Grim Tales question. . .

[Emryys]

Is there plans for it (Grim Tales) to be released as a PDF?

 

[jdrakeh]

Is there plans for it (Grim Tales) to be released as a PDF?

I believe that most of it has been already. Here's a link. You can still buy the hardcover book via Indie Press Revolution.

 

[GlassJaw]

Is there plans for it (Grim Tales) to be released as a PDF?

A few individual sections have been but not the whole book. Wulf needs to be bugged more about this.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Pretty sure the experience table is in there. The table is both a simple expression and well established in prior art.

There are no rules "describing the process" of levelling up, however.

In my opinion, the biggest thing you will be missing (for a fantasy campaign) is equipment and spells. Guidelines for creating custom campaign-specific weapons and armor are provided, but it's easier to pull them from the PHB.

For spells, I would definitely use the PHB.

It's really not just lip service to recommend either the PHB or the d20 Modern books. Having one or the other will make customizing your campaign a lot easier.

Grim Tales is extremely "d20 Friendly" so you'll be able to get a lot of mileage out of all the d20 stuff you already own. Using 3rd party books full of equipment, spells, and monsters to quickly and easily populate your campaign world is highly recommended.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

<pokes Wulf with a stick> Yeah, a pdf version would be nice. I get strange looks when I slap the hardback on the conference table to do gameprep during staff meetings.

I would recommend, if you're using PHB spells (or really, anything magical that the players might be familiar with), that you change the names and anything that makes it too obvious what it is. The lure of GT is that it's not just the same-old, same-old, and as soon as you get your caster types slinging the same spells they have for years, it loses some of the appeal.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

<pokes Wulf with a stick> I would recommend, if you're using PHB spells (or really, anything magical that the players might be familiar with), that you change the names and anything that makes it too obvious what it is. The lure of GT is that it's not just the same-old, same-old, and as soon as you get your caster types slinging the same spells they have for years, it loses some of the appeal.

GT is really about all the stuff "under the hood" of d20-- looking at all the moving parts of d20 and how they interact with each other.

Once you are comfortable with all of those parts, it doesn't matter what kind of outside appearance you slap on it. For example, the "baseline" 1H martial weapon is a d8/19-20 x2. Calling it a "longsword" as opposed to an "Ur'Qaan fleshrender" is a distinction based entirely in fluff.

Rename everything-- it all depends on how instantly familiar you want your players to be with the setting.

The d20 mechanics are the product, and all of the fluff, from the name down to the smallest background detail, is just packaging.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

I would submit that (for many players), changing the mechanics without changing the flavor is unsettling. It's like putting a Volkswagen Bug shell on a Ferrari body. Telling an unsuspecting player he has to make a caster check and then a burn check to cast a 1d4 magic missile when he's used to just casting the spell and rolling the damage can be off-putting. Simply changing the name breaks them of the habit of playing to their long-held assumptions as to how things work. It can also cut down on the arguments if you've got those sorts of players.

Yes, GT is about the mechanics, but the mechanics serve the game and inform its flavor. It took me a while to see past GT as a d20 Modern variant and appreciate what it let me do.

 

[jdrakeh]

Pretty sure the experience table is in there.

If it's not, no biggie -- I have multiple copies of the D&D PHB, carry around the Hypertext SRD on my palmtop, and often default to the old Arduin system of awarding levels per adventure completed (although I'm considering using the Demeanor/Theme wheels from The Chronicles of Ramlar in the future).

In my opinion, the biggest thing you will be missing (for a fantasy campaign) is equipment and spells. Guidelines for creating custom campaign-specific weapons and armor are provided, but it's easier to pull them from the PHB.

No biggie. I actually plan to use it for space-faring sci-fi (specifically, the old Myrmidon Press Manhunter setting). This is why the Doom comment up above was a good selling point for me. I think the only thing that I'm keeping from the original Manhunter is the ship to ship combat system, as it's particularly nifty.

 

[jaerdaph]

Pretty sure the experience table is in there. The table is both a simple expression and well established in prior art.

There are no rules "describing the process" of levelling up, however.

Just to confirm, yes it is in there. I'd forgotten about that.

And to restate what others have, it is more of a toolkit which allows you to use and incorporate the entire gambit of d20/OGL products. Plus it is easier to incorporate other d20 material into Grim Tales than say True20 (not that it's that hard to do for True20 either, short of magic and psionics).

 

[jaerdaph]

Great. I haven't been able to put Grim Tales down all afternoon, and I have work I need to finish.

I think I'm falling in love again.