The Freetrader Conventions

The Signing of the Convention Treaty on Geneva IV

In order for freetraders in the Space Cantonment, Directorate Space, and other willing sectors, to prosper and thrive, the referees of those campaigns have set out the following articles in order to ease movement between them.

Article 1
Characters may move between Directorate Space and the Space Cantonment freely provided they meet the standards required in other articles.

Article 2
Characters are bound by the rules of the version of Traveller being used in the game they are currently playing.  This includes things such as the rules for combat (both personal and ship-based), weapon damage, the functions of certain technological items, etc. 

Article 3
There is one exception to the rule presented in Article 2: skills.  Characters use whatever skill they possess that is closest to the one in the system currently being run.  This means that characters from the Cantonment (and possibly other CT games) possess broader skill categories than those the Directorate.  Skill acquisition is also based on the characters native system, and not on the system currently being run.  Skill rolls function as other items described in Article 2.

Article 4
Characters may bring their own personal effects with them, but not those held in common with other members of their party/crew.  This includes any ships the characters rolled on the benefits table, assuming the ship is being used by other party members.

Article 5
Psions, astropsychics, and aliens must submit their characters to the referee at least 48 hours in advance so that the referee has the time to read over any relevant sections of their rules/come up with how certain foreign abilities work in their area of space-time.

Signed
Representing the Cantonment: Chris Kutalik
Representing the Terran Directorate: Evan Elkins

Cuccagna FLAILSNAILS Guidelines

I've run two sessions of Cuccagna on G+, and it looks like that's going to be a going concern.  As such, here are some guidelines for FLAILSNAILS characters who wish to adventure in that enchanted isle.

• Ability Scores: All characters keep their original ability scores, but use the modifiers listed in the Cuccagna Character generation document instead of those of their native system.
• Character Classes: Non-native characters are treated as the class that their character most resembles in Cuccagna (Fighters and Paladins are Warriors, Magic-Users and Sorcerers are Wizards, Thieves and Assassins are Mountebanks, etc.).
• Clerics: the Gods of Man have no apparent place on Cuccagna.  Clerics who arrive in Cuccagna find that their spells no longer work.  As such, they are treated as Warriors of equivalent level.
• Demi-Humans: Demi-humans are treated as their Swords & Wizardry White Box equivalent, though they will be looked on with great suspicion by the locals.  Demi-humans that do not have S&W equivalents are treated as the closest class.
• Hit Dice: FLAILSNAILS characters reroll their HD at the beginning of each session.
• Level Cap: There is currently a soft level cap of 3.  This will be raised as more adventuring sites are added.  
• Mundane and Magical Equipment: This game is considered Diet FLAILSNAILS; however, magical items always function as determined by the DM (i.e. me).  If there is too little time to run an item passed me, then it will function under the FLAILSNAILS Blue rules.
• Spells: Spells for non-native characters function either as they do in the Swords & Wizardry White Box or in the Swords & Wizardry Core Rules.  Spells from Cuccagna function as per the Dying Earth Spells for D&D pdf.
• Languages: Non-native characters know whatever languages they already knew.  New languages are gained as per the LotFP language rules.

The character creation document can be found here.  Equipment for new characters is purchased either from the Swords & Wizardry White Box, or from B/X.

EDIT: changed the link to the character creation document to a new, updated version.

Nightwick Abbey Session Reports (Sessions 1 and 3)

I've started running Nightwick Abbey again on G+.  This time I've decided to use something more like Chris Kutalik's model where you have a core group of players with new players rotating in occasionally.  When I was running just the megadungeon part a few months ago, I was using Jeff Rients' model of a completely randomized pool.  While this worked well enough, I missed having players whose characters had goals.  Since the Hill Cantons' Nefarious Nine seemed to have a pretty good idea of what they wanted to do from session to session so I thought Chris must be doing something right.

Those of you who have played in my games online will remember that I give extra experience for Session Reports.  Here are three produced by the first two sessions.  I have labeled them using the character they played.

Session 1: Abraham Nermal
Session 3: Abraham Nermal; Erasmus

I ran a somewhat spontaneous session on Wednesday that involved a few of the players in the regular group, but to my knowledge none of them have produced a play report.  Zzarchov (Abraham Nermal's player) also ran a game set in the Dark Country on Friday, which also has yet to produce a play report.

