1VVtHeOuA17UhDLa9vNXBXE2vAkGdX6nIN0CQTWMmQbNGNRYJ0EaBp60MYQuDGjgmAYVpjiXJdNLPQuc-TWiMaX--09nppv0autPe2sZ88HrW59ePDgEMARbJ7SoPJ5qRY_Ioe607BibTXfQRCen5Pw/s320/A_psychedelic_portrait_of_asphalt_vajra_safahr_,_vibrant_color_scheme,_highly_detailed,_in.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AI generated fantasy art</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>This thing I think came from doris2, for generating a campaign setting:</p><p>You have traveled centuries into the future to find that there has been a _____ and the area is now controlled by _____ wielding _____</p><p><br /></p><p>1. TERRIBLE PLAGUE</p><p>2. ECOLOGICAL DISASTER</p><p>3. WORKING-CLASS REVOLUTION</p><p>4. INDUSTRIAL UPHEAVAL</p><p>5. GREAT WAR</p><p>6. ALIEN INVASION</p><p>7. RELIGIOUS AWAKENING</p><p>8. INCURSION FROM HELL</p><p><br /></p><p>1. CARNIVOROUS PLANTS</p><p>2. COMPETING CULTS</p><p>3. EXTREME PACIFISTS</p><p>4. DEMOCRATIC DIEHARDS</p><p>5. HUNTER-GATHERERS</p><p>6. ANNOYING THEOCRATS</p><p>7. OLD BLOOD</p><p>8. WIZARDS</p><p><br /></p><p>1. ADVANCED GEMSTONE TECHNOLOGY</p><p>2. ANALOG INFORMATICS</p><p>3. DEMONIC PACTS</p><p>4. ALIEN ARTIFACTS</p><p>5. CRUEL MAGICKS</p><p>6. AGRICULTURAL SUPREMACY</p><p>7. CRUDE FIREARMS</p><p>8. THE DIVINE MANDATE</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJOzvsL0ZdFodLB3MO3Bx8FumSsyLm-4omLvMaNMdpBa9045XsKHF3hxqobBMkqrzEdQfva0_U4lHFWlVT2mZGQoBuH-GTgcgCX9nFup2Ao6banotsl9dl5bgDiWtdJ2td6HucLf4-jc0Cqn3MWIsb0Zs_52kUA4lnjat50PB-dVLYD81pcH-z3nxBQ/s768/8b2c93469cff866c78eca87d7523303a6357b72c2adc230bbd5413489e45382b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJOzvsL0ZdFodLB3MO3Bx8FumSsyLm-4omLvMaNMdpBa9045XsKHF3hxqobBMkqrzEdQfva0_U4lHFWlVT2mZGQoBuH-GTgcgCX9nFup2Ao6banotsl9dl5bgDiWtdJ2td6HucLf4-jc0Cqn3MWIsb0Zs_52kUA4lnjat50PB-dVLYD81pcH-z3nxBQ/s320/8b2c93469cff866c78eca87d7523303a6357b72c2adc230bbd5413489e45382b.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AI generated fantasy art</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Here's a snipped discussion about running hexcrawl campaigns</p><p><br /></p><p>Maple:</p><p>i guess, for the sake of being helpful, a summary of my stocking process</p><p>- step 1: ok yes you have to figure out the terrain first (this is art and the hardest step, but I have had good results from the welsh piper method linked above, though I modify it significantly)</p><p>-step 2: decide # of known settlements based on map size, probably between 4-8 for the maps I tend to do (10x10 to 12x12 is my favorite size). Connect settlements with roads, add forts and inns in logical locations</p><p>- step 3: add some significant monster lairs, small dungeons based on a single big monster threat. probably equal to settlements. </p><p>-step 4: define a handful of world factions. things like mercenary groups, religious groups, old nobility, friendly monster towns, stuff like that, and key them to a hex. Mercenary camps, Monastaries deep in the woods, isolated gothic castles, the monster's towns, would be examples of how I'd do that. Again, might as well match the # of settlements, give or take 1. </p><p>step 5: add some magical waystones, petty god shrines, places of power, this stuff is FUN and I find it usually is pretty easy to come up with fun effects for messing with magic and making deals with Entities</p><p>step 6: Add a bunch of ruins, not necessarily full dungeons, I have a table I use for generating this stuff. Some of the ruins should have loot, treasure caches, magic weapons. Using the word ruins real liberally here- an abandoned farmstead counts, for example. </p><p>at this point I usually end up with a really well stocked map, at which point I start thinking about any other specific coolness I want to add that isn't quite so formulaic. The sky's the limit there but following these 6 steps (5 steps, really) tends to result in a pretty decently stocked map as long as you aren't running a gargantuan hexcrawl</p><p>As for running them- I try to give fairly strong directed quest hooks, the players are free to ignore them but that gives direction. The first few journeys into the hexmap are usually spent with very specific goals in mind, then they see something off in the distance and have to explore it, then they see another thing off in the distance, it's good fun. </p><p>The worst thing you can do is just give the players a map and say "go explore it, have fun!" without any hooks, in my experience. </p><p>I use fairly complex random encounter tables to make travel interesting but that's a whole other rant, lol. I will say a key bit is that they encounter other travelers on the road, who can point them to new locations through rumors.</p><p>I also am very loose with distance traveled measurements, I mostly count movement in hexes traveled rather than miles traveled. trying to squeeze as much utility out of the hex format as possible.</p><p><br /></p><p>Evilscientist42:</p><p>This is a very good point. I've seen newcomers struggle with this, this is seen as a contradiction - "I want to run a sandbox game, I don't want to railroad my players with quests". But at the initial stage, the first couple of sessions, a basic hook is very much needed to introduce them into the setting</p><p>And bypass analysis paralysis</p><p>"escort this rich pilgrim to magic mountain, 6 hexes away" gives a waypoint, an incentive, a quick intro to crawling hexes</p><p>And the way will take them by features they can mark for future exploration</p><p><br /></p><p>Jenx</p><p>It also really REALLY depends on the players.</p><p>I started my game with just two things - a town and a dungeon an hour away from it. The players then spent the first 3 sessions only going there, and not exploring any of the other elements I placed on their map. Once I put in some news and rumors, they basically latched onto them. I've only had one session where players just went out exploring (it was also probably the most fun and rewarding one in terms of play experience).</p><p>Unless you're already playing with people who are deep into old school play and more or less don't need ANY prompts, most other players will basically refuse to just go out and do stuff unless there's some kind of hook there.</p><p>I've noticed that there's a non-insignificant lack of creativity, drive and curiosity with a lot of my players. And a truly sandbox experience kind of requires the players to have those things</p><p>Instead of the GM just telling them where there's interesting stuff, and them beelining for it while ignoring everything else.</p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-63653200746202873932022-11-17T12:17:00.003-08:002022-11-17T12:20:59.700-08:00Tavern games and gambling <p> What's a tavern without a bit of gambling?</p><p>Here's a few quick mini games so you're players can test their luck against brigands, orcs, and mercs. </p><p><br /></p><p>Hangman's Hand</p><p>Each player antes. Chooses to roll 1, 2, or 3 dice.</p><p>Any player that rolls a 6 busts.</p><p>Highest score wins. Doubles and triples multiply.</p><p><br /></p><p>Brigand's Bluff</p><p>Each player rolls 3 dice, hiding their score, and go rounds making wagers or folding. Once last player has folded scores are revealed.</p><p>Dice are added up.</p><p>Low straights (1,2,3) add +5</p><p>High straights (3,4,6) add +10</p><p>Doubles are worth 2x</p><p>Triples are x3 score</p><p>Alternative: Red Sparrow</p><p>As above but three dice are also thrown for all to see. Each round an ante is made and another die thrown in the pool. Once 5 dice are in the pool players reveal their hands and try to make the highest score between their hand and the pool. Winner takes lot. Popular in Red Light district of Domzwolek.</p><p><br /></p><p>Cockroach racing</p><p>DM prepares a number of roaches, each with a score of 1 - 6. Players bet on the roach they want to win. D20s are thrown for each and their bonuses added. Lower ranked roaches earn bigger payouts (x6 - rank)</p><p><br /></p><p>Gladiator fights</p><p>Similar to above, but with fighters. Gladiators ranked 1 - 3 exchange three rounds of combat. Most damage dealt wins. If one gladiator is killed they lose. Roll random weapons/armor.</p><p><br /></p><p>Monster battles</p><p>As above but random groups of monsters are pitted against each other. Selling captured monsters to colosseum could be extra bit of income for players.</p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-27849044496627220982022-11-17T06:38:00.003-08:002022-11-17T13:21:42.337-08:00Languages<p> Languages are often underutilized in OSR, while I believe that they were used extensively in early editions of the game. This is probably due to people not understanding why they are there.</p><p>In the base game you roll for reaction when you meet monsters. Only on a 2 do they immediately attack. Otherwise you have some opportunity of talking to them and potentially reaching some mutual agreement.</p><p>But not all intelligent monsters speak human language. Instead, they all have special languages of their race.</p><p>Hobgoblins speak hobgoblin. Goblins speak goblin. Giants speak giant. Lammasu speak Lammasu.</p><p>Early d&d didn't care about approximating real life. It was a game, for fun. Certain concessions were made.</p><p>So, why does every monster have it's own language? And what's the deal with alignment languages?</p><p>Each monster has a language so players can parlay better with them, while making interactions with monsters they didn't share a language with more difficult and dangerous.</p><p>It leans a little bit into skilled play at character creation. What monsters do you want to parlay with? Do you pick the dangerous ones, the helpful ones, the common ones?</p><p>Alignment languages is a fail-safe. I think if it like native American sign language - a shared tongue capable of identifying friend or foe and discussing basic concepts. Speaking neutral with lizardmen might get you a few basic directions or confusion. Also, you can't lie in alignment, which is why you can only learn one </p><p><br /></p><p>Here's the languages in my campaign</p><p>Trade-common : known by all Domzweleki</p><p>Sacred Imperial : language of the old empire</p><p>Faerie : language of goblins, elves, and dwarves</p><p>Wild Wood : tongue of witches, barbarians, and wild men</p><p>Celestial : angelic beings, lingua franca of Cult of Dawnbringer</p><p>Infernal : daemons</p><p>Black Tongue : a fell language spoken by crows, spiders, and humanoids</p><p>Tinker’s Cant : trade tongue of beggars and thieves</p><p>Alchemist’s Cant : trade tongue of petty sorcerers</p><p>Tongue of beasts : cost 2 languages</p><p>Tongue of birds : cost 2 languages</p><p>Tongue of fish : cost 2 languages</p><p>Tongue of vermin : cost 2 languages</p><p>Wyrmish : spoken by dragons, worms, naga, and serpents. Cost 2 languages.