A World of Adventure

A big focus of my Solo TRPG Campaign project, 'Journal of a Mixed Elf Mercenary Hero', is exploration.

The Enchanted Lands

As a Gamemaster, I absolutely love World-Building. It is by far my favorite part of the pastime. It allows me to do something with all these ideas that are constantly forming in my head, threatening to burst out of my skull and spray all over the place. Sorry. I know that's a little intense but that doesn't make it untrue. Besides, no one wants to clean that up, trust me.

As a player, I want to explore the world or universe of the game we're playing. I want to see the Gamemaster's vision, be it an original creation or their take on a known IP, and I would like the opportunity to get to know it up close and personal.

In either role, my preferred way to go about this is through an Open-World Exploration Campaign. That is essentially what I am hoping for with this Solo RPG and I feel pretty confident I can achieve it since I am occupying both positions.

Let's start by looking at the map and filling in some general ideas on what exists and where...

  

The usual recommendation when going about the act of world-building is to start small, really local-like, and then only expanding as you need to. For me, that's crap. I can't work that way for a host of reasons, the biggest of which is I want my players (and in this case myself) to be able to go where they want to go as long as they have some way of getting there. To the age old school question of, 'What happens if we travel beyond the edge of the map?', I like to answer, 'There is no edge to the map'. 

To make this work, I need to 'sketch out' some areas so I have a guide for my imagination. Looking at the second map, some points of interest have been placed in the hope that I can explore those areas during the campaign. Some important or at least interesting bodies of water are also included. The Trading Seas are small-to-medium oceanic bodies constantly plyed by merchants and unfortunately pirates. The Strange Sea is almost completely surrounded by lands, from small islands to the large main continent, with many legends surrounding what it is the sails across and roams beneath the waters of this region. Ghost Ships, Sea Monsters, and Vanishing Island that occasionally appears in the center of the sea. 

While I show the homeland locations of the Dwarves, the Elves, the Hairfoots, and the Humans, I purposely haven't defined how large their domains are, how many settlements or citizens they have, etc. I also haven't given the proper name of these places on account of the fact that I haven't decided on them yet. Furthermore, just because I haven't identified where Beastkin or Goblins live doesn't mean there aren't Beastkin and Goblins. This is best thought of as a Visual Outline. 

To this end, I've also pointed out areas of potential adventure and danger by designating Giants in the Northeast and possibly a Dragon in the Northwest. I wrote it in as 'A Dragon?' because I haven't decided if that information is true or merely a fanciful story. Then, as I've already mentioned, there are lands far away to the Southeast and Southwest that have yet to be explored. I've included these known unknowns for exploration and further development later on.

Of special interest is The Ruinlands of an Ancient Empire; a vast expanse of land with numerous dungeons and crumbling temples that are all that remains of a powerful and very magical civilizations from long, long ago.

Finally, I've also noted where my Player Character, Raelyn Riversprite, came from and the fact that the town was basically destroyed. The port is abandoned now - no one lives there to my character's knowledge. 

Exploration

• • PCs are rewarding for discovering something new – a never before encountered (by them specifically) monster, location, thing about the world, etc. For Solo play, these are notated in the campaign ‘Journal’ as ‘I discovered [name or description of thing]’. 
• • Dungeons are ‘alive’: Traps, rival adventurer parties, sentient doors, patrols of haunted armors, and wandering entities that want to chat.
• • Food & Rest: Cooking plants, animals, or even monster meat gives mechanical buffs and restores Physical and Spell Fatigue (a la Delicious in Dungeon). Skipping meals may cause penalties (hungry adventurer/party = comedic failures). Sleep is similar. 

As per usual, more thoughts as they come to me. I am really eager to actually start playing. Hopefully later today. 

Hope to see you on the road...

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Barking Alien

Of Might and Magic

Before I getting going with the campaign proper I thought it might be a good idea to give you some more of the rules. Specifically, I want to go over Combat and Magic. 

Combat

Starting with some really basic thoughts:

• •Theater of the Mind with quick rounds*. No grid, minis, or any of that needed.
• •Initiative: Roll 2D and add Agility + Luck or just go in dramatic order.
• •Damage is narrative...sort of. You take Hits; after taking half your total you are stunned and hurt. Target Numbers go up to the next difficulty level. At zero Hits, the character is unconscious and their overall situation may worsen. Player Characters can only die in unavoidable situations or by player choice. However, they may suffer a permanent injury, lose a hand, lose an item, or that sort of thing. Starting Hits = Body + ½ Luck.

