Sanctum of the Wyrm Count 2

This time around things went better...if less prepared.

The characters left the sanctum, went 2 days south to the ruined sanctum only to realize there is no light in the dungeon and they left the sanctum without anything resembling rations. So, they did not eat for 4 days as they traveled back to the sanctum to get torches, lanterns, trail rations.

remember, we try to survive.

So, how did they afford these crazy extra expenses? Why stealing from a priest of Samael who was just walking down the street of course! Granted, all they got was a healers kit, but they were able to pawn that for enough to buy what they needed. And really, it's a priest of Samael, screw those guys.

So, they headed back to the ruined sanctum, nearly a week later and proceeded to kick that dungeon's ass up one hill and down the other. For the most part they didn't even bother trying to disarm traps. They just put  Rena the Armiger/Weapon Master in front and let her soak up the damage. She did so with little to no trouble. Hardly a scratch.

Any opponents they met usually died in a single hit, those that didn't die almost instantly were completely ineffective at hurting them at all.

yeah, I know.

But, when they steam-rolled through the first and second level, they said to themselves "Yeah, next level." But one step down they encountered an area of extreme heat. Like "take 1d6 damage each round" heat. One round in that crap and they were heading back home. Whatever wrecked that sanctum remains a mystery, but until they can handle that kind of hellish environment, it may get to remain a mystery.

Heroes of Iron

The term "Iron Heroes" is code in my gaming circle for low-magic, gritty gaming. It's taken from the actual rules of Iron Heroes, but the term is easily applied to any game. For example, shortly after 4e came out we discussed "Iron Heroes-ing" it. Frankly, I still feel that would be the best way to play 4e.

In effect, "Iron Heroes-ing" a game means the following things.

1. Caster classes are either eliminated or made distasteful through some mechanic.
2. Magic Items are either eliminated to made so dangerous and limited that they do not effect game balance in any meaningful way.
3. The non-caster classes are buffed to a point that they are comparable to a character who does have access to magic.
4. Traditionally, all these things are accomplished through enormously complicated and arcane rules changes.

nope, you missed the goblin. 

But really, low-magic gaming is nothing new to roleplaying and giving the game the same feel of grit need not include such complication.

Let's assume we are playing just normal-run-of-the-mill 3.x (I use this term to include 3.0, 3.5, and pathfinder because damn it they are not that different - PT being my preferred option). We eliminate the primary caster classes entirely. That means we lose the Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, and Wizard. Okay, that's fine. Now we may want to get more intense and lose the Bard, Ranger, and Paladin. That's up to whoever is doing this. I am absolutely certain there is a mundane version of each of those so, whatever.

That leaves us with the Barbarian, Fighter, Monk, Rogue. That's really not too bad for a party. But, yes no healing. Fine. Use the Reserve Hit Points system (you get an amount of reserve hit points equal to your base hit points which you can convert to Hit Point whenever you are out of combat). This is, you will note, very close to the short/extended rest mechanic of 4e (gee, I wonder if the designer was the same guy).

OMG, totally was. 

After that, you just supplement basic expectations of magic item benefit. That's pretty easy, give the players a +1 to att, damage, AC, and saves every few (4) levels. They will not be as strong as a 20th level character with magic support, but the difference will be nominal. Be generous with a few extra feats and you'll be fine with a fraction of the complexity.

Which really brings me to another conceptual point. Nothing I just suggested required more than a few seconds of thought and can be done without anything beyond the core rulebooks.

Options

So, after the first session of "Gestalt NPCs"wherein the players nearly bought the farm thanks to a single deadly Svirneblin (deep gnome), they were ready to do something on the opposite end of the power spectrum.

Gestalt Iron Heroes.

With Bloodlines.

pretty much this. 

We didn't get to play because seriously, those are crazy complicated characters. I mean come on, have you read Iron Heroes? It's like advanced trig the RPG.

But that was their choice so I am good with it.

However, it did get me thinking about this thing I read a while back. Specifically, I was thinking about my own "Kitchen Sink" approach to gaming. I really hate to limit players to much of anything and I can usually be talked into saying yes and getting excited about just damn near anything.

Yes, Rifts. Basically. 

But, the blogger makes good points. It makes we want to rethink not my approach to world-building. My approach to my players remains more or less unchanged. If they ask for something, I will at very least do my damnedest to make it available.

But when I work on World-building I will either stick to monster collections, campaign settings, and such like that, leaving more player-focused material for the players to specifically ask for and otherwise I am happy to ignore it.

Scholarly Details of the Maelstrom

This is the last of the most recent series of questions from Paizo's Gamemastery book. After this, I don't think I will be doing any more, at least not for awhile. If I do any more, they will be island-specific or something.