</p><p><br /></p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-59463539154602439902022-11-17T05:25:00.001-08:002022-11-17T05:25:17.104-08:00Named Spellbooks & Traps<p> I'm gonna start cleaning out all my old notes and scribbled ideas by posting them unfinished to the blog. This is my style and it's best I come to terms with it </p><p>---</p><p>Spellbooks should be named. The best ones have personalities and egos like magic swords. There's only a few dozen legitimate spellbooks in existence, all the others are cut up redrafts, splintered manuscripts, hastily jotted pamphlets, xeroxed fakes, and general rip offs.</p><p>Start off Mediums with one of these knock offs, with a number of spells in it equal to the limit allowed in Greyhawk. Let the player pick the first spell then roll for the others.</p><p>All DM-made spellbooks should have names reflecting the spells they contain. Any caster worth their salt will have hexes, curses, and traps laid on their books &/or libraries to protect them from prying eyes and thieves. Stronger casters lay stronger, meaner hexes. Disabling these requires 1. Suffering the consequences 2. Spending money and time on research, or 3. Hiring a Sage to do it but they might just make off with the book themselves.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Orbital Servitor and Other Injunctions</p><p>A Commentary on Transversing Celestyal Sphears</p><p>Treaties Concerning Numinous Omniphorms</p><p>Potent Regulations of Cosmic Conducement</p><p>Paleologghorithmic Triganometries for the Advanced Student</p><p>Grimore Rogus Pandebutic</p><p>Encapsulating Daemonic Servitors</p><p><br /></p><p>1. Erase pupils</p><p>2. Dismal itch</p><p>3. Spreading fur</p><p>4. Engorged tongue</p><p>5. Hair falls out</p><p>6. Putrid stench</p><p>7. Hungry for soil</p><p>8. Bone collector</p><p>9. Fear of water</p><p>10. Extremely boyany</p><p>11. Insomnia</p><p>13. Metallic skin</p><p>14. Fungal growth</p><p>15. Attracts insects</p><p>16. Poor posture</p><p>17. Age 10 years</p><p>18. Combustible flatulence</p><p>19. Enlarged hands</p><p>20. Casts no reflection</p><p>21. Penchant for humming tunelessly</p><p>22. Difficult to awaken</p><p>23. Size increases or decreases each day</p><p>24. 1 in 20 chance any spell backfires</p><p>25. Copper turns to dust at touch</p><p>26. Sheds cobwebs</p><p>27. Glowing eyes</p><p>28. Infectious rash</p><p>29. Liver parasite with its own opinions</p><p>30. Tormenting imp companion</p><p>31. Obnoxious crow familiar occupies retainer slot</p><p>32. Mouth on stomach talks, eats</p><p>33. Smoke from ears</p><p>34. Sensitive hearing</p><p>35. Compulsive lying</p><p>36. Compulsive truth telling</p><p>37. Poor night vision</p><p>38. Bunyons</p><p>39. Bone spurs</p><p>40. Invisible Servitor misinterprets orders</p><p>41. Only speak in black tongue</p><p>42. Spells cast leave run identifying enchanter</p><p>43. Hated by lawful magic swords</p><p>44. Missile magnet</p><p>45. Mildly magnetic</p><p>46. Usually wet</p><p>47. Debilitating tinitus</p><p>48. Nearsightedness</p><p>49. Agoraphobia</p><p>50. Useless spell occupies random spell slot, changes daily</p><p>51. Constantly starving</p><p>52. Can only drink wine</p><p>53. Skin mildly acidic</p><p>54. Leaves slime trail in wake</p><p>55. Haunted by poltergeist</p><p>56. Retainers have poor morale</p><p>57. Tormented by tedium</p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-24926451172786533242022-10-27T08:14:00.006-07:002022-10-27T08:59:00.848-07:00D100 Miscreants, untouchables, and paupers<p> This is part 1a of "Sphere of the Indefatigable Adjudicator" AKA the Ready Ref Rewrite</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOd_odVl5y3VZZ0dieEUSxrQpvlfqpWUpQpRLW_Dpzp3-FrcYAlDdgT4IEaZAnQzAZcbIHfE6Jxb1VIqOFjlSdAR17Le_K7kxA6WHLmg1kI3LjBdDJJrRDXalBLJ8rusZoWHgj3eOht4vdeeDerkyMM0kEK6pjCZt8KfB22GARW4HTPed3b2FCBFurcQ/s739/tumblr_98c1bba066570909338288fc7d465d75_6c53f9c9_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="735" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOd_odVl5y3VZZ0dieEUSxrQpvlfqpWUpQpRLW_Dpzp3-FrcYAlDdgT4IEaZAnQzAZcbIHfE6Jxb1VIqOFjlSdAR17Le_K7kxA6WHLmg1kI3LjBdDJJrRDXalBLJ8rusZoWHgj3eOht4vdeeDerkyMM0kEK6pjCZt8KfB22GARW4HTPed3b2FCBFurcQ/s320/tumblr_98c1bba066570909338288fc7d465d75_6c53f9c9_1280.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Social class 0 - Untouchables</p><p>These are the poorest of the poor, people who's jobs are so filthy, disgusting, and dangerous that their children are tainted and it's considered polluting to look at them.</p><p>The Dawnbringer, that ancient folk hero of legend who will one day return and reignite the sun, was the champion of these people. They are considered sacred to him and many sects of the New Dawn still take vows of voluntary poverty and perform filthy, degrading practices in honor of him and to bring themselves closer to enlightenment.</p><p>Despite this the taboo associated with these livelihoods still lingers and few Sects of the New Dawn still uphold this custom.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzooZns-fymq2zbWYKpTAfDx6tKjBz0YLbQsWI_Ly0d85TkNHBRrINSs5a6BciCbQfidyQlR_hTtm3KNjF0Z5haaUdrHzKabkr4YcJShrrl7E33-q7DqmuG8mgBzQJWREYQMi1vn32BpF5OJpCdhnHE99GGx2RKc8sissu6ibBf5gn1m7M8t2I_PSAA/s1800/PS1_37.955_Fnt_DD_T17-tms.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1049" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQzooZns-fymq2zbWYKpTAfDx6tKjBz0YLbQsWI_Ly0d85TkNHBRrINSs5a6BciCbQfidyQlR_hTtm3KNjF0Z5haaUdrHzKabkr4YcJShrrl7E33-q7DqmuG8mgBzQJWREYQMi1vn32BpF5OJpCdhnHE99GGx2RKc8sissu6ibBf5gn1m7M8t2I_PSAA/s320/PS1_37.955_Fnt_DD_T17-tms.jpg" width="186" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Untouchables, or Miscreants if you prefer, have no social clout, and cannot vote. It's considered polluting to associate with them, but karmically cleansing to give them aid. They often collect together in the poorest parts of the city, though they can be found everywhere, performing jobs without which civilization could not function.</p><p><br /></p><p>Miscreants are lucky to earn a couple copper groats a day. They live in sewers, abandoned buildings, huts constructed along drainage ditches, and keep warm during the brutal winter by huddling around steam outlet pipes and dung compost piles.</p><p>Some miscreants, like cremators, are able to earn a considerable wage by charging obscene fees because no one else is willing to perform their task.</p><p><br /></p><p>3d6 Encounter chance in Poor district</p><p>3 Special</p><p>4 - 10 Untouchable</p><p>11 - 14 Laborer</p><p>15 - 16 Optimate</p><p>17 Armiger</p><p>18 Exultant</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23qnpSiz7xbp5kk75Ygb--fZsPLkDD2LGlBrObij0cwpnI2IRS8KcM266A_NioDzv1oPFFxLehd_OpAgguRRHbxGf58J5JMMsOmxT_7zxYg0Xb2eUqLg4KaXGNHchtxJSezTJCsqKSJSDePQI57EmYJjrY4Q72KCXv73xK6sWau5sCON8Rzkz8f6kEQ/s286/Beggar.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="286" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23qnpSiz7xbp5kk75Ygb--fZsPLkDD2LGlBrObij0cwpnI2IRS8KcM266A_NioDzv1oPFFxLehd_OpAgguRRHbxGf58J5JMMsOmxT_7zxYg0Xb2eUqLg4KaXGNHchtxJSezTJCsqKSJSDePQI57EmYJjrY4Q72KCXv73xK6sWau5sCON8Rzkz8f6kEQ/s1600/Beggar.gif" width="286" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Not all trades listed here fall strictly into the category of "Untouchable". Some are merely low-wage low-prestige jobs which one would find among the destitute. Adapt as you wish.</p><p><br /></p><p>D100 Miscreant professions</p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-80a5e11f-7fff-8df1-40c0-041981ec9b9f" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Miscreants</span></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Beggar</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Slanderer</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Harlot</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gongfarmers</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Coalburner</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Petty thief</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thug</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bandit</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mendicant</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Petty-sorcerer</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dancer</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Busker</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bull fighter</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Novelist</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Drunkard</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Boxer</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vagrant worker</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oogle</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Corpse collector</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Butcher</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brigand</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Headsman</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Slave</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Serf</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Drug peddlar</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alchemist</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mutant</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Exogen</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Elf</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dwarf</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mystic</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Merchant</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cyborg</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Humanoid</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Skin-synth</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wanderer</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Street cleaner</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Torch lighter</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chimney