New Microlite20 thread

[Grimstaff]

Hey, Greywulf, I noticed your monster stat blocks on the comic page are a bit different from the .pdfs. What's your system for monsters?

 

[greywulf]

@WildWalker: I like it so far - especially your treatment of Exploits. I want to know more about the Feyborne - MUCH better idea than 4e's Dragonborn/Eldarin/Elf/Elf/Nuther Elf treatment.

You need to remove about half the words though Simplify! Find synergies, fold and blend. That's the Microlite20 way.

Hey, Greywulf, I noticed your monster stat blocks on the comic page are a bit different from the .pdfs. What's your system for monsters?

They are? Oh crud! I wrote 'em as I thought 'em; M20 is fast enough to be able to do that. I'll try to be most consistent in future. Maybe.

If there's enough interest in the webcomic Sin20: The Life and Death of Callen Oncedark (here: http://forum.microlite20.net/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=21&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a, over on the Microlite20 forums), I'll continue. If not, I've no shortage of other ideas.

Personally, I like the "D&D meets Sin City" vibe, but each to their own.

 

[WildWalker]

Greywulf,
Feyborne is a shorthand to myself for making a whole swack of races with special unusual abilities that don’t map to a stat bonus. I couldn’t figure out a simple way to do it until I came up with the unified Exploit/Spells (E/S) hack. Now it’s easy but it will take me some time to think through the possibilities.


Some possibilities include:

• Eladrin could have a Fey Step as a -2 Condition range zero safe blast they could apply as part of an attack (“I can’t believe Shem missed him but, one minute he was there and the next minute he was behind him. He just kept blinking in and out of existence…”)
• An Airborne might have the same -2 Condition range zero safe blast they could apply as part of an attack but it is defined as a hurricane force wind blowing off of him at whim.
• A Dragonborne could have access to a short ranged blast even if they were not a Mage.
• A Firebore could have a range zero safe blast defined as “He just burst into flames!”.
• …and so on.

The possibilities are endless…and easy to adjudicate…I just need to do some thinking about how to define it.

For the E/S hack itself, it just doesn’t feel done to me yet. There are also some Spells that are not defined that maybe should be Mage only or defined as Wuxia powers in some way. I’m just not sure yet. I’m also contemplating rolling Heroism into the E/S hack.

Another thing that hit me was the possibility I could dump equipment completely by using the E/S hack as the baseline for attacks with “suitable equipment” and armor as a Condition based on the same. I’m still exploring that.

It sure would make the game more compact. T'would be a little scary if it doesn’t reduce the overall compatibility with 4e…

WildWalker

 

[WildWalker]

D6 Microlite

Since it was first mentioned I've been trying to figure out how to do a D20 mechanic using only 6 sided dice.

This morning I had a wild thought and I think I've finally got something that can be done with only two 6-sided dice.

It changes the range a little bit but I think it's a fair trade off. I've got to write it up cleaner but here is the concept:

d3: Half d6 or 1>2=1, 3>4=2, 5>6=3
d6: 1d6. No change.
d9: Roll two d6. First one is read as a d3. Second one is read as Low, Middle, High. 1>2=Low, 3>4=Middle, 5>6=High. Low: 1>3=1>3, Middle: 1>3=4>6, High: 1>3=7>9
d12: Roll two d6. First one is read as a d6. Second one is read as Low, High. 1>3=Low, 4>6=High. Low: 1>6=1>6, High: 1>6=7>12
d18: Roll two d6. First one is read as a d6. Second one is read as Low, Middle, High. 1>2=Low, 3>4=Middle, 5>6=High. Low: 1>6=1>6, Middle: 1>6=7>12, High: 1>6=13>18

Using this a d20 roll becomes a d18 and the damage rolls need to be shifted up or down to match the new paradygm. Other than that, you are set to jam.

WildWalker

 

[RandallS]

Microlite74

I've been working on a version Microlite20 designed to capture the playing style and feel of that very first fantasy roleplaying game published in 1974. It's finally finished and is available for download from my web site.

Here's the announcement and download link.

Microlite74, like its parent game, Microlite20, is a trimmed down, sub-miniature version of the Primary Fantasy SRD rules that has been designed to be quick and easy to play. The goal of Microlite74, however, is to recreate the style and feel of that very first ("0e") fantasy roleplaying game published back in 1974.

