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D&D Older Editions
4e-like game (title TBD)
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<blockquote data-quote="Composer99" data-source="post: 9107976" data-attributes="member: 7030042"><p>Inspired by the <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/introducing-orcus-a-4e-retroclone.685145/" target="_blank">4e retroclone</a> posted here, as well as the recent developments viz. the OGL, as well as my experience in playing D&D 4e, I've decided to develop a 4e-like game. (Basically, I was tinkering with a 5e heartbreaker, but between A5E, Kobold Press's project, and stuff, I think big 5e-likes are a saturated niche, especially for aspirants such as myself.)</p><p></p><p>I'm not sure I want to go full-on retroclone, but I do want the game to <em>feel like</em> 4e in play (even if, for obvious reasons, I'm not sure I want it to look <em>too much</em> like 4e in presentation).</p><p></p><p>One thing I wanted to mention off the bat is that I want the layout of content, when viewed on the page, to be as readable as, say, OSE (which is a very well laid out book, at least in my view). (The layout of D&D books is one of my pet peeves.)</p><p></p><p>I have the gameplay rules worked out, enough of the ABCs (ancestry, background, and class) worked out to be getting on with, and am filling in some more character options, magic items, monsters, and adventuring content (hazards, suggestions for stocking dungeon rooms, sample challenges, that sort of thing) before I get on with soliciting playtesters.</p><p></p><p>I expect to post further about this project here, over at Giant in the Playground, the big 4e Discord server I'm on, and I'm not sure where else. (Suggestions on that score would be well received!) Once I have a "playtest edition" ready to go, I expect I'll start a Discord server for dedicated discussion. I'm also debating a development blog or "vlog" on YouTube (again, maybe starting once there is a "playtest edition" ready).</p><p></p><p>Here is a sample of a more-or-less complete monster - the Deep One - one page of lore, one page of how to use the monster in the game, and a stat block that fits on one page. (You get three guesses as to what this is based off of, and the first two don't count.) The Deep One and its various types of thrall take up 7 pages, so my intent for a polished published text would be to have a single full-page illustration so that the whole set takes up four 2-page spreads.</p><p></p><p>[SPOILER="Deep One Lore Page"][ATTACH=full]293366[/ATTACH][/SPOILER]</p><p></p><p>[SPOILER="Deep One Gameplay Page"][ATTACH=full]293367[/ATTACH][/SPOILER]</p><p></p><p>[SPOILER="Deep One Stat Block Page"][ATTACH=full]293368[/ATTACH][/SPOILER]</p><p></p><p><strong>Notes about the Deep One</strong></p><p>Basically, I want a GM to read the entry and be able to run a Deep One "out of the box" as-is, both in and out of combat.</p><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The reference to "treasure tables" is provisional, pending work on the actual treasure content. (I know 4e classically uses treasure packets; I'm not sure that I want to copy over that "mechanic" exactly.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">I can already see a few small changes I want to make. (That, despite having overhauled this entry twice from its original form!) For instance, I think in the "Slimy Tentacle" attack, I'll change the line at the end of the attack block to a "<strong>Requires</strong>" element at the start of the block, specifying that the Deep One can't use this attack if it has already grappled two creatures, and the "Bite" attack ought to work on non-grappled creatures - perhaps it will do more damage to grappled ones.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Elite Actions are how elite monsters (a kind of extraordinary monster) get in their extra action economy. Basically, an elite monster can take one elite action per round outside of its turn at a fixed point; certain conditions can cause it not to take an elite action but instead it ends such a condition (such as dominated or stunned), so there's always value in imposing that condition without it completely locking the monster down.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">World Actions are inspired by 5e lair actions and the A5E concept of the same name; the rename is because other things will also cause world actions - possibly including player character powers (such as a druid's <em>call lightning</em>).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The difference between the lore on the "lore page" and the "monster lore" stuff on the stat block page is that the "monster lore" is combat-relevant stuff that would come up when the player characters first encounter the monster (more or less like a Monster Knowledge Check from 4e proper). The other lore is the stuff they might know off hand because of skill training or that they can research outside of combat.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">"Dazed" in this project is not the same as "dazed" in 4e. Instead, the "staggered" condition is. "Dazed" is like a weaker form where you can't take quick actions (aka minor actions) or reactions.