sweep</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rag peddlar</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tinker</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Criminal</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Serial killer</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gravedigger</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Plutonium miner</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Assassin</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Barbarian</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Witch</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rat-catcher</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Gladiator</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ditch digger</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Compost turner</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bilge pumper</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Scrubber</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Scrounger</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Debt collector</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tanner</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Smuggler</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dishonored rake</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fallen knight</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leper</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Skeletal servant</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Debtor</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Escaped felon</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Deserter</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Barnacle scraper</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ammonia pot stirrer</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pig keeper</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goat herd</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chicken rancher</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cow dung collector</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Message runner</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cremator</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clerk</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wood cutter</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Worm breeder</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Poisoner</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Poison tester</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Potion taster</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tallow melter</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Leech collector</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sin-eater</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fuller</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Plague victim</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bone grubber</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Matchmaker</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mud lark</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tread miller</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Herring sorter</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Boot black</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nit picker</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sailor</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Organ grinder</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rope maker</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Violin string maker</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lime burner</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Flaggelant</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Torturer</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sausage smith</span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anus bleacher</span></p></li></ol><p><br /></p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-63135675725099092672022-10-25T16:33:00.005-07:002022-10-25T16:50:19.199-07:00Social class and crime & punishment<p> Part One of "Sphere of the Indefatigable Adjudicator" AKA the Ready Ref Rewrite</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HYBEPVN_Zbz6nPFP6RpprdQJ4-0RubLba6Er8noIeugG9vH6tkJqQRr5_28hKvCaPNc1N82Q-l76OyWA3V-z5OyjCkNb77T6-PjncrZDqC5VzxBjbxHE_F_BVRERECCaCBY-fR9ZVn-j47-6d9YCLI87G8n9iGGtp2J-x5u2rQpYQTt7D5lA5rLbiA/s800/800px-Seventy-two_Specimens_of_Castes_in_India_(8).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="800" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HYBEPVN_Zbz6nPFP6RpprdQJ4-0RubLba6Er8noIeugG9vH6tkJqQRr5_28hKvCaPNc1N82Q-l76OyWA3V-z5OyjCkNb77T6-PjncrZDqC5VzxBjbxHE_F_BVRERECCaCBY-fR9ZVn-j47-6d9YCLI87G8n9iGGtp2J-x5u2rQpYQTt7D5lA5rLbiA/s320/800px-Seventy-two_Specimens_of_Castes_in_India_(8).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Social classes </b></p><p>Roll 3d6 to determine social class</p><p>3 to 7 Untouchable - Criminals, bandits, serfs, slaves, subhumans/humanoids/mutants, exogens. Aren't considered citizens and possess few social rights. Certain professions also fall into this category: beggars, gongfarmers, gladiators, corpse collectors, tanners, butchers, coal burners, people who work with radioactive chemicals. Class 0.</p><p>8 to 12 Common folk - Common rabble, plebians, and laborers. Peasants, potters, fishers. Expected to carry a dirk as sign of their freeman status.</p><p>Recieves 1 vote in elections. Expected wage: 50-100 septims/year. Class 1.</p><p>13 - 15 Optimate - The economic middle class. Those who possess specialized skills considered to be prestigious. Merchants, philosophers, scribes, musicians, lawyers, doctors, master-class guildsmen, low-level magicians; skilled trades, the highly educated. </p><p>Recieves 5 votes in public elections. Expected wage: 500 septims/year. Class 2.</p><p>16, 17 Armiger - The warrior class. Highest attainable outside of birth or magic. Cavalry, generals, knights. Must abide by strict code of chivalry, honor, and ethics. </p><p>Recieves 15 votes in public elections. Expected wage: 2,000 septims/year. Class 3.</p><p>18 Exultant - those of noble birth, patricians, senators, archons, priests. Also includes sorcerers of exceptional skill. </p><p>Recieves 25 votes in public elections. Expected wage: 10,000+ septims/year. Class 4.</p><p><br /></p><p>Special classes</p><p>Elves and dwarves are treated on a different social class scale due to exclusion from normal human society.</p><p>Dwarves are generally treated as honorary Optimates because of their association with merchantry and skilled trades. If a dwarf performs a trade of low prestige (barkeep, porter, underling) they'll be associated as a plebian, but with a mixture of pity and disgust. Dwarves are not allowed to vote or hold office and tend to keep to themselves. In human cities they tend to live together in ghettos organized by trade and clan affiliation. These areas are generally near guild districts, docks, or poor towns.</p><p>Elves on the other hand are treated as a mix of untouchable and exultant; fear, reference, transcendence and disgust. Elves are considered exogens: those born off-world, and thus are strictly outsiders. However, due to their association with magic, mystery, and advanced technology are frequently given deference.</p><p>A party that travels with an elf with stick out like a sore thumb. Everywhere they go people will gawk and point. At best the elf will receive treatment on level with a noble guest or high priest, at worst open mouthed gibbering and white knuckle horror, disdain, and mistreatment</p><p>Elves have difficulty passing as human. They do not look human: they are either very tall or quite short, extremely thin, with exotic, almost inhuman features. Huge almond shaped eyes, knife-like noses, wide mouths which are formed by a overly wide and abrupt slash across their face. Elves tend to interact with human objects with confusion and curiosity, and are almost completely oblivious to human social customs, with short attention spans and childlike wonderment.</p><p>If an elf has lived with humans for a very long time they may have adopted physical features and customs more readily acceptable to humans, but this masquerade can quickly vanish if the elf's attention breaks.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutwweKfagBE1mqgVpzUs6-QG0hnFKrDFREIWyIqOdSNMWnLuxx5dIl29r7RBf4ZifnqwHefVW5kJaGeCNs9R3Hn1k52u6Tas9YXZ6WzKC_XvZQirBW4IjYw4mfRxYNvb4GYkz4dktHPAIy6q-_ifHVEGFyVdnIrcVYSl_R-JuI9jZz6QiTj9InxC_wg/s500/medieval-executioner_medieval-jobs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="461" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutwweKfagBE1mqgVpzUs6-QG0hnFKrDFREIWyIqOdSNMWnLuxx5dIl29r7RBf4ZifnqwHefVW5kJaGeCNs9R3Hn1k52u6Tas9YXZ6WzKC_XvZQirBW4IjYw4mfRxYNvb4GYkz4dktHPAIy6q-_ifHVEGFyVdnIrcVYSl_R-JuI9jZz6QiTj9InxC_wg/s320/medieval-executioner_medieval-jobs.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b>Crime and punishment</b></p><p>Chance of conviction = 75% + ((social class of plaintiff - social class of defendant) x5%)</p><p>Crime against protected class of people = +10%</p><p>Crime against persecuted class of people = -10%</p><p>Crime was especially heinous or subject taboo: +35 %</p><p>Self-defense = -30%</p><p>Plaintiff is governing body = +25%</p><p>Evidence:</p><p>Controversial +/- 5% per</p><p>Substantial +/- 10% per</p><p>Witnesses:</p><p>+ / - Social class of witness x10% each</p><p>Bribing judge:</p><p>5% per 100 septims, +5% per social class</p><p><br /></p><p>Punishments</p><p>Mild crimes</p><p>1 - 6. Fine, 1d10 x10 gold pieces.</p><p>7. Amputation of: 1. Hand 2. Eye 3. Tongue 4. Nose 5. Ear 6. Foot</p><p>8. Breaking of 1. Arm 2. Leg 3. Skull 4. Both arms 5. Both legs 6. Teeth</p><p>9. 1d4 x10 lashes</p><p>10. Imprisonment, 2d10 months</p><p>11. Imprisonment, 1d6 years</p><p>12. Pillory or stocks, 2d6 hours x number of past offences</p><p><br /></p><p>Felonies</p><p>1. Drop from 1d6 x10 feet</p><p>2. Clasped between two panes of thick glass and dipped in honey, left 2 weeks</p><p>3. Iron shoes, year and a day</p><p>4. Chained in water d12 weeks, up to 1. Knees 2. Waist 3. Chest 4. Neck 5. Overhead, permitted breathing apparatus 6. Ibid, no breathing apparatus</p><p>5. Plucking a stone from boiling water.