Helmets

This mornings post at Tenkar's Tavern mentions the original helmet rules from early D&D. Specifically intelligent creatures supposedly swing for the head 50% of the time.  This of course begs certain questions beginning with are all metal helmets AC 3 (without shield), who can wear helmets, do humanoid monsters wear helmets and do thieves need leather (AC 7) helmets?

Really helmets must do something, they are 25 GP on the OD&D equipment list and given that price must have some utility.  Historical fact and even the slightest bit of verisimilitude calls for helmets to be important as well.  Helmets are pretty much the first piece of protective equipment people use, and the last to go as armor faded from the modern battlefield.  This last point may be why many people seem to consider helmets to be part of every suit of armor, a helmet is symbolic as armor and really the most important piece to functional protection.

Still, helmets are on the original equipment list as separate expensive items and it seems like helmets should have an important mechanical effect.  Something along the lines of a lack of helmet providing a 50% of armed attackers bypassing armor, combined with an initiative penalty due to the vision obstruction of a helmet might work.  However, system complications are always the easiest thing to add when thinking about games, and rarely worth the trouble when it comes time to play.  Additionally, given the importance in fantasy art and literature of bare header heroes and heroines with glamorous hair, it hardly seems right to seriously penalize characters who want to be dashing and not wear a helmet. Below are a few simple possibilities that might both make helmets useful but not necessary. Long ago Brendan at Untimely cataloged various approaches to helmets as well, so I've tried to hit on only the simple mechanical fixes that might be useful.

Walls and Doors - Mega Dungeon Detail on the Cheap.

Back when I was running ASE I discovered that while the room descriptions and details are very functional and describe the rooms sufficiently for the mechanical aspects of play they often lacked the sorts of details my players wanted to know.  Specifically, one of my players kept wanting to know about the walls and doors: material, age, markings, dust.  While a decent GM can usually provide this sort of thing quickly - and if it's unavailable, one must wonder how well the GM is visualizing the fantasy spaces he is creating, it becomes tricky at times, especially in a megadungeon setting where there are plenty of corridors and empty rooms.  

This could be a dungeon hallway

Tomb of the Rocketmen - AREA XIII (SAMPLE AREA)

XIII – Satellite Zeta Mu

Lighting	Dim light from various instrument panels and searing unfiltered sunlight from portholes.
Odors	Sterility and ozone
Traps	Uplift of party member to Orbital God Hood or die of starvation and thirst.
Treasure	Grave Goods worth 5,200 GP
Encounters	None

When the shimmering, nausea inducing matter transportation effect wears off the party will find themselves on an extremely cold grated metal floor.  The room is a small round cornered rectangle, with a high roof that vanishes above in a mass of fluted conduits.  At the center each wall is a 7’ diameter dome made of different materials.  The Northern dome is especially notable as it is made of cut crystal, while the others are metal.  Small screens, dials, buttons and other instrumentation cover the walls between domes.  Searing natural light pours through randomly spaced porthole like windows of thick smoked and unbreakable endura glass. Looking out the windows the viewer will quickly realize that they are at the peak of a large ovoid metallic structure that appears to float amongst an ocean of stars.  A scientist or the more intelligent sort of cleric will be able to identify their location as “in orbit” likely on a “god’s star”.  Looking out all the portholes will eventually spot the world floating in the distance, its dry continents and the still glowing death wastes clearly visible.   The only other item of note in the chamber is a small pile of human bones, brittle with age and wrapped in scraps of orange cloth, that rest near the crystal dome.  The domes are as follows:

Monsters of the Boiling Depression

The Boiling Depression is an example of what happens when wizards get to warring, or maybe just when they get too powerful and start cutting corners.  Over twenty miles long, and several miles wide the region is a blasted waste of ever shifting magical pollution. Portals wink open and closed releasing all manner of things onto the sorcery ripped ground to rummage amongst the distorted and abnormal plants.  Terrestrial creatures that live within or stray too close to the depression become twisted in incomprehensible ways and even the most peaceful become things out of nightmare.  Foolhardy types who dare pass or enter the Concavity in search of otherworldly minerals, fragments of mythical beasts or lost magical trinkets often meet horrors.  Below is a list of beasts, entities and encounters that live withing this scar of wild magic.