Short Update

I've been neglecting the blog recently, which is due to a combination of getting Skyrim for Christmas and settling in to the new semester.  Once I get a better handle on my schedule, I should be posting quite a bit more.

I've put the Nightwick Abbey G+ game on hiatus until I can expand the dungeon a bit more.  I'll also be tweaking a few things and restocking the first level.  Those who are already on my list of players will remain on my list of players once I get started back, and the time should be the same.

I'm also going to be returning to the Wilderness around Nightwick Abbey and fleshing out the settlements in the Bishopric of Lichgate.  Once that is finished* I hope to run a Dark Country game with a more regularized cast of characters instead of a rotating pool.  I'm not sure what time I'll be running this or how I'll be selecting players, but I should have more on this very soon.

*By finished I mean "finished enough to run."  I don't really think I'll ever be finished with the Dark Country.

Nightwick Abbey ConstantCon (Session 6)

Today's session report is provided by Lon, who played Erasmus the Magic-user.

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Five PCs set out for Nightwick Abbey: Father Jack, Egor, Erasmus, Morgan and Norrick along with men-at-arms Edward and Frankenstein, Egor's Doberman.  The six humans and dog entered the South Tower, after pondering the new arches that seem to have sprung up wince the last time Father Jack and Egor had come to the abbey.

                   

They found an empty room, with stairs leading up to nowhere and an open trap door leading down.  A faint blue light could be seen from below.  A well-placed iron spike was left from those who last forayed into the room below.  These PCs used the rope, except for Norrick who tried the rusted ladder and found it to be greased with lard.  At the bottom, the group found a glowing blue stone and a doorway.  Leaving the stone alone, they found themselves soon in a torture room, complete with corpses of men with enough flesh to keep their bones in place.  After a few false starts, the group was able to get through a portcullis and followed a short corridor to a large circular chamber lit by candlelight.

A chance encounter allowed the PCs to catch sight of a cultist in robes trying to flee the scene.  Father Jack threw his mace with force and struck down the cultist.  Which was a boon and bane.  For eleven more cultists charged into the room.  A quick fight, as well as a bit of bluffing scared the cultists away.  Frankenstein was able to hamstring one of the cultists, which the group tried to question through his cries and blood loss.

While the group was bust with the wounded cultist, Edward, the stalwart man-at-arms gave a cry of panic and was struck down as three ghouls attacked.  Norrick went on the attack and was paralyzed.  The rest of the group tried to defend themselves as best they could while Father Jack took his time to call for the power of his god to turn away these vile creatures.  The three ghouls ran and disappeared behind a set of self-opening and closing doors.

Choosing not to flow such folly, the group looted the altar of the cultists, coming away with 82 pieces of silver and a piece of obsidian worth about 50 silver pieces.  They set off to explore further down the dark corridors.  But, first they left the cultist in a pit near the altar, "for later."

After finding a ransacked room, the group followed a few archways, finding two niches with statues of emaciated bat-like men.  Turning to another room, the group found eight deer headed creatures that thirsted for blood.  The magic-user Morgan let loose with his spell color spray and struck six of them unconscious.  The remaining two were laid low by Norrick and Frankenstein.  There, the group gained another 100 silver and decided to leave.  They rounded up their scared cultist prisoner, named John and left.

On the way back to the village, the cultist was told if he wished to live, he would take the name Edward, shave his beard and head and continue on as the party's man-at-arms.

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If you're interested in playing in future sessions send me an email at evanDOTvanDOTelkinsATgmailDOTcom.  We play every Saturday from 2:00 - 4:00 PM EST.

EPT Session Report: The Tale of Dagazar

I, Dagazar, who came to the city of Jakalla seeking fame and fortune, had until just a few days ago only found poverty and despair.  The gates that lead from the Foreign Quarter to the areas of the city where real wealth can be obtained are locked tighter than the chastity belt of a virgin sacrifice to Sarku three days before her death.  With my last golden kaitar gone into the hand of some wine maker, I no longer could afford to live in the meager tenement that had served as my abode since I arrived in the City Half as Old as the World.

