Attronarch's Athenaeum

Campaign journals, reviews of TTRPG stuff, and musings on D&D.

The creators of Castles & Crusaders are discounting their whole catalogue until end of this week. Although I don't run their system, I use some of the adventures as well as system neutral aids.

Adventures

Supplements

#Sale #TLG #CC #OSR

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#RPGaDAY2023

Rarder Brete, a level 5 fighter I've been playing for several years now, remains my favourite character. I've written about him during #RPGaDAY2022:

A lot has happened since then! Rarder died whilst fighting a horde of hobgoblins and cultists. The party charged into the throne room, expecting to face little resistance (since we've killed a hundred or so goblinoids in the dungeon by then). That assumption was of course, wrong.

Rarder pressed on, toppled the throne, and belowed out the challenge to the Speck, a nickname he has assigned to the King Under the Mountain. He was greeted by a dozen or so large hobgoblins, cultists, and what not. The fighter stood there for rounds, keeping attention on him while the others fought numerous other adversaries in the room.

Rarder, meanwhile, continues to face off against his multiple assailants. Striking here, there and everywhere, he drives them off time and again, but eventually the numbers take their toll, and he's struck by the cultist leader bellowing her warcry to Erkrou, the hairless one clasping a hand around his wrist, and finally the King Under The Mountain, roaring his outrage at being labelled alongside pitiful 'men', strikes out with his spear into the doughty warrior's side...

Speck drives his spear through Rarder's torso. The warrior, unaware of his fate, drops the shield, grabs the shaft with his left hand and pulls himself forward. His sight dims and figures start dancing around. But it is not sweat nor blood that cloud his sight. One last swing. One last act of defiance against the world. He leaves the world just like he came into it. Yelling and thrashing about.

The party recovered Rarder's corpse, fell into a pit trap leading through labyrinthine caverns, found their way out, killed a dragon (with Alf dying in the process), galloped to the nearest metropolis, and got bot raised for a hefty feet and debt to Gods.

Lawful characters have to vanquish an undead foe of equal or greater HD than their level. For Rarder that meant hunting down a 5HD undead; for Alf a 4HD undead. Luckily, Barrowmaze just happened to be real close. And that's where we've been delving for months (of real time) now.

IdleDoodler has been keeping up with the session reports, and the above begins with Session 56 report.

#RPGaDAY #RPGaDAY2023

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#RPGaDAY2023

What would constitute a smart RPG? I remember Vagrant Story, Vandal Hearts II, and Front Mission III being quite brainy, with interesting stories and game mechanics that required thought. Of TTRPGs, Adventurer Conqueror King System and Swords & Wizardry Complete feature a lot of well thought out and thoroughly tested game procedures.

#RPGaDAY #RPGaDAY2023

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#RPGaDAY2023

As a kid I loved playing video games, primarily on game consoles (Sega MegaDrive, PlayStation, and PlayStation 2). My favourite genre was (is?) a mix of an RPG and strategy (real-time or turn-based). Thinks Heroes of Might & Magic. Alas, such games were very, very rare on consoles. But there was one series that really stood out: Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

It was really amazing—mind-blowing to me at the time, especially given I haven't really played computer games. You could create your character, randomly rolling for ability scores, pick an avatar image. Then you'd start in one of map regions and could go on and do whatever! Get involved in developing the local area, join the local force and climb through their ranks, engage in diplomacy, violence, parlay (you could slander someone so bad they commit suicide), start a dynasty and continue playing with your offspring...

Man, I played that game series so much. Now, I can't remember which one I played the most (VII, VIII, IX, X, or XI), but I do remember it was probably the last one that had top-down view of the map. I didn't like newer ones that used isometric map with marching forces. That version did away with most of the governance and non-violent options.

#RPGaDAY #RPGaDAY2023

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#RPGaDAY2023

I guess candidates for oldest games I've played would be chess and mahjong.

Five minutes on Wikipedia later...

Apprently chess is mentioned as early as seventh century, while mahjong is a fairly recent game, being developed in the 19th century.

Hence, chess is most likely the oldest game I've played!

#RPGaDAY #RPGaDAY2023

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#RPGaDAY2023

Swords & Wizardry Complete Revised!

It is superbly written, and inspires play. The whole game is contained in 144 pages. That includes several interpretations of various rules so one can pick whichever fits their table best. Further, it has both Descending and Ascending Armour Class. Although it uses unified saving throw, it also provides an “original” array of five throws as an optional rule.

Since it is based on all the original D&D books (Men and Magic, Monsters & Treasure, The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures, Greyhawk, Blackmoor, Eldritch Wizardry, and Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes) plus select contributions from The Strategic Review, Swords & Wizardry Complete is the closest one can get to AD&D while still having the simplicity and freedom of the Basic line that succeeded OD&D.

Revised Edition has the best layout so far and includes several readability improvements. It also includes known errata to date, morale checks, magical research rules, and others bits and bobs. Otherwise the text is very similar to previous editions.

I'm looking forward to playing it more in the future.

#RPGaDAY #RPGaDAY2023

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#RPGaDAY2023

Oh, I spend way too much on role-playing games...

Let's see what the damage was in January...