Characters do ½ their Body in Damage on a successful unarmed Attack.

When using a Weapon, the Damage is ½ Body + the Weapon's Damage. 

As noted in the first post on the basic mechanics, certain successful rolls can result in more damage or special effects. 

As noted in the previous entry on rules, Light Weapons do 1 Damage, Medium Weapons do 2, and Heavy Weapons do 3. Most Light Weapons can be thrown. Heavy Weapons require two hands to use.

Armor provides Protection, which reduces the Damage taken from most Attacks.

This is true for PCs, NPCs, and Monsters. No Armor, natural or otherwise, means no Protection.

Basic Armor is at -1 but you can exchange an Agility Penalty or Gold or increased Protection.

Critical Successes and Failures in Combat cause Physical Fatigue. Characters subtract -1 from their Body when this occurs and function with the resulting number until they can rest. On the Character Sheet I record Physical Fatigue separately from Body because after resting Body returns to normal. That's easier for me but I might change it in the future to avoid confusion. 

Magic System 

Anime-Flavored Magic is flashy and costly. Roll Spirit + Magic Knack + 2D6.

• •Low-Cost Spells: Utility, Buffs, Attacks with no Damage (They Confuse, Distract, etc.). Only costs Spell Fatigue on a Botched Check Roll.
• •Big Spells (Dragon Slave! style): Powerful but they drain Spirit (an effect called Spell Fatigue) or cause side effects (hair turns odd color, scent attracts monsters, etc.). -1 Spirit to cast, -2 on a Critical Failure.
• •PCs can take on extra Spell Fatigue to make Spells more effective. 
• •Learning Magic: New Spells are obtained by learning and practice. Must be taught or found in Spellbooks or on Scrolls. Progression feels like Frieren - slow, meaningful mastery that occurs over time.

One's 'Magic Knack' could be be Alchemy, Arcane Spellcasting, Illusion Magic, Summoning, Witchcraft, or anything else you can think of as long as its appropriate to the genre. These are categories without a difference mechanically though, except in a narrative way. You decide on a specific definition for your type of magic but within that your are welcome to get creative. 

For example: Raelyn Riversprite has Animal Magic and Elemental Spellcasting. 

Animal Magic enable her to take on one aspect of a non-magical creature for one scene. It could be Strength of a Bear, Speed of a Cougar, Vision of a Hawk, etc. Yes, a Cheetah might be faster than a Cougar but I don't know that Raelyn's ever heard of a Cheetah based on where she's from in this Medieval Europe-themed setting.

Trying to duplicate a second animal while already having the aspect of one increases the difficulty of the roll by +5. She normally sticks to one creature at a time, though she might be able to do two aspects of the same animal at a lower difficulty. Maybe +3? Say she had the Strength of a Bear and wanted to give her unarmed attack a 'Bear Claw Strike!'; that's very Anime and I could see that being viable. 

Elemental Spellcasting allows her to focus the traditional four Western elements of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water to performs various attacks, defenses, or feats. Raelyn is largely self-taught and doesn't usually cast anything too complex. She favors blasts of water and wind, walls of rock and soil, and wreathing her sword in fire for added damage. People think she's a 'Battlemage' but the truth is these sorts of spells are just easier to cast. 

Things she can't do: Shoot of bolt of pure Mana, create a Force Shield, turn Invisible, or Shapeshift. These just don't match how her [albeit vague] magic is defined. 

Since we're on the subject...

Magic Weapons

Most enchanted weaponry are unique; one-of-a-kind items created upon special request or commission and likely for some specific purpose. There are no +1 Swords lying around that do not else besides being +1. 

Magic weapons will certainly have 'to hit' bonuses but they always come with other features. It's these 'other features' that appeal to me most. Possible enchantments and enhancements could be:

• ·        There are +1, +2, and Roll with Advantage Weapons.
• ·        Damage may be +1. +2, or even a bonus 1D6! Whoa. That’s powerful!
• ·        In addition, the item might grant the wielder an additional Attack, Invisibility, the ·        ability to Strike Ghosts or any number of other mystical abilities. Many have a few ·        minor powers related to a theme such Slaying Dragons or Vanquishing The ·        Undead. 

I'm sure there is more I could say on these subjects and indeed I probably will when they come up during the course of play but this should suffice for now. I was hoping my next post would be from the start of the actual campaign but this weekend has become rather busy and I may not have time to do that. Instead, the next entry on the subject will likely cover the world itself, as I've finally decided on one and made a map. 