Table of encounters below...

Death Frost Doom Review

Note this is a review of the first version of Death Frost Doom, the new rewrite makes some changes for the good, adds some stuff, includes a new map and better art. Still the same adventure though.

Having just played through Death Frost Doom in the Pahvelorn Campaign, and survived rather well - of all things considered.  I went and purchased the module for the sole purpose of reviewing it (okay also wanted to see if I could steal anything for my own games).  This post thus contains a fair amount of Death Frost Doom Spoilers. 

Death Frost Doom has assumed a sort of iconic status in “OSR” gaming, and I can see why this is.  It has both a very classic old school dungeon crawl feel, with some lovely set pieces (especially early in the module), and is completely willing to main and kill characters with relatively little warning.  On the other hand there is something new in the module, representing a 'renaissance' perhaps. Death Frost Doom is clearly not a product of the traditional D&D mentality, found in most early TSR works, that sees the game as having war-game like goals: kill/foil monsters, collect treasure and advance characters.  A great deal of Death Frost Doom is spent with lavish attention on atmosphere and its structure is less a series of challenges and more an unfolding horror story.  It’s this second part, the focus on atmospherics and novel sorts of adventure beyond the now trite dungeon-crawl experience that make Death Frost Doom noteworthy.  Despite Death Frost Doom mostly involving a delve into an ancient tomb, many traditional D&D experiences are lacking – no wandering monsters, no secret traps (all traps telegraph their existence in interesting ways that make the players want to mess with them) and no boss monster to defeat.

Umber Hulks - Five Variations

Umber Hulk Classic

The Umber Hulk has been one of those D&D monsters (like the Bullette and Owlbear) that is the game's own creation and goes back forever (Greyhawk in 1975).  I don't think it's a product of the infamous bag of plastic monsters that produced the Rust Monster, Owlbear and Bullette but it's from the same era and just as weird.

As a game mechanic the Umber Hulk is a fun enough monster, a big brutal armored thing that has plenty of attacks.  In addition, hulks have their confusing gaze that makes entering melee with them more difficult.  As monsters they works something like the Owlbear and Shambling Mound - a large slow thing that tears parties apart if they fail to run or destroy the beast from a distance.  Like Shambling Mounds, Umber Hulks also enjoy attacking from ambush, but they are weaker than Shambling Mounds in terms of HP, AC and especially immunities.

New Umber Hulk

It's the umber hulk's appearance that gets weird, it's changed a bit over the years (fluctuating between beast and beetle), but always remained some kind of huge alien creature with a basically bipedal body plan, too many eyes and mandibles.   The name provides no reason for this appearance other than being big and brown. Thus, while the Hulk is a useful creature, its iconic appearance is strange enough that it doesn't work for many campaign worlds and is instantly recognizable to many players.  A giant underground bug creature that loves tunneling and has a confusing gaze doesn't really depand that much on in game explanation, but it doesn't really offer much of one either.  WOTC/TSR has suggested 1) That Umber Hulks are part of an elaborate deep underground ecosystem including purple worms 2) That Umber Hulks are some kind of slave race to mind flayers (and therefore presumably from whatever weird place those are from) 3) That Umber Hulks are from space (well Spelljammer at least).  All of these work well enough if you want a bug eyed horror from some alien world.

