BRP solo - Part II: "And I have no remorse and little fear"

Lycinia hasn't gone far from the sage's home when she overhears a mismatched pair talking in low tones. One appears to be an enormous woodsman. His hair and beard are wild, but wilder still are the piercing eyes staring madly out from his craggy face. A sharp hatchet hangs at his belt, the freshly honed blade glinting when it catches the light spilling out from various shops into the street. His interlocutor is an emaciated woman in clerks' dress, complete with ink stained fingers and a pronounced stoop.

Scene 3

Chaos: increased to Average (1d10)

Setup: Interrupt (was: go talk to importers)
Interrupt: Move toward a thread (a clue!) - behold / conversation

NPCs: Orezuthía the Arcane, Geredrom, sage

Threads: find & stop Geredrom the wizard

[When/where? (1d6): 1-2 just leaving, 3-4 a block away, 5-6 leaving neighbourhood; d6=4

How many? 1d3+1=2

Who? (via Location Crafter):
Dangerously / Rustic (d6=m)
Efficiently / Feeble (d6=f)

UNE: hostile - judgment - contacts]

"We shouldn't have gone to the sage first," says the notary. "He's likely to blab."

"Don't worry," replies the woodsman. "I can keep him quiet."

Lycinia's interest is piqued, and she decides to follow the two.

[Move Quietly roll to tail them. 41-4(ENC penalty)=37%: 36, success
vs.
their Spot (35%) rolls: d%= 59 & 84, both fail.]

They are headed, unsurprisingly, right to the sage's house. Lycinia stops short, under an awning, and whispers the words to a spell. An instant later she walks toward the house, unseen by all mortal eyes. [She took an extra round for the casting, giving a bonus equal to her INT (+16%) to cast Invisibility (46+16=)62%: 13, success. The spell costs 4 Magic Points, leaving her with 8.] She watches and attempts to Listen [44%] through the window, but cannot make out any of the conversation within.

[Q: Do the pair get violent? 50/50 (4+): O6 C0 - Yes.]

She see the woodsman looming over the terrified sage. Their words become heated, though no more distinct through the thick glass. Then the woodman's hand flies to his belt, and he brandishes his hatchet above his head. Lycinia knows she must act. She hurriedly speaks the words of an incantation...

[initiative rolls:
Rustic DEX 3d6=10 +1d10 initiative roll = 12
Lycinia DEX 18  -1(spell level) +1d10 = 25; she goes before the axe can strike

Casting Sleep (51%)  d%=32, success; the spell cost 3MP, and affects everyone in the area.

Everyone must match their POW vs. Lycinia's (12) on the Resistance
Sage 15 (35% to succumb): d%=20, success!
rustic 8 (70%): d%=17
notary 9 (65%) d%=28]

...and the sage, woodsman, and notary slip peacefully to the floor in a deep slumber.

Working the charm has rendered her suddenly visible, but if any of the passers-by have noticed the sudden appearance of an elf in the street, they do not react. Such is simply the way of things in a city possessed of a mages' guild.

Lycinia casually walks inside, and rouses the sleeping sage.

"what...? Who? How did you...?"

The elf puts a finger to her lips. "Softly! They won't be asleep for long. Who are these two?"

"Associates of Geredrom."

"Obviously. I was hoping for a little more elucidation." [Easy Persuade (23x2=46%) to get more cooperation: d%=60, fail]

"I can't say any more! I know nothing! Please leave."

Lycinia sits on the notary's chest. She clamps a hand over her mouth, and holds a long, pointed dagger at her throat. The woman wakes with a start.

"Your friend wouldn't talk so I cut his throat," says Lycinia. "I'd caution you not to make the same mistake. Now, what are you doing here?" [Easy Persuade again, success]

"W-we needed to silence the old fool before his prating cast suspicious on us."

"Who's 'us'?"

"The two of us here."

"And...? I have a name in mind, and should you not admit it your usefulness is at an end."

"Geredrom. We're working for Geredrom."

"Good. Where is he?"

"I... I don't know."

Lycinia presses the point of her miséricorde into the woman's throat a little more.

"I'm telling the truth! We've not yet earned the master's trust enough to be shown the sanctum."

"How does he contact you, then?"

"He sends a messenger."

"How often?"

[1d6: 1-2 daily, 3-4 weekly,  5-6 as and when]

"At his pleasure."

"We're going for a walk then... back to yours."

Lycinia stands up and pats the pistol at her belt. "Don't run," she says to the notary as she helps her up from the floor. "It's easier to hit a target in the back." As they are leaving, Lycinia turns briefly to the sage. "I'd call for the watch before that one comes round." The notary looks startled to see her companion yet lives. "I lied," explains Lycinia, "but only about that. I meant it about not running."

[Q: Does the notary try anything stupid? Unknown: 1d6=5, unlikely: C3 O4 - no, but... will look for an opening.
Q: Where is notary's home? d10=new town, wealthy, minor street (in other words, 3 encounter checks away)]

They have gone barely three blocks before a dishevelled young man in filthy rags staggers up to Lycinia and grabs the hem of her tunic. "Pleassshe, you mus... mus help meeeee. I'm the Count d'Arndellllll. The...rrr after meeee."

"Be off with you!" growls Lycinia, shoving him away. "Find a place to sleep it off!" [Persuade (23%) roll to scare him off: success]

The man lurches away.

[Rolled encounter was actually: 'drugged noble who has escaped captors and needs help'. Lycinia needed a Physik (23%) roll to realise he wasn't just a drunk, but failed.]

When they pass into the new town, a group of street urchins race past, almost knocking them over. A group of watch soldiers are in pursuit, clanking and huffing, straining to run in their heavy breastplates and tassets.

"Don't think of entreating them for help," says Lycinia quietly. "Remember your friend has been arrested by now."

[Third encounter (PCS witness a warrior being robbed) bypassed entirely.]


Scene 4

Chaos: Average (1d10)

Setup: at the notary's house

NPCs: Orezuthía the Arcane, Geredrom, sage, notary, rustic

Threads: find & stop Geredrom the wizard

The notary lives in a very tall, very narrow cottage on a quiet little street in the New Town. She has sworn to Lycinia that she lives by herself -- her servant lives out -- so they should be quite alone inside. Lycinia mostly believes her, but keeps a hand on her sword as the notary fumbles for her key and walks inside.

Only a single candle burns inside on a table in the parlour, left by the maid for her mistress' return. The notary offers to light some more, but Lycinia declines the suggestion; her elven senses are perfectly attuned to the half-light. She finds a blanket on the settee, cuts it in strips with her dagger, and ties the notary to a wooden chair. The last strip of cloth she binds loosely round the woman's neck for a gag, but does not stop her mouth.

"Let's talk some more," says the elf, sitting across from her on the settee.

"Why... why are you doing this?" [insane - confusion - current scene]

"Does it matter?"

"I just don't see why an elf would..."

"Would what?"

"Involve herself in human affairs."

"I'm doing this for a friend. A human friend. We do have them."

"A friend in the Guild?"

"Maybe."

"Hah! You're mad. Or else, very naïve. Guild wizards don't have friends: only pawns. Even elven ones."

"Maybe. But the one I seek is also of the Guild. So let me ask the same question: why are *you* involved?"

"If Geredrom deciphers the riddles, and can reveal the Great Mystery, he'll have more power than the whole Guild combined. Better his trusted servant than the rabble to be swept away when his might is unleashed 'pon the unsuspecting world." [mysterious - conundrum - power]

"You believe him that capable?"

"I have seen a glimpse of his Power. He made gold out of nothing! out of the very air! and then laughed, said it wasn't what he'd hoped to conjure, and gave me the solid lump as a gift. I weighed it; pure solid gold. It was worth 1319 silver pieces!" [insane - accident - rewards; the lump was approx. as much gold as 26GP]

The conversation continues in this vein for a while, until Lycinia gets bored, applies the gag, and sets about searching the house.