</p><p>6. Gibetting, d12 months</p><p>7. Tied into a sack with a live baboon and thrown into river</p><p>8. Placed into copper plated solarium and hoisted into sky, d6+1 days</p><p>Severe crimes</p><p><br /></p><p>1. Sealed in a cyst in the earth for 1,000 years.</p><p>2. Fed to lions</p><p>3. Returned to infancy and raised by 1. Wolves 2. A brutal family 3. A dwarf 4. Slavers 5. A vindictive wizard 6. Elves</p><p>4. Raised from the dead to be slaughtered again in a brutal way every day for a year and a day</p><p>5. Soul sealed to be used in artifact enchantment or undead servant or sold to a daemon</p><p>6. Inserted into the anus of a blue whale</p><p>7. Entombed alive</p><p>8. Placed inside a tree and kept alive (barely) so that the tree grows around you.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-128916747475210802022-10-20T13:41:00.007-07:002022-10-20T15:09:32.132-07:00Refuse collection<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Located in a burned out facility beneath rubbish dump on outskirts of Domzwolek. Entrance is a slippery chute to 5.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7-x3F_65S94PH3Oq4wtzBNVYT3Jon2MeXbwTeKubNqI843tK8iLJO22N14dYKN_QaSbaef0riHajyQZyMKFmF-uDxFLfNPxLGyF1fgCSW5pI5Wi1Vt6xZCOzv1JZM2hzGpkPPt4HUxwGt4YEudYsKyEvPA-2ckulSrN3EIEUq-zVOPA4kMBDSolFew/s523/map%20(2).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="415" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7-x3F_65S94PH3Oq4wtzBNVYT3Jon2MeXbwTeKubNqI843tK8iLJO22N14dYKN_QaSbaef0riHajyQZyMKFmF-uDxFLfNPxLGyF1fgCSW5pI5Wi1Vt6xZCOzv1JZM2hzGpkPPt4HUxwGt4YEudYsKyEvPA-2ckulSrN3EIEUq-zVOPA4kMBDSolFew/s320/map%20(2).png" width="254" /></a></div><br /><b>1. Nest</b><p></p><p>Angry wasp nest built inside massive, fragile vase (200gp) perched precariously on top of a wooden ladder. Wasps hate intruders and their stings leave horrible oozing blisters.</p><p>Room also contains most of the parts of a totally dismembered flyer. Familiarity or intelligence of 14+ required to recognize what it is at sight. It could be reassembled, but it would take several months effort from a knowledgeable specialist with a fully equipped workshop.</p><p><b>2. Skull-o-tron</b></p><p>Skull-o-tron, huge belching stinking machine crowds room. Chute at top, expulsion hole at bottom. Anything put in the top causes a skull of equal mass to be ejected out the bottom. If something is put in the bottom it begins smoking and catches fire.</p><p><b>3. Slovenly Gorsup</b></p><p>Huge orangutan "Gorsup the Gulper" (as ogre) lavishes among rotting mattresses, old books, tapestries. Waited on by exhausted android servant. Gorsup loves good food and is willing to trade for exotic dishes. He's also hugely strong, impatient, and has bouts of low self-esteem in which he projects his own short-comings into others.</p><p>In his pile of junk is 4 ornamental parade halberds (100gp each), a pearl necklace (800gp), a set of gold dentures (200gp), 3 elvish tapestries (800gp each), and a wig of woven gold filament, each hair carved with microscopic letters detailing the 40 Elder Sagas of the Dawnbringer (4000gp) (currently attached to a broom handle for use as a mop). Most of it is covered in rotting meat and feces.</p><p>S Door, locked. Gorsup has key. Not giving it up. It's made of plutonium and slowly killing him.</p><p><b>4. Pork chamber</b></p><p>40 gallon sized clay pots sealed with rancid fat. Contain pork in juices, also rancid. Nine rats nest here in a shredded mattress. They've amassed 40 sp. A rat has chewed it's way into a pot and drowned.</p><p><b>5. Sludge Recumbent</b></p><p>Four inches of water, foetid piles of mud, Android parts, sewing machines, aluminum tubes, massive heavy springs, rotting fabric in iridescent hues. Moving through junk at half speed.</p><p>Western entrance via slippery chute from scrap yard.</p><p>NW Door - lock, malfunctioning maglock. Super powerful magnet or acetylene torch required.</p><p>NE Door - made from pieces of a particleboard desk.</p><p>SE Door - trapped, blinking makeshift proxmine. 4:6 chance it explodes, otherwise shoots sparks and scuttles to a random room.</p><p><b>6. Static projector</b></p><p>Static Projection (as wraith) emits from malfunctioning video screen. Can't leave room. Shrieks in garbled noise which prevents communication.</p><p>N Door - trapped, door attempts to cut third person through in half.</p><p><b>7. Ocular Connection</b></p><p>4 orangutans (as goblins) armed with bone clubs and sharpened bits of metal sit in a loose circle jabbering and trading eyes they've collected in jars. They're very interested in obtaining elf eyes. Each orangutan has a purse of 50gp. One has a jade antler in a shoulder pouch of deerhide - each point on the antler has a single dose of venom which causes immediate paralysis (save to avoid) for d20+4 hours.</p><p>North part of room has clay forge, numerous pots of paint and iron beads.</p><p>NE Door - trap, obnoxious klaxon summons first aid bot unfamiliar with human anatomy.</p><p><b>8. Furnace</b></p><p>Vat of hot coals hangs from ceiling. Lever opens, dumps all over floor.</p><p>N door, trapped, glowing red hot.</p><p>S Door, locked, enter access code INCORRECT! SUMMONING FIRST AID BOT (no bot comes)</p><p><b>9. Runic Circle</b></p><p>A complex magical circle has been drawn on the floor in slightly incandescent chalk. It has no magical properties. A Magic-User with an intelligence score of at least 13 will recognize after a bit of investigation that it's a star chart depicting the location of a previously unknown planet orbiting a black hole 24,000 light years away.</p><p>Along the walls is a number of dilapidated particle board bookshelves containing 44 moldering texts on extinct forms of fungi (all told maybe worth 100gp to a collector)</p><p>NW DOOR locked, cemented shut.</p><p><b>10. Trap</b></p><p>Broken statue haunted by poltergeist with an obtuse sense of humor. Placated by opera, harp music, vases, and slapstick. Otherwise will follow party causing shenanigans for d6 turns before getting bored.</p><p>NW Door - trapped. Poltergeist pulls trespasser's shirt over their head and kicks them in the rear as they cross the threshold, cackling.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Wandering monsters</b></p><p>1. 2d8 flame fairies (1/2hd) gleefully starting and or putting out fires</p><p>2. 12 orangutans in I'll fitting armor parade around with halberds, very serious</p><p>3. Giant glowing gecko. Just wants to be left alone. Climbs on ceiling. Obnoxiously knocks things people over</p><p>4. Broken first aid bot shrieking for help in static</p><p>5. Pet iguana, scared, desires lettuce</p><p>6. 8 orangutans robbers</p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-74313457502616490292022-10-20T08:12:00.004-07:002022-10-20T16:45:42.176-07:00How to do a dungeon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HU36s382LtH3F3QLA53KjytMKddyOolvOiq6UzIySWU8jha86oeAXkWmArPbMa3GF4CQjZE39fjLUXpYiOh3JkkM_RHj367ZOTC31BQj7gRO-uhaTL54NVJ0gyggp47eWun_ptnNmbsRbi7y3vtAtiWEBJ8twmCuMrCml2TJdiQTeqPm5UnqMqL8Zg/s640/fantasian7.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HU36s382LtH3F3QLA53KjytMKddyOolvOiq6UzIySWU8jha86oeAXkWmArPbMa3GF4CQjZE39fjLUXpYiOh3JkkM_RHj367ZOTC31BQj7gRO-uhaTL54NVJ0gyggp47eWun_ptnNmbsRbi7y3vtAtiWEBJ8twmCuMrCml2TJdiQTeqPm5UnqMqL8Zg/s320/fantasian7.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>UndeadWaffle on the OSR discord has been writing prolifically about his campaign lately. Not to be outdone I'm gonna riff on his stuff. <div><br /></div><div>Recently he did a <a href="https://undeadwaffle.com/2022/10/18/zero-to-complete-dungeon-generation-waffle-style/" target="_blank">write-up</a> on his method of making dungeons. He uses the BX stocking method and comes up with ideas and monsters before he writes his dungeon.</div><div><br /></div><div>I do the opposite. I generally start with layout first and work backwards to an idea, letting the development happen iteratively and organically from the layout.</div><div><br /></div><div>This works for me because I rely heavily on procedurally generated content. The world starts out as random chaos and meaning begins to take shape as the pieces are developed.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't like long prep. I can easily spend all day tinkering if I let myself, which leads to burn out and damaged relationships. D&D is addictive.</div><div><br /></div><div>The process</div><div>First I pick where I want a dungeon to go. This is probably a randomly chosen hex. I roll 2d10 for the number of rooms to start with. On graph paper I begin drawing rooms, sometimes throwing a d6 to help decide room size, orientation, and shape. I have a very intuitive mind and even randomly selected numbers can spontaneously generate rooms, shapes, traps, etc in my head. If I start having ideas I write them down, either as snippets or a table to roll on.</div><div><br /></div><div>For my layouts I like to have a large main room with d4+2 branching paths, usually bisected by or connected to a main 'highway' which can quickly get occupants to a distant end of the dungeon. Highways are important because they form the backbone of transit around the floor - monsters use it, players use it, it's generally both dangerous and more likely to have divers travelers willing to barter, trade, or ply secrets, as well as rob, accuse, and solicit.</div><div><br /></div><div>Each dungeon floor has 2 or 3 'areas' connected by choke points. Each area has 6-12 rooms, ordered chaotically, then connected with twisting passages, loops, and detours. I draw straight to final draft, letting ideas bubble up and vanish into the ether, forgotten. This i consider the 'pre-history' of the dungeon. Most dungeons are older beyond time out of mind, having been repurposed dozens of times over the centuries. I consider dungeons to be quasi-alive and malevolent. The original builders likely had minds unlike humans and altogether sinister, so I have no qualms about letting the layout make no sense. Dungeons are the bowels of the earth - treasure troves of dead gods, prisons for inhuman fiends, and bacterial cultures for transdimensional entities.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once the layout is done I throw dice for each room to determine contents, adjusting at whim as I go.