Just in case you need even more equipment to choose from. This is a pretty complete old school list.

Just in case you need even more equipment to choose from. This is a pretty complete old school list.
http://members.tripod.com/Lord_Eadric/netequip.html

Help

Help ! Le site de quenouille.com est en rade et j'aurais besoin d'une feuille de perso vierge pour MM. Quelqu'un en aurait une à me proposer, svp ?
Merci

So I was doodling with the Plot drop table.

So I was doodling with the Plot drop table.

Renowned paladin
Portal through Time
Wheels in motion
Steal/Conquer/Take
Curse or blessing
Violence is not an option

A paladin must pass through a time portal to steal a blessed artifact to win a war, but violence is not an option because, you know, time travel and butterflies.

I'd totally play or run that.

What happened to the quenouille.com site? My computer can't find it.

What happened to the quenouille.com site? My computer can't find it.

I have it and it is a lovely thing. So much sweet art on top of everything else.

I have it and it is a lovely thing. So much sweet art on top of everything else.

I don't like the "Lose a Level" when you go to 0 HP (partially because what do you do with a 1st level PC?), but I...

I don't like the "Lose a Level" when you go to 0 HP (partially because what do you do with a 1st level PC?), but I want to have some consequence for doing so.

I made a house rule yesterday. If you go to 0 HP, you can't count the current level/session/major event toward leveling up. It still slows you down, but it takes away from a future level, not one you've already received. No trying to remember what you improved the last leveling up.

"An adventurers career is filled with hard choices." -- how many times have I read this book and missed this line.

"An adventurers career is filled with hard choices." -- how many times have I read this book and missed this line. Best line evar!

Which Is the "best" method of translating cash into bags? Is the table from the 0th edition the best?

So the story of the weekend at U-Con in Ypsilanti, Michigan was in The Lichway, an old-school dungeon from White...

Originally shared by Brett Slocum

So the story of the weekend at U-Con in Ypsilanti, Michigan was in The Lichway, an old-school dungeon from White Dwarf magazine #9 from 1977.

The PCs had traveled through most of the dungeon with their donkey, Jones, carrying the two chests and the extra spear and shield they had recovered. They finally ran into the wizard Dark Odo, who promptly cast Sleep on our 1st level heroes. They all missed their saving throws. As they are blissfully drifting to sleep, they heard the donkey bray loudly in anger. He charged the wizard, rolled a 20 and rolled maximum damage, doing a total of 12 hit points to the wizard with the spear, killing her instantly. The owner of the donkey awoke being licked by the trusty Jones.

Café Noir is in the Fix!! http://lefix.di6dent.fr/archives/6712

Café Noir is in the Fix!! http://lefix.di6dent.fr/archives/6712
Today France, tomorrow the World!
#CaféNoir
http://lefix.di6dent.fr/archives/6712

Hello!

Hello!

Quick question: I just bought MM Zero. Is the most updated version the MMZero_1.1.pdf from DrivethruRPG or the MM_Manuscript_v1.0.pdf from the secret page?

Me Again, first game night went very well!

Me Again, first game night went very well!

New question; how does combining armor work? It says you can use leather/hide armor along with other armor to a max of d10, but how does this work?

Take the following example, you have a 1d6 breastplate, and a 1d4 hide vest:

1) Simple addition, you now have 1d10 total armor (6+4).

2) Variant on how you combine consumables, you combine the 1d4 vest + 1d10 plate to get a 1d8 plate/leather.

3) They are not combined, just allowed to wear both, and you roll both die when you do your armor point thing, so during combat you'd roll the 1d4 and 1d6 and combine the results.

Something different?

Thanks!

A little magic for MM. Mana points.

A little magic for MM. Mana points.

Café Noir Ristretto edition is ready now!

Café Noir Ristretto edition is ready now! I will show it at the French Convention Octogones next week. New form, new and exclusive pictures for the game.
Still in french but I work on the English version ASAP. :p

#ModernMacchiatto
#CaféNoir
#ModernOSR

https://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?contributorId=1560102

Ok, lets go for another!

Ok, lets go for another!

So, using items to help offset the costs for magic HP spending. Any ideas for how to structure those mechanically?

Like what does a "silver-cost" level item look like? What risk die does it have? How much HP does it cancel? Is it like food?

Same question for foci items (wands, etc).

Thanks!

Yes, very intriguing.

Yes, very intriguing.

Originally shared by Emmy Allen

see this? this is also super good. http://noisesanssignal.blogspot.com/2018/07/defences-vs-senses-for-system-behind.html

Are you ready for more combat questions and edge cases?

Are you ready for more combat questions and edge cases?

Yolanda wakes up one night to a terrible racket from the kitchen. Grabbing her trusty baseball bat (D6), she goes to investigate. To her dismay she find an infernape from the Earth's molten core raiding her fridge. Wishing she had rolled better on the equipment table, Yolanda lines up a hefty blow.

Now, an infernape is surrounded by a field of superheated air and burning debris. Which of these models do you find the most appealing/fair?

a) Yolanda takes automatic damage from the heat until she finds a way to counter it (a bucket of water?)
b) The heat damage is part of the infernape's attack. If Yolanda fails her combat roll she may take a LOT of damage.
c) In addition to the combat roll, Yolanda must also make a CON save to avoid the heat (either as damage or a temporary STR reduction as she struggles to avoid passing out).
d) The heat makes it harder to fight the ape effectively, expressed as a high armor die.

(I personally tend slightly towards a))

Another question :)

Another question :)

For leveling up (and some parts of character creation), the option "Gain one hit die, roll, etc.." does that mean you now have two hit die, and if you take it again next level you'll have three, etc?

Like, Joe Adventurer starts with 1d6, at level two he takes the hit die/increase option, rolls 2d6, gets his new number, at level three he takes it again, does he roll 3d6? Or 2d6?

Ok another question, how do people generally handle healing spells?

Ok another question, how do people generally handle healing spells? I don't have the pdf in front of me but if I recall the recommendation was something like 2hp paid for 1d6+1 healed.

I think it said that 1hp was (among other things) healing/harming one point, then add to get +1d6, etc.

Anybody have any other recommended variation for healing, regeneration, "temporary" hp, etc?

I love the system, allowing for open-ended spellcasting where you negotiate for the HP cost, but since that's new for me and my players I figure I'll get a few general ideas.

Also, have people had specific powers that you pay with a "once a day" cost vs the HP cost? Like the traditional paladin "lay on hands" ability?

Thanks!

Question for combat, since enemies respond to player rolls, rather than having their own strategy and actions, how...

Question for combat, since enemies respond to player rolls, rather than having their own strategy and actions, how do GM's "play" them?

For example, if characters are in danger (under fire from an archer, or in melee range, etc) do you "force" rolls (either attack, dodge, or get out of the way?).

I figure I can come up with some ideas, but I haven't run the game yet (running it in a few weeks) and wanted to see what other GMs who have run the game have done.

Related, what about situations where there are ranged or specialist enemies? Do they get to take a move when a player "misses", or only if they miss in an action related to themselves?

Example, to hopefully clear this up.

There are two enemies, Melee Mark (d6 damage), and Ranged Randy (d8 damage). They are fighting one hero, a knight with a sword.

Given the system, he runs up to Mark and attacks, missing; can only the melee character he's fighting hit back, or instead can Randy shoot him?

If not doesn't that defeat the concept of tactical combat? Wouldn't it encourage players to gang-up on one enemy at a time, rather than dealing with enemies as a unit?

Anyways, just looking for general advice, the PDF only gives example that involve melee vs. melee and ranged vs melee, but no mixed-units.