[Spot Hidden 69%: 14=special success

Q: Anything worth finding? unknown d6=3, Likely: O2 C2 - No, and... (damn, no skill tick then)
+Event: New NPC - enter / House (has own key)
Random NPC: d30=patrician
relation to notary? 1d4 1 lover, 2 co-conspirator, 3 housemate, 4 Geredrom's messenger: 1

Listen 44%: success]

She finds nothing of even passing interest, but as she is looking she hears the front door open, and a man's voice call out "halloo?". She rushes down the stairs taking three at a time [Agility roll (90%) succeeds] to find a man in a voluminous ermine cape looking more than a little surprised at the sight of his bound paramour and an elf on the staircase.

"Who are you?" say Lycinia and the man in unison. And then, still in unison, they draw their blades.

[Q: Does the patrician attack? 50/50 (4+): O5 C0 - Yes.

Patrician
STR 9 SIZ 14 CON 11 DEX 12 hp 13
Rapier 45%/50%*

*25 + 1d6x5% for each

Initiative:
patrician DEX=12; +1d10-5(drawing weapon): 14
Lycinia 1/2DEX (for starting on the stairs)=9 +1d10-5: 14

Patrician's Attack: 36 (success) vs. 58, parried
L's attack 48 (success) vs. 96 (fail); hits d20=chest, 1d8+1=7 damage, reducing the location to -1hp.]

They rush at each other, Lycinia leaping gracefully down the last three steps. Her shining sword bats his rapier aside and continues straight into his chest, slipping between to ribs with a crunch and a gout of blood. He falls, helpless and gurgling. [For going to negative HP in the chest, he must make a Stamina roll (CONx5%) every round or lose 1hp from blood loss until he either receives successful first aid (Physik) or dies.]

Lycinia kicks his rapier away and kneels beside him. "I hadn't hoped to kill you," she mutters, "but scream, and it will be your end. Now lie still and let me tend that."

In his injured state, he cannot but comply, nor even complain as the elf sets about her rough ministrations, trying to staunch the flow of blood with the hem of his expensive cape.

[He would need to roll CONx1 (11%) to take any action.

Her Physik is a mere 23%. His Stamina roll is 55%. He only has 6hp left.
r1 fail/fail down to 5hp
r2 fail/fail down to 4
r3 fail/succeed
r4 f/s
r5 s/s bleeding stops

He can still try to roll CONx1 to perform an action, but bleeding will recommence in the attempt.]

Lycinia binds his hands and feet with strips cut from his cape and leans him upright in a chair. She gags him with some ermine as a precaution, then turns back to the notary.

"Is this Geredrom's messenger?"

She shakes her head.

"Is he involved in the plot?"

She shakes her head again.

[The notary doesn't want to let on who the patrician really is, so she must pit her Fast Talk (1d4x5+5=10% ) v. Lycinia's Insight (44%): d%=55 fail vs. 03 critical success! Lycinia gains +25% on Communication skill checks for rest of scene.]

"So he's not worth keeping alive, then."

"MMMMMpppHHHff!"

"I've had enough of this. the guild is going to stop Geredrom, and I'm the instrument of their design. I'm going to take off your gag and you're going to tell me everything you know or even suspect or I'm going to have you thrown into jail as your paramour here's murderess." [Persuade 23+25=48%:  13, success]

"He must next make a great sacrifice to the Mother of Carrion [UNE knowing - telling - future action; Mythic - give / Mother; Loc. Crafter Descriptor 2= Ruined]. He requires [1d6: 1 people, 2 livestock, 3 predators, 4 scavengers, 5 exotic species, 6 quantity over quality; 5] strange beasts from across the sea to make the sacrifice most pleasing."

"What beasts?"

"Enormous serpents from the jungles of far-off Ifrac." [random wilderness encounter=jungle, Snake (Python)]

"Where's he getting them?"

"Rannard d'Otorio, an importer, deals in such creatures."

"Where do I find this importer."

"[d6=]He has a shop in the New Town. He's usually there... when he's not on the docks in Frommsport."

"I'd best be going then."

"Wait-- what's to become of me? You can't just leave!"

"I don't intend to," says Lycinia, as the light plays along the blade of her miséricorde. "I'm sorry it must end like this, but you'd have done the same to me..."

next post: more leads, and a pleasant trip to the countryside

BRP solo - Part I: „Sei es Ernst und sei es Spiel“

Lycinia shrinks into her cloak for protection against the driving rain as she hurries through the labyrinthine streets of Ildmarch. She told her companions that the Mage's Guild had agreed to help them with their quest as recompense for saving the three lost apprentices from the vile clutches of the mad witch Jola, but only she, as a magic-user herself, would be allowed to meet their benefactor within the halls of the guildhouse itself. Well, she thinks, it is mostly the truth, is it not?

She almost envies her companions pursuing their several goals in this storied human city. Brichtrethe, knight and priestess of the Light God (not necessarily in that order), had decided to recruit another warrior for her cause; for it was most certainly hers, and she would never scruple to let the others forget her Holy Purpose. The sow. Poor Ruprecht seems to have no will of his own, and was probably following his Lady Commander on her recruiting mission. For his sake, Lycinia hoped that it would take them quite a long time to find a suitable comrade-in-arms, lest Ruprecht be compelled to spend the rest of their time in marvellous Ildmarch listening to sermons in the Light God's church. Thiery -- that is, SIR Thiery -- was off at a gaming table somewhere. Manfred had sworn to kill him if he lost all their collected treasure at cards, and there were none but who believed the threat. Manfred, dutiful Manfred, had made a deposit in his sister Margiste's name with one of Ildmarch's reputable bankers, and wrote her a letter explaining all this, despatching a rider to Wandlebourne with all haste. Lycinia had quietly added some of her own loot to the deposit -- for what use have elves for gold? -- and added a few lines to the missive, sending her affection and inquiring about Margiste's progress with sword and spear. His duty admirably discharged, Manfred disappeared into one of Ildmarch's less reputable quarters, announcing his intention to spend the meagre sum he had kept back on the company of a handsome young man. Or three.

But these thoughts vanish as Lycinia passes through the gate at the end of the lonely lane, and finds herself once again before the great edifice of the Mage's Guild, lit from without by the glow of hoary magics, and where the lights in the alchemists' towers burn all through the night. She feels the pull on her soul, the promise of occult learning hidden within the shadowy halls, and she advances to greet the gargoyles scurrying down the carven facade to greet, or challenge, her arrival.

[As I have mentioned several times, the return to the dungeon on the island in Lake Ild was fun to play but would have been intensely dull to write up. It was pure DMG Appendix A door-monster-treasure, and whilst that made for a few fun afternoons, I couldn't countenance writing up that much combat. Since I'm switching game systems, I thought I could take the opportunity to just draw a line after the last post and start anew from there (even if it does mean the PCs lose that scroll of Cure Serious Wounds & Remove Curse and the Wand of Haste). I'm keeping the general flow of things, which involves Lycinia going on a side quest and then their return to the island to open the door in Hasshildaz' tomb. I know what the adventure will be on the other side. I decided to redo the side quest as it was a Call of Cthulhu-esque city investigation (which would have benefitted from skill rolls) ending in a small dungeon which was one of my very first attempts at making dungeons less monotonous, but still devolved into lots of random monster fights.

I'm going to run the adventure with Mythic Variations' Mystery theme. 'Move toward a thread' results on the Focus Table result in clues. When 3 clues have been found, our heroine may make a Difficult roll to ascertain the location of the end dungeon, using whatever skill or attribute roll seems appropriate based how the adventure is progressing. If that fails, the 4th clue allows a roll at Normal difficulty, and 5th and further clues all allow an Easy roll.