The Mountain Comes to Efulziton the Unseen - Pahvelorn Play Report

"So the extraworldy army is destroyed, and we get a reward, well I want you to promise not to attack the other ... uh ... civilized cities.  Well no I can't see why you'd do that, and I trust you'll keep that promise?  I also want to be a knight, I mean Duke of Trolmun.  Wait, there aren't any nobles in Trolmun, but I can still have a scroll that says I'm a Duke - a patent of nobility - make it written real fancy, on good paper, with ribbons, and seals, and some illuminated letters.  On a big heavy scroll, with carved knobs, yes bone is fine.  It's not worth anything though, you're sure?  Well then I also want my weight in gold - all 136 lbs." - Beni Profane, when offered his heart's desire by the Necromancer King Efulziton the Unseen

Pron - fighter, and huge, heavily made-up, hairy child

With the last notes of the magical flute echoing in their minds, and the earth around them buckling as uncounted legions of undead clawed towards the surface from their cursed graves the adventurers of the sometimes "Order of Gavin" rushed to the surface up the deep well that had led them to the heart of the doomed mountain.  Uri the Hook, a sadistic brute of a deserter from the Zorptah town guard who possessed an inexplicably sweet singing voice had fled previously and by the time the first of the party emerged from the stone well his armored form was fleeing across the writhing graveyard in exaggerated leaps that flung snow in every direction.  Lau Taxan, Beni Profane's dour shamanistic 'spiritual advisor' was the first to emerge from the ground, his ascent aided by the power of his fecund goddess to transform his hands and feet into the clinging claws of a rat.  As Lau forced his now human feet back into his armored boots, Beni also emerged from the hole, having scurried up the side of the shaft with no rope to slow his natural agility.  The two waited, and soon Eariyara the sorceress also climbed from the hole, her childish pinched face red with exhaustion from the rapid 50' climb.

Death Saves

Of late I have adopted the Save vs. Death system for reaching zero HP, a method introduced to me Brendan in his Pahvelorn game. I've explained my reasons for elsewhere, but have been doing some further thought about it as I play higher and higher level games.

Generally the "Death Save" used is the poison save, which benefits certain classes more than others, but the poison save in Labyrinth Lord is often very easy, and becomes almost farcical when a PC levels up.  Add bonuses to this from items and potentially Constitution, and survival chances are very high.

A persistent problem in my HMS Apollyon game has been lack of lethality - and death saves as opposed to negative HP systems seem a good way to handle it.  However, at higher levels this still amounts to a game with very little risk of death - which is fine, but not in keeping with the world I am trying to create.  Below is a revised death saving throw system that adjusts things to a place that I think is more like the one I want.

Map design thoughts.

I haven't been drawing many maps lately, at least not ones worth putting up anywhere at least. but I've been trying to think about how to use maps better.  Maps are central to almost any tabletop role-playing game, and one of the few non-verbal elements of play.  The issue is how to make maps useful, which means what levers one can use on a map to make certain kind of game. Below are the basic questions I've been asking myself about maps. 

1)      Does the map ‘fit’

The key here is making the map itself interesting? There are really a few basic kinds of maps I suspect – some sort of morphology that could be laid together like geomorphs (caves, temple, tower etc.) but that's not what I'm aiming at here.  Here I’m comparing, a traditional free for all of rooms and corridors and more ‘realistic’ maps that have internal logic. Nothing wrong with a classic style map, but I tend toward a more organic map designed with a visable logic.  To me it’s easier to write a place if the rooms are laid out sensibly with a use in mind.  This is what I mean by fit.  Does a room work with the rest of the map?  Is the kitchen near the barracks? Is the armory?  Is there a random room full of unhinged horrors between the guards and the food stores (because if so the guards aren’t eating much). This isn’t just a matter of taste and GM seeking ‘realism’ (which is more trouble than it’s worth) – it’s a way to allow the players a game of “what should be near here”.  Like if the party wants to find the temple, finding some acolyte quarters, and meditation rooms  should be a sign they are on the right track – the temple is not right after the rotgrub filled trash compactor (unless it’s a very special temple).