Look forward to sharing it soon,

Later,

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Barking Alien

My apologies if some of the formatting of this post is a little off. Sometimes Blogger just decides that the thing it has done the same way a 100 times before is going to work differently the 101st time just because. 

Have Haversack, Will Travel

I know I've mentioned it before but probably none too often as I don't generally discuss Medieval Fantasy gaming as much as I do Sci-Fi, Superheroes, and practically anything else but I really enjoy coming up with Magic Items. I kinda despise calling them 'Magic Items' though, as that is one of D&D's notorious modern/technical terms for what should be a miraculous and wonderous thing. I suppose it's fine for practical purposes but I try to avoid the term when I can. 

Anyway...

I want to give more detailed information on Raelyn Riversprite's Signature Item, The Homey Haversack. 

This mysterious object is based on a very similar concept from my ol' Aerth game, which was in turn inspired by Heward's Handy Haversack, although that item is quite different from mine. The original was merely a more impressive Bag of Holding. As you'll see, this one is something else. 

The Homey Haversack is a backpack of supple black leather that appears well-used and worn by time and the elements such that is appears more charcoal gray than black. Its straps may be adjusted so that it can be worn as a backpack, over one should, or slung across the body to rest at ones hip. In additional to the mouth of the pack at the top, there are three additional pouches; one large one in front, and two smaller ones to each side. 

Upon opening the top flap and adjusting the hidden drawstring, the bag will open to be slightly wider than expected. The top of a wooden ladder can be seen just over the lip of the bag. If you enters the top and descends the ladder, they will come into a medium-sized room of stone walls and floor. It has a bed, a large chest/trunk, two desks, a simple chair, a fireplace, and a window. 

 

Regardless of the position of the Haversack in the outside world, within the item the room is always level and the temperature is generally similar to the interior of any abode in whatever land your traveling in. For example, if you are walking through snowy tundra, it will be cold in the room but certainly warmer than being outside in the snow. Best get a fire going. 

Where the smoke from the fireplace goes is unknown. Stranger still though is the window. This small window, which can be shuttered to prevent wind, snow, or rain from entering the room, always shows a view of whatever is outside the bag. When using it to sleep in, Riversprite usually hides it on a roof top or ties it up in a high tree before entering down the ladder. This allows her to view her immediate surroundings to some extent. You can stick your arm and hand out the window but only a few feet or so. Beyond that you will find it impossible to push further out. 

The room is as it is and does not provide additional items, nor does it replenish resources. Firewood much be obtained and brought in by the owner of the item. If you want to cook in the fireplace, bring in some ingredients as well as a pot and frying pan. Raelyn often catches and cooks fish, then opens the window to air out the place. Which brings us to keep it clean - you must sweep and dust yourself, as well as make your own bed. Basically, you get a furnished room and nothing more but it is a room you can carry with you. 

The outer Haversack seems immune or at least highly resistant to rain, puncture, being crushed, and the like. None of those things effect the bag and someone inside would be completely unaware of what was transpiring. In fact, the item can even be submerged in water but the window shutters will automatically close and no force can open them until the bag is once again in open air. You would see water and fish swimming by out of the window. 

Raelyn often keeps her Bow and Arrows in the sack instead of on her as she rarely ever uses them in combat. They are primarily for hunting game. She also stores any Magic Books and Scrolls she comes across in the Haversack, usually on the shelves above one of the desks. Spare clothes and a few mementos she has from her family and her time with the Elven Knights are neatly placed inside the trunk at the foot of her bed. 

Even with this amazing object, Raelyn still camps out fairly often. The interior of the Haversack is both her safespace and refuge and a place she fears being trapped in. Not trapped like it won't let her leave but that she'll get too comfortable, feel too safe, and won't want to leave. 

And that is The Homey Haversack.

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Barking Alien

Spellcasting and Sword Swinging

I've decided my Solo RPG Campaign is going to be Medieval Fantasy and as for a system I'll be using my TFOS hack 'Adventurers of The Enchanted Lands', described in my previous post.

As for my main Solo character, I am sticking with my original concept, though I may adjust as I go given I still haven't decided on what world setting I will be exploring.

Raelyn Riversprite is a Female Elf of mixed heritage, around 250 years old (in her mid-twenties by Human developmental standards). She is skilled at both Magic use and Sword Fighting. I also see her as hailing from a port town on a river...originally...before her home was destroyed by some as yet undecided upon fiend. This would give her a reason for potentially having skills like Sailing or Swimming and the like. 

Yes you Raelyn! C'mon up and say hello to everyone. 

