Grim Tales in Play?

[Davelozzi]

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (6th level)-- An adventure with guest Gentleman James West (Wild Wild West) to save Nikola Tesla from H.G. Wells-inspired aliens. Ran this one twice, actually, with two different groups.

I played this one of the times that Wulf ran it. It was a blast. As for the rules, I didn't really notice them much, which I guess means that they worked great as things kept moving and attention was squarely focuesd on the action, not bogged down in the mechanics.

 

[Turanil]

I have been thinking about this: Grim Tales + Elric of Melnibone

I always loved the stories of Elric, but did not enjoy very much Chaosium rules. Then, when they published Dragon Lords of Melnibone I immediately purchased it, only to be disappointed by the D&D adaptation to Moorcock's world of Law vs Chaos.

But now, that I have got my copy of Grim Tales and read through it, it seems to me that Grim Tales is the set of d20 rules to use with Dragon Lords of Melnibone, so it would become interesting (and different). Currently, it is the one campaign setting I best envision for using Grim Tales, and will probably ask my players to give it a try.

Now, one could argue that Elric's world is not a world of low magic! To this I will say that despite he was said to be a powerful wizard, Elric seldom casted spells in the novels (while other sorcerers were not common). On the other hand, I am not sure that Grim Tales spellcasting is so "low magic". Granted, the level of spellcasting is low, but spell burn is quickly reduced to a low risk: an 8th level Smart hero with four times the magical adept talent and an Intelligence of 16, has a spell-burn resistance of 6 (unless I did not read carefully). As such, he has a potential for many spells per day without too much risks. Then, if you take into account his 8 skill points per level, d6 hit die, and four feats, well he seems more powerful than a wizard, even if not purely in magical might...

Yet, I would like to know if others around here have other suggestions for such a Stormbringer campaign?

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

On the other hand, I am not sure that Grim Tales spellcasting is so "low magic". Granted, the level of spellcasting is low, but spell burn is quickly reduced to a low risk: an 8th level Smart hero with four times the magical adept talent and an Intelligence of 16, has a spell-burn resistance of 6 (unless I did not read carefully).

You read correctly-- I just didn't write correctly.

You should remove the additional spell burn resistance from the Improved Caster Level talent. That's already in my list of errata!

You could, of course, continue to use it as written if you want more magic; you could add another feat or talent "Improved Spell Burn Resistance"; or you could remove the option entirely.

I tend to think that resistance = primary attribute is the best method. Devoted spellcasters can make sure to increase their attribute (4th,8th, 12th, 16th, 20th level) to increase spell burn resistance.

Your review also mentions Steven King's Gunslinger/Dark Tower as a setting. I had this thought myself and have also seen other folks mention it. I think it's a great idea!

Wulf

 

[Turanil]

Your review also mentions Steven King's Gunslinger/Dark Tower as a setting. I had this thought myself and have also seen other folks mention it. I think it's a great idea!

Would it be an idea you would consider for a next product of yours?
Personnaly, I would well see it also reminding of Dark Sun, where the world's ambiance is concerned, but with gunslingers instead of templars... Otherwise, it seems that the lobster-like creature depicted p.170 of Grim Tales, is one of the Dud-a-chum / Dod-a-chock monsters who plague Roland in The Drawing of the Three.

You could, of course, continue to use it as written if you want more magic;

Well, I am now considering this houserule for a Stormbringer / Grim tales campaign: Level of spellcasting is equal to the spell-level + the caster's number of Magical Adept talents. However, this is only when in a place predominently under the rule of Chaos. In places where Law rules stronger, magic becomes much more difficult to cast. In terms of game mechanics, it "locally / temporarily reduces" the number of Magical Adept talents a caster may have. As such, if a character has 3 Magical Adept talents, in a region where magic is at -2, he will operate as if he had only 1 Magical Adept talent. In a region where magic is at -3, he will operate as if he had no Magical Adept talent, so here spells burn again his Constitution. This could even lead to spell no functioning any more at all (as should be obviously the case in planes only ruled by Law).

 

[Fenris]

You read correctly-- I just didn't write correctly.

You should remove the additional spell burn resistance from the Magical Adept talent. That's already in my list of errata!

You could, of course, continue to use it as written if you want more magic; you could add another feat or talent "Improved Spell Burn Resistance"; or you could remove the option entirely.

I tend to think that resistance = primary attribute is the best method. Devoted spellcasters can make sure to increase their attribute (4th,8th, 12th, 16th, 20th level) to increase spell burn resistance.

Your review also mentions Steven King's Gunslinger/Dark Tower as a setting. I had this thought myself and have also seen other folks mention it. I think it's a great idea!

