Mouseguarding Pathfinder- Spicing up Combat

Wayne Reynolds is the man.

Aww… Combat that wonderfully exciting part of role-playing where swords dance and cut down enemies, arrows fly and strike with amazing efficiency, and spells are cast, protecting allies and raining down doom and fire on foes.

Aww… Combat that extremely frustrating part of role-playing where players fumble attack rolls and their eyes twitch, blank stares greet the Game Master as players attempt to figure out their action, and Game Masters shrug as a casters spell is rendered ineffective for so many various reasons.

Combat is both a blessing and a curse for both players and Game Masters. For some it is the planning that goes in to an encounter, only to have it not be as epic as planned, or simply go awry. For others it is the sheer amount of options, decisions, and rules that seem to bog them down and can make it difficult for a player to go with a plan of action. Or it could also be for a player to wait patiently for their turn, an awesome idea in their head about what horrors they are going to inflict on an enemy, to roll and miss their attack or their spell to be overcome by Spell Resistance or a really high Saving roll.

It is this last part that I would like to touch on today. I know that at my table and from posts I’ve read on RPGBN this is something that happens quite often. From my experience, players don’t mind waiting 20 minutes for their turn in combat if something happens during their turn. Nothing is more boring and pointless than for a player to wait, go to attack, miss, and then boom, that’s it and we are moving on to the next player. I think this is increased when a player is having an off night in rolls and constantly misses or has their ideas shot down by poor rolls, or other players killing or overshadowing their ideas.

I have been talking at length with Chuck over at Geek Life Project and both us are planning on running Dresden Files games using the DFRPG/FATE Rule system. I am speaking just for myself, but I think that Chuck and I both really enjoy the Aspect system of FATE. Put simply, it is amazing. And DFRPG takes it to a whole new level. Aspects allow for players to really make characters their own. Aspects provide for very cool unique, strategic, and clever ways for the player to do things both in and out of combat.

I have mentioned in a previous post that this is something I want to incorporate into my various other games. The way Aspects are used make is so things can be done, even when a player doesn’t get a great roll.

Then it dawned on me, what about using the Mouse Guard mechanics I have already placed in my games: Complications/Twists/Conditions. Now first I’ll admit I don’t know how this will play out, it is not something I have gotten to play around with yet, but I’m thinking it would add a new layer of fun to combat.

To Miss or Not to Miss

Complications/Twists/Conditions (C/T/C here on in) is an awesome mechanic that I have had great fun with in the past. I think that adding this mechanic to combat would create new situations and fun for the players. Even if they miss an attack something would happen for better or worse.

If a fighter makes an attack and misses- go to C/T/C philosophy. Maybe he slips on rubble on the ground and now he’s prone. Perhaps the fighters sword does strike home and impale the enemy, but it get stuck in the creature and it yanks it away.

A spell caster could cast a spell and instead of it just going bye bye due to spell resistance it could go off course and strike the building, causing structural damage- or exerted so much force that it has fatigued the caster.

I think that this could be enjoyable and keep the battle field moving in a much more fluid motion rather than just on successful attacks and actions. It causes players to have to adapt to changes that they didn’t see coming.

Any thoughts, ideas, comments?

A Villain with… Heart?

Villains with dimensions are important. They add emotion, motivation, and a sense of believability to the world.

While there’s plenty of room for the mad gunman, enraged and begrudged worker taking out his frustrations on the helpless and innocent, his motivations aren’t something that we can empathize with.

A Bad Bad Man

Let’s take a look at the Joker, one of the most beloved Villains of all time. Why do we love him? Is it because he is crazy, unpredictable, and has no morality whatsoever? Because he is a true Agent of Chaos? I would say that is a big yes to the character, but I really think that we love Joker so much because he is the antithesis of Batman. Joker represents everything that Batman isn’t. It is the dichotomy of the two characters that we respond to. If Joker was a villain in a different comic, he probably would be no where near as popular as he is.

Now let us take a gander at a Villain that has a motivation that we can empathize with.

A Bad Bad Man... With Heart.

Dr. Horrible:

“Anyone with half a brain can see that mankind has gone insane. To the point where I don’t know if I’ll upset the status quo if I throw poison down the water main. Listen close to everybody’s heart, and hear that breaking sound. Hopes and dreams are shattering apart, and crashing to the ground. I cannot believe my eyes, how the worlds full of filth and lies and it seems to me evil inside of me, is on the rise.”

And

“It’s not about making money. It’s about taking money. Destroying the status quo, because the status is not quo.. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it.”

Dr. Horrible is the main character of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog. He’s the main character and he’s a villain. Not only that, but you route for him through the entire movie.