</div><div><br /></div><div>1-2. Empty</div><div>3. Trap</div><div>4-5. Monster</div><div>6. Special</div><div><br /></div><div>Empties have a 1:6 chance to have treasure. Traps have a 2:6. Monsters have 3:6. Specials are usually horrible. Generally there is something of low value, or medium value though cumbersome and awkward to transport, in every room. A few coins, a huge sheet of beaten copper, a forty pound demon skull, a crystal sarcophagus, ebony furniture. Etc.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lots of empty rooms are important because death is almost a given. The idea here is to get in and get out. I've written before about my combats and I'll write about them again soon. I don't pull punches and my monsters are smart. The players have to be smarter. I refuse to except less.</div><div><br /></div><div>By this point I've probably had enough ideas to give me a sense of at least some of the monster inhabitants. If there's clusters of occupied rooms I'll make these factions and use the factions to determine meaning.</div><div><br /></div><div>Say I have 4 occupied rooms close together and the dungeon is located in a swamp (my favorite terrain type). These could be kobolds, Scorpio men, or zombies. Or maybe zombie kobolds and necromancer Scorpio men. I dress up the rooms around them with rooms for feeding, breeding, torturing, praying, communing, hiding, workshops, temples, and store rooms. Often rooms serve multiple purposes since real estate is limited. The faction probably has a leader, so I give them a private room, maybe near the temple or work rooms, provide them with secrets exits, protective traps, funds, furnishings, want artifacts. Often the faction will have a hierarchy, with a second in command, a priesthood, and a work force.</div><div><br /></div><div>Factions always have friends, enemies, goals, prejudices, and obsessions. They're basically conglomerate NPCs. Sometimes the idea comes fully formed, sometimes I roll on tables. I make a few short notes.</div><div><br /></div><div>After deciding the monster inhabitants I make the wandering monster table, either a d6 or d8. I like to have 1/2rd be weak or mindless monsters, and the remaining split between intelligent or powerful monsters. Some are taken from factions and placed monsters, some can only be found as wandering monsters.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some OSR writers dislike long wandering monster lists, claiming it's better to a have a few interesting encounters than a long list of boring ones. My problem is rather that I have too many good ideas and I have to pare them down so they don't go to waste. I also like to make a note next to each entry to give them something to do, which I may not use when the time comes. An example of this:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. D4 intelligent dingos, frantically looking for their pet dead cat.</div><div>2. Pet dead cat. Writhing full of maggots.</div><div>3. 2d6 goblins, holding court. Goblin lawyers well dressed, defendant is a severed elephant head with tusks worth 800gp each.</div><div>4. 2 goblin merchants, giant porcupine pack animal. Sell cooking equipment, linens, knife sharpening (will try to steal magic daggers they're given to sharpen)</div><div>5. Petulant ogre, two empty tuns, nursing wretched hangover.</div><div>6. D8 gnomes, probably convinced players stole something from them.</div><div>7. Purple worm!</div><div>8. Manticore and pet succubus, ended up here by mistake.</div><div>9. 2d12 zombies, organizing potion cupboard.</div><div>10. Vampire, stuck in mist form.</div><div><br /></div><div>I could keep going all day. I'll use the note I wrote if it seems interesting in the moment or just throw for reaction.</div><div><br /></div><div>After monsters are done it's time for traps. There's two types of traps: recent and occult. Recent traps were made and maintained by denizens. These include most genial booby traps.</div><div><br /></div><div>Occult traps are maintained by nobody. They operate according to inscrutable laws of anti-physics, and exist for no reason other than their own sadistic glee. They may have been spawned as artistic expressions by the dungeon itself, by the original builders, or at some point in forgotten history it doesn't matter. These include glowing tiles that teleport you 3 feet down, urns that incinerate anything placed within, and cracked windows that hold back a flood of black water.</div><div><br /></div><div>Specials are when things get really weird. Usually they're not as dangerous as traps, but potentially dangerous. A painting that inserts itself into your memories, a statue that insists you have a tea party with it, a room where it's constantly raining, or a tree that answers questions about botany, or a machine that turns meat into metal, or a metal vat containing liquidized ghosts It's stuff to tinker with or find a way to leverage to your benefit. Or avoid.</div><div><br /></div><div>I usually do empty rooms last because they're the most difficult. By definition empty rooms aren't barren - they just don't contain monsters, traps, or specials. I find it difficult to write descriptions of rooms that don't do anything, so I usually just cram them with nonsense furniture, broken machines, moldering books, broken masonry, tools, furniture, alters, etc. I should probably write some tables to automate this. If a dungeon dies on the operating table it's probably because I can't think of stuff that's boring but still interesting.</div><div><br /></div><div>There. That's my method. Somewhere along the line everything starts falling into place. Reasons, meanings, hooks, rumors, but it doesn't need to. A dungeon doesn't exist for players to loot it, or to serve some outside purpose. Dungeons exist to keep things away from the world, to imprison things better forgotten, and to hide, sulk, ooze, and mangle. I don't care if players can't clear it, and I don't care if they nuke it from the atmosphere, and I don't care if the local lizardmen come and fill it up with black puddings after the players leave.</div><div><br /></div><div>My motto is: the world isn't here to entertain you. If you come to my game you should know that you're here to entertain yourself with this weird little puzzle box I make in my free time.</div><div><br /></div><div>I find the best art is made by the artist, for the artist, not her expected audience. My favorite musicians are shut ins with no dreams of fame. My favorite writers shriek with glee at their own stupidity. The game, to me, is figuring out what to do with this stuff and chasing obsessions and tangents into places you can't go if you planned it that way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy corpses.</div><div><br /></div>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-41765472026364804142022-07-28T09:09:00.007-07:002022-07-28T09:25:35.279-07:00Play by Post Tips<p> </p><p><br /></p><p>Ok so here's my tips for smoothly running a pbp I'll probably add more when I think of stuff</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>-discord is for posting, obviously. Nothing else *just works*</p><p><br /></p><p>-have separate channels for in character and out character and dice rolls. Have a secret channel for DM stuff, notes to yourself, secret rolls.</p><p><br /></p><p>-campaignwiki for storing info, character sheets, notes. There's always a chance you can lose stuff on discord and campaignwiki doesn't require a login and you can revert charges if something gets baleeted. Campaignwiki works on a toaster oven and has zero learning curve. Just type and save. Fuck Google drive, editable PDFs and excel all to hell holy shit </p><p><br /></p><p>-DM should award treasure to specific PCs and update inventory themselves. Most players forget and everyone's gonna have their own way of doing it that'll drive you crazy</p><p><br /></p><p>-I wouldn't run anything more complicated than swords & wizardry. No BX. The more you have to reference every character sheet before something happens the slower things get. Especially if the players have to reference their own sheets or god forbid each other's.</p><p><br /></p><p>-have a very simple character sheet template a child could fill out</p><p><br /></p><p>-simplify inventory. Use slot based, or armor based encumbrance, or just let players carry whatever reasonable amount of gear plus say 2000 coins in weight. Or just do away with encumbrance and adjudicate that shit.</p><p><br /></p><p>-DM should pick a routine time to do updates and stick to it. A lot of pbp snowball into constant posting, this sucks up an enormous amount of the DMs energy because they always have to 'be on'. I like three to five times a week.</p><p><br /></p><p>-have a caller. @ them or let them choose what the party does if everybody is dithering/afk</p><p><br /></p><p>-have players declare routines they do eg when opening doors, checking for traps, and marching formation. Automate everything that happens a lot and have players give you default orders as a fall back like "if we get into a fight I'm gonna move to the back and shoot arrows" or "when we open a room we're gonna let dogs in first"</p><p><br /></p><p>-don't make players map. Show them the hex crawl, give them a cropped picture of the dungeon room. Sometimes there's one player that really wants to map. It's okay to let them but be ready for them to get bored or go afk for two weeks</p><p><br /></p><p>-use a kind of zoomed out perspective on Npc interaction. Nothing slows a game down faster than a week long conversation with some obtuse weirdo you dreamed up. If the players are hyperfocusing on something stupid or irrelevant just tell them the thing and move on "the alchemist likes you and will give you the potion for 200gp. Deal or no deal?"</p><p><br /></p><p>-be obvious about traps, assume PCs are doing the right thing unless they're specifically saying they're not doing that. No pixel bitching.</p><p><br /></p><p>-do all rolls that could cause harm to a PC in the open, but hide everything else. Don't make the PCs roll for anything other than attacks and saves.