Microlite20 : the smallest thing in gaming

[Pilsnerquest]

A seperate ultramicrolite20 thread...boo, it's microlite, just more micro! Sounds like you ,kensanata, had a great gaming session and I would have handled the five Sub+DEX rolls for the thieves and one Sub+Will for the PC exactly that way.

As for Rank20 I like the class rank idea. I was always leary of a character of say, high dex for monk type reasons, using it for things his/her character might not normally try like picking locks etc. I have a question, when a character attempts an action in Rank20 do they add any stat bonuses? The chance for spell failure is also sound. The way I use magic spell casters are always successful to some degree (at least until the magic roll penalty catches up to them).


Pilsnerquest

 

[jmucchiello]

ultramicrolite20

Shouldn't that just be nanolite20 or picolite20?

 

[Ry]

A seperate ultramicrolite20 thread...boo, it's microlite, just more micro!

Yeah, I'd like to keep the discussion together, at least for the people who take bits of M20 and optional rules from the macropedia to cobble together their own game. Ultramicrolite20 and its peers are like other underlying systems that you can tack the same macropedia options onto.

I have a question, when a character attempts an action in Rank20 do they add any stat bonuses? The chance for spell failure is also sound.

When you make an action, you add a stat and one of your Rank modifiers, roll a d20, and try to beat a Target number set by the GM.

(Stat + Rank + d20 vs. Target.)

 

[greywulf]

Kensanata, I'd have loved to be in that game Sounds great, and just goes to prove it can be fun even when adventurers fail. I think you handled it perfectly on all counts. Good work!

The more I think of it, the more I'm all for keeping this thread together, if only because I want to see the number of posts exceed the word count in the Core Rules. It's 966 words, btw. Maybe we should plan a prize for the poster of the 966th post.

I'd like to see a post about D&D to that! Hah!

Rank20 is shaping up nicely. I dunno why, but it has the same 'clean' feel as d20 Modern, as compared to Microlite20's more rough-and-ready improv edge. Maybe it's got something to do with the (excellent) Reserve Points mechanic, or your writing style.

 

[Ry]

Rank20 is shaping up nicely. I dunno why, but it has the same 'clean' feel as d20 Modern, as compared to Microlite20's more rough-and-ready improv edge. Maybe it's got something to do with the (excellent) Reserve Points mechanic, or your writing style.

Thanks, Greywulf! Rank20's ultralite edition is actually what I'm hoping to be running soon, although I haven't totally decided on a setting. I will be adding a few tables of modifiers for actions, i.e.:

Attack modifiers:
Using a simple weapon: +2
Using a martial weapon: +4
Using a light weapon: -1

I may end up doing something similar for magic instead of the By5 system, but we'll build or cross that bridge when we come to the bridgeless or bridged river, respectively.

 

[WSmith]

These ultramicrolite rules are really growing on me though compatibility with SRD D20 is flying out the window.

If it's any consolation, I personally don't care if the rules deviate from the SRD completely, as in my eyes, m20 has become its own game.

That is just me though.

 

[Ry]

If it's any consolation, I personally don't care if the rules deviate from the SRD completely, as in my eyes, m20 has become its own game.

Agreed. Also, especially for ultralite rules, converting is trivial on the fly. Then again, I hate statblocks that I can't keep in my head.

 

[kensanata]

For me, being able to use weapons, monsters, and spells from any ol' d20 resources with minimum fuss is the reason why M20 is the first homegrown ruleset to succeed in my group, I believe.

 

[Ry]

Greywulf, feel free to throw the Reserve rules into the macropedia if you wan't 'em.

Kensatsa, I think you can still use those weapons, monsters, and spells still convert on the fly into Rank20 ultralite. If you're worried about stats, it's the same conversion as m20 - but instead of -1 to +4 stat modifiers, I just added 2 to make it 1 to 6.

For SRD spells, here's a quick rule for you0:

SRD Spells:

Spells come from the SRD. You can learn a spell of any level up to your Cross-Class modifier minus one. You start knowing as many spells as your Rank, and each time your Rank increases you learn a new spell.

Damage and SRD Spells:

When a spell does damage, calculate damage however the spell would (including any rules for half-damage). If the spell does at least 1 damage, the target takes 1 hit. 11 damage or more = 2 hits, 21 damage = 3 hits, and so on.

 

[greywulf]

Now for a little silliness

I've throw together a random creature generator for Microlite20 called critters . It's based on Chris Pound's werd random word generator, with added M20 goodness thrown in.

As an aside, I highly recommend that page if you want random names, words, Cthulhoid creature names, Kung Fu movie titles, whatever. If you need it, he's got it!

I've create it as an Perl script and online cgi script so even you non-Linux using folks can play with it too

To use the script yourself, you'll need a quality Operating System like Linux to use it. Download it, and make it executable. To run it type

./critters 10 5

and you'll get 10 random monsters, max hit dice 5:

quoy : HD2 (11hp), AC14, Natural +2 (2d4+4)
teiyable : HD5 (38hp), AC16, By weapon +8 (2d2-2)
huthe : HD4 (23hp), AC17, By weapon +7 (1d10+3)
dubation : HD1 (5hp), AC15, By weapon +3 (2d8+3)
veiper : HD3 (24hp), AC16, By weapon +5 (1d6+5)
inchube : HD3 (14hp), AC14, Natural +6 (1d8-3)
laniss : HD4 (28hp), AC14, By weapon +4 (2d10-2)
unove : HD4 (24hp), AC15, Natural +6 (1d12+3)
vedition : HD3 (18hp), AC15, Natural +3 (2d6-4)
wacker : HD1 (6hp), AC11, By weapon +1 (1d12+3)

The first number is the number of critters to generate, the second is the max hit dice.

What the creature looks like, what it's weapon or natural attacks are and how it behaves is entirely up to you - consider it an inspiration tool for those times when you want something not in any Monster Manual or the SRD.

A few examples from the random goodies above.........

The veiper is a small, fast snake-like humanoid which attacks with a curved shortsword while tasting the air in their tongues.

Wackers are ogre children trained to raise the alarm if non-ogres approach their cave. They carry a drum and a huge hammer which is devastating in combat.

Inchube (pronounced inc'hoo'bey) are water spirits found in fast flowing icy streams. They dance along the snow at the edge of the stream to lure travellers to their deaths.

The code took about 10 minutes to put together so it's rough around the edges, but it works! I'll prettify it up another day.

Enjoy.