Monday 4 March 2024

Mass combat rules for Domain play (+ Bonus non combat resolution system!)

I seem to run a lot of play by post domain games. Here is a mass combat system that has come out of running of those domain games. Included here is also a mechanical system that reflects the mass combat system but for resolving non mass combat actions. 

Combat rules: 

  • Each unit has a dice value and a combat score. Unit's Health = Half dice value + Combat Score.
  • Before start of battle opposing sides pick the order in which the enemy units receive any damage generated (targets at the start of the list are most likely to die during the battle). 
  • Roll dice and add combat score for each unit. Compare the total score for each side. Biggest number wins. The margin of victory is the amount of units (in combat score terms) that flee the battle. Fleeing units do not cause any damage (deducting their roll and combat score from their side's total score) but can be killed in battle. 
  • Units, on the winning and losing side, take damage in the order determined before the start of the battle 
    • Situational modifiers to combat score for health and attack purposes can be applied as appropriate.
Example units:
  • Untrained rabble : 1
  • Militia : d4 + 1
  • Soldier : d6 + 4
  • Hero: d100 + 50 
  • Dragon : d150 + 75

Rules for resolving non mass combat actions: 

  • Each entity has skills, represented as a dice value and score. Each entity also has a variety of HP (Hit Point) scores (health, wealth and reputation as a minimum). To determine a HP score use half dice value + score value from the skill most appropriate from that entities skill list. Only outline key skills and HPs at entity creation. Others can be determined by the referee as required, then recorded.
  • Resolution = Roll dice and add score and compare to target appropriate for difficulty or entity competing against. Difference between scores or target is damage incurred (in HP) by loser. Damage is incurred in the HP appropriate to the action attempted (health, wealth, reputation, soul, mana, etc). Entities always uses their Max HP value in rolls regardless of damage incurred. 
  • Loss of all HP can lead to death, overcasting, weakness, poverty, etc. Regain HP through appropriate actions (determined by referee). 
  • If an action is deemed "deadly" by the referee, HP lost is accompanied by half health HP loss. 
  • Entities improvement in skills values over time is determined by the referee. 
Example Character: 
  • Dwarf: 
  • Crafting : d20 + 10 / wealth 20
  • Axe fighting: d8 + 8 / health 12
  • Subterranean navigation : d8 + 8 (deadly) / reputation 12 
Example Targets: 
  • Easy 8
  • Medium 16
  • Hard 24
  • Grand 32
  • Epic 40 


Tuesday 20 February 2024

D&D Quick and Powerful Edition

Here's a quick little FKR leaning version of D&D that should be quick and easy to play and have the players feel relatively powerful (depending on what they are going up against). Some FKR refereeing required for spells/economy. (Running a new game, some generic fantasyish generation tables may be coming!) 

  • On a piece of paper write your character name and record attributes and class. 
    • Attributes – roll 4d6 but drop the lowest for each 
      • Strength (if best stat + 2 melee tohit/damage) 
      • Constitution (if best stat +2 hp per level) 
      • Dexterity (if best stat +2 to AC OR +2 Ranged tohit/damage) 
      • Intelligence – (if best stat Auto wizard success casts x level per session) 
      • Wisdom- (if best stat Auto holy success casts x level per session )
    • Charisma – (if best stat you always have a loyal companion at the start of each session). 
    • Classes: 
      • Thief:
        • can backstab (double damage when attacking with melee from behind) 
        • can use thief skills (roll under dex to: open locks, find/remove traps, pick pockets, hide, move silently, climb sheer surfaces)
        • cant use heavy armour or big weapons 
        • 6hplevel, +level tohit 
      • Warrior: 
        • can use any weapon/armour 
        • 10hplevel, +level tohit 
      • Cleric:
        • can cast holy spells (roll under wis to cast spells appropriate to level: Healing, protection, damage/disadvantage to evil/monsters)
        • Can use any armour or weapon
        • 6hplevel, +half level tohit 
      • Wizard:
        • can cast wizards spells (roll under int to cast spells appropriate to level: protection, blocking, and banishment , summoning of creatures/objects/elements, reveal information or hidden things, influence the minds/emotions of others, deal damage, illusions, death and undeath, alteration of the properties of people and creatures.  ) 
        • can only use light armour and small weapons
        • 4hplevel, +quarter level to hit 
  • Players start at level 1. 
  • Lose all HP = death.
  • Attribute check are  d20 roll below the ability score.
  • Combat rolls = d20 to hit AC value or higher, then roll weapon dice for damage. 
    • Enemies = HD value + AC + Damage Die (each HD = d6 hp + 1 to hit ) 
  • Players own equipment appropriate to class. Acquire more items and equipment by playing the game. 
  • Referee will determine the power of spells possible – check before casting. 
  • Ask at the end of a session if you level up! (More adventure = greater chance of level up) 


Thursday 15 February 2024

Saganarium Land Beast Generator

I am several hundred years into my Silmarillion inspired play by post game where the players take on the role of creator spirits/mortal and immortal races/heroes from those races. Early in the game I asked the creator spirits for a bunch of ideas for the animals that inhabit the world, and I have taken these and turned them into the following Land Beast Generator! 