I'm using Midkemia Press' Cities book for random encounters; I'll roll any time she moves about within a district or crosses into a new one. Totally mundane encounters may be omitted from the narrative if, for instance, she just walks on by. She's not in the habit of starting a fight every time someone bumps into her on the street.

I used the d30 Sandbox Companion to generate an adventure framework:

Trigger: drawing
Major Goal: deal with growing threat
Obstacle: find hidden/lost location
Location: Tomb
Location Feature: Pit
Villain Goal/Reason: Revenge
Theme: Doom
Key NPC: Sage

Some of it might not come up, depending on the flow of things, but it's always nice to have something to interpret the Oracle round. I (as the DM) already know the entrance to the end dungeon; I was playing with donjon.sh one day and got a Weird Location from the Weird Random Generator which was such an inspiring image that I took a screenshot and saved it in my folder for this campaign.]


Scene 1

Chaos: Under control (1d12)

Setup: (random) NPC action - Extravagance / Trials

NPCs: Orezuthía the Arcane

Threads: -

Orezuthía the Arcane receives the elf in her incense-perfumed chambers. She appears to have aged since their last meeting, the unplaceable agelessness having ceded to a decided decrepitude. Perhaps it is merely the insouciance for her attire; instead of a voluminous wizard's robe covered in mystical sigils, she is clad in a threadbare peignoir over a frilly purple nightdress.

"It's been over five months since you last were here. I was beginning to think you weren't going to return."

"Five months?" says Lycinia. "Hardly a drop in the ocean of time."

"For an elf, perhaps... But do come in. Sit. Um, just put those scrolls on the floor... Now, as much as I'd love to hear of your adventures, I'm afraid that will simply have to wait. There is a pressing matter which weighs heavily on my mind, and I require your assistance. Do this for me, and I may be able to secure a position for you in the Guild. Or perhaps help you and your little friends to open Hasshildaz's door."

"Let's not dissemble. This isn't a request I can refuse, is it?"

"We begin to understand one another! But I can indeed open the door."

"What must I do?"

"Geredrom, Walker on the Hidden Path, Thaumaturgist Peerless, Cantor Occultorum -- and a right pratt, if you want my opinion -- has gone missing from the Guild. He was always destined for a bad end, and the others believe he's met one, but I am not so sure. It would be best if he did, for all of us, probably for all of Ildmarch. I found this drawing amongst [1d6=]his papers. I don't recognise any of these sigils, but they haunt my nightmares. I need to know what he's planning. And..."

"And what?"

"I need you to put a stop to it."

"I understand."

"For good."

"Of course."

"So there's absolutely no chance of him trying again."

"Why are you being so circumspect?"

"Decorum, I suppose. One oughtn't make such requests, especially about fellow Guild members, even those with such unspeakable... proclivities. But I need absolute and utter certainty."

"This, then, is the price for your assistance with the door? I may have been exiled from my homeland, but we elves have a certain decorum, too."

"Do not refuse me girl. You forget, the Guild's good favour towards you is dependent upon my favour."

"So where is this Geredrom?"

"If I knew that..."


[Random locations table (1d10):

d10 neighbourhood
1-2 old town, wealthy
3-4 old town, mercantile
5-6 new town, wealthy (nouveau-riche)
7-8 new town, mercantile
9-0 new town, poor

(even = major street, odd = minor (this matters for the Cities encounter tables); the Mage's Guild is in the wealthy quarter of Old Town on a minor street of its own, but only there is only a 10% chance of random encounter nearby.]

Scene 2

Chaos: Average (1d10)

Setup: go visit sage

NPCs: Orezuthía the Arcane, Geredrom, sage

Threads: find & stop Geredrom the wizard

The light is fading from the sky when Lycinia leaves the Guild, but the rain has finally stopped. She makes for the merchant's quarter, whose streets are surprisingly busy.

[Encounter: Magician with 1 bodyguard accidentally bumps character
d6=f, guard d6=m
Q: Is she a guild wizard? Certain (2+): O3 C2 - Yes, and... knows of L.

Reaction roll (RQ2): neutral d%=61, unsure
UNE: prejudiced - view - equipment]

As Lycinia weaves her way through the crowd, a young woman in simple but costly wizard's garb walks right into her.

"Watch where you're going, you elven thug! And mind you don't bump into an honest citizen with that arsenal you're carrying.

[Lycinia has sword, dagger, and pistol, but she's left her chain armour behind.
She gets a Reaction (CHAx5%) roll (65%)=71, fail]

Lycinia bites her lip and tries to be diplomatic. "Sorry,  didn't look where I was going. We elves are unused to such throngs. I'm actually on guild business."

"Sure you are. But far be it from me to come between Orezuthía's villein and her... orders." [prejudiced - belief - allies]

[Lycinia can try a difficult Etiquette roll (16%) to defuse: d%=38, fail]

"Orezuthía is indeed my sponsor, and she's asked me to look into something for her. Nothing more."

"So you admit she's set you a task! I almost pity you. But now I bid you good evening."

Lycinia reaches her destination without further incident. Orezuthía had told her of a sage whom Geredrom was known to consult. The windows of the sage's house are glowing in the twilight, and when Lycinia knocks a servant ushers her right in for an interview.

[Q: Is the sage in? 50/50: O5 C1 - Yes, and...

The Sage
ST 5 CN 12 SZ 10 IN 16 DX 11 PW 15 CH 12
HP 11 DB -1D4
Personality: Direct, Confident

UNE--
NPC Relationship: distrustful
Conversation Mood: forthcoming
insane - madness - last action]

"Geredrom? Why should you be looking for him? You're mad! Stay away, stay far away! He's headed for disaster, dabbling in such things as man -- nor elf -- was never meant to go near."

"But I must find him," insists Lycinia, "and bring him back to my... my friend at the guild."

"Your friend at the guild? Why? What does she want with him? To use his evil knowledge?" [inquisitive - suspicion - last scene]

"No, she wants him to stop. The guild takes a dim view of wicked magics."

[Reaction roll (65%) to not get thrown out: d%=39, success]

"Your little venture couldn't possibly go wrong, now could it? At least you've no soul to lose in the bargain, elf." [scheming - plan - flaws]

"Will you help me find him?"

"He came to see me a few days ago, asking what I knew about human and animal gestation." [d30 on the sage specialty table = biology & anatomy]

"And?"

"It's a big topic! But his questions had a decidedly sinister cast to them, so I turned him out."

"Where else could he go? I've got to find him. Is there anyone else in the city that would have such knowledge?"

[Q: Does he have any specific ideas? 50/50 (4+): O5 C4 - No, but...]

"Plenty of people: surgeons, midwives, livestock importers..."

Lycinia's heart sinks.

next post: our heroine stumbles upon a lead...

Conversion II - Converting the Characters

not that kind of conversion

There were five PCs in the current party. I was going to add another PC from a group of old adventurers I used to run through random dungeons, but since I hadn't actually introduced him yet I thought I'd just leave him alone and make a brand new starting character as Brichtrethe's new recruit.

The baseline power level of the campaign is Normal, so the new PC gets 250 points to spend on Profession skills, and INTx10 bonus points. Profession skills are capped at 75%, others at 50% (not counting things like Speak Own Language (INTx5 basic chance).

As to the others, Manfred, Lycinia, and Brichtrethe are 4th, almost 5th level. Thiery is 2nd, halfway to 3rd. Ruprecht is in the middle of 3rd level somewhere. So ML&B will get to be the next power-tier up, Heroic: 325 points to spend of profession skills, capped at 90%, or 75% for non-profession skills). The other two get slight improvements to Normal. Ruprecht gets 300pts with caps of 75%/65%, Thiery gets 275pts, 75%/55%. Everyone's bonus points are INTx10.


Cultural Skills

All PCs get Status 50, which may be increased with skill points, or reduced to gain bonus points. They also get +20% to one of the following: Speak Other Language, Ride, Drive, or Wilderness Lore. This should suffice for any characters from the area covered by the campaign map.

