Combat Postures (Pathfinder House Rule)

I  don’t have Legend of the Five Rings 4^th Edition (yet) but one of the thing that I heard (and really liked) about it is how now you have 5 different battle stances, with different mechanical benefits. It’s a nice mix of rules and flavor (it’s a game supposedly about things in number of five, no?). Another game that has a good stance rules is Warhammer 3^rd, which I’m reading right now. Like its core mechanics (about which I intent to address in a future post), Warhammer’s stances are more abstract and represent reckless/caution.

I’m a fan of these rules because they increase the player’s number of options in regard to basic actions, besides increasing the drama of combat (when done right, of course). A friend of mine, Leoz, has a similar rule for his d20-based games (currently Pathfinder), slightly based on feats like Power Attack. You got, basically, 5 stances: total defense, defensive, aggressive and offensive. Total Defense works normally. The other three stances grant you a +1 bonus in exchange for a -2 penalty; the numbers increasing for each +4 of Base Attack Bonus. These rules, if used, require you to change the way the Combat Expertise feat works (increasing its initial AC bonus to +2).

I thought about adding a similar rule for my Pathfinder games and, while I do believe that Combat Expertise should give a bigger bonus, I don’t want to change it in my Curse of the Crimson Throne game yet (I’ve already added Hero Points because we have only 3 players at the table). So, instead of picking Power Attack and Combat Expertise as a base for this house rule, I’m more inclined to use the Fighting Defensively rule.

Fighting Defensively basically adds +2 to your AC in exchange for a -4 penalty on all your attack rolls. Simple and intuitive. It’s also a tough decision and I admit that I like this aspect – adds tension. So I’m going to expand it and create Combat Postures (I’m not calling them Stances because we already have Stance feats from Ultimate Combat). Basically, you suffer a -4 penalty to gain a benefit – usually a +2 bonus.

Only one Combat Posture can be chosen per round and all modifiers last until the beginning of the character’s next turn.

Your Combat Postures could be:

Brute: -4 on attack rolls, +2 damage.

Reckless: -4 on AC, +2 damage or attack rolls.

Neutral: no modifiers.

Defensive: -4 on attack rolls, +2 AC.

Precise: -4 on damage rolls, +2 on attack rolls.

Evasive (Optional): -4 on attack and damage rolls, one extra move action or one free withdrawn.

Focus (Optional): spend a move action to gain a +2 bonus to your AC, to your attack rolls, to one Perception skill check or to one physical-based check (for example: a Strength check or an Acrobatics check).

These names are just suggestions and frankly, looking at them now, I may just disregard them.

The Gamemaster also should feel free to forbid any combination which he believes doesn’t make sense, for example: using the Precise Combat Posture with the Power Attack feat.

Finally, the Evasive Combat Posture is just a pure guess of mine. I don’t know if it is properly balanced and I put it there just to play with other element from the characters (Speed and movement). The Focus Combat Posture is another exercise in the same direction.

At this moment I’m really tempted to play with hit points and temporary hit points, to create a “Recover” Posture, but I think that would be too complicated for the spirit of this house rule (as HP rules scale faster and must improve to keep their effectiveness)…

…to the Nine Hells, here it is:

Caution (Optional): -4 on attack rolls, +4 temporary hit points. These temporary hit points disappear at the beginning of the character’s next turn. They follow all the rules of temporary hit points. At BAB +4 (and +8, +12, +16 and +20), increase the number of temporary hit points by +2 (maximum of +12 at 20^th level).

I must stress again that this house rules was never used.

Weird Arcana - Dweomervision (New Spell)

Dweomervision

Transmutation

Level: Alchemist 3, Sorcerer/Wizard 3, Summoner 3, Witch 3
Components: V, S, M (a red garnet or ashes from a burned magic scroll)
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched

Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless, but see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, but see text)

The subject gains the ability to see the radiance emanated by magic items within 60 ft. Each magic item within line of sight sheds light as a torch. Dweomervision’s luminescence is always a light azure or deep purple, although some magic-users attest that artifacts shed a bright golden aura.

