Xcrawl

[Messageboard Golem]

Fabulous prizes! Cars, wealth, and a years supply of furniture wax. All of these--and much, much more--can be yours...if you survive. Of course, you are going to have to kill the monsters to get the treasure, and you are not the crowd favorite today, and the cameras are very unforgiving. But there are no second takes, and if you die...you die.

Imagine a world like the one outside your window. Only this one is a modern version of the Roman Empire, set in the lands of North America, and filled with wondrous magic and fearsome monsters. But the magic is regulated and the monsters are controlled, and the time of great adventure is only a legend--and a legend reborn.

Xcrawl: Adventures in the Xtreme Dungeon Crawl League is the new D20 game setting that brings classic fantasy adventure into modern times. Xtreme Sports Athletes race through artificially constructed dungeons, hoping to come out victorious and win fabulous prizes and enough fame to move up in station and retire to a comfortable life. But the monsters are real, and the danger is real, and if the heroes die...they die. Crowds line up for chances to see these events, and the pay-per-view royalties are huge. With everyone so excited, life has got to be good...does it not? Or is there something else going on? Is the adventure and the excitement all a cover to hide something else? Is the Empire as sound as they claim? Is the Emperor just and proud? Are the people truly happy?

Xcrawl is a 240-page hardcover rulebook that contains a full background setting, along with rules specific to the campaign, including: new prestige classes, new skills, new feats, new weapons, new monsters, and much, much more.

 

[trancejeremy]

What do you get when you combine reality television, professional wrestling, D&D, and that episode of Star Trek in which they find an alternate Earth with 20th Century Romans? Xcrawl!

Xcrawl is a campaign setting for d20/D&D. It's perhaps unlike any other campaign setting I've seen, in that Dungeon Crawling is a televised professional sport, and the PCs are professional athletes instead of adventurers. It's set in an alternate Earth, where there is D&D style magic and fantasy races and monsters. So it's for regular d20/D&D, not d20 Modern. There is technology though, about on level with the year 2000 or so, though it's lower in some areas.

It's a hardcover book, around 240 pages, priced at $34.95 (I got it for the surprisingly low price of $15 including S&H on ebay). The paper is quite heavy, too, making the book quite sturdy. It's a bit shorter than most RPG books, by about an half an inch. (If you've seen a hardcover from Sovereign Press, this looks like they used the same printer). The art is pretty good, but there's not much (and what art there is is somewhat minimalistic). The cover depicts 3 members of the "Dunguun Gangstaas" Xcrawling team: Oni, The Messenger, and Geronimo Nick. The margins are quite large, as is the font. It doesn't quite have the look of a product for the visually impaired, but it's noticeably big.

Chapter One (about 25 pages) goes into the detail of the world. As mentioned, it's set on an alternate Earth. It's a bit weird, almost unbelievable, but it's fairly well detailed. It seems that at the dawn of history, there was a big war between Humans and these Alf-like creatures called the Zeetha (Alf the little puppet guy from the phone commercials.). That ended poorly, and civilization was wiped out for a while. Somehow, something exactly like the old Roman empire was started (not just like it, but the name, same place). From there, it's somewhat like real world history - dark ages, rennaisance, industrial age, only Christianity never catches on. And instead of forming the US after the American Revolution, there's the North American Empire (based on the lines of the old Roman empire).

Many historical figures are the same. For instance, instead of becoming president, George Washinton became George Augustus. Shakespeare wrote Trokio & Juliet (about an elf and human) instead of Romeo & Juliet. Etc, etc, etc. Even a World War Two style war with Adolph Hitler.

Quite honestly, the world doesn't really make sense from a logical point of view. But if you don't think about it too much, it can work.

