[RCFG] RCFG Ongoing Development!

[Raven Crowking]

Originally Posted by Jack7

This is a nice effort RC, with some really clever design principles.

Thanks.

Once I get past the "First Draft" stage and into a "Final RCFG 1e" document, I hope that most of the warts will have been removed.

I have to credit 4e with a lot of the "push" here, both in getting me off my onager, and in making me think about design goals/principles. Well, it was really EN World discussions of 4e design goals/principles prior to the 4e release, but there were some really awesome discussions of the same here.

Parsing the problems of editions 1-3, with some thoughts about how they should/could be "fixed" really increased my appreciation of Gary's original design. There was definitely a real sense of how later innovations caused unexpected problems, and I hope that this game (which is, if successful, a fusion of old and new design criteria) will be able to use the better (IMHO) innovations while avoiding the problems caused by them in 3e.

I'll know I've done it right when I can run Keep on the Borderlands and Keep on the Shadowfell with no more than 2 hours prep work on either module, and with relatively equal success.

Is that too much to ask?


RC

[Nellisir]

Originally Posted by Raven Crowking

Huh?

Reported for awesomeness, of course!

I don't know what other possibility there could be.

I'm intrigued by the mathematical descriptor. Is that a guide to the character, or a warning to the player?

[Raven Crowking]

Originally Posted by Nellisir

Reported for awesomeness, of course!

I don't know what other possibility there could be.

I suppose so......Seems a strange thing to report. I didn't even use any foul language in that spell......?

I'm intrigued by the mathematical descriptor. Is that a guide to the character, or a warning to the player?

It relates to the sorcerer power source.


RC

[glass]

Originally Posted by Raven Crowking

I have to credit 4e with a lot of the "push" here, both in getting me off my onager,

Why were you on a catapult in the first place?

Originally Posted by Raven Crowking

Parsing the problems of editions 1-3, with some thoughts about how they should/could be "fixed" really increased my appreciation of Gary's original design. There was definitely a real sense of how later innovations caused unexpected problems, and I hope that this game (which is, if successful, a fusion of old and new design criteria) will be able to use the better (IMHO) innovations while avoiding the problems caused by them in 3e.

That will be my approach, if I ever get around to doing "glass's Fantasy Game". Of course, which bits of old and which bits of new will be different.

Originally Posted by Raven Crowking

I'll know I've done it right when I can run Keep on the Borderlands and Keep on the Shadowfell with no more than 2 hours prep work on either module, and with relatively equal success. Is that too much to ask?

Sound reasonable to me!


glass.

[Raven Crowking]

Part two of the Ruined Keep playtest got moved to this Tuesday, so I'll be reporting on how that went. The next playtest after that will be Steading of the Hill Giant Chief with 9th level RCFG characters. Following that, the remaining Against the Giants modules with level 11 and 13 characters (possibly levels modded up or down depending upon how HGC goes).

Originally Posted by glass

Why were you on a catapult in the first place?

An onager is also an ass.

I was on the catapult for making bad puns. Vengeance is swift around these parts.

That will be my approach, if I ever get around to doing "glass's Fantasy Game". Of course, which bits of old and which bits of new will be different.

I expected as much, which is the reason that

(1) I've tried to make RCFG as modular as possible, while still having a coherent game experience, and

(2) The text will be 90% or more OGC, meaning that you can use whatever you like when you devise GFG. I look forward to stealing from GFG myself.


RC

[glass]

Originally Posted by Raven Crowking

An onager is also an ass.

I was on the catapult for making bad puns. Vengeance is swift around these parts.

I nearly asked why you were sitting on a donkey...I didn't make the connection to ass (perhaps because on my side of the pond it's arse).


glass.

[glass]

Originally Posted by Raven Crowking

(2) The text will be 90% or more OGC, meaning that you can use whatever you like when you devise GFG. I look forward to stealing from GFG myself.

Hopefully, one day you'll be able to! But, don't hold you breath. I'm not really close to starting yet, let alone finishing. I have a few idea bouncing around in my head, but I have no idea how to go about making it all fit together.

For example, I'd like to do priority based character generation like in previous editions of Shadowrun, so a more powerful race requires sacrifices in other areas -but balancing that would be a real trick!


glass.

[glass]

Hi RC,

Can I ask you to speak a little more about your initiative system? One of the main stumbling blocks to my aforementioned gFG (apart from time!) is figuring out how I want initiative to work.

Am I right in thinking that smaller weapons will be the faster ones? Or do you do it the other way around (based on reach)?

While making action speed more important, did you consider going the whole hog with a fully tick based system? If so, why did you rule it out?


glass.

[Raven Crowking]

Thanks for the thinly disguised bump.

I know that I am remiss in playtest reports, as well as in getting that Magic pdf up, but things have been busy lately.