Dweomervision is too weak to allow a perfect analysis, but it can be used like detect magic to identity an item’s properties. This use is secondary (i.e. you don’t need to cast dweomervision specifically for this). Each analysis requires one minute and the Spellcraft DC is 25 + the item’s caster level. Each item can only be analyzed with this spell once per day. 

Item altered by magic aura to register as non-magical don’t shed light (and vice versa).

Magic items inside an area of deeper darkness can still be seen, but they don’t shed light around them and just glow alone in the dark. This allows the target to pinpoint creatures carrying uncovered magic items inside the magical gloom, but doesn’t remove the normal miss chance (usually 50%).

Due to strange ontological and esoteric principles, if dweomervision is dispelled the target must instantly succeed at a Will save (DC 20) or become blinded for 5 rounds.

The Dreamlands I ever wanted...

As usual I pick up things on the Internet and only stop to actually see/read them with more attention days later. I’m sure that another RPG blog already post it so, if that is the case, sorry for this small repost, but this map is just too awesome…

In moments like this I regret never having run a Dreamlands game (although I do use zebras as mounts in my current campaign!... it’s a start). Anyway, if one day I come to do it, I’m now certain that I’ll keep it separated from Cthulhu Mythos – at least as portrayed by most RPGs. I don’t believe that the Dreamlands Cycle and the traditional Mythos are a good mix – I prefer to think of the former as a darker take on Dunsany-style fantasy. Maybe this preference is a also result of my latest readings of Lovecraft; the more that I read of the Old Gent’s novels and short stories the more I believe that Yog-Sothothery is actually about horror/science fiction (perhaps even a sinister precursor to transhuman science fiction) than true supernatural tales; on the other hand, the Dreamlands is clearly a fantasy setting, filled with fantastic races and astonishing vistas – although one that support surreal or picaresque adventures instead of high fantasy or epic-style games.

Crazy thoughts aside, the wonderful map above is part of a great Kickstarter project by comics artist Jason Thompson.

More on the Adventures of Luke Skywalker

I’m still having a blast with the novel. Just for the chance to get quotes like this:

"I don't know anyone named Obi-Wan-but old Ben lives somewhere out on the fringe of the Western Dune Sea. He's kind of a local character-a hermit. Uncle Owen and a few of the other farmers say he's a sorcerer.”

Sorcerer. Wizard. I love when they use this names of Old Ben.

Reading this novel also makes me remember of the importance of actors like Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and (Sir) Alec Guinness – Luke, Han and Obi-Wan are hardly the charismatic character we get to see in the movie. In fact, Luke is quite annoying at the novel’s first half, while Ben has a certain sinister and manipulative aura about him, very different from Guinness’s noble and wise countenance.

Because the book was written before the movie came out, it is also interesting to see how some descriptions doesn’t exactly fit modern appearance. The author, for example, draws an interesting parallel between Tusken Raiders and Jawas as the same species (hinting that the Tuskens could be a juvenile stage of the Jawa – very weird indeed). This is clearly implausible given the movie’s visuals, but not unreasonable, given the novel's descriptions of both races as possible subhumans.

Still on the Tusken Raiders “scene”, we get extra description on Ben’s beastly hoar (mimicking krayt dragon). I always thought that that was Force ability, but the Jed Master explains that it is just a vocal cord trick. Actually, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a jack-of-all-trades in the novel – he mimics giant beasts, fixes Artoo to get Leia’s message, uses the Death Star’s computers to locate the tractor beam’s generators etc.

Leia’s holographic message is also longer different, for example:

"General Obi-Wan Kenobi," the mellifluous voice was saying, "I present myself in the name of the world family of Alderaan and of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. I break your solitude at the bidding of my father, Bail Organa, Viceroy and First Chairman of the Alderaan system."

Kenobi get a “Gandalf aura” during the play by hearing it while puffing from a water pipe. We also get information that is particularly amusing in light of the Lucas' frequents retcon (the quote is by Luke):

"General Kenobi, you fought in the Clone Wars? But... that was so long ago."

