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[Let's Read] The Koryo Hall of Adventures
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<blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 8311353" data-attributes="member: 6750502"><p style="text-align: center"><strong>Chapter 9: Beast Compendium</strong></p><p></p><p>Jeosung is home to a lot of typical fantasy monsters, but a few new creatures are particularly numerous and/or prominent to merit mention. This chapter gives us 11 new types and 23 stat blocks, a fair amount for a non-bestiary sourcebook. Additionally each creature also has a listed elemental affinity. This doesn’t have any specific game statistics beyond showcasing the universality of the five elements in the setting’s cosmology, although it does have greater mechanical relevance in the OSR version.</p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/F9bAByg.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>Agma Bagjwis (CR ½)</strong> are giant bat-like monsters which lair in the Open Wounds of Haenamguk, flying out in droves to kidnap and feed on prey. The creature focuses on strength in numbers, mobility, stealth, and can communicate telepathically.</p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/F9xr5FA.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>Bulgarsari (CR 5)</strong> are scaly elephant-like beings who were once valiant defenders of all that was good and right, but now they devolved into animal-like intelligence and serve none but their gullets. They are physically strong specimens who can shoot scalding steam from their trunks.</p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/GvieDts.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>Dokkaebis (CR ¼ to 5)</strong> are the major servants and masterminds behind the Winds of Darkness. They mostly live underground in Jihaguk and plot the day to take over the world of Iseung once again, engaging in hit and run raids on the surface as well as other wicked plots. We have stat blocks for three different ranks of Dokkaebis; all of them are shapechangers who can take the forms of humanoids and have minor innate spellcasting (usually focusing on enchantment and hexes), but their true forms are humanoids with claws and sharp quills emerging from their bodies. Basic Dokkaebis are humanoid cannon fodder akin to goblins and orcs, while Dokkaebi Infiltrators are tougher creatures who have more powerful spellcasting and Arcane Trickster-like abilities. Dokkaebi Elite are the dread lords of their kind, and in addition to being the strongest of them all they have spellcasting that focuses on weakening and sickening their enemies.</p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/sE7zYdI.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>Dragons (CR ½ to 17)</strong> are one of the most famed descendents of the Heavenly Beings and made their mark in history in significant ways. Much like traditional dragons they grow in size and power with age, but that isn’t solely a biological process. Dragons who seek a more powerful form undergo a meditation-like hibernation where they perform countless mental tests after closing their minds to the outside world. Those unable to complete such tests become Kkangcheoli, decaying rotting dragons driven to madness and evil. Those who succeed may eventually achieve the lofty heights of the Yong dragon, the most powerful variety that hasn’t been seen in the world since the Age of the Dragon Kings.</p><p></p><p>The least powerful dragons are merely Giant Serpents of animal intellect with venomous bites, although Imugi are the next step up and gain the ability to spit fire as well as sentience. Kkangcheoli lose the ability to spit fire and instead gain superheated melee attacks, can violently explode upon their deaths, and Legendary actions. Yong Dragons are physical powerhouses with a true breath weapon and also possess innate spellcasting, with a variety of restorative and utility magic along with Legendary Actions.</p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/AGdd05r.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>Foxes (CR 0 to 7)</strong> can evolve into higher states of being much like dragons. The mundane fox can eventually turn into a bulyeonwoo, a shapeshifter who can take on humanoid form. Being better able to pass in humanoid society allows them to learn more about the world, causing a disproportionate amount to involve themselves in academic professions. Bulyeonwoo have minor spellcasting focusing on illusion and enchantment, and in humanoid form they are skilled martial artists, capable of making Chimsul strikes that can rob a target of their ability to take reactions. The Gumiho are the oldest and most powerful foxes, notable for their 9 tails. They have the abilities of bulyeonwoos but are more powerful with more spells, can shapechange into a variety of animals, possess prehensile tails, a Chimsul strike that can incapacitate foes for 1 round, advantage on saves vs Illusion and Enchantment spells, and Legendary Actions.