Why?

We watch him and realize that even though he is a villain, he is motivated and has a believable set of goals. Now while many of us may look at his various courses of action throughout the show as extreme, we can’t help but find a ringing truth to his words about the current state of the world.

Blatantly corrupted politicians making shady deals right in front of our faces, a completely gutted and shit economic system that takes advantage of the lower classes, global warming, terrible health insurance coverage, meager wages for hard work, or apathetic people with uncaring attitudes wandering around like zombies. The list could go on and on.

All of these are something most people feel somewhat strongly about or have some vested interest in. This is why we like Dr. Horrible. He isn’t a terrible person. He just is misguided on how to bring about change.

A great villain will challenge the players, not just in combat and intellect, but socially and morally as well. Playing in those shades of grey is a great way to have the players really look at the foundation of their character and realize that while the villain is wrong in the planning and execution, their idea, and the basis of it, is maybe a bit too close to the players heart.

To bring it back to the Batman example: There have been many times that Batman has stated the reason he doesn’t kill is because he knows that darkness is within him, and he’s afraid that if he were to cross that line, even once, he himself would end up just like the Joker.

National Wrathofzombie Holiday- My 30th!!

Oh yeah.. Still saucy.

Wow.. Another milestone.. I wish I had something more profound to say like, “Every existing thing is born without reason, prolongs itself out of weakness, and dies by chance.” – Jean Paul Sartre. Sadly I don’t though.

To use another quote, “I’m a 30 year old boy.” Jack (Fight Club). I love my video games, role-playing, Star Wars, and cartoons (I have Spongebob boxers and Homer Simpson pajama shorts).

The one thing I will say is that I am very happy with my life. Fuck knows I wouldn’t say no to a little more financial security, but I think I have about as much chance of that happening right now as I do of getting into heaven with my being an Atheist.

Other than that though, I love my life. I have a great job, kicking ass in school, and have an amazing girlfriend. I’ve also made some great friends thanks to RPGBN and this handy dandy little blog…

Oh what I’m trying to say is, “I don’t wanna grow up cause if I did…” It wouldn’t be very much fun.

Happy Birthday to Me! (Wow. That doesn’t sound egotistical.)

Pathfinder Playtest- Magus Review

Real Badass Caster

Here’s a link to download the Playtest.

I really like what I’ve read about this class. It is a spell-slinging swashbuckler.

This class has quite a bit of versatility and I think I have FINALLY found a class that works with the vision I’ve had for one of my favorite NPC’s that I’ve put in my games for years (my version of Final Fantasy’s Cid).

The only thing I can see as being a negative is that the power creep is definitely in this character, as happens when you start introducing new classes. This isn’t a really horrible negative because I know Paizo will make sure it is as balanced as can be (hence the playtesting) and weed out what is broken.

A really gross ability is Broad Study, which a Magus can take as their Magus Arcana at level 6. This gives the Magus the ability to choose any other casting class (now this is the beta and this may be clarified later, but as of right now it doesn’t say arcane casting class- so that means druid and divine spells are free reign here). I can see this being gross because a Magus has a pretty decent attack bonus, can charge in and begin beating the hell out of creatures with his/her sword and then cast a heal on themselves.

Something Wicked This Way Comes.. For Halloween…

I always do Spooky Survival Horror One Shots for Halloween. So this year I decided to add something awesome (well I hope it is, at any rate). Here is a little video I did. There is a little fine tuning I want to do to it, but it’s pretty much done.

Enjoy! Feel free to leave feedback.

House Rules Cheat Sheet

So I wanted to point out three really cool posts over at Roles, Dice and Fun.

House Rule: Loose and Lazy Initiative
House Rule: Minor or Spontaneous Flashback
House Rule: Major Flashbacks

Each one of these is a great House Rule and I liked them so much I have incorporated (with some minor changes, mostly to Major Flashbacks) to my Pathfinder Game.

I talked to my players about all three of these House Rules and all of them seemed to really like them. We got to try the Initiative Rule first hand last session and I have to say that I really like it, and the players were more excited and apt to help one another and think of cooperative tactics.

We did not get to try Minor or Major Flashbacks, but when I described them, everyone seemed to like sound of them quite a bit.

So with all these inclusions into my House Rules I decided that it is time to create a House Rule Cheat Sheet for quick reference for my players.

I wanted to post it because maybe some of you may like the sound of some of our House Rules. Feel free to ask me some questions or post comments!