But, as I was out on the street with only my sword an armor to keep me company, I overheard two gentlemen discussing a plan to win gold for themselves.  They were from distant lands, just as I am, and they were planning to explore the manor house of Kotaru hiChakresa.  I offered them my services as a slayer of men and beasts, and they graciously accepted -- allowing me a share of whatever treasure we might find in that abandoned house.

After acquiring what little supplies we could attain in the Foreign Quarter, we paid a fisherman to take us in his small boat out to the island on which sits the manor.  Rather than landing on the beach, as we saw other ships had done, we decided to circle around the island to get a feel for the place.  While doing so, we spotted what we knew to be a sea cave and decided that this cave would be the place we began our adventure.

We waded in the chest deep water, with me being careful to carry my pack over my head so as not to wet my supply of torches.  Luckily we soon found a dry enough place to light a torch and continue on into the "caves."  My companions were Orin the Wise and Orin the Witless.  Orin the Wise was a priest of some god who is foreign to my people, and I would guess foreign to Jakalla as well.  Orin the Witless was a warrior much like myself, but he was given to a pride that may one day prove to be the death of him.

I went ahead with my torch, and we soon found both an idol wrought from a strange stone with gold decorations that made it appear most valuable and an obsidian dagger that was too large to comfortably fit a man's hand.  I shudder to think what dark creature could have carried such a thing.  Soon after this we found that the cave was only a small part of a larger complex, and after the cavernous antechamber we were greeted with the squared masonry of -- presumably -- human hands.

We did not get very far down these man made corridors before we heard the sound of voices gibbering in some tongue foreign both to my islands and the wretched city in which I find myself.  Orin the Wise seemed to understand their ramblings and warned us of their approach.  Orin the Witless and I set an ambush that would prevent their travelling further down the hall, and we waited for them to arrive.  They soon did so.  Both were soldiers in some foreign army my comrades inform me is an enemy to Jakalla.

Through bravery and force of arms we attacked and slew a host of the villains.  Wishing to be modest, I only took two of their heads as trophies so that the others of my tribe would not be jealous.  We then took what little valuables the heathens possessed and returned to Jakalla.  There, some acolytes of Sarku were willing to mummify my trophies so that everyone might know who brought those two to their end.  I have tied them to my belt, and there they will remain.  Hopefully soon I will be able to add others.

CSIOSR

Last night I suggested that someone should do a city campaign on G+, and over a number of different posts this idea has evolved into a shared campaign with multiple players and multiple DMs all in the same city.  Something like a tabletop version of Thieves' World.

I must admit that I'm not entirely sure yet how such a campaign would function, but the idea is one that I would totally be on board for.  If anyone has any ideas or suggestions post them here.

An Alternate Play Report Method

I just remembered the Ryth Chronicle presents a considerably more truncated sort of play report than the ones more commonly found in the blogosphere.  Fore example, my last Google + session would have looked something like this:

A: Group of 4 player characters and 1 henchman descended down the steps in the North Tower on two separate expeditions.  Lost 2 in a berserker ambush and were forced to retreat with little treasure.  Purchased several dogs and recruited 2 new characters and attempted a second expedition.  Lost no characters and gained 400sp and some leather armor made from human, but lost all of the dogs and failed to push beyond the dungeon entrance.


This form only represents the first few reports in the Chronicle, but I thought it might be a neat way to do a quick session report.  Still, I like the idea of the players sharing their experiences, so I'll likely continue to use my current method for the foreseeable future.

Perhaps I can use this form when none of the players has the time to make their own reports.

Another idea, though one I imagine would be quite difficult, would be to put out a ConstantCon newsletter that included a list of the active characters and the expedition reports from the various dungeons.  That could be pretty sweet and I know I'd read it.  Maybe DMs could through in a short article or two about their dungeons/campaign worlds.

Nightwick Abbey G+ Game Ad

Nightwick Abbey has lain in ruins for almost two centuries.  Built by power hungry knights and mad wizards, it now is home to only ghosts and goblins. Peasants refuse to work in the shadow of the ruined church, and at night eerie lights issue forth from its depths.  Many have tried to wrestle gold from the crypts which lie beneath, but few have returned.  Are you brave enough to seek your fortune in a demon-haunted dungeon?