There are two common tongues spoken throughout the area, known for convenience as Low Common and High Common, and most people encountered can be expected to be reasonably conversant in both; the very rustic and the very elevated are the main exceptions to this rule. Low Common is the language of the peasant and mercantile classes, and is the campaign world's analogue of Middle English. High Common is the language used at court, and by the nobility generally (though not exclusively); it is the analogue of Anglo-Norman French. All the human PCs except Manfred are native Low Common speakers, and all of them without exception have the other common tongue as their bonus cultural skill.

The Ancient Language (=Latin) is used by scholars, wizards, and the church.

Elves and goblins have their own language (called Elvish for convenience), with high and low dialects (dialects are not separate skills!) and a literary tongue which is not used in speech (=read/write%). The typical human language known by the denizens of the faerie forest is Low Common, as they mostly only encounter humans in the merchant town of Cheapington. Most magic-users amongst the fair folk know the ancient human language, and the libraries of Fair Feyalldra are replete with ancient tomes in this tongue. Note that elves in other parts of the word speak different Elvish languages. Théscine (my retired PC from the first adventure) speaks a continental elven tongue, as her family are not native to the campaign region.

But I digress...


Attributes/Characteristics

Most of these go straight across. Wisdom becomes Power. Size was determined based on the image I had in my head of each PC (which cost Lycinia her damage bonus); I used the 3rd ed. RQ SIZ chart which goes just by mass, as the height notations in the BGB seemed a bit excessive.

Intelligence proved a bit trickier, since BRP's 2D6+6 skews the average higher than LotFP's 3D6. I made a quick chart to convert scores below 13, so half the party doesn't come across looking a bit thick.

INT below 13
old   new
3     8
4     8
5     9
6     9
7     10
8     11
9     12
10    12
11    13
12    13

Being an elf, all but one of Lycinia's stats required some finesse. I used the chart above to convert her Wisdom to POW, since elves have 2D6+6 for that too. Size I assigned based on her description (from quite a while back), for Strength I picked something reasonable, and the rest were pretty obvious.

         CF
Att Old roll  new
STR  15 2D6+2  13
CON  14 3D6    14
SIZ     2D4+4  10
INT  16 2D6+6  16
POW   9 2D6+6  12
DEX  16 3D6+2  18
CHA  11 3D6+2  13


Professions

Using the BGB professions, Manfred was obviously a Noble, Ruprecht a Soldier, and Thiery a Thief. I'd hoped that Brichtrethe could be a Priest, but she was such a D&D character that I ended up using the skill list for Clerics out of CF. Lycinia is a LotFP/D&D Elf (AD&D Fighter/Magic-User), but she's also an elven princess, so I mashed the BGB Wizard, Warrior, and Noble professions together to create the Elven Noble.

Profession: Elven Noble
Skills: Dodge, Insight, Speak Other Language, Read/Write (any), Perform (any), Scribe Magic, Spell Lore, Status, and two of the following: Academic Lore, Etiquette, Folklore, Read/Write (any), Persuade, Physik, Potions, Politics, Weapon (1-H Sword or Bow), Wilderness Lore.


Status

Lycinia is an exiled princess, and Manfred abdicated in favour of his sister, so both of them have a lower effective status than they would otherwise. Thiery essentially bought his title, so has the minimum possible status for a knight.


Skills

No big surprises here. I'll spare you the minutia; interested parties may examine the character sheets.

Here follow the converted PCs, preceded by their LotFP stat blocks (in blue) for comparison. This is just the mechanical stuff, as full character sheets get wordy.


Lycinia
female Elf, Level 4
Cha 11 Con 14 Dex 16 Int 16 Str 15 Wis 9
HP 22 AC 18
Social Standing: Princess


Lycinia
STR 13  CON 14  SIZ 10  INT 16
POW 12  DEX 18  CHA 13

HP 24  Dmg. Bonus -

Profession: Elven Noble
Social Class: princess (exiled, Status 60%)

Communication (+8): Etiquette (human courtly) 23%, Speak Ancient Language 34%, Speak Dwarfish 14%, Speak Elvish (Own Lang.) 88%, Speak High Common 28%, Speak Low Common 38%
Physical (+11): Dodge 63%, Move Quietly 41%
Manipulation (+12):
Knowledge (+7): Academic Lore 38%, Blasphemous Lore 13%, R/W Ancient Language 47%, R/W Dwarfish 27%, R/W Elvish 64%, R/W High Common 28%, R/W Low Common 39%, Scribe Magic 37%, Spell Lore 47%
Perception (+9): Insight 44%, Listen 44%, Spot Hidden 69%
Combat Skills (Att+12/Parr+11): 1-H Sword 62%/61%, Bow 37%, Dagger 57%/56%, Pistol 37%

Spells: Sleep 51%, Seal 16%, Invisibility 46%, Comprehend Languages 36%, Magic Missile 31%


— — ~ — —


Manfred
male Fighter, Level 4
Cha 5 Con 17 Dex 8 Int 12 Str 12 Wis 10
HP 30 AC 15
Social Standing: former Marquis of Limenne


Manfred
STR 12  CON 17  SIZ 13  INT 13
POW 12  DEX 11  CHA 5

HP 30  Dmg. Bonus +1D4

Profession: Noble
Social Class: gentry (former Marquis of Limenne (Status 65%))

Communication (+2): Bargain 37%, Command 62%, Etiquette (Courtly) 27%, Persuade 62%, Speak High Common 67%, Speak Low Common 62%
Physical (+2): Hide 22%, Move Quietly 42%, Ride Horse 47%
Manipulation (+3): Sailing 38%
Knowledge (+4): Politics 35%, R/W High Common 44%, R/W Low Common 41%
Perception (+7): Insight 52%
Combat Skills (Att+3/Parr+2): 1-H Sword 78%/77%


— — ~ — —


Sir Thiery
Specialist, Lvl 2, Neutral
CHA 11 CON 12 DEX 17 INT 11 STR 9 WIS 6
HP 9 AC 14
Social Standing: Knight
Skills: stealth 2, tinker 3, sleight 2, climb 2, search 2


Sir Thiery
STR 9  CON 12  SIZ 10  INT 13
POW 6  DEX 17  CHA 11

HP 22  Dmg. Bonus -

Profession: Thief
Social Class: knight (Status 56%)

Communication (+1): Fast Talk 31%, Speak High Common 21%, Speak Low Common 66%, Streetwise 52%
Physical (+8): Climb 71%, Dodge 72%, Hide 58%, Move Quietly 58%,
Manipulation (+8): Fine Manip. 48%, Sleight 43%
Knowledge (+1): Evaluate 46%, R/W High Common 11%, R/W Low Common 33%
Perception (+2): Listen 37%, Spot 47%, Track 22%
Combat Skills (Att+8/Parr+8): Pistol 48%, Main Gauche 21%/41%, Rapier 48%/48%


— — ~ — —


Ruprecht
Fighter, Lvl 3, Neutral
CHA 7 CON 9 DEX 11 INT 13 STR 15 WIS 12
HP 17 AC 17
Social Standing: Peasant
mace, chain armour, shield


Ruprecht
STR 15  CON  9  SIZ 14  INT 13
POW 12  DEX 11  CHA 7
HP 23  Dmg. Bonus +1D4

Profession: soldier
Social Class: peasant (Status 30%)

Communication (+3): Animal Training 33%, Speak High Common 23%, Speak Low common 68%
Physical (-1): Climb 59%, Dodge 61%, Drive Wagon 39%, Move Quietly 34%, Ride Horse 34%, Throw 54%
Manipulation (+4):
Knowledge (+4): Folklore 25%, Physik 47%, R/W High Common 17%, R/W Low common 34%, Wilderness Lore 35%
Perception (+4): Spot 49%
Combat Skills (Att+4/Parr-1): Arquebus 29%, Crossbow 59%, 1-H Mace 74%/69%, Brawl 59%, Grapple 59%, Shield 15%/54%