Note
  • The text in the square brackets on the first two lines represents the stars that the creature was created under. This gives the coloration of the creature and a suggested of words to use in the creation of that creatures name. 





Wednesday 31 January 2024

The Tactile and Generic TTRPG - Boardgamey tablefeel using bits and bobs.

 Introduction

  • This system is designed to play a character focused TTRPG with some of the tactile “tablefeel” of board games. It uses generic game components that will on hand/easy to acquire (d6, tokens/poker chips, card chits, playing cards). 
  • The referee presents an imaginary game world to the players, who take on the role of characters within that world (pursuing goals self determined, set by the referee or collaboratively determined). 
  • Shout out to Trent B @ https://newfeierland.blogspot.com/ ! The game he has been tinkering around with for the last few years (that I've had the pleasure of playing in a couple of times) uses a d6 system that I've taken heavy inspiration from for this system. 


Player Character Creation: 

  • A player picks something to represent their character (miniature, picture, description, etc). 
  • The referee will determine the number of tokens and life chits that character gets at the start of a session. 
  • The referee will determine how hard/complicated specific actions/defence are for that character, and how many d6s a character gets roll for specific actions/defence, during play. 


Action/Defence Rolls: 

  • When a player attempts an action in which failure has consequence and is not automatically successful, an action roll happens. 
  • Non player characters (or the environment) are automatically successful in actions that attempt to hinder/harm player characters. Player characters may roll to defend against such actions. If the player characters fails their defence roll (or doesn’t/cant defend) they lose a life chit. 
  • The referee determines how many d6 each player rolls for their character and how hard/complicated the action/defence is. How hard/complicated the action/defence is will determine what roll is required for success/to defend. 

Determining Action/Defence Roll targets: 

Difficulty: (Roll on a d6) 

    • Easy, 3+  
    • Medium, 4+
    • Hard, 5+ 
    • Very hard, 6+ 

A complicated action/defence will require a number of dice to be rolled at a certain number or higher. 

  • Easy and complicated, 2 x 3+ 
  • Medium and complicated, 2 x 4+ 
  • Hard and complicated, 2 x 5+ 
  • Very hard and complicated, 2 x 6+ 

Particularly hard/complicated actions/defence may require more than 2 dice to be rolled at a certain number or higher. 

  • If a player rolls at least the required number or higher, on the required number of dice, their character’s action/defence is successful! The referee will need to determine the consequence for failing an action roll if it is failed. This should be something that makes it more difficult or complicated to achieve their current goals. 



Tokens

  • Players may give the referee a token instead of rolling a d6. This token represents a roll of 6. 
  • Players regain their tokens at the start of each session. 
  • Hard Mode: The referee may use any tokens they receive once to turn any d6 result into a 1. 
  • Narrative mode: As hard mode, but any tokens used by the referee go back to the player they are used against. They may use them again in the session.  



Life chits: 

  • If a player loses all their life chits they die. 
  • If approved by the referee one player may give up one of their life chits in place of another player. This represents their character somewhat sacrificing themselves for the other character.  
  • How player characters regain life chits is determined by the referee. 



Non Player Characters: 

  • Can be expressed as a number of life chits and a description that gives the referee an understanding of how hard/complicated their actions will be to defend against.   


Order of Actions: 

  • The referee determines the order in which player characters , non player characters and the environment take action within the game world. 


What happens next/random encounters: 

  • The referee may ask a player to pull a number of random cards from a deck of playing cards. The number pulled will be determined by the referee in relation to how in control the player character is in within the current situation of the gameworld. 
  • The player decides which one of the cards they pulled is applied to the game: 
    • Red cards = Something good for the players 
    • Black cards = Something bad for the players 
    • Number cards = A event takes place, the number determining how great or insignificant the event is. 
    • Face cards = An object or entity appears, the face determine how great or insignificant the object or entity is. 


Player Character inventory: 

  • Each character will have appropriate possessions/equipment (confirmed by referee). 
  • More possessions/ equipment can be acquired through play. The referee will determine how much possessions/ equipment a character may have/carry, and the impact of any new possessions/ equipment on how hard/complicated specific actions/defence are. 
  • Buy and selling possessions/ equipment can be handled through action/defence rolls, with the cost of failure being determined by the referee (loss of inventory/reputation/etc) rather than a life chit. 


