New Microlite20 thread

[Tagnik]

I'd like to hear any comments on this turning as well.

 

[greywulf]

One thing i did notice in the low level dungeon was the turning rules not working well as writen where you use the monsters Hit points as the DC for turning, The party encountered a undead bug bear with 42 hitpoints, with the rule as currently writen a 20th level cleric is only going to have better than a 50/50 chance of turning it or have I misunderstood the turn effect wrong

You're heading in the right direction. Let's see.......

An INT 16, 20th level cleric will have a Magic Attack of d20+23, meaning they'll need to roll a 19 or 20 to exceed the Undead Bugbear's 42 hit points. Ouch. that might sound like a bug (bear?), but it's not. I did that on purpose.

Y'see, it means that even at high level the cleric is unlikely to be able to use an encounter-ending ability before the other characters get to do anything fun. Picture something like this:

GM: A bugbear lunges toward you. From the stench and the flaying flesh, it's clear it's been long dead, though that's not stopping it reaching out to tear at your limbs
Cleric: I turn it, calling on the name of Fharpelordimmara (rolls dice)
GM: Ok, it's dead. Moving on..........
Other players: Ho hum.

Remember that it's the current Hit Points of the undead critter that matters, meaning that the other characters get a chance to soften the target up a little (or a lot) before the Cleric delivers a Turning coup de grace on the beastie when it's Hit Points are low enough. Get that Undead Bugbear down to 10hp and the Cleric can make it explode, which is both cool and messy at the same time. It would go something like this:

GM: A bugbear lunges toward you. From the stench and the flaying flesh, it's clear it's been long dead, though that's not stopping it reaching out to tear at your limbs
Fighter: Attack!
Rogue: Get ready, Cleric. We're going in....
Cleric: I hold back, whispering a prayer to my god as I finger my holy symbol
......
BANG!

Much more fun, even at higher levels. See?

Of course, if that doesn't suit your style of play and are of the opinion that 20th level characters should be near gods with the power of immediate arbitrary life or death (I'm not, as it happens), then change is cool too. I suggest setting the DC equal to 10+(hp/10). That should do it.

Hope that helps!

 

[Tagnik]

Thank Graywulf!

I want to start a M20 Campaign but I've had enough trouble mobalizing my gaming group as it is. But I always think of house rules so here's what I've changed for myself.

Rogues can wear light or medium armor and their reflex saves negate damage as opposed to half but only in light armor. Basically giving them evasion in light armor.

Casters gain free Magic Points = to their MIND bonus. Doesn't go against HP.

Clerics wear Light armor and can use Shields. I call them Priests.

Fighters gain their bonus every 4 levels. Just a bit sooner.

Magi can get a familiar

Priests must use their Shield or Dietie's weapon as a Holy Symbol or it must take up their amulet slot.

Magi must use a Wand or a Staff to cast spells. Keeps them from running around with great swords.


then I have my combat options. This is for everyone from levels 1 - 20

Double Move - Essentially RUN!!
Two Melee Attacks
Move and Melee Attack
Single Ranged Attack
Move and Ranged Attack at -2
Cast Spell
Move and Ready Action
-Ranged Attack at -2
-Melee Attack at -2
-Counter Spell
Ready an Action
Spell
Ranged Attack
Double Melee Attack
Aim +4 to Ranged Attack -2 AC, takes 1 round
Charge +2 to Melee Attack -2 AC Double Move straight line
Not using an Off Hand Weapon grants a +1 Shield Bonus to AC.

I also have included the UA Armor adding Damage reduction to give armor more importance. This helps the Fighter from being weaker with the D6 HP.

(although secretly.... I've given the Fighter class a d8 for HP... sue me.)

ok that is all.