— — ~ — —


Brichtrethe
female Cleric, Level 4, Lawful
Cha 7 Con 16 Dex 12 Int 15 Str 18 Wis 12
Hit Points: 25
Social Standing: Knight & Priestess


Brichtrethe
STR 18  CON 16  SIZ 17  INT 15
POW 12  DEX 12  CHA 7
HP 33  Dmg. Bonus +1D6

Profession: Cleric
Social Class: Knight & Priestess (Status 60%)

Communication (+5): Command 55%, Perform Ritual 70%, Speak Ancient Language 25%, Speak High Common 30%, Speak Low Common 80%
Physical (+2): Ride Horse 52%
Manipulation (+8):
Knowledge (+6): Academic Lore 28%, Physik 61%, Religious Lore 62%, Spell Lore 56%, R/W Ancient Language 50%, R/W High Common 15%, R/W Low Common 40%
Perception (+8): Insight 38%
Combat Skills (Att+8/Parr+2): 1-H Mace 88%/52%, Lance 53%, Shield 17%/87%

Spells: Bless, Heal


— — ~ — —


(new PC)

Gruyner
STR 15  CON 10  SIZ 15  INT 12
POW 13  DEX 14  CHA 14
HP 25  Dmg. Bonus +1D4

Profession: soldier
Social Class: Lower Middle Class (Status 35%)

Communication (+5): Fast Talk 50%, Speak Own (Teutish) 65%, Speak Low Common 30%
Physical (+1): Camouflage 46%, Climb 61%, Dodge 54%, Move Quietly 46%, Hide 46%
Manipulation (+7):
Knowledge (+3): Physik 25%, Read/Write Teutish 33%, Read/Write Low Common 15%
Perception (+3): Listen 48%, Navigation 48%, Spot Hidden 53%
Combat Skills (Att+7/Parr+1): Brawl 57%, 2-H Sword 62%/56%, Arquebus 52%



Next post: an adventure, finally!

Conversion

Converting the campaign from one game system to another proved to be about ten times as much work as I had expected -- and that's not counting the time I spent agonising over the decision beforehand.

I wanted/needed to cleave pretty closely to the setting I have been playing in, because I don't want what has come before to seem like it couldn't happen in the same milieu, but at the same time I thought it would be nice to divest the game of certain D&D-isms which always end up bugging me in long campaigns. To be fair, LotFP banished a fair few of them already, but not all.

So I ultimately decided on a Frankenstein's monster version of Chaosium's BRP. Mostly I'll be taking pieces from the Big Gold Book (BGB) and the Classic Fantasy monograph (CF), but there are some pieces of 2nd and/or 6th edition Call of Cthulhu (CoC), 2nd & 3rd edition Runequest (RQ), and Magic World (MW) in here too.

The BGB has a great checklist of optional rules, so I used that as the basis of my campaign 'system reference' (for lack of a better term).

Characters & Character Creation

Cultural Modifiers (page 38): So far, human and elf cultures receive an additional 20% in Speak Other Language. Humans from the campaign area visited so far must take whichever of the two common tongues is not their native. Elves mostly receive the Low Common tongue. I'm also setting Status at a base 50. It may be raised with skill points or lowered to spend the skill points elsewhere, as required.

Non-Human Characters (page 335): Elves & Dwarfs per Classic Fantasy, Goblins as CF Halflings.

Hit Points per Location (pages 20, 29): yes, please!

Total Hit Points (page 30): Actually going to try this for PCs and important NPCs, since CF spells are scaled for it. If the PCs start to feel invulnerable, I'll revert to normal HP [(CON+SIZ)/2, instead of CON+SIZ].

Distinctive Features (pages 34-35): when needed to flesh out character descriptions.

Freeform Professions (page 41): If needed. I may also use some from CoC and MW.

Aging and Inaction (page 183): Owing to the high body count, this will probably only be used for magical aging....

Skills

Skill Category Bonuses (pages 20, 31, 48): The complicated ones (which may even yield penalties), like in 3rd ed. Runequest.

Complimentary Skills (page 50): When it seems appropriate. And I remember it...

Literacy (page 67): Since my campaign is very very roughly set in an analogue of 1550s southern England, I did a quick web search and found historical illiteracy rates for the early modern period in Europe. About 85% of England was illiterate in 1550, so definitely assuming illiteracy as the default. BUT, I will assume all PCs (and important NPCs) are literate. To this end, I am also using the rule from 2nd ed. Call of Cthulhu, where the lower of Read/Write or Speak is never less than half that of the higher. Illiteracy thus grants bonus skill points equal to only half the character's Speak Own Language skill.

Skill Ratings Over 100% (page 175): should anyone live long enough.

System

Opposed Skill Roll Systems (page 174): Roll high under, like in Mythras.

Encumbrance (page 180) and Fatigue: I'm going to try the rules in CF, but if I don't like them and/or keep forgetting to use them, I'll change to Fatigue Points (I've often heard they're too much bookkeeping or too complicated, but I've never understood why).

Combat

Eliminating or Reversing Statement of Intents (page 188): Kind of pointless for soloing. Especially since I'm going with

Initiative Rolls (page 188): I like more variability than Strike Ranks or strict Initiative-by-descending-DEX.

Power Use in the Action Phase (page 189): spells will need good initiative too.

Attacks and Parries over 100% (page 198): again, if anyone lives long enough.

Dying Blows (page 199): I don't like cinematic action, but this has decidedly literary overtones.

Splitting Attack and Parry Skills (page 199): Not only using it, but I'm also splitting the Skill Category Bonuses; Manipulation for Attack, and Physical for Parry (as in 3rd ed. Runequest).

Armour By Hit Locations (page 262) and Damage and Hit Locations (pages 204-205): in for a penny...

Miscellaneous

Allegiance (page 315): Not sure. Maybe Law/Neutrality/Chaos. Maybe just Light/Balance/Shadow from Magic World. Maybe ignoring it for non-clerics.

Personality Traits (page 294): mostly for NPCs, and new PCs until I get a feel for them.

Treasure: I'm going to switch to 2nd ed. RQ's Treasure factors & Treasure tables.

Prices: I'm going to assume being on the brink of war has caused inflation in the kingdom to go wild. To this end, I am going to use the 3rd ed. RQ prices (I always liked the variable prices for urban/rural weapon & armour purchases) and the 2nd ed. RQ exchange rates 1 gold = 20 silver = 200 copper).

Character Classes Are Too Old School (CF p. 49): I think the CF classes feel more AD&D than B/X, so I am dispensing with them in favour of BRP Professions + Powers. Magic-Users get M-U & Illusionist spells, Clerics get cleric spells (and Turn Undead is a spell as per LotFP). Any Druids will probably be NPCs, and dealt with as and when. Paladins, Monks, Rangers, and Bards really don't fit my setting. Barbarian is a culture, not a profession. Fighters and Specialists (Thieves) are fine as just professions, without any special powers.

Magic: I'm using Classic Fantasy for the base magic system(s), as above. I will probably not be using Fireball, Lightning Bolt, and the other big damage spells to keep with the LotFP ethos. Instead, I'll be raiding CoC and its supplements, especially Dreamlands, for a healthy dose of weird magic.

Skill Improvement: All experience rolls are 1d6, regardless of "profession skills".

Firearms: Some lovely person put the additional BRP rules for Mousquetaires & Sorcellerie (Musketeers & Sorcery, from a special edition Casus Belli magazine) into a PDF. I will be using the périls des armes à feu (dangers of firearms) table for missed shots (if the roll to attack fails, the character must roll against Luck; a failure necessitates a roll on the table).

Armour & Magic-Users: CF allows M-Us to wear any armour, but they suffer a penalty to spellcasting when so doing. This is either the same penalty the armour applies to physical skills, but with a minimum of -10%. To better model the LotFP way of doing it, I will be ignoring the minimum, so the lighter armours impose no penalty.