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">In the sample encounters, I'll add a note saying that GMs should consider rewarding canny players who think of trying to play multiple Deep Ones off one another with the same outcome that they can roll randomly.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Yes, there are some typos to fix.</li> </ol></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Composer99, post: 9107976, member: 7030042"] Inspired by the [URL='https://www.enworld.org/threads/introducing-orcus-a-4e-retroclone.685145/']4e retroclone[/URL] posted here, as well as the recent developments viz. the OGL, as well as my experience in playing D&D 4e, I've decided to develop a 4e-like game. (Basically, I was tinkering with a 5e heartbreaker, but between A5E, Kobold Press's project, and stuff, I think big 5e-likes are a saturated niche, especially for aspirants such as myself.) I'm not sure I want to go full-on retroclone, but I do want the game to [I]feel like[/I] 4e in play (even if, for obvious reasons, I'm not sure I want it to look [I]too much[/I] like 4e in presentation). One thing I wanted to mention off the bat is that I want the layout of content, when viewed on the page, to be as readable as, say, OSE (which is a very well laid out book, at least in my view). (The layout of D&D books is one of my pet peeves.) I have the gameplay rules worked out, enough of the ABCs (ancestry, background, and class) worked out to be getting on with, and am filling in some more character options, magic items, monsters, and adventuring content (hazards, suggestions for stocking dungeon rooms, sample challenges, that sort of thing) before I get on with soliciting playtesters. I expect to post further about this project here, over at Giant in the Playground, the big 4e Discord server I'm on, and I'm not sure where else. (Suggestions on that score would be well received!) Once I have a "playtest edition" ready to go, I expect I'll start a Discord server for dedicated discussion. I'm also debating a development blog or "vlog" on YouTube (again, maybe starting once there is a "playtest edition" ready). Here is a sample of a more-or-less complete monster - the Deep One - one page of lore, one page of how to use the monster in the game, and a stat block that fits on one page. (You get three guesses as to what this is based off of, and the first two don't count.) The Deep One and its various types of thrall take up 7 pages, so my intent for a polished published text would be to have a single full-page illustration so that the whole set takes up four 2-page spreads. [SPOILER="Deep One Lore Page"][ATTACH type="full"]293366[/ATTACH][/SPOILER] [SPOILER="Deep One Gameplay Page"][ATTACH type="full"]293367[/ATTACH][/SPOILER] [SPOILER="Deep One Stat Block Page"][ATTACH type="full"]293368[/ATTACH][/SPOILER] [B]Notes about the Deep One[/B] Basically, I want a GM to read the entry and be able to run a Deep One "out of the box" as-is, both in and out of combat. [LIST=1] [*]The reference to "treasure tables" is provisional, pending work on the actual treasure content. (I know 4e classically uses treasure packets; I'm not sure that I want to copy over that "mechanic" exactly.) [*]I can already see a few small changes I want to make. (That, despite having overhauled this entry twice from its original form!) For instance, I think in the "Slimy Tentacle" attack, I'll change the line at the end of the attack block to a "[B]Requires[/B]" element at the start of the block, specifying that the Deep One can't use this attack if it has already grappled two creatures, and the "Bite" attack ought to work on non-grappled creatures - perhaps it will do more damage to grappled ones. [*]Elite Actions are how elite monsters (a kind of extraordinary monster) get in their extra action economy. Basically, an elite monster can take one elite action per round outside of its turn at a fixed point; certain conditions can cause it not to take an elite action but instead it ends such a condition (such as dominated or stunned), so there's always value in imposing that condition without it completely locking the monster down. [*]World Actions are inspired by 5e lair actions and the A5E concept of the same name; the rename is because other things will also cause world actions - possibly including player character powers (such as a druid's [I]call lightning[/I]). [*]The difference between the lore on the "lore page" and the "monster lore" stuff on the stat block page is that the "monster lore" is combat-relevant stuff that would come up when the player characters first encounter the monster (more or less like a Monster Knowledge Check from 4e proper). The other lore is the stuff they might know off hand because of skill training or that they can research outside of combat. [*]"Dazed" in this project is not the same as "dazed" in 4e. Instead, the "staggered" condition is. "Dazed" is like a weaker form where you can't take quick actions (aka minor actions) or reactions. [*]In the sample encounters, I'll add a note saying that GMs should consider rewarding canny players who think of trying to play multiple Deep Ones off one another with the same outcome that they can roll randomly. [*]Yes, there are some typos to fix. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]
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