Role-Playing Group House Rules

In Our Game(s) You Can:

Initiative-

Initiative is rolled every round now. All Monsters go off of one initiative. This is the defining mark of each round. Players roll their initiative and are then broken into two groups, those who go before the monster(s) and those who go after. Players can go before others in the initiative, so long as it is ok with the person that they are cutting in front of. This allows the players to come up with a fresher brand of team work and camaraderie.

Aspects-

Aspects are simple words, concepts, sayings, etc that the player uses to define their characters. Words like stronger, clever, angry, or disruptive all work. Even sayings like, “In the nick of time,” “Leave no one behind,” or “Always gets what he wants, but at a price.” All work. These are activated by burning an Action Point.
Each character starts with two Aspects and may gain more as the campaign continues. Aspects can only be used once per session save for the Major Flashback Mechanic (See Below).

Plot Twist

A player can burn three Action Points once per level to create a plot twist that aids or hinders them in a special way.

Minor Flashbacks-

The player burns an Action Point, and can then utilize this mechanic. Minor Flashbacks are used to describe something small in a characters life.
• Describe or play a brief moment from your past that demonstrates why you have experience with this situation. Afterwards gain +2/+4 skill bonus to your skill check or +2/+4 to Save.
• When describing the player simply tells a brief anecdote, describes an event or plays a monologue that relates to the situation somehow. When playing the past the player sets the scene and appoints other players to be NPCs and then the scene is played out. Such a scene is played without any dice rolls.
• The scene is something that has happened in the past and it helps us to learn the back-story of the character.

Major Flashbacks-

Players start with 3 Major Flashbacks and gain an additional per level. These are major events in the characters history. The reward for playing the scene some of the following:
• A flashback refreshes an Aspect or one Action Point
• An automatic critical success roll on a skill or attack.
• Changing a fatal result into successful result.

Goals-

Goals are created by the players after GM gives overall session goal. These goals are inline with the main goal and are used by the GM to craft a richer more engaging story for all involved. Some sessions some players goals will not be achieved. This is not due to lack of interest on the part of the GM, but perhaps the goal doesn’t really interact or connect with the story, or lack of time to get to everyone involved. If your goal has been realized you gain an additional Action Point.

Complications, Twists, and Conditions-

No longer can players reroll a failed skill roll (Action Points cannot be burned either). When a player fails a skill check the GM decides whether to implement a Complication, Twist, or Condition.
• Complication- This is something that adds more to the scene. This could be an additional combat encounter, a trap on a door, etc.
• Twist- This changes the pace and outcome of the original intention. This could be finding the person party was attempting to save dead, or a magical item being cursed instead.
• Condition- To either keep the game moving the game forward or if the player comes up with a really cool idea, the GM can decide to allow the player to succeed, however it comes at a cost. This could be a Ranger who attempts to track something and finds the trail, but has over exerted themselves and is now Fatigued or Exhausted.

Action Points-

You regain Action Points by various ways. Some of them are cool ideas in and out of game, help me remember a rule or correcting me when I make a mistake, telling a funny joke, doing some great role-playing, using Major Flashback Mechanic, GM activates your Aspect in a negative way against you or party, etc.
These are used for several different things in the game:
• To gain a healing surge (which is 25% of total HP).
• To add 1d6 to any non-damage roll (attack, saves, skills, or difficulty class).
• To add 2d6 to any damaging attack or spell (including healing spells) or Healing Surge (this would cost a total of 2 AP- one for Healing Surge and one for this mechanic).
• To reroll a failed attack roll or failed save (save for critical failures).
• To activate an Aspect.
• To activate a Minor Flashback.
• To activate a Plot Twist (cost 3 AP).
• To take an extra action in a round (cost 2 AP).

New Wrath of Zombie Pic

Here is a new lovely zombie pic o’ myself..

Hopefully this will get you through the weekend

Have Pathfinder tonight! Expect a recap sometime next week (once I get homework out of the way).

I Guess It’s FATE’d to be Added

Don't Mess With Me or I'll Shove a Lightning Bolt Up Your Ass!

I recently have become an addict to the Harry Dresden books. I’m half way through the 3rd book already and I only started the series last week. NEEERRRDDDDD.. *cough*

Anyways, the books have reignited the spark in my being to run an urban fantasy horror game, set in either the Anita Blake world (minus all the weird porn) or in the Harry Dresden world.

That is still up for debate.

Now I know that there is a Dresden Files RPG and that it uses the FATE system. So I went to and downloaded FATE 2.0 and gave it a thorough look through.

Now something about FATE hits my Narrative Gaming Core and I love it. I especially love Aspects. They strike close to Beliefs and Instincts in Mouse Guard and anyone who regularly reads my lil annoying rash of a blog knows I dig that very much.