You are correct in assuming that smaller weapons are generally faster, and generally do less damage, than larger weapons. However, this also depends upon the weapon, as both reach and weapon balance are taken into account. Thus, a battle axe, although capable of doing a lot of damage, just doesn't get the same number of strokes in as a longsword, and a dagger isn't as quick as a rapier.

(All of this will be in the Equipment preview, when it comes, and has been playtested as a varient 3.5 rule already.)

2. In the first and each subsequent round of combat, all combatants roll initiative.

a. Initiative is rolled by rolling 1d10 + Dexterity modifier + Weapon Speed modifier + any additional modifiers.

b. If a creature’s previous initiative roll was a negative number, it gains a cumulative +4 bonus to its initiative roll for every negative initiative in an unbroken series. Thus, a creature who had three negative initiative roll results in a row would gain a +12 bonus on its fourth roll. If this roll results in a positive number, it gains no bonus on its next initiative roll. If that roll is a negative number, its bonus on the following initiative is +4 (not +16).

3. Combatants act in initiative order (highest to lowest).

a. At each combatant’s first initiative phase, the combatant is allowed to take one action.

b. After their first action, a character may be allowed an additional action if his initiative score was higher than 10. Subtract 10 from the initiative score, and the character can take an action on that phase as well. If the new phase is still higher than 10, repeat until the combatant’s last phase is 10 or lower. For example, a combatant whose initiative was 24 would act on phases 24, 14, and 4.

c. Combatants with negative initiative do not get to act.

d. Reactions and free reactions may be taken at any time, so long as the combatant is not totally surprised.

e. Surprised creatures (totally or partially) do not roll initiative.

[syneuron1990]

love your project and can't wait for it to come out!!

[Raven Crowking]

Originally Posted by syneuron1990

love your project and can't wait for it to come out!!

Thank you.

It helps knowing that there is someone beyond my immediate circle who is also interested.

As a big plus, 1e, bd&d, basic fantasy, labyrinth lord, and OSRIC modules are a snap to convert. I haven't converted a 3e or 4e module yet, but I am guessing that they won't be any harder.


RC

[Skarnkai]

Hello, I apologize if I am late to add some suggestions, or if I repeat something from earlier (I just skimmed the thread). Here are some ideas I had:

On level drain - In 1e you you Life Energy Levels (aka Levels) this is what undead stole from you essentially. This of course invokes fear and consternation like no other from players (due to negative progress even if they manage to defeat a foe, even the lowly wight). I think I saw on dragonsfoot an alternate method. When a creature inflicts a negative level, instead of losing XP, they gain a negative level (-1 to all rolls). If they are hit with negative levels = their character level (or name level as a option if higher), they immediately die and rise as the undead that killed them. Thus the ability is still fearsome. These levels may be permanent or treatable based on the gritty factor of a given campaign.

on race and HD. When I was working on a 1-4th edition hybrid, I got the idea of a racial HD, based on size (somewhat based on the monstrous races in 2e skill & powers, that gained a certain amount of bonus HP at 1st). This would stack with class HD giving a bit more survivability at 1st level as desired. This base HD would also be for non-classed members of that race (dwarves would be hardier than their size would indicate). d6 would be average, d4 for halflings and gnomes, d8 for half orcs or half ogres (maybe if you play with half-orcs being larger, otherwise not)

On magic items - I liked the Spells and Magic version of this honestly. Need a laboratory and components, possibly libraries and mystical forges as well. Simple things like potions and scrolls (and some alchemical type magic items, universal solvent and the like, dusts etc) might be buyable or their components at least (use the spell components as a guide perhaps?), but more permanent items require much more substantial things to be quested for. These may be subcontracted in a way to other NPCs (aka quest giving), which may limit the item they are able to make (aka why every 15th level wizard just doesn't jump to +6 Defenders or whathaveyou.)

Hope it helps a bit.

[Raven Crowking]

Thanks, Skarnkai. Every bit of feedback helps!

I am working on a website update, and the next preview should be up before midnight. Note that the spell lists aren't complete for specialist wizards yet, but I thought you might like to see where I'm at.

Lots of sickness -- kids and S.O. -- in the last little bit. Hoping to get a bit more work done soon.


RC

[Raven Crowking]

Website updated.

[Raven Crowking]

Not a lot of time right now for playtest reports. To tell you the truth, I've been sick with a head cold (maybe a sinus infection) for about a week now, and I feel pretty bleh.

On Tuesday, I discovered that four 9th level RCFG characters (+ followers) could take on 29 bugbears, but they have to use some spells and don't come out of it unscathed. We also discovered a few more rules problems that will be ironed out in the actual game.

