ALCHEMY
Overview
Alchemy is the science of binding magical energies into mundane substances, allowing anyone to use or benefit from the spell. Alchemist spells are, in essence precast and carried around in the form of expensive potions and powders which must be consumed or thrown to activate the effects. The materials vary in their volatility, but all eventually become inert if not used.
Creating alchemical items.
Cost to produce an alchemical item is either explicitly listed for purely alchemical spell, or, for items binding Standard (non-mystery) spells, the circle of the spell. Most alchemy spells create a potion, compound or powder that holds the desired spell until activated, or until its effective life expires.
If successfully cast, the final effect is allocated among its main effect, and to several optional variables: duration, effective lifespan,and limits on use.
The main effect is described in the spell in question, but is generally proportional to the effect points allocated to power.
Points added to duration extend the potion by one hour per point.
Points allocated to lifespan increase the amopunt of time the compound can be stored by a week per point.
Limitations are a set of words that limit who can use the compound. Each point allows one word. Example: “me”(1 point) “my friends”(two points) “elves or dwarfs”(three points) “anybody but that tool, Bilbo” (5 points). All have defaults if no points are allocated.
Alchemical items are thus quite flexible and can be used by anyione (within stated limits); the downside of the convenience is that, as required by genre conventions, a spellcasting failure causes an explosion proportional to the intended power.
NOTE: Duration,effective life and limitations need not be allocated points, (which would reduce the power of the final compound), in which case, use the default values for the potion: duration is one hour (or less, by spell), the effective life one day, no limits.
Enhancement of the material form
Cost: 100silver x 2d6 x maximum points chosen.
Difficulty: the chosen maximum Characteristic boost.
Time to prepare 1 day per point of maximum
This spell allows an alchemist to create potions or other medicines that temporarily increase the users natural characteristics by the allocated power. To cast, choose a characteristic from STR, DEX, END, or INT. If successful, note the final effect. The caster may allocate effect points to the power of the compound, its duration, effective life or any limitations.
Failure causes an explosion, doing damage equal to 1d6 plus the negative effect (treated as positive for all you clever Nellies). With a blast radius of 1 yard per point of negative effect. Additionally, the cost of the casting is lost.
Note: compounds increasing INT are often highly addictive for spellcasters*. When an INT boost compound expires, a spellcaster user must succeed in an INT test vs. dice equal to the boost or immediately attempt to consume another INT compound within (2d6 – boost) hours if available. If after that time a compound was not available, the spellcaster suffers a minus to all spell rolls equal to half the boost (rounded down) for a number of days equal to half the boost (retain fractions). This effect is not directly ameliorated by INT potions, but is affected by magical cures.
*defined as anyone who learns or can inherently cast a spell.
Resistance of the elements
This spell allows the alchemist to create potions that protect the imbiber from harm. The spell is effective against damage caused by the 4 classical elements plus mineral animal and vegetable. As an example, weapon damage is generally protected against by mineral protection (iron/steel), but the classic pointy stick would require vegetable protection, and a simple stone would require earth. Each element includes its opposite, where appropriate. Thus, protection against fire includes both heat and cold. When cast, choose one element from earth, Air, Fire, Water, Animal, Mineral, Vegetable. The final power of the compound is number of damage points that will be ignored from any such.
Failure causes an explosion, doing damage equal to 1d6 plus the negative effect (treated as positive for all you clever Nellies). With a blast radius of 1 yard per point of negative effect. Additionally, the cost of the casting is lost.
Pyrotechnics
This spell allows the alchemist to create a highly reactive substance that explodes with great noise, dazzling light, dense smoke and potentially great damage. Three types exist: flash, smudge and blast. Flash creates an exceedingly bright flash and deafening noise, which stuns and/or temporarily blinds viewers. Smudge is silent, but creates a dense dark smoke cloud, which obscures vision in a specific area. Blast causes noise and flash, although not to the level of flash, its main effect is a highly destructive explosion. All three can be created to activate when set afire or shocked by impact. The final effect roll can be allocated to its power, duration (for smudge), visibility (flash), or blast area (blast), as well as effective life.
Smudge; for each power point, smudge creates a dense obscuring cloud in a 10yd x 10 yd area. Basic duration is one combat round, with each point of increase allowing the charge continue smoking for an additional combat round, producing a larger cloud.
Flash. All sighted and unprotected creatures within 10 yards must make an END with dice equal to the power of the charge failure results in being stunned and blinded for a number of rounds equal to the power. This flash will ignite flammable materials. Basic duration is one combat round, with each point of increase allowing the charge to continue burning for an additional combat round and increases the sight range by 10 yards. This may also be used to create non blinding or stunning pyrotechnic displays of amazing complexity, in which case duration is treated as type III.
Blast does 1d6 damage to all within the blast radius (5’), halved if a DEX test is successful on dice equal to half blast power. Blast duration is effectively instant; for purposes of allocating effect points, this spell may increase the blast radius instead of duration. Lifespan and limitations are unaffected. Each point added to the blast area increases the radius by 1 yard
Failure to create any of the three types casues it to immediately take effect.
Binding of the arcane essence.
Cost: See below table
Duration: instant/as per spell
Life: base 1 day+1 week per allocated effect point.
This allows the Alchemist to bind standard spells into alchemical compounds. The spell must be either known by the alchemist, or be provided during formulation by a capable spellcaster. The spell must be successfully cast, and the final effect recorded and allocated as appropriate to the spell description. Once the bound spell is cast, the alchemist must succeed in an Alchemy task check, modified by the difficulty of the bound spell.
Success indicates the compound and spell are successfully bound. Extra effect points may be allocated to effective life and limitations as per Enhancement of the material form. Otherwise, the default life of the compound is one day, with no limitations.
If the roll fails, the compound (and costs) are lost, and the bound spell immediately takes effect as if cast at the Alchemist and helpers. Assume that all working on the formulation are within 3’ of the spells point of effect, allow all but the casting Alchemist a DEX test to jump to cover and take ½ effect.
Costs of compounds are 100 x 2d6 gold coins or Solidii
In addition, any costs associated with the bound spell must be paid up front, and any physical effects upon the caster occur as listed to whoever provided the bound spell.
When consumed (or used –one could bind a spell into some odd ointment) the user may and must immediately cast the bound spell. The user of the compound does not suffer any effects related to casting the spell. Cool, huh?
Monday, August 30, 2010
broken mechanics in new spells.....
heh. Who is a nerd ? I'm a nerd. Y'know why ? I woke up in the midddle of the night with the clear thought running through my head: "the rules for the new alchemy spells are broken because difficulty modifies effect, and taking a high difficulty means taking a lower effect, so why bother." Granted I didn't shout it out loud, waking wife and kids, nor did I dash to the keyboard in unstockinged feet; but I did jot it down on the notepad by the bed, the existance of which, I admit is further proof of my nerdiness.
So, I'll be fixing the rules presented in the last post. Stay tuned.
So, I'll be fixing the rules presented in the last post. Stay tuned.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Update for Alchemy spells.
ALCHEMY
Alchemy is the science of binding magical energies into mundane substances, allowing anyone to use or benefit from the spell. Alchemist spells are, in essence precast and carried around in the form of expensive potions and powders which must be consumed or thrown to activate the effects. The materials vary in their volatility, but all eventually become inert if not used.
Cost to produce an alchemical item is either explicitly listed for purely alchemical spell, or, for items binding Standard (non-mystery) spells, the circle of the spell. Most alchemy spells create a potion or powder that holds the desired spell until activated, or until it becomes stale. In general, the caster chooses any options required or desired, and allocates effect point to several variables. Generally, all compounds can have their duration of effect increased, as can the time before it becomes useless, and who can use it. Points added to duration extend the potion by one hour per point. Points allocated to life increase the life of the compound by a week. Limitations are a set of words that limit who can use the compound. Each point allows one word. Example: “me”(1 point) “my friends”(two points) “elves or dwarfs”(three points) “anybody but that tool, Bilbo” (5 points). If no points are allocated to these variables, the duration is one hour (or less, by spell), the shelf life one day, and usable by anyone. Note that the downside of the convenience is the fact that, as required by genre conventions, an alchemetical failure causes an explosion proportional to the intended power.
Resistance of the elements
This spell allows the alchemist to create potions that protect the imbiber from harm. The spell is effective against damage caused by the 4 classical elements plus mineral animal and vegetable. As an example, weapon damage is generally protected against by mineral protection (iron/steel), but the classic pointy stick would require vegetable protection, and a simple stone would require earth. Each element includes its opposite, where appropriate. Thus, protection against fire includes both heat and cold. When cast, choose one element from earth, Air, Fire, Water, Animal, Mineral, Vegetable. Specify a number of damage points that will be ignored from any such source this is the difficulty for creating the compound. If successful, note the final effect. If the effect of the success is less than or equal to the protection chosen, the compound boosts the characteristic by only that If the final result exceeds the maximum, the caster may allocate effect points to duration, effective life and any limitations.
Failure causes an explosion, doing damage equal to the maximum points chosen plus the negative effect (treated as positive for all you clever Nellies). With a blast radius of 1 yard per point of negative effect. Additionally, the cost of the casting is lost.
Pyrotechnics
This spell allows the alchemist to create a highly reactive substance that explodes with great noise, dazzling light, dense smoke and potentially great damage. Three types exist: flash, smudge and blast. Flash creates an exceedingly bright flash and deafening noise, which stuns and/or temporarily blinds viewers. Smudge is silent, but creates a dense dark smoke cloud, which obscures vision in a specific area. Blast causes noise and flash, although not to the level of flash, its main effect is a highly destructive explosion. All three can be created to activate when set afire or shocked by impact. The final effect roll can be allocated to its power, duration (for smudge), visibility (flash), or blast area (blast), as well as effective life.
Smudge; for each power point, smudge creates a dense obscuring cloud in a 10yd x 10 yd area. Each effect point allocated lets the charge continue smoking for an additional combat round, producing a larger cloud.
Flash. All sighted and unprotected creatures within 10 yards must make an END with dice equal to the power of the charge failure results in being stunned and blinded for a number of rounds equal to the power. Each point added to visibility increases the effective visibility/hearing range by 10 yards,
Blast does 1d6 damage to all within the blast radius (5’), halved if a DEX test is successful on dice equal to half blast power. Each point added to the blast area increases the radius by 1 yard
To create these substances, the caster chooses the type, the activation method and the maximum power. If successful, note the final effect. If the effect of the success is less than or equal to the protection chosen, the compound boosts the characteristic by only that If the final result exceeds the maximum, the caster may allocate effect points to duration, effective life and any limitations.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Anything But Adventurer Rules Friday: Black Hobbits of Antillia !
This is for Jeff, @ Jeffs Gameblog ....Tell me to steal a campaign, will you !.......
Much of what is known as the great western ocean is in fact dotted with numerous small and often lightly inhabited islands; one, unfortunately, is neither small, nor lightly inhabited: Antillia.
