Question about "specialist training": One of the examples given is "twin weapons." Do you think that means…

Question about "specialist training": One of the examples given is "twin weapons." Do you think that means…

a) Once a day, you can make an attack without a check as long as you're holding a weapon in each hand.

b) Once a day, you can make all your attacks without a check as long as you're holding a weapon in each hand.

c) All the time, you can hold a weapon in each hand just to have more options for what you use to attack (like maybe one dagger with a frost enchantment and another with a fire enchantment), and people who don't have this specialist training can't do that.

d) Something else?

Right: here's the two-faction dR chart.

Right: here's the two-faction dR chart. I don't think it'll end up in a book, as it takes up a lot of space and doesn't do anything special.

A regular, 12-entry dR table is probably the way to go. Watch this space.

Factions risk dice: do you use them?

Factions risk dice: do you use them?

I've made a table to interpret bad rolls during ref prep (it is sitting in my computer at home - I'll post it later). I could extend it to include suggestions for faction moves if there's any interest.

Alternate fast travel

Alternate fast travel

Start by estimating the number of days the journey will take. Roll the die type closest to that number, rounding up. (For example an 11-day trip would be a d12, while a 13-day one would be a d20.)

You roll once on the Events Table, plus once for each condition below (maximum one roll per day of expected travel).
- Not enough rations*. The party will have to hunt, forage, or scavenge
- No guide or detailed, current map
- Forced march (the party will cover more than the normal distance every day)
- Night travel
- Difficult terrain
- Heavy equipment or slow animals
- No wilderness expertise in the party

* Rations and food are assumed to last a number of days equal to the maximum result of their dR.
Good ideas, equipment, special abilities and the like can sometimes cancel one roll.
On the maximum result, add that number to the next roll. This is cumulative (after getting 4 twice on a d4, you roll d4+8).

Events Table
1. Ambush (or nothing in safer regions)
2. Waylaid d3 days
3. Encounter: close
4. Encounter: far
5. Lost resource (preferably a common one, otherwise from a randomly chosen character)
6. Discovery: safe (inn, resource, clue...)
7. Discovery: dangerous (dungeon, lair, threat...)
8. Excellent campsite
9. Shortcut: saved one day
10. Waylaid d6 days*
11-12. Accident: something is lost or breaks
13-15. Injury: a random party member takes d10 damage
16-18. Catastrophe: everyone loses d4 random items.
19-22. Waylaid d10 days*
23-25. Disease: d4 random party members are sick
26-28. Death: a random NPC or animal is killed. If there are none, a character gets maimed.
29. Weird: freak weather, mythical creature or godling, teleportation, etc.
30+. Encounter: beneficial

* Random waylays
1-2. Lost
3-4. Obstacle
5-6. Ran from a threat
7. Stopped to help travelers
8. Got captured but escaped

Arrange the events in the order you like best, then narrate them, going into details as needed.

Looking at a few modules (Dyson's Delve, Tomb of the Serpent Kings...) and there will some adaptation to use...

Looking at a few modules (Dyson's Delve, Tomb of the Serpent Kings...) and there will some adaptation to use Macchiato Monsters rules, and it's OK.
One question, though, about XP. If I am to put PCs in a dungeon, is their goal truly relevant? They are supposed to explore caves, gain treasure and avoid danger. So they will either choose one of those things as their goal (and some other XP system, based on loot for exemple, might work better) or not (and they won't progress at all while dungeoning).
Am I the only one with this issue (I have never been a GM)?

Reverse the chart, use the relevant dR (if PCs have a bad reputation, if the town is a dangerous one).

Reverse the chart, use the relevant dR (if PCs have a bad reputation, if the town is a dangerous one)... and you've got a quick and dirty NPC.

Originally shared by Michael Prescott

I have a problem with NPCs that are too easily duped by the players' transparent schemes. So, as a dose of self-medication, I present Thieves, Goats and Rubes.

http://blog.trilemma.com/2017/08/thieves-goats-and-rubes.html

Ditching followers stats

Ditching followers stats

I've been mulling this over for a while -- a conversation with John Grümph​​​ and a recent session where the PCs hired 20+ followers to clear out a dangerous dungeon helped mature my thoughts. So here it's what I'm going to test out at LasagnaCon this weekend.

Followers are defined by their risk die, their HP, their gear, and their special ability. When you want them to do something risky, roll their dR.
- On a 4+, they do it competently.
- On a 1-3, they manage just barely: partial success, consequences, etc. The dR is stepped down as usual.

In combat, a 4+ means the follower deals damage and avoids getting hit. With a 1-3, you choose whether they hit or avoid damage.

A follower whose dR is stepped down to nothing loses it: they run, hide, collapse, betray you, etc.

So that's less work (no roll under 10+dR, which is a bit draggy to be honest), and the followers' dR becomes even more important, which is really the point IMO. I may have to formalise rules for refreshing it, though.

Thoughts?

I had a great time playing Macchiato Monsters with Nathan Clark, Cédric Plante, and Trevor Hirst tonight.

I had a great time playing Macchiato Monsters with Nathan Clark, Cédric Plante, and Trevor Hirst tonight.

It was the second and final session, and our intrepid heroes won out against four alien monstrosities, and the machinations of the Devil and the Epicurean (who's sorta the Devil's counterpart from another universe).

Thanks, guys. :-)

Under Leveling Up, it states "Gain an ability, and an extra use for an existing one (specialist training required)."

Under Leveling Up, it states "Gain an ability, and an extra use for an existing one (specialist training required)."

Should that be "... or an extra use..."?

Tried making a character (for AA) using Cedric's idea (I'm still not entirely sure what to call it).

Tried making a character (for AA) using Cedric's idea (I'm still not entirely sure what to call it).

I think she can use it for her magic, but it won't help her when it goes wrong, or when the forces of darkness come collecting.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4XPsApBrOnLdmNiT25RSnFyeFE/view?usp=sharing

Evlyn's idea applied to Frappucino FutureFight (the violent murder-reality-show hack).

Evlyn's idea applied to Frappucino FutureFight (the violent murder-reality-show hack).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4XPsApBrOnLY2oyeXBRWnA3ZDQ/view?usp=sharing