This five page PDF includes variant rules based on Microlite20, a complete spell list and monster list, and a short designer's note section touching on the differences in style between "old school" and the usual style of play encountered today. Microlite74's rules were written to support the "old school" style, while retaining many of the more modern rules features of OGL games based on the 3.5 SRD. Microlite20 trimmed the fat from the 3.5 SRD, paring the game down to a fast-moving and easy to learn two-page system. Microlite74 takes the M20 system and modifies it for a 1974 style, but leaves most of the basic Microlite20 rules in place.

Those looking for a retroclone of that 0e Fantasy RPG from 1974 will be disappointed in Microlite74 as it makes no attempt to be a clone of the 0e rules, only of the feel and style of Oe play. Those looking for a 0e retroclone should take a look at Swords & Wizardry.

• View/Download Microlite74 PDF (about 100K)

 

[WildWalker]

RandallS,

I just wanted to tell you that your ML74 is awesome!

Reading through it made me rethink my hack and dump the weapon list...which cascaded through everything and monkeyed with a lot of my own assumptions about how stuff works...

Great work!

WildWalker

 

[RandallS]

Reading through it made me rethink my hack and dump the weapon list...which cascaded through everything and monkeyed with a lot of my own assumptions about how stuff works...

1d6 for weapons (and the basis for most monster attacks) actually works well in play, too. If I do an M75 (based on the 0e LBB and the supplements -- M74 was just based on the LBBs), weapon damage will vary more as variable weapon damage was added in the first 0e supplement. Even then I intend to keep it simple. Say, 1d4 for small weapons, 1d6 for most weapons, and 1d8 for large weapons. I'm not nearly as interested in pole arms as E.G.G. was so I don't need a weapon list a couple of pages long. LOL.

Thanks for the kind words about M74, BTW. I'm really happy to hear that many people like what they see.

 

[Urizen]

hello everyone.

I've been trying to follow this thread in my spare time, because the microlite system is intriguing. I'm wondering, how many "versions" are there?

I downloaded the 3-page rules a while back, but I keep on seeing pictures showing 4 booklets...?

Am I missing something?

Where do I find these?

I am very interested in possibly doing some development of adventure paths and other drop-in locations for games, but I don't want to just jump into it without getting as much information about the system as I possibly can.

I love the 3-page booklet, though I think a bit more information regarding spell generation, monster creation and magic item creation might be nice.

Again, maybe I'm missing something.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[dystmesis]

Universal 1d6 damage die for all weapons is what led me to want to use 2d6 for microlite instead of 1d20, but again, that system can lead to mathmatical problems... Right now, I'm thinking of maybe just halving stat modifiers and halving bonus modifiers from each level up for microlite2d6...

 

[greywulf]

hello everyone.

I've been trying to follow this thread in my spare time, because the microlite system is intriguing. I'm wondering, how many "versions" are there?

I downloaded the 3-page rules a while back, but I keep on seeing pictures showing 4 booklets...?

Am I missing something?

Where do I find these?

I am very interested in possibly doing some development of adventure paths and other drop-in locations for games, but I don't want to just jump into it without getting as much information about the system as I possibly can.

I love the 3-page booklet, though I think a bit more information regarding spell generation, monster creation and magic item creation might be nice.

Again, maybe I'm missing something.

Any help would be appreciated.

Apologies for the delay in replying, Urizen - I'd half completed my answer then ENWorld ate my post yesterday. Gaaaaah! I'll try again.......

Welcome to the wonderful world of Microlite20

The booklets you're seeing are PocketMod Editions of the rules. These are single-sheet prints that are folded in a special way to make a miniature 8-page booklet - perfect for backpocket gaming. Along with the Core Rules, there's booklets providing Spell Lists, Monsters, a GM Guide, a variant for Modern gaming and more; they're all available from the download page.

When it comes to spells, it's possible to use them straight from D&D or the SRD if you're willing to adjudicate and simplify as you go. Or, hit the Download page for ready-made m20 spell lists (or here and here)

Part of the fun of microlite20 is that it begs to be tweaked and customized to suit your style of play. If you don't mind deviating from D&D's way of working, there's also the Four by Five magic system which comes closer to the style of magic found in many classics of fantasy literature. And Harry Potter.

Monsters are ridiculously simple to create. Check out my article about this very thing; it's straightforward to use D&D monsters as-is too, so those Monster Manuals and published adventures are fodder for M20 too. If that's not enough, there's always the Critters random monster generator over on the old site (steadily being migrated by yours truly).

Hope that all helps! I look forward to hearing more about your adventure paths