Thanks in advance!

Eric, a question or two, if I may.

Eric, a question or two, if I may.

1. Is there a plan to publish the finalized MM as a physical book, with art? Without art?

2. What are the odds of either getting a reformat (or allowing one of us to reformat) for booklet format? Right now, given the font size and layout, the only really practical format is A4/Letter or above. My first and heavily-thumbed printjob was in booklet, but I had to do a letter-size to give my eyes a break.

3. I'm redoing my personal print copy of the work (I do very crude bookmaking with my printer, needle and thread). What would you say are the things to include in a comprehensive booklet of the work? Right now, my list would be:
3A. MM v1.0, Extranumero Issue (?). This is right, isn't it? Not version Zero, but version 1 from the "other location".
3B. Your drop tables from...where? Where did I get them? The Crime & Community City Events Tables, Townspeople, Plots, etc.

4. Not a question: Once again congratulations on a hugely enjoyable game. Of course we know that you stand on the shoulders of Mehrstam and Black, but I own all three, read all three constantly, and yours is the one I keep coming back to. (My sole important criticism of the work is that the format, and to an extent your writing choices, can leave very important mechanical concepts "hidden in plain sight", such as the rule that NPCs actually get an attack of their own if they haven't otherwise been invoked by a PC's failure).

Thanks for reading,

Bill The Rat.

A little cave complex for my Macchiato Monsters game tonight.

A little cave complex for my Macchiato Monsters game tonight. Sort of fussy and Sci Fi for a fantasy map, but I'm a systems guy. A combination of freehand sketch of the caves and Paint.net and some great free and paid fonts including my fave, HexPaperPro by S. John Ross

The first Neon Marsh 'dungeon' to be finalised: Deltaville. I'm playtesting it tonight. (So don't zoom in, players ;)

The first Neon Marsh 'dungeon' to be finalised: Deltaville. I'm playtesting it tonight. (So don't zoom in, players ;)

[Edit : At some point during my lengthy explanation (sorry for that), I decided to do an alternate guideline for...

[Edit : At some point during my lengthy explanation (sorry for that), I decided to do an alternate guideline for spell cost that made sense to me. I'm not trying to be patronizing, just to help myself and maybe the game. Also because I don't have much experiences with MM and D&D, it may not be balanced. It's just an exemple to explain what I mean.
Thanks in advance if you can help me. Also I'm french and it's late, sorry for any typo !

Love MM, can't wait for final release.]

I've recently played MM for the first time. I had never played a D&D like game. It was short and we did not encountered many situation (no combat nor a single spell use yet), yet here are two questions/remarks from reading the rules :

- How does multiple attacks work ? It is said in the combat rules that you only roll the d20 once per turn (unless complex turn). But when levelling up you can get extra mêlée attack. How should I manage those ? If I got a character with 3 attack per turn, do I get to roll damage for all of them after succeeding the one stat check ? Or do I break the only one roll rule ?

- Spell cost guideline is not clear for me. It's a big time problem for me right now so I'll get extensive.
I love the spell philosophy in MM. You get room to improvise and basically, the more you want to do, the more you have to pay. I know you would need a few session before getting used to improvise spell cost, but the spell cost guideline is too messy for me to understand how much should cost even a basic spell.

It says first a basic spell cost 1, does either 1 heal or 1 damage. This is solid, I understand. Then it says to increase the cost by 1 to 5 for each.
Problem : It's already getting vague. 1 to 5 is a big range, and how would I know if It's +1 for instant casting time, but +3 for long range ? +5 for large area ? For extra targets I'm assuming that it cost +1 for each additional target.

Then it says "damage or healing (from a single d6 to d12 per character level)".
Problem : I don't understand if the character level is determining the size of the dice (d6 to d12) ou the number of dice you get (should a level 3 automatically get 3d6 ?). And then again, to what cost ? Does a d6 cost less than a d12 ? Does a d6 cost 1 and a d12 cost 5 ? How does the character's level impact the cost ?

So here I already don't get how much is going to cost a lvl 1 character healing spell. I would assume from what I've read that a spell called "cure wound" cost 2 points for 1d6+1 heal. (1 for basic spell, +1 for the healing tag). I assume the player can pay additional point for additional d6 (1point for 1d6).
Don't ask me how the same spell work for a level 3.

But then, in the "Wounds and Death" section, under "Magical healing", it is said : "a typical healing spell should cast 3HP per d8 of healing, with a limit to 1d8 per character level."
Explain like that it's actually more clear ! A d8 size die cost 3HP, and you have a purchase limit of 1d8 per character level. But it feels like a different rule that the one in the actual spell cost guideline, so it mess with my head...
It's too bad that you don't set more exemple like this one for typical spell cost, with such clarity, and that the only one is not even in the spell cost section.

Talking about spell exemples, I don't find them much helping, because you never state their "vanilla" cost. How much would have cost Melt them Faces if the player had not asked for specific effect ? And to what effect ?
Only "Hearing the Wise Wyrm's Councel" spell helps with that. It say it cost 8HP vanilla. But sadly it does not explain why. But then with this base cost I can understand better how the specifics then influence the cost.

I feel like the rules should set a certain basic cost for each die size, that represent the minimum you need to pay to expect a certain spell power.
Exemple : 1HP for d6, 3HP for d8, etc...
For spell that doesn't use dice size (like the wirm one), we should get a basic word scale equivalent to make our choice (ordinary for a d6, extraordinary for a d12).
Then say explicitly how a character level influence that base cost (I would go like in your healing spell exemple, with the limit on number of dice you can use).
Then only add the improv part with the bargaining for specifics. Because you want to keep some room for the GM, as it is what's so good with MM.
And I would say "add at least +1 to the cost for each instance of any of these effects : effect list

[At this time I just decided to write a guideline example to explain my point of view]

Necromancing a thread:

Necromancing a thread:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+EricNieudan/posts/SKNBZwombD2

That was about a year ago. Is that still considered the appropriate procedure? I ask because at the moment in the v1.1 of the rules, I think most of that can be inferred from the rules except step 6...

"6. Have all NPCs done something? If not, the referee describes what they do and gives whoever is affected a chance to react - this can involve an out-of-sequence check, for instance to avoid an attack or spell. "

that idea doesn't seem to be anywhere in the rules; rather, it feels directly contradicted by the rules that seem to be clear that only PC's take turns.

It makes perfect sense, and also helps explain my confusion about exactly what shields do. I like this procedure a lot. Just making sure I haven't missed a post that changes/alters it.

Our new sponsor!

Our new sponsor!

(You laugh, but I just put a mention to goat milk coffee in The Neon Marsh.)

That first session of the Monthly Americano Anomalies! I'm thinking Saturday 22nd of September.

Originally shared by Tore Nielsen

That first session of the Monthly Americano Anomalies! I'm thinking Saturday 22nd of September.

How does that sound, Eric Nieudan, Evlyn M, Igor Holland-Moritz, NMEAST, and others who are interested?

I've been feeling like I'm missing a rule for inter-PC relationships and bonds. So here's a suggestion:

I've been feeling like I'm missing a rule for inter-PC relationships and bonds. So here's a suggestion:
- You have one bond with each other PC. Each bond is represented by a risk die. How innovative! Each bond starts at dR6, higher values mean closer frienships.
- Whenever you help or hinder another PC, roll your bond dR. On a 1-3, your action has no effect. On a 4+, you can give them advantage or disadvantage. Yes, it's easy to hinder your closest friends: after all, they will care about your opinion!
- If you're helping, step down the dR on a 1-3 as usual (failing to help made things awkward). If you're hindering, step down the dR regardless of the result!
- If the bond die fizzles, the tension finally explodes and a big argument should happen!
- When you keep each other company around the campfire and/or share something personal, roll your bond dR. If you roll the maximum value, step it up. If you step it up above dR12, you have forged a lasting friendship that bards will sing about! Your bond dR can never be stepped down again, and you can mark it as a fulfilled objective for the purpose of leveling up.

