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Post by platimus on Oct 2, 2015 11:41:43 GMT -5
Beefing up Lone Wolf with additional Reactions and Attacks per turn and elevating his hit points is akin to running more than one or two PCs to me, and that's getting away from my intent--to run one guy. I'm wanting the encounters to be altered, to put it plainly. I did like the karma and potions idea, platimus. You brought up some other interesting ideas, thanks for that. Maybe someone will give them a shot, but they don't really appeal to me. No problem. I was aiming for something that would be straight-forward and concise to express in an appendix. Also, I thought you wanted to run one guy to reduce the amount of resource tracking. I thought you said something to that effect in another thread. Unfortunately, I just realized that reducing the number of foes probably DOES reduce the resource tracking more than reducing the number of PCs. I still prefer scaling Lone Wolf up but thanks for helping me understand why scaling the encounters down appeals to you - and everybody else, I guess. With this in mind, maybe a convention could be established for encounter text that would make it easier/quicker for the party-of-one to pick out the essential, undiscardable foe(s) in the list of foes intended for a full party.
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Post by platimus on Oct 3, 2015 6:11:03 GMT -5
If anyone else wants to add to the thread---what would YOU like to see in these solo gamebooks--speak up, don't be shy. Anything, anything at all. Really. This means you. It does. Honest. Rock on! I would like to see more voluptuous, female hirelings clad in bikini-mail!
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Post by vladtaltos on Oct 5, 2015 9:12:29 GMT -5
darkscar, there's a couple of those "tricky encounters" in SitD. I'd be interested in knowing how you ran them for your solo guy. I'm going to send you a note here shortly of the numbered encounters. Whenever you run through it, let me know how you handled those encounters.
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Post by mister frau blucher on Oct 6, 2015 9:09:43 GMT -5
Hey, guys,
Thanks for giving this thread some new life. My muse is dragging me to the keyboard recently, and I am designing the next fantasy adventure now, so this is a nice resource.
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Post by mister frau blucher on Dec 11, 2015 11:01:23 GMT -5
Hey, all,
As I mentioned in the "Dark City Games News" thread, I will be out of commision in january, a perfect time to get an adventure finished. I will be taking the suggestions here to heart. Please feel free to highlight anything here before the 30th of December (the last day I will be on the net for a month) to bring it to my deficient attention span!
Bret
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Post by darkscar on Dec 14, 2015 10:45:07 GMT -5
Hey, all, As I mentioned in the "Dark City Games News" thread, I will be out of commision in january, a perfect time to get an adventure finished. I will be taking the suggestions here to heart. Please feel free to highlight anything here before the 30th of December (the last day I will be on the net for a month) to bring it to my deficient attention span! Bret Okay, summarizing the ideas from this thread... 1. New Spells/New Monsters--original, never before seen monsters and spells, not simply taking a monster or spell from some old or new sourcebook, giving it a new name, and LAW stats, but completely original creations. Yes, I know this may be demanding, but hey, that's why you get the big bucks 2. vlad's Permanent Plotword--plotwords that carry over from one adventure to the next, whether they tie-in to an NPC or magical weapon, etc. 3. An appendix, comments in the back for adapting the adventure to a true solo, with just one PC.
4. An interactive map (was this julie's or vlad's idea? I can't recall). Anyway, a map where at one point in the adventure you can look at it to gain a clue from the picture drawn. Something like that. Here's to a speedy recovery, Bret. Rock on!
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Post by ednote on Dec 14, 2015 11:47:08 GMT -5
I support the idea of new spells and monsters the most strongly.
Ed
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Post by mister frau blucher on Dec 15, 2015 10:27:59 GMT -5
Thanks for the summation, darkscar!
We have usually included new races (dwarggs and snacas in SOR, caprians in TDV, batrachians in ET, vermen in ER)and this adventure will be no different. But I'll create a new monster or two as well. Some new spells would be intriguing.
The ongoing plotword we actually did a few times in the old days; SOR has some opportunities to use/aquire plotwords from ILS and the old Little Black Book, and TDV uses a plotword or two from TSM. I had wanted to create more synergy between our adventures, but it never really caught on. I will use some plotwords from ER and ROC in this adventure, however. It will be a medium-level module, for 36 or 37 point dudes, so some of the events could flow from those two beginning adventures. Maybe I'll look at including something from TDV or FITS, as well, though I don't want to go overboard with the idea, yet.