This last bit reminded me that, originally, the Clone Wars were reputed to take place some 30-40 years before A New Hope (and note it is plural: Clone WARS). Again, I can’t help but enjoy this bigger and broader history. Others loving implications of a bigger world follows (Kenobi presenting the lightsaber):

"Your father's lightsaber," Kenobi told him. "At one time they were widely used. Still are, in certain galactic quarters."

Again, maybe these impressions are just nostalgia but, nonetheless, they do lend an air of freshness and wonder to Star Wars universe, something I can't feel in the recent official material (including the Clone War cartoon). Furthermore I simply love the idea that lightsabers are not a Jedi-only weapon:

"This was the formal weapon of a Jedi Knight," explained Kenobi. "Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. More skill than simple sight was required for its use. An elegant weapon. It was a symbol as well. Anyone can use a blaster or fusioncutter – but to use a lightsaber well was a mark of someone a cut above the ordinary." He was pacing the floor of the cave as he spoke.

Note that Obi-Wan leaves in a cave, not a tiny stone home.

Even Han Solo is familiar with lightsabers:

"You're pretty handy with that saber, old man. Not often does one see that kind of swordplay in this part of the Empire anymore."

Moving on (but still on the same “scene”):

"How," he asked slowly, "did my father die?"

Kenobi hesitated, and Luke sensed that the old man had no wish to talk about this particular matter. Unlike Owen Lars, however, Kenobi was unable to take refuge in a comfortable lie.

Given Vader’s transformation – from a pulp villain to a tragic anti-hero – the quote above is pure historical irony. It is sad, but funny, how Lucas totally ruined Kenobi's morality with this retcon.

"He was betrayed and murdered," Kenobi declared solemnly, "by a very young Jedi named Darth Vader." He was not looking at Luke. "A boy I was training. One of my brightest disciples... one of my greatest failures."

And the retcon is indeed blatantly obvious due to quotes like that, where Darth Vader is clearly a name, not a Sith title.

Kenobi resumed his pacing. "Vader used the training I gave him and the Force within him for evil, to help the later corrupt Emperors. With the Jedi knights disbanded, disorganized, or dead, there were few to oppose Vader. Today they are all but extinct."

This part is simply awesome for me. There were EMPERORS, not just an Emperor (Palpatine). The Galactic Republic, in this regard, is much more faithful to its closer real world equivalent – the Roman Republic and later Empire.

Now, let me quote a part where, I believe, the novel is poorer than the movie:

Kenobi nodded. "I forget sometimes in whose presence I babble. Let us say simply that the force is something a Jedi must deal with. While it has never been properly explained, scientists have theorized it is an energy field generated by living things. Early man suspected its existence, yet remained in ignorance of its potential for millennia.

The simple mention about "scientists have theorized" really kills the Force's mystic flavor and I’m glad it didn’t show in the movies (besides it would ruin Alec Guinness’ magical performance).

While we’re addressing the Force, check this:

"The Force is in the mind, Luke, and can sometimes be used to influence others. It's a powerful ally. But as you come to know the Force, you will discover that it can also be a danger."

This quote is fascinating because it perfectly demonstrates the flavor of the Force in the original movie and why it is easy to believe in the Jedi's "source of power" as a mere superstition. The Force here is never something obvious or physical (or when it manifests physically it is rare enough for the common galactic citizen to doubt it). It is a different approach from the following movies, like Empire Strikes Back (and the Prequels, where the Jedi are clearly super-soldiers with wuxia-like abilities).

Moving now to Mos Eisley’s Cantina:

"We don't serve their kind in here," the glaring form growled.

"What?" Luke replied dumbly. He still hadn't recovered from his sudden submergence into the cultures of several dozen races. It was rather different from the poolroom behind the Anchorhead power station. "Your droids," the bartender explained impatiently, gesturing with a thick thumb. Luke peered in the indicated direction, to see Artoo and Threepio standing quietly nearby. "They'll have to wait outside. We don't serve them in here. I only carry stuff for organics, not," he concluded with an expression of distaste, "mechanicals."