A ConstantCon game using the Lamentations of the Flame Princess: Weird Fantasy Roleplaying rules.*

Play will be from 2:00 - 4:00 PM EST every Saturday.  The end time is somewhat flexible, but I'd rather not go longer than two and a half hours.  


I'll be determining the party composition randomly.  If you would like to be added to my list send an email to evanDOTvanDOTelkinsATgmailDOTcom.  I would like to begin play on the 12th of this month, but I may have to postpone it until the 19th.  


This is a FLAILSNAILS game.  If you have any questions or need help converting your characters, let me know.


I decided to go with Nightwick because I have material already made for it, and thus it will be less work for me.


* A free version of the rules may be downloaded here.


Edit: I can't spell.

Treasuredeep

Since I did a pitch for the Wild Lands, I thought I'd do one for Treasuredeep.  I originally made to test out the excellent "game" How to Host a Dungeon.  My wife gave me the name.

The premise: Many dwarf years* ago, a clan of dwarves sought to build a great hall in a land they knew to be rich in mithril.  For many years they toiled in the rock, and from the ore they made many wondrous items and fabulous treasures.  Under the Hammerhand kings the dwarves of Treasuredeep entered a golden age.  Songs from this time are still sung by dwarves everywhere.  These songs tell of great battles against the goblins, of magic swords of terrible power, and of large-breasted mustachioed dwarven maidens.

They also tell of the sad fate of the Hammerhand dwarves.  It is said that one day while expanding their hall, the dwarves tunneled into a series of caves that housed the Wyrm as Old as Time.  It slew many dwarven warriors and drove them from that section of their mine.  In the many years that followed, the Hammerhands led campaign after campaign into the caverns in a desperate attempt to win back the treasures of their fathers and to slay the Wyrm for good and all.  Alas none where ever successful, and it is said that the last members of the house of Hammerhand who were still alive led a suicidal charge into the dragon's den, never to be seen again.

In the time since, the Realm of man has spread over the surface, and the races of dwarves and elves have slunk to the dark corners of the world.  Now a town of men lies near the most famous entrance to the abandoned mine.  Rumors say that the Wyrm as Old as Time has slept for the (human) centuries since it ate the last king.  They also say that new residents now lair in the old mine, and they are much less friendly than dwarves.  Still, if legends are true their is a fortune in that old mine, and you're just the PCs to get it.

How this works:  This one would be much closer to Myrddin in design.  Each session is a discrete delve into the dungeon with a randomly selected party roster.  The dungeon itself would be a mixture of geomorphs and my own hand drawn maps.  Most areas will have a definite theme determined by the results of the How to Host a Dungeon game.

Like the Wild Lands, this campaign concept is vaguely inspired by the Hobbit; however, I think this one would be a bit more gonzo.

I may work up a similar pitch for Nightwick abbey, but I imagine most of my readers are familiar with that dungeon.  In session format, it would more or less work the same way as this one.

* dwarf years are much longer than human ones and are based on tectonic processes rather than the movement of the sun.

The Wild Lands

As I start this post the West Marches model is currently winning by one vote.  Though hardly a definitive lead, I decided I'd work up a model for such a campaign just in case.  I also figure it'll be fun to do so even if I don't end up running it.

First the premise: PCs are based in a fort town that controls a mountain pass that exits into the Wild Lands.  These lands were once part of the Realm but long ago fell into ruin and darkness.  Toppled fortresses stand guard over dark forests, goblins prowl the high mountains, and the tombs of nameless kings lie sunken beneath still waters.  No caravans cross the Wild Lands.  It's up to the PCs to see what has become of the land now that the soldiers of the realm no longer patrol it.

Older races also left their mark on the Wild Lands.  The Dwarves once had a a great mountain kingdom there, and the Elves built glittering cities hidden from the eyes of men.  These too are now in ruin, and some have been that way since before the Realm was even founded.  Who knows what treasures they could hold?

The way this works:  each week I'd run about a two hour session with players who have been randomly selected in the manner of Jeff's game.  Each session is a discrete expedition into the wilderness or an already discovered dungeon.  The wilderness area will probably be fairly small so that you can strike out and return to town in a reasonable amount of time.  Players will be responsible for play reports, but I'll post them here on the blog.

