Leicester's Ramble

Saturday, March 28, 2020

The Dragonborn for the Black Hack

Still here, still essential, so out and about in the big scary world now and then. Picked up a couple of online games with various folks, so that's been a fun distraction, as well...

Hope all of you are staying healthy and relatively sane, as well. Good thoughts to all, folks.

And as CoronaCon2020 goes on, I convert another of the darlings of 4e/5e, the Dragonborn, over to The Black Hack...

https://www.deviantart.com/mattplog

Because why not? Because you want to play a big sexy fire-breathing brute! Yes.. you...

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Here, our Black Hack version's d6 table is, naturally, the scale color and breath weapon of the PC. I bonused their physical attack a bit to reflect their size, but avoided giving them a 'dealer of death' type skill, particularly because of their having the breath weapon. They do get a bit of extra resilience to draw on for valient last stands and the like, which allows for some cinematic play. And Dragonborn PCs can use their appearance and bearing to their advantage in RP or interpersonal situations.

So try one on for size, and have fun. Let me know if a Dragonborn makes their way into your Black Hack game.

https://www.deviantart.com/ivannamatill

Sunday, March 22, 2020

The Lizardfolk for Black Hack

A few years back I wrote up a Lizardfolk as PC class for Swords & Wizardry (or similar oldish-style game rules), while playing around with the rules set and some race/class generation templates.

Since I'm currently playing a bit of The Black Hack, I did the scan for the class again, just for fun. Although there are a few supplements with new old races available, I don't find their presentation to be as flavorful or evocative as the format of the original game.

In the original four game book character classes, each is provided with a a d6 'flavor' table, two options for starting kit, and roughly three to four class-specific skill sets/characteristics. So when I made up my "Whack Hack" batch of random character classes, I tried to emulate that original style as closely as possible. Each class should have their "special thing" without making them too out of line with the game style and other classes.

And I happen to have an affinity for B/X-ish race-as-class. So my lizardfolk are fearsome warriors, with an odd spiritual connection to their god, "Old Croc." Old Croc gives you a random spell each day. You don't know what it will be. It may be Speak with Animals or it could be Raise Dead. Who knows? After all, ineffable ancient reptile gods have their own agendas and premonitions. And lizardfolk are good swimmers, of course.

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So when you need a slightly monstrous warrior to wander into town, seeking adventure and fortune among the "monkeys," try a lizardfolk on for size.

Sunday, March 15, 2020

A Few Kid-friendly Adventures

Martin Thomas of Daddy Rolled a 1 recently put out a few threads regarding inspiration and playable content that may be kid-friendly for adolescents. I've talked with other friends with young-uns about gaming, before, as well, and gotten the "kid-friendly" question, as well. I discovered that I have (inadvertently, perhaps) written a few adventures that might be suitable for the kidlets.

And, since people may be stuck at home and getting some "quality family time" in over the next while, having a few play options may not be the worst thing.

So here's my list of six+ adventures. Feel free to download, tweak, play, and let me know how it goes!

OPD 2016 – “Bowls of Stars” - Save the dragon! Solve the mystery of the alien 'grubs' and illnesses and role-play with some kobolds and others to get the halves of a sphere. The somewhat body-horror 'grubs' may be deleted/tweaked. I did receive a message that this scenario was run by a father for his kids with some tweaks to the role-playing aspects.

OPD 2017 - “You have acquired the deed to a ruined tower...” A mostly open hexcrawl involving uprooting a bunch of drunk halflings from a tower that you "own," as well as bunch of oddball local factions, including a leaderless cult, vegetarian orcs, and goblins with a hot-air balloon....

OPD 2018 – “The Dragon's Lantern” 0-level funnel – Hapless PCs are sent on mission by dragon to retrieve an artifact among a ratling warren.

Drokki's Tomb – Reverses trope by 'returning' something to a tomb. Low combat, mostly negotiating a few puzzles and traps. Beware the Hammer Calliope...

Malleth's Cave – A small complex with multiple locations: There are possibilities to role-play/negotiate truce between two groups of quarreling goblins. Two side-areas include interesting 'toy soldiers' and a mean badger. Players attempting to retreat/rest at the abandoned farmhouse will find it haunted by a harmless but insistent ghost.

Nemar's Truancy – Convince a wayward prince to return home (or not) and come up with non-lethal ways to deal with his pet bear. One of four adventures built around Dyson's "Grizzly Eye Cavern"(some may also find "Trakhor's Bath" amusing - involves fighting a naked ogre armed with a wet towel)

Be safe and healthy out there, folks.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

The Sea Caves of Gara, or where did these mushrooms come from?

Happy viral endtimes!

Like many folks in Seattle, I'm working at home if I'm not out in the field. Likewise, the wife is teaching her university classes remotely, so I hear the dulcet strains of her cursing technology now and then... The commutes have been speedy, and surprisingly, my local grocery has not been stripped of toilet paper. While the PNB performance we were to attend this weekend is cancelled, my improv performance on Tuesday night is (so far) still on.

So, taking a break from staring at construction workplans, and making the brain be creative. Daniel Walthall posted up this evocative sea cave map with a few interesting objects and details, so I wrote a brief scenario using only his illustrations as prompts (with one exception).