Now FATE is a damned cool system, however I don’t know if I dig all of it. I really don’t care for the ladder and “condition” descriptors. I can (now this is my opinion, so put down the pitch forks) almost feel a THACO kinda problem from it.

Ok Susan you want to hack a computer using your computer knowledge skill? Ok, you have a good in that skill, so you need to roll me your 4d6. The computer DC is a great (digital age and all), so roll your check and remember that minuses cancel out positives and then take what remains and either add or subtract from your own base skill of good and don’t forget to use the ladder to find out your final condition descriptor. Oh and don’t forget that you need to tell me HOW successful or unsuccessful you were, here on dubbed Margin of Success (MoS) and Margin of Failure (MoF). You roll yet Susan? Susan?

Susan’s eyes have rolled back in her head and blood is trickling out of her nose.. So sad.

I’ve survived the THACO nightmare, and while FATE isn’t honestly that bad, I have no wish to have to try and explain it every time one of my players roll, or really consult a chart to figure it out..

So FATE is out (at least for now) for the system I want to use.. However.. There is still this whole Aspect business. Oh and the Phase System of Character Creation. Very cool.

So while I kinda don’t like the resolution system of FATE I love the character creation system. It’s simple, abstract, free, and imaginative. I’ve read other people saying this, and I will repeat, I think you have a better ability to create the character you envisioned with FATE than almost any other system.

Explaining Aspects, Phases, and Skills-

You start out with a rough character concept: A rough and tumble Biker that is down on his luck.

The GM then tells each player how many phases there is going to be and also the span of years between each phase. For this example we’ll say that phases start at 15 years old and go every 5 years. There will be a total of 4 phases.

Every phase the character chooses an Aspect and gets 4 skill points. The cool thing about skills and Aspects is that FATE has suggestions but really the player makes up the skill and the Aspect (now I’m not going into the pyramid thinger, especially since I heard they got rid of that in 3.0 and I haven’t read that yet). Every phase you come up with a sentence or two of what happened to your character.

Aspects can be anything from a tagline, an item, a descriptor, etc.

Aspects can be enabled by a player by burning a Fate Point (Benny or Action Point like mechanic) and used to their advantage.

However a GM can enable the same Aspect to get the player into trouble and enhance role-playing. If the GM chooses to do this, the player earns a Fate Point.

Really awesome mechanic for story purposes here. It should also be noted that when a player invokes their aspect they take control of the how the narrative will play out, with GM approval of course. So my example from Phase Two “Gets what he wants, but at a price” as a player I could invoke it to kill a bad guy with an automatic head shot (say his gang is really putting the hurt on us) but as I shoot him he accidentally squeezes off a shot and “critically” wounds me, or his shot kills my brother who is an NPC cohort of mine. Etc etc. Really cool stuff.

Phase One- 15 years old- Jackie Boy ran away from an abusive home at 15. He dropped out from school and lived on the streets and crash with friends.

Aspect: Streetwise.

Phase Two- 20 years old- Jackie Boy realizes life is hard and decides that only the strong survives.

Aspect: Gets what he wants, but at a price.

Phase Three- 25 years old- Jackie Boy becomes involved with a hard crew of bikers, the Devil’s Hand, who own the lower area of town and run drugs and prostitutes.

Aspect: Biker Reputation.

Phase Four- 30 years old- Jackie Boy still rides with the Devil’s Hand, but has been less popular when he badly beat one the lieutenant’s son for messing with Jackie Boy’s girl. Jackie Boy now keeps to himself and drinks heavily.

Aspect: Friends in Low Places.

Each one of those Aspects has tons of role-playing opportunity.

So I’ve been talking with Sir Chuck over at Geek Life Project (who also loves Dresden Files) and we’ve both been thinking about taking the Aspect part of FATE and adding it to pretty much any game we want, so for myself Savage Worlds and Pathfinder.

I really cant’ wait to see how my players enable the Aspects in our current Pathfinder game. Will be interesting!

Dark Sun- Pathfinder’d

Oooh Dark Sun

First, sorry for being absent all last week. I was away back in my native Montana hanging with my folks and friends imbibing large amounts of good Montana Micro Brews, howling at the moon, and sleeping with my cousins.. Wait.. Nevermind.

Anyways, the day before I left for my trip, August 22nd, I went and picked up the Dark Sun Campaign Setting. I have to say it is pretty snazzy. It gives you some good info and not overburdening you with it. The maps of each city are gorgeous, and they are something I REALLY appreciate about this book. Honestly I hate doing city/town maps.

