You were a simple soldier. You went where your commanders told you, fought who you were told to fight, and prided yourself on being a good soldier. You didn't make much, but you made a living. When your liege dispatched your platoon to the village of Karthold three years ago to put down a peasant rebellion led by some cultists, you assumed that the worst you'd have to look out for was some idiot shitfarmer with a pitchfork and more courage than sense.
You were wrong. The Cruel Lady was there, attended by creatures from the nether-realm--creatures she'd summoned by sacrificing the farmers and families of Karthold. They killed all 19 of your companions and, before finishing you off, drug you to her. Rather than kill you, she smiled - and reached into your chest and stole your heart. Then she left.
Something changed inside you that day. You began having difficulty caring: about others, about causes. It's wrong to say that you don't think like you used to--rather, it's just that you only notice that you have emotions when you stop and think about it. Trouble seems to follow you wherever you go.
What happened to your heart? What did the Cruel Lady want with it? And where is she now?
Monday, 17 December 2012
Monster Ability Checks in 13th Age
One of the first things I noticed about monsters in 13th Age (which is still available for preorder
as far as I know, but there are something like less than 20 Escalation
Edition orders left) is that the monster stat blocks, while wonderfully
simple (a GM's dream come true!) lacks any reference to a monster's
attribute scores. What happens when it makes sense in the fiction for a
character to make an opposed Dex, Str, etc. check against a monster?
Rolling against the DC for your environment is perhaps the simplest solution, but there's something about opposed rolls that really captures the feel of "this guy vs. that guy." Besides, what about opposing the Int of a really dumb ogre, or the Str of a tiny kobold? The normal DCs might be a bit too high for that (though opposing the ogre's Str or the kobold's Dex could easily work by boosting the DC to the hard value for the environment). Perhaps it's an aesthetic thing, but I'd really prefer that the numbers come from the monster than the environment. And it's not that complicated to derive these scores.
For Str, Dex, Con checks, roll 1d20+(PD-10)
For Int, Wis, Cha checks, roll 1d20+(MD-10)
Optional Modifiers
Depending on which attribute your modified defense is standing in for, feel free to apply a +4 or -4 bonus/penalty (if it's worth adjusting the effect should be big enough to be noticeable, so just stick with +/- 4). For example, a kobold is agile but small and fragile, so a Dex check modifier might be [PD-10+4], whereas a Str check modifier might be [PD-10-4], or you might simply not apply the penalty. The goal here is simplicity, since attribute checks probably won't come up too often for monsters.
Why This Works
Think about how a player's MD/PD are determined. You use the base value for your class (10-12, which once the 10 is subtracted out will correspond to a 0 to +2 "background" point value). Then you add the median of your 3 relevant ability scores, and of course your level gets added as well. Monster PD/MD is quite a bit simpler to determine (one only has to look at the chart), but the numbers are fairly consistent with what you might expect compared with the method used for PCs.
So in summary, PD/MD is essentially 10+[better/lesser bonus]+[attribute]+[level]
Similarly, a skill checks boils down to 1d20+[background]+[attribute]+[level]
All you really have to do is substitute a d20 roll for 10 (which itself is a substitute for an assumed average d20 roll; think of it as turning an opposed attack vs defense roll into a single roll (attack) compared against a target number). The better/lesser bonus baked into the defense numbers is roughly comparable to the bonus a PC might get from a background (even if not exactly, it's not worth further complicating matters since this proposed system has the benefit of simplicity). Attribute modifier and level are already both accounted for. Finally, the optional modifier allows a GM to very easily tweak the numbers on-the-fly when the final results don't quite match up with expectations.
Example
Now let's apply this to a monster from EE6 - the Kobold Hero. His bonus for opposed Str/Con/Dex would be +6, while Int/Wis/Cha would be +2.
So what kind of challenge is this little kobold supposed to present to a party of heroes? The agility of kobolds is pretty well-established, so he should be pretty comparable to a 2nd level Rogue. The Rogue would get a +6 (assuming an 18 Dex) even without any backgrounds, which he would probably have if a Dex check is involved. Depending on the reason for the roll, that +4 optional bonus might be worth applying. After all, Kobolds are already Evasive and good with traps, so they deserve a boost when it comes to tasks that require quick reflexes or when dealing with traps.