Player Character Advancement: 

  • If a player character survives a session, the referee will make a note of something/s that character is better at for future sessions. 


Tuesday 9 January 2024

Recent PDF releases!

Hello! Here are some PDF's that I have put out recently but haven't mentioned on the blog. 

If you are interested you can always message me for a review copy or just a free copy if you don't feel like paying. Enjoy! 

The Galactic Realm of The Hyperspace Sea

Based on the elegantly simple GD20 system The Galactic Realm of The Hyperspace Sea is a truly epic space opera RPG. Twelve powerful civilizations sprawl across the countless planets of the Hyperspace Sea - filling the universe with intrigue, drama and conflict on an interstellar scale! Players may take on a wide range of roles, from clerical, bureaucratic, military or trade -  serving their civilization or forging their own path! 

A single, simply resolved, roll for all actions which is dramatic and story driving. Each roll endangers the Player Characters Health, Finances or Reputation  - there is no reward without risk on the Hyperspace Sea! 

  • 24 strange and unique skills; use philosophy to counter magic, use void magic to cloak your ship in anti matter, use space navigation to cross the Hyperspace sea, warp your own form with bioengineering, or corrupt your enemy's hardware with electronic intrusion! 
  • Epic, single roll mass combat! The  system moves seamlessly and cinematically from hand to hand duels to battles between fleets of thousands of craft in space! 
  • Details and backgrounds for 12 interstellar civilizations! 
  • Tables for generating history, and current events! 
  • Tables for generating planets ,space stations and craft! 
  • Tables for generating cities! 
  • Tables for generating rooms and places! 
  • Automated HTML versions of the tables included for extreme ease of use! 

Do you long for adventure,  action and romance across the stars? Dive in to the Hyperspace Sea today!  





Infinigrad: The Weird City Toolkit (PDF Edition) 


A 118 page PDF is now included with the Infinigrad  Toolkit (that used to just consist of automated html generators). 

Includes Tables AND fully automated HTML generators for:

  • Suburb overviews, including appearance, purpose, dangers and weirdness.
  • Building stocking.
  • Building appearance.
  • NPC professions, desires, and weaponry.
  • Merchants.
  • Items small and large for stores and workshops.
  • Magical items.
  • Ornamentation.
  • Mental pursuits.
  • Entertainment venues.
  • Gangs, including leaders, appearances, cultures, and desires.
  • Order Keepers, including leaders, appearances, cultures, and desires.
  • Temples and Gods.
  • Monsters.
  • Dungeons.
  • Guilds, including areas of expertise, operating procedure, and appearance.
  • Augmentations.  
  • Jobs and missions.
  • Room stocking, atmosphere and ornamentation.
  • Inhabitant reaction.
  • Devices.
  • Traps.
  • Visual tables for generating Suburb and Building Maps. 

Thursday 19 October 2023

City, Station, Place and Craft Generator for The Galactic Realm of the Hyperspace Sea

For generating Cities, Stations, Places and Crafts for: https://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-galactic-realm-of-hyperspace-sea.html  

Find an automated version at the bottom of the page! 


City Generator:

Description, d10: 

  1. Sacred 
  2. Picturesque 
  3. Majestic 
  4. Charming 
  5. Immaculate 
  6. Industrial 
  7. Vibrant 
  8. Chaotic 
  9. Towering 
  10. Malignant

Key features, d30, roll twice and combine: 
  1. Gardens 
  2. Hills
  3. Neon lights 
  4. Anti gravity tunnels 
  5. Environment domes 
  6. Smog 
  7. Rain 
  8. Wind 
  9. Trees 
  10. Lakes 
  11. Underground
  12. Street entertainment 
  13. Pits
  14. Dirt 
  15. Refuse 
  16. Crystal 
  17. Towers 
  18. Canals 
  19. Well defended 
  20. Heavily patrolled 
  21. Industrial waste 
  22. Intersected by huge roads 
  23. Flames 
  24. Ice 
  25. Animals 
  26. Enclosed 
  27. Hive 
  28. Semi ruined 
  29. Toxic 
  30. Infested 
Political importance, d4: 
  1. Planetary capital 
  2. Regional capital 
  3. No influence beyond city borders 
  4. Ruled by a political body located elsewhere on the planet 
Trade importance, d6: 
  1. Responsible for virtually 100% of planetary trade 
  2. Responsible for about 75% of planetary trade 
  3. Responsible for about 50% of planetary trade 
  4. Responsible for about 25% of planetary trade 
  5. Responsible for about 10% of planetary trade 
  6. Responsible for virtually 0% of planetary trade
Population, d6: 
  1. Virtually 100% of the planet’s population 
  2. About 75% of the planet’s population 
  3. About 50% of the planet’s population 
  4. About 25% of the planet’s population 
  5. About 10% of the planet’s population 
  6. Under 1% of the planet’s population 
Population density, d4: 
  1. Sparse 
  2. Medium density 
  3. High density 
  4. Severely overpopulated, extremely high density 

