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Spellbook Games releases 'Portal to Adventure' classic RPG Rules
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<blockquote data-quote="Geoff Dale" data-source="post: 5451149" data-attributes="member: 30650"><p><strong>Answer to What Flavor?</strong></p><p></p><p>Whizbang:</p><p></p><p>I can give some details - releasing Portals fills a real big hole for us since all of the products we've released since last March have actually been written in it. But from a GM perspective it converts really really easily into 1E. </p><p></p><p>Portals is most similar to First Edition in its spirit, more than in its mechanics, and it has a similar level of detail to the original three Gygax pamphlets (for example, very limited descriptions about monsters, spells, and enchanted items, by intention). There is lots of leaning on 'the GM decides' when there isn't a formal rule for something. We did a couple of years of playtesting and whenever a rule wasn't absolutely essential it was left out of the Portal rule book (I have tons of optional rules written up from that campaign, and maybe someday we'll publish a compendium of them, but not now)</p><p></p><p>Here are some differences from D&D (circa 1976 to 1980):</p><p>* 5 prime stats ranging 7 to 24 (with race adjustments), strength, intelligence, stamina, agility, plus a new one, will; stats generated by 3d6 and put into whichever statistic the player wants; average 13-14; a character whose stats sum to less than a critical number gets thrown out</p><p>* HP is directly based on stamina and never changes</p><p>* Priests know the resurrection ritual at the start but they don't get good at it until around L6 or so</p><p>* to-hit is based on level difference (only a couple of armor class based modifiers)</p><p>* critical hit built in on all natural 20's (doubles damage then triples then loses limb)</p><p>* Armor reduces damage, minimum hp1 damage from any hit</p><p>* Saving rolls are based directly on statistics (low stats have a very hard time from saving from anything, high stats often save); most saves are stamina (physical), will (mental), agility (avoid attack); saving rolls are given in the form d20 roll greater than or equal to [number-statistic] so that success requires a high roll (maintaining the high-is-good paradigm); the less-than statistic form would have been simpler in lots of ways</p><p>* Mages can directly detect magic as a class ability</p><p>* More difficult magical tasks require rituals (some with more than one mage, and no - I've never even read 4E so no stealing there)</p><p>* Brawling rules are included</p><p>* Priests and Crusaders can directly heal by laying-on hands (number limited by level)</p><p>* Anybody can do limited healing by way of field first aid</p><p>* Damaged spell books and scrolls are explosive</p><p></p><p>Mages, Shamans, and Priests all share the same basic mechanic. Each character has something called the Special Power Statistic, a combination of Intelligence+Will+random die roll. A modifier (0 to 10) is derived from the special power statistic - this modifier is used for lots of things...to determine whether a spell or prayer can be performed, as a damage modifier to attack spells, and in determining both spell duration and range - this really differentiates a 'low power' Mage from a 'high power' Mage. [aside, even non-mages have this modifier, there are minimum values they have to have to use enchanted items] The math works out so that 'average' statistics and average d20 rolls result in modifiers of 3 or 4. There are only three spell 'levels/' Each Mage/Priest gets a number of casts from each spell category they are capable of using (initially only 2 of the 3) that depends on their experience level. After they use up their 'free' casts they have to succeed on d20 rolls that get harder as they continue to cast - their special power modifier is applied as a roll bonus (e.g. we've introduced both luck and statistics into it, so the Mage doesn't know if he's going to get to cast or not, eventually the roll will become so high he can't beat it). Each Mage can cast any of 5 attack spells but they pay a penalty if the spell is out of their 'element.' Most of the familiar D&D spells are there but all Mages can't use them all, which ones they get to select from depends on their element choice; eventually at high enough level they can cross-train into new elements. All spells of mental control and mental abilities (think 'charm' and 'telepathy') go to the Shaman, who also make magic charms.</p><p></p><p>The whole rules part of the book is about 40 pages long, with all the rest of the book being 'data' in appendices.</p><p></p><p>I hope that helps.</p><p></p><p>Geoff</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Geoff Dale, post: 5451149, member: 30650"] [b]Answer to What Flavor?[/b] Whizbang: I can give some details - releasing Portals fills a real big hole for us since all of the products we've released since last March have actually been written in it. But from a GM perspective it converts really really easily into 1E. Portals is most similar to First Edition in its spirit, more than in its mechanics, and it has a similar level of detail to the original three Gygax pamphlets (for example, very limited descriptions about monsters, spells, and enchanted items, by intention). There is lots of leaning on 'the GM decides' when there isn't a formal rule for something. We did a couple of years of playtesting and whenever a rule wasn't absolutely essential it was left out of the Portal rule book (I have tons of optional rules written up from that campaign, and maybe someday we'll publish a compendium of them, but not now) Here are some differences from D&D (circa 1976 to 1980): * 5 prime stats ranging 7 to 24 (with race adjustments), strength, intelligence, stamina, agility, plus a new one, will; stats generated by 3d6 and put into whichever statistic the player wants; average 13-14; a character whose stats sum to less than a critical number gets thrown out * HP is directly based on stamina and never changes * Priests know the resurrection ritual at the start but they don't get good at it until around L6 or so * to-hit is based on level difference (only a couple of armor class based modifiers) * critical hit built in on all natural 20's (doubles damage then triples then loses limb) * Armor reduces damage, minimum hp1 damage from any hit * Saving rolls are based directly on statistics (low stats have a very hard time from saving from anything, high stats often save); most saves are stamina (physical), will (mental), agility (avoid attack); saving rolls are given in the form d20 roll greater than or equal to [number-statistic] so that success requires a high roll (maintaining the high-is-good paradigm); the less-than statistic form would have been simpler in lots of ways * Mages can directly detect magic as a class ability * More difficult magical tasks require rituals (some with more than one mage, and no - I've never even read 4E so no stealing there) * Brawling rules are included * Priests and Crusaders can directly heal by laying-on hands (number limited by level) * Anybody can do limited healing by way of field first aid * Damaged spell books and scrolls are explosive Mages, Shamans, and Priests all share the same basic mechanic. Each character has something called the Special Power Statistic, a combination of Intelligence+Will+random die roll. A modifier (0 to 10) is derived from the special power statistic - this modifier is used for lots of things...to determine whether a spell or prayer can be performed, as a damage modifier to attack spells, and in determining both spell duration and range - this really differentiates a 'low power' Mage from a 'high power' Mage. [aside, even non-mages have this modifier, there are minimum values they have to have to use enchanted items] The math works out so that 'average' statistics and average d20 rolls result in modifiers of 3 or 4. There are only three spell 'levels/' Each Mage/Priest gets a number of casts from each spell category they are capable of using (initially only 2 of the 3) that depends on their experience level. After they use up their 'free' casts they have to succeed on d20 rolls that get harder as they continue to cast - their special power modifier is applied as a roll bonus (e.g. we've introduced both luck and statistics into it, so the Mage doesn't know if he's going to get to cast or not, eventually the roll will become so high he can't beat it). Each Mage can cast any of 5 attack spells but they pay a penalty if the spell is out of their 'element.' Most of the familiar D&D spells are there but all Mages can't use them all, which ones they get to select from depends on their element choice; eventually at high enough level they can cross-train into new elements. All spells of mental control and mental abilities (think 'charm' and 'telepathy') go to the Shaman, who also make magic charms. The whole rules part of the book is about 40 pages long, with all the rest of the book being 'data' in appendices. I hope that helps. Geoff [/QUOTE]
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