Most of the dungeon and lairs will use maps I've taken from various places online.  Still, due to my limited prep time I'll probably only be able to have either one medium sized dungeon or a few small dungeons stocked before play begins.  As such, I'll be adding dungeons as the game goes on, and just because you passed through a hex doesn't necessarily mean you found everything in it.  Most likely though, if I add a dungeon I'll post a rumor about it on this blog so that you're not completely in the dark.

What do you think?

A New Poll and Other G+ Business

Play Reports: I mentioned earlier that my model for my upcoming G+ game is Jeff's Wessex campaign.  Jeff has been making the play reports for that game based on what he imagines the drunker members of the party would tell everyone else in town.  This method has a certain charm to it, and I must admit that I'm fond of it; however, I see another potential model in the West Marches campaign.  In it the players provided the play reports.  I see merits in both and I'm not sure which I'll go with.

Possible Games: Speaking of the West Marches, I'm wondering if G+ needs another megadungeon.  While Nightwick Abbey offers a different flavor, it'll be hard to match Jeff's level of quality.  I'm wondering if it might be interesting to more directly steal from the West Marches and run a game more focused on wilderness exploration and smaller dungeons.  I'd still have a fixed time and randomize the party like Jeff does, but I think a focus on wilderness adventuring might make it stand out more.

I also have another dungeon other than Nightwick Abbey I might do.  It's an abandoned Dwarf hold I made with How to Host a Dungeon.  It has more entrances and a more interesting vertical set up than Nightwick does.  It'd be a bit closer to base line B/X than the Dark Country, but I imagine that isn't a selling point for most of my readers.  Vote in the poll if you have a strong feeling about one of these models.

G+ Nightwick Abbey Polls

I've added two polls so that my readers can help me decide how to run a ConstantCon game I'm planning.  My model is entirely stolen from Jeff's Wessex game.  Mine will take the players into the dungeons of Nightwick Abbey.

The first question I had was which rules y'all would most like me to use.  I'm quite partial to LotFP, though I'll be adding a customized bestiary in order to more easily facilitate megadungeon exploration.  Still, Jeff's game uses B/X and I imagine that there will be some crossover in players.  As such, I thought I'd open up Labyrinth Lord and B/X as options in order to assure maximum compatibility.  Select the one you would prefer.

The second one is to help me decide when I should run the game.  I've noted times that are particularly good for me (this semester).  Select any of the ones you could potentially make.  I'll pick the one that gets the most votes.  This time might be subject to change next semester depending on how my work hours shake out, but I tried to pick times that wouldn't bee in too much jeopardy.

You have one week to vote.  Post comments here if you have any.

Nightwick Abbey ConstantCon (Session 1?)

Last I ran Nightwick Abbey on G+ for two ConstantCon players and my wife.  I thought I would have three players plus an old friend of mine, but one of the players said he hadn't used G+ before so I told my wife to make a character just in case.*  As it happened, both that player and my old friend couldn't make the game.  To make up for it I gave the players two free men-at-arms.

It lasted only about half an hour longer than my face to face sessions with the Knoxville group, but we got much more playing done because we didn't spend as much time bullshitting.  I don't mind bullshitting. It's part of the game, but it is nice when you can keep on task sometimes.

The characters were Rando the Halfling (from Wessex) and Sigmar the Viking (who I believe was made especially for this game), Zebina the Cleric, and Dominic the Chartreuse.

Here are some random bullet-pointed notes to summarize the game...

• The party went on three separate expeditions.  Two ended rather badly.
• Most of the monsters they encountered were of the undead variety, but there were some human-skin clad berserk devil-worshipers.
• Zebina died on the second excursion and so my wife played a character I had made for my friend (Dominic).
• We jokingly decided that this version of Nightwick Abbey was somewhere in 12th Century Transylvania because one of the characters was a Viking and the other was from Jeff's Wessex game.
• Apparently cultists in medieval Transylvania spoke pig Latin.  Who knew?
• The session was light on monetary treasure, but they found two magic swords:  Man-Killer, a +1 lifedrinker, and Stabber, a +1 short sword.  

I may post a more full write up later, but my memory is a bit hazy at the moment.  I think it was a good session, though I was a bit mush mouthed at times and at one point I forgot what a fresco is. 

I put the "(Session 1?)" up there not because I'm thinking of running it again with the same people, but because I enjoyed it enough to possibly run it in a manner similar to what Jeff does with Wessex (a rotating pool of players).  More on that later.