Skill List: I used the CF character sheet as a starting point, and made a small number of additions and modifications, mostly renaming certain skills to the versions I am most familiar with (usually the CoC ones!) to speed play. However:

• I decided to use MW's Physik for the more prosaic sounding First Aid, but then forgot I did this and had a panic when I was rolling up a new Fighter. Oops.
• I kept changing my mind on whether to go with a single Persuade skill (BGB, MW, 6th ed. CoC) or split it into Debate & Oratory (2nd ed. CoC). Persuade had won out when I was designing my character sheet, but I keep wavering. The only thing that is keeping me from changing my mind again is the sheer annoyance that re-jigging the character sheet would entail.
• Of course, if I move Status elsewhere there will be room. I think Status should just be a function of Social Class, and I might make better sense move it to a box at the top of the character sheet. It will still be purchased with skill points, but it doesn't make sense to apply the Skill Category Bonus to (which I'm already not doing).
• The skill list with base percentages is appended to the very end of this post as plain text.

Character Sheet: This is my most current one. It's functional, but may need to change, especially if I figure out a better/easier/funner encumbrance  fatigue system.


Next post: converting the PCs. Hopefully soonish, so I can get back to the adventure.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

COMMUNICATION
Animal Training (05)
Bargain (05)
Command (05)
Disguise (01)
Etiquette ___(05)
Fast Talk (05)
Speak Own Lang.(INT x5)
Speak Other Lang (00)
Perform ___(05)
Persuade (15)
Status (var.)
Streetwise (05)
Teach (10)

PHYSICAL
Climb (40)
Dodge (DEX x 2)
Drive ___(20 or 01)
Hide (10)
Jump (25)
Move Quietly (10)
Ride ___(05)
Swim (25)
Throw (25)

MANIPULATION
Art___ (05)
Camouflage (25)
Craft____ (05)
Fine Manipulation (05)
Heavy Machine (01)
Potions (00)
Repair____(15)
Sailing (15)
Sleight (05)
Traps (05)

KNOWLEDGE
Academic Lore (01)
Blasphemous Lore (00)
Earth Lore (01)
Evaluate (15)
Folklore (01)
Gaming (INT + POW)
Physik (INT x 1)
Poison Lore (01)
Politics (01)
Read/Write____ (00)
Religious Lore (01)
Scribe Magic (00)
Spell Lore (00)
Strategy (01)
Wilderness Lore (01)

PERCEPTION
Insight (05)
Library Use (25)
Listen (25)
Navigate (10)
Sense (10)
Spot Hidden (25)
Track (10)

LotFP Solo - Part the Sixty-third: "Bright Lights, Big Dungeon"

Finally getting back to the adventure. Whilst the rest of her companions have business of their own to see to in Ildmarch, Lycinia must run 'a little errand' (sidequest) for the mage's guild.

Scene 1

Chaos: totally increasing to Madness (d6)

Setup: It's Six A.M. Do You Know Where You Are...?

NPC list: Chad (Lycinia's dealer), Orezthía the Awesome (M-U 9), Bobby the revenant, Iohannes Slash, Lisa Neonshield (dwarf valley girl), Haroldus Immundus (city watch, ftr5), Tootie

Threads: learn breakdance moves, save orphanage

You are not the kind of elf who would be in a random encounter like this at this time of the morning. But here you are, and you cannot say that the hexmap is entirely unfamiliar, although the details are fuzzy. You are at a tavern talking to a dwarf with a shaved head. The tavern is either Ye Broken Heart or the Lounging Lizardman. All might come clear if you could just slip into the bathroom and cast Comprehend Languages. Then again it might not. A small voice inside you insists that this epidemic lack of clarity is a result of too much purple lotus. The night has already turned on that imperceptible pivot where the Turn tracker starts over. You know this moment has come and gone, but you are not yet willing to concede that you have crossed the line beyond which all is gratuitous hit point damage and the palsy of failed saving throws. Somewhere back there you could have cut your losses, but you rode past that moment on a comet trail of purple powder and now you are trying to hang on to the rush. Your brain at this moment is composed of 2d10 tiny orc soldiers [AC 6, HD 1, MV 9", #AT 1, Dmg 1-6, SA Nil, SD Nil, AL LE]. They are tired and muddy from their long march through the night. There are holes in their boots and they are at -1 to hit. They need to be fed. They need the purple lotus. A vaguely Isle of Dread flavor to this scene — pendulous jewelry, face paint, ceremonial headgear and hair styles. You feel that there is also a certain Underdark theme — something more than the aboleth cruising your bloodstream and the fading buzz of shriekers in your brain. You are leaning back against a post that may or may not be structural with regard to the building, but which feels essential to your own maintenance of an upright position. The bald dwarf is saying this used to be a good place to come before the halflings discovered it. You don't want to be talking to this bald dwarf, or even listening to her, which is all you are doing, but just now you do not want to test the powers of speech or cast Invisibility. How did you get here? It was your party member, Emirikol the Chaotic, who powered you in here, and he has disappeared. Emirikol is the kind of guy who would be at a place like this at this time of the morning. He is either your best self or your worst self or a doppleganger, you're not sure which. Earlier in the evening it seemed clear that he was your best self. You started on the Upper East Side with mead and unlimited prospects, strictly observing the Chaotic rule of perpetual motion: one tankard per stop. Emirikol's mission in life is to gain more levels than anyone else in Greyhawk, and this involves a lot of moving around, since there is always the likelihood that the monsters where you aren't have more treasure than the ones where you are. You are awed by his strict refusal to acknowledge any goal higher than the pursuit of XP. You want to be like that. You also think he is shallow and dangerous. His retainers are all rich and spoiled, like the henchman from Blackmoor you met earlier in the evening who would not accompany you below Fourteenth Street because, he said, he wasn't still a Basic Set character. This henchman had a girlfriend with Charisma to break your heart, and you knew she was the real thing when she steadfastly refused to acknowledge your presence. She possessed secrets — about islands, about horses, about non-weapon proficiencies — that you would never know.

— — —

Just kidding. I'm still working on the game conversion over to BRP. Using the BGB (Big Golden Book, the 400 page rules compilation) & deciding amongst all its options plus other rules from monographs & stand-alone games has proved to be more complicated than I had expected. It's going to be worth it in the end, but it is rather reminding me why I usually play games as written and keep tinkering and house rules to an absolute minimum...

Solo-A-Module-Month : Gamma World

I don't usually write up play-throughs of published adventures, but as it's Solo-A-Module-Month in the solo community I thought I'd give it a go. At first I tried a new DSA module, but I wasn't taking notes and typing up the adventure seemed like it would just take too much time -- time 'd rather spend on my freeform campaigns. So in its stead I present a quick foray into the Gamma World.

Legion of Gold is my favourite Gamma World module ever published, containing three mini adventures, one main adventure, and a hex crawl; you could run a whole campaign with just this and the rulebook. For now, I've just gotten through the first mini-adventure. I've written up my notes in a much more cursory form than usual, so the whole adventure can be done in one post.

To start with, I rolled up 6 characters completely at random. Some turned out a lot better than others.

