Grim Tales: SLAVELORDS of CYDONIA - Advance Copy: Taking Q&A!

[GlassJaw]

You might find this odd (considering our private conversations about my concern over this text-heavy book) but I was actually extremely concerned about the couple of columns of white space left in the book.

I actually really liked the format and the lack of white space was one of the first things I noticed. Most books (and some companies are guilty of this more than others) almost invariably suffer from some white space. I really felt that, regardless of the quality of content, I certainly wasn't paying for white space.

 

[Fenris]

Wulf,
Is it Psi-donia or Cid-onia?

Did I read the weapons section correctly? One feat (martial or personal firearms) grant proficiency with all weapons in that group and exotics are taken individually?

PS Thanks for the vehicle combat card download!

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Wulf,
Is it Psi-donia or Cid-onia?

Did I read the weapons section correctly? One feat (martial or personal firearms) grant proficiency with all weapons in that group and exotics are taken individually?

PS Thanks for the vehicle combat card download!

The first. (Assuming Wulf intended the same pronunciation as the real location.)

 

[Selganor]

So it looks like I'm gonna sell at least two copies. That's a start.

Nake that three... as soon as it arrives in Germany I'll get it and use it as a kickstart to a new campaign.

 

[scourger]

Wulf,
Is it Psi-donia or Cid-onia?

PS Thanks for the vehicle combat card download!

I've also wondered if the "C" is strong (like a "K") or soft (like an "S").

Where's the vehicle combat card download?

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Pronunciation of 'Cydonia'

 

[The Shaman]

Are the mass combat rules suitable for use in other d20 games?

 

[BryonD]

Are the mass combat rules suitable for use in other d20 games?

I don't have all the details, but the mass combat rules are based on the CR/EL system presented in GT. Therefore, the mass combat system should be just as compatible with other D20 games as that system is. I would consider that to be very compatible. The CR/EL system was actually mostly developed by Upper Krust for D&D anyway..... Wulf simply adapted it for GT.

 

[The Shaman]

I don't have all the details, but the mass combat rules are based on the CR/EL system presented in GT.

Pretend for a moment that I've never seen anything other than the cover of Grim Tales...



Seriously, could you give me a three or four sentence summation of how the mass combat system works in GT? If it's kewel, that alone would be worth the price of admission.

(And Wulf, if you're still lurking, the fact that I haven't seen it is probably a good thing - I know that both of my FLGSs carried it, as I do recall seeing it on the shelves.)

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Seriously, could you give me a three or four sentence summation of how the mass combat system works in GT? If it's kewel, that alone would be worth the price of admission.

It's based on EL.

If a group of creatures has EL = X, then the same group of creatures at half strength = X - 2.

Note that we don't care here whether "half strength" means "Half of the creatures are still fresh and half of the creatures are dead" OR "All of the creatures are alive but have expended half of their resources (hit points, spells, etc.)"

As far as EL is concerned, it's the same thing.

The mass combat system is based on the very simple assumption that EL is "accurate" and furthermore that the more creatures that are involved-- ie, the more iterations there are-- the more accurate it becomes in representing conflict between two groups of creatures.

There are, of course, some complexities thrown in, but in a nutshell the battle attack roll (a Battle Check) goes something like this:

1d20 + Attacker EL vs DC 10 + defender EL.

If the Battle Check is successful, the defender loses 2 EL.

Again, this is the requested oversimplification, but the kernel of the system is the cleanest I have seen in any d20 book.


Wulf