On the other hand, kobolds are known to be pretty weak, relying on overwhelming numbers and craftiness instead of physical strength. Plus they're small, probably even smaller than Halfling PCs. A +6 for opposed Str checks doesn't seem quite right, so we'll apply that -4 penalty without much hesitation.
The mental attributes probably aren't worth messing around with too much, but I'd definitely apply the +4 bonus if the roll involved traps or dirty tricks of some kind, and I might apply a +4 bonus to Cha rolls when dealing with kobolds (since the kobold hero is a leader), but a -4 bonus when dealing with almost everyone else (since few folk like kobolds).
Conclusion
This system has the advantages of using the monster's own existing statistics for opposed rolls without crowding up the stat block with ability scores, as well as being extremely simple to apply. As a GM you're doing 2 things: subtracting 10 from either PD or MD, and then tweaking that result with a +/- 4 to ensure the end result is consistent with expectations.
How I love transparent math.
Originally posted on my own blog, The Chamber of Mazarbul.
Author Introduction
Seeing as this is my first post here, I should probably use it to introduce myself. My name is Brian, and I've mostly been doing seasonal work, broadly in the field of ecology, since completing my degree in biology from a small liberal arts college. I have a lot of hobbies and interests, including science, backpacking, birding, craft beer, and of course tabletop RPGs (among other things). I tend to get mildly obsessed with the things that interest me, and this has often opened even more doors, such as learning to sew my own backpacking gear and thinking about game design of systems that I haven't even played.
On the topic of gaming, I started in high school with the third edition of D&D. I continued on with 3.5, and for the longest time my lack of exposure maintained my assumption that 3.x was just the way that tabletop RPGs worked. 4E opened my eyes into a whole new world of possibilities, and eventually I strayed beyond the realm of D&D altogether. Which brings us to 13th Age. The attitude espoused by Jonathan and Rob that the game should suit the group, and elements from different sources should be incorporated, is exactly what I love about tabletop RPGs (and something that few designers put such a big emphasis on). The more you read, and the more familiar you are with alternative systems, the stronger your game will probably be. You begin to understand that there are different ways of doing things, which will have different effects on style, aesthetics, etc., and the intent of the rules will become more clear. 13th Age seems to embrace that concept more than most (designer sidebars explaining why certain things are the way they are), and I think that this blog will continue in that tradition. That's my goal, at least. I love explaining why I did things a certain way, and I'd love to hear comments on how things can be improved and tweaked!
Rolling against the DC for your environment is perhaps the simplest solution, but there's something about opposed rolls that really captures the feel of "this guy vs. that guy." Besides, what about opposing the Int of a really dumb ogre, or the Str of a tiny kobold? The normal DCs might be a bit too high for that (though opposing the ogre's Str or the kobold's Dex could easily work by boosting the DC to the hard value for the environment). Perhaps it's an aesthetic thing, but I'd really prefer that the numbers come from the monster than the environment. And it's not that complicated to derive these scores.
For Str, Dex, Con checks, roll 1d20+(PD-10)
For Int, Wis, Cha checks, roll 1d20+(MD-10)
Optional Modifiers
Depending on which attribute your modified defense is standing in for, feel free to apply a +4 or -4 bonus/penalty (if it's worth adjusting the effect should be big enough to be noticeable, so just stick with +/- 4). For example, a kobold is agile but small and fragile, so a Dex check modifier might be [PD-10+4], whereas a Str check modifier might be [PD-10-4], or you might simply not apply the penalty. The goal here is simplicity, since attribute checks probably won't come up too often for monsters.
Why This Works
Think about how a player's MD/PD are determined. You use the base value for your class (10-12, which once the 10 is subtracted out will correspond to a 0 to +2 "background" point value). Then you add the median of your 3 relevant ability scores, and of course your level gets added as well. Monster PD/MD is quite a bit simpler to determine (one only has to look at the chart), but the numbers are fairly consistent with what you might expect compared with the method used for PCs.