</p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/g8xYRdX.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>Gwishin (CR ½ to 4)</strong> are ghosts, a kind of spirit trapped in Iseung and unable to move on to their final resting place. Such a tragedy is incredibly distressing, causing gwishin to react angrily to their surroundings. Common Gwishin are incorporeal beings with a chilling touch that can temporarily prevent a target from recovering from damage along with some minor spellcasting and a rechargeable ability that forces a target to reroll a d20 result. Bulgwishin are spirits of those who burned to death and emanate a dangerous aura of supernatural heat. Dalgyalgwishin are faceless ghosts who hunt and stalk lone targets near graveywards, having a multiattack claw attack, limited short-range teleportation, and can Sneak Attack like a Rogue. Mulgwishin are those who drowned to death and have an aura which can darken nearby light sources, cold-based magical attacks, and when standing in water can grapple and start to drown targets.</p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/vzumfIS.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>Kyeryong (CR ¼)</strong> are a local breed of cockatrice who are hunted for their meat and magical properties. There are various kinds out there, such as the fire kyeryong who can breath fire which exhausts them, mountain keryongs who possess the ability to glide, and snow kyeryongs whose magical sleep breath and ability to camouflage themselves in snow makes them the most elusive kind.</p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/jbzZyYh.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>Mulyong (CR ½)</strong> are an evolutionary offshoot of dragons, appearing as human-sized fish with dragon heads. They are capable of ramming small vessels and their tails can propel them at great speed underwater.</p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/1EuJM6R.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>Samjokgu (CR 0)</strong> are three-legged dogs with a third blue-colored eye on their foreheads. Through this eye they have short-range truesight, making them prized animals for ferreting out shapeshifters and illusions.</p><p></p><p><strong>Suhosins (CR 5, no picture)</strong> are direct descendents of the Heavenly People, so rare as to be thought mythical. They live in pocket demiplanes of their own creation, and only come to the Material Plane when in need of some person or object they cannot get in their self-created paradise. They appear as tall athletic humanoids, although they emit a subjective illusion that makes them appear different in the eyes of each viewer. In terms of stats they are multi-talented, being proficient in a variety of mental skills, have superb Strength and Charisma (20) and add the latter score to their AC, possess a wide variety of innate spells, and have powerful unarmed and throwing attacks in melee along with Legendary Actions.</p><p></p><p>Sushosin are ordinarily non-violent, but when they are pushed to anger their tempers are nearly unstoppable, only coming to regret their actions when the battle stops and they regain self-awareness.</p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/e4ILAK0.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><strong>The Unseen (CR 5)</strong> is actually a single entity of unfathomable size who can project clawed extensions of itself into the Material Plane. Not much is known about the being save that it manifests in the forest of Giljobeun in Mudangguk and can create illusions to attract and misdirect prey. A manifestation of its fangs are represented as a single monster, naturally invisible save when it makes an attack or grapple. It can also generate a damaging psychic Scan where they learn of a target’s deepest desires, and such targets can be further subject to a Lure which charms them. Beyond these abilities the Unseen can grapple and drain targets of their life energy, and hide/retract as a bonus action or reaction respectively (latter is rechargeable) to become invisible again.</p><p></p><p>These monsters also have stats in Pathfinder and the OSR. Overall they are faithful conversions, and in Pathfinder’s case their CR values are more or less the same. However, Pathfinder has some new things. For one, Dokkaebi are of the Goblinoid subtype and speak Goblin and Common (in 5e they spoke Common and the Spiritual Lexicon), and the Suhosin are outsiders with the (angel) subtype. A few monsters also have limited class features such as the Bulgwishin casting sorcerer spells with the Elemental (fire) bloodline.