1. How did the world come to be?

How the Land-That-Was came to be is lost in antiquity. Most believe it was created by the Malakhim. How it came to end is a much more hotly debated topic. Most of the peasantry blame mages and (since they rarely understand the difference) psions for meddling in things that they should not. Some theorize that a group of them accidentally (or maliciously) created the Vortex and the Vortex destroyed the Land-That-Was. Some sages claim the Vortex was a punishment from the Malakhim for the the hubris of the Land-That-Was. The Dragonkings pay fealty to the Dragon Emperor because he warned his kin in time for them to establish the Sanctums.

All the theories of all the people are one thing. The truth is another. Likely, it is buried in the Underworld with everything else from the Land-That-Was.

The current world is a result of the Reckoning. There are no reliable maps and information beyond just a few miles of the walls is about all any Sanctum knows about their current world. It's different than it used to be, that's all most people know.

2. What is the nature of the Gods?

The Malakhim are almighty beings that are simply "beyond" the weaknesses of the world. With the exception of Samael, they are generally benevolent beings who provide a source of magic that is generally helpful to their followers. Samael, however is a vindictive and cruel creature. Some claim he alone is the source of the Vortex as a manifestation of his hatred.

3. What is the source of magic?

Depends on what kind. Arcane magic is a manipulation of otherworldly energies through creative inspiration or careful study (or both). Divine magic comes from the channeling of the Malakhim through a mortal catalyst. Psionics is basically 'mind over matter'. The Force is a meta physical energy field.

4. What happens when you die?

Nobody is really sure. Clerics attest that your soul goes on to be with the Malakhim. Force users believe your energy becomes part of the Force itself. Those who are resurrected through magic find that they have no memory of anything beyond this world. Most sentient undead claim there is nothing after death. Bleak, eternal, nothing.

5. What cycles of events define the calendar?

More or less, the same as our world. However, seasons can be a bit wonky. The Reckoning opened odd connections to this world from others. Some areas where the climate is generally warm have massive glaciers that stretch for miles and never thaw or see spring.

6. What do you see when you look at the sky?

During the day, the sun and the sky. At night, a multitude of stars and the moon.

7. What constitutes cutting-edge technology?

Common "cutting-edge" technology is limited to worked iron and steel items. Relics from the the Land-That-Was are scattered across the Maelstrom. Some Sanctums have printing presses, others have early firearms, still others have stone-age tools and weapons. Rumors of technological wonders like mecha and laser weaponry persist.

8. Where do monsters come from?

Evil cannot create, it must corrupt. Most monsters are mortals warped by the sins of Samael. Over time, sometimes through generations the taint of Samael alters and warps the flesh and mind. Many monsters used to be mages or clerics whose souls were consumed and their bodies twisted into new and terrible forms.

9. Which is strongest: magic, gods, or nature?

Gods...but they are all pretty powerful.

10. If I drop this off the balcony, what happens?

Depends. Usually it will fall, but if you are in a Vortex-scarred area, gravity might not work quite right. It may fall slowly, or hover for a bit, fall for a bit, then hover. In the protection of a Sanctum, it will usually fall. If it does not, you may want to contact the nearest tordek.

The Sanctum of the Wyrm Count 1

A decade or so ago, a member of the local Dragonkings extended family (a half-breed cousin or something) tried to make their own Sanctum a days travel South.

It did not go well. A few survivors made it back and told horrid stories of monsters and creatures coming up from the ground below them. Our intrepid heroes (seeking glory, knowledge, and just generally getting away from people) traveled to the ruins.

Woohoo!

I decided it was time to try gaming via G+ hangouts. It worked fairly well. Not as good as face-to-face, but no major concerns. Maybe some advantages. We all had access to computers and that means we have access to lots of information immediately. That's cool.

I asked they players what they wanted to play. The decided to try the idea I had a few days ago. I wasn't thrilled about using 3.x/Pathfinder and I'm more than a little rusty on the rules, but we muddled through. As always, character creation took way to damn long (sigh). Once we got going it went well enough.

The first encounter was with a deep gnome (a svirfneblin) with a monstrous AC. Thing near killed the warrior/aristocrat (Lea) but she actually grappled the little bugger and knocked him out, stole his stuff, and left him. He eventually ran off somewhere while the party wandered around somewhat aimlessly and more than a little timid about fighting the meditating Duergar they found...and immediately avoided.

what trap?

After Lea took a couple traps directly to the face, they returned to the safety of the Sanctum and sold what loot they had for some healing potions.

------------

My thoughts on my clever idea. I still think it is a clever idea, but the main source of a 3.x character's power is the class and removing that is brutal. Even going gestalt only allows them a variety of weak options. The players rolled minor bloodlines, which is useless at level one. Their saving grace was generally good playing and the resource they got from the Heroic Path. It was shocking how challenging the encounters were.

I'm still not thrilled with 4e, but I did miss the short/extended rest mechanic. In fact, the entire healing mechanism from 4e was sorely missed.

I did think two things while playing this. The first is, I wonder how Legend characters would fare? The second is, I wonder how fully equipped D20 modern/future characters would fare in a dungeon?

Something tells me the svirfneblin would have been bio-paste if Lea had a machine gun.

...and a cute miniskirt, sure, why not?