IT IS HAPPENING.

IT IS HAPPENING.

Originally shared by Paolo Greco

Fancy a Macchiato Monster layout proof?

I want to run an ongoing once-a-month game of Americano Anomalies (my modern weirdness/urban fantasy hack of MM) on...

I want to run an ongoing once-a-month game of Americano Anomalies (my modern weirdness/urban fantasy hack of MM) on Hangouts.
I would like to make it a drop-in-drop-out game, where the characters live in the same run-down tower block.

You're all invited, of course.

One thing I have been thinking about hacking into MM is slightly different rules for the CON save when a PC falls to...

One thing I have been thinking about hacking into MM is slightly different rules for the CON save when a PC falls to 0 hp. I like that there are negative consequences, but I am not positive that I enjoy the deleveling rule.

I have yet to play more than a single session of MM, so I am not sure if the goal structure and deleveling works as a nice motivator to constantly be making and fulfilling goals, but I am considering making Recovery a Risk Die, kind of following the "Stamina and Sanity" section.

So a player would roll this die when their character succumbs to 0 hp. Fizzling out means death. 12 would probably be something like returning with 1 hp, no other consequences, and some other values would provide the character with something that changes them - maybe a negative trait representing a nasty wound, the fear of what struck them down, or the horrors of being at deaths door.

Any thoughts on this? I suppose this would make the game much less deadly, as you were given a few downgrades on the die before permanent character death. The thing I like about the idea is that you could look at a sheet and see how a rough life of adventuring has had a dramatic effect on the character.

I am making faction sheets for the Neon Marsh.

I am making faction sheets for the Neon Marsh. Would you need anything else to run (knowing that the factions are presented in the text as well)?

I am very happy to report that I have signed off the MM manuscript.

I am very happy to report that I have signed off the MM manuscript. It is DONE as far as I am concerned. This one--month hack took me two years and eight month to complete, but I think it was time and specialty coffee well spent.

This is the sort of thing that I hesitate to share, because the rule in MM for coin purses/bags is so elegant, but...

This is the sort of thing that I hesitate to share, because the rule in MM for coin purses/bags is so elegant, but math wise...I think there may be an issue for consideration. Its not an issue with the dice themselves, its an issue with the splitting/combining rule. (Also, forgive me if someone else has already talked about this I couldn't find a post about it).

Thinking about the probabilities associated with risk dice, we can apply the negative binomial theorem (https://stattrek.com/probability-distributions/negative-binomial.aspx) to determine the expected number of purchases you can get with a die before it steps down (or in the case of the d4, disappears). The formula for the expected number of purchases BEFORE the step down is

(1-Prob of Step down)/Prob of Step Down

so the expected number of purchases is

(1-prob of step down)/prob of step down + 1

This gives us the following:

d12 - 4 purchases - 13.33 total before exhaustion
d10 - 3.33 purchases - 9.33 total before exhaustion
d8 - 2.66 purchases - 6 total before exhaustion
d6 - 2 purchases - 3.33 total before exhaustion
d4 - 1.33 purchases

(Total before exhaustion is simply the sum of the die plus all lower dice expected purchases).

The rule for coins is that you can split a bag into 2 bags by stepping down the die of both bags. However, if you look at the table, in every case the expected number of purchases you can make with 2 bags of a step lower is more than the expected number of purchases you can make with the original bag. This leads to the seemingly weird situation where you can buy more stuff if you split up your pile of cash into smaller piles, and less if you horde it into a big pile.

In fact, assuming you start with a d12 bag of coins, here are the expected number of purchases you can make if you...

Leave it as a d12 - 13.33 purchases
Split into two d10s - 18.66 purchases
Split into four d8s - 24 purchases
Split into 8 d6s - 26.66 purchases
split into 16 d4s - 21.33 purchases

I could have a major problem in the logic or math above, in which case please call me out on it.

I suspect that maybe the idea is that by combining bags you reduce the encumbrance (if I am following the rule correctly) but reduce purchases, but clever players will be inclined to try to split the bags up immediately before purchase. 8 d6s buys TWICE as much stuff, on average, as a single d12.

I'm not sure if there is any "solution" to this, because as I stated before, the splitting/combining rule is very elegant at the moment, and all the potential changes I can think of make it more complicated in ways that don't seem worth the cost to me. But its worth remembering that, the way the rule is written at the moment there is a strong incentive for the players to combine bags as much as possible while outside of town (to reduce encumbrance) and then to split bags as much as possible while in town on a shopping spree. Maybe force the players to combine up all of their party/personal cash into the highest levels possible prior to the shopping spree? At a minimum, I think GM's should be cautious about allowing splitting of coin bags when there is not a clear in-game reason for the split.

Again, this only applies to coins, because only coins can be freely split and combined. You can't split/combine your beef jerky rations or your armor or your ammo.

Last day in Glasgow and I am chugging along on the Neon Marsh.

Last day in Glasgow and I am chugging along on the Neon Marsh. Definitely not at the layout phase yet, just trying out some things...

Who wants a playbook style A6 character sheet? It's a rough job, but it's here:

Who wants a playbook style A6 character sheet? It's a rough job, but it's here:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/q09j0wvmttglumh/MMCharSheetNEW.pdf?dl=0

After the Henry Justice Ford project, here is a new foe for Eric Nieudan - Snails!

After the Henry Justice Ford project, here is a new foe for Eric Nieudan - Snails!
https://mastodon.social/@natecull/100496139570166784

I've worked up some simple rules for running Star Wars d6 adventures with MM.

I've worked up some simple rules for running Star Wars d6 adventures with MM. Simple Jedi rules and the equipment tables.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OTUUqcf8eeRJO-wDf8YFz5my4xcE2qZj/view?usp=sharing

I've mentioned previously I'm planning to run Luka Rejec 's Ultraviolet Grasslands with Macchiato Monsters.

I've mentioned previously I'm planning to run Luka Rejec 's Ultraviolet Grasslands with Macchiato Monsters. I put some notes together for this, which I have not playtested yet because the game doesn't start until next month. But I thought they might be of some interest, so, here you go. Comments are turned on, so feel free to leave any thoughts on the document you wish.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fy_oiu4g_zGHUUT7i2I8XrM9tg_Rw5uXd15h71_A36M/edit?usp=sharing

Have any of you thought of a good way to run chases in MM?

Have any of you thought of a good way to run chases in MM? Something that draws out the conflict a bit more than a single roll.

Eric Nieudan I just wanted to let you know that I'm currently translating your MM_Manuscript to German - if only for...

Eric Nieudan I just wanted to let you know that I'm currently translating your MM_Manuscript to German - if only for the purpose of using it in my gaming group.
But in case you're interested I could send it to you once it's finished. Maybe you know someone who speaks some german so you both could admire the awesome translation I'll be coming up with ;-)
BTW any plans for licensing a german translation?
Cheers
I.

Americano Anomalies, now with Heirlooms table.

Americano Anomalies, now with Heirlooms table. You could start play with a sinister Tesla (or the player-favorite crates of Scandinavian porn, like an x-rated albatross around your character's neck).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VIflSjodGVFhBNUxAEJXROeGzlUTqwJ1/view?usp=sharing

First ever game of Macchiato Monsters last night!