As far as she knows, she is the only survivor of an attack that destroyed her small port town and wiped out her family. She was saved by Elven Knights of the larger city near by. 

In games like this, where your PC 'lives in the world' as opposed to trying to emulate a TV Show, Comic Book series, or other form of media medium, I tend to prefer a character who is functionally competent at a variety of things. While many players prefer to specialize or (gag) optimize their characters, I would rather have a jack-of-all-trades, even if they end up a master of none. 

That said, I envision Raelyn as darn good at a few activities, even if she is only pretty good at most of what she attempts to accomplish. With that in mind, let's spend her 45 Attribute Points and determine her Stats. 

Aww. C'mon. Give it a chance. Could be fun!

I've noticed that Character Creation takes a long time for a lot of people but not me, at least not usually. The reason for this is I try to generate a complete(-ish) picture the character in my head first, then do my best to make that concept using the game I'm playing. This is very much the case here. I'm going to start with Riversprite's worst stat, which I'll say is a 3 in Charm. She's used to living, traveling, and working alone, which makes her socially awkward and not much of a people person. 

Her two highest stats will be Journey and Spirit, both a 7. She is a gifted Mage, very attuned to nature, and has been surviving on her own through rough terrain and weather for some time. 

To fill in the rest of the Attributes: Agility 6, Body 6, Craft 5 (I'll want to improve that at some point I think), Luck 5, and Mind 6. Done. Easy peasy. 

As for Knacks, I know exactly what skills I want for her, though I am only now deciding how many points to put to each. She will have Animal Magic, Elemental Spellcasting, Fishing, Foraging, Sailing, Swimming, and Swordfighting. That's eight Knacks and 10 points to allocate to them. 

So...let's put 1 point to everything except Animal Magic, Elemental Spellcasting and Swordfighting. Those are at 2.

Oh, almost forgot, her Archtype is Elf and her Party Role(s) are...hmm...well there is no 'Party' yet but her defining traits at the start of the campaign will be Battlemage, Mercenary, and Survivor.

She's got such range!

She is skilled at Magic, Fighting, and Fighting using Magic. She can weigh the Risk vs. Reward dynamic of any mission or quest she's given based on years of experience plying the Mercenary trade. It might hinder her sometimes as well, since her good heart can sometimes be at odds with her goal of earning coin. Finally, she's the last living member of her family, she's been on her own for decades, and she is just to damn stubborn to die. 

For Anime Powers/Special Abilities I rolled a D6 and got a 6. Cut in half, that's 3 unusual gifts. Let's go with Battle Awareness (an ability I gave to the High Elves of my Aerth setting), Immortal-ish (the ridiculously long-lived nature of Elves and immunity to effects that age you), and Magic Affinity (Elves take 1 less Spell Fatigue when they are afflicated with that effect). 

For her equipment, I figure she has fairly standard adventuring gear; Rope, Torches, Flint and Tinder, A Fishing Pole and Medieval 'Tackle', Tent Sheet and a Blanket, a Spellbook, etc..

Her Signature Item is The Homey Haversack; a soft, black leather bag that can be worn as a backpack, slung over one shoulder, or slung across the body. It has some...peculiar but extremely useful features...which I will describe in the next post [most likely]. 

Her Armor, well, I picture chainmal with some plated areas. She isn't tremendously tough or quick so I am going to spend 4 Gold to give her an Armor Protection of an additional -2 for a total of -3. Because I spent Gold instead of taking an Agility Penalty, the Armor is of such quality that it doesn't hinder her (A Protection of -1 is automatic. Additional -1s require lowering your Agility by -1 or spending 2 Gold). 

My choice of Free Weapon is a Long Sword (Damage 2). Going to spend another 3 Gold right here to get a Dagger (Damage 1) and Medium Bow (Damage 2). She's not skilled with either but maybe she'll improve with practice (XP). 

Beginning with 10 Gold as any Player Character would, she is now at only 3. Yikes. My girl needs a quest ASAP! 

The final starting Character Sheet for Raelyn Riversprite looks like this:

And there we are! I like her. I really like her. And making her up was actually fun! Fun Fantasy RPG Character Creation! I can hardly believe it. If I hadn't been there myself I might not to be honest. I am really looking forward to seeing where I can take this little endeavor. 

Come along with us!

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Barking Alien

A Fantasy I Have

Yesterday morning I awoke to a jolt of inspiration! Part epiphany, part dream, and part memory, thoughts began running through my mind and I rushed to my computer in order to weite them down.