So in summary, PD/MD is essentially 10+[better/lesser bonus]+[attribute]+[level]
Similarly, a skill checks boils down to 1d20+[background]+[attribute]+[level]
All you really have to do is substitute a d20 roll for 10 (which itself is a substitute for an assumed average d20 roll; think of it as turning an opposed attack vs defense roll into a single roll (attack) compared against a target number). The better/lesser bonus baked into the defense numbers is roughly comparable to the bonus a PC might get from a background (even if not exactly, it's not worth further complicating matters since this proposed system has the benefit of simplicity). Attribute modifier and level are already both accounted for. Finally, the optional modifier allows a GM to very easily tweak the numbers on-the-fly when the final results don't quite match up with expectations.
Example
Now let's apply this to a monster from EE6 - the Kobold Hero. His bonus for opposed Str/Con/Dex would be +6, while Int/Wis/Cha would be +2.
So what kind of challenge is this little kobold supposed to present to a party of heroes? The agility of kobolds is pretty well-established, so he should be pretty comparable to a 2nd level Rogue. The Rogue would get a +6 (assuming an 18 Dex) even without any backgrounds, which he would probably have if a Dex check is involved. Depending on the reason for the roll, that +4 optional bonus might be worth applying. After all, Kobolds are already Evasive and good with traps, so they deserve a boost when it comes to tasks that require quick reflexes or when dealing with traps.
On the other hand, kobolds are known to be pretty weak, relying on overwhelming numbers and craftiness instead of physical strength. Plus they're small, probably even smaller than Halfling PCs. A +6 for opposed Str checks doesn't seem quite right, so we'll apply that -4 penalty without much hesitation.
The mental attributes probably aren't worth messing around with too much, but I'd definitely apply the +4 bonus if the roll involved traps or dirty tricks of some kind, and I might apply a +4 bonus to Cha rolls when dealing with kobolds (since the kobold hero is a leader), but a -4 bonus when dealing with almost everyone else (since few folk like kobolds).
Conclusion
This system has the advantages of using the monster's own existing statistics for opposed rolls without crowding up the stat block with ability scores, as well as being extremely simple to apply. As a GM you're doing 2 things: subtracting 10 from either PD or MD, and then tweaking that result with a +/- 4 to ensure the end result is consistent with expectations.
How I love transparent math.
Originally posted on my own blog, The Chamber of Mazarbul.
Author Introduction
Seeing as this is my first post here, I should probably use it to introduce myself. My name is Brian, and I've mostly been doing seasonal work, broadly in the field of ecology, since completing my degree in biology from a small liberal arts college. I have a lot of hobbies and interests, including science, backpacking, birding, craft beer, and of course tabletop RPGs (among other things). I tend to get mildly obsessed with the things that interest me, and this has often opened even more doors, such as learning to sew my own backpacking gear and thinking about game design of systems that I haven't even played.
On the topic of gaming, I started in high school with the third edition of D&D. I continued on with 3.5, and for the longest time my lack of exposure maintained my assumption that 3.x was just the way that tabletop RPGs worked. 4E opened my eyes into a whole new world of possibilities, and eventually I strayed beyond the realm of D&D altogether. Which brings us to 13th Age. The attitude espoused by Jonathan and Rob that the game should suit the group, and elements from different sources should be incorporated, is exactly what I love about tabletop RPGs (and something that few designers put such a big emphasis on). The more you read, and the more familiar you are with alternative systems, the stronger your game will probably be. You begin to understand that there are different ways of doing things, which will have different effects on style, aesthetics, etc., and the intent of the rules will become more clear. 13th Age seems to embrace that concept more than most (designer sidebars explaining why certain things are the way they are), and I think that this blog will continue in that tradition. That's my goal, at least. I love explaining why I did things a certain way, and I'd love to hear comments on how things can be improved and tweaked!