Chapter Two is pretty lengthy, about 50 pages, and details the world as it is today. The current leader of the NAE is Ronald Reagan, who was appointed emperor after the old one, James III (Jimmy Carter?) was killed by a rabbit (er, his cousin). It goes fairly in depth into the culture and everyday life of the NAE, how various races fit in, etc. The rest of the world is also covered, though not in as much depth - usually just a paragraph or two for each country. There's also an 'underdark' - that is, a huge cave network where people live. While Dark Elves live under there, they are not called "Drow", but "Alfar" (This would have been a better name for the Alf like people, IMHO, though these elves are apparently connected with the Norse myths.).

In an interesting twist on real life, most coutnries of the world are monarchies or dictatorships, except Zimbabwe, which is a parliamentry monarchy.

Chapter Three explains just what Xcrawl the sport is, and how it got started.

Xcrawl is essentially just a televised dungeon crawl. Part sport, part reality TV. The goals are also quite simple, pretty much the same fare as you find in First Person Shooters (the computer game genre, like Doom or Half-Life) - rescue so many people ("Princesses"), find some keys, etc.

How it got started is a longer story. Basically, an ancient intelligent sword was found in some ruins. He became a media star, and told stories about the good old days when his former owner would go exploring ancient ruins and such. This spawned a tabletop game with that idea. Then one day, an enterprising fan of that game decided a real life version (think that Tom Hanks movie). However, one day one of his games went amok when the game players ran into some Ghouls. They ended up fighting with them, and told the story to the media, which spawned the real live versions (that idea was actually from Emperor Ronald, supposedly to distract the public.).

This bit is perhaps a bit contrived. I mean, I can see Xcrawl as an actual sport/TV show, and I would not be surprised in real life if something like Xcrawl appeared on TV, but I don't think it would be nearly as popular as professional football. Or even baseball. Sure baseball is boring, but it attracts a certain sort of people who love arguing about it. (In countries without baseball, that sort of people is reduced to trainspotting.)

Chapter Four is on rules and is about 50 pages. For a d20 product, this is actually quite rules light.

The concept of "Mojo" is introduced. Essentially, it's a pool of points that can be used during an Xcrawl that can help a skill test. The trick is, it can only be used to help another player, and that player cannot request the use of it. This is pretty clever, I thought. It encourages teamwork.

There's also rules for Fame. It's essentially a 1 to 100 scale. While I like the idea of this, I think it probably would have made more sense to treat it as a normal d20 stat. Along with fame, there are guidelines for sponsorships and such, which is where the real money is made. (Tied into fame is how a signature move works. Basically, it's a 1-2 punch that a character uses, sort of like how wrestlers have special moves)

The book describes how each d20 core class fits into the world of Xcrawl. Because of the narrow focus of Xcrawl, certain classes are much more useful than in regulard D&D (most notably Rogues). Some of them are modified slightly when it comes to class skills and proficiencies (to accommadate the new skills introduced for guns and driving). There's only 1 new skill (Driving) and only a few new feats. I would have liked to have seen how some of the prestige classes from the SRD fit into the world of Xcrawl. Some, like the Assassin and Shadowdancer seem quite useful.

There's also a new core class introduced, The Athlete. This seems pretty balanced, it's got the average combat skill, d10 for hit points, 4 skill points per level, and average saves in all the categories (not quite the standard average saving throw, which ends up at +9 at 20th level, this only goes up to +8).

There are also a few new prestige classes which also fit the setting. Celebrity, Dungeon Judge, Monster Trapper. Probably mostly useful for NPCs.

There's a smattering of new gear. Basically, some firearms, stats for sports equipment like aluminum baseball bats, golf clubs, bowling balls, baseballs, plus a chainsaw!. There's also some new armor. The column headings for Max Dex Bonus and Armor bonus seem to be reversed on the chart.

Chapter Five is on running Xcrawl games. Mostly advice, though there is also an alternate scoring system for Xcrawl matches (ordinarily, the quickest through a dungeon wins). Things work a bit different in Xcrawl than in other RPGs (since you are trying to recreate a TV show), so the advice is well heeded.