Antiallia is a very large and oddly rectangular island, with seven major cities, and is densely and almost exclusively inhabited by a race known colloquially as black hobbits. Named for their temper and disposition rather than their skin tone or coloration, the black hobbits of Antillia have been a perpetual thorn in the side of mariners and coast dwellers since time immemorial.
Unfortunately, Antillia is on several important trade routes, is rich in mineral resources, and quite poor agriculturally. The net result is a dangerous island full of short hungry comic-opera pirates and shady ‘merchants’ that nonethess constantly attracts merchant adventurers, hoping to trade food and textiles for gold and silver. It is suspected that in addition to mines, Antillia has ancient ruins and/or a connection to the underworld, due to the frequent circulation of ancient and strange coins, often of a squid headed or bat winged variety. Merchants can make considerable profit, particulalry on pies, but are advised to travel in strongly defended convoys, and go nowhere alone, and certainly not with a pie. Attempts have been made to suppress the constant low level piracy that surrounds the island, and has occasionally been successful, but it invariably returns quite quickly, at least partly due to the constant influx of merchant ships that “go missing”.
Attempts to blockade the island, or at least cut off trade have all failed. When the island runs low on food, it disgorges a vast horde of black hobbits in boats and ships of all sizes which swarm off the island looking for "grub". Though many are sunk or turned back, far too many survive to raid and terrorize other islands and especially the coasts of the continent. Thus, creating such a situation is generally resented by those nations not involved in the blockade or war. Invasions tend to fare even worse, due to the distances to Antillia, the huge population, and the logistical problems in a land where guerilla activity frequently involves short partisans leaping into the army food barrels and eating their way out; plus everyone else is raising the prices for everything, including water and dirt. Plus, trying to kill you.
It is conjectured that the well known dislike of water and boats by common Hobbits is due to their cousin’s tendency to invade coastal provinces, and insisting on visiting for extended periods of time when they find long lost cousins.
Black Hobbits: Trait: Small. (3d6 DEX, 1d6 STR & END) . Size : 1 meter tall, 25-50 Kg. Appearance. When fed, generally happy and having an eye kept on them: indistinguishable from common hobbits; when hungry, hungover, or generally cheesed off: Unkempt filthy mad-eyed Hobbit in a leather posing pouch, spiked or horned helmet waving a two handed axe or sword*, plus some kind of bow or javelin; generally running at you off of a cheap imitation longship screaming “GimmiesomeeatsyoubigbastardAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGHHHHDIEDIEDIEIDE!”
Culture:Savage/Physical/Urban , net modifiers; +2 END ; -1 SOC and EDU
Typical stats: 4A8655:
Base skills: Choose one of, Farming or Trade, plus one weapon (usually two handed)*
Typical City: C or E 794637
*well, two handed for them. Treat as blade or hatchet.
Much of what is known as the great western ocean is in fact dotted with numerous small and often lightly inhabited islands; one, unfortunately, is neither small, nor lightly inhabited: Antillia.
Antiallia is a very large and oddly rectangular island, with seven major cities, and is densely and almost exclusively inhabited by a race known colloquially as black hobbits. Named for their temper and disposition rather than their skin tone or coloration, the black hobbits of Antillia have been a perpetual thorn in the side of mariners and coast dwellers since time immemorial.
Unfortunately, Antillia is on several important trade routes, is rich in mineral resources, and quite poor agriculturally. The net result is a dangerous island full of short hungry comic-opera pirates and shady ‘merchants’ that nonethess constantly attracts merchant adventurers, hoping to trade food and textiles for gold and silver. It is suspected that in addition to mines, Antillia has ancient ruins and/or a connection to the underworld, due to the frequent circulation of ancient and strange coins, often of a squid headed or bat winged variety. Merchants can make considerable profit, particulalry on pies, but are advised to travel in strongly defended convoys, and go nowhere alone, and certainly not with a pie. Attempts have been made to suppress the constant low level piracy that surrounds the island, and has occasionally been successful, but it invariably returns quite quickly, at least partly due to the constant influx of merchant ships that “go missing”.
Attempts to blockade the island, or at least cut off trade have all failed. When the island runs low on food, it disgorges a vast horde of black hobbits in boats and ships of all sizes which swarm off the island looking for "grub". Though many are sunk or turned back, far too many survive to raid and terrorize other islands and especially the coasts of the continent. Thus, creating such a situation is generally resented by those nations not involved in the blockade or war. Invasions tend to fare even worse, due to the distances to Antillia, the huge population, and the logistical problems in a land where guerilla activity frequently involves short partisans leaping into the army food barrels and eating their way out; plus everyone else is raising the prices for everything, including water and dirt. Plus, trying to kill you.
It is conjectured that the well known dislike of water and boats by common Hobbits is due to their cousin’s tendency to invade coastal provinces, and insisting on visiting for extended periods of time when they find long lost cousins.
Black Hobbits: Trait: Small. (3d6 DEX, 1d6 STR & END) . Size : 1 meter tall, 25-50 Kg. Appearance. When fed, generally happy and having an eye kept on them: indistinguishable from common hobbits; when hungry, hungover, or generally cheesed off: Unkempt filthy mad-eyed Hobbit in a leather posing pouch, spiked or horned helmet waving a two handed axe or sword*, plus some kind of bow or javelin; generally running at you off of a cheap imitation longship screaming “GimmiesomeeatsyoubigbastardAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGHHHHDIEDIEDIEIDE!”
Culture:Savage/Physical/Urban , net modifiers; +2 END ; -1 SOC and EDU
Typical stats: 4A8655:
Base skills: Choose one of, Farming or Trade, plus one weapon (usually two handed)*
Typical City: C or E 794637
*well, two handed for them. Treat as blade or hatchet.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Bummed by the OSR kafuffle. Plus, busy.
Sigh. Nothing today, too damn busy. [deleting previous post about the details of the recent OSR kafuffle; its done (mostly), and who needs more griefing in the form of someone flying off the handle about people flying off the handle about who was a punk before who.]
Tomorrow, probably some spells. may indulge myself with Statting up the Dramavore -an insidious creature that sits in a small pond and sucks the life out of the hapless inhabitants....
Its been a busy, annoying week. Glad to see the ass-end of it.
Tomorrow, probably some spells. may indulge myself with Statting up the Dramavore -an insidious creature that sits in a small pond and sucks the life out of the hapless inhabitants....
Its been a busy, annoying week. Glad to see the ass-end of it.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Two More for.......GOETRY !
Conjure champion
This spell summons a single extraplanar being to fight for the spellcaster. The basic champion summoned is a humanoid warrior of unremarkable Stats and abilities. The champion must remain within sight of the spellcaster or 100 yards if the caster becomes unseen by whatever means. While able to speak the casters preferred speech, the champion is uninterested in and unwilling to perform any role but that of a bodyguard or warrior for the spellcaster . When not specifically given any orders, the champion will actively guard the spellcaster from physical attack. . The champion never checks morale, and will immediately obey any command to attack, no matter how unbalanced the odds. The champion may be assigned to any one person other than the caster, in which case the designated person is treated as the caster for all purposes (and the actual caster is not).
If cast successfully, the following champion appears.
Basic Champion:
Humanoid 555510; Skills: Brawling-1.
For every effect point over 0, the Champion may allocate points to a variety of enhancements.
Summon Monster:
Basic Duration: 10 Minutes + 10 *(allocated effect points squared)
Summon monster is fundamentally the same as summon animal, but it summons one magical, unnatural and/or intelligent creature to fight for the Spellcaster. As with Summon animal, the creature is chosen from a list (provided by the GM) based on allocated effect size. Note that enhancements are limited to numbers appearing and duration only, as part of the definition of a monster is a creature with unusual or supernatural abilities or characteristics. A huge Salt water Crocodile is a creature, whereas a similar sized lizard that flies, breathes flame, and has armored skin is a monster. Extra examples may be summoned, one per effect point allocated.
The monster need not be local, likely or even previously known to exist, as long as it is on the table constructed by the GM; it must however, be able to survive the spellcasters current environment. An example of a monster list would be the above megafauna table in a modern earth campaign. A quick dodge is to give a normally dangerous animal a size boost of at least 2 sizes (Huge) or more (giant) and unusual hostility and intelligence. Winged versions and bizarre combinations (that improve the whole )work, too.
effect Size Types
1 or less 1 Gigantic death leeches ,Huge Insect (spider, ant, scorpion)
2 3 Huge Bloodsucking Bat; Jealous aggressive shorthaired Pixy
3 6 Huge Flying Fanged Frog; evil leprechaun
4 12 Flying monkey with Fez, Giant Ant
5 25 Giant scorpion
6 50 Goblin, Animated Skeleton
7 100 Hobgoblin, Giant spider, Humanoid of choic
8 200 Gargoyle
9 400 Flying Boars, DracoBear
10 800 Giant killer Carnivorous Penguin
11 1600 Wyvern
12 3200 Dragon
This spell summons a single extraplanar being to fight for the spellcaster. The basic champion summoned is a humanoid warrior of unremarkable Stats and abilities. The champion must remain within sight of the spellcaster or 100 yards if the caster becomes unseen by whatever means. While able to speak the casters preferred speech, the champion is uninterested in and unwilling to perform any role but that of a bodyguard or warrior for the spellcaster . When not specifically given any orders, the champion will actively guard the spellcaster from physical attack. . The champion never checks morale, and will immediately obey any command to attack, no matter how unbalanced the odds. The champion may be assigned to any one person other than the caster, in which case the designated person is treated as the caster for all purposes (and the actual caster is not).
If cast successfully, the following champion appears.
Basic Champion:
Humanoid 555510; Skills: Brawling-1.
For every effect point over 0, the Champion may allocate points to a variety of enhancements.
- Increase EDU. For each point allocated, EDU is increased by one point. A champion may learn Brawling and one combat skill, only. Each point of EDU allows one skill level. to be learned in either brawling or one chosen weapon skill. Additionally, the Champion is summoned with the weapon is non-brawling is chosen, plus a shield if it is one handed.
- Increase Stats for each point allocated, 1d6 may be added to one physical stat, MAX =12
- Improve Armor. For each point, the Champions armor may be increased one level beyond a shield. (Jack, Chainmail Scale, Banded, Plate )
- Bodyguard The champion will only attack to defend the caster (or designated person) or himself, but is assumed to have a 12 NT for purposes of spotting enemies or anticipating an attack.
- Berserker The Champion will only attack if commanded to or attacked. The champion has a +2 to hit and damage. Once engaged in combat the Berserk Champion will fight until dead, or the death of the opponent.
Summon Monster:
Basic Duration: 10 Minutes + 10 *(allocated effect points squared)
Summon monster is fundamentally the same as summon animal, but it summons one magical, unnatural and/or intelligent creature to fight for the Spellcaster. As with Summon animal, the creature is chosen from a list (provided by the GM) based on allocated effect size. Note that enhancements are limited to numbers appearing and duration only, as part of the definition of a monster is a creature with unusual or supernatural abilities or characteristics. A huge Salt water Crocodile is a creature, whereas a similar sized lizard that flies, breathes flame, and has armored skin is a monster. Extra examples may be summoned, one per effect point allocated.