Wulf

Sounds to me like you have the classic variants system of Grim Tales right there!
One skull: Use the Magical Adept talent as written
Two skulls: Remove the additional spell burn from the Magical Adept Talent and add the Feat or Talent Additional Spell burn (I would go with talent as it would balance better)
Three skulls: Remove the additonal spell burn from the Magical Adept Talent.

Keeps the format of Grim Tales options (which I love) and very simply allows GMs to tweak the magic level of their campaign (aside from all the others already built into Grim Tales)

 

[Cheiromancer]

Just to be clear, the Magical Adept Talent grants a caster level of 1 and spell burn resistance equal to his or her relevant ability score modifier.

The Improved Caster Level Talent increases your caster level by +1 and (as written) gives you an additional +1 bonus to your spell burn resistance.

So when we are talking about "additional spell burn" resistance in the Magical Adept talent, we really mean the erroneous text in the Improved Caster Level (ICL) Talent.

Right? So we have the following:

One skull: ICL as written.
Two skulls: Remove spell burn resistance from ICL, but add a feat or talent that gives bonus spell burn resistance.
Three skulls: Remove spell burn resistance from ICL, and don't replace it.

Plus minor variations. Two skulls would have a feat that gives a +1 bonus to spell burn resistance; Three skulls would have it be a talent. Etc.

 

[Fenris]

Just to be clear, the Magical Adept Talent grants a caster level of 1 and spell burn resistance equal to his or her relevant ability score modifier.

The Improved Caster Level Talent increases your caster level by +1 and (as written) gives you an additional +1 bonus to your spell burn resistance.

So when we are talking about "additional spell burn" resistance in the Magical Adept talent, we really mean the erroneous text in the Improved Caster Level (ICL) Talent.

Right? So we have the following:

One skull: ICL as written.
Two skulls: Remove spell burn resistance from ICL, but add a feat or talent that gives bonus spell burn resistance.
Three skulls: Remove spell burn resistance from ICL, and don't replace it.

Plus minor variations. Two skulls would have a feat that gives a +1 bonus to spell burn resistance; Three skulls would have it be a talent. Etc.

Yes, that was my intent. Thanks for the clarification to a rapidly composed response

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Just to be clear, the Magical Adept Talent grants a caster level of 1 and spell burn resistance equal to his or her relevant ability score modifier. The Improved Caster Level Talent increases your caster level by +1 and (as written) gives you an additional +1 bonus to your spell burn resistance.

So when we are talking about "additional spell burn" resistance in the Magical Adept talent, we really mean the erroneous text in the Improved Caster Level (ICL) Talent.

Sorry again... Now edited in above.

One skull: ICL as written.
Two skulls: Remove spell burn resistance from ICL, but add a feat or talent that gives bonus spell burn resistance.
Three skulls: Remove spell burn resistance from ICL, and don't replace it.

Plus minor variations. Two skulls would have a feat that gives a +1 bonus to spell burn resistance; Three skulls would have it be a talent. Etc.

Very astute! Make it a talent if you want to keep caster level overall low-- because a spellcaster will have to decide between either Improved Caster Level or Improved Spell Burn Resistance.

Make it a feat if you don't mind caster level AND spell burn resistance increasing apace.

Personally, I don't think you need it; at any rate, I certainly don't want it in my own low-magic games. As the GM you've really got to break the perception of spellcasting that doubtless exists in your players' minds. Let them get used to NO MAGIC for a while, then slowly sprinkle spells back into the game.

Going from no magic to even a little magic is as impactful in-game as it would be in the real world. I have yet to see any proof that anyone in the real world can do even the tiniest bit of "real magic," but believe me when I say that a color spray or a magic missile or even a magic mouth or ray of frost would be pretty f'in impressive.

Wulf

 

[SmokestackJones]

Hey there,

Sooooo...how would I use GT in conjunction with normal D20? I am biased against D20 Modern and wouldn't mind using GT for a plup-style campaign, but I don't want to have to pick up a copy of D20M (or the Pocket Modern Handbook for that matter) just to use the GT toolkit. Any ideas?

-SJ

 

[barsoomcore]

Smite Wulf

Wait, I didn't see that in the book! Where is that feat listed? I want Smite Wulf! And Improved Smite Wulf! And Epic Smite Wulf!

Going from no magic to even a little magic is as impactful in-game as it would be in the real world.

Absolutely. And damme I wish I'd had this book when I started Barsoom, but I managed to pull off the "there's no magic on Barsoom" gambit on everyone -- until they woke up the 3,000-year-old vampire child. At that point they started wondering.