Microlite20 : the smallest thing in gaming

[MeepoDM]

Greywulf's call; it is his baby. Personally, if there isn't another change after the EL thing is cleaned up a bit, I'd be perfectly happy.

How'd the adventure go?

 

[greywulf]

Agreed. They don't have to work the same. It might help, though, to have its STR listed if you and the hobgoblin are trying to throw each other off of a cliff, or its MIND if its trying to resist your spell. At any rate, it couldn't hurt to have its stats listed, just as an example.

Awwww heck. I just make the stats up on the spot if they're needed. After all, when was the last time one of your characters tried to arm-wrestle a hobgoblin, outrace a goblin or try to decrypt an ancient text faster than an otyugh? For the amount of time you /really/ need the stats, it's an awful lot of wasted paper and ink.

Yes, they're useful sometimes, and in those occassions I wing it. That hobgoblin trying to toss you off the cliff feels about STR 14 to me. Yep go with that.

As to why the Hit Points aren't consistent between Characters and Monsters, there's two reasons:

1) Because Monsters /aren't/ Characters. The mechanics can be different for them, provided the end result is the same (they Have Hit Points, so they can die). OK, it's old school and not in line with the latest politically-correct D&D manifesto ("Otyughs have feelings too!"), but hey, it works for me.

2) Characters in the game are a special breed. They have access to training, hygeine and levels of comfort that precious few can attain. They are geared to work at full efficiency - hence they get their full STR in Hit Points at the start of the game. Almost everyone else (and every monster) has ringworm, lice, fleas, old wounds and ill-knitted bones; they don't get that bonus. It's what separates the Heroes from the Crowd. After that, they just get Hit Dice like everyone else. Except theirs is six-sided, not eight-sided (or twelve, or whatever) because they are still Human (/Elf/Dwarf/Halfling) and their weak flesh can only benefit so much from experience. Some Monsters do get a bonus to thier Hit Die to reflect their inherent toughness above the norm, and that reflects how much of their STR they have added to the roll.

After all, what's the real difference between an Ogre with 4d8+11 HD and a 4th level STR-11 Rogue with 4d6+11?

There you go. Hope that helps

I'll write more about the adventure later. Suffice to say that something happened which has never, /ever/ happened in all my almost 30-years of gaming.

One of my traps totally, completely stumped the players. Utterly.

More later.

 

[bytor4232]

Sounds like you had a good time! Don't forget about getting that RTF of the class benefits posted today, that way I can redo that PocketMod. That formatting error is getting to me.

 

[greywulf]

Sounds like you had a good time! Don't forget about getting that RTF of the class benefits posted today, that way I can redo that PocketMod. That formatting error is getting to me.

Thanks for reminding me. I've updated it at http://home.greywulf.net/files/Microlite20.rtf now. It's all yours.

I need to make a few small changes to the adventure following last night's playtest (mainly more monster variety and take out the 2 winged kobolds - they're just too tough for 2nd level adventurers to fight against). On the whole though, the rules worked just great. I estimated the ELs so that the party levelled up about halfway through and that worked well. The cleric spent a LOT of time healing, and a fair number of combats involved guerilla tactics of picking off a few bad guys then pulling back. They were thankful I included a Safe Room for them

One trap in particular took up about an hour of game time.

It's a 15' pit trap. All of the walls have wooden spikes angled sharply downwards. The poor Fighter (Half-orc (STR+3/MIND-1)) fell in taking 1.5d6 (6hp) damage then they just couldn't get him out! Much hilarity ensued until they decided the only way out was for someone to head outside, cut down a tree to make a Classic D&D 10' pole which they lay over the hole with a rope tied to the middle and winch him up.

Problem was he was too heavy in his Chain armour so that stayed in the pit and he's winched up, half-naked, cursing in Orcish while the rest of the players are laughing fit to break.

Then the kobolds turn up.............