The monster need not be local, likely or even previously known to exist, as long as it is on the table constructed by the GM; it must however, be able to survive the spellcasters current environment. An example of a monster list would be the above megafauna table in a modern earth campaign. A quick dodge is to give a normally dangerous animal a size boost of at least 2 sizes (Huge) or more (giant) and unusual hostility and intelligence. Winged versions and bizarre combinations (that improve the whole )work, too.
effect Size Types
1 or less 1 Gigantic death leeches ,Huge Insect (spider, ant, scorpion)
2 3 Huge Bloodsucking Bat; Jealous aggressive shorthaired Pixy
3 6 Huge Flying Fanged Frog; evil leprechaun
4 12 Flying monkey with Fez, Giant Ant
5 25 Giant scorpion
6 50 Goblin, Animated Skeleton
7 100 Hobgoblin, Giant spider, Humanoid of choic
8 200 Gargoyle
9 400 Flying Boars, DracoBear
10 800 Giant killer Carnivorous Penguin
11 1600 Wyvern
12 3200 Dragon
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Addition to summon animal spell. Comments ?
I'm liking the use of effect points to determine effect of a spell -however, is this making it too fiddly ? (ie giving the caster more options that he has to specify when casting slows things down, potentially). Thoughts ?
Add to spell description for summon animal:
If desired, effect points may be spent to increase duration or numbers summoned. For both cases, square the number of points allocated (up to a maximum of 5) to determine the number of extra hours duration, or the number of creatures summoned in addition to the first one. All extra creatures will be duplicates of the first as regards Stats.
Add to spell description for summon animal:
If desired, effect points may be spent to increase duration or numbers summoned. For both cases, square the number of points allocated (up to a maximum of 5) to determine the number of extra hours duration, or the number of creatures summoned in addition to the first one. All extra creatures will be duplicates of the first as regards Stats.
More Goetry (Yes, I like writing the word goetry. Goetry, goetry, goetry !)
Summon Familiar
Duration: special
Casting time: 12 Hours. The caster must spend the casting time undisturbed and with access to campaign appropriate magical resources.
This summons a magically enhanced animal as a companion for the caster. It is a summoned spirit combined with a fragment of the casters spirit all bound into an animals body. As such is extremely honest, obedient and loyal to the caster, and is only released by its death or banishment by the caster, or the casters death. A familiar has a high intelligence for its type and can communicate with the caster as if they both were speaking a common language. Only one may be in play at any time, and this spell can only be cast under a full moon.
Before casting the spell, the caster must decide what maximum effect is possible if the spell is successfully cast. This is the maximum effect that the spell can generate. The caster must provide 100solidi/point to cast this spell. When the spell is successfully cast with an effect of greater than 0, all the materials are expended, and the caster may then allocate the effect points to build the familiar. An effect of 0 means that no familiar is available until the next full moon, although the materials are not expended. Allocate effect points to the familiars size rating up to a maximum size of 6 and consult the summoned animal table in use in the campaign; any extra effect points may be used to enhance the familiar as noted below, as well as to add special features. If the spell is successful, but does not generate the desired effect points, the casting can be aborted; this requires the caster to wait another month, but the costs and resources are not expended. If the spell is cast and fails, the caster must also wait a month, but also loses ½ of all materials and resources.
Once the familiar is summoned, the Spellcaster increases his END score by the Size rating of the familiar. If the familiar is killed, his END score is immediately returned to the pre-familiar value. spellcaster then immediately takes 2xSize value as damage; normal wounding and unconsciousness rules for first hit apply. This damage is healed normally. If a familiar is banished by the caster, only the additional END points are lost.
The familiar is a large example of its type, with maximum physical values. The INT of the familiar is its normal int +1d6 -size +any allocated effect. Familiars also have an EDU rating (Learning or LRN) equivalent which is equal to its size plus any allocated effect.
The LRN value determines the spells and skills of the familiar that the spellcaster can benefit from. In general, a familiar can have one skill or spell per LRN point. Each level of a skill counts as one point also. Thus a familiar designed to hold two spells and one level three skill must have a minimum LRN of 5.
Spells held by a familiar are essentially extra memorized slots for the spellcaster, and skills are usable by the spellcaster as if he possessed the skill. Note that the spells and skills are specified at creation and may not be changed.
Other modifications to the familiar are also possible by allocating effect points.
Duration: special
Casting time: 12 Hours. The caster must spend the casting time undisturbed and with access to campaign appropriate magical resources.
Cost: caster allocates 100 Solidi (gold) per maximum effect desired.
Once the familiar is summoned, the Spellcaster increases his END score by the Size rating of the familiar. If the familiar is killed, his END score is immediately returned to the pre-familiar value. spellcaster then immediately takes 2xSize value as damage; normal wounding and unconsciousness rules for first hit apply. This damage is healed normally. If a familiar is banished by the caster, only the additional END points are lost.
The familiar is a large example of its type, with maximum physical values. The INT of the familiar is its normal int +1d6 -size +any allocated effect. Familiars also have an EDU rating (Learning or LRN) equivalent which is equal to its size plus any allocated effect.
- Common Speech (1)Familiar is able to speak an understandable language.
- Scrying (2) For 10 min/day, the caster may see thru the familiars eyes.
- Manipulative skill (1) The familiar is treated as if it had appropriately sized hands; some modification may be necessary, but generally assume that some limbs of the familiar are unusually dexterous and tactile.
- Armor(1) The familiars armror is increased by one level over its normal counterpart
- Stealth(2) The familiar is treated as having the sstealth skill-2 inaddition to any natural benefits.
- Flight(1) The familiar can fly if it is normally unable to, or fly twice as fast if it is.
- Toughness(1)The Familiars END score is doubled with no gain in mass.
- Invisibility(3) familiar can become invisible for 1 hour/day.
- Enhanced natural weapons(1) any natural weapons the familiar has are increased by +1 to hit and +2 Damage.
- Poison.(2) Any successful physical attack by the familiar is treated as poisoned (qv)
Monday, August 23, 2010
Goetry and selected spells thus far.
Summon Animal/Familiar
This spell allows the spell caster to summon either a normal animal of any size, or a small animal with human intelligence.
Summon Animal.
This summons an animal to fight for the caster. It is of normal intelligence for its type, but will willingly obey any commands given by the caster as if it could understand speech. It remains for one hour, or until killed or banished (either by another spellcaster, or the owner). Only one such animal may be summoned at any one time.
The effect determines the size of the animal which must be native to the local area, although it need not be common.
When the spell is successfully cast, add 1d6 to effect value, and use this result on the creatures size table. The caster can choose to take a smaller animal instead of a larger one, and in cases where a specific type is needed, such as a flier, this is likely required. While it is possible for the spellcaster to then roll out the values for the summoned creatures, for speed and ease of play, it is recommended that the GM or player develop a list of animals, one per size (up to 12) that can be summoned on land or on sea, with preset values for STR, DEX and END. If the ecosystem supports such, at least naturally occurring flyer should be included in land or sea lists. In general, the summoned creature should be an average example of its species.
Regular earth animal mishmash summoning table
effect+
roll Size Example/choose one.
1 1 Rat, Bat,Giant land snail
2 3 Meerkat/Pangolin/Goliath frog/Parrot/raven
3 6 Large hare,Cat,Huge Owl
4 12 Tasmanian Devil/badger/monkey/swan/Huge Eagle
5 25 Wild dog/baboon
6 50 capybara/Lynx/Wolf/Chimp/Emperor Penguin
7 100 Cougar/Leopard/Hyena/Warthog
8 200 Tiger/Lion Gorilla/Anaconda
9 400 /Wild Boar
10 800 Large Bear
11 1600 Hippo/Auroch/salt water croc
12 3200 Rhino,
Crazy Fun Lost world megafauna summoning table
effect
+roll Size Choose from:
1 1 Archaeopteryx/Microraptor
2 3 Procompsognathids
3 6 Compsognathus
4 12 Velociraptor/Repenomamus robustus
5 25 Pteranodon/Oviraptor
6 50 Troodontids
7 100 Deinonychus/Quetzalcoatlus
8 200 Gallimimus
9 400 Protoceratops
10 800 Megalosaurus
11 1600 Stegosaurus/Allosaurus
12 3200 Ankylosaurus/Albertosaurus
next up: Familiars !
This spell allows the spell caster to summon either a normal animal of any size, or a small animal with human intelligence.
Summon Animal.
This summons an animal to fight for the caster. It is of normal intelligence for its type, but will willingly obey any commands given by the caster as if it could understand speech. It remains for one hour, or until killed or banished (either by another spellcaster, or the owner). Only one such animal may be summoned at any one time.
The effect determines the size of the animal which must be native to the local area, although it need not be common.
When the spell is successfully cast, add 1d6 to effect value, and use this result on the creatures size table. The caster can choose to take a smaller animal instead of a larger one, and in cases where a specific type is needed, such as a flier, this is likely required. While it is possible for the spellcaster to then roll out the values for the summoned creatures, for speed and ease of play, it is recommended that the GM or player develop a list of animals, one per size (up to 12) that can be summoned on land or on sea, with preset values for STR, DEX and END. If the ecosystem supports such, at least naturally occurring flyer should be included in land or sea lists. In general, the summoned creature should be an average example of its species.
Regular earth animal mishmash summoning table
effect+
roll Size Example/choose one.
1 1 Rat, Bat,Giant land snail
2 3 Meerkat/Pangolin/Goliath frog/Parrot/raven
3 6 Large hare,Cat,Huge Owl
4 12 Tasmanian Devil/badger/monkey/swan/Huge Eagle
5 25 Wild dog/baboon
6 50 capybara/Lynx/Wolf/Chimp/Emperor Penguin
7 100 Cougar/Leopard/Hyena/Warthog
8 200 Tiger/Lion Gorilla/Anaconda
9 400 /Wild Boar
10 800 Large Bear
11 1600 Hippo/Auroch/salt water croc
12 3200 Rhino,
Crazy Fun Lost world megafauna summoning table
effect
+roll Size Choose from:
1 1 Archaeopteryx/Microraptor
2 3 Procompsognathids
3 6 Compsognathus
4 12 Velociraptor/Repenomamus robustus
5 25 Pteranodon/Oviraptor
6 50 Troodontids
7 100 Deinonychus/Quetzalcoatlus
8 200 Gallimimus
9 400 Protoceratops
10 800 Megalosaurus
11 1600 Stegosaurus/Allosaurus
12 3200 Ankylosaurus/Albertosaurus
next up: Familiars !
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Anything but Adventurer Sunday presents: Traveller, The Hive of the Last Sun
Hellholes and Dead Ends of the Traveller Universe:
As part of writing up a traveller planet generation program for the playtest of the Mongoose rules, I ran up about 100K worlds. One of the reasons was to just look for odd results in the planet generation system -and yes, probability math will work too, I just wanted to see what the results looked like....as well.