 

[Nomad4life]

Star Wars M20:

Not much needs to change. Simply choose equipment from the Star Wars universe and change the races and classes as follows:

*Snip*

Okay, I got buried under Real Life ™ for a while there, but I should be back to gaming again soon enough. I'm still obsessed with the idea of an M20 Star Wars, and these notes you jotted down look like a great starting point. Thank you!

I want to iron out a few other details… Droids, equipment, starships, etc… Maybe nails down some specific force powers (and make the rest up as they appear in-game) but I'm convinced that the idea could work just fine. I like the way you've grouped Jedi powers into "degrees of effect." I can definitely work with that.

I tend to favor SW games with computer slicers and mechanics and whatnot, so I'm a bit baffled as to how to work "tech" rolls into the game. The obvious choice would be to fold it into Knowledge but that seems like it should also be the domain of the Jedi as well. Hmmm… I might nix the Noble class, replace it with a Technician (or Specialist) class, and give Jedi a bonus to Communication instead?

My overall design philosophy is that I want something I could run M20 Star Wars under, yet still be able to do an M20 Star Wars / M20 D&D crossover if I wanted to. (Not that I want to, I just want the systems to be that similar.)

God, I love Microlite20.

 

[greywulf]

Wow. I think you guys have got Star Wars M20 covered all by yourselves, so I'll just sit in the sidelines and clap my hands, ok? If you can turn it into a webpage, pdf or whatnot when you're done, I'll link (and host, if you like) it up at http://home.greywulf.net/m20 on the Macropedia.

Talking of which, work on the Big Shiny Macripedia pdf has stalled completely, thanks to Real Life. It's affected me too. Real Life is a virus, and it will get us all one day, I swear. There is no cure, and it's fatal at the end.

Anyhow.

Talking of which, I've just been given a heads up (thanks, Bruce!) that the download link for the Palm .pdb version of M20 is broken. It was up on http://deimodius.tripod.com/dnd/MICROLITE20_PDB.zip, but it's not anymore. Anyone got a working URL for it, and I'll amend the link.

Thanks!

 

[xechnao]

Eh, why cant I access the site?

 

[greywulf]

Server died. It's at -10 hit points

Hopefully, it'll be back soon though! Geek resurrection. I love it.

 

[greywulf]

....aaaaaaand the server is back up. Get it while it's hot, folks!

 

[Elephant]

Hmm...has anyone tried to convert Eberron-specific material to Microlite20? I'm planning an Eberron game, and I'd like to use Microlite for the rules. However, I'm not sure that the "classic" Eberron elements (shifters, warforged, artificers, etc) can easily be translated into Microlite20.

Off the cuff, here's what I can come up with:

Kalashtar: +2 bonus on saves vs. mind-affecting effects.
+2 on Communication checks
Mindlink 1/day
Shifters: +2 dex, -2 mind, Shifting (more specifics are needed, but I'm inclined to mostly leave it as written)
Warforged: +2 str, -2 mind, living construct traits, +2 AC

Artificer: I'm at a loss. Other than getting artificer infusions as wizards get spells, the artificer abilities don't seem to map to M20. How do people handle magic item creation in regular M20?

 

[greywulf]

How do people handle magic item creation in regular M20?

What you've got looks good so far, Elephant.

When it comes to magic items creation I use the same rules I use for full-size D&D: The Rule of Cool. All that working out gold piece cost and time-keeping just sucks the fun out of the game for me, so I discuss with the players what they want, figure out how whether it'll be game-breaking or not, then wrap a plot around it.

For example:

Eric the Eager Gamer: I want to make a Wand of Teleport Others
Me: Uhhhhh....ok. That'll take 15 years of research and demand four quests, two of which are to the Elemental Planes
Eric: Can I have a Wand of Fireballs instead?
Me: Sure. Three weeks. You'll need the shell from a Red Dragon's Egg though. There are rumours of a Red Dragon in Thimble Valley. Maybe you could..........

Hey, it's worked so far, and shouldn't be difficult to apply to Artificers too.

In M20, only make new rules if you really, really need them