</p><p></p><p>The OSR bestiary is more or less similar to the base 5e, although there are some new things. For example, the poison of Dragons has a 2d6 table of random negative effects, the Gumiho has a mini-system for grappling for OSR rulesets that would lack it (1d20 + Strength bonus for contested rolls, save vs Paralysis to break free), we have listed GP values for kyeryong captured to be domesticated or poached for meat and eggs, and there’s a sub-table for opposing elemental affinities in regards to certain elemental spells and the Monk/Sunim’s bonus unarmed strike damage.</p><p></p><p>But the OSR bestiary gives us one more entry in neither the 5e or PF versions: stats for Wild Spirits, which is less a predetermined stat block and more a monster template for generating stats of spirits based on their rank. It’s pretty comprehensive, and includes guidelines for recommended special abilities and references the earlier tables for a mudang’s patron spirit generation in determining known spells.</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><strong>Appendix</strong></p><p></p><p>Our final section of Koryo Hall of Adventures discusses two rules that couldn’t easily fit into prior chapters: the Team Leader and Reputation systems. The first is a simplified means of determining the effectiveness of hirelings, recruited NPCs, and mobs. This is meant more for when PCs recruit allies to their party as opposed to foes they face, and the rules focus on this side of things. In short, a PC can declare themselves a Team Leader of a group of NPCs. Said NPCs determine initiative and actions collectively as one, and the team leader can give one order per round for them to perform an action. The exception is in regards to attacks, where depending on the enemy size a number of NPCs in a team make individual attacks all at once.</p><p></p><p>For NPC groups taking damage there are two suggestions: keeping track of each NPC’s HP individually (not recommended by the book) or determining a Hit Threshold via averaging the group HP and multiplying it by the number of NPCs. Lowering of Hit Threshold determines overall morale and fighting spirit, and as the more they suffer the harder it is for the team leader to get them to follow orders. In such cases a Charisma check is required, whose DC is determined by the percentage of HT remaining and the overall martial training of the NPCs (untrained, well-trained, elite).</p><p></p><p>The second system, Reputation, reflects the overall level of fame and notoriety of the PCs’ status, both as adventurers in the Koryo Hall and in broader society. Basically for every Deed (quest) they complete which is particularly good or evil, they mark one check (good) or one X (evil). Every time 3 of those boxes are filled they gain +1 or -1 Reputation for good or evil Deeds respectively. This modifier also occurs when the PC levels up and if they have more checks or Xs.</p><p></p><p>The Reputation system doesn’t account for minor acts of charity, opportunism, and selfishness. At least, not beyond the lower levels. As the PCs’ Reputations increase, only obviously selfless acts of good and utterly selfish evil can further modify their scores.</p><p></p><p>The Reputation score is relevant in certain social situations, where one’s honorable nature or infamy may be particularly advantageous or not. Instead of a universal value the book proposes two modifiers: a Reputation modifier for situations where having a good reputation is relevant, and an Infamy modifier where having a bad reputation is advantageous.</p><p></p><p>The Reputation System exists as-is in the Pathfinder version, although the Team Leader rules exist only in 5e. Many OSR systems already have dedicated hireling/follower sub-systems, and I presume the lack of a Reputation System is in line with the OSR’s minimalist nature.</p><p></p><p><strong>Thoughts So Far:</strong> The new monsters are interesting and have some variety. There isn’t much talk on existing monsters and how they can be adapted to the setting, which I feel is a bit of a negative. My favorite entries are the foxes, who have an interesting spin on the East Asian “trickster fox spirit” archetype by making them eager to integrate into humanoid society as pursuers of knowledge. The Unseen is another neat monster as well. The Dokkaebi felt a bit too close to the role of orcs and goblins, which I didn’t like as much. While I can understand having cannon fodder of an evil nation as a fantasy trope, there wasn’t much novel done with them beyond their deceptive magic. I also wish the Wild Spirit creation rules in the OSR version were adopted to 5th Edition and Pathfinder, although if I had to guess its inclusion into that system was to make up for old-school retroclones having comparatively smaller bestiaries.