Consider the maps below.  Both are good maps – the first is one of the levels of the Temple of Elemental Evil (map 1) the second some kind of buried factory in Drakelow England for WWII production. The dungeon map has bizarre shaped rooms, and weird corridors going off in odd directions.  It’s designed as if it was drawn from above by someone trying to confuse a mapper.  Yet, the map of Drakelow(map 2) is boring and repetitive, predictable because it’s room after room of barracks and factories designed with real world construction and ergonomic limitations.  So the question isn’t “which kind of map to use” it’s “How far towards weird can I push my dungeon map and still retain internal logic”. 

Map 2 - Bunker Complex

Map 1 - Classic Dungeon

10 Random Questions, and a short HMS Apollyon Play Report

Random Wizard*, a fellow who thinks a lot about systems and game history posted 10 questions.  They are today's old D&D blog post of choice - so below are the answers for HMS Apollyon, and the questions in general.

(1). Race (Elf, Dwarf, Halfling) as a class? Yes or no?
Generally I like race as class - it makes race a distinctive choice and emphasizes the rareness of and stagnant cultures of Demi-humans in the world.  I don't use Elves Dwarves and Halflings on the Apollyon - rather Froglings (Halfingish MU/TH, Passengers (devil tainted MU/F), Flying Monkeys (F/TH), Merrowmen (Th or F or MU depending on stats).  Ultimately there are also dwarf analogues as well on the vessel, but they haven't been 'unlocked' yet.

(2). Do demi-humans have souls?
Sure, well some passengers likely had their souls sold at birth by their power hungry families, but otherwise of course.

(3). Ascending or descending armor class?
Descending, but only out of habit.

(4). Demi-human level limits?
10 I think - but I would like to impose a level limit of around 10 on everyone. Maybe 10 +1 per prime requisite bonus (Max 13).

(5). Should thief be a class?
Well thief as written is kind of silly, but specialists are key I think - most adventurers aren't fighters or wizards.  Most are some sort of skilled skulker and jack of all trades.  I want my thief/specialist class to represent a huge variety of skills though: Safe crackers, Animal Handlers, Archers, Assassins, Hunters, Academics, Doctors, Con Artist Preachers, Skirmishers, and even Martial Artists. 
 
(6). Do characters get non-weapon skills?
Yes, see above.  It's hard to balance, but I like PC to feel different and have strange proficiencies as they level. I want to change from apoint buy system to something more organic, but haven't gotten it all written down yet.

(7). Are magic-users more powerful than fighters (and, if yes, what level do they take the lead)? Depends on the player, depends on the Fighter, depends on the enemy.  I don't worry about power much.

(8). Do you use alignment languages?
 No, everything talks common - even the undead.  I love factions, and digging about on the sheet to see who speaks Sasquatch is boring.  I like social interaction with monsters - even if they mostly shout "I'm gonna eat your eyes!".


(9). XP for gold, or XP for objectives (thieves disarming traps, etc...)?
 XP for Gold, XP for Exploration, XP for player decided objectives


(10). Which is the best edition; ODD, Holmes, Moldvay, Mentzer, Rules Cyclopedia, 1E ADD, 2E ADD, 3E ADD, 4E ADD, Next ?
I use B/X via Labyrinth Lord mostly - quite fond of Little Brown Book D&D, and will convert Apollyon to that someday.  It's not important though - I think the system matters, but only so far as it determines the feel of a game.  Whatever system I'm using I have modded it a fair bit.

PLAY REPORT! HMS APOLLYON - Higher Level Campaign Session 1.
A party of seasoned adventurers decided to again brave the tangled gangways and vaults of the great vessel's stern.