Constantcon Nightwick Abbey Session

In honor of Halloween, I've decided to run a one shot consisting of the first level of Nightwick Abbey on October 29th, 7:00-11:00pm EST.  If you're interested, email me at evanDOTvanDOTelkinsATgmailDOTcom, though I can only take four players.

You can find the the FLAILSNAILS conversions for the Dark Country here.

Edit: the first level of Nightwick Abbey is designed for first level characters, but anything through third level should be fine.

FLAILSNAILS Conventions for Nightwick Abbey

As a signatory of the FLAILSNAILS Conventions I have decided to put up a very rough and somewhat preliminary conversion guide for the current incarnation of the rules used in the Nightwick Campaign.  For now I'm assuming one is coming over from a version of TSR D&D, but I'm open to other options.

• Character Abilities: PCs will use ability score adjustments from Labyrinth Lord.  These bonuses do not cover any activities not covered in the core book.
• Races: the Nightwick Campaign currently uses a Race as Class system.  Your character becomes the racial class available in the Dark Country that is closest to your character's race.  Elves and Half Elven characters always become Changelings, while Halflings and Hobbits grow beards, develop an intense desire to make shoes, and generally become Gnomes.  Others shall be decided on a case by case basis.
• Classes: The following classes are available in the Nightwick Campaign: Assassins, Clerics, Druids, Fighters, Magic-Users, Paladins, Rangers, and Thieves.  All classes operate as explained in the Advanced Edition Compendium for Labyrinth Lord.  Fighters are the exception and gain Multiple Attacks as per Swords & Wizardry.  Racial classes include Changelings, Dwarves, Froglings, and Gnomes, but see races (above) for handling non-human characters.  In the event that you're converting an Illusionist you may pick whether your character is a Magic-User or a Changeling.
• Rules Cyclopedia Special Case: Lawful Fighters being brought in from the Rules Cyclopedia may choose to be Paladins for the duration of the game.  Neutral Clerics from the RC may enter play as Druids.
• Hit Dice:  All characters roll all of their hit die as if they were making a new character at whatever level their character currently is.  Use the Advanced HD option from the AEC.   Do not reroll 1s.
• Secondary Skills: Each Character begins with 1 secondary skill from the AEC.  This is rolled randomly.
• Alignment:  Each character is either Lawful, Neutral, or Chaotic.  The vast majority of imported characters will be Neutral (meaning they are polytheists and not dicks).  Chaotic characters will only be those who actively worship the various Demons that exist in the Nightwick Campaign.  Lawful characters must worship the God of Law, and it is suggested that in previous games the character worshiped a Lawful or Lawful Good deity such as Heironeous or St. Cuthbert.
• Character Languages:  Languages operate as they do in LotFP:WFRP.  Treat the character as if they have never encountered a language other than Common or their racial language before.
• Age:  Character age as though the character is brand new in the Nightwick Campaign as per the AEC. However, if the character suffered any aging affects in previous games, these still apply.
• Multi-Classing: For simplicity's sake, multi-classed characters entering the Nightwick Campaign must pick which class they really are.
• Equipment:  The character begins with any equipment they had in the previous adventure (or its closest AEC equivalent).  However, they lose all of their gold coins upon entering the Nightwick Campaign (Dark Country taxes are rough).  The character may begin with 3d8 gp in order to buy some equipment they think they may need for the adventure, but that option is for sissies.
• Spells:  Spells function as they do in the AEC.  Incoming Magic-Users begin play with a number of spells in their spellbook equal to the number of spells they can cast per day unless they are level 1.  If they are level 1 they begin with two first level spells and one second level spell.  In addition they also begin play with Read Magic.  They cannot cast anymore than they could under standard LL rules.  These spells are rolled for randomly by the judge (if  he has enough time) or the player (if he doesn't).  Changelings use the illusionist spell list.

That should just about cover it.  It'd be unlikely that these rules would be used at the actual table, since my group meets at one of my players' homes; however, they would definitely be in effect if I ever offered to run Nightwick Abbey for Constantcon.

It is possible that I might make an online version of the Abbey use a different rules set (either straight up OD&D + Houserules or S&W) in which case I'll post a different set of conversion rules.