That said, at some point, it turned into an exercise in "how might this really, really really really unlikely world work". Since most problematic worlds are identified by virtue of being unliveable and yet populated, it turned into a list of horrible places to live - more or less. So I started posting them, and it turned out to be fairly popular; so, being the attention whore that I am, I decided to move them here.
I'll post a couple every so often.
Please note, that there are some things in these which many might consider broken; but generally I try not to have more than one stretcher - and go for the "if it isn't absolutely impossible.." rule ; after all, the UWP's themselves are pretty unlikely, too.
Here's the first.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present The Hive of the Last Sun:
X564ADB-0 R
No starport
diameter = 5000
Atm =standard
Hydrographic = 40%
Population tens of billions
Religous dictatorship
VERY high level of intrusivemenss/law
Tech.....neolithic.
A world-spanning neolithic religious dictatorship, the hive of the last Sun is a teeming lost colony, isolated from known space early in the long night shortly after its foundations as a MegaCorporation's highly specialized Agriplanet.
Blessed by a remarkably stable and constant main star, with little or no seasonal variation, large expanses of shallow wetlands and very low background radiation, Last Sun's life had developed no further than an analogue of the late Precambrian period of old Terra (more properly identified as mid Neoproterozoic), differing in that life (such as it was)had spread to the land (such as it was). Once the biooxygenation of the planet was complete, life puttered along, in simple undifferentiated and unchallenged equilibrium for perhaps .5 to 1.5 gigayears
The world was perfect for agriculture, with a gentle temperate earthlike climate, vast shallow beds of organic silt, landbased organic soil, and an extremely static and and fragile native life that was completely unable to compete with Terran imports.
Within the first century, the local ecosystem was entirely supplanted by Terran geneered food plankton, so quickly that a feared deoxygenation event failed to occur. The shallow seas had become vast aquaculture farms, primarily specializing in plankton based food products; land based food production similarly scoured the land of native life (mainly amphibious Ediacaran analogues), although land based production was never as profitable or extensive as New Suns aquaculture. This much is known from records salvaged from other worlds, and the Imperial trade archives referencing the now vanished Agricorp responsible for the planet.
With the collapse of the second Imperium all contact was rapidly lost, and New sun's local population is believed to have been overwhelmed by several waves of refugees fleeing failing and hostile ecosystems in nearby systems. The highly specialized and externally dependent technology of the agricolony almost certainly failed within a few decades, and little exploitation of the planet's resources was possible, lacking minimally advanced technology. Fortunately, the nutrioPlankton(tm) had already aggressively spread throughout the water ecosytem, effectively turning the planet into a vast monoculture of edible plankton. Some land farming was possible, but no draft or domesticated animals survived the collapse. As a result, technology withered away, but the population boomed, reaching a current high of 41 billion (with several suspected diebacks) , technology remained essentially neolithic but culturally highly sophisticated. No records or oral histories survive from the earliest post collapse time, and most population information is based upon studies of comparative genomics of the population.
Update: extensive biological sampling suggests that the current biosphere is remarkably free of human specific pathogens. Those that do exist are clearly variants of various bacteria passively hosted by humans. It is conjectured that the planet may have originally been treated as a clean room by the initial agrocorp settling it.
With one main (if almost entirely marshy) supercontinent, a warm unvarying climate, abundant food, and no competition, human survival was perhaps too easy. For the next 800 years life on new sun was easy, primitive, and unfortunately, extremely violent.
While on the surface a primitive paradise, the limited and artificial ecosystem coupled with the loss of all other higher lifeforms has produced a situation where the only source of a variety of vital nutrients is other humans. Accordingly, cannibalism has become a fixed and unavoidable part of all local societies; and few, if any, are known to practice it on a voluntary basis. The entire post collapse history of the planet has been marked by constant violent aggression, on a tribal level initially, and later organized warfare, as nation states evolved around dryer rocky areas of the continent. The last 100 years, have seen the formation, spread and eventual triumph of a world spanning superreligion which dominates the hordes of petty, and entirely subordinate polities of the continent. The key to the New Suns success has been firstly in instituting largely ceremonial conflict between states for prisoner/food gathering (avoiding large scale cultural disruption typical of actual conflicts) and secondly, creating a highly charismatic and ritualized worship around the act of sacrifice and consumption of humans; this has evolved to the point where many of the victims in the strongest and largest polity are volunteers, spending a set period in hedonisitic (if neolithic) luxury, and then giving their lives as a sacrifice to the new sun, which must be constantly fed; and incidentally giving their bodies to ceremonial feasts.
New Sun has no knowledge of an outside world beyond the main religion which teaches that humans fled a great war of the gods from beyond the sky, a realm which is essentially hell. The sun is a disinterested deity who must be placated and kept sleeping with human sacrifices, lest he leave or consume the humans.
Culturally, new Sun presents an incredibly varied set of advanced neolithic cultures, which defy easy categorization, except that they are generally insular, xenophobic, violent and aggressive. The genetic bottleneck of the initial population, plus a millennium of increased selection by tribal violence, and unfortunately, sub-domestication of groups of humans as food animals has produced a genotype which is generally inter-fertile with solomani humans, but physically quite distinctive. This factor, coupled with the intensely clannish and xenophobic slant of most cultures and the dominant religion, complicates the already difficult task of discreet observation by the scout service. All observation is currently carried out by remotes.
A small scout base specializing in the study of long term tech zero cultures has been established on one of the few islands in the planet's major ocean. It is a subsector and quadrant mecca for cultural and physicial sophontologists studying the local cultures, and clinical sociologists attempting to develop integration plans.
Currently The Hive of the Last Sun is fully interdicted by the scout service, and is classed as a red zone by the TAS. It is noted that unlike most primitive cultures which are interdicted for safety, on this world, it is the visitors who are unlikely to survive contact.
Update:
The population level of the planet is currently extreme, and, despite the remarkable ease with which food can be obtained, it has likely overrun the ability to sustain itself. It is extremely likely that it is in imminent danger of a massive die off and general collapse. What historical evidence is available suggest that this is a reocurring process on Hive, with constant boom and bust cycles in which the population may vary by as much as two orders of magnitude, with a fairly short cycle time of as little as 5-10 generations. .
As part of writing up a traveller planet generation program for the playtest of the Mongoose rules, I ran up about 100K worlds. One of the reasons was to just look for odd results in the planet generation system -and yes, probability math will work too, I just wanted to see what the results looked like....as well.
That said, at some point, it turned into an exercise in "how might this really, really really really unlikely world work". Since most problematic worlds are identified by virtue of being unliveable and yet populated, it turned into a list of horrible places to live - more or less. So I started posting them, and it turned out to be fairly popular; so, being the attention whore that I am, I decided to move them here.
I'll post a couple every so often.
Please note, that there are some things in these which many might consider broken; but generally I try not to have more than one stretcher - and go for the "if it isn't absolutely impossible.." rule ; after all, the UWP's themselves are pretty unlikely, too.
Here's the first.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present The Hive of the Last Sun:
X564ADB-0 R
No starport
diameter = 5000
Atm =standard
Hydrographic = 40%
Population tens of billions
Religous dictatorship
VERY high level of intrusivemenss/law
Tech.....neolithic.
A world-spanning neolithic religious dictatorship, the hive of the last Sun is a teeming lost colony, isolated from known space early in the long night shortly after its foundations as a MegaCorporation's highly specialized Agriplanet.
Blessed by a remarkably stable and constant main star, with little or no seasonal variation, large expanses of shallow wetlands and very low background radiation, Last Sun's life had developed no further than an analogue of the late Precambrian period of old Terra (more properly identified as mid Neoproterozoic), differing in that life (such as it was)had spread to the land (such as it was). Once the biooxygenation of the planet was complete, life puttered along, in simple undifferentiated and unchallenged equilibrium for perhaps .5 to 1.5 gigayears
The world was perfect for agriculture, with a gentle temperate earthlike climate, vast shallow beds of organic silt, landbased organic soil, and an extremely static and and fragile native life that was completely unable to compete with Terran imports.
Within the first century, the local ecosystem was entirely supplanted by Terran geneered food plankton, so quickly that a feared deoxygenation event failed to occur. The shallow seas had become vast aquaculture farms, primarily specializing in plankton based food products; land based food production similarly scoured the land of native life (mainly amphibious Ediacaran analogues), although land based production was never as profitable or extensive as New Suns aquaculture. This much is known from records salvaged from other worlds, and the Imperial trade archives referencing the now vanished Agricorp responsible for the planet.
With the collapse of the second Imperium all contact was rapidly lost, and New sun's local population is believed to have been overwhelmed by several waves of refugees fleeing failing and hostile ecosystems in nearby systems. The highly specialized and externally dependent technology of the agricolony almost certainly failed within a few decades, and little exploitation of the planet's resources was possible, lacking minimally advanced technology. Fortunately, the nutrioPlankton(tm) had already aggressively spread throughout the water ecosytem, effectively turning the planet into a vast monoculture of edible plankton. Some land farming was possible, but no draft or domesticated animals survived the collapse. As a result, technology withered away, but the population boomed, reaching a current high of 41 billion (with several suspected diebacks) , technology remained essentially neolithic but culturally highly sophisticated. No records or oral histories survive from the earliest post collapse time, and most population information is based upon studies of comparative genomics of the population.
Update: extensive biological sampling suggests that the current biosphere is remarkably free of human specific pathogens. Those that do exist are clearly variants of various bacteria passively hosted by humans. It is conjectured that the planet may have originally been treated as a clean room by the initial agrocorp settling it.
With one main (if almost entirely marshy) supercontinent, a warm unvarying climate, abundant food, and no competition, human survival was perhaps too easy. For the next 800 years life on new sun was easy, primitive, and unfortunately, extremely violent.
While on the surface a primitive paradise, the limited and artificial ecosystem coupled with the loss of all other higher lifeforms has produced a situation where the only source of a variety of vital nutrients is other humans. Accordingly, cannibalism has become a fixed and unavoidable part of all local societies; and few, if any, are known to practice it on a voluntary basis. The entire post collapse history of the planet has been marked by constant violent aggression, on a tribal level initially, and later organized warfare, as nation states evolved around dryer rocky areas of the continent. The last 100 years, have seen the formation, spread and eventual triumph of a world spanning superreligion which dominates the hordes of petty, and entirely subordinate polities of the continent. The key to the New Suns success has been firstly in instituting largely ceremonial conflict between states for prisoner/food gathering (avoiding large scale cultural disruption typical of actual conflicts) and secondly, creating a highly charismatic and ritualized worship around the act of sacrifice and consumption of humans; this has evolved to the point where many of the victims in the strongest and largest polity are volunteers, spending a set period in hedonisitic (if neolithic) luxury, and then giving their lives as a sacrifice to the new sun, which must be constantly fed; and incidentally giving their bodies to ceremonial feasts.