Building/Space Station/Large Space Vehicle Interior Generator: 

Description, d10: 
  1. Ornate 
  2. Elegant 
  3. Sleek 
  4. Pristine
  5. Bulky 
  6. Industrial 
  7. Minimalist 
  8. Ancient 
  9. Dilapidated
  10. Neglected
Purpose, d30: 
  1. Associated with sacrifice magic 
  2. Associated with insight magic 
  3. Associated with ancestor magic 
  4. Associated with terra or void magic 
  5. Associated with bioengineering 
  6. Associated with knowledge collection/storage 
  7. Storage 
  8. Associated with terra vehicles 
  9. Associated with space vehicles 
  10. Armoury 
  11. Barracks 
  12. Associated with military leadership
  13. Associated with philosophy 
  14. Market
  15. Mall 
  16. Associated with civics 
  17. Associated with engineering 
  18. Associated with civic leadership 
  19. Associated with artistic creation 
  20. Associated with navigation 
  21. Spaceport 
  22. Land/sea port 
  23. Associated with the datagrid 
  24. Low end housing 
  25. High end housing 
  26. Entertainment 
  27. Food and farming 
  28. Associated with socialization 
  29. Inebriation 
  30. Dining
Key features, d30, roll twice and combine: 
  1. Gardens 
  2. Stairs
  3. Private dock
  4. Anti gravity tubes 
  5. Environmental chambers 
  6. Pools 
  7. Flags 
  8. Vines/heavy vegetation  
  9. Mood altering Gas 
  10. Bunkers/underground chambers 
  11. Performers
  12. Water/mineral falls
  13. Performance space 
  14. Filth 
  15. Statues
  16. Hoarding 
  17. Walkways  
  18. Data screens 
  19. Climate control 
  20. Gravity control 
  21. Animals 
  22. Chemicals 
  23. Automated security 
  24. Security personnel 
  25. Ruin 
  26. Pests 
  27. Spires/viewing areas 
  28. Pleasure chambers 
  29. Shrines/altars 
  30. Production facilities 
 Occupancy level, d4: 
  1. Near empty 
  2. Half full 
  3. Nearly full 
  4. Near overflowing 

Place Generator: 

Universal base interior room purpose table (combine with an appropriate room stocking table), d12:
  1. Place of rest/recreation
  2. Place of physical work/storage
  3. Place of sleep
  4. Place of ornamentation
  5. Place of ritual and worship
  6. Place of waste disposal
  7. Place of eating
  8. Place of lavatory/bathing
  9. Place of mental work and research
  10. Place of mental storage/secrets
  11. Place of machinery
  12. Place of growing
Universal base external area table (combine with an appropriate room stocking table), d12:
  1. Wide open field 
  2. Hills/valleys 
  3. Cave 
  4. Mountain/volcano 
  5. River 
  6. Lake 
  7. Ocean/shoreline 
  8. Swamp 
  9. Dunes 
  10. Heavy vegetation 
  11. Island 
  12. Roll twice and combine 

Place description, roll twice and combine, d40: 
  1. Peaceful 
  2. Holy
  3. Illuminated 
  4. Floating 
  5. Empty 
  6. Ghostly 
  7. Windy
  8. Stormy
  9. Tiny 
  10. Translucent 
  11. Dark 
  12. Rejuvenated 
  13. Gilded 
  14. Awe inspiring 
  15. Bloody 
  16. Shining 
  17. Flowing 
  18. Symmetrical 
  19. Clean 
  20. Caged 
  21. Overgrown 
  22. Wild 
  23. Verdant 
  24. Chaotic 
  25. Burnt
  26. Destroyed 
  27. Abundance 
  28. Flocked 
  29. Monstrous
  30. Oversized 
  31. Enclosed 
  32. Cracked 
  33. Pale 
  34. Stoney 
  35. Corpulent 
  36. Emaciated 
  37. Rotted 
  38. Ancient 
  39. Pained 
  40. Desecrated 
Safe location room stocking table, d12:
  1. Empty
  2. Neutral npc
  3. Aggressive npc
  4. Group of neutral npc’s
  5. Group of aggressive npc’s
  6. Unexpected beast
  7. Small supply of a resource
  8. Abundance of a resource
  9. Device
  10. Very valuable resource 
  11. Strangeness
  12. Roll twice and combine
Dangerous location room stocking table, d12:
  1. Empty
  2. Neutral npc/beast
  3. Aggressive npc/beast
  4. Group of neutral npc’s/beasts
  5. Group of aggressive npc’s/beasts
  6. Aggressive great beast
  7. Small supply of a resource
  8. Abundance of a resource
  9. Device
  10. Very valuable resource 
  11. Strangeness
  12. Roll twice and combine