Zeenat
Type: Humanoid  Rank: 0  Status: 0
MS 16  IN 16  DX 12  PS 12  CH 13  CN 14
HP 62  AC 6 / leather
Physical Mutations: Heightened Precision, Regeneration, Duality, Skeletal Enhancement
Mental Mutations: Life Leech, Intuition, Genius Capability-Mechanical, Absorption-Electricity
Equipment: short sword, dagger, boots, large sack, bedroll, tinderbox, arrow poison, 1GP

Dervington
Type: Mutated animal (civet)  Rank: 0 Status: 0
MS 10  IN 13  DX 8  PS 8  CH 11  CN 15
HP 56  AC 5
Natural weapons: claw/claw/bite/horns 1d4/1d4/1d6/2d6*
Physical Mutations: Heightened Sense-Smell, Ultravision, Modified Body Parts (vocal cords), Horns
Mental Mutations: Mental Paralysis, Devolution
Equipment: belt, 2 small sacks, 36GP

Kug
Type: Humanoid  Rank: 0 Status: 0
MS 12  IN 7  DX 12  PS 13  CH 9  CN 17
HP 56  AC 8(-1) / furs & shield
Physical Mutations: Heightened Balance, Speed Increase, Vision Defect-Colour Blind (D)
Mental Mutations: Planar Travel, Light Manipulation, Mental Blast, Mental Paralysis, Energy Sensitivity (D)
Equipment: spear, sling & 30 stones, large sack, shoes, bedroll, 5GP

Reebla
Type: Pure Strain Human  Rank: 0 Status: 0
MS 13  IN 13  DX 7  PS 12  CH 13  CN 15
HP 75  AC 5(-1) / studded leather & shield
Equipment: 2 hand axes, 6 torches, tinderbox, shoes, large sack, flask of oil, 4GP

Telaanah
Type: Humanoid  Rank: 0 Status: 0
MS 15  IN 8  DX 13  PS 14  CH 14  CN 10
HP 40  AC 6 / fibre armour
Physical Mutations: Sonic Blast
Mental Mutations: Repulsion Field, Empathy, Mental Blast
Equipment: short bow & 20 arrows, club, shoes, 2GP

Orbetz
Type: Pure Strain human  Rank: 0 Status: 0
MS 10  IN 12  DX 10  PS 15  CH 12  CN 11
HP 51  AC 5(-1) / studded leather & shield
Equipment: spear, sling & 30 stones, shoes, 2GP













Notes: For those that don't know Gamma World, attributes are Mental Strength, INtelligence, DeXterity, Physical Strength, CHarisma, CoNstitution. Hit dice are equal to CN; d6 for mutants, d8 for pure strain humans. DX affects to-hit rolls, PS affects damage, but none of the PCs has scores below 6 or above 15 in these, so no bonuses/penalties.

They all began with access to Tech Level I (primitive) equipment only. But as this is a post apocalyptic game from the 80s, they have unfettered access to Tech Level II & III hair product.

Zeenat's combination of mutations is something that we never hit upon as kids, even in our worst power-gamey moments. Heightened precision add +2d6 damage per attack. Skeletal Enhancement adds +2d6 with swords, maces, spears etc. Intuition adds +3damage per die. So a 1d6 shortsword hits for 5d6+15 damage in the hands of this character, and Duality lets her attack twice per round.

Dervington's Modified Body Parts allows him to speak normally, but he still lacks hands, so he needs help to put things into his belt pouches, and can't use most artefacts or tools.

Poor Kug was the only one to roll Defect mutations. His roll for hit points (17d6) was even a bit below average.

Shields in Gamma World do not affect Armour Class, but instead apply a penalty to your opponent's attack rolls. Humans & humanoids travel at reduced speed if not wearing shoes/boots.

The Adventure Begins...

The PCs arrive in separately at the walled town of Horn, stronghold of Baron Jemmas. They gravitate towards the SE quarter, known as Mutant Town. There they meet in a saloon, and begin to hear rumours of attacks on the town of Jeffton by hideous mutant insects. They also hear rumours of a substantial reward for the destruction of this menace. As they are all are down to their last handful of gold coins (save for Dervington), they decide to head out together to destroy the mutant menace.

Dervington spends 12GP on 14 days rations (2 1/3 days each) and 2 waterskins. The rest each give him an IOU for 11 domars, payable from their first treasure.

It takes two days to walk to Jeffton, but they encounter no one (or thing) of note along the road.

Jeffton is a town of 200 souls surrounded by a wooden palisade. Enquiring about the reward leads our heroes to an audience with the mayor, a friendly pure strain human named Hubert Frump. He explains that local hunters and trappers have been reporting a steady decrease in game animals, and farmers' cattle have been going missing. Three days ago some mutant insects attacked some children playing in the woods. Two were abducted but one escaped. A rescue party was sent after them, but never returned.

The mayor promises a reward of artefact weapons for destruction of the menace, and an additional reward of ancient technology if the children are rescued. He gives the party 2 insecticide grenades [the two pure strain humans take them; the grenades 75% of killing each insect (roll separately) in a 6m radius], and suggests they begin their investigation at the Genser Goose ranch 3km to the north east. They set out immediately.

The Ambush

As they head out of town, the party is unaware they are being watched. After 2km, they crest a hill and see a strange sight. Thirty metres away, on the outskirts of a forest, and man in ragged clothing is being menaced by a 2m tall bloated termite-like creature. It pulls the man into the trees and out of sight, and all they can hear is the man's frantic screaming of "Buggems no! Buggems no!"

The cry that will haunt your dreams, O adventurer

The party give chase. Telaanah's Empathy mutation detects other buggems, and she whispers this fact to her comrades. They approach the scene cautiously, Telaanah loosing an arrow and Reebla throwing axe, but neither hits the buggem. As mêlée is joined, three more buggems burrow up from the dirt surrounding the party, but they had been forewarned. The fight is short and brutal, and the buggems are soon vanquished. One escapes through the wood, but allowed to escape.

The man is dying of his wounds, and with his dying breath he tells the party that he was part of the rescue party, the farmhouse has been taken over, and as far as he knows the rest of his companions were captured.

The Farm

They search the farmhouse from top to bottom. In the basement they discover a dirt tunnel. They light some torches and begin to explore the dun-- er, the underground tunnels. [Since I was playing analogue and could therefore see the whole map, I rolled dice to determine which direction the PCs would travel.]

7. The Embryots

The party first come to a chamber with a low ceiling from which white pulsating egg sacs are hanging. There is a large Parn (or 'Sword Beetle') which appears to be sleeping, but Telaanah's Empathy reveals it to be dead.

Oh, spellcheck, you really don't understand Gamma World

Four parn embryots break out of the sacs and attack. Telaanah and Kug weaken two with their Mental Blasts [3d6 damage] and Zeenat cuts one in half with her shortsword [5d6+15! the biggest one has 16hp]. Dervington kills one with a claw/claw/horn combination. Orbetz inflicts a single point of damage with his spear, and the embryot latches onto him, and begins to drain his vital fluids [10 damage per round!], but [Round 2] he and his friend make short work of it before it can drain him to a husk.

They destroy all the other sacs, ignorant of healing properties of fluid within [cures 3d6hp per litre consumed, which is just not the sort of thing  I could see my PCs trying on a whim].

Carefully skirting the flood chamber, they continue to...

6. The Zarn Lair

...find the missing children lying on the floor of a small chamber, alive but unresponsive. "There's something else alive here," says Telaanah.

Two 30cm long Zarns ('Borer Beetles') spray poison at Kug and Dervington. Kug is unharmed, but Dervington is paralysed by the venom. Telaanah indicates the holes where the zarns are hiding.

[Round 2]
Zeenat throws a dagger as one of the zarns pokes its head out, killing it before it can spray more poison [1d4+2d6+9=18 damage]. Telaanah and Kug destroy the other with Mental Blasts.

As they are about to check on the children, three buggems enter. One is unarmed, the other two wield battle axes (and can still bite). They attack our heroes ferociously, and after 3 rounds more buggems appear. One uses its Gas Generation mutation to create an opaque cloud [-4 attacks, +4 AC penalty for fighting blind to all within the cloud].

the battle rages...

Orbetz panics and pops his insecticide grenade, killing the buggems. A search of the room turns up a 9mm browning pistol and ammunition, which Orbetz takes. He discovers its working without incident. They decide to leave the children until the warren is clear, and continue on.