First ever game of Macchiato Monsters last night! (I didn't use the adventure I'd been posting about, as that's probably four or five hours and sessions with this group are very short, two hours of gaming usually, and I'm trying to wrap each session I run now on a true blackout.)

Just a couple of hours over Skype with my lifelong Canadian friends (whom I will not tag here because spoilers) who live in Japan. Character creation is smooth as butter, if a great challenge to the brainbox for old-schoolers. I mean chargen does take a bit of puzzling out for newbies -- rolling one EACH of d20 to d4 on the equipment tables, the lack of spell lists, the difference between dX ratings and ΔX ratings, etc. But that's all to be expected; this is an arcane system compared to relatively straightforward engines like D&D, RuneQuest, Harnmaster, CoC, etc. The risk die concept itself, especially as regards trade, is sophisticated -- and a massive winner IMO. Eric, you've done a great thing expanding the Black Hack usage die as you have.

Anyhow, the setting is one level of a massive tower. We'll call it The Giant's Tower. It's thus basically a city or town with a roof high overhead. Pretty crimey. The guys built a mercenary and a moneylender to gamblers, each of which are pretty crimey themselves. I decided it was well and good that they be able to easily sell basic chargen gear, so off to the friendly pawnbroker Bon.

The usage die, as I'd hoped, immediately created an engaging minigame, precipitating trades of chargen gear for cash, and then moneychanging a chargen ingot of Δ4 Platinum in order to buy some good weapons with silver. Life savings being risked in pursuit of bigger payoffs, in the form of dark business!

One moment I really liked is when Ed's moneylender wanted to sell his chargen polearm and leather shield. Bon traded a Δ6 copper for the voulge, and said "I'll take the shield, but about all I can give you for it is a tip."

The giving of the tip (for which see below; "The Fisherman" has found out about the new discovery of a Well and is hiring crews to find it) wrapped the session. And thus we are set for next time.

By the way, I used a bunch of the die drop tables to generate plot, faction, etc, and they worked like a charm for me. Really, really great. Here's what I came up with:

Adventure Locale

Gravity Trap Claimed by Rival Factions
Locale: A Lady's Chambers
Danger Level: 13. Special Precautions Needed
Ways In or Out: Only with a certain person or creature

Plot elements

Pixie Pranksters & A Poisoned Gift
Twist: Violence is Not An Option
Verb/ Motivator: Steal because of a Curse

Factions

Faction 1: A gang of Cutpurses
Twist: Known Blackmailers
MO: Direct and Violent
Power: Δ6 (2 Dozen, Noticeable)
Immediate Goal: Have someone Killed

Faction 2: A Dead Priest-King (Queen: see Locale above)
Twist: Not serious: only in it for the booze nights
MO: Subtle and Sneaky
Power: Δ10 (Powerful)
Immediate Goal: Best another faction

Bringing It Together

The men are contacted by a certain acquaintance to meet. Need to find the Chamber of Queen Madwa because it's come to light that it is a Well -- a traversal point to another Level in the Tower. Contact is sending several crews out. If find, and get back with directions and having cleared the way, get a reward of Δ6 Gold.

Strategy: talk to an expert.

Clue: Find the Little Ones in the Abandoned Vault of Speakers. They know of Madwa.

Clue: another group altogether is trying to find the Well, because they want to kill a personage on that level.

A friend you know tells you that to see an ancient spirit like Queen Madwa, and thus [ed: interact with and/or confirm the identity of ]her, you'll need to take the magicking of Ether. Get the magicking of Ether from the Little Ones, who live in the Abandoned Vault of Speakers. Because of an ancient curse, one cannot ask for the magic, but once one has audience one must steal it from them. The magic is a drink, which may poison the taker.

....Anyway!

From the laziest referee in Canada to the laziest referee in France,

Thank you.

Serious monster 😅

Serious monster 😅

Originally shared by David Black

I don't play 5e really - but couldn't resist.

Has anyone done a Macchiato Monsters Warhammer hack?

Has anyone done a Macchiato Monsters Warhammer hack?
I have grown to appreciate random character génération, and the carrier choices from this venerable game may work wonder for a Macchiato hack.

Richie Cyngler Remember how you ran a game for Evlyn M and myself a few years ago?

Richie Cyngler Remember how you ran a game for Evlyn M and myself a few years ago? Does that hack still exist, and did it have some kind of alien species table?

(I still have the awesome sheet).

Probably a very stupid question, but I need to ask.

Probably a very stupid question, but I need to ask. What does it mean when a weapon has two dice listed for damage? For example, Dane Axe or Flail d8/d8. I can't find this described anywhere, so I'm betting this is some kind of OSR "common knowledge" that I am missing. Or I just have crappy attention to detail.

Has anyone used Macchiato Monsters with Luka Rejec 's Ultraviolet Grasslands?

Has anyone used Macchiato Monsters with Luka Rejec 's Ultraviolet Grasslands? Any thoughts on how that might be a good or a bad thing?

https://www.patreon.com/wizardthieffighter/posts

At face value, it seems perfect for that campaign/adventure/pointcrawl, because the customization of characters would allow for characters to mesh well with the very weird heavy metal Moebius meets Mad Max qualities of UVG. But I am very new to OSR style games and worry I might be missing an obvious problem or two.
https://www.patreon.com/wizardthieffighter/posts

This past weekend we played a game where the PCs had to make a perilous crossing and no one had any rope due to not...

This past weekend we played a game where the PCs had to make a perilous crossing and no one had any rope due to not getting any from the equipment tables. They managed to get across, but it required creativity, theology and a lucky pig. An actual pig, I'm not badmouthing the players.

This made me think. Suppose you roll some cash for your PC when you make it, do you let them do a bit of pre-game shopping?


(Lucky AND cute. What sort of monster would use it for magical components?)

Eric Nieudan, I hate to bother you to repeat yourself, but what was the site, Goblin-something, where you posted the...

Eric Nieudan, I hate to bother you to repeat yourself, but what was the site, Goblin-something, where you posted the grenade table?

Alright, well, I promised to share the MM adventure that I wrote, but legit gigs and the 5E-centric nature of my...

Alright, well, I promised to share the MM adventure that I wrote, but legit gigs and the 5E-centric nature of my groups has kept me from it. But we'll be doing a New Game night soon at the Toronto D&D Meetup Ons-shot Night, so it will happen. I'm going to write it as a twofer: both a 5E and a MM edition. I thought that a teaser might be of interest. So here is the story-drop and some spoily rules bits, and the sketchy map in progress. I've rediscovered my love of hexpaper thanks to S John Ross's HexPaperPro font, and I think it works great to make a simple, low-resolution map of Caves.

A note: To get from the intro location to the dungeon takes a quickly-told journey which has ZERO encounters of consequence -- your players have a little moment of world, another little moment of journey, and then boom the dungeon. It came up in my last one-shot that the PCs hadn't made it to the dungeon, having spent all of the four hours battling two set encounters. Some expressed concern that I'd not got to enjoy DMing the dungeon, and my answer was that IMO, as long as the players have FUN, a good DM is satisfied of his job well done. But here, long story short I wanted to write all meat, no fat.

So here are a few bits from "The Caves Of Freedom". It's actually more a 5E thing right now where I introduce the Risk Die, so forgive the references such as "those with Survival...roll with advantage". I would be ESPECIALLY grateful for any feedback on how I'm doing Risk Dice. Thank you!

*

The Caves of Freedom
By Bill the Rat

Introduction.