Chapter Six is mostly a sample Xcrawl. It's "MemphisCrawl XVI". It's weird! Almost reminds me of the rather silly Castle Greyhawk module from TSR. Besides that (which is fairly long), there's a few new monsters. Lastly, there's an interview with an Xcrawl team (the one which is used for most of the fiction in the book), and has character sheets for them.

There is an index!

They got Section 15 of the Open Gaming License wrong. They included the notation for the OGL itself, and Xcrawl, but forgot the SRD.

This is an interesting product. The idea behind it is pretty good. It's fairly original, although it's somewhat similar to the Dream Park novel (which had a game from R. Talsorian), and now that I think about it, is somewhat similar to the old show, American Gladiators (that didn't have a lethal dungeon, but the last part did have an obstacle course, and they did fight people, albeit with padded sticks).

On the other hand, because it's so narrowly focused, simply on Dungeon Crawling, it could get boring after a while. The Xcrawl Dungeons don't even seem to be that big. So, it might be more suited to a one shot or occasional games than a long, ongoing campaign. While people do really seem to like Dungeon Crawls, they like more than just that.

I would have liked to have seen more on adventuring opportunities outside of Xcrawl. Most of the book describes the world of Xcrawl, but I'm not sure what Xcrawlers could do as part of a game outside Xcrawl itself. It goes into the money making opportunities, like sponsorships, but generally only hints at other things to do.

Ultimately, while I think the game is focused a bit too narrowly, they did do an excellent job with it. The book is well written, and the new rules are limited (a good thing, in my view) but generally very helpful. So I have to give this book an A-.

Still, if you're looking for a book from which to borrow a lot of d20 rules or crunchy bits, this isn't it. If you're looking for a setting that offers a lot of serious roleplaying opportunity, this also probably isn't it.

The book itself is great for reading. Hillarious in places. So you won't waste your money if you buy this, even if you never run it.

Personally, I'm probably going to use it as part of my Dragonstar game.

 

[Merova]

Xcrawl: Adventures in the Xtreme Dungeon Crawl League

Xcrawl is a setting book for D&D, which introduces an alternate reality, similar to contemporary Earth, but different in a few significant ways. All the tropes of D&D exist; there are elves, orcs, undead and magic. Yet, human civilization hasn't been radically altered. Basic national/ethnic identities, technological advances and political systems remain familiar.

For instance, the U.S. doesn't exist, but is instead the North American Empire (NAE,) a pseudo-Roman organization, which rules from Alaska to Mexico. The Roman deities are the primary pantheon of worship. Even historic figures are familiar; Shakespeare writes a tragedy based on elven/human romance, George Washington founds the NAE, and Hitler plunges Germany and the world into the "Great War." All in all, the setting is wildly implausible and oftentimes silly.

Given that the setting is as goofy as a bad Star Trek episode, why use it? This is the setting wherein your PCs can participate in the "Xtreme Dungeon Crawl League." Xcrawl!! So what is Xcrawl?


Premise

"You can say that it is a little bit of fantasy adventure. You can say that it's just modern gladiator combat. You can say that it's extreme sports brought to gaming. You can even compare it to professional wrestling." (Xcrawl, p.6)

Yeah, you can say all of that about "feel" or "style," but what is the focus of this game setting, Xcrawl? It is a televised blood sport, in the style of Roman gladiatorial competitions but designed around the adventuring concept of the "dungeon crawl." Players design their PCs using the D&D core rules to create Xcrawl participants who then enter competitions where they face a series of potentially lethal obstacles, such as monsters and traps.

The North American Xcrawl season consists of twenty-five events. Each event is a "dungeon crawl," designed by a "Dungeon Judge (DJ)" to thrill and captivate both live and broadcast audiences. There are five division classes, which are appropriate events for a given set of character levels. For instance, Division Two is an appropriate challenge class for character levels 7 through 10, while "Unlimited" is for levels 16 and up.