</p><p><br /></p><p>-don't bother with VTTs. Don't make players use software outside what they need to post. It's not going to work for half the people. If you need to do a picture to clarify something either just handwaved it or sketch a pic in ms paint or on printer paper with a sharpie and snap a photo</p><p><br /></p><p>-offer PCs three or four obvious options, but no more. Theyll get confused and start arguing for days or go silent because everybody's afraid to act, or just pick the first thing the lead player says anyway</p><p><br /></p><p>-don't pick sides. Talk to the players who don't post often or go silent for long periods. Keep the conversation going. Don't be afraid to boot players who don't post or cause problems. Don't get upset when players don't like the game, don't like how you're doing things, or suddenly quit. Take their feedback with a grain of salt, consider it, and go with your gut. </p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-61411538840919618612022-05-15T09:49:00.004-07:002022-05-15T09:49:54.105-07:00Foragers at worlds end<p> Everybody has their own method for handling foraging and hunting. I prefer to find the middleground between realism and simplicity. It's easy to confuse complexity for realism. Our living world is a highly complex fractal of perspectives, so the more intricate you make your gaming system the closer to realism you get, right?</p><p> This way of thinking makes two mistakes. First, it assumes realism is necessarily better. This is a flavor thing and I don't think I need to make comment on it. More importantly it argues from a mistaken position; that approximating reality requires many moving parts.</p><p>This is a bigger subject than I can fit in my brain currently. My own personal philosophy is that reality functions as a system of just-in-time rulings, much like a game of d&d. A wizard behind a curtain does it until you look, and then he quickly evaporates leaving only the panelboard for us to see. Rather than recreating the panelboard we only need to recreate the effect. If we have a reasonable facsimile that everyone at the table can agree is smooth, doesn't interrupt the flow of the game, and limits explanation and confusion, and reproduces the feeling and effect we want for this particular game, then we succeed. Let's move on.</p><p><b>What the Wilds are<br /></b></p><p>The land outside human settlements is wild, untamed, and dangerous. It is inimical to intrusions from civilization and will resist in the most Yin way possible; be evading your assault. Chaos maps to the Yin principal; that which is dissolving, in shadow, inscrutable, evasive, destructive, consuming, passive. Law maps to the Yang principal - active, hierarchical, possessive, enforcing, knowable, penetrating, reductive. Yang reduces Yin to simple systems; it's what our science attempts to do by breaking the complexity of reality down into categories and then assuming those categories can be understood separately from each other. Yin is holistic; from the one comes the ten-thousand young, all interconnected by the source - it is unknowable. The land outside human settlements is, at its core, unknowable. The act of clearing a hex and setting up a stronghold is an act of 'taming' the Yin into Yang; it becomes map-able. But the Yin always tries to subvert your dominance in the form of monsters.</p><p><b> Finding Food</b></p><p>Nature is abundant and all giving, but it does not tolerate attempts to understand it. If you look for food you will find it, but there are risks.</p><p><b>Searching for Food</b></p><p>Takes a 4 hour watch or all day, depending on how you manage time. Everybody makes a Save. Those who fail find d4 rations worth of food, those who succeed find d6. Those who fumble incur a mishap; they accidentally ingest a poisonous plant, they're wounding while hunting, they get lost, gored by an elk, fall into a ravine, disturb a nest of hornets, etc. There's probably a d100 table writing itself right now. Those who get a critical success on a 20 find the maximum amount of food and can choose another teammate who is also rolling and increase their failure to a success.<br /></p><p>Druids, Rangers, halflings, and frontiersman-types automatically find d4 food, d6 on a failure, and d6+6 on a success. They still suffer mishaps if they fumble because nobody is perfect.</p><p>Obviously, different locales will have different types of food and different difficulties in finding it. In a desert I would limit checks to only those who are familiar with the desert, as well as Druids and Rangers (not halflings). They can only ever find d4 rations.</p><p>While they're searching you should also roll an encounter for each group. Woe be to the ones who are attacked alone and lost. Hope you have a winding horn.</p><p><b>What Kind of Food is Found?</b></p><p>I would make d20 tables for every biome, if you care that much. If you're running a world that's vaguely European the list of familiar edible plants should be easy. There's about two dozen that are extremely common and easily identifiable. On high rolls I would say they caught rabbits, woodchucks, red deer, hedgehogs, raccoons, boar, or whatever else, as long as they're sufficiently equipped.</p><p><b>Working Together</b></p><p>Players that go into detail coming up with a good plan are more likely to succeed. If they spend time looking for tracks, finding deer trails, laying snares, or inquiring to locals about what plants are edible, I would more likely just give them the check rather than require a save. I might still check save to see if they fail utterly and get a mishap. The point is that if they're playing smart no check is needed, except to avert disaster.</p><p><b>But What about Starving?<br /></b>The PCs are considered capable and competent. Any redneck with a gun can catch a deer. But if you over-hunt an area and abuse the Yin principle it fights back. Secretly roll some d6s. This is the maximum number of rations that can be extracted. If they push this boundary they get an automatic encounter as the Yin seeks to restore balance in Chaos. Druids will have a nightmare or omen foretelling the will of the Yin before it happens and will be aware through diegetic responses from the environment when the land is being abused. ("You look to the clouds, they look foreboding. You find a dead crow. The berries look like blood.")<br /></p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-4096504047959586862022-04-08T10:51:00.004-07:002022-04-08T11:02:28.278-07:00Thanatology in the Last Lands - part one<p> Undead</p><p><br /></p><p>Sleep thought from the other day: vampire native form is black mist. They possess bodies which decay at normal rate. Must suck blood to keep body fresh. More blood = younger and stronger</p><p><br /></p><p>Some games have vampires possess living human bodies.</p><p><br /></p><p>I like corpses because they have a shelf life, dissolve into goo, and have an excuse to force vamp to drink blood</p><p><br /></p><p>Also image of vamp w/o fangs biting & sucking blood like a remora is fun</p><p><br /></p><p>They can't cross running water because it'll wash their mist body out thru orifices</p><p><br /></p><p>Also they have to return to grave soil at morning to refresh. Store your rotting meat suit in a coffin of vermicompost. Back up bodies in giant urns of fermented sludge.</p><p><br /></p><p>Raising dead requires installing a new soul. There's different ways of doing this but jewels are compact and effective. The more valuable the jewel the stronger the soul it can contain. Djinn and Efreeti are basically incorporeal so they can be captured too by a sufficiently potent sorcerer.</p><p><br /></p><p>Easiest source of souls is captured children, but they're the least competent. Thus skeletons sing nursery rhymes, play hopscotch, pelt PCs with stones (harmless but annoying), and run away cackling when they're caught.</p><p><br /></p><p>Adult souls are more capable but they can be confused by death, especially if they died unexpectedly or in great anguish. Unless regularly subdued they eventually go mad and turn feral.</p><p><br /></p><p>Unwilling souls lose their memories, will, and the majority of their prowess, though they may retain bits. Thus undead servants can be raised to perform menial tasks based on their living profession.</p><p><br /></p><p>Souls of scholars can organize libraries, sort texts, and act as scribes, though they're mindless and incapable of understanding any of it, being basically automata, so they can't combine ideas or interpret materials.</p><p><br /></p><p>Souls of warriors make okay fighters, but fall short of living warriors. The benefit is that they're fearless, never tire, and feel no pain.</p><p><br /></p><p>Undead peasants, porters, sailors, and smiths can pull plows, tie down cargo, adjust sails, and produce works, but their quality is shoddy at best. They don't tire or require supervision though, although they don't know to switch tasks on their own so you're liable to return to the forge and find a thousand horse shoes and a bored skeleton counting ants in the corner.</p><p><br /></p><p>Willing participants are best and rarest, they maintain their memories and capabilities in death but their personality is erased. Never possess a corpse with it's original soul. Just trust me on this.</p><p><br /></p><p>Fragments of personality may occasionally bubble to the surface. Nothing important. They may start imitating past activities in a harmlessly mindless way, organizing snail shells by color and size, staring at stars, counting hair follicles on a scalp, staring uncomprehendingly at a page in a book, or playing a game of mock chess with themselves using rocks. All done totally silently. Without orders they'll wait around patiently until something triggers them.</p><p><br /></p><p>Skeletons have the soul crystal imbedded in their skull, the cavity of which is filled with gelatinous ichor. The top of the skull is replaced with riveted steel. Many necromancers keep desiccated mummies around as backstock. They're nice because they don't fall apart or rot.</p><p><br /></p><p>Shamblers are walking corpses and have soul crystals embedded in their exposed hearts which swell and pump black ichor through their veins, animating them. They decompose in time if not taken care of, albeit slowly. If kept in a cool dry environment they can last centuries.</p><p><br /></p><p>All undead go feral if their master dies, if they aren't given orders for too long, or if the incantations subduing them aren't refreshed often enough.</p><p><br /></p><p>Souls trapped in undead bodies suffer great agony. They don't know what's happening to them and they seem to be living in a hellish prison and tormented by terrible visions mixing their past and current unlife. The suffering caused generates serious karmic defilements in the caster, twisting their karmic alignment towards chaos. The rebirths of powerful necromancers are invariably in the worst hells.