 

[bytor4232]

I need to make a few small changes to the adventure following last night's playtest (mainly more monster variety and take out the 2 winged kobolds - they're just too tough for 2nd level adventurers to fight against).

Those are my favorite Kobolds! In a OA campaign a player of mine was running I played a Dragonwrought Kobold Paladin. Very fun!

One trap in particular took up about an hour of game time. It's a 15' pit trap. All of the walls have wooden spikes angled sharply downwards. The poor Fighter (Half-orc (STR+3/MIND-1)) fell in taking 1.5d6 (6hp) damage then they just couldn't get him out! Much hilarity ensued until they decided the only way out was for someone to head outside, cut down a tree to make a Classic D&D 10' pole which they lay over the hole with a rope tied to the middle and winch him up.

Problem was he was too heavy in his Chain armour so that stayed in the pit and he's winched up, half-naked, cursing in Orcish while the rest of the players are laughing fit to break.

Then the kobolds turn up.............

Dude, that is hilarious! Nicely done!

Thanks for reminding me. I've updated it at http://home.greywulf.net/files/Microlite20.rtf now. It's all yours.

Excellent! http://arthur.jfmi.net/m20/ has been updated. You can download the new PocketMod directly here:

http://arthur.jfmi.net/m20/Pocketmod/Microlite20 - Core - Pocketmod.pdf

I also have a few other goodies up there. I made a second level adventure, and a PocketMod of character sheets.

 

[greywulf]

Excellent! http://arthur.jfmi.net/m20/ has been updated. You can download the new PocketMod directly here:

http://arthur.jfmi.net/m20/Pocketmod/Microlite20 - Core - Pocketmod.pdf

Great work, Bytor. I've put it up on http://home.greywulf.net/m20/downloads.html as the official one. Lovely stuff

 

[llamatron2000]

...at the risk of opening up a can of worms here....what do you think of a multiclassing mechanic?

Something like...being able to multiclass every 5 levels. Start classes off with a +2 their skill at level 1, and giving them a +1 at every 5 level interval...and scaling class abilities by level?

Yes, I realize it adds complexity, but...it does open up avenues to better represent character concepts.

 

[bytor4232]

Great work, Bytor. I've put it up on http://home.greywulf.net/m20/downloads.html as the official one. Lovely stuff

Don't forget to snag the adventures too If you want to link over to my site, that is acceptable as well.

 

[bytor4232]

...at the risk of opening up a can of worms here....what do you think of a multiclassing mechanic?

Something like...being able to multiclass every 5 levels. Start classes off with a +2 their skill at level 1, and giving them a +1 at every 5 level interval...and scaling class abilities by level?

Yes, I realize it adds complexity, but...it does open up avenues to better represent character concepts.

Given that this game is meant to be simple, I wouldn't put any restrictions on multiclassing. If someone wants to take a level in mage, let them. Remember, this game is meant to be kept as simple as possible.

However, in my opinion, If your multiclassing, you might as well play regular D&D.

 

[greywulf]

...at the risk of opening up a can of worms here....what do you think of a multiclassing mechanic?

Something like...being able to multiclass every 5 levels. Start classes off with a +2 their skill at level 1, and giving them a +1 at every 5 level interval...and scaling class abilities by level?

Mmmmmmmmm.......worms........

Bytor, I've snarfed the adventures and stuck the m up. Thanks!

Multiclassing is something to go in the House Rules Macropedia, that's for sure.

Personally I'd stear clear of it though, if only because the freedom of the system makes multiclassing largely redundant. If you want to play a spell-caster wielding a big ass axe, that's fine by the rules as they stand. The only thing stopping you right now is GM-imposed limits, cultural expectations and the knowledge that you'll Get Hit More Often by Things Bigger Than You......

If someone wanted to play a sneaky cleric (or any other combo), I'd let 'em provided they didn't mind a little GM balance meanness in return. It's only fair, after all. You're a Rogue AND a Cleric, so that's two characters, right?!