Semm, fighting priest of Lyris
Quartle, mutated frogling sorcerer (with his loyal water elemental Skeetum)
Charlie Ogg, tattooed magsman
Fist of Grok, renaissance orc (formerly elf)
Mister Mister, numismatic foreigner

Best Haunted Armor I could find

Following a map provided by Charlie Ogg's organization (the possibly revolutionary Krab Brother's mafia) the adventurers obtain passage through much of the Sigil Maze behind the fortress of the Marines (The HMS Apollyon's almost defunct order of quasi-religious knight-like protectors).  The map suggests heading Northwest to find a hidden entrance to an ancient (an possibly unplundered arsenal), but the marine patrol will lead the adventurer's no further than an ancient riveted iron hatch.   Beyond the hatch is a series of tombs.  A  crystal clear pool is tested with a coin, then almost poisons Mister Mister as he reaches after the coin, only to be purified by Quartle's water elemental companion.

Beyond the pool are tombs - niches in the walls, sarcophagi both free standing and supine and even piles of bones.  Almost all the male dead are clad in white ceramic armor, with patterns like a china plate, but seem unmoving and still.  Other (female) mummies wear brown wrappings and long brown robes.  Quartle deduces correctly that this is a Marine tomb complex - filled with honored and holy dead marines, and their female auxiliary, the Umber Brides (marine widows and orphans who are highly feared assassins).

A trail of footprints in the still dust leads through a broken wall and into a smashed tomb, where ceramic armor lies shattered amongst dismembered and burnt mummified corpse bits.  Port from the broken tomb is a hall of four doors.

The Northern most door is picked easily by Ogg to reveal a tomb, where the sarcophagi begin to shift almost instantly open and a form made of hanging fire coalesces above the center tomb.  Dead scavengers (likely from an aborted expedition by the still missing Rangvar the Crowbar) are scattered about.  Fist banters with the fiery geist that materializes over the central carved alabaster tomb.  The creature appears to be a small withered corpse, suspended in the center of a suit of antique looking boiler mail - armor made completely from fire. The dead refuse to let the party pass without battle, so the adventurers close the door and head South.

To the south they find a chilled and misty tomb almost identical to that of the fire giest, and decide to avoid it. Beyond another Southern door (bronze and sculpted with a romantic scene) is a despoiled double tomb.  A rubble filled hole in the Northwest corner shows where looters (or worse necromancers) dug into the tomb.  Before it can be explored fully, Ogg is cursed by an ash covered skull levitating from the floor - apparently a farewell gift by the tomb robbers.  The tomb is defaced with black graffiti (mostly necromantic symbols and circles) as well as candle stubs around the central tombs.  The adventurers decide to dig out the hole, and soon find it magically sealed.  Fist dispels the magic with the brutal power of Grok, orcish god of slaughter and battle rage, but digging through the rubble is a slow process.

On guard, Semm spots a trio of spectral figures - women in brown robes that float amongst the hall and nearest tomb (the one filled with dismembered bodies) and begin to rearrange the corpses there. The spectres notice Semm and stare him down but continue to go about thier business until the priest retreats back to the party's diggings.

The party has managed to dig almost through the blockage before the brown robed ghosts suddenly appear and one touches Quartle, possessing the wizard.  Unsure how to fight the ghosts (protection from evil fails to stop them) the party keeps digging, and is startled again when Quartle looses a fireball directly at the floor.  Luckily only Fist's hired torchbearer is killed.  Before additional ghost related injury occurs Semm is able to use the power of Lyris to halt the ghosts and they agree to parley with the adventurers.

After extracting a promise to bring the spirits the heart of "plague King - Serkat, the King Scorpian" within six month, the ghosts manage to pressure several magical items from the party in exchange for aid in negotiating passage by the fire geist.

The geist agrees to let the adventurers pass (into the ancient fortress beyond) if they will name a champion to fight him for five rounds.  Semm accepts and with divine protection and great aplomb manages to get the best of the geist in the short exchange of blows.

*I should add Random joined the 2nd Google+ game I played, a trip into some swampy catacombs with Joe the Lawyer's unkillable (though now orcish) triple classed AD&D elf thing "Sir the Fist".  Random played an unfortunate henchmen that was sacrificed to ghoul no. 2 by Bobo the Monkey Zouve.  He's also played in several Apollyon session and a game of ASE - most often as an understated warrior named "Red".