For example, missile weapons will allow you to spend ranks in order to avoid hitting specific targets, so that as characters gain skill they don't still have such a high chance of hitting a friendly figure when firing into the middle of melee. Likewise, while using a missile weapon from melee will still not automatically provoke an AoO, missing will. Again, this means that skilled characters will be able to do things that their lower-level brethren will think twice about.


RC

[Jorunkun]

RC,

just stumbled upon this thread a few days ago and took a while to read through the material you have published so far. I'm quite impressed: a skillful compression of the existing D&D rules-material, some good novel ideas and exemplary clear writing throughout.

I am curious to read more playtest reports and dissection of, for example, the changes to combat mechanics to see how the changes affect play. Also, I am looking forward to read your treatment of spells.

Hope you stick this project out to the end, it's got potential.

Best regards,

J.

[Raven Crowking]

Originally Posted by Jorunkun

just stumbled upon this thread a few days ago and took a while to read through the material you have published so far. I'm quite impressed: a skillful compression of the existing D&D rules-material, some good novel ideas and exemplary clear writing throughout.

Thank you. All that stuff is first draft, and some problems have already been pointed out to me, so the final version will be beter.

I am curious to read more playtest reports and dissection of, for example, the changes to combat mechanics to see how the changes affect play. Also, I am looking forward to read your treatment of spells.

I've been sick, and still goiing to work, in a house with a sick partner and sick kids. So, I'm a little behind on some things........

Hope you stick this project out to the end, it's got potential.

Thank you. That is certainly my intention.

For your information, the G1 playtest is using the module almost as-is; I've had to do very little work to rewrite stats. For magic items, I am referencing the 1e DMG. It seems to work fine.

(One of my design goals is to make the Encyclopedia Magica useful again, as it is a great reference work!)

Combat goes a lot quicker than in WotC-D&D, with the tactical choices often taking place in terms of how to use weapon (or non-weapon) skills. Spellcasters seem to work okay, but high-level fighters still rock in this game.


RC

[Raven Crowking]

A gibbering ghost is sometimes created when an intelligent being dies in terror and madness. Usually, the circumstances that can create a gibbering ghost only affect a single creature. For instance, a gibbering ghost may be created by a creature that survives a fall into a pit or well, but thereafter starves, unable to escape, or from some unfortunate soul unlucky enough to have been mistaken for dead and buried alive. Sometimes a natural disaster, a collapsing building or bridge, or similar set of circumstances creates several gibbering ghosts at once. These ghosts have also arisen from those who die in prisons or sanatoriums.

Gibbering ghosts are often heard as a faint – but persistent – babbling, while remaining incorporeal and invisible. When a gibbering ghost is visible, it might appear as it did in life, except for the evident madness in its gaze, or it might appear like a roiling cloud of shadows.

A gibbering ghost that manages to possess another creature often has a specific goal in mind. This goal might even have been a rational one, given the circumstances of the ghost’s life or death, but the means by which the ghost attempts to achieve its goals are insane. Thus a gibbering ghost might wish to escape the cell it died in, but will ignore the open cell door – instead trying to complete the tunnel it was digging in the wall when it died. Any attempt to coerce the possessed creature into another course of action is resisted with manic intensity...and equally manic violence.

[Raven Crowking]

Carnivorous apes are similar to gorillas, but larger, with huge hands, broad chests, and reddish fur. They eat lizards, birds, and small mammals, as well as larger mammals (including humanoids) when they are available. They nest in trees, or in shallow caves in the tropics. They hunt both by dropping on prey from above, and by driving prey toward waiting ambushers. Carnivorous apes are intelligent enough to hunt cooperatively.

In some places, wholly subterranean carnivorous apes exist, whose eyes are bright red and whose fur is white (or yellowish-white). These carnivorous apes have darkvision to a distance of 60 feet, but are stunned for 1d6 rounds when exposed to a bright light (such as daylight, but not a torch or lantern). These subterranean apes may exist even in temperate lands.

Rumours persist of carnivorous apes dwelling in remote temperate rainforests, as well as in the upper reaches of some mountains, where the snowcap never melts. These apes are said to have dark brown, black, grey, or white fur (in the mountains). Mountain apes may have some natural resistance to cold (such as cold resistance 5 or 10), at the GM’s discretion.

[Raven Crowking]

An al-mi’raj appears to be a large rabbit, often with yellowish or black fur, except for a one-foot-long pearly horn rising from its forehead. Al-mi’raj have a natural ability to sense open spaces within 15 feet of them, as well as a limited ability to teleport. They live in warrens, often built around abandoned burrows, sealed tombs, and other spaces without any obvious entrance or egress. They are not aggressive, unless their warrens are breached. Even then, al-mi’raj tend to flee rather than fight. To many treasure-seekers, al-mi’raj are less of a challenge than an indication that a hidden tomb might exist nearby. Any treasure indicated is incidental, being part of the al-mi’raj lair rather than something intentionally collected by the creatures.