Well, this was a good reminder to go back and read some of the above!

#RPGaDAY #RPGaDAY2023

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#RPGaDAY2023

My grandfather!

He was a strong, tall man, with a snow-white mane—just like Santa Claus—and perfectly tight skin. Nothing but eyes betrayed his age. He was the most amazing storyteller, and we explored many worlds together.

Some came out of books, others were made as we played outside, and yet more were created in a heat of the moment, as we were engrossed in some fantastical situation we've created.

On one such occasion, we went to investigate the legendary Greek labyrinth where the monstrous Minotaur dwelt. Squiggly lines on the paper were all we needed to get lost in yet another fantasy, retelling situations that've never happened, and yet were so real.

“No, I want to play the Minotaur! You be Jason!” I loudly protested.

“Fine, fine, I'll be the hero then!” my grandfather fired back.

We were sitting by the round wooden table, facing each other, in the house he and grandma built. It was a humble house, with a hallway, kitchen, bedroom, living room, and bathroom. There was a windowless opening between the hallway and bedroom; the table we were sat on was right next to the kitchen.

The whole house smelt of grandma's home-made pizza. She'd make thick, rectangular base, topped with her home-made tomato sauce (secret, of course!) and grated Gouda cheese. It was majestic. My brother and I would mix leftover cheese with a little bit of the sauce, and would eat it by the spoon.

But the pizza was still baking; an eternity; what better way to spend it but playing with grandpa?

“No, these mazes are too simple! You know them all!” I protested loudly, again. “No, I want empty papers! And some pens!” I demanded. “Oh, feeling devious today, are you?” grandpa teased me. He disappeared behind the sliding doors for a mere moment. “Here, will this be enough?” he asked, whilst carrying a ream of papers, a handful of pencils and pens, and a ruler.

“Yes, yes, of course...” I muttered while trying to clean the desk. Rolling the tablecloth has proven to be most unwise—as attested by white cloud which made us sneeze uncontrollably. “Oh my, what are you two up to now?!” my grandma rolled from around the corner, laughing her ass off. “Playing ghosts, can't you see!” Grandpa's response only made her laugh harder. I didn't find it as funny “Come on, help me fix the table. Grandpa and I have some serious business to tend to!”

I grabbed a piece of paper, drew some lines and narrated “OK. You are in a big, wet cave. There is no light...” “Wait, wait, wait! I always carry a torch. Can't go delving without them!” “OK, fine, you have a torch. But only one! Now where was I...”

I was the monster, and he was the adventurer; I, hunter; he, hunted. The Minotaur showed no mercy, and gored him the moment he caught him in a dead end. I chucked the figurine—which had two sharp horns—straight into my grandpa's forehead. It was soon all red from blood.

And my ass was all red from the subsequent spanking.

#RPGaDAY #RPGaDAY2023

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This year? Checks calendar. Oh my, it's August already? Checks calendar again. OK, everything is documented there and it tells me I ran a session of B/X (a Basic / Expert Dungeons & Dragons edition from 1980s).

Six characters revisited an abandoned keep, found signs of extreme violence, plundered it a bit, and then fled at first sing of trouble. The strongest character was first to die—to a pit trap. Read the full session report here.

#RPGaDAY #RPGaDAY2023

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Matt Finch of OSRIC and Swords & Wizardry fame has been working on an OGL replacement ever since Wizard of the Coast tried to go nuclear on the OGL.

The license formally know as Mythmere Games Open License (MGL) is now titled Alternative to Existing Licenses for Fantasy (AELF).

Those who have used OGL before will find it quite familiar with few very welcome clarifications and improvements. You can find the license guide at Mythemere web page.

Without further ado, the license text is provided below.

ALTERNATIVE TO EXISTING LICENSES FOR FANTASY (AELF) LICENSE

[BEGINNING OF LICENSE]

AELF OPEN LICENSE VERSION 1.0a

Defined Terms are listed in Section 13.

  1. CONSIDERATION AND GRANT: In consideration for Your agreement to abide by the terms of this License, Mythmere Games LLC and each other Contributor grants You an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, royalty‑free, non‑exclusive license to Use the AELF Open Gaming Content that such Contributor has contributed under this License. By Using AELF Open Gaming Content under this License, You accept the terms of this License.

  2. CONTRIBUTION OF OPEN CONTENT: AELF Open Gaming Content may be contributed by any Contributor, and if so contributed may be Used by You, under the terms of this License. In connection with the contribution, Distribution, or Use of any AELF Open Gaming Content under this License, no terms or conditions may be added to or subtracted from this License except as expressly described herein.

  3. OTHER USAGE BY CONTRIBUTOR: Material that any Contributor contributes as AELF Open Gaming Content may also be released by that Contributor under one or more other licenses so long as it does not include AELF Open Gaming Content that was created by another Contributor without such other Contributor’s separate consent. However, such other licenses must be independent of this License: they may not add or subtract terms or conditions to the use of the AELF Open Gaming Content under this License, nor may they affect the validity of the contribution or the rights of Use of such AELF Open Gaming Content hereunder.