Random Vehicle Generator: 

Vehicle size, d8: 
  1. Tiny, 2 passengers, 0.5 x Hulll 
  2. Small, 6 passengers,  0.75 x Hulll 
  3. Medium, 20 passengers,  1 x Hull 
  4. Big, 100 passengers,  1.5 x Hull 
  5. Very big, 500 passengers,  4 x Hull 
  6. Huge, 5000 passengers,  8 x Hull 
  7. Space vehicle only: Colossal, 10 000 passengers,  10 x Hull 
  8. Space vehicle only: Leviathan/Space station, 100 000 passengers,  30 x Hull 
Vehicle style (Random Attributes - Best, middling, worst), d6: 
  1. Comms, Engines, Arsenal
  2. Comms, Arsenal, Engines
  3. Engines, Comms, Arsenal
  4. Engines, Arsenal, Comms
  5. Arsenal, Comms, Engines
  6. Arsenal, Engines, Comms

Automated version (click the buttons): 





















Monday 16 October 2023

Planet Generator for The Galactic Realm of the Hyperspace Sea

For generating planets for: https://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-galactic-realm-of-hyperspace-sea.html  

Combine results to generate planets! Find an automated version at the bottom of the page! 


Planet Generator: 

Civilization (if needed), d10: 

  1. Pantheonic Planetary States 
  2. Emperor’s Peace 
  3. Empire of The Solar Dynasty 
  4. Clans of the Outer Spheres  
  5. Long Hall Clans 
  6. Kingdom of The Empty Throne 
  7. Clans of The Hidden Grove 
  8. Kingdom of Samsara 
  9. Merchant City States 
  10. City States of The Hungry Gods

Planet type, d3: 

  1. Gas 
  2. Terrestrial 
  3. Aquatic 
Description, d10: 
  1. Holy 
  2. Idyllic 
  3. Sublime 
  4. Pleasant 
  5. Pristine 
  6. Rugged 
  7. Wild 
  8. Chaotic 
  9. Monstrous 
  10. Demonic 
Key features, d30, roll twice and combine: 
  1. Grasslands 
  2. Deserts 
  3. Never ending daylight 
  4. Low gravity 
  5. No atmosphere 
  6. Fog drenched 
  7. Windswept 
  8. Never ending storms 
  9. Low/thin atmosphere 
  10. Forests 
  11. Oceans 
  12. Caves 
  13. Dust 
  14. Blood soaked ultra-fertile soil 
  15. Crystals
  16. Mineral mountains 
  17. Rivers 
  18. High gravity 
  19. Acid 
  20. Mineral/ice rings 
  21. Burning 
  22. Freezing 
  23. Fauna rich 
  24. Never ending night time 
  25. Structure/City covered 
  26. Riven with cracks 
  27. Poisoned 
  28. Woodlands
  29. Craters 
  30. Subterranean 
Flip a coin to determine if the planet is on the hyperspace sea or not, if not roll a d100 for travel time in years from the hyperspace sea. If a 100 is rolled, roll a d100 again and add 100 to it (adding together multiple rolls of 100) 

Number of continents, d4: 
  1. None, singular land mass 
  2. None, small islands only 
  3. D6  
  4. D10 
Number of major cities, d4: 
  1. D6 
  2. D10 
  3. D20 
Planetary population, d4: 
  1. Sparse (d10 million) 
  2. Medium (d20 billion) 
  3. Heavy (10 + d20 billion 
  4. Over populated d100 billion 
Economic performance, d6: 
  1. Dismal 
  2. Challenged
  3. Stable
  4. Growing
  5. Prosperous 
  6. Flourishing
Standing army size (in units of 100 fighters) - consider limiting if low population/economic performance, d6: 
  1. Tiny, d10
  2. Small, 20 + d20
  3. Medium, 50 + d100
  4. Big, 100 + d100
  5. Very big, 300 + d100
  6. Huge, 500 + d1000
Standing terra vehicle fleet - consider limiting if low population/economic performance, d6: 
  1. Tiny, d10
  2. Small, 20 + d20
  3. Medium, 50 + d100
  4. Big, 100 + d100
  5. Very big, 300 + d100
  6. Huge, 500 + d1000
Standing space vehicle fleet- consider limiting if low population/economic performance, d6: 
  1. Tiny, d10
  2. Small, 20 + d20
  3. Medium, 50 + d100
  4. Big, 100 + d100
  5. Very big, 300 + d100
  6. Huge, 500 + d1000
Automated version (click the buttons): 














Saturday 14 October 2023

History Generator for The Galactic Realm of the Hyperspace Sea

 For generating history/current events for: https://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-galactic-realm-of-hyperspace-sea.html  

Combine results to generate ideas for intergalactic history! Find an automated version at the bottom of the page! 