You had retreated as far as you could, it seemed, and now contemplated the end. The War of the Hoons had come to your little land of Zuverkodz, and the ferocity of the implacable Bone Men and their slaves the Hobilans was too much for the farmers of this peaceful land. Families were sundered, wives and husbands murdered, children stolen, the land destroyed.

Your only hope had been to make it to the land of Hoodwek over the mountains, and after one too many wrong turns here you were, in these caves, pursued by fire, and rage, and steel, awaiting the end.

When a rock-fall took the lives of the only real people of high merit in your band, most knew it was over. Oh, one could try to retrieve their bones, and their goods, but the fall had choked the way down and out, and any exploration there was probably only a ticket to a swift crushing. And so what if you did clear that way, that chimney back down and out? The Hoons would have followed you, as they always did, and if you returned to the entrance you came through a weeks ago they would find you, as they always did.

The old people are mostly dead. The children are mostly inconsolable. The youth are all taken, all except you, you little group of friends with your foolish bits and bobs and your ragged ideas of heroism. When one of you found a hidden cleft in the farthest walls of the large cave known as the Peoples' Tomb, it was decided. You would explore it to its utmost, because it was the only thing that didn't guarantee a handshake with Ullu the Silent, Terminus, god of the dead.

*

General Skill Checks and Risk Dice in the Caves of Freedom.

Rope Die (4): ∆8. Roll it four times in serial with the Traverse Check. Anyone with Survival or Sleight rolls with advantage. If it fizzles, everyone rolls with disadvantage on all subsequent Traverse Checks (which one rolls next). So it is Rope Die, Traverse Check, then again for a total of four pairs of rolls.

Traverse DEX Check (4): Just to travel the two days to get to the Caves of Freedom means four Traverse DEX 13 Checks for the two best DEXes, or the single worst. Failure means a Falling Accident CON 13 Check or take 3d4 damage from a fall.

Food Die (4 or 2): The group will have to travel two days until they get anywhere foody, so roll twice if they want a level of fatigue or four times if not. If they take enough food for themselves they get a ∆8, but step down the Refugee Die. If they leave the refugees enough food, they get a ∆6. If it fizzles, you get another level of fatigue before you gotta fight somebody.

Refugee Die (every significant event): The survival of the refugees depends on the luck of a Risk Die of Δ10. If the PCs think to scout out the safest location with a PER 15, they can up that to a Δ12. Roll the Refugee Risk Die frequently. If it fizzles, they be ded.

*

And here is the first sketchy map of the caves themselves. Man, I love HexPaperPro font. And it's so inexpensive! Thank you, S John Ross! It's going to be populated with a few annoying, intriguing and deadly monsters -- the 5E Quasit, the malevolent spirit of a failed holy warrior, a scavenger-merchant hidden in his own little bolt-hole, a possessed spider-puppet, and a couple of stiff encounters with goblins. I can't not have goblins. They're my spirit humanoid.

Numbering indicates "section" of the caves, vaguely. 0 sequence, 10 sequence, 20, 30, etc.

Bill

A little fun this afternoon.

There are ongoing discussions in the Black Hack group about additional attacks for Fighters, whether they are...

There are ongoing discussions in the Black Hack group about additional attacks for Fighters, whether they are interesting and/or balanced. I figured it might interest y'all.
My take on this was that additional attacks are a problem of choice more than a problem of balance: a high level black hack fighter can roll buckets of dice instead of playing smart and making meaningful decisions.

Originally shared by Chuck Barchuk

What is everyone doing as far as the Fighter's multiple attacks as they level? I read a few threads that stated it was overpowered. Also came across Dave's "Additional Things" where he mentioned changing it to every additional attack must be a new target with the same HD or lower. I haven't tried it yet but does this seem to correct the issue?

EDIT: By the way is there another alternative character sheet out there that's pretty good?

A quick random spell generator. Can you think of a spell that wouldn't fit in this framework?

A quick random spell generator. Can you think of a spell that wouldn't fit in this framework?
1) Roll 1d12 for an Action
1. Summon
2. Destroy
3. Mend
4. Transmute
5. Shape
6. Amplify
7. Weaken
8. Command
9. Move
10. Know about
11. Communicate with
12. Falsify
2) Roll 1d20 for an Element
1. Electricity
2. Heat
3. Emotions
4. Ideas
5. Dreams
6. Spirit
7. Flesh
8. Fate
9. Time
10. Magic
11. Technology
12. Fauna
13. Flora
14. Earth
15. Air
16. Water
17. Stars
18. Sound
19. Light
20. Shadow
3) If you want to, narrow down your element. A narrower spell formulation should cost fewer HP to cast. Ex: Transmute Earth => Transmute Metal; Summon Fauna => Summon Badger.

Kappacino!

Kappacino! Why didn't we think about it before!!! :D https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/243272/BinderSampler-2018-Kappacino--Coffee-stand-at-the-Crossroads?src=sub&
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/243272/BinderSampler-2018-Kappacino--Coffee-stand-at-the-Crossroads?src=sub&

Sorry about that, everyone! I'm a stupid monkey!

Sorry about that, everyone! I'm a stupid monkey!

But here's another question. A review of MM I read points out what the reviewer sees as a downer in the game: the potential loss of levels on near death. Off the top I'm inclined to agree. Is it common to ignore this, or not?

How can I make this table more Macchiato Monsters?

How can I make this table more Macchiato Monsters?


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gZSEPGjZtfLZdA5TNeG5nS_Lm8frRHe0/view?usp=sharing

For those who'd enjoy more Black coffee along with their Macchiato, the Black Hack is back for a second edition:...

For those who'd enjoy more Black coffee along with their Macchiato, the Black Hack is back for a second edition: https://kck.st/2xEMEmS
https://kck.st/2xEMEmS

#French

#French
Thomas Munier recorded a Café Noir game with 3 players. Poor Heather, she's harassed by her boss, Friedrich Tyrell and aks for help to an impossible trio of loosers. A detective, a reporter waiting for a scoop and a gorgeous Fake medium! What they'll discover is definitevely too big for them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2tOKLvoR-I&feature=share

I've made some illustrated tables for my space fantasy MM hack.

I've made some illustrated tables for my space fantasy MM hack. This one is based on Evlyn M's idea about belief. The actual table is in the back.

Originally shared by Tore Nielsen

The religion document. This is weapons-grade self indulgence. I may even make it longer. The D20 table is in the back.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17v_4taHSjbGoMNcLhf78JJIg7XX8B_dc/view?usp=sharing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0nWdRJPQog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0nWdRJPQog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0nWdRJPQog

One thing I learned from Macchiato Monsters chargen Friday is the steps are out of order in the text.

One thing I learned from Macchiato Monsters chargen Friday is the steps are out of order in the text. If you're going to roll random equipment, and stats are rolled with just a small choice of swapping two, you can't do the stats first, then traits and stuff before equipment or you get a mess. You need to roll equipment first and then stats and only then do the other things that are choices so the character can be a more coherent reflection of the stuff you rolled randomly.

Descent into Wonder

Descent into Wonder

Galspaar XCVII, Emperor of the Kosmos is deathly ill. Physics, healers, herbalists and chancers have flocked to the Imperial bedside, and have determined that only one remedy has any chance of saving His life is the seed of the sanctuary blossom. Fortunately such a plant grows nearby. Unfortunately it grows in the Oubliette of Implacable Enemies.

In the hazy past Kosmic Empress Gaile II had this place built. It took the greatest architects to conceive of it, the greatest adventurers to find the raw materials for it, and the greatest wizards to secure it. This was not to be a simple prison for thieves and racketeers, but a place where near-existential threats could be locked away forever. Here the Navigator Pox runs its course in a pit where time has been made to hesitate. Here the autarchic animists sing to their cages. And here grows the last known sanctuary blossoms, imprisoning the last Sanguisuge Titan.