In about three hours I created 'Adventurers of The Enchanted Lands', a Fantasy hack of R. Talsorian Games' Anime Comedy RPG classic, Teenagers from Outer Space, created by Mike Pondsmith. 

This isn't exactly my first time creating this game.

I've used TFOS to run many different genres and settings over the years, including Medieval Fantasy. It is one of my all time favorite RPGs. I once used it to run my D&D-But-Not milieu of Aerth for a short Winghorn Guard campaign as a matter of fact. 

For this outing I'm doing things a little differently rules-wise; the mechanics being even simpler this time around. In addition, I'm adding in a few features inspired by recent Japanese Indie TRPGs for a little extra flavor. 

Where to begin? OK, the Core Mechanic: 

Roll 2d6 + Relevant Attribute/Stat + Relevant Knack (if any) and try to meet or beat a Target Number (TN) set by the GM.

• • Easy task: TN 7–9 
• • Moderate: TN 10–12 
• • Hard: TN 13–15 
• • Epic: TN 16+

Critical Success: Boxcars! A Natural 12. Amazing Effect + ‘Anime Flare’ (A flashy description, an extra benefit, or a temporary power-up. This could include making your next Check Roll with Advantage. Roll 3D6 and take the highest two. 

Comedic/Flawed Success: Beat TN by 10+. You succeed with a funny or dramatic side effect (e.g., Your Fireball cooks the monster as well as the Party’s food supply or burns up the dungeon map. Perhaps your elaborate sword technique leaves you dramatically posing for another round or two).

Success: Simply beat the TN. You succeed! 

Failure: If Check Roll is below the TN it is a Miss or Failed Action. You can change it to a Partial Success, succeeding with a Complication, -1 Fatigue, or Disadvantage on next roll. A Disadvantage means rolling 3D6 and taking the two lowest numbers.

Critical Failure or ‘Botch’: Roll Snake Eyes! A natural 2. If the Check Roll total is a Failure, some additional dramatic complication occurs in addition to the Miss. If the Check Roll total Succeeds, you do indeed do what you intended but something still goes seriously wrong. 

As you can see, different factors can introduce a Bonus or Penalty Die Advantage or Disadvantage to a Check Roll but generally speaking that's all there is to it. The objective is to keep things both simple and narrative. 

Character Creation is likewise pretty simple and straightforward, largely the same as TFOS with a few tweaks for a Fantasy setting: Players pick an Archtype - Elf, Dwarf, Human, etc. , determine their Party Role(s) which are 1-3 Traits which can lower the Target Number of tasks related to them, and then work out their Attributes - Stats and Knacks - Basically Skills but also things like Spellcasting or Turning Undead. 

The Character Sheet looks like this...

Magic System 

Anime-Flavored Magic is flashy and costly. Roll Spirit + Magic Knack + 2D6.

• •Low-Cost Spells: Utility, Buffs, Attacks with no Damage (They Confuse, Distract, etc.). Only costs Spell Fatigue on a Botched Check Roll.
• •Big Spells (Dragon Slave! style): Powerful but they drain Spirit (an effect called Spell Fatigue) or cause side effects (hair turns odd color, scent attracts monsters, etc.). -1 Spirit to cast, -2 on a Critical Failure.
• •PCs can take on extra Spell Fatigue to make Spells more effective. 
• •Learning Magic: New Spells are obtained by learning and practice. Must be taught or found in Spellbooks or on Scrolls. Progression feels like Frieren - slow, meaningful mastery that occurs over time.

Combat & Exploration

• •Theater of the Mind with quick rounds. No grid needed.
• •Initiative: Roll Agility + Luck or just go in dramatic order.
• •Damage is narrative. You take Hits; after taking half your total you are stunned and hurt. Target Numbers go up to the next difficulty level. At zero Hits, the character is unconscious and their overall situation may worsen. Player Characters can only die in unavoidable situations or by player choice. Starting Hits = Body + ½ Luck.
• •Dungeons are living, breathing places: Traps, rival adventurer parties, sentient doors, patrols of haunted armors, and wandering entities that want to chat.
• •Food & Rest: Cooking monster meat gives mechanical buffs and restores morale. Skipping meals causes penalties (hungry party = comedic failures).

These are the basic or core rules I have so far and they should be enough to start my Solo campaign. In the next post I'll give you my main character's completed Character Sheet, some idea of why I made the choices I went with, and perhaps a little of the world/setting. Still haven't decided whether or not to go with Aerth. 

Thoughts, opinions, and ideas on this project are much appreciated! 

See you soon,

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Barking Alien