</p><p></p><p>I’ve seen quite a bit of minion/follower systems for 5th Edition, and Koryo Hall’s doesn’t really resonate with me. While it’s intended to be a simplification, the use of totalling Hit Point averages and individual attacks for ‘ganging up’ still necessitates the separation of individual NPC stats, which is counterintuitive. The Reputation system is good in concept in representing PCs making names for themselves in the guild, but tying it to “is this good or evil?” morality can easily spawn arguments similar to Alignment debates that are the dread of countless gaming groups.</p><p></p><p><strong>Final Thoughts:</strong> The Koryo Hall of Adventures is hard to sum up, as I have conflicting feelings. On the plus side, a lot of work has gone into it; the base setting paints a good picture for immersing oneself in the world and is full of interesting lands with great adventuring potential. Beyond the write-up of a little-known culture in fantasy gaming from an author who has lived in and researched it, the book has a few interesting departures from typical D&D tropes to make the world stand out. For example, the dearth of true gods, the different systems of government beyond base feudalism which make the regions feel sufficiently distinct, and a detailed write-up of the new Mudang class which provides an interesting “pick and choose” system for supernatural patron spirits. And while it would’ve been easy to just make the system for the most popular tabletop system and call it a day, the author put in extra effort for conversions to other popular D&D-style RPGs.</p><p></p><p>But even with all that said, there are many small things in Koryo Hall of Adventures which add up, and still leave the book feeling unfinished. In some cases it’s the fluff text not being descriptive, like the actual function of Chilseong gates or what role the non-Mudang spellcasting classes have to play in the setting’s cosmological framework. In other places it’s missing material that should be included or are instead scattered throughout the conversion documents, such as no 5th Edition or OSR write-ups for the new dragonborn subraces. This is not to say that the book is unable to be played right out of the box; individually such things are small in the grand scheme of things, but they’re numerous enough that one cannot help but notice.</p><p></p><p>But in spite of these doubts, I am overall impressed with the work that Aurélien Lainé and the various proofreaders/editors/illustrators/etc put into this. I’m eager to see the lands of Jeosung further developed, and await the day more material is released for it!</p><p></p><p>For my next Let’s Read, I’m going to focus on another well-researched fantasy counterpart setting of another notable peninsula. <strong>Join us next time as we visit the rough-and-tumble Italian-inspired world of Brancalonia!</strong></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/EtgmT9U.png?1" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Libertad, post: 8311353, member: 6750502"] [CENTER][B]Chapter 9: Beast Compendium[/B][/CENTER] Jeosung is home to a lot of typical fantasy monsters, but a few new creatures are particularly numerous and/or prominent to merit mention. This chapter gives us 11 new types and 23 stat blocks, a fair amount for a non-bestiary sourcebook. Additionally each creature also has a listed elemental affinity. This doesn’t have any specific game statistics beyond showcasing the universality of the five elements in the setting’s cosmology, although it does have greater mechanical relevance in the OSR version. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/F9bAByg.png[/IMG] [B]Agma Bagjwis (CR ½)[/B] are giant bat-like monsters which lair in the Open Wounds of Haenamguk, flying out in droves to kidnap and feed on prey. The creature focuses on strength in numbers, mobility, stealth, and can communicate telepathically. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/F9xr5FA.png[/IMG] [B]Bulgarsari (CR 5)[/B] are scaly elephant-like beings who were once valiant defenders of all that was good and right, but now they devolved into animal-like intelligence and serve none but their gullets. They are physically strong specimens who can shoot scalding steam from their trunks. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/GvieDts.png[/IMG] [B]Dokkaebis (CR ¼ to 5)[/B] are the major servants and masterminds behind the Winds of Darkness. They mostly live underground in Jihaguk and plot the day to take over the world of Iseung once again, engaging in hit and run raids on the surface as well as other wicked plots. We have stat blocks for three different ranks of Dokkaebis; all of them are shapechangers who can take the forms of humanoids and have minor innate spellcasting (usually focusing on enchantment and hexes), but their true forms are humanoids with claws and sharp quills emerging from their bodies. Basic Dokkaebis are humanoid cannon fodder akin to goblins and orcs, while Dokkaebi Infiltrators are tougher creatures who have more powerful spellcasting and Arcane Trickster-like abilities. Dokkaebi Elite are the dread lords of their kind, and in addition to being the strongest of them all they have spellcasting that focuses on weakening and sickening their enemies. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/sE7zYdI.png[/IMG] [B]Dragons (CR ½ to 17)[/B] are one of the most famed descendents of the Heavenly Beings and made their mark in history in significant ways. Much like traditional dragons they grow in size and power with age, but that isn’t solely a biological process. Dragons who seek a more powerful form undergo a meditation-like hibernation where they perform countless mental tests after closing their minds to the outside world. Those unable to complete such tests become Kkangcheoli, decaying rotting dragons driven to madness and evil. Those who succeed may eventually achieve the lofty heights of the Yong dragon, the most powerful variety that hasn’t been seen in the world since the Age of the Dragon Kings. The least powerful dragons are merely Giant Serpents of animal intellect with venomous bites, although Imugi are the next step up and gain the ability to spit fire as well as sentience. Kkangcheoli lose the ability to spit fire and instead gain superheated melee attacks, can violently explode upon their deaths, and Legendary actions. Yong Dragons are physical powerhouses with a true breath weapon and also possess innate spellcasting, with a variety of restorative and utility magic along with Legendary Actions. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/AGdd05r.png[/IMG] [B]Foxes (CR 0 to 7)[/B] can evolve into higher states of being much like dragons. The mundane fox can eventually turn into a bulyeonwoo, a shapeshifter who can take on humanoid form. Being better able to pass in humanoid society allows them to learn more about the world, causing a disproportionate amount to involve themselves in academic professions. Bulyeonwoo have minor spellcasting focusing on illusion and enchantment, and in humanoid form they are skilled martial artists, capable of making Chimsul strikes that can rob a target of their ability to take reactions. The Gumiho are the oldest and most powerful foxes, notable for their 9 tails. They have the abilities of bulyeonwoos but are more powerful with more spells, can shapechange into a variety of animals, possess prehensile tails, a Chimsul strike that can incapacitate foes for 1 round, advantage on saves vs Illusion and Enchantment spells, and Legendary Actions. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/g8xYRdX.png[/IMG] [B]Gwishin (CR ½ to 4)[/B] are ghosts, a kind of spirit trapped in Iseung and unable to move on to their final resting place. Such a tragedy is incredibly distressing, causing gwishin to react angrily to their surroundings. Common Gwishin are incorporeal beings with a chilling touch that can temporarily prevent a target from recovering from damage along with some minor spellcasting and a rechargeable ability that forces a target to reroll a d20 result. Bulgwishin are spirits of those who burned to death and emanate a dangerous aura of supernatural heat. Dalgyalgwishin are faceless ghosts who hunt and stalk lone targets near graveywards, having a multiattack claw attack, limited short-range teleportation, and can Sneak Attack like a Rogue. Mulgwishin are those who drowned to death and have an aura which can darken nearby light sources, cold-based magical attacks, and when standing in water can grapple and start to drown targets. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/vzumfIS.png[/IMG] [B]Kyeryong (CR ¼)[/B] are a local breed of cockatrice who are hunted for their meat and magical properties. There are various kinds out there, such as the fire kyeryong who can breath fire which exhausts them, mountain keryongs who possess the ability to glide, and snow kyeryongs whose magical sleep breath and ability to camouflage themselves in snow makes them the most elusive kind. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/jbzZyYh.png[/IMG] [B]Mulyong (CR ½)[/B] are an evolutionary offshoot of dragons, appearing as human-sized fish with dragon heads. They are capable of ramming small vessels and their tails can propel them at great speed underwater. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/1EuJM6R.png[/IMG] [B]Samjokgu (CR 0)[/B] are three-legged dogs with a third blue-colored eye on their foreheads. Through this eye they have short-range truesight, making them prized animals for ferreting out shapeshifters and illusions. [B]Suhosins (CR 5, no picture)[/B] are direct descendents of the Heavenly People, so rare as to be thought mythical. They live in pocket demiplanes of their own creation, and only come to the Material Plane when in need of some person or object they cannot get in their self-created paradise. They appear as tall athletic humanoids, although they emit a subjective illusion that makes them appear different in the eyes of each viewer. In terms of stats they are multi-talented, being proficient in a variety of mental skills, have superb Strength and Charisma (20) and add the latter score to their AC, possess a wide variety of innate spells, and have powerful unarmed and throwing attacks in melee along with Legendary Actions. Sushosin are ordinarily non-violent, but when they are pushed to anger their tempers are nearly unstoppable, only coming to regret their actions when the battle stops and they regain self-awareness. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/e4ILAK0.png[/IMG] [B]The Unseen (CR 5)[/B] is actually a single entity of unfathomable size who can project clawed extensions of itself into the Material Plane. Not much is known about the being save that it manifests in the forest of Giljobeun in Mudangguk and can create illusions to attract and misdirect prey. A manifestation of its fangs are represented as a single monster, naturally invisible save when it makes an attack or grapple. It can also generate a damaging psychic Scan where they learn of a target’s deepest desires, and such targets can be further subject to a Lure which charms them. Beyond these abilities the Unseen can grapple and drain targets of their life energy, and hide/retract as a bonus action or reaction respectively (latter is rechargeable) to become invisible again. These monsters also have stats in Pathfinder and the OSR. Overall they are faithful conversions, and in Pathfinder’s case their CR values are more or less the same. However, Pathfinder has some new things. For one, Dokkaebi are of the Goblinoid subtype and speak Goblin and Common (in 5e they spoke Common and the Spiritual Lexicon), and the Suhosin are outsiders with the (angel) subtype. A few monsters also have limited class features such as the Bulgwishin casting sorcerer spells with the Elemental (fire) bloodline. The OSR bestiary is more or less similar to the base 5e, although there are some new things. For example, the poison of Dragons has a 2d6 table of random negative effects, the Gumiho has a mini-system for grappling for OSR rulesets that would lack it (1d20 + Strength bonus for contested rolls, save vs Paralysis to break free), we have listed GP values for kyeryong captured to be domesticated or poached for meat and eggs, and there’s a sub-table for opposing elemental affinities in regards to certain elemental spells and the Monk/Sunim’s bonus unarmed strike damage. But the OSR bestiary gives us one more entry in neither the 5e or PF versions: stats for Wild Spirits, which is less a predetermined stat block and more a monster template for generating stats of spirits based on their rank. It’s pretty comprehensive, and includes guidelines for recommended special abilities and references the earlier tables for a mudang’s patron spirit generation in determining known spells. [CENTER][B]Appendix[/B][/CENTER] Our final section of Koryo Hall of Adventures discusses two rules that couldn’t easily fit into prior chapters: the Team Leader and Reputation systems. The first is a simplified means of determining the effectiveness of hirelings, recruited NPCs, and mobs. This is meant more for when PCs recruit allies to their party as opposed to foes they face, and the rules focus on this side of things. In short, a PC can declare themselves a Team Leader of a group of NPCs. Said NPCs determine initiative and actions collectively as one, and the team leader can give one order per round for them to perform an action. The exception is in regards to attacks, where depending on the enemy size a number of NPCs in a team make individual attacks all at once. For NPC groups taking damage there are two suggestions: keeping track of each NPC’s HP individually (not recommended by the book) or determining a Hit Threshold via averaging the group HP and multiplying it by the number of NPCs. Lowering of Hit Threshold determines overall morale and fighting spirit, and as the more they suffer the harder it is for the team leader to get them to follow orders. In such cases a Charisma check is required, whose DC is determined by the percentage of HT remaining and the overall martial training of the NPCs (untrained, well-trained, elite). The second system, Reputation, reflects the overall level of fame and notoriety of the PCs’ status, both as adventurers in the Koryo Hall and in broader society. Basically for every Deed (quest) they complete which is particularly good or evil, they mark one check (good) or one X (evil). Every time 3 of those boxes are filled they gain +1 or -1 Reputation for good or evil Deeds