They find an exit tunnel [from 6], and backtrack. Zeenat does not notice a concealed pit, and falls in. Fortunately her Skeletal Enhancement mutation absorbs half the damage from the fall, but a toxic slime at the bottom burns her skin [3d6 x1/2 for skeletal enhancement =6 +2d6=7 toxin; she's down to 50hp]. She manages to climb out on her own [needing to roll less than the average of her PS and CN on 1d20].

They continue northwards down the tunnel to...

1. Herp Infant

...the lair of a juvenile Herp ('Tiger Beetle'). It sprays acid [6d6 damage] at Dervington, but fortunately misses.  The party easily hack apart the creature.

They proceed through twisting passages to...

3. Buggem Guard Room

...a chamber where three buggems are waiting. Everyone (save Zeenat, courtesy of her Intuition mutation) is taken by surprise. One shoots Zeenat with a poisoned crossbow bolt, but her mutant resilience makes it little more than a flesh wound [1d6/2=3 damage; with a 14 Constitution, she is immune to Intensity 9 poison]. The other two charge. Between combined force of arms and Mental Blasts, the fight does not last long.

The buggems treasure consists of a laser pistol, stage III ID, and anti-radiation serum. Zeenat examines the serum [+7 bonus to understand artefacts], and learns its use. Reebla examines the pistol, but cannot, and puts it in her sack for later.

They wander some more, discovering a very long (over 1km) tunnel leading outside. Turning back again, they eventually reach...

2. Herp Egg Chamber

...the herps' birthing place. One of the beetle is hatching as they enter, but Kug stuns it with his Mental Paralysis. It is put to the sword, and the other eggs are destroyed.

From there they walk right beneath a parn's mound. Zeenat takes the sword beetle by surprise, and skewers it with her sword before it can attack [thereby earning all 35 Status Points (=XP)].

One of the tunnels beneath the mound leads to...

8. Fungus Garden

... a chamber lit by giant phosphorescent mushrooms. The two buggems which labour here are no match for our heroes, who are not about to sample any of the fungus as this maze of terror is a bad enough trip on its own.

Next they discover...

9. Buggem Nursery Chamber

... a meter-deep trough filled with glowing coals, which blocks the entrance to a large open area. Within six bloated pure strain human men shuffle aimlessly about as if drugged through piles of mutilated corpses and bones. The men have each been implanted with a buggem embryo, and are past hope. The party put the humans out of their misery, then flee the scene of horror.

10. Guard Chamber

They go through more twisting tunnels and into an irregularly shaped room where six buggem warriors are stationed, armed with two-handed swords and crossbows. Reebla tosses her grenade into the room, but one of the buggems scoops it up and jumps into a drainage pit; its sacrifice saves rest.

The ensuing battle is swiftly over. Orbetz is let down when his new pistol artefact jams on the first shot,  and Telaanah is sorely injured by bite and sword so that she must call up her Repulsion Field (3m force field) to hide behind. But the others fight savagely, and the buggems are vanquished one by one, down to the last which Kug hold in his Mental Paralysis until its nervous system shorts out [holding a target for 4 consecutive rounds kills it from shock].

A trove of artefacts is stuffed into niches in the walls, but the party leave them for later. "All this treasure; the queen must be near," observes [1d6=] Kug.

11. The Telepath
A scuttling sound is heard as they advance down the next tunnel. The party rush forward, and come into a rubbish-strewn chamber. As they near the centre, they are caught in a large explosion [6d6 damage each].

Zeenat uses her Regeneration to heal somewhat [recovering 16hp], but by now everyone is sorely injured.

Current Hit Points
Zeenat 37/62
Dervington 26/56
Kug 17/56
Reebla 34/75
Telaanah 10/40
Orbetz 13/51

6d6 damage

Zeenat goes on ahead, the others lag well behind, waiting for her signal. She follows the tunnel as it slopes upward, and comes to a dead end where the Buggem Telepath, a hideous mutation with an overlarge head, is digging ferociously towards the surface. Sensing itself trapped here, it fills the tunnel with poison gas [Gas Generation mutation, Intensity 14]. Zeenat chokes and sputters and coughs blood [takes 5d6 damage, dropping to 23hp]. She activate her Life Leech power in retaliation, siphoning the very life energy of the buggem and infusing it in her own body [it takes 6 damage, which she gains back to her own HP].

[Round 2]
The buggem targets her with an artefact weapon (Mark V blaster) as she retreats out of the gas cloud. One of the sonic beams rips through her [7d6=23 damage] and she is nearly slain. But moments later the buggem drops dead, a withered husk drained by the Life Leech.

With the buggem leader dead, the heroes collect the missing children from the zarn lair and return to Jeffton to claim the reward.

You'll never defeat me! NOOOOoooooooo....

fin.

omnia mutantur, nihil interit

Just thinking out loud as I grapple with a decision that's already half made...

LotFP had become one of my comfort games, in the way that Hammer Horror is comforting when I'm down and/or ill. This latest burst of real-world drama (I missed the November one) is overshadowing that now. Mr. Raggi's official statement was great -- up until the end where it went really wrong. As much as I want to support him for doing the right thing... ack.

So no LotFP for me for a while, but I'll see how things go in the future before I decide what to do with my 1601 AD campaign(s).

But this had awakened some old notions that perhaps I should change systems with my elf campaign (I still call it that, even though only 1 of the 8 is still an active PC, and the only other survivor retired from adventuring). I've mentioned more than once that as much as I love the game, it did seem a bit like the PCs' primary activities were killing things and making saving throws; this is the eternal problem with OSR games and as a solitaire player I find it especially hard to get past. The first time I thought of changing systems was right after playing through the adventure of the Château Télème. I even remember when it first crossed my mind; I was sitting outside on the terrace of a pub overlooking the river Eden (in Kent), waiting for my wife to come back from the bar with a couple pints, and speculating idly on changing over to BRP since I seemed to be veering towards CoC adventures instead of hex- and dungeon-crawling.

The pitifully small amount of BRP adventures on this blog belies my love for the system. It is not as easy to get a campaign started, though. Despite the lack of in-built setting, I can riff off D&D in my sleep, having DMed it for countless years. It always comes out as D&D, but at least there is some comfort in the familiar.

Trying to run Magic World this way made my campaign fall flat (though the amnesiac PC didn't help much either). BRP has a more intricate system, and thus demands a more thoughtful setting. I have a pretty severe aversion to too much campaign set-up, but... χαλεπὰ τὰ καλά.

I don't like changing systems mid-campaign, so I left it in the realm of speculation. It just seems weird that the PCs would wake up one day and all their powers work differently. The change from 3rd edition D&D to 3.5 was subtle enough that most of our group barely had to amend their character sheets. The only other change of rules during a campaign I've been involved in was that slow slide from Basic/Expert set over to AD&D when I was 10 (my friends and I all loved the new monsters and magic items, but we were suspicious at first of the larger hit die sizes for fighter, clerics, and thieves, as we thought they would be over-powered!).

In any case, it's going to take some time to sort the campaign out. Firstly, I need to decide which bits of BRP I'm going to use. There's a lot of options in the Big Golden Book, plus some monographs and various odds and ends I've found on the web. Then I need to convert characters. Lastly I need to decide where to start. I'll probably eliminate the rest of the dungeon crawl that immediately comes after the last post I made, since I've been dreading writing it up for a while now. It was fun to play, but it is the very one that made me decide I needed to use something more than just the DMG's Appendix A.

I'll probably find some other game to post about in the immediate future, whilst I figure this all out. I'll leave off with some more Ovid which suits my frame of mind about this now:

  nec manet ut fuerat nec formam servat eandem,
  sed tamen ipsa eadem est, animam sic semper eandem
  esse, sed in varias doceo migrare figuras.

Ov. Met. 15.170-173




(Translated poetry makes me ill, but if you need help, go here and click on either of the load buttons in the right sidebar by the English (1922 or 1957) translations. Start after the word Argos in blue.)