Friday, January 27, 2023

I think we just won . . .

 Just caught the news that WotC and the "Embrace, Extend, Extinguish" crew in their upper echelons publicly claimed the irrevocable status of the OGL 1.0a and released all of the D&D 5.1 SRD under Creative Commons. I hope it's true, and it feels like something of a real victory. 

I've never particularly trusted WotC, I don't much care for their products, and I never really had full trust in the OGL 1.0a, but it was an industry standard that made other publishers feel safe. I've used it in some of my books and declined it in others. I still don't trust WotC, but it feels like maybe, just maybe, we actually earned that big "W" despite what looked like a destined "L."

I'm gonna sleep well tonight, and I'll post some more Gathox goodies soon!




Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Gathox Adventure Brainstormer

Sometimes you need a tool to help you get started, to shake your brain out of a rut, or just to get you thinking about adventures differently. Here's a tool I made for myself when I need a fresh idea for an adventure or scenario in Gathox.

 

handwritten tables for the generator

 

The Adventure Brainstormer table randomly generates seeds and hooks for new adventure ideas. If you're looking for inspiration to build new adventures or scenarios for your home Gathox game (or any other game, for that matter), this generator can help you get moving. 


How to use the Brainstormer: Roll a die chuck (1 die of each standard gaming die type), look up each die result on the table and jot it down on paper. These components, interpreted through the lens of your experiences, needs, and thought processes as a Slumlord, will form the essential components for designing your next adventure. Feel free to reroll any components or substitute table entries as you like - the whole point is to hasten the brainstorming for your next session.

1d4 - Campaign Frame
1 - Dungeon Crawl
2 - Wilderness Exploration
3 - Gangland
4 - Pyschosphere

1d6 - Mission Style
1 - Get the Mcguffin
2 - Escort/ Guard
3 - Mark/Assassination
4 - Mystery
5 - Conspiracy
6 - Heist

1d8 - Cause
1 - Treachery
2 - Guilt
3 - Covetousness
4 - Cold Practicality
5 - Obligation
6 - Hope
7 - Good Intentions
8 - Misunderstanding

1d10 - Omens
1 - Cells split into cells split into cells
2 - A worm crawls along the edge of a scalpel
3 - Skulls upon skulls upon skulls
4 - A forked tongue flickers in moon shadow
5 - A warm void between two candles
6 - Grains of sand melt to glass
7 - Fingers slip on a cliff's edge
8 - Silhouette of a sleeping beast awakening
9 - Open hands clasping
10 - A cold sunrise on firm ground

1d12 - Complications
1 - A lying ally
2 - A new faction intervenes
3 - An old friend falters
4 - A spy in the midst
5 - Past misdeeds brought to light
6 - Innocents at risk
7 - Opposing team pursues same goal
8 - Extradimensional forces take an interest
9 - Material resources dwindle
10 - A hunt for the PCs begins
11 - Personal tragedy at a crucial time
12 - Time suddenly begins to run out

1d20 - One True Thing
1 - Everything is as it appears.
2 - Enemies operate with deep prejudices.
3 - Allies have found reason for distrust.
4 - Ancient entities have laid the groundwork for this scenario.
5 - Mortal enemies have agreed to cooperate.
6 - Hidden rewards dwarf the risks.
7 - Social conditions ease the way.
8 - History repreats itself.
9 - No perfect outcome is possible.
10 - A new threat imposes its will.
11 - An old enemy returns with a vengeance.
12 - Many outcomes are satisfying.
13 - A historic cycle is broken.
14 - Social upheaval creates brief opportunity.
15 - Extreme danger lingers like a cloud.
16 - Alliances have fractured or grown more strained.
17 - Religious delusions have defined this scenario.
18 - Friends want to intervene on behalf of PCs.
19 - Enemies are doing the right thing.
20 - Truth has inverted itself.

1d4 - Campaign Frame - This is the modality of the adventure. Dungeon crawling - tactical decisions in interior spaces. Wilderness Exploration - planned travel to a destination with complications, can be across landscapes or cityscapes. Gangland - territorial decisions and subterfuge in opposition to other factions. Psychosphere - navigating weird spaces that break the laws of reality; highly hallucinatory.

1d6 - Mission Style - This is the means by which the adventure operates. Adventures often cross the lines of mission styles, so feel free to add to this roll as you like.

1d8 - Cause - This is the impetus for the adventure, the underlying reason events swing into motion.

1d10 - Omens - These are symbolic visual impressions, like inkblots in literary form. Use them to aesthetically or metaphorically  interpret aspects of the adventure as you see fit.

1d12 - Complications - These entries add additional conflicts to your adventure, warp them as needed.