History/Current Event Generator: 

Key Civilization, d10: 

  1. Pantheonic Planetary States 
  2. Emperor’s Peace 
  3. Empire of The Solar Dynasty 
  4. Clans of the Outer Spheres  
  5. Long Hall Clans 
  6. Kingdom of The Empty Throne 
  7. Clans of The Hidden Grove 
  8. Kingdom of Samsara 
  9. Merchant City States 
  10. City States of The Hungry Gods

Recency, d6: 
  1. In the very distant past (beyond the last century) 
  2. In the distant past (within the last century) 
  3. In the past (within the last few decades) 
  4. In the recent past (within the decade) 
  5. In the present - occurring over the course of the last year 
  6. In the present - began occurring over the last few weeks/months 
Galactic importance, d6: 
  1. Across the Hyperspace sea 
  2. Across a whole solar system 
  3. Across a planet 
  4. Across a continent 
  5. Across a city 
  6. Across a space station
Description, d30, roll twice and combine: 
  1. Peaceful 
  2. Respectful 
  3. Erudite 
  4. Bloody 
  5. Clean 
  6. Holy
  7. Restrained 
  8. Wanton 
  9. Destructive 
  10. Savage 
  11. Chaotic 
  12. Monstrous 
  13. Opulent
  14. Slow
  15. Swift 
  16. Unholy   
  17. Invisible
  18. Splendid 
  19. Fertile 
  20. Aquatic 
  21. Just 
  22. Cleansing 
  23. Rigid 
  24. Burning 
  25. Subterranean 
  26. Terrifying 
  27. Hateful 
  28. Secretive 
  29. Ordered 
  30. Deathly 
Event, d20, consider rolling twice and combining for a more interesting event: 
  1. Spread of a religious cult 
  2. Spread of a cult of personality 
  3. Haunting by the spirits of ancestors 
  4. Magical warping of planetary surface 
  5. Magical warping of space nearby a planet 
  6. Bioengineering of people/plants/animals 
  7. Cataloging of society/people/plants/animals  
  8. Causing a calamity that makes planetary/space survival difficult 
  9. War with land vehicles 
  10. War with space vehicles 
  11. War with an army of soldiers 
  12. Spread of a radical philosophy 
  13. Heated economic competition 
  14. Conflicting legal claims to a planet/region/resource 
  15. Industrial sabotage 
  16. Electronic sabotage 
  17. Invasive spread of foreign culture 
  18. Spread of an artistic movement 
  19. Aggressive colonization 
  20. An alliance 
Automated version (click the buttons): 









Thursday 5 October 2023

The Galactic Realm of the Hyperspace Sea - Rules

For: https://itch.io/jam/gd20-jam 

See also: https://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2023/09/four-civilizations-of-galactic-realm.html 

Core Rules: 

Action Roll: 

  • When an action’s success is uncertain, a player rolls a d20 and adds appropriate Proficiency. If the total is equal or greater than the action’s Difficulty Score (DS) it is successful.
  • Proficiency is the total bonus values of any Attribute Score, Skill or Possession that can be applied to the action being performed. Players may apply one of each of the above sources to an action test. The referee can add or subtract from the score of an action roll if they deem the in game situation/context appropriate to do so.  
  • All Action Rolls carry some element of risk. On a failed roll the difference between the Action Roll and DS is the amount of Health, Reputation or Finances depleted. 
  • Rolls of 1 (regardless of Proficiency) on the die always fail; rolls of 20 will always succeed. The referee will need to consider what events transpire when these particularly unlucky/lucky events occur. 

Difficulty Scores Guidelines: 

Easy: 12 Average: 16 Tough: 20

Economy: Buying and selling is handled through an Action Roll with an appropriate difficulty score. Forgo any roll if the purchase is trivial - the good or service is simply acquired. Player characters may be awarded/acquire credit chits that can restore any lost Finances (up to that characters’ maximum). 