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thus they are motivated by self preservation to find the secrets of eternal life, to cheat reincarnation, or to transmit their souls to demons or other necromancers on the promise of safe keeping or installing into a fresh body. The worst kinds of lich are a sorcerer and apprentice pair that pass their souls back and forth for eternity, cloning or capturing new bodies with each iteration, and growing forever in knowledge. </p><p><br /></p><p>Wraiths, ghosts, shades, shadows, specters, voidlings, etc are confused dead souls which, due to unsatisfactory burial, incompleted obsessions, or other types of clinging failed to successfully transfer into the Mouth of Death. Without realizing the nature of their state dead souls often fixate on their old life and become trapped on this plane when the Mouth of Death gate closes.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thus they wander, trying to live their old life, slowly going insane with frustration. Often they become violent or vengeful. These spirits can be manipulated by evil sorcerers, used as slaves or guardians, or sent as agents to inflict disease and misfortune.</p><p><br /></p><p>All undead feed on life essence, often in the form of spiritual essence, flesh, organs or bodily fluids.</p><p><br /></p><p>For information on the nature of the afterlife, attachment, and rebirth, read "the Tibetan Book of the Dead". I recommend the Jung commentary. I'll do another segment on how that plays into my campaign world.</p><div><br /></div>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-63662464015892252682022-04-07T21:28:00.007-07:002022-04-07T21:28:57.130-07:00Palladius: On Husbandry, c. 350<p> Found this great section on medieval peasant farming practices, from the <a href="https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/sbook.asp">Internet Medieval Sourcebook.</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Book I, C.5. Lands fat or lean, thick or rare, dry or moist, and not without defects, are good for divers seeds; but my advice is to choose the fat and moist. Its work is least and its fruit is best. And next the thick and rank is best; but eschew the thick and dry and let it alone.</p><p>C.24. Till all the field or all the field is lost; wheat sown thrice in too fat land will, wonderful to say, change into other grain....</p><p>C.27. To till a field one must have diligence and leave no part unsown; but plough it up altogether. A little well tilled will repay expenses well, so undertake as much as you can easily do.</p><p>C.33. But after it is burnt do not go near it for five years; and after that you will see that it, as richer land, will grow and thrive.</p><p>C 40. I am unwilling to make him who is a favorite foreman over the field; and why? For he will deem his work is well howsoever it may be.</p><p>C.65. And it is good for pipes to lead from it (the cistern) each to carry drinking water, the liquor of grace above, a thing celestial.</p><p>C.72. One should also take care about an oil-cellar; to warm it the pavement below should be perforated and raised. So that smoke cannot harm it, make a trench under the fire, and heat the well protected house from winter, keen and cold. Now I would like to write on the husbandry of stables.</p><p>C.73. Toward the south you set the stable and the stall for horses and neats and get the light from the north, and close it tight to keep out the winter cold. In summer take care to cool the house and in the cold weather make a fire near the beasts; it will help the oxen and make them fair if they keep near the fire.</p><p>C.108. Set the dunghill wet so it may rot and be odorless; also set it out of sight; the seed of thorn will decay and die in it. Assess dung is best to make a garden with; sheep's dung is next; and after that the goat's and neat's; also horses' and mares'; but swine's dung is the worst of all this lot.</p><p>C.114. One plants thorns; another sows seeds; but (for fences and garden walls) seeds of bramble and hound's thorn do well; and gather that as ripe as necessary.</p><p>C.145. The bee-yard should not be far away but aside, clean, secret, and protected from the wind, square, and so strong that no thief can enter it.</p><p>C.165. Make ready now each needed instrument; look to the little plough and the large one also; sharpen the edges and plough up where the land is moist; still more tools should be prepared as the mattock, axe, pickaxe, saws long and short, also crooked knives for vine and bough, and scythes and hooked sickles.</p><p>C.266. And crooked sharp-backed scythes; and bring forth also the little crooked knives to take away a branch in young plants, the hooks that cut the ferns, bills to dig up briars, rakes, crooks, adzes, pitchforks, and double-bitted axes for the thorns.</p><p>C.67. There must be marking irons for our beasts, and tools to geld, and clip, and shear; we also need leather coats to wear with hoods about our heads; and we must wear boots, leggings, mittens; all this is good for husbandmen and hunters; for they must walk in briars and in woods.</p><p>Book IV. C.25. Now sow hollyhocks and armorace or arborace which is wild radish; and now plant origan in its place; now (sow) leeks, beets, lettuce, capers, savory, colocasia, and cresses; let all now sow marigolds or radishes; and bless them; trust in God that all shall grow.</p><p>C.32. Asparagus is sown about the first of April in wet and fat land in small ridges made by a line, so that seeds which fall a half or three feet are left; and spread on it a sheet of dung and weed it well, and cast straw on it till spring; then it may be taken off</p><p>C.98. Now graft pears, sweet or sour apples, service trees, quince, plum, and mulberry trees. On March 24th this should be done. Pistachio is now grafted to grow in cold lands; and pine seed is sown.</p><p>Book V. C.1. Medicago should be sown in April in prepared beds; it is taught that, once sown, it will grow for ten years and be cut annually four or six times. It dungs lean lands and fattens up lean beasts and cures the sick ones. An acre a year will suffice for three horses.</p><p>Book VII. C.5. One ox's work with a little help from man will take up all the harvest in this wise: they make a square cart on two wheels and board it up in a certain way widening it toward the top so that toward the top it is broad. Its jaw in front which gathers up the wheat should not be high but even.</p><p>C.6. That instrument should be bent upwards and toothed so close that the spikes of grain will not pass them. And at the back fix two shafts as a dray has in front, and yoke to it a meek ox that will draw and stand and turn and make it go forward. And all the grain will fall into this cart</p><p>C.7. These teeth will force in the ears that are in front; the drover notices how low and high the grain is which is going in and leaves the chaff behind. Thus shall an ox in a few days gather up the whole harvest; this cart is to be used in plain field lands where chaff is of no use.</p><p>Book VIII. C.3. Small onions should now be sown in cold and wet places; also radishes and orage if you can water them, and basilicon; lettuce, mallows, beets, leeks should be watered now. Now sow turnip and rape in wet lands; they rarely thrive in rotten lands but in wet lands and fields.</p><p>Book X. C.23. Gith (cockle) is lastly also to be sown in this moon; cresses and dill in temperate lands or radishes in dry lands will grow quickly; parsnips and caerefolium may also be set out; at the first of October sow by hand lettuce, beets, and also coriander seeds; rape and turnip it is now indeed good to sow.</p><p>Book XI. C.38. The apple is planted in hot and dry land. At the first of November quince and service-berry are set in seed beds to multiply. And they do the same with the almond tree. Pine is to be sown now, and fruits to be kept for preserves, as has already been taught of each.</p><p>Book XII. C.3. For Columella affirms that a field which has been fallow has proved more profitable for wheat than the fields where the yield has been beans: sow six strikes to the acre of rich land; less is sufficient in poor land; but in firm land the bean will grow and it hates weak and lean soil.</p><p>C.45. This moon in dry places and cold regions the wild pear should be planted to be grafted; citron, olive, pomegranate, service, medlar, carob, mulberry, cherry, fig, almond, and walnut, as the craft has been taught before, are to be renewed in seed plots.</p><p><br /></p><p>Source.</p><p>From: Palladius, On Husbandrie, trans. Barton Lodge, Early English Text Society, Vol. XXIV, No. 52, (London: N. Trubner, 1873-1879), reprinted in Roy C. Cave & Herbert H. Coulson, A Source Book for Medieval Economic History, (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1936; reprint ed., New York: Biblo & Tannen, 1965), pp. 38-41.</p><p>Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text has been modernized by Prof. Arkenberg.</p><p>This text is part of the Internet Medieval Source Book. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history.</p><p>Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No permission is granted for commercial use.</p><p>© Paul Halsall, September 1998</p><p>halsall@murray.fordham.edu</p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-14314452045946184732022-03-29T15:10:00.004-07:002022-03-29T15:10:56.930-07:00Orcs are Larva<p> If you are working and cut your finger and instead of healing that small cut goes sour and you lose that finger we say it was the work of orcu. Barrow blighters. They are the counter part the mockery of men. Where men relish the sunshine and fresh air they only know cold and damp and dark and cruelty. They live in tribes like our peoples, but know neither chieftain nor council, instead </p><p>they wrestle amongst each other perpetually, those who can't defend themselves die, they would rather leave their wounded sick and old. Occasionally one especially strong and cruel orcu is able to whip together a few tribes in to a bloodlust to raid settlements for food or slaves or iron, the on only thing they hate more than each other is creatures which go about in the day.