Reading through the setting made me think that it is something my players will enjoy. I have a few players with character moral compasses that always lingers more in the gray to darkish area while a few others are grey to the lightish area. The problem we always run into in other settings where there is divinity and law and etc, there tends to be a stifling problem with their actions (the whole Paladin in a group kinda crap).

With Dark Sun my players can linger more in the grey and explore what they want.

So On With the Show

Defiling-

This is something that everyone seems to feel a bit disappointed in, and I will admit for something that supposedly devastated the WHOLE world.. The actual ability of it seems pretty lackluster.

I tried to change it to be a bit more potent and “alluring” so feel free to contribute if you feel it could be pumped up a little bit.

Feats

Defiling
Prerequisites- Ability to cast Arcane Spells, level 6

Standard Action

Any spell can be empowered by the act of defiling. The caster must roll a Spellcraft Check DC 15 + spell level. If successful you leach life out of a 20 square radius. Roll 1d3 and add that number of d6’s to your damage, bonus (such as Mage Armor or Bulls Strength) or duration (rounds).

Each target in the effected area must make a Fortitude Save DC 10 + spell level + ½ your caster level. Success equals ½ damage and not stunned. Failure means target(s) are wracked with terrible pain, taking 3d6 damage and are stunned for 2 rounds.

The defiling energy must be used the next round or it dissipates.

If a 1 is rolled on spellcraft check, caster takes 3d6 x2 damage and is stunned for 2 rounds.

Focused Defiling
Prerequisites- Ability to cast Arcane Spells, Defiling Feat, level 6

Standard Action

You are able to draw the life energies off of a single living creature within a 15ft line of you. Roll a Spellcraft Check DC 10 + spell level. If successful the creature must make a Fort Save DC 10 + ½ caster level or take 1d6 damage and stunned for 1 round. Success takes ½ damage and is not stunned. You add 1d6 to your next spell, as Defiling (see above).

Improved Defiling
Prerequisites- Ability to cast Arcane Spells, level 9

You receive a +2 to Spellcraft Checks when Defiling and a +2 to Damage, Bonus, or Duration.

Strengthened Defiling
Prerequisites- Ability to cast Arcane Spells, level 12

Standard Action

Change d3 to d6 to determine bonus number of d6 to roll and damage goes from 3d6 to 5d6 to all targets in 20 square radius.

Master Defiler
Prerequisites- Ability to cast Arcane Spells, Improved Defiling, level 15

When you harness the energy to defile you can hold the energies within your body for 2d6 hours. While this happens you receive +2 to movement, +2 to AC, +4 to attacks and your fists now due d6 negative energy (magic) damage (for overcoming Damage Reduction)

Races-

Mul- These are Half Dwarf/Half Human that are used as slave labor in many of the metropolises throughout Athas.

Size- Medium; Vision- Normal; Speed- 30

Ability Scores- +2 to any one stat
Languages- Common, Dwarven
Mul Vitality- +2 to Fortitude Saves against fatigue and exhaustion.
Tireless- A Mul only needs to sleep 6 hours (consecutive) in a 72 hour period to feel rested.
Incredible Toughness- +2 to all Fortitude Saves. This effect stacks with Mul Vitality.

Thri-Kreen- This bipedal insectoid race has 2 sets of arms and the head of a praying mantis.

Size- Medium; Vision- Low-Light; Speed- 40

Ability Scores- +2 Str, +2 Dex, -2 Charisma. Thri-Kreen are extremely strong and agile, but their perception of things and behaviors are alien to outsiders.
Languages- Common, Thri-Kreen
Multiple Arms- Same as book
Natural Jumper- Same as book
Thri-Kreen Claws- Your claws are strong and deadly. They do 1d6 + strength damage.
Thick Hide- +2 Natural Armor

Themes

I’ll address this now, I suppose. I’m honestly not a big fan of the themes in the book. It may be my old school way of thinking, but I’m used to want to be a gladiator, you achieve it through story/role-playing, or begin as one. Same if you want desire to be a Desert Trader, a Templar, or a Raider.

However if it is something you like, I was thinking the best way to handle it is to give a +2 to a skill and a feat that makes sense (can be players choice- just has to make sense for the profession).

Example: Gladiator #1- Takes Intimidate for her +2 and chooses Two Weapon Fighting as her bonus feat.

Gladiator #2- Takes Acrobatics for his +2 and chooses Endurance as his bonus feat.

Gladiator #3- Takes Sleight of Hand for his +2 and chooses Weapon Finesse for his bonus feat.

So that’s what I have for Pathfindering Dark Sun. Any ideas, comments, etc? No trolling.