Why do people participate in Xcrawl? The rewards are fame and wealth. The social caste system ranks celebrities just below nobility and higher than even prestigious clergy and magi; commoners are regarded as little better than beggars or criminals in the NAE. The Xcrawl offers a way in which a commoner may better their social standing. As regards wealth, the events themselves have prizes for the competitors, ranging from cash rewards to goods, such as an "all-expenses paid" vacation to Orlando, a magic weapon or a "year's supply" of car wax. However, the major source of wealth is derived from advertisements and appearance fees, which are dependant on a PCs fame rating.

The drawback to participation is obvious. The Xcrawl is a death sport for a blood-thirsty audience. The traps and monsters are real and lethal, kind of a steep risk for a year's supply of "ultra shred-resistant dental floss." If the PCs die. . . they die.


Mechanics

So, if the premise is participating in the Xcrawl, how does this product facilitate such exploration? In terms of mechanics, the game is a bit light, but focused. There's the typical stuff, a new class, new prestige classes, new feats, skill uses, spells and equipment. For the most part, these are all competently designed and conducive towards setting exploration, although minor editing problems are noticeable throughout, such as on the Armor table, which has the defensive bonus listed incorrectly.

However, there are four mechanics that warrant tighter scrutiny due to their effect on game implementation: Mojo, fame, signature moves, and grandstanding.


Mojo is a pool of bonuses, ranging from 1 to 12, meant "to simulate the intangible bond between players that propels them to greater success as a group, (p.116.)" It may be utilized for any d20 roll during a crawl, excepting saving throws, as a one-for-one bonus modifier. However, there are a few restrictions. A player may not request a mojo bonus; it needs to be freely offered by a teammate. Moreover, the bonus needs to be applied before the die is rolled, so it's overall effect as a dramatic modifier is minimized; unless a huge amount of mojo is allocated, the bonus doesn't have a significant or reliable effect upon the result. The flat distribution on a d20 roll is likely to waste the mojo by either making the bonus superfluous, with a high result, or insufficient, with a low result.

If the pool were of a larger initial size, open-ended, or capable of refreshing frequently, then this wouldn't be such a problem. The team would have enough mojo that it could afford to spend it on "just-in-case" situations. Unfortunately, the maximum pool size is twelve, which only resets every "dungeon." True, a team may earn mojo from in-game events, such as +1 for every "critical hit" or room victory, but this is a meager boost considering the overall ineffectiveness of the bonus.

Finally, the rules for setting the pre-game mojo pool are vague; roll 1d6 and adjust this by certain situations. For instance, the team gets a +1 bonus for a "rousing pre-Crawl speech from the team captain." Great, what are the rules for determining a "rousing" speech? Does the player deliver a speech and the GM decides based upon the player's personal oratory skill? Do the other players decide? Does the character roll a "perform" check? Some advice here would be helpful. Same thing goes for having an official coach. This is a neat bit of setting simulation, but where are the rules for having a coach? How much do they get paid? Again, some more details would be useful. Furthermore, the disposition of the crowd has an influence on the mojo pool. There are DCs listed to sway the crowd, but what are the mechanic effects of a successful "sway" check? Does a "hostile" crowd improve in disposition to merely a "lame" crowd? Or does the check swing them all the way over to "Hometown"-style enthusiasm? The rules do not say.

Personally, I like the concept of the Mojo pool, but, in actual implementation, I found that it does not provide an easily utilized or effectual resource.


Fame is measured from 1 to 100; it measures a character's popularity. Fame is primarily determined by accomplishments in Xcrawl competition, such as completing a dungeon level, successfully making five consecutive Grandstanding checks, or performing a signature move. Taking actions that are seen as contrary to the PC's public persona results in a loss of fame. So, what are the mechanical effects of Fame?