I found this part wonderful, because it ended supporting some changes that I'm making to my future "un-canonical" Star Wars campaign regarding droids. I wanted to include an ancient war of the Galactic Republic between droids and everyone else. In part because I think this type of conflict is cool, the other reason been that this dark legacy could help to explain why droids are usually used for menial tasks and always with restraining system. Until the Prequels we never see battle-droids, except a rogue one (IG-88 on Empire Strikes Back) and I’m not satisfied with the way in which droids army where used (i.e. just as a f****ng market tactic for keep the movies open to G-PG audiences).

Well, these are my thoughts for now (and I believe this post is bigger enough). To close this topic, I think it’s worth mentioning that Alan Dean Foster (the true author) managed to correct that damn Han Solo quote about parsecs:

"It's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than twelve standard timeparts!"

May the Force be with you!

P.S.: In case you’re worried, rest assured, beacuse Han Solo shot first in Star Wars: The Adventures of Luke Skywalker.

Unknown Vistas from the Forge (Part II)

Here are the two last names generated by The Forge for fantasy locations. I must be suffering some kind of burnout because it took me practically a week to think these places and I’m not satisfied yet with the result. I hope, however, that they can give better ideas to you. One day I’m gonna try to make an entire region entirely Forge-generated (yeah, it’s probably going to be a very bizarre place, perfect for Vornhein maybe). 


The River of Doors

This mythical river lies probably in some forgotten underworld, maybe below one of the most famous cities of the known world. The Ancients who discovered it (and whore doomed by it) called it the Limáni. In fact, if legends are true, the River’s boundaries are filled with the silent and sinister houses and ruins of the Ancients, which still live, locked in a cursed and dreamless sleep.

Where? Many scoundrels and rogue sell the map that will lead you to the River of Doors, most are (of course) forgeries which, if you’re luck, won’t lead you to an ambush by brigands, slavers or worst. All know myths, however, are unanimous in pointing out that the Limáni flows through a “gloomy and wintry country of sunless pillars and forgotten fanes”.  These lines lead most sages to agree that the Rivers of Doors exist either in the northern reaches or in the underground (although one insane sage claimed that the Limáni is actually contained completely within the miniaturized realm of Niz, the Giant of Shadows, and his moving abode).

Why search for such place? The River of Doors bears such name because it leads to any place desired by those able to reach it. Many believe that the River is a planar nexus or crossroads, accessing many dimensions, demiplanes, otherworlds and such; which is completely wrong. The River of Doors is actually a dweomer manifested in watery form – all those who drink from its water are instantly affected by a potent astral projection spell (without any chance to resist it). The drinker is sent either to the place he desires most (even another plane) or to random dimension (if he doesn’t have any location in mind). The drinker’s body falls in a cursed sleep instantly, but a new astral body is formed at the location. Differently from astral projection, there’s no silver cord. However, exactly because of this, if the drinker’s original body is moved (even if just a little), there’s a chance (usually 20%) that when he returns his spirit possess the wrong body.

The Pad Bart. The simple fact of drinking from the River of Doors is bad enough if the drinker isn’t aware of the dweomer. Once in his new astral body, the only way to come back is through a sphinx. For reasons unknown, only this mysterious race knows the right command word to cancel the dweomer’s effect – which gives credibility to the theory that the entire River is an epic-level spell.

To make things worse, the River of Doors is filled with ghouls, ghasts, lamias, vampire and dreadful things (undeads and outsiders are immune to the dweomer’s effects, so are constructs). Legends hint that at least one dhole was seen rising from its depths [use purple worm stats as base, but give it high mental scores, SR 25, telepathy and the ability to generate earthquakes].  

There are also the Body-Takers – usually necromancers or diabolists that use their minions to steal sleeping drinkers’ bodies (usually young, beautiful and vigorous one) and exchange their locations with the necromancer’s own body. After this, the necromancer’s spirit returns from his astral journey and possess the new body. Some Body-Takers steal various soulless bodies and sell it to rich merchants or decadent kings (or use them in terrible experiments). 

Finally, the River of Doors is the home of Lost – doomed drinkers who returned in alien or different bodies and where slowly (or instantly) driven mad. At least one adventurer’s log claims that the Lost obeys the whisperer of the Sleepless King, a local and fearsome entity (maybe the dhole).

Carrying the River’s water more than five steps beyond its boundaries dispel the eldritch proprieties.