  4. REQUIREMENTS FOR CONTRIBUTING AELF OPEN GAM- ING CONTENT: If You are contributing material as AELF Open Gaming Content, You represent that Your contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License (which may include, without limitation, through a Creative Commons CC-BY or CC0 license grant or another permanent licensing arrangement that allows any use of the intellectual property without any restriction on use other than attribution). Once the material is contributed, it is subject to the grant included in Section 1 and all other terms and conditions of this License. If your material is derived from a Creative Commons CC-BY License grant, you must require the proper attribution to this upstream material by those using your material under this license. Material derived from a Creative Commons License that includes the designators SA, ND, or NC, which restrict the use of the material by downstream users, may not be contributed as AELF Open Gaming Content under this License.

  5. NOTICES: In order to Use any AELF Open Gaming Content under this License: (a) You must include a copy of this License in any material in which you Use such AELF Open Gaming Content; (b) in that copy of this License, You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE in Section 14 below to include (i) the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE from any AELF Open Gaming Content contributed by anyone else that You are Using, and (ii) the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name of any AELF Open Gaming Content you are contributing, and (iii) any attributions required under a Creative Commons License or similar permitted open license for the use of any content under either clause (i) or clause (ii); and © You must prominently (immediately before the copy of the license required under (a) above, and also on the title page of the work, if possible) include in your work the following statement: “This work includes AELF Open Gaming Content, which may only be used under the terms of the AELF Open License version 1.0a. This product is not endorsed or reviewed by Mythmere Games LLC or any other contributor of AELF Open Gaming Content and does not represent the views of Mythmere Games LLC or any other contributor.”

  6. USE OF PRODUCT IDENTITY: This license does not grant to You any rights in any Product Identity, and the owner of any Product Identity shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity. However, where rights of fair use or other exceptions or limitations on copyright or similar law apply to any Product Identity, such rights, exceptions, and limitations supersede a claim of Product Identity under the terms of this License, but do not exempt You from any notice requirements in Section 5. The inclusion of any Product Identity in any work that includes AELF Open Gaming Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity.

  7. NO NEED TO CONTRIBUTE: Using AELF Open Gaming Content under this license does not require you to contribute any new AELF Open Gaming Content. If you do contribute new AELF Open Gaming Content, it must be clearly identified as such.

  8. USE OF CONTRIBUTOR CREDITS: You may not market or advertise AELF Open Gaming Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so. You may include a statement of compatibility if the Contributor has set forth terms for statements of compatibility or if your statement complies with relevant law regarding trademarks.

  9. PRIVITY OF CONTRACT: In any dispute hereunder, only the Contributors of content Used by You are considered to be in privity of contract with You. No other person shall be deemed a third-party beneficiary of this License with respect to You.

  10. INABILITY TO COMPLY: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the AELF Open Gaming Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation, then You may not Use any AELF Open Gaming Content so affected.

  11. TERMINATION FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH LI- CENSE: This License (under all versions present and future) will terminate automatically, but only as to You (and to all of Your affiliates and subsidiaries), if You fail to comply with any of the terms hereof and You do not cure such failure within 30 days of becoming aware of it. If the License has so terminated with respect to You, it may only be reinstated if all Contributors of the relevant content Used by You, who were adversely affected by Your failure to comply, waive such failure in writing. However, no such termination shall affect the license of any AELF Open Gaming Content (whether contributed by the person as to which this License has terminated or by any other person) under this License to any persons as to which this License has not terminated.

  12. OTHER PROVISIONS: (a) If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. (b) You agree that before you use this License, you will seek such advice, including legal counsel, as you deem appropriate, and will take such advice into consideration before using this License. As a result, the interpretation of this License shall not be construed against the drafter. © This License shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas.

  13. DEFINED TERMS: This License includes certain defined terms, which may be identified by the use of a capital letter. (a) “AELF Open Gaming Content” means any content clearly identified as AELF Open Gaming Content by a Contributor in any work covered by this License and any material that is purely numerically or game-mechanically derived from such content; (b) “Contributors” means Mythmere Games LLC and each other copyright and/or trademark owner who has contributed AELF Open Gaming Content under this License; © “Derivative Material” means material based on pre-existing copyrighted material, including translations (including translations into computer languages), modifications, corrections, additions, extensions, upgrades, improvements, compilations, abridgments, or any other form in which the pre-existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (d) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit, or otherwise distribute; (e) “Product Identity” means any trademark, any tradename, or any material subject to copyright, in each case in any work covered by this License, that is not clearly identified as AELF Open Gaming Content by the Contributor that owns such intellectual property; Product Identity may include such things as product and product line names; logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures; characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, and language; artwork; symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, or poses; concepts; themes; graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses, and special abilities; places, locations, and environments; equipment; and magical or supernatural abilities or effects; (f) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of AELF Open Gaming Content; and (g) “You” or “Your” means a licensee under this License.

  14. COPYRIGHT NOTICE

[Insert both (i) the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE from any AELF Open Gaming Content You are Using, together with any required attribution under Section 5(b)(iii), and (ii) the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name of your product, together with any additional required attribution under Section 5(b)(iii).]

[END OF LICENSE]

#News #OGL #MGL #AELF

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