Player Character (PC) Creation

Allocate the scores of 3, 2 and 1 to each of the following Attributes: 

  • Strength. Gives Proficiency in actions of Fighting, fortitude, and toughness.
  • Dexterity. Gives Proficiency in actions of Stealth, athletics, and reflexes.
  • Willpower. Gives Proficiency in actions of Confidence, discipline, and charisma.

Player characters also have a score for Health, Reputation and Finances

  • Health starts at 10 plus Strength score. PCs may sleep once per day in a safe spot, regaining all lost Health. If it is possible that this rest will be interrupted by aggressive interlopers it will be! 
  • Reputation starts at 10 plus Dexterity score. Lost reputation is restored by a successful action roll risking reputation. The difference between the Action Roll and DS is the amount of reputation restored (up to maximum reputation). Low reputation characters will find themselves ostracized, characters with no reputation will be exiled or forbidden entry to most self respecting establishments. 
  • Finances start at 10 plus Willpower score. Lost finances are restored by a successful action roll risking finances. The difference between the Action Roll and DS is the amount of finance restored (up to the maximum finance). The finance attribute may go infinitely negative. While a character has negative finances they will be hounded appropriately by debt collectors. 
Advancement:

  • When deemed appropriate by the referee a PC gains a level. 
  • Each level: raise an Attribute or Skill score by 1 (Narrow Skill by +2) (MAX +8) and raise either Health, Reputation or Finances by 1. Every 3rd level a PC may learn a new Broad Skill (at +1) or Narrow Skill (at +2) instead of increasing scores.


Non Player Characters (NPCs)

NPCS have three attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Willpower and a Health score. The guidelines for values for these attributes are: Weak: 12 (or below) Average: 14-16 Tough: 20+). Health is 10, but maybe higher or lower for particular weak/strong NPCs. 

A situation in which a PC is in opposition with another PC/NPC is a Confrontation.

The DS of the opposition is equal to the appropriate attribute of the NPC being confronted. When a PC rolls to act in a Confrontation the difference between the Action Roll and DS is the amount of Health depleted from the loser of the confrontation


Vehicles

Vehicle have three attributes: Comms, Engines, Arsenal and a Hull score. The guidelines for values for these attributes are: Weak: 12 (or below) Average: 14-16 Tough: 20+). Hull is 10,  but maybe higher or lower for particularly weak/strong vehicles. 

  • When a PC is piloting a vehicle they roll a d20 and add the appropriate vehicle attribute minus 10 divided by 3 to the roll plus any appropriate Proficiency. 
  • Confrontations are resolved normally between vehicles but they lose Hull when losing a confrontation. When a vehicle's Hull is reduced to 0 it, and all aboard, are destroyed. 
    • All space vehicle rolls/scores are doubled against terra vehicles and tripled against on foot targets. 
    • All terra vehicle rolls/scores are doubled against on foot targets and halved against space vehicles. 
    • All on foot rolls/scores are halved against terra vehicles and quartered against space vehicles. 

Combat Confrontations
  • All combat is MASS COMBAT resolved in a single round. The appropriate score for each NPC combatant are added together for each side, then a d6 is rolled for each NPC combatant. For each PC on a side in a conflict, they roll a d20 and add appropriate Proficiency as normal. Before resolving each side must designate the target/s of any HP/HULL damage, this can be as specific or broad as needed but must be assigned before the round has been resolved. Any additional HP/HULL damage left over after any identified targets are killed/destroyed when the round is resolved is wasted (it does not cascade onto untargeted combatants). Once targets are identified, and scores and rolls are summed the confrontation can be resolved as normal. 
  • If appropriate to the conflict, different types of confrontations may take place in the single round mass combat. For example, some combatants may be engaged in ranged combat, others in melee, others in electronic or magical conflicts. The GM will need to determine scores for each side for each type of confrontation and resolve HP/HULL damage as they deem appropriate. 
  • Regardless of whether all combatants on the losing side of the confrontation are killed or not, they are defeated, and the GM will need to extrapolate from the result of the round of combat what took place in the battle and what the aftermath is. 
Note: If a PC rolls a natural 20, but otherwise is on the losing side of a conflict, they either miraculously survive or achieve something of note in the battle. If a PC rolls a natural 1, but otherwise is on the winning side of a conflict, they take some grievous injury or suffer some misadventure during the battle. 


Death
When a PC or NPC Health reaches zero, they die.





Wednesday 4 October 2023

24 Skills of The Galactic Realm

Following on from this post: https://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2023/09/four-civilizations-of-galactic-realm.html here are 24 sci fi skills  that will be important within the galactic realm of the hyperspace sea! 