The Ocean of Ghosts

This mysterious ocean is usually mentioned in old trade routes of eldritch empires long dead or destroyed by cataclysms – if the Ocean of Ghost has any relation to their demise it is unclear.

Where? That’s riddle; an especially bizarre one as most people find it absurd that an entire ocean can be hidden somewhere. No one knows where the Ocean of Ghosts is because it isn’t a real physical sea but actually a demiplane (or a portion of another plane, like the Ethereal or the Shadow). The Ocean of Ghosts is known to a few arcanists, sages, old sea captains and the rare demented sea-born buccaneer sorcerer. There’re basically two easy to reach the Ocean of Ghost, also called the Tides of Shadow, the Dead Sailor’s Rest or the Inverted Sea: through an ancient dweomer or artifact know as the Rime of the Ancient Mariner; or through a mystical ritual known as Sailing the Bones.

The dweomer or artifact is reputed to be in the possession of the Smiling Shadows, hooded twins and thief kings with the disturbing habit of finishing each other phrases. The Smiling Shadows are great enemies of the Church of Light and local lawful authorities, besides rewarding gladly any scoundrel brave enough to bring a deep one head to their hidden court.

The Sailing the Bones ritual requires that the party recover from the depths a sunken pirate ship and give its helm to a “dead man” (many believe this last requirement to be metaphorical or symbolical). If this is done within a month and before the next new moon, the recovered ship can sail to the Ocean of Ghosts (however, if the party fails there’re hints of a curse).

Why search for such place? Those who reach the nightly waters of the Ocean of Ghosts can sail to any place in the world touched by the seas. During the new moon (and only this time) the enchanted ship of the party can cross between the worlds; it can reach even places where a ship wouldn’t be able to navigate through (like lakes far above the ocean level, on condition that a river links the place with the seas). However, the true prize of the Ocean of Ghosts is that it is a loosed demiplane, floating freely between the dimensions, which enable clever sailors to reach other ages and times. Finally, it is whispered that the devilfish monarchs of the bloody depths can safeguard a sailor’s soul inside crystal shards of the sunken moon, in a way that the mortal can be raised from the dead if his body is brought back to the Ocean of Ghosts.

The Bad Part. The Ocean of Ghosts is a black turbulent sea ruled by exiled devilfish princes, kraken demigods and living leviathan islands. Its heaves are covered by perpetual storm clouds and the only source of natural light is a bloody sunken moon (yes, the light comes from an eternally far point below the weaves). The Ocean of Ghosts is also the home of undeads and phantom ships of all ages (and different worlds), besides being the prison of a nameless god of giants and shapechangers, exiled by some forgotten sin and called in ancient texts the Old Man of the Sea.

Stuff I’m preparing and (more important) ‘Kirthfinder’

Ok, this week is a bit slow and I was in fact surprised to find out that I’ didn’t had anything prepared for the blog... C#@*!

I’m back from a short but very tiring trip and I’m still struggling to the get all my job’s demands and studies to date (without much hope for the later), besides catching up with my reading (I still wasn’t able to return to Star Wars unfortunately).

So? What am I cooking up? I’m preparing the next session report for the Chronicles of the Seventh Moon campaign; an alternate version of the gnome race (as well a replacement for it); and I’m finishing the text for the last part of the Forge-based unknown vistas. Finally, I’m also digging my house rule version of the Fighter core class (and its Martial Focus unique mechanic).

Talking about house rules, some two or three weeks ago I found ‘Kirthfinder’ – a mammoth-sized house rule compendium for Pathfinder by Paizo messageboard member TriOmegaZero. While there’re a lot thing there that I would have done differently, the rules are nonetheless impressive – in part because they’re really well made (the Barbarian class and its new rage powers, for example, are awesome!); in part because TriOmegaZero’s encyclopedic references to a ton of 3.5 material (and his patience in organizing it) is also totally commendable. A heartily thanks for putting it all online!

Unknown Vistas from the Forge (Part I)

I used the Forge to generate some locations in order to test if it could be used in sandbox campaign. While a good Gamemaster can easily create all kind of fantastical and interesting locations with these names, I admit that either I’m unlucky or that this is indeed very hard.