Fame gives a die roll bonus to various situations. During a crawl, the fame bonus may be applied to grandstanding or mugging attempts. Outside of the crawl, the bonus is applied to various Charisma-based checks, where the PC's notoriety may have influence, such as in getting "favors" from Xcrawl enthusiasts. The fame bonus is equal to the "rating" divided by 10 and rounded up; Rating 01-10 equals a +1 bonus, Rating 51-60 equals a +6 bonus, and so forth. Therefore, a "superstar" with a Fame of 75 would have a +8 bonus to a diplomacy check to get a favor from a fan.

Furthermore, Fame determines the standard appearance fee (SAF,) 250 gold pieces times the PC's rating. (In real world terms, one gold piece purchases an equivalent amount as $3.00.) This mechanic includes such situations as commercials, TV cameos, and endorsements. The use of agents is mentioned, including a suggested "cut" for payment, but no hard rules are offered for their implementation. Do agents arrange a better SAF for the PC? Do they add a bonus to the Fame rating? This is an interesting opportunity for simulation of setting, but we need rules.

Finally, fame rating is equal to the percentage chance of being recognized in public. When recognition occurs, there's a range of possibilities; consult the "Random Recognition" chart. Does a fan ask for an autograph? Is the PC hit up for a donation to a special cause? Does the PC pick up a stalker? This is a great opportunity to explore the ramifications of fame. Unfortunately, it isn't developed. There are neither mechanics nor techniques offered to run an encounter based upon recognition.

So, again I find that Xcrawl has an excellent concept behind the Fame mechanic, but it just doesn't come through. This is especially frustrating because mechanics for social challenges for exploring the theme of fame would be totally innovative in the d20 field. Moreover, it would be the perfect counterbalance to the "Hack-n-Slash" combat challenges that constitute the crawl events. The lack of solid mechanics is a disappointment.

On a minor criticism regarding design, I'd have preferred that the base Fame mechanic worked similar to the standard d20 task resolution system. The 01-100 system works, but some extra time spent making it fit the core mechanic would have been appreciated. It's a small gripe, but non-standard systems annoy me.


Signature moves are a fun bit of setting simulation. A three-round action that can only be performed before a live audience, signature moves are showy maneuvers meant to impress the viewers, hopefully adding to a character's fame. There are three parts to a signature move, each taking a round. First is the "Call," a full-round action that indicates to the audience that the signature move is about to be utilized. Then comes the "actions," two distinct actions that thematically fit with the "call."

For example, the book (p.124) lists a few signature moves, such as the "Hot Time in the Old Town," which includes a "Call," followed by a fireball spell, and followed by a flashy dance move (Performance DC 15.)

There are three primary restrictions to using signature moves. First, they can only be used when an audience is present. Second, it must be visible to the audience at all times. Third, it is not considered successful unless each part is successfully completed. Further restricting the use of signature moves is that a character needs to spend 1000 xp to acquire one; the "Extra Signature Move" feat allows players to develop additional moves for their character.

So, what are the benefits for using a signature move? A +2 competency bonus is applied to actions performed as part of the move, including a +2 DC to spell saving throws. After a successful execution, a grandstanding or mugging check may be immediately attempted with a +6 synergy bonus. Finally, a character earns one fame point for a success, three if the target is taken down.

However, there is a risk of losing fame through failure; one fame point is lost if the move fails. Three fame points are lost upon rolling a natural one. Ouch!

Now this is good design! The requirements are clear, the benefits are significant, and the risks are reasonable. Signature moves enhance simulation of setting. Moreover, for maximizing the effect of the move, the party will need to work as a team, setting up a dramatic and showy situation. In implementation, setting up a successful signature move facilitates teamwork and is entertaining for the whole group.


Grandstanding is a Performance skill check, which allows the character to work the live audience to enthusiasm and support. Mugging is similar, but in regards to the broadcast audience. Five consecutive successful checks add a point to a player's fame rating. The DC of a grandstanding check depends on the initial disposition of the crowd. For instance, a "hometown" crowd has a DC of 10, while a "hostile" crowd had a DC of 40. Mugging is always at DC 21.