This is where our heroes come in. They are not mighty champions or powerful arch-mystics. They are outsiders, rogues, spell-grinders and followers of disreputable gods. If they are killed, infected or subverted in the Oubliette, they will not be missed, or be much of a threat.

Descent into Wonder is a space fantasy dungeon crawl for 1st level characters. I think it will span 2-4 sessions, and it will be online. It uses the newest version of the Macchiato Monsters rules. Let me know if you're interested.

Americano Anomalies, with a few updates in line line with the new Macchiato Monsters.

Americano Anomalies, with a few updates in line line with the new Macchiato Monsters.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rbAY60iQ_Au84YYR8z2TQr6_m4VhRzIp/view?usp=sharing

Eric Nieudan , one the Dungeon, Inc.

Eric Nieudan , one the Dungeon, Inc. playtest GMs asks me what the damage is for hand to hand combat. I've never been confronted to that. What is it ? I'm sure it's in MM0 somewhere, but I'm traveling with no access...

I have an urge to run a game on Hangouts. More than one session, I mean.

I have an urge to run a game on Hangouts. More than one session, I mean.

Because this will be a thing at some point...

Because this will be a thing at some point...

You can now download an almost done version of the final draft!

You can now download an almost done version of the final draft!

Originally shared by Eric Nieudan

My week in one image.

Also, Macchiato Monsters peeps, check the secret page (the one that's linked in MMZ). It has a dirty manuscript for a game that's 99% DONE.

BOOM.

BOOM.

Thoughts?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8gnq8ijlof8iw2f/MM%20Domain%20rules%20-%20draft%201.pdf?dl=0

Last full day of the marathon.

Last full day of the marathon. The to-do list is slowly disappearering. Only the items pertaining to the world building supplement/zine remain, but I now accept this will be done later.

I've got to produce a draft of the domain rules first.

Hello everyone

Hello everyone,

Quick questions regarding getting an updated copy of the PDF? When I originally purchased MM's PDF, I did so through the Lost Pages website. But it seems that the game is now sold through DriveThru. Is there anyway to receive the updated versions of the game through the Lost Pages store still? Or do I need to repurchase the game on DriveThru for the updates?

Thanks!

Huh. I was surprised to see this.

Huh. I was surprised to see this.
https://www.amazon.com/Long-Macchiatos-Monsters-Alison-Evans-ebook/dp/B00RJB6Q60

Introducing: clerics!

Introducing: clerics!

Riffing off Evlyn M and Tore Nielsen's excellent work, this is intended as another not-equipment table. I'm not sure where it'll go in the book.

Favourite dungeon encounter mechanic?

Favourite dungeon encounter mechanic?

I'm of two minds regarding which procedure goes into the dungeon encounters section.

Do you like rolling the encounter risk die independently as per the rules (1-3 is an encounter), knowing you may need a reaction roll afterwards?

Or would you rather take the time to look at the integrated table (from the more recent dungeon template), and get a result with every roll?

Feel free to comment if you have comments =)

Heirlooms 'equipment' table

Heirlooms 'equipment' table

1. A curse! Your blood carries something bad, like lycanthropy or passive-aggressiveness.
2. A shiny button, handed down from one generation to the next.
3. Half a map to… a treasure maybe? Hard to say until you find the other part.
4. Grandad’s axe (d6). It’s worn and badly balanced, but still serviceable.
5. A case of vintage red wine that was kept for a special occasion. Worth dR8 silver.
6. Mom’s sword (d8). It has a name, a story, and maybe a minor magic power.
7. The deed to a mine, somewhere deep in the borderlands.
8. A minor noble title (knightess, baronnet, bey, patrician...) and little else.
9. You ancestor made this arrow that never misses (d8). It also has never been shot.
10. A sizeable inheritance (gold dR12) from a distant aunt. Comes with a condition.
11. The formula for a powerful, unique spell. Worth a lot to some people.
12. A noble title (rais, viscount, duchess, khan...) and a bodyguard (dR10).
13. A huge, magic coffee maker. Makes a brew you can charge premium for.
14. The key to an archwizard’s tower and a command word to… something.
15. Scourge Slayer (d12), a powerful weapon destined to save the world. Or something.
16. The true name of a demon princess, and an incomplete set of guidelines to use it.
17. A magical, talking orchid that knows the way to a garden of wonders.
18. Divine blood, but no magical powers. You are very special to some cults though.
19. A share in a merchant company. Every year, you receive a stipend of platinum dR6.
20. The throne! At least you have a good spot on the line of succession.

Fresh from the drawing board!

Fresh from the drawing board!

Drugs and intoxication

When you consume a drug, get intoxication dR4. You get the benefits and drawbacks of the drug for an hour. The die is stepped up if you use it again within the hour.
At the end of the hour, roll your intoxication dR. If the die is stepped down to nothing, your system clears and you cannot use the drug again in the same day. Some examples below:

- Berserker coffee: terrible breath, advantage on intimidation attempts
- Black death lotus: disadvantage on CHA checks, advantage to cast necromancy spells and command undead
- Crimson coffee: disadvantage on HD rolls to heal overnight, advantage to resist sleep and stay focused
- Freebooters' rum: disadvantage on DEX checks, advantage on morale rolls and to resist fear
- Ice Peryton ale: pressing need to pee at the worst moment, drunk’s armour dR4
- Oracle’s poison: check CON to avoid taking d4 damage, get a detailed vision

Addiction (optional)
When your system clears and you want to use again in the same day, get addiction dR4 and some kind of symptom of your abuse. Roll your addiction whenever you use the drug again: on the maximum result, step the die up and get another symptom or drawback (referee’s choice). If you roll a 12, you die.

Image credits: Capprotti (https://capprotti.deviantart.com/art/Party-Dwarf-254375921)

Do you want the die drop tables in MMFinal?

Do you want the die drop tables in MMFinal?

Comment if you've used them and have an opinion. Also keep in mind that I love these things and use them regularly, so it'll take a lot of hate to make me leave them out of the book =D

Should there be a cap on how often you can take the extra attack option on lvlup?

Should there be a cap on how often you can take the extra attack option on lvlup?

A level ten character having ten attacks a round seems kind of silly

The Finishing Macchiato Monsters Marathon is upon us!

The Finishing Macchiato Monsters Marathon is upon us!

I'm flying to Glasgow in 48 hours and taking some time now to try and organise the week's workload. Among the bigger tasks, sorting through the great feedback you guys gave me the last few months.

If anyone has issues or ideas they haven't shared, now is the time! I may ask a couple questions in separate posts, but feel free to start your own convos too.

Quick Hack Ideas for running a one-shot with Newbies:

Quick Hack Ideas for running a one-shot with Newbies:

Simplified DR: 5+ on 1DR6 - 1DR8 - 1DR12 - 1d20

Combat:

roll equal or under STR or DEX per usual
On Successful attack: roll weapon DR, amount is damage dealt -
Fail Weapon DR: weapon gains a notch, ammo consumed, step down die
Fail on 1d6 Weapon destroyed, ammo exhausted

Weapon Tags:
Slash: extra attack per round (rapiers, axes, "quick" weapons)
Bash: Armor breaks on successful attack (maces, hammers, heavy crossbow)
Gash: if target takes damage, treat as 0 Con (great weapons)

On failed attack: roll Armour DR.
ARMOUR DR: Pass: damage ignored but you are pushed out of position, disarmed, or knocked prone, etc.
Fail: take damage, Armour stepped down a dice
Fail on 1DR6: Armour ruined

Damage reduces CON, at 0 Con, roll 1d6, you have this many turns to get stabilized or you bleed out and die.