Here are the first two locations, I still struggling with the other two and will post them soon (…I hope).

The Reef of Jade

These fabled shores are reputed to lie among one of the known world’s most dangerous and mythical archipelagos.

Where? The Reef of Jade’s location is a mystery even if the characters find a map, because its precise position among the isles can only be discovered by “sailing with full sails in the direction of the sunset, under the green flash and above the jade song”. These exotic requirements led many to believe that the Reef of Jade is some kind of demiplane. The “jade song” part of the riddle can be either a unique thing (like a specific composition sung by a bard) or a metaphor (maybe the character must fetch a famous singer from your local China-equivalent oriental realm).

Why search for such place? Besides eternal fame among sailors and pirates, the Reef of Jade is feed by magical streams. Whoever drinks from those waters gains long life (double all age categories) and becomes an ally with the Powers of the Sea. He’ll never drown if his ship is sunken or if he’s toss overboard and the waves will always take him alive to some (probably dangerous) shore. It’s believed that if you stare deep into these discoverers’ eye you’ll see a small green flame, revealing him to have drunk from the mythical waters of Reef of Jade.

The Bad Part. The Reef of Jade is difficult to navigate or to find port. It is populated by raging jade apes tribes, haunted by the terrible living songs of the sunken princesses of Teshalla and guarded by the furious amazons (harpies) of the Vulture Queen (an harpy sorceress/barbarian) and her Consort, the Blood Seer (a oracle cyclops).

Jade Apes [Use dire apes’ stats, but add the senses, immunities and special abilities of medium earth elementals. Finally, their skin turns back ray attacks and they’re immune to acid. Do not forget that jade apes can easily hide among the Reef of Jade.]

Living Songs of the sunken princesses of Teshalla [I would use these as hazards that drain Charisma; characters reduced to 0 would be cursed with bizarre geas like “collect all blue star-sapphire flowers of the Reef of Jade and present them as gift in the sunken temple of Nerub, the Half-Mermaid Queen”].

The Bear Breath Pyre

Located deep in the northern woods, this mystical blue fire burns constantly in center of a holy glade filled with bear skulls and bones.

Where? Maybe only the local centaur tribes/werebears/fey spirits know the exact location of the Bear Breath Pyre. Personally, I would like to use this magic glade as a holy hunting ground for the local barbarian tribes – both as a rite of passage and as an oracular site. Youths from the local tribes must get inside the glade and retrieve a small amount of “ghost fire” from the Pyre. This fire is a supernatural source of power – it deals 1d10 damage/round of contact on creatures of flesh and blood but doesn’t burn any other know substance (especially plants). The only way to prove that you went in the Bear Breath Pyre is the use a torch made of bear bone, taken from the glade itself (“ghost fire” can only be taken beyond the Pyre if carried on a bear bone torch).

Why search for such place? The Bear Breath Pyre is – reputedly – the resting place of the Bear-Father, an ancient animal king that fell in that spot. Its oracular powers are famous. A penitent must get inside the glade, take a torch of “ghost fire” and use it to brand the head of one of the local bears while asking – in the appropriate manner – a question. If done right, the struck bear will be possessed by the animal king spirit and answer the inquiry. Each character can only do this once; if attempted a second time he’ll be cursed (maybe changed in a werebear or a normal bear). Character can also use the Bear Breath Pyre to fetch shards of burning bear bones, maybe the ghost fire can be used to kill a dangerous outsider or other particular menace. You can also establish that the weapon that killed the mythical Bear-Father is inside the Pyre, still attached to the animal king’s giant bones, in the middle of the glade.

The Pad Bart. The Bear Breath Pyre is guarded by barbarians – centaurs, humanoids and such. The surrounding woods can be the home of fey and other mischievous spirits. Finally, the glade itself is always patrolled by bears and dire bears, besides the occasional werebear druid. To make things worse, bears can make a breath weapon attack of ghost fire if inside the glade. If that still is not bad enough, nothing forbids you from determining that the Pyre automatically awakens all bears in a 1 mile radius (if the animals leave the area they return to normal).