The appendix describing making it into a solo could be done without too much fuss, I think, depending on playtesting.
The interactive map/clue would take some planning...we'll see!
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Post by araman on Dec 15, 2015 11:05:38 GMT -5
I think trying to find inspiration for a new spell would be daunting at best. Who knows, you might find it in the most unlikely place. I have a couple of thoughts, perhaps. I haven't heard of them before, but I'm sure that somewhere, sometime, somehow, someone else has probably thought of them in some way, shape or form.
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Post by mister frau blucher on Dec 16, 2015 10:08:05 GMT -5
araman, I agree it is a challenge to come up with an interesting new spell. In the '90's when TSR was cranking out a new spellbook for AD&D like twice a year, I would flip through some of the books, but all of these "new" spells just seemed like variations or hair-splitting interpretations of existing spells. I am going to let the adenture's environment and creatures dictate some inspiration. (Hopefully!)
If you have an idea you want to share, araman, feel free to create a thread in the LAW boards! Keep in mind that if you do this in January and I do not comment, it will not be from disinterest but disconnection instead!
Bret
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Post by vladtaltos on Dec 16, 2015 10:16:50 GMT -5
These last two posts remind me of the experience I related earlier in this thread (page 1, post 3) when I created a monster on the spot during a game. No doubt, someone will relate it to something they've seen somewhere else. I wouldn't worry about any of it. Just create as inspiration compels you.
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Post by Lord Inar on Dec 22, 2015 16:35:51 GMT -5
I haven't tried any of this but here are some ideas that just popped or pooped into my head - you be the judge 1. Create your 'lone wolf' per official rules. Give him/her 30XP and 3 potions that heal 1d6 damage right off the bat. 2. Allow 'lone wolf' to make 1 reaction per turn without forfeiting his/her next turn. Allow a second reaction that DOES forfeit next turn. 3. Win! While the above may work, I decided I'd rather not artificially inflate a character with the free XP. Editing and rephrasing... 1. Create your 'lone wolf' per official rules. Give him/her 3 karma points and 3 potions that heal 6pts of damage at the beginning of each adventure. 2. Allow 'lone wolf' to make 1 free reaction per turn. Allow a second reaction that isn't free. 3. Treat Required Skill Checks as Assisted Skill Checks. Late to the party here, but I thought I'd chime in. Most creatures in this world don't fight to the death,. If getting beaten/hurt they run. So how about this? 1) If a creatures takes 5 or more hits at once, it has to make an IQ roll to continue fighting. 2) Every round it takes damage after it is at 1/2 ST or less, it has to make an IQ roll to continue fighting. The first point should probably jump to 10 points if the creature has 30 ST or more and it doesn't apply if the creature has 60 ST or more. That way the creatures are still as deadly, but it is less of a "war of attrition" and even though you're rolling IQ frequently, battles will probably be shorter from things running away instead of fighting to the bitter end.
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Post by platimus on Jan 15, 2016 18:55:49 GMT -5
While the above may work, I decided I'd rather not artificially inflate a character with the free XP. Editing and rephrasing... 1. Create your 'lone wolf' per official rules. Give him/her 3 karma points and 3 potions that heal 6pts of damage at the beginning of each adventure. 2. Allow 'lone wolf' to make 1 free reaction per turn. Allow a second reaction that isn't free. 3. Treat Required Skill Checks as Assisted Skill Checks. Late to the party here, but I thought I'd chime in. Most creatures in this world don't fight to the death,. If getting beaten/hurt they run. So how about this? 1) If a creatures takes 5 or more hits at once, it has to make an IQ roll to continue fighting. 2) Every round it takes damage after it is at 1/2 ST or less, it has to make an IQ roll to continue fighting. The first point should probably jump to 10 points if the creature has 30 ST or more and it doesn't apply if the creature has 60 ST or more. That way the creatures are still as deadly, but it is less of a "war of attrition" and even though you're rolling IQ frequently, battles will probably be shorter from things running away instead of fighting to the bitter end. I like that too. Not sure it would be enough to get you through those 'tough' encounters though. i may mingle your thoughts with mine and see if a full-grown goddess springs forth from my mind.
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