Armour-sets your base TEMPO (DR measuring your reaction, speed and stamina - used for initiative, chases, and exhaustion checks)

Quilt - 1DR8 Tempo 1DR20
Chain - 1DR12 Tempo 1DR12
Plate - 1DR20 Tempo 1DR8

Chases: roll using lowest Tempo of group or split up like cowards.
uses the snakes and ladders hack.

Magic
every casting attempt costs 1d6 WIS, can be offset by spell components (reduce by Wis Cost by DR - spell component is consumed in casting regardless of result)

Exploration:

modified HAZARD Dice table:

1. Encounter: roll for reaction or initiative, depending on encounter.
2. Emanation: hints and signs of encounter
3. Exhaustion: check TEMPO
4. Extinguish: Check Light sources
5. Expiration: all spells end.
6. Empty - y'all good.

Resting:

short rest: 10 minutes and a bit of food and a cool drink (check rations) restores one dice size of Tempo and 1d6 CON.

Long Rest: 4hrs of uninterrupted rest + food and Drink (check rations), restores CON, WIS, and TEMPO.

Healing:

roll under INT to stabilize a comrade at 0 CON:
pass: they are conscious,/wont bleed out.
fail: they die in your arms with pleading eyes

once stabilized: comrade must pass TEMPO check every turn to act
Pass: act with disadvantage
Fail: the pain is overwhelming, spend the turn keeping your guts from spilling out.
Fail on 1DR6: you are dead.

*short rests won't recover CON if you hit 0, only raise TEMPO
- you'll need proper medical care and a good nights rest to starting regaining CON

Hi!

Hi! As I'm working on the translation of Café Noir, my OSR Noir game. I would to give you my suggestions for the terms and wait for your comments.

Nighthawks (Durs à cuirs): name of the PCs. Tough guys is also good but I prefer a neutral gender term.

Muscles (Muscles): The strenght, to give slaps and block the beauty when she wants to leave.
Swiftness (souplesse): the Dexterity, to aim for misbehave and dodge lead bullets
Toughness (resistance): is constitution to take a hit or keep going after a nightwatch
Brains (ciboulot): is intellect. To understand complexe thing, hack a computer or find some clues
Nose (flair): is urban wisdom. To anticipate traps, hear some rumors or spot that goon on the rooftop.
Face (gueule): is charisma to bargain, intimidate or seduce the femme fatale (what a fool!)

Scars (traits): are the past and specific traits of the character. What make him/her so special.

Bad habits (mauvais penchants): is THE thing the character does to chill when the pressure is to high. Bad Habits give you some Punch

Debt - cash or repay (Dettes): is a link with an NPC who owe something (sometimes it's you who owe to an npc). Debt are risk dices and you can loose them if you ask for help too much.

Ties (ancres): are NPCs you care for. They have no narrative interest except they are the only reason you still believe in something. Ties are risk dices and let you to recover.

Dangers (Menaces): are what you need to be careful if you are concerned by your safety. Dangers are risk dices and work like an Apocalypse World Front.

Karma bill (passer à la caisse): is a solution when you fail your roll. You can still accomplish your action but fate's a bitch and you'll have to pay for it.

Gears (matos): things which can help you. It's also a risk dice.

Combat Dice (dé d'arme): as the weapon training in MM.

Probe dice (dé d'enquête) is a dice used for investigation. It comes from Index RPG's effort dice.

Punch (souffle): the energy, similar to hit points but with a wider application.

Detective training (Entrainement limier): increase de the probe dice
Roughness training (brute): increase the combat dice (but not the Punch dice!)
Scoundrel Training (Filou): replace the magic training in MM. Scundrel are sort of social magicians with influence circle.

Trigger (détonateur): the main subject of the story
Disturbing truth (vérité qui dérange): what will change the story from a simple problem to a real shitstorm.
Sheep (agenaux): npcs who will probably die in the story due to wolfs's actions.
Wolfs (loups): NPCs who are the real bad guys of the story.
Bit players (seconds couteaux): minor NPCs without name.

I'm open to any suggestions!

#cafenoir

Brother Grognard, Cleric of the Stoic Maiden

Brother Grognard, Cleric of the Stoic Maiden
#macchiatomonsters

Question about the free-form magic approach in MM, has anyone run a game for complete first-timers?

Question about the free-form magic approach in MM, has anyone run a game for complete first-timers? if so, did the free-from approach to magic work well or did they struggle? I'm running a one-shot game for 4 new players, no rpg experience at all, and i onder if I should just give them a spell book like Wonders and Wickedness or if they will be able to come up with spells without much paralysis.

The French version of Café Noir is available!

The French version of Café Noir is available!
http://lesbonsremedes.overblog.com/2018/03/cafe-noir-un-jeu-noir-et-bien-serre.html

Another party with Café Noir this weekend. Great success

Another party with Café Noir this weekend. Great success
"Wait! What your lawyer is doing with a shovel!?!"

#Prettybadthings

Because youser opinions matter to me.

Because youser opinions matter to me.

Originally shared by Eric Nieudan

Movement rates, we kind of need them

Since January, I've run para-OD&D twice a week with pared down rules to make it accessible to non-gamers. One of the things I left out is movement. But now and again, the question arises: a chase, an attempt at running away, you know how it works.

When that happens I look at my trusty B/X Monster Reference booklet and compare movement rates between the critter in question and one of the Men entries (cause I can never remember what a normal person's movement is). I just need to know if a monster is faster or slower than an adventurer.

So now I'm thinking about the stat blocks in Macchiato Monsters. I don't want to have to add the information to every monster if it's not relevant. So a mention in the description should suffice: different movements such as flies or burrows are in there already, so fast or slow or quick as lightning could certainly work.

Or would I be better served by a (short) list of tags? Are there any old school games that handle movement in a clever way?

(Previous post deleted because I had second thoughts about the pic I chose.)

Thanks to Eric Nieudan we've got an OSR Noir game for the French players ☕

Thanks to Eric Nieudan we've got an OSR Noir game for the French players ☕

_At 0 HP you're unconscious, bleeding. Make a CON check to determine if you’re

_At 0 HP you're unconscious, bleeding. Make a CON check to determine if you’re
still breathing. With a success, you have 1 HP and can be healed normally, but
you’ve sustained a grievous wound: you lose a level to represent the loss in abilities and stamina. Remove two advances (not necessarily you latest ones – talk to the referee about what makes the most sense)._

Does this include level 1? Do you become level 0? I think I'm too soft for OSR! :-D

Looking for some rules clarification on consumables.

Looking for some rules clarification on consumables. When a player buys an extra stock of a consumable (e.g. a ration) does it give them an extra risk die? For example 1dR6 becomes 2dR6. After the first dR6 is consumed would it then go down to 1dR6 of stock?

Hey all!

Hey all! Just recently found out about Macchiato Monsters. I love both Whitehack and The Black Hack so this is a fascinating and fun middleground. Couple of questions.

1) How has the Zero Edition been going? What's the status on getting a completed product with the 20+ pages of additional content?

2) When those 20+ pages get added, would it be at all possible to get a hardcover version of the book? One of my favorite things about Whitehack is that it has a hardcover option from Lulu.

Show us how you've used the Specialist Training option!

Show us how you've used the Specialist Training option!

Here are some I made (but they're untested).

Climbing (D4)
(You may succeed at a leg of a climb without a roll).