1d20 - One True Thing - This is a fact about your adventure that holds true despite any other details you may add. Modify to your heart's desire.

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

New Gathox Mechanic: "Clear20"

 Howdy folks!

In my endless quest to make combat faster and less mathy, I've brainstormed a simple mechanic for attacking and saving that I believes alleviates two problems:


1) The absurd and seemingly endless statistical inflation of ascending armor class; and
2) The confusing and tiresome math of To-Hit scores combined with subtractive armor.

That mechanic is called "Clear20."




A Clear20 roll happens (surprise!) on a 1d20, where the player needs to roll a 20 or higher. It's used for combat and saves, as follows:

Attack Rolls
---------------------
Once intitiative has been determined, PCs and NPCs may attack on their respective initiatives. Defense is passive; no one rolls for Defense. Combatants only roll to Attack, and this is achieved with the "Clear20" die mechanic.

Clear20: roll 1d20 and add the appropriate modifiers. If the resulting number equals or exceeds 20, the roll is a success.

In the case of attacking, a combatant adds the following:

1. Base Attack number. All L1 PCs begin play with at least 1.
2. The opponent's Defense value. This ranges from 9 at worst to 0 at best.
3. Situational modifiers.
4. Environmental modifiers (optional).

Situational modifiers include:
* All PCs add or subtract their DEX modifier to ranged attacks.
* Militants add or subtract their STR modifier to melee attacks.
* Mentalists add or subtract their INT modifier to physical attacks with magic weapons.
* Mutants add or subtract their CON modifier to physical attacks with bodily mutations.

Environmental modifiers include:
* -1 for fighting in fog, noxious clouds, rain, snow, loose debris (sand/rubble), starlight, or fighting from low ground.
* -2 for fighting in sandstorms, monsoons, confined quarters (less than 10' wide), mud, viscera, or while surprised.
* -3 for fighting in water/liquids, low/zero gravity, darkness, blinding light, the psychosphere, or while bound, flying, or falling.
* -4 for fighting after reduced to 0 HP and rolling for Death and Dismemberment (assuming the PC lives and can somehow fight).

The Slumlord may adjudicate additional situational or environmental modifiers as they see fit. The severity of additional modifiers ought to be in accordance with those listed above.

Saving Rolls
----------------------
A Saving Roll is required when a PC is subject to a life threatening situation or condition. This may include falling, poison, shock, magic, being reduced to 0 or fewer HP, or deadly traps. Unless mandated by an effect, the Slumlord judges the necessity of a Saving Roll on a case by case basis. These rolls ought to be infrequent, and are also governed by the "Clear20" rule:

Roll 1d20 and add the appropriate modifiers. If the resulting number equals or exceeds 20, the roll is a success.

PCs making a Saving Roll add the following:

1. Their base Save score. All L1 PCs begin with a base Save of 4.
2. Their level.
3. Explicit modifiers from  gear, magical or technologically advanced items, magic, and psychic abilities.

The Slumlord may assign additional modifiers as deemed appropriate. Keep in mind that successful Saving Rolls may:
* negate a situation
* halve an effect
* forestall a condition
* avoid death
* create room for a less harmful outcome
* halt a perpetual or active condition which otherwise cannot be halted

Saving Rolls should not apply to:
* social interactions or roleplaying interactions
* negotiations or bartering
* melee or ranged combat damage
* carousing, downtime activities, or spending RP
* situations in which lethality is not of immediate, paramount concern

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Gathox, the OGL, and the new Gathox!

Sorry for the deep pause in posts! I've been in hibernation, working away on some new gaming products, tweaking my house rules, getting married, branching out into fine art, and getting some real mental health assistance which has been life-changing. I'm doing great, and I hope you are too!

I'm posting here today to let you know the following: I'm working on the Encyclopedia Gathoxica, a complete, all-in-one, Gathox tome with new rules, classes, spells, monsters, and adventures. Everything needed to play will be self-contained and the rules will be published under a copyleft license, not the OGL. If you've followed TTRPG news lately, you'll know why.

I've got hundreds of pages of gaming content scattered across three notebooks, ready to be compiled into a newer, faster, meaner, meatier, more mutated Gathox. It's my baby, after all, and no matter whatever else I work on, I find myself thinking, writing, and playing about Gathox. I'm super stoked for the future, and if the malice and anti-open source actions and intentions of the singular industry monolith provided me with enough fire and excitement to move out of the germination phase and into the make new shit phase, all the better. I honestly haven't been this stoked about working on gaming material since 2019. It's been a long time coming.

Lastly, there are going to be GLOG components in the Encyclopedia Gathoxica! I've chatted with Arnold Kemp from Goblin Punch (go read his blog, and then re-read it, it's dope), and I have his blessing to use GLOG components in the new edition!