New Sun has no knowledge of an outside world beyond the main religion which teaches that humans fled a great war of the gods from beyond the sky, a realm which is essentially hell. The sun is a disinterested deity who must be placated and kept sleeping with human sacrifices, lest he leave or consume the humans.
Culturally, new Sun presents an incredibly varied set of advanced neolithic cultures, which defy easy categorization, except that they are generally insular, xenophobic, violent and aggressive. The genetic bottleneck of the initial population, plus a millennium of increased selection by tribal violence, and unfortunately, sub-domestication of groups of humans as food animals has produced a genotype which is generally inter-fertile with solomani humans, but physically quite distinctive. This factor, coupled with the intensely clannish and xenophobic slant of most cultures and the dominant religion, complicates the already difficult task of discreet observation by the scout service. All observation is currently carried out by remotes.
A small scout base specializing in the study of long term tech zero cultures has been established on one of the few islands in the planet's major ocean. It is a subsector and quadrant mecca for cultural and physicial sophontologists studying the local cultures, and clinical sociologists attempting to develop integration plans.
Currently The Hive of the Last Sun is fully interdicted by the scout service, and is classed as a red zone by the TAS. It is noted that unlike most primitive cultures which are interdicted for safety, on this world, it is the visitors who are unlikely to survive contact.
Update:
The population level of the planet is currently extreme, and, despite the remarkable ease with which food can be obtained, it has likely overrun the ability to sustain itself. It is extremely likely that it is in imminent danger of a massive die off and general collapse. What historical evidence is available suggest that this is a reocurring process on Hive, with constant boom and bust cycles in which the population may vary by as much as two orders of magnitude, with a fairly short cycle time of as little as 5-10 generations. .
Friday, August 20, 2010
Still time for input before Beta 2.0 !
While I am rapidly advancing on having the second version of the beta rules ready to go, there is still time to get me comments, questions, observations. With the final resolution of the money and equipment stuff, the last brick I want in place is the missing spells and spell schools, and cleaning up/adding examples throughout. Any input about obscure rules will thus be very helpful in letting me know what needs more or better explanation.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Sandals, swords and sestercii, The lists !
Yes, the long avoided, over emphasised, self-indulgent equipment lists for adventurer !
http://www.box.net/shared/u91e9vx9xi
Last post was the rule text. The link above includes the actual equiptment list which doesn't fit here and is formatted to boot.
read, enjoy, comment.
http://www.box.net/shared/u91e9vx9xi
Last post was the rule text. The link above includes the actual equiptment list which doesn't fit here and is formatted to boot.
read, enjoy, comment.
Swords, sandals and sestercii ! Equipment ! Link to lists !
Campaign Economics
Money and Equipment
Even a short perusal of the actual historical literature on item costs will show that it is extremely hard to know what items cost in ancient societies, let alone what their value was. Also, one finds a plethora of coinage systems, differing from realm to realm, and often city to city. In order to make such a mess somewhat playable, much has been abstracted, and some has been invented.
That said, I tried to keep a few constants in setting prices. First is that ratios were more informative than any statement of coinage value, especially given that it is not always able to clear about what coinage is referred to. The second is that what items are available is sharply defined by social class as much as location. In general, each of the main social classes had their own level of currency, with some overlap, and luckily enough they correspond somewhat to the types of money used.
Finally, I decided to adopt a standard similar to that of Augustan Rome, both for flavor reasons and documentation, which was a mix of official documents and private documents (often graffiti), which provides both a theoretical/official viewpoint of what things should cost, and what things cost to the actual consumers.
Coinage
In adventurer, it is assumed that while all realms and many cities have their own coinage, that basic market forces will allow us to define a common set of coins which can be spent to buy stuff. For Adventurer, there are four basic coin types: Copper, Bronze, Silver and Gold.
The poor and the peasant tend to use copper, the laborers and common workers bronze; merchants and professionals silver, and the wealthy and the governments, Gold. For flavor reasons I’ve named them as follows
Copper Aes,
Bronze Sesterces,
Silver Denarius, and
Gold Solidus.
Their relative values are as follows:
1 Solidus = 25 Denarii =100 Setercii, = 400 As.
Partial and multiple value coins of all the denominations exist, especially at the lower end of the scale. To give some context, an As is about the price of a 1lb loaf of bread, a sesterces is a half days pay for the lowest paid workers, or a sit down common meal, 1 Denarius is a days pay for a semi-skilled laborer or low grade soldier, 2-4 denarius is a days wage for skilled worker (stonemason, carpenter) or skilled soldier (Legionary); a Solidus is a good draft animal such as an Ox, or an acre of unremarkable farmland.
Items are assigned to lists based on coinage type more than function; thus, some have a fairly large value in one list, and this indicates that while they could be bought with a higher grade currency, that they are more appropriate to the social class that uses that list. Conversely, they are less likely to be used by other social classes that use other lists. This mainly works in the upward direction: a peasant is unlikely to want (or need) to buy armor (generally on the Solidii list), whereas a rich man may well buy a 1lb loaf of bread; the difference is that the rich man can also buy 1lb of stuffed hummingbirds for lots more than 1 As if he wants.
Availability:
Given the above concepts, a limitation on availability is how many of the given social class exist in a given city, and access to sufficient coinage of the proper type. . In general, an entire list will be available or not, largely for simplicity. The simplest determination is to look at the lower of wealth or population rating on the below table. Any given city has that list and all lower.
Item List Minimum
As 1
Sestercii 3
Denarii : 5
Solidii 7
Generally a list can be assumed to be available for barter at one level lower. (Denarii items can be traded for at a city with a population or wealth rating of 4.
One could add a list of modifiers for location and situation, but as this is a game of heroic adventure, not ripping accountancy that is left to the GM to decide.
Money and Equipment
Even a short perusal of the actual historical literature on item costs will show that it is extremely hard to know what items cost in ancient societies, let alone what their value was. Also, one finds a plethora of coinage systems, differing from realm to realm, and often city to city. In order to make such a mess somewhat playable, much has been abstracted, and some has been invented.
That said, I tried to keep a few constants in setting prices. First is that ratios were more informative than any statement of coinage value, especially given that it is not always able to clear about what coinage is referred to. The second is that what items are available is sharply defined by social class as much as location. In general, each of the main social classes had their own level of currency, with some overlap, and luckily enough they correspond somewhat to the types of money used.
Finally, I decided to adopt a standard similar to that of Augustan Rome, both for flavor reasons and documentation, which was a mix of official documents and private documents (often graffiti), which provides both a theoretical/official viewpoint of what things should cost, and what things cost to the actual consumers.
Coinage
In adventurer, it is assumed that while all realms and many cities have their own coinage, that basic market forces will allow us to define a common set of coins which can be spent to buy stuff. For Adventurer, there are four basic coin types: Copper, Bronze, Silver and Gold.
The poor and the peasant tend to use copper, the laborers and common workers bronze; merchants and professionals silver, and the wealthy and the governments, Gold. For flavor reasons I’ve named them as follows
Copper Aes,
Bronze Sesterces,
Silver Denarius, and
Gold Solidus.
Their relative values are as follows:
1 Solidus = 25 Denarii =100 Setercii, = 400 As.
Partial and multiple value coins of all the denominations exist, especially at the lower end of the scale. To give some context, an As is about the price of a 1lb loaf of bread, a sesterces is a half days pay for the lowest paid workers, or a sit down common meal, 1 Denarius is a days pay for a semi-skilled laborer or low grade soldier, 2-4 denarius is a days wage for skilled worker (stonemason, carpenter) or skilled soldier (Legionary); a Solidus is a good draft animal such as an Ox, or an acre of unremarkable farmland.
Items are assigned to lists based on coinage type more than function; thus, some have a fairly large value in one list, and this indicates that while they could be bought with a higher grade currency, that they are more appropriate to the social class that uses that list. Conversely, they are less likely to be used by other social classes that use other lists. This mainly works in the upward direction: a peasant is unlikely to want (or need) to buy armor (generally on the Solidii list), whereas a rich man may well buy a 1lb loaf of bread; the difference is that the rich man can also buy 1lb of stuffed hummingbirds for lots more than 1 As if he wants.
Availability:
Given the above concepts, a limitation on availability is how many of the given social class exist in a given city, and access to sufficient coinage of the proper type. . In general, an entire list will be available or not, largely for simplicity. The simplest determination is to look at the lower of wealth or population rating on the below table. Any given city has that list and all lower.
Item List Minimum
As 1
Sestercii 3
Denarii : 5
Solidii 7
Generally a list can be assumed to be available for barter at one level lower. (Denarii items can be traded for at a city with a population or wealth rating of 4.
One could add a list of modifiers for location and situation, but as this is a game of heroic adventure, not ripping accountancy that is left to the GM to decide.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Adventurer: a request for comments to downloaders and readers
So, this weekend, i gave myself a birthday present, and worked on Adventurer without distraction (well, much distraction. See, I like my family.;) ), and two things came up.
1. The price list is done, and utterly self indulgent.
2. I would appreciate some input on a few topics.
Is the magic system too big ?
Is the section on flying ships and the associated fluff overkill ? How bout the superscience section ? If so, I'd make it a seperate document, aimed at barsoomian style S&S.
Does some kind of default campaign need to be included ? If so, how gonzo or generic.
Would art help the flavor ?
Is the combat too detailed for what this is ? (emulating a what-if D&D)
Is an actual monster manual type section needed or wanted (creatures other than intelligent races, I mean) this is one of the big traveller D&D departure points. Traveller gives construction tools and a few examples, D&D gives enumerated lists.
Answer any or none, particulalry if you have downloaded it. I'm about 1/2 done with beta version 2. Comment here or email to (edit) Ooops. Under construction. hang on.
Thanks in advance !
1. The price list is done, and utterly self indulgent.
2. I would appreciate some input on a few topics.
Is the magic system too big ?
Is the section on flying ships and the associated fluff overkill ? How bout the superscience section ? If so, I'd make it a seperate document, aimed at barsoomian style S&S.
Does some kind of default campaign need to be included ? If so, how gonzo or generic.
Would art help the flavor ?
Is the combat too detailed for what this is ? (emulating a what-if D&D)
Is an actual monster manual type section needed or wanted (creatures other than intelligent races, I mean) this is one of the big traveller D&D departure points. Traveller gives construction tools and a few examples, D&D gives enumerated lists.
Answer any or none, particulalry if you have downloaded it. I'm about 1/2 done with beta version 2. Comment here or email to (edit) Ooops. Under construction. hang on.
Thanks in advance !
Friday, August 13, 2010
New Stuff: Alchemy Spells 2
Binding of the arcane essence.
Cost: See below table
Duration: instant/as per spell
Life: base 1 day+1 week per allocated effect point.
This allows the Alchemist to bind standard spells into alchemical compounds. The spell must be either known by the alchemist, or be provided during formulation by a capable spellcaster. The spell must be successfully cast, and the final effect recorded and allocated as appropriate to the spell description. Once the bound spell is cast, the alchemist must succeed in an Alchemy task check, modified by the difficulty of the bound spell.
