BRP solo - Part III: "Death fell a weeping in his charnel-house"

The next morning, Lycinia heads off to find Rannard d'Otorio's shop. As she passes by a dark, narrow alley, she overhears a snippet of conversation between two unseen individuals.

"I trust the advance is sufficient."

"Absolutely. You may be sure that by this time tomorrow, Devnal shall have breathed his last."

[Encounter: overhear assassin talking to employers. 85% that the assassin will attempt to silence the characters if they notice.

Lycinia's Move Quietly (41%) vs. Assassins spot (25+(d8x5)=45%): 30 success vs. 93 fail]

Lycinia walks quickly but softly by. "Perhaps I should have asked Orezuthía for an advance," she thinks.


Scene 5

Chaos: increased to Out of Control (1d8)

Setup: to the importer's shop

NPCs: Orezuthía the Arcane, Geredrom, sage, importer

Threads: find & stop Geredrom the wizard

[First, some outstanding business from previous scenes--
Q: Will there be any fallout from the last scene (notary's house carnage)? 50/50: O1 C1 - No, and... by the time the bodies are discovered the adventure will have concluded.
+Event: NPC Negative - Sage - behold / horror : sage sees beyond this reality, permanent insanity.
Q: Will/did the woodsman get away from the city watch? 50/50: O4 C5 - no.]

The importer's resembles nothing so much as an apothecary's shop -- or a witch's hut. Strange vessels and boxes of wood, metal, and glass hold the limbs, bones, eyes, fur and occasionally intact cadavers of a myriad of animals, recognisable and otherwise. More hang from the ceilings, and pride of place is given to the dried body of two-headed, six-limbed crocodile which stretches the entire length of the interior. Behind a desk in the midst of this menagerie sits Rannard d'Otorio himself. His more-than-ample frame is swathed in the finest silks, and weighty golden rings burden his pudgy fingers. Seeing Lycinia enter, he looks up from his account book with a gleam in his eye.

"Friend elf! How may I be of assistance this fine day?"

[Importer's personality: Inactive, Boastful

Lycinia's Reaction (65%) roll: 17, success

UNE--
NPC Relationship: neutral
Conversation Mood: sociable
hostile - resentment - wealth]

"I'm trying to find a guild wizard, with whom I've heard you do business."

"Dear lady, I supply a number of guild wizards with the rarest and most unimaginable wares. I dare say that without my humble business, the guild would be practically bereft of components for the Art. So you'll have to be more specific."

"He's called Geredrom."

"Ah. Yes. Him."

"He was here?"

"Oh yes, he was here, the boor! Would you believe, he argued with me about the price of the merchandise, said if I understood the importance of his great work I'd not be so greedy."

"Did he say what the great work is, perchance?"

"No, and I didn't ask! I concluded our business as speedily as I could so he would leave my shop."

"I was told he bought live serpents. How many, if I may ask?"

"[1d10=]Half a dozen! Can you believe? It took me more work than I'd care to think about just to secure one of the beasts."

"Did you deliver? or did he take them with him?"

[1d8: 1-3 delivered, 4-6 took with, 7-8 servant came later: deliver
Where to? d30=farmstead 1d4 hexes distant]

"Light God protect me! I didn't have them here; I'd have been eaten alive. No no no, they were kept safely in my warehouse in Frommsport. He had me -- that is, my drayman -- deliver them to a farmstead some little way from the city. Now, are you familiar with the roads leading to the Châteaux Pruduems and l'Oret...?"

Scene 6

Chaos: Out of Control (1d8)

Setup: to the farmstead
d8=Altered (see below)

NPCs: Orezuthía the Arcane, Geredrom, importer

Threads: find & stop Geredrom the wizard

Lycinia decides to retrieve her armour for the journey, even though it's scarcely four miles out of town. But she finds she must postpone her trip, as the heavens open up and the winds howl, and she must seek shelter from the driving rain. She finds a reputable-seeming tavern on the outskirts of the new town in which to wait out the storm. Her choice of such a dull hideaway is motivated solely by the desire to not run into any of her friends; she'd rather not talk about the task she's been set by her 'sponsor'.


Day 119

Lycinia sets off on the road early the next day.