Insight Magician (Roger Dean) 

Broad: (+ 1 to a variety of things) 

  • Sacrifice magic (Bend the rules of reality and avoid catastrophes by burning flesh offerings to the gods). Proficiency possessions: Altar, sanctified meat.  
  • Insight magic (Know things you shouldn't be able to and be aware of looming dangers by entering a trance state). Proficiency possessions: Sensory deprivation helmet, meditation stool. 
  • Ancestor magic (Empower your body's mental/physical capacity and cleanse it of ill and injury by venerating the ghosts of your ancestors through prayer). Proficiency possessions: Relics, shrines. 
  • Terra magic (Warp and work the physical elements and systems within the atmosphere of planetary bodies by manipulating null matter quantum possibility particles). Proficiency possessions: Null matter rod/wand, quantcloud collector. 
  • Void magic (Warp and work the physical elements and systems outside of the atmosphere of planetary bodies by manipulating null matter quantum possibility particles). Proficiency possessions: Null matter rod/wand, quantcloud collector. 
  • Biogenering (Modify form and biology of yourself and others by fusing genetic sequencers from disparate biological organisms). Proficiency possessions: Mobile sample sequencer, sample collector drone, Sequencing accelerator pod.   
  • Encyclopedia (Know obscure, pertinent and helpful information about things you have not encountered before by hardlining information via datajack while you sleep). Proficiency possessions: Datacube (subject specific), Brain datajack. 
  • Survival (Keep yourself and others alive in harsh conditions by securing shelter and resources). Proficiency possessions: Bubble tent, Nutrient replicator, Slow-drip chemical converter.  
  • Terra vehicle combat (Destroy other vehicles and avoid being destroyed in vehicular combat within the atmosphere of planetary bodies). Proficiency possessions: Reflex datajack, adrenaline regulator, stimulant injector. 
  • Space vehicle combat  (Destroy other vehicles and avoid being destroyed in vehicular combat outside of the atmosphere of planetary bodies). Proficiency possessions: Reflex datajack, adrenaline regulator, stimulant injector.
  • Melee fighting (Kill/subdue others in close combat and avoid being killed/subdued yourself).  Proficiency possessions: Melee weapons, armour, adrenaline regulator, stimulant injector.
  • Ranged fighting (Kill/subdue others in ranged combat and avoid being killed/subdued yourself).  Proficiency possessions: Ranged weapons, armour, adrenaline regulator, stimulant injector.

Narrow: (+ 2 to specific things)

  • Philosophy (Dissolve impossible magical forces and make yourself immune against illogical ills such as curses and spells by rational and systematic considerations of reality). Proficiency possessions: Brain datajack repeating uncorrupted maxims, truth tattoos. 
  • Economics (Maximize your resources through trade and avoid being taken advantage of when trading by knowing the value of things). Proficiency possessions: Weightmass scanner, brain datajack with relevant market streams. 
  • Civics (Navigate bureaucracy successfully and avoid legal pitfalls by hardlining up to date legalese via datajack). Proficiency possessions: Datacube (Law records), brain datajack. 
  • Engineering ( Effectively modify/create mechanical constructs and ensure their optimal operation by knowing well their workings). Proficiency possessions: Powered exo arm, analyser drone, chemical fabricator.   
  • Battle tactics (Provide effective directives in battle and avoid falling prey to the battle plans of opposing forces by a comprehensive understanding of all battlefields). Proficiency possessions: Retina drone feeds, brain datajack with relevant environmental data streams. 
  • Leadership  (Provide effective and inspiring directives and avoid being undermined by a comprehensive understanding of others motivations). Proficiency possessions: Retina drone feeds, brain datajack with relevant data streams. 
  • Intimidation (Threaten others into complying with your wishes and know when others are bluffing you by an intuitive grasp of psychology). Proficiency possessions: Resonator, Biofeedback scanner.  
  • Artistic creation (Construct inspiring experiences and correctly interpret the meaning of other’s works by being highly emotionally receptive). Proficiency possessions: Sensory acceleration helmet, shrine (to appropriate muse), materials and tools appropriate to medium worked. 
  • Terra navigation (Plot effective routes and avid getting lost within the atmosphere of planetary bodies). Proficiency possessions: Datacube (planetary maps), retina drone feeds, . 
  • Space navigation (Plot effective routes and avid getting lost outside of the atmosphere of planetary bodies). Proficiency possessions: Datacube (astrological maps), brain datajack with relevant navigation data streams. 
  • Data search (Find out obscure, pertinent and helpful information by hardlining information via datajack while you are awake). Proficiency possessions: Datacube (subject specific), Brain datajack. 
  • Electronic intrusion (Make electronic devices/equipment do things they shouldn’t and stop your electronics from being hijacked by interfacing with the datagrid directly with a brain datajack). Proficiency possessions: Brain datajack, datagrid bio-throne, datagrid bio-capsule.