Success indicates the compound and spell are successfully bound. Extra effect points may be allocated to effective life and limitations as per Enhancement of the material form. Otherwise, the default life of the compound is one day, with no limitations.
If the roll fails, the compound (and costs) are lost, and the bound spell immediately takes effect as if cast at the Alchemist and helpers. Assume that all working on the formulation are within 3’ of the spells point of effect, allow all but the casting Alchemist a DEX test to jump to cover and take ½ effect.
Cost of compounds are based on the school of the spell to be bound.
Cantrip/Chant2d6 gold coins or Solidii
Dweomer/Blessing 10 x 2d6 gold coins/Solidii
Sorcery/Prayer 100 x 2d6 gold coins/Solidii
Wizardry/Miracle 1000 x 2d6 gold coins/Solidii
In addition, any costs associated with the bound spell must be paid up front, and any physical effects upon the caster occur as listed to whoever provided the bound spell.
When consumed (or used –one could bind a spell into some odd ointment) the user may and must immediately cast the bound spell. The user of the compound does not suffer any effects related to casting the spell. Cool, huh ?
Cost: See below table
Duration: instant/as per spell
Life: base 1 day+1 week per allocated effect point.
This allows the Alchemist to bind standard spells into alchemical compounds. The spell must be either known by the alchemist, or be provided during formulation by a capable spellcaster. The spell must be successfully cast, and the final effect recorded and allocated as appropriate to the spell description. Once the bound spell is cast, the alchemist must succeed in an Alchemy task check, modified by the difficulty of the bound spell.
Success indicates the compound and spell are successfully bound. Extra effect points may be allocated to effective life and limitations as per Enhancement of the material form. Otherwise, the default life of the compound is one day, with no limitations.
If the roll fails, the compound (and costs) are lost, and the bound spell immediately takes effect as if cast at the Alchemist and helpers. Assume that all working on the formulation are within 3’ of the spells point of effect, allow all but the casting Alchemist a DEX test to jump to cover and take ½ effect.
Cost of compounds are based on the school of the spell to be bound.
Cantrip/Chant2d6 gold coins or Solidii
Dweomer/Blessing 10 x 2d6 gold coins/Solidii
Sorcery/Prayer 100 x 2d6 gold coins/Solidii
Wizardry/Miracle 1000 x 2d6 gold coins/Solidii
In addition, any costs associated with the bound spell must be paid up front, and any physical effects upon the caster occur as listed to whoever provided the bound spell.
When consumed (or used –one could bind a spell into some odd ointment) the user may and must immediately cast the bound spell. The user of the compound does not suffer any effects related to casting the spell. Cool, huh ?
New stuff: Alchemy spells 1.
Enhancement of the material form
Cost: 100silver x 2d6 x maximum points chosen.
Difficulty: the chosen maximum Characteristic boost.
Time to prepare 1 day per point of maximum
This spell allows an alchemist to create potions or other medicines that temporarily increase the users natural characteristics. Choose a characteristic from STR, DEX, END,or INT. Specify a maximum number of points to add to the stat; this is the difficulty for creating the compound. If successful, note the final effect. If the effect of the success is less than or equal to the maximum chosen, the compound boosts the characteristic by that amount. The basic duration of a result that is less than or equal to the maximum chosen has a duration of one hour and an effective life of one day.
If the final result exceeds the maximum, the caster may allocate effect points to duration, effective life and any limitations.
Points added to duration extend the potion by one hour per point. Points allocated to life increase the life of the compound by a week. Limitations are a set of words that limit who can use the compound. Each point allows one word. Example: “Me”(1 point) “My friends”(two points) “elves or dwarfs”(three points) “Anybody but that tool, Bilbo” (5 points).
Failure causes an explosion, doing damage equal to the maximum points chosen plus the negative effect (treated as positive for all you clever Nellies). With a blast radius of 1 yard per point of negative effect. Additionally, the cost of the casting is lost.
Note: compounds increasing INT are often highly addictive for spellcasters*. When an INT boost compound expires, a spellcaster user must succeed in an INT test vs dice equal to the boost or immediately attempt to consume another INT compound within (2d6 – boost) hours if available. If after that time a compound was not available, the spellcaster suffers a minus to all spell rolls equal to half the boost (rounded down) for a number of days equal to half the boost (retain fractions). This effect is not directly ameliorated by INT potions , but is effected by magical cures.
*defined as anyone who learns or can inherently cast a spell.
Cost: 100silver x 2d6 x maximum points chosen.
Difficulty: the chosen maximum Characteristic boost.
Time to prepare 1 day per point of maximum
This spell allows an alchemist to create potions or other medicines that temporarily increase the users natural characteristics. Choose a characteristic from STR, DEX, END,or INT. Specify a maximum number of points to add to the stat; this is the difficulty for creating the compound. If successful, note the final effect. If the effect of the success is less than or equal to the maximum chosen, the compound boosts the characteristic by that amount. The basic duration of a result that is less than or equal to the maximum chosen has a duration of one hour and an effective life of one day.
If the final result exceeds the maximum, the caster may allocate effect points to duration, effective life and any limitations.
Points added to duration extend the potion by one hour per point. Points allocated to life increase the life of the compound by a week. Limitations are a set of words that limit who can use the compound. Each point allows one word. Example: “Me”(1 point) “My friends”(two points) “elves or dwarfs”(three points) “Anybody but that tool, Bilbo” (5 points).
Failure causes an explosion, doing damage equal to the maximum points chosen plus the negative effect (treated as positive for all you clever Nellies). With a blast radius of 1 yard per point of negative effect. Additionally, the cost of the casting is lost.
Note: compounds increasing INT are often highly addictive for spellcasters*. When an INT boost compound expires, a spellcaster user must succeed in an INT test vs dice equal to the boost or immediately attempt to consume another INT compound within (2d6 – boost) hours if available. If after that time a compound was not available, the spellcaster suffers a minus to all spell rolls equal to half the boost (rounded down) for a number of days equal to half the boost (retain fractions). This effect is not directly ameliorated by INT potions , but is effected by magical cures.
*defined as anyone who learns or can inherently cast a spell.
Some spells for Alchemists.
Working on finishing up the rules, as suggested. (belated thanks for the suggestion )
ALCHEMY
Alchemy is the science of binding magical energies into mundane substances, allowing anyone to use or benefit from the spell. Alchemist spells are, in essence precast and carried around in the form of expensive potions and powders which must be consumed or thrown to activate the effects. The materials vary in their volatility, but all eventually become inert if not used.
Cost to produce an alchemical item is either explicitly listed for purely alchemical spell, or, for items binding Standard (non-mystery) spells, the circle of the spell. In general, a compound can be of any expendable material, traditionally a potion, but also powders, unguents and oils can be used, as could a candle, a box of powder or a chicken drumbone (if one is so inclined); the point is that the compound must be directly expended by the user, such used destroying the compound. generally, the user must do somthing with the compound involving their body -think medicinal compounds and snakeoil.
ALCHEMY
Alchemy is the science of binding magical energies into mundane substances, allowing anyone to use or benefit from the spell. Alchemist spells are, in essence precast and carried around in the form of expensive potions and powders which must be consumed or thrown to activate the effects. The materials vary in their volatility, but all eventually become inert if not used.
Cost to produce an alchemical item is either explicitly listed for purely alchemical spell, or, for items binding Standard (non-mystery) spells, the circle of the spell. In general, a compound can be of any expendable material, traditionally a potion, but also powders, unguents and oils can be used, as could a candle, a box of powder or a chicken drumbone (if one is so inclined); the point is that the compound must be directly expended by the user, such used destroying the compound. generally, the user must do somthing with the compound involving their body -think medicinal compounds and snakeoil.
New version of character rules, including revision of Reputation rules.
Some stuff to be in the newest version for y'all.
Part I:
Swordsmen and Sorcery
In which we learn how to create a character and how magic works.
Adventurer, as with traveler, is about bold individuals who push off from normal careers and seek fame and riches in the wide world. Their past gives them the skills they will need to succeed, and their wits allow them to succeed when their skills fail or insufficient. A typical Adventurer is far from a callow youth beginning his first trip from home; and yet, he is not yet a mighty and renowned hero (or wizard) sung of in epics. He is a skilled and competent master of many different skills, yet it is deeds that bring success and fame. A character then has a history, and a list of skills and traits with which to seek fortune; these are abstracted by the career system of traveler.
A character begins at age 14, with rolled stats (as standard), and chooses a career to attempt to enlist in.
Characteristics
Every person and creature in Traveller has several characteristics that describe their base mental and physical potential. All but one are standard to traveller, Reputation, which will be discussed in more detail. All other are generated as per the Mongoose Core traveller rules, and have the same limits. Note that currently, there is no table for +/-modifiers due to high or low characteristics. This is simply because dice modifiers based on characteristics was largely an artifact of post three book D&D; the goal here is to model the initial version of D&D, no more, no less. Nonetheless, while not providing a direct plus (or minus) to skill and task rolls or tests, different values do allow characters to (for example) use differently effective weapons or tools, have more skills (or less), or be more or less capable in tests depending on ones characteristics.
Strength (STR): A character’s physical strength, fitness and forcefulness.
Dexterity (DEX): Physical co-ordination and agility, reflexes.
Endurance (End): A character’s ability to sustain damage, stamina and determination.
Intelligence (INT): A character’s intellect and quickness of mind.
Education (Edu): A measure of a character’s learning and experience as well as how familiar they are with the rules and traditions of the society they live in.
Social Standing (Soc): A character’s place in society.
Reputation: (Rep): A characters fame and influence.
New characteristic: Reputation.
Reputation describes a characteristic which might becalled fame or mass appeal in a modern or SF game.
Unlike other characteristics, reputation ranges from 0-6, and is not generated as per other characteristics. At start, it is equal to 0.
One aspect of S&S fiction that is somewhat lacking in later historical genres is that of advancement or growing fame.
The Barbarian starts as an unknown boy, who becomes known at home as a hardcase after a battle; he then kills a perilous giant boar and becomes known locally as a renouned fighter –when he goes to the city, he is once again noone, although those from home know him. As time goes on, and if he survives, his reputation will grow –not always for the better (when he tries his hand at theft) but people do know of him, make way, look to gain his favor and such. Eventually, his fame is such that newcomers to the city have heard of him, and so on.
In Adventurer, it is a measure of a characters success, for good or evil, and as a result, how well known and admired (or feared) the character is. Unlike SOC, REP is what one earns for oneself, above and beyond what fate has granted you at birth.
In general, it can be used to increase social standing, modify the roll on attempts to intimidate or charm, and add to the effect when a socially based roll is successful.
How it works:
All fame is local, but the size of the locality is what varies. The higher ones reputation, the farther from one’s home it can be used. Note that the amount of rep levels is the same throughout this area. This is because of the nature of fame – a little fame is meaningless, and if they have heard of you at all (in terms that would matter) they’ve typically heard the best stuff possible. Plus, it makes it more heroic, and easier to implement in play. Thus, a higher reputation gives one more benefit over a larger area, with no reduction –until suddenly you are a nobody, because you’re not as interesting as more local heroes.