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Pregenerated Character for First Level: The Engineer
You were once the Dwarf King's most trusted confidante. You helped craft the Obsidian Gates of Underhome, the last line of defense between the known world and the creatures outside reality. Your inventions made the lives of every dwarf beneath the mountain better and safer.
Too bad your penchant for getting blind stinking drunk (or, as you insist, "imbibing holy water such that your every waking moment would be a sacrament to the Forger") cost you your job, your home, and your beard. The Dwarf King himself cut your beard from your face and cast you out of Underhome "Until such a time as you could redeem yourself and prove your worth once more to the Dwarven people".
What did you do to get thrown out? What will you do to get back home?
Pregenerated Character for First Level: The Wronged Woman
You had everything: fame, respect, fortune, the love of the people. Then some bastard slit your throat, and you died choking on your own blood. You awoke, some days later, in the court of the Elf Queen. The Elf Queen smiled and told you that she had patched up your corpse with starshine and sorrow, that she reached into the heavens and pulled your soul back into your body.
She has given you back your life, and demands three favors in exchange for this, which she will call in whenever the fancy strikes her. Her first favor is simple: find the bastard who slit your throat, and kill him.
Welcome to 13th Age Homebrews
This blog is dedicated to collecting and collating the things players and gamemasters of Pelgrane Press's new roleplaying game 13th Age have created for their games.
1st level pregenerated characters, magical items, monstrous adversaries, GM documents (such as charts and whatnot) can all find a home here. My goal is to make this blog open to the "maker" community of 13th Age - any "maker" who'd like to become a co-author and share their stuff can leave a comment on a post requesting co-author privileges for this blog and I will add them as soon as I can. The goal here isn't to design a sourcebook or sell anything - we're just sharing stuff with other players that we think is cool. Stuff posted here is owned by the creators - not this blog - and that's why we can share it.
My one request is that the following "guidelines" be followed: this isn't a collection of editorials about 13th Age or a new front in edition warring. Keep posts focused on things that people can actually use in their games.
And, I guess since I'm the admin here I need to introduce myself. I'd love it if other, future authors would do the same once they join!
My name is Neal Hebert, a freelance RPG editor and designer, who is currently working on his Ph.D. in Theatre History and Historiography. I teach at Louisiana State University in the Theatre and Philosophy Departments. Prior RPG credits include work for Wolfgang Baur's Kobold Quarterly (RIP) and various Open Design rulebooks. Prior academic credits include publications in Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy: Raiding the Temple of Wisdom (edited by Jon Cogburn and Mark Silcox) and a chapter of Oxford University Press's forthcoming Handbook on Dance and Theatre. I'm currently GMing 1 and a half 13th Age campaigns and playing in another.
1st level pregenerated characters, magical items, monstrous adversaries, GM documents (such as charts and whatnot) can all find a home here. My goal is to make this blog open to the "maker" community of 13th Age - any "maker" who'd like to become a co-author and share their stuff can leave a comment on a post requesting co-author privileges for this blog and I will add them as soon as I can. The goal here isn't to design a sourcebook or sell anything - we're just sharing stuff with other players that we think is cool. Stuff posted here is owned by the creators - not this blog - and that's why we can share it.
My one request is that the following "guidelines" be followed: this isn't a collection of editorials about 13th Age or a new front in edition warring. Keep posts focused on things that people can actually use in their games.
And, I guess since I'm the admin here I need to introduce myself. I'd love it if other, future authors would do the same once they join!
My name is Neal Hebert, a freelance RPG editor and designer, who is currently working on his Ph.D. in Theatre History and Historiography. I teach at Louisiana State University in the Theatre and Philosophy Departments. Prior RPG credits include work for Wolfgang Baur's Kobold Quarterly (RIP) and various Open Design rulebooks. Prior academic credits include publications in Dungeons and Dragons and Philosophy: Raiding the Temple of Wisdom (edited by Jon Cogburn and Mark Silcox) and a chapter of Oxford University Press's forthcoming Handbook on Dance and Theatre. I'm currently GMing 1 and a half 13th Age campaigns and playing in another.
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