That's a sweet bit of simulation, but what else does this skill do? Umm, it does nothing else. Does it add to the mojo pool? No. Does a successful check add a one-round morale bonus to teammates? No. Does skill at grandstanding offer a possible synergy bonus in appropriate social challenges with fans? No. Grandstanding is a nice concept, but the game doesn't develop its full potential as a setting simulative mechanic. It should be place in the forefront of game implementation, nearly as important as combat skill, as the passage below indicates.

"Xcrawl is not an adventure designed to challenge and stimulate the players- Xcrawl exists to thrill and captivate audiences, create national pride and, some argue, to distract the nation from the real problems of the day." (Xcrawl, p.93)

So, since the Xcrawl is essentially a lethal exercise in the "entertainment" industry, why isn't the primary Xcrawl performance style, grandstanding, given a bigger role in mechanical terms? Again, the game misses out on a great opportunity to further both the premise of the game and the state of d20 social challenges.


Techniques

A game is not comprised of mechanics alone. Techniques of implementation are also important in running and playing a game. So what does this game offer? There are three areas of interest: setting, advice, and example.


Setting has been briefly discussed above. I feel that the book spent way too much time on a kooky history and world; it feels like a misguided effort to shoehorn the D&D tropes into a pseudo-contemporary setting. It doesn't work for me. Attention is spent detailing various countries and wars of the far distant past, but none of this furthers the basic premise; how does this enhance the Xcrawl experience? It doesn't.

I could be argued that the world is given such detail so that adventures that don't revolve around the Xcrawl may be run. For instance, playing Messianic rebels against the corrupt NAE could be fun. Much entertainment can be found in things like "monster trapping" or exploring the dark subterranean realms of the alfar. The setting, goofy though it may be, contains vast potential for adventure, but there is no advice or example on how to implement such games.

My conclusion is that the setting is superfluous. The vast detail spent on this world and its history is left as a flat backdrop for the games. Certainly, you can explore beyond the basic Xcrawl premise, but you're doing so without any help from this book.


Advice on running the actual Xcrawl is much more focused and helpful. From addressing mood to constructing appropriate treasure distribution to factoring experience, the GM advice is golden. However, there is one major oversight in the advice; how do the players win a Crawl?

"The majority of Crawls are still scored only by time. The first team to accomplish the goals and get through the dungeon in the best time wins. But that isn't the only system used these days. Many DJ's have created specific goal-oriented scoring systems unique to their dungeons, giving teams headaches and forcing them to train for something besides speed." (Xcrawl, p.176)

This is excellent, putting a tactical pressure upon the PCs. So, how does the GM determine how the other competitors fared? What are the guidelines for determining "par for the course"? GM fiat! The GM decides how the PCs did in the competition. This is lame; it totally defuses player incentive to operate under the tactical restraints of the scoring system. Why risk your PC's life in an attempt to rush through the dungeon, when these efforts have no direct influence upon winning? The lack of a simple guideline is extremely disappointing.


Example of play is sporadically offered throughout the book. It's generally clearly written and illustrative of the situation. However, the big help is in the sample Crawl, MemphisCrawl XVI. This is wonderfully useful in showing how an Xcrawl event differs from a traditional "dungeon crawl" adventure.


Appraisal

I like this game. The premise of obtaining wealth and fame through adventuring is an old one, but this game gives it a sweet new twist; the PCs are gladiator celebrities "dungeon crawling" for the entertainment of a blood-thirsty audience. The themes of status, style and teamwork, usually secondary elements in traditional fantasy, are accessible avenues of exploration in Xcrawl. Although the game does occasionally falter in execution, the ideas are good and, for those GMs willing to put in a bit of effort, the mechanics are salvageable.

Overall, I recommend this game.


---OMW