Also, there is little differentiation between a good and a bad reputation, or between good or evil. Reputation is designed to represent that nebulous but powerful element that all mythic heroes possess and strive for. It is not simply being seen or heard about by lots of people. It is what poets and bards sing of, and opponents quail at while simultaneously attempting to steal.
There is no unskilled use of reputation; these modifiers only apply to a character with a reputation greater than 0.
Effective range
Reputation may be used if one is within the following number of hexes* from the characters home, or main base (or current base, see optional rules)
Reputation Distance Rule of Thumb area
1 1 City /Barony/shire
2 2 Province/county
3 4 Principality/Duchy
4 8 Kingdom
5 16 Empire
6 32 Continent/Epic/you win
*this assumes use of the hex size suggested in the campaign rules.
All distances are measured in 1 week hexes beyond the home hex. Thus, a distance of 1 is the home hex and one hex around it. .
REP can and will change in play, generally upward, with the caveat that it may not always be the same reputation, nor always wanted. A wel known monster hunter who decapitates the Mayor will probably be more well known afterwards, and not for his previous deeds.
REP can be increased before play by career resolution and mustering out. Finally, a character may forgo a roll on the money benefits table to increase a REP from 0 to 1. Thereafter, see the section on increasing characteristics for details.
Uses of Reputation
When within the range of ones Reputation, add the reputation level to the characters SOC for all uses; note that this may not affect foreigners or newcomers, or characters of thecharacters modified SOC or higher (Parveneu upstart !)
When attempting to intimidate, recruit or use streetwise or courtly graces, use the reputation level as if it were a skill. While this may be subtracted in some cases (Jeffery Dalmer looking for a job in supermarket, for instance), do recall that a reputation as an unstable sociopath will often get people to do you favors as much as a reputation as a noble philanthropist.
In all other interactions involving social skills (bribes, favors, discounts), add the level of reputation to the effect of a successful roll. In extreme cases of bullying and fear, subtract the level from an unsuccessful roll.
The effects of REP are not optional. A character attempting to keep a low profile either thru disguise stealth or dmisdirection within an area effected by REP will roll as normal, but the characters REP is subtracted from the final roll if the roll fails. Thus: “Hey – someones sneaking out the back door of that tavern ! hey Its HIM !”
General comment: Note that a general who is the SOC 15 emperor’s cousin might have a SOC of 12 or 13; if he starts getting famous, his effective SOC may come to exceed that of the emperor –with obvious consequences in both direction. (If curious, look up the relationship between Belisarius and Justinian in Byzantine history)
Part I:
Swordsmen and Sorcery
In which we learn how to create a character and how magic works.
Adventurer, as with traveler, is about bold individuals who push off from normal careers and seek fame and riches in the wide world. Their past gives them the skills they will need to succeed, and their wits allow them to succeed when their skills fail or insufficient. A typical Adventurer is far from a callow youth beginning his first trip from home; and yet, he is not yet a mighty and renowned hero (or wizard) sung of in epics. He is a skilled and competent master of many different skills, yet it is deeds that bring success and fame. A character then has a history, and a list of skills and traits with which to seek fortune; these are abstracted by the career system of traveler.
A character begins at age 14, with rolled stats (as standard), and chooses a career to attempt to enlist in.
Characteristics
Every person and creature in Traveller has several characteristics that describe their base mental and physical potential. All but one are standard to traveller, Reputation, which will be discussed in more detail. All other are generated as per the Mongoose Core traveller rules, and have the same limits. Note that currently, there is no table for +/-modifiers due to high or low characteristics. This is simply because dice modifiers based on characteristics was largely an artifact of post three book D&D; the goal here is to model the initial version of D&D, no more, no less. Nonetheless, while not providing a direct plus (or minus) to skill and task rolls or tests, different values do allow characters to (for example) use differently effective weapons or tools, have more skills (or less), or be more or less capable in tests depending on ones characteristics.
Strength (STR): A character’s physical strength, fitness and forcefulness.
Dexterity (DEX): Physical co-ordination and agility, reflexes.
Endurance (End): A character’s ability to sustain damage, stamina and determination.
Intelligence (INT): A character’s intellect and quickness of mind.
Education (Edu): A measure of a character’s learning and experience as well as how familiar they are with the rules and traditions of the society they live in.
Social Standing (Soc): A character’s place in society.
Reputation: (Rep): A characters fame and influence.
New characteristic: Reputation.
Reputation describes a characteristic which might becalled fame or mass appeal in a modern or SF game.
Unlike other characteristics, reputation ranges from 0-6, and is not generated as per other characteristics. At start, it is equal to 0.
One aspect of S&S fiction that is somewhat lacking in later historical genres is that of advancement or growing fame.
The Barbarian starts as an unknown boy, who becomes known at home as a hardcase after a battle; he then kills a perilous giant boar and becomes known locally as a renouned fighter –when he goes to the city, he is once again noone, although those from home know him. As time goes on, and if he survives, his reputation will grow –not always for the better (when he tries his hand at theft) but people do know of him, make way, look to gain his favor and such. Eventually, his fame is such that newcomers to the city have heard of him, and so on.
In Adventurer, it is a measure of a characters success, for good or evil, and as a result, how well known and admired (or feared) the character is. Unlike SOC, REP is what one earns for oneself, above and beyond what fate has granted you at birth.
In general, it can be used to increase social standing, modify the roll on attempts to intimidate or charm, and add to the effect when a socially based roll is successful.
How it works:
All fame is local, but the size of the locality is what varies. The higher ones reputation, the farther from one’s home it can be used. Note that the amount of rep levels is the same throughout this area. This is because of the nature of fame – a little fame is meaningless, and if they have heard of you at all (in terms that would matter) they’ve typically heard the best stuff possible. Plus, it makes it more heroic, and easier to implement in play. Thus, a higher reputation gives one more benefit over a larger area, with no reduction –until suddenly you are a nobody, because you’re not as interesting as more local heroes.
Also, there is little differentiation between a good and a bad reputation, or between good or evil. Reputation is designed to represent that nebulous but powerful element that all mythic heroes possess and strive for. It is not simply being seen or heard about by lots of people. It is what poets and bards sing of, and opponents quail at while simultaneously attempting to steal.
There is no unskilled use of reputation; these modifiers only apply to a character with a reputation greater than 0.
Effective range
Reputation may be used if one is within the following number of hexes* from the characters home, or main base (or current base, see optional rules)
Reputation Distance Rule of Thumb area
1 1 City /Barony/shire
2 2 Province/county
3 4 Principality/Duchy
4 8 Kingdom
5 16 Empire
6 32 Continent/Epic/you win
*this assumes use of the hex size suggested in the campaign rules.
All distances are measured in 1 week hexes beyond the home hex. Thus, a distance of 1 is the home hex and one hex around it. .
REP can and will change in play, generally upward, with the caveat that it may not always be the same reputation, nor always wanted. A wel known monster hunter who decapitates the Mayor will probably be more well known afterwards, and not for his previous deeds.
REP can be increased before play by career resolution and mustering out. Finally, a character may forgo a roll on the money benefits table to increase a REP from 0 to 1. Thereafter, see the section on increasing characteristics for details.
Uses of Reputation
When within the range of ones Reputation, add the reputation level to the characters SOC for all uses; note that this may not affect foreigners or newcomers, or characters of thecharacters modified SOC or higher (Parveneu upstart !)
When attempting to intimidate, recruit or use streetwise or courtly graces, use the reputation level as if it were a skill. While this may be subtracted in some cases (Jeffery Dalmer looking for a job in supermarket, for instance), do recall that a reputation as an unstable sociopath will often get people to do you favors as much as a reputation as a noble philanthropist.
In all other interactions involving social skills (bribes, favors, discounts), add the level of reputation to the effect of a successful roll. In extreme cases of bullying and fear, subtract the level from an unsuccessful roll.
The effects of REP are not optional. A character attempting to keep a low profile either thru disguise stealth or dmisdirection within an area effected by REP will roll as normal, but the characters REP is subtracted from the final roll if the roll fails. Thus: “Hey – someones sneaking out the back door of that tavern ! hey Its HIM !”
General comment: Note that a general who is the SOC 15 emperor’s cousin might have a SOC of 12 or 13; if he starts getting famous, his effective SOC may come to exceed that of the emperor –with obvious consequences in both direction. (If curious, look up the relationship between Belisarius and Justinian in Byzantine history)
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Stop Press ! LotFP arrives !
Or should I say, LotFP: WRPG ?
regardless. Lamentations of the flame Princess RPG just arrived ! Hoody Hoo !
Plus, the family was fascinated that I got a package from Finland. Extra points !
Gonna read it before bed; if I have odd dreanms, I'll post em.
But really. I'm gonna wind up the money thing next.
regardless. Lamentations of the flame Princess RPG just arrived ! Hoody Hoo !
Plus, the family was fascinated that I got a package from Finland. Extra points !
Gonna read it before bed; if I have odd dreanms, I'll post em.
But really. I'm gonna wind up the money thing next.
Back and Blathering about Bullion !
I’m back from vacation ! Six days lounging around a pool with refreshing beverages friends and family was great ! Okay, lets finish up money.
My idea is that money types tend to correspond with what they buy. Cheap stuff needs cheap coins, expensive stuff needs high value coinage. In the first case, providing change is a real issue if you have gold coins, and in the second, gathering a wagon of small value coins is the issue.
So, it occurs to me that the money can be broadly assumed to relate to broad categories of goods. I have four categories of money based on roman(esque) values, and they correspond to Gold, Silver, bronze(or Small silver ) and copper. All are to some extent adulterated (thus the concept of intrinsic value: money is circulated at greater than its precious content), and interestingly, with non-debased money (in which the precious content is what it always has been and is well known), a low ratio of precious to base content is much more tolerable in the least valueable currency. This is because a base coin of low value is close to the everyday purchase lots of the cheapest and most basic goods – which allows less cheap currency required to circulate as change. If this seems odd, consider that at the fringes of the roman empire, inflation often occurred as a result of a lack of low value coinage –as it became harder to make change, merchants raised prices to avoid hassle and legal issues regarding value for cost and change. In many cases, this was because the local army was the main source of coinage, and they were notorious for paying in the highest coinage possible to save on transport. So one needs lots of tiny coins, or the historical solution of cutting coins –which makes their value less precise, and thus less desirable than uncut coins, which also contributes to inflation via devaluation. But enough of that.
Four categories, four coin families: Each coin family is based on one of the four(copper As, bronze Sestercii, silver Denarius, gold Solidus). Each of the categories had coinage running from ¼ to 4x the base coin to allow change and higher value purchases within the associated type of goods. As Silver, Bronze and copper follow a 4:1 progression, the smallest Denarii based coin(a ¼ d in silver ) is equal to the largest sestercii based coin(4 sestercii bronze); in general, the physically larger coin is preferred by consumers and small merchants as it is hard to lose or swipe, so these “bottom edge coins” ¼ silver, ¼ bronze are generally rarer and replaced by the largest issue of the next lowest based coinage.