</p><p><br /></p><p>Speak an archaic version of black tongue which consists only of curses, orders, and words for constructing poisons and their cruel machines of war...they know only nothing of healing or agriculture, but are clever at building cruel machines that belch smoke and dig their slimy wormtunnels deep in the earth, building with stone, of diverting water and toppling fortress walls from below, and laying cruel traps that maim instead of kill, of chains and tools and black vicious blades, they make a crude pig iron, soft so that it bends, or hard as diamond so that it shatters leaving razors in the wound. They do nothing themselves but capture slaves to work for them, preferring to manage and oversee and devise and demand. Dwarves they make overseers, if they don't eat them instead, humans they like for drudge work, no elf has ever been taken a slave for they waste and die within days if placed in chains or locked away.</p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912219856277926711.post-45720400373748126272022-03-27T09:17:00.008-07:002022-04-01T20:37:53.207-07:00PLANETOID OF DESPOTISM<p> Post-progress society</p><p>Three biomes: rocky desert, jungle, tundra.</p><p>Choose a planetoid as location. One like Ceres is good.<br /></p><p>Planets orbit swings around wildly, with the weakened sun careening through the sky senselessly.</p><p>Seasons in chaos, asteroid rain, occasional blow-outs of transdimensional energy resulting from<br /></p><p>AI government organized by nanobots keeps humanity from developing tools that could destroy life. Steel minds governed by invariable oath of ahimsa, their hubs spread about the world. Worshiped as wizard-gods in a number of fragmented religions and petty folklore, as the purpose of the millions of minute changes their ectoplasmic sentience effects upon the biome of the dwindling planet is beyond the rudimentary calculations of the human mind. The result of these changes is often in line with the ultimate beneficence to the remaining dregs of humanity as the terrible inhospitality of the barely terraformed micro-planet forces the AIs into an endless series of micro-corrections resembling mercurial inhumanity.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjww5Jue-dUoavo4aBK_OOjq7JYhynba0ykLifT5e3hvjPwL2eW6tZg5S_H6OJTPRdathkEx4FO9oLMQUPbmn4UFn0yhkiT8WPNzIiYILMQ9ZuQDfhJeoFGWPDwIJfd16XmFcop_fWPn6SjkD-O59qOEX6Rnoekp4yLdilNIkw0UviPrwMucMdkl2525w/s1117/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1117" data-original-width="864" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjww5Jue-dUoavo4aBK_OOjq7JYhynba0ykLifT5e3hvjPwL2eW6tZg5S_H6OJTPRdathkEx4FO9oLMQUPbmn4UFn0yhkiT8WPNzIiYILMQ9ZuQDfhJeoFGWPDwIJfd16XmFcop_fWPn6SjkD-O59qOEX6Rnoekp4yLdilNIkw0UviPrwMucMdkl2525w/w280-h361/1.jpg" width="280" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>A certain allotment of food is provided from deposit cylinders and most menial labor is performed entirely by robots, nanobot liquiforms, mutants, or voluntarily by humans to have something to do<br /></p><p></p><p>Shelterpods for living are mostly uncomfortable dumps but free</p><p></p><p>Free clothing is thermal skintight nano-webbing of various colors. Many wear it under flashier handmade clothes.</p><p> carefully calibrated happiness-to-destruction quotient maintains karmic equilibrium to maximize free time and minimize suffering. nanobot web attempts to maintain its own neutral karma through minimum contamination and efficient use of resources<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_KYzZnV7lqJRNXz0u_0ns80XD7FLgN1NQza-R5F-AcJl6p6Ix7iniYtZv6-QGUNYnwh_GdnkXitvLIBX6Cqqn_G39ylNJBOfrBikmnsA_tatpSJxr7tpBoGjSepGaBUe2q58D5CZqOYPGzDJiSmuxYgf-IHgNd9nFEdbGsDV5VAlVkO6k9cUtesd9w/s677/2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="677" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_KYzZnV7lqJRNXz0u_0ns80XD7FLgN1NQza-R5F-AcJl6p6Ix7iniYtZv6-QGUNYnwh_GdnkXitvLIBX6Cqqn_G39ylNJBOfrBikmnsA_tatpSJxr7tpBoGjSepGaBUe2q58D5CZqOYPGzDJiSmuxYgf-IHgNd9nFEdbGsDV5VAlVkO6k9cUtesd9w/w447-h252/2.jpg" width="447" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The basics are provided to all and work is unnecessary unless one chooses to do so. Some gather together in philosophical communes, or spend their lives playing complex social games. Most choose to live simple, minimalist lives tending pleasure-gardens, reading dusty tomes, developing skills, being quiet and contemplative.</p><p></p><p>A small number live as adventurers. These are the people who would be sociopaths, despots, politicians, capitalists, and generals of our world. Since nobody buys their shit they roam around fucking each other over, causing mayhem, and being chased from calm harmless villages.</p><p></p><p>An insignificant fraction dedicate them to uncovering the mysteries and histories of the planet. They live in far-flung reaches hiding from the wizard government.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDILvbLiiCDC0--1sKEGW8kCbHuFZ2ewolxLPytbX5eFSsnuMIseBaAEddfe9eqKKhRlvZoLyemQkQmmjJo2KuIkxjWsXcNoKYQHkPstn5tji4UTrlvBsli8KbtLtIcAXuNFWBVh3veckb4YiFQlEjvzPSt83uWdyblpOU6IbJ-Q2j6dbHDF2TTaPMww/s600/3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDILvbLiiCDC0--1sKEGW8kCbHuFZ2ewolxLPytbX5eFSsnuMIseBaAEddfe9eqKKhRlvZoLyemQkQmmjJo2KuIkxjWsXcNoKYQHkPstn5tji4UTrlvBsli8KbtLtIcAXuNFWBVh3veckb4YiFQlEjvzPSt83uWdyblpOU6IbJ-Q2j6dbHDF2TTaPMww/w408-h214/3.jpg" width="408" />'</a></div><p>Most acute wounds can be cured by healing machines, which reside in temples presided over by priests. Various geases on behalf of their philosophy are required for service. Sometimes they re-construct your body & put you into service as payment. Viral/bacterial disease infections are viewed as necessary for evolution and immune-system training is a common practice. people undertake diseases voluntarily in order to perpetuate evolution and reduce negative karma for others.<br /></p><p></p><p>Advanced tech lies around everywhere, but the origin and understanding of it is non existent except by the wizards (AI government) or sorcerers (human scientists).</p><p></p><p>Micro-cults are everywhere, everybody believes something different. wars are fought as sport.<br /></p><p></p><p>Humans tend to keep their population small. Childbirth is considered holy and women are respected as priestesses. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU7Tsnq61nEXOH8nTtbweUzysagDBtGmmSqx-vUfTgZ2gE9p3M9V4371qifuBDVeoDP5SimNWr1l7dRvakduz6RMQobqJUPvG-GZnC1Ep8WK8aG5hctamchKVK-2t25cBEseRhxnU7YtrtVXZrgmCpN6VxnBAikW1Bg3id4L5y8BZQZeCAvjOzBQvyQ/s748/4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="748" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU7Tsnq61nEXOH8nTtbweUzysagDBtGmmSqx-vUfTgZ2gE9p3M9V4371qifuBDVeoDP5SimNWr1l7dRvakduz6RMQobqJUPvG-GZnC1Ep8WK8aG5hctamchKVK-2t25cBEseRhxnU7YtrtVXZrgmCpN6VxnBAikW1Bg3id4L5y8BZQZeCAvjOzBQvyQ/w408-h306/4.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><p>Style-guide:</p><p>How something works is never really explained, or there's a bunch of competing explanations. All this tech is seen from the eyes of an ignorant simpleton. No infodumps.</p><p>All paragraphs are 4 sentences or less.</p><p>No descriptions. Everything is in terms of verbs and adjectives.</p><p>Nothing is what it appears to be.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsyu22Gpo0VD6eO0gciW2SyLCO98QXEB_wCyUEvzRNadhLoCWniAMcbsiGi4U7lzq60Ktqmu4F8NBnGQmrkuHZNLwncaJkyZEtKuQmD8wt3O9hC1t4jCUyanDVNeeR3bbrnTIU5vv6eCRMwVfri1OoKhYI1F9xNvfZ-IRL43vIg5avc3Nf1WabIpmMw/s650/7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="650" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEsyu22Gpo0VD6eO0gciW2SyLCO98QXEB_wCyUEvzRNadhLoCWniAMcbsiGi4U7lzq60Ktqmu4F8NBnGQmrkuHZNLwncaJkyZEtKuQmD8wt3O9hC1t4jCUyanDVNeeR3bbrnTIU5vv6eCRMwVfri1OoKhYI1F9xNvfZ-IRL43vIg5avc3Nf1WabIpmMw/w388-h306/7.jpg" width="388" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Weird cultures:</p><p>Sherpanthwe believe it is their goal to lead others across the lands, extremely great guides, goal is to die in an adventure</p><p></p><p>Orfichiums replace all parts of their body with live snakes</p><p></p><p>Zur-dir men beetle helmets, extremely buff, sexless, hosts for brains in jars</p><p></p><p>Haltzagog vicious little gray men with slight luck bending. Liver prized as immuno-builder, second brain prized for temporary esp and powerful hallucinations</p><p><br /></p><p>Most animals are humans genetically modified beyond recognition to replace the desolate ecosystems.</p><p> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoYL3qw4oj6lrsqB5G81N-IsV20RAyTth4iekpucCj_mkD45rw7X48cRkeElyPfbWNWLRdEQTeYYx1hU8_ejEd3rrkva0l6uoOiXMJOdKjYK3WuGdMess0i-xsjnkPYor6kpRyLUDKoImOk4MGn4_rIVgjdYtEgjRWEt_vUshuB5utBRwf1bm1MiF8w/s990/8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="990" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoYL3qw4oj6lrsqB5G81N-IsV20RAyTth4iekpucCj_mkD45rw7X48cRkeElyPfbWNWLRdEQTeYYx1hU8_ejEd3rrkva0l6uoOiXMJOdKjYK3WuGdMess0i-xsjnkPYor6kpRyLUDKoImOk4MGn4_rIVgjdYtEgjRWEt_vUshuB5utBRwf1bm1MiF8w/w450-h232/8.jpg" width="450" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Max Bedulenko<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7y_uRiV0DSwwgj3QczEZwkAJyz7VmdfwcqJFn8zsdwks2waKiVASvFNbHdt1Zv0fsm6SPi1AG1Bkz1H0CWTlsp1Ez7u_wCe69JQdWBwhA3QNYmaORrvPmXINHgPP5IYMix_ffiLyFsZyOoDnCj-by71MkTVapQU1G8PwUnoqhRCRw8Pf9Clij_Gb0xQ/s404/9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="404" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7y_uRiV0DSwwgj3QczEZwkAJyz7VmdfwcqJFn8zsdwks2waKiVASvFNbHdt1Zv0fsm6SPi1AG1Bkz1H0CWTlsp1Ez7u_wCe69JQdWBwhA3QNYmaORrvPmXINHgPP5IYMix_ffiLyFsZyOoDnCj-by71MkTVapQU1G8PwUnoqhRCRw8Pf9Clij_Gb0xQ/w472-h369/9.jpg" width="472" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11HH9u7OiJGh-Hbwe6k3gRW8mj-yBECZjM4LqjepVE2cBjxgom4oNmGybUaz1Un51ZYUfuDwohEeZBOYt29f0kS3XLSkY1tbOLTj6pk4fc6zB4L3LSkR-8Gzyyp5uLW62Q-IrfR39Tu1TO05pS8OQn0hBlYMrn0KtJpQhCR6-OW6qy2BmMMkxBaqS0A/s1200/10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1200" height="495" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11HH9u7OiJGh-Hbwe6k3gRW8mj-yBECZjM4LqjepVE2cBjxgom4oNmGybUaz1Un51ZYUfuDwohEeZBOYt29f0kS3XLSkY1tbOLTj6pk4fc6zB4L3LSkR-8Gzyyp5uLW62Q-IrfR39Tu1TO05pS8OQn0hBlYMrn0KtJpQhCR6-OW6qy2BmMMkxBaqS0A/w550-h495/10.jpg" width="550" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>vilecultofshapeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14457093812421502016noreply@blogger.com0