[d30 road encounter=individual, seeking tutelage in magic (level 0 magic user)
d6=m]

She has not gone far out of the gates before she comes upon a young man in travelling clothes walking the opposite way. He has a fair complexion, a mass of unruly brown curls and beaming grey eyes. A golden amulet in the shape of a windmill is the only embellishment of his otherwise simple attire.

[via donjon  : "fair in appearance, with curly brown hair and gray eyes. He wears modest garments and a gold amulet."
d30 Sandbox Companion -- Expanded Heraldry Charges/Sigils, 1d7=HRLD3d:OTHER/MISC., 1d30=windmill]

"I'm off to join the guild and become a wizard!" he chirps.

"I think you might be overestimating their acceptance policy."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, nothing... just, good luck to you!"

[Q: Does he importune her at all? unlikely (5+): O3 C1 - No, and...]

Hulmun's farmstead is well back from the road, but Lycinia can see it in the distance on the crest of a hill. After a short while she finds a dirt track leading from the road through the fields.

[Q: How is the scene Altered? Dangerously / Horrible
Q: Is anything obviously amiss? 50/50 (4+): O1 C3 - No, but... it requires a Spot Hidden roll to detect

Spot Hidden (69%): 29, success

Q: What does she see? 1d6: 1 bodies, 2 lurking monster, 3 prisoners, 4 madmen, 5 ritual place, 6 boarded up windows
d6=4, madmen d6=3 of them]

Lycinia notices a trio of wild-looking, filthy, farmhands creeping round the front of the farmhouse brandishing a scythe, pitchfork, and sickle.

[Q: Have they seen her? Unknown: d6=4; O3 C3 - No, but... they are looking for something
+Event: PC Positive - perceive / despair]

They do not see the elf, for all their attention is focussed in towards the rest of the farm. Then suddenly an awful wail pierces the silence. The madmen stiffen as they hear it, then abruptly [d3=3] they all run off to investigate its source.

Lycinia crouches down in the corn, and uses her magic to become invisible [taking an extra round for +16%, rolls 14 anyways: success. She spends 4MP or the spell, leaving her with 8]. She creeps up to the farmhouse and slips in the open front door.

[Q: Anything inside? 50/50: O1 C6 - No.]

She takes a cursory look round, but finds nothing out of the ordinary. Nor is there anyone within. She peers out of an upper storey rear window towards the outbuildings...

[Spot Hidden (69%), success.

Q: Anything obvious? Unlikely (5+): O5 C2 - Yes, and...
1d6: 1 bodies, 2 lurking monster, 3 prisoners, 4 madmen, 5 ritual place, 6 slaughtered livestock
d6=6]

...and sees nothing amiss at first. Then she notices a dead goat lying in the mud not far from the barn. Some dead chickens are scattered nearby.

[Q: Are the madmen allied with the Thing? 50/50 (4+): O1 C6 - No.

The base chances for using farm implements as weapons are 5-10% according to Magic World, so:
Q: Do they get any hits in? Unlikely (5+): O2 C1 - No, and...]

More screams emanate from the barn, this time in more than one voice. But silence abruptly returns. Lycinia leaves the house. She is creeping towards the barn as her invisibility spell ends.

[Its Listen (27%): 61, fails
vs. Lycinia's Move Quietly (41-24 encumbrance = 17%): 57, also fails]

Lycinia peers into the darkness of the barn, but even her sharp elfin senses cannot pierce the gloom [Spot Hidden (69%) at Normal difficulty due to low-light vision, but d%=83, fail]. But the Thing inside can see her silhouette in the doorway, and it launches a volley of quills at her, which whiz past her head [it missed].

[I spent perhaps way too long making a random demon generator in Excel, which uses the rules found in Advanced Sorcery (Magic World supplement) combined with hit location tables from the BaSIC bestiaire by Antonéus.