Okay, so heres the jump: I'm going to assume that each family of coin has an associated social class that uses it day to day –with bigger purchases coming from the next coin family up. For my own dogheaded purposes, I’ll specify that Copper = poor; Bronze = getting by; Silver = well to do, Gold =wealthy.
Remember too, that 1 Solidus = 25 Denarii =100 sesterci =400 As.
Unlike the lesser metal coins, the jump to Gold is 25:1, which, to me, suggests that there is natural division in goods when the gold items are considered. Most people, even peasants, could buy things on the bottom three groupings, even if they had to save for it –and often, even if they could, they wouldn't bother, simply because while a sword is affordable, its about the same cost as another donkey or a couple of goats, and which is more useful day in and out to a dirt farmer? Gold stuff is a major investment for the Silver classes, and has to have immediate use. A basic riding horse may cost the same as a milk cow, but there is no return for a farmer on his gold, whereas a the milk cow is a productive asset –and one which might only be replaced (or added to) every few years. So, such a purchase is a huge hardship for the bronze classes, and unreachable for the copper.
Thus, Gold items, are the items that would bankrupt most people. And when I say most people, it's probably worth pointing out that something like 90% of most preindustrial populations are either rural farmers or laboring poor in the cities –the ones using copper and bronze day to day. ; The well to do and up were very small portions of the population:. In fact, looking at the gold/copper ratio, assuming about 400 poor subsistance farmers or labourors (copper class)to 1 wealthy farmer or merchant (gold class) is a pretty good approximation of preindustrial demographics; as is 1 rich bugger for every 25 well off merchants(silver) or farm owners to 100 "getting by" workers and small/sharecrop farmers (bronze) to 400 peasants/working poor labor or slaves(copper). Interesting, that.
So, looking at actual prices for Stuff (loosely defined) mainly usiong classical sources, but filling in with byzantine and early medieval prices, here seems to be the categories of coins and what they buy.
Witin each category, the prices range from about 1/2 to double or triple the basic coins, with really cheap items (due to quality or quantity) out to 1/4 to 4x.
Copper/As: unprepared bulk foodstuffs, usually grains. Minimally prepared food (bread,small beer, poor wine) cheapest household goods. day rates for odd jobs by children, slaves, beggars and the destitue or refugees ("here child take this note to that tavern", "okay, sweep the crossing ahead of me"); often a day rate at this level is the value of any dole or relief provided by a guild, church, city or state , delivered in basic grain or bread.
Bronze/small silver/Sestercii; basic prepared food (sizzling weasel-on-a-stick), raw bulk meat, base metal household tools; basic furnishing; non metal weapons (bow, staff,club; common mostly wood weapons (spear, javelin) and shields.. Cheapest food animals (chickens); base living rent; good drink (wine, ale). Day wage for working poor/grunt labor. ("you diggum heap big hole here, throw in much dung from big stink pile there, clean floor under pile much hurry hurry !")
Silver/Denarii: Tools, most metal weapons, clothing*, sit down meal, small food animals (pig, goat, sheep) or base draft animals (oxen in some periods draft horses in another); cheapest owned housing ; good versions of Bronze coin items. Snob drinks. day wage for basic worker, multiples for specialists (carpenter =2x, Jeweler 3x) or basic thug guard(1-3x). In general, Legionaires were paid some where between a basic and specialist depending on the political climate; elites were often paid 2-4x more.
Gold/Solidii; large livestock (Ox, Cow), riding horses, land , Armor**; good quality silver coin items Snob foods. Day rate for Senior Officers/Knights/Experts (architect; fashionable sculptor; high civil service)
* Clothing is surprisingly expensive seen through modern eyes. The material is farmed, but replaces food acreage (as cotton, flax or wool sheep, say) and requires lots of hand labor (spinning by a distaff is a lifetime 24/7 hobby). Both boost the prices, especially in communities with very little excess agricultural land.
** Armor is interesting, and more expensive than D&D would suggest when compared to cost of living. Two interesting constants I found were that a cheap or basic sword cost about the same as a small pack or draft animal, and mail armor cost about 4x a sword. A helmet cost 1/2 sword, as did a set of metal grieves. shields were cheap, as were spears. Bows, too, relative to mainly metal items.
Next up and last:
The actual frikkin price list based on the above.
My idea is that money types tend to correspond with what they buy. Cheap stuff needs cheap coins, expensive stuff needs high value coinage. In the first case, providing change is a real issue if you have gold coins, and in the second, gathering a wagon of small value coins is the issue.
So, it occurs to me that the money can be broadly assumed to relate to broad categories of goods. I have four categories of money based on roman(esque) values, and they correspond to Gold, Silver, bronze(or Small silver ) and copper. All are to some extent adulterated (thus the concept of intrinsic value: money is circulated at greater than its precious content), and interestingly, with non-debased money (in which the precious content is what it always has been and is well known), a low ratio of precious to base content is much more tolerable in the least valueable currency. This is because a base coin of low value is close to the everyday purchase lots of the cheapest and most basic goods – which allows less cheap currency required to circulate as change. If this seems odd, consider that at the fringes of the roman empire, inflation often occurred as a result of a lack of low value coinage –as it became harder to make change, merchants raised prices to avoid hassle and legal issues regarding value for cost and change. In many cases, this was because the local army was the main source of coinage, and they were notorious for paying in the highest coinage possible to save on transport. So one needs lots of tiny coins, or the historical solution of cutting coins –which makes their value less precise, and thus less desirable than uncut coins, which also contributes to inflation via devaluation. But enough of that.
Four categories, four coin families: Each coin family is based on one of the four(copper As, bronze Sestercii, silver Denarius, gold Solidus). Each of the categories had coinage running from ¼ to 4x the base coin to allow change and higher value purchases within the associated type of goods. As Silver, Bronze and copper follow a 4:1 progression, the smallest Denarii based coin(a ¼ d in silver ) is equal to the largest sestercii based coin(4 sestercii bronze); in general, the physically larger coin is preferred by consumers and small merchants as it is hard to lose or swipe, so these “bottom edge coins” ¼ silver, ¼ bronze are generally rarer and replaced by the largest issue of the next lowest based coinage.
Okay, so heres the jump: I'm going to assume that each family of coin has an associated social class that uses it day to day –with bigger purchases coming from the next coin family up. For my own dogheaded purposes, I’ll specify that Copper = poor; Bronze = getting by; Silver = well to do, Gold =wealthy.
Remember too, that 1 Solidus = 25 Denarii =100 sesterci =400 As.
Unlike the lesser metal coins, the jump to Gold is 25:1, which, to me, suggests that there is natural division in goods when the gold items are considered. Most people, even peasants, could buy things on the bottom three groupings, even if they had to save for it –and often, even if they could, they wouldn't bother, simply because while a sword is affordable, its about the same cost as another donkey or a couple of goats, and which is more useful day in and out to a dirt farmer? Gold stuff is a major investment for the Silver classes, and has to have immediate use. A basic riding horse may cost the same as a milk cow, but there is no return for a farmer on his gold, whereas a the milk cow is a productive asset –and one which might only be replaced (or added to) every few years. So, such a purchase is a huge hardship for the bronze classes, and unreachable for the copper.
Thus, Gold items, are the items that would bankrupt most people. And when I say most people, it's probably worth pointing out that something like 90% of most preindustrial populations are either rural farmers or laboring poor in the cities –the ones using copper and bronze day to day. ; The well to do and up were very small portions of the population:. In fact, looking at the gold/copper ratio, assuming about 400 poor subsistance farmers or labourors (copper class)to 1 wealthy farmer or merchant (gold class) is a pretty good approximation of preindustrial demographics; as is 1 rich bugger for every 25 well off merchants(silver) or farm owners to 100 "getting by" workers and small/sharecrop farmers (bronze) to 400 peasants/working poor labor or slaves(copper). Interesting, that.
So, looking at actual prices for Stuff (loosely defined) mainly usiong classical sources, but filling in with byzantine and early medieval prices, here seems to be the categories of coins and what they buy.
Witin each category, the prices range from about 1/2 to double or triple the basic coins, with really cheap items (due to quality or quantity) out to 1/4 to 4x.
Copper/As: unprepared bulk foodstuffs, usually grains. Minimally prepared food (bread,small beer, poor wine) cheapest household goods. day rates for odd jobs by children, slaves, beggars and the destitue or refugees ("here child take this note to that tavern", "okay, sweep the crossing ahead of me"); often a day rate at this level is the value of any dole or relief provided by a guild, church, city or state , delivered in basic grain or bread.
Bronze/small silver/Sestercii; basic prepared food (sizzling weasel-on-a-stick), raw bulk meat, base metal household tools; basic furnishing; non metal weapons (bow, staff,club; common mostly wood weapons (spear, javelin) and shields.. Cheapest food animals (chickens); base living rent; good drink (wine, ale). Day wage for working poor/grunt labor. ("you diggum heap big hole here, throw in much dung from big stink pile there, clean floor under pile much hurry hurry !")
Silver/Denarii: Tools, most metal weapons, clothing*, sit down meal, small food animals (pig, goat, sheep) or base draft animals (oxen in some periods draft horses in another); cheapest owned housing ; good versions of Bronze coin items. Snob drinks. day wage for basic worker, multiples for specialists (carpenter =2x, Jeweler 3x) or basic thug guard(1-3x). In general, Legionaires were paid some where between a basic and specialist depending on the political climate; elites were often paid 2-4x more.
Gold/Solidii; large livestock (Ox, Cow), riding horses, land , Armor**; good quality silver coin items Snob foods. Day rate for Senior Officers/Knights/Experts (architect; fashionable sculptor; high civil service)
* Clothing is surprisingly expensive seen through modern eyes. The material is farmed, but replaces food acreage (as cotton, flax or wool sheep, say) and requires lots of hand labor (spinning by a distaff is a lifetime 24/7 hobby). Both boost the prices, especially in communities with very little excess agricultural land.
** Armor is interesting, and more expensive than D&D would suggest when compared to cost of living. Two interesting constants I found were that a cheap or basic sword cost about the same as a small pack or draft animal, and mail armor cost about 4x a sword. A helmet cost 1/2 sword, as did a set of metal grieves. shields were cheap, as were spears. Bows, too, relative to mainly metal items.
Next up and last:
The actual frikkin price list based on the above.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Well, Heck.......(money part 4)
That was a waste of time and typing. The money stuff. Unsurprisingly another blog, one that I follow (but apparently not closely enough) has already done the same kind of analysis, and come to a better system than what I was futzin around with. Ah well:
http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2007/03/od-variants.html
Well done, Delta, and thanks. I'll most likely steal it.
http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2007/03/od-variants.html
Well done, Delta, and thanks. I'll most likely steal it.
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