Desperate fighting (D4)
(I get advantage on an attack against a superior opponent)

Dragonslayer Strike (D4)
(Do maximum damage on a bold attack with a long blade)

Fan the Hammer! (D4)
(Make two attacks with a revolver)

I Do My Best Work In The Dark (D4)
(Advantage on a roll when I’m operating after civil twilight)

One-Two Punch (D4)
May hit twice (using one roll) with bare hands. Each attack does D6 damage (bare-hand attacks normally do D3 damage).

Parkour (D4)
(You may make a seemingly impossible jump)

Strength of Spirit (D4)
(I may add my Source of Strength to a roll)

Superior Cognition (D4)
(I may use my INT in place of another stat)

Do you think it's a problem that monsters never get better at hittin'?

Do you think it's a problem that monsters never get better at hittin'?

For item #4 in chargen where you get to "pick two" from the options, would anyone ever use one of their picks for...

For item #4 in chargen where you get to "pick two" from the options, would anyone ever use one of their picks for extra rolls for wealth/weapons/armor? I bet no. Doesn't seem on the same level as the other options.
But maybe there could be an "inheritance" table that included some magic items, items of larger wealth, and minor noble titles or something...

Pre-generated characters for an Americano Anomalies game. No matter the 'hack', making MM characters is a ton of fun.

Pre-generated characters for an Americano Anomalies game. No matter the 'hack', making MM characters is a ton of fun.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gc3DFkaD51NS1Wn5vavGj2_nL_UzlZmM

Anyone have thoughts on how one might port over the Luck attribute and functionality from Dungeon Crawl Classics?

Sometimes by randomly reading different systems the same day I realize mechanics from different games can work...

Sometimes by randomly reading different systems the same day I realize mechanics from different games can work really well together. Today was the case with MM's risk dice and ICRPG's effect mechanic.

The idea of the "effect mechanic" is that you treat any task as having "hit points" and any action as doing "effect", the equivalent of damage. You're trying to scale up a cliff and succeed on your climbing roll? Good job, but you're poorly equipped. Roll 1d4 effect to see how high you get this turn, you'll have to try again next round until you beat the cliff's 5 "hit points".

Now, imagine we give any tool in MM a dR corresponding to its quality. Whenever you use the tool, you roll the dR both for effect and to see if the tool is damaged. A dR10 rope doesn't give advantage to dR10 people, instead it allows anyone using it to roll dR10 effort when climbing. It unifies the meaning of the dR for all tools.

I'll definitely start using effect in OSR games. It works nicely for time management too: roll for random encounters every other round to give players a motivation to climb faster :)

[French version] here is first playtest of Café Noir, the Modern Noir hack of MM.

[French version] here is first playtest of Café Noir, the Modern Noir hack of MM. I won't translate this text but I'll work on the english version of my game ASAP.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hHfTsBmff2PkBgPafksEMkvMAH4V8yIy/view?usp=sharing

There's an rpg.net review of Macchiato Monsters.

There's an rpg.net review of Macchiato Monsters.
https://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/17/17491.phtml

You're invited, of course. :-)

You're invited, of course. :-)

Originally shared by Tore Nielsen

System: Macchiato Monsters

You owe somebody. This is the natural state of things here. There is no money, no room to breathe, not even people who are richer than you. Just those who owe more.
Thing is, now the favor is being called in. All of it. They have been too lenient, they say. They have been too soft. They have expenses of their own, but maybe you could do them a favor. One solid and the debt vanishes. After all you’re not without resources.

Getting Out From Under is a two-session game, using the Macchiato Monsters rules with the Americano Anomalies setting (modern weirdness among the struggling and disenfranchised). The game draws on the brilliant Veins of the Earth as well.
events/c1s8jchouhtrs0elqaiprd357h4

Anyone toyed with weapons getting damaged?

Anyone toyed with weapons getting damaged? I had a thought: if you fail an attack, roll the damage die as if it were a dR. Step it down as you would a dR. You have to be more careful attacking with it now so you don't screw it up worse or break it. You may sacrifice the weapon to do full damage after it has been stepped down.

You'd need to get the weapon repaired to get it back up to full damage. Maybe you could do one step up with honing during camp or some such?

Thoughts?

Do you think you could get around interminable planning sessions (if they're a problem) by having a quick round of...

Do you think you could get around interminable planning sessions (if they're a problem) by having a quick round of prep and giving a resource die based on that?

Speaking of reviews, this one gets five stars: informative for the potential buyer, and useful to the designer.

Speaking of reviews, this one gets five stars: informative for the potential buyer, and useful to the designer. I have a suspicion it's from you, Nicolas Francart? Thanks for taking the time! This is one review I'll keep in mind when going back to work on the manuscript.
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_reviews_info.php?products_id=203614&reviews_id=190816

What sort of things do you associate with dimension-hopping/Planescapy games (Macchiato Monsters games of course).

What sort of things do you associate with dimension-hopping/Planescapy games (Macchiato Monsters games of course).

Hi!

Hi! I'm a bit confused by the "Zero edition". I'm really considering buying the game, but apparently the full version will be released soon (the website says 2017)...? So I'm wondering if it's worth buying the previous one.
Essentially, if I buy the Zero version, will I get access to the full game once it's released?

Latest review of MMZ on DTRPG:

Latest review of MMZ on DTRPG:

"An incomplete jumble of poorly laid out, poorly thouhgt out and poorly structured houserules for the Black Hack, that turn an elegant system into a halfway muddle that is neither narrativist nor traditional. There are far better, far cheaper TBH supplements out there that are actually worth a read."

I guess you can't make everyone happy =D

I did it !

I did it !
Almost...
The half actually...

Since three or four months, I'm working on a personnal project, a kind of challenge : I'm trying to write a "book" with 101 magic items for Macchiato Monsters.
I write the rules to play with and some short stories... for fun !
It's the occasion to create magic items (of course) but some funny tables (like create your ancestors...), a new classes of magic, a dwarven pantheon, some legends, songs, funny stories and a lot of NPC...

And, 10 minutes ago, I just pass throw the half : I wrote 51 !

The work is not finish at all but I'm happy !

Has anyone played with a party of characters with mismatched levels - like maybe one or two first level characters...

Has anyone played with a party of characters with mismatched levels - like maybe one or two first level characters and others as high as fourth or fifth? Is it un-fun for the players of the low level characters?

Hmm.

Hmm. Thinking about the magic. Over time and character advancement does every character tend to evolve into a user of magic?

Ventis of the Earth.

Ventis of the Earth.

Has anyone used Veins of the Earth with Macchiato Monsters?

Goon Masters in MM

Goon Masters in MM

Here's how to make a horde-summoner character. Take a trait such as Goblin Enchantress or Zombie Master or Baker of Sentient and Homicidal Cupcakes.

This doesn't give you advantage to checks, nor does it grant you outside help like an organisation. All you have is your band of fanatical goblins, crazed cultists, animal automata, etc.

Write down Goons dR8 on you character sheet. They work as a group just like a follower (roll the dR whenever they attempt something risky). A step down means some of your goons died in a stupid way. If the dR is stepped down to nothing, you have to attracts more goons. Wait d8 days and you'll have your dR8 back - the referee can give you a smaller die in less time if they so choose.

Whenever you roll the maximum result on the dR, step it up. Either your goons get smarter/stronger/better at working together, or more of them just show up.

(Picture by Evlyn M, illustrating the B/X class by Benjamin Baugh here: http://chaudronchromatique.blogspot.ie/2014/10/goblin-enchantress-with-shaman-and.html)

(Also thanks to Samuel Guillon for managing to convince a tribe of goblins his character should be their new god. I wouldn't have thought of the mechanic otherwise.)