Lesser Demon               
STR (1D8)  3   Mov 14
CON (5D8) 21   HP  16
SIZ (2D8) 10   DB -1D4
INT (2D8)  8   Armour: 3-point slime
POW (3D8)  8
DEX (5D8) 20
APP (1D8)  4
               
Attacks: Quills 30% 1D8+1, range 30m
         Bite 50% 1D10

Powers: Sleep, Burrow 5m/hour       

Humanoïde caudal 
Ex : gorgone, naga, océanide 
Loc.        Mêlée Missile PV
Queue       01–06 01–06    6
Abdomen     07–10 07–10    6
Poitrine    11–12 11–15    7
Bras droit  13–15 16–17    4
Bras gauche 16–18 18–19    4
Tête        19–20  20      6


It works pretty well, though I haven't cleaned up the output for ease of cutting & pasting yet. And the hit location tables are still in French. Tant pis.]

[Round 1 - Initiative: it 23, L 22]
Another volley of quills fly out of the darkness as Lycinia peers inside. In the deep shadows within she can make out a long, almost human-sized form, crouching low to the ground [Spot Hidden succeeds, so she can attack]. She raises her pistol and fires. [Pistol skill 37%: 07, Impale! 2d6+2=9 damage, -3 for its armour  results in 6 damage to the tail, reducing the location to 0 (no more quill attacks), with 10hp left in total]

[Round 2]
Lycinia backpedals round the front of the building and switches her pistol to her left hand (not wanting to just toss it into the mud) and draws her sword. The nightmare thing scuttles forward out of the barn and into the light. It is a dripping mass of sinew and muscle, looking as it had just been skinned. It drags its torso along on two distended, backwards-jointed arms. In place of legs its abdomen tapers into a long meaty spike-tipped tail, which now is dragging limply behind; two holes leak a black oily ichor where Lycinia's ball pierced it. The thing's head is a long rubber tube ending in a toothy maw. It has no eyes of which to speak, but the elf has no doubt but that it see her, as it scurries at her, teeth gnashing, but she evades the slavering jaws [bite (50%): 26 hits. Lycinia dodges (63-24 encumbrance =39%): 31, success].

[Rounds 3-4]
Lycinia and the creature dance round one another, but neither has the upper hand. Her sword dissuades the jaws from coming too close [parry 61%], but neither can she score a hit on the surprisingly nimble beast [dodge 49%].

[Round 5]
The things pulls back as if to strike, but instead throws its "head" back and emits a high trill. The sound is felt more than heard, and Lycinia must steel herself against the sensation of all her nerves resonating with the awful noise [it uses its Sleep power, matching it POW vs. her CON (+3 bonus for elf): 8 vs. 17, 95% to resist, which she does]. Shaken from the neural assault, her swing is well wide of the mark.

[Round 6]
It springs forward, the jaws coming straight for Lycinia's face, but at the last moment she interposes her glittering sword, and the teeth clack against the cross guard [bite 06, special success, but her parry rolls was 01, critical]. It pulls back, and Lycinia drives her blade down onto its shoulder, cutting deep through the viscous slime and nearly severing its arm [(1D8+1=)9-3=6 damage, down to -2 in the limb, 4hp total remaining.]

[Round 7]
It stomps toward her furiously, balancing on one arm, but she easily fends of the clumsy assault [bite succeeds, parried]. Her sword flashes out, cutting deep into its sternum [dodge fails; 7-3=4damage, to 0hp]. It flops down, twitching and oozing. With both hands Lycinia plunges her blade through it into the ground. Its struggles cease.

After wiping the foulness from her sword, Lycinia opens both of the barn doors to shed some light on the interior, but the horror that greets her gives her pause to regret the decision. The corpses of the three madmen are just a little way inside, bristling with the quills that ended their lives; these she had expected. But in the back, beneath the hayloft, there are the suspended bodies of five more of the farmer-folk. Four of them have been attached by the wrists to four of the support beams holding up the loft, the fifth is attached to the back wall. Their stomachs have been opened, and their entrails pulled out and strung together to form the design of a magic circle. And worse, one woman yet lives, and regards the approaching elf with dull, uncomprehending eyes.

"Sleep now," whispers Lycinia, and uses her magic to bring the dying woman into a gentle slumber.

Lycinia can find nothing else of importance at the farm. She wraps a grisly trophy in cloth and conceals it in her pack for later study (she hopes) back at the guild. She sets both the barn and the farmhouse ablaze, and does not set off on the road back to Ildmarch until she is certain the fires will consume all the evils of the place.

next post: wizardry and revelations

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.

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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...