respectively. This modifier also occurs when the PC levels up and if they have more checks or Xs. The Reputation system doesn’t account for minor acts of charity, opportunism, and selfishness. At least, not beyond the lower levels. As the PCs’ Reputations increase, only obviously selfless acts of good and utterly selfish evil can further modify their scores. The Reputation score is relevant in certain social situations, where one’s honorable nature or infamy may be particularly advantageous or not. Instead of a universal value the book proposes two modifiers: a Reputation modifier for situations where having a good reputation is relevant, and an Infamy modifier where having a bad reputation is advantageous. The Reputation System exists as-is in the Pathfinder version, although the Team Leader rules exist only in 5e. Many OSR systems already have dedicated hireling/follower sub-systems, and I presume the lack of a Reputation System is in line with the OSR’s minimalist nature. [B]Thoughts So Far:[/B] The new monsters are interesting and have some variety. There isn’t much talk on existing monsters and how they can be adapted to the setting, which I feel is a bit of a negative. My favorite entries are the foxes, who have an interesting spin on the East Asian “trickster fox spirit” archetype by making them eager to integrate into humanoid society as pursuers of knowledge. The Unseen is another neat monster as well. The Dokkaebi felt a bit too close to the role of orcs and goblins, which I didn’t like as much. While I can understand having cannon fodder of an evil nation as a fantasy trope, there wasn’t much novel done with them beyond their deceptive magic. I also wish the Wild Spirit creation rules in the OSR version were adopted to 5th Edition and Pathfinder, although if I had to guess its inclusion into that system was to make up for old-school retroclones having comparatively smaller bestiaries. I’ve seen quite a bit of minion/follower systems for 5th Edition, and Koryo Hall’s doesn’t really resonate with me. While it’s intended to be a simplification, the use of totalling Hit Point averages and individual attacks for ‘ganging up’ still necessitates the separation of individual NPC stats, which is counterintuitive. The Reputation system is good in concept in representing PCs making names for themselves in the guild, but tying it to “is this good or evil?” morality can easily spawn arguments similar to Alignment debates that are the dread of countless gaming groups. [B]Final Thoughts:[/B] The Koryo Hall of Adventures is hard to sum up, as I have conflicting feelings. On the plus side, a lot of work has gone into it; the base setting paints a good picture for immersing oneself in the world and is full of interesting lands with great adventuring potential. Beyond the write-up of a little-known culture in fantasy gaming from an author who has lived in and researched it, the book has a few interesting departures from typical D&D tropes to make the world stand out. For example, the dearth of true gods, the different systems of government beyond base feudalism which make the regions feel sufficiently distinct, and a detailed write-up of the new Mudang class which provides an interesting “pick and choose” system for supernatural patron spirits. And while it would’ve been easy to just make the system for the most popular tabletop system and call it a day, the author put in extra effort for conversions to other popular D&D-style RPGs. But even with all that said, there are many small things in Koryo Hall of Adventures which add up, and still leave the book feeling unfinished. In some cases it’s the fluff text not being descriptive, like the actual function of Chilseong gates or what role the non-Mudang spellcasting classes have to play in the setting’s cosmological framework. In other places it’s missing material that should be included or are instead scattered throughout the conversion documents, such as no 5th Edition or OSR write-ups for the new dragonborn subraces. This is not to say that the book is unable to be played right out of the box; individually such things are small in the grand scheme of things, but they’re numerous enough that one cannot help but notice. But in spite of these doubts, I am overall impressed with the work that Aurélien Lainé and the various proofreaders/editors/illustrators/etc put into this. I’m eager to see the lands of Jeosung further developed, and await the day more material is released for it! For my next Let’s Read, I’m going to focus on another well-researched fantasy counterpart setting of another notable peninsula. [B]Join us next time as we visit the rough-and-tumble Italian-inspired world of Brancalonia![/B] [CENTER][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/EtgmT9U.png?1[/IMG][/CENTER] [/QUOTE]
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