Retreat to Unknown Hex: I Read This in 2024

**A collections of information regarding TTRPG that I gather from several blogs. Initially take a shape of pen-and-paper which later digitalized as blogpost. All rights of each articles are belong to their respective writer.**

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> CAPSULE GAMES PART II : Meditations on Capsule Design / Rise Up Comus

Continuing the essay, The Writer explains main principles for a capsule games and providing a concrete examples of games a for the reader to learn and experience more about the concept.
The game (along what the concept they are great about) were:

Lady Blackbird by John Harper (Defining Characters)
Wolves Upon The Coast by Luke Gearing (Create Rules that are the Right Size)
Yazeba's Bed and Breakfast by Possum Creek Games (Create Immersive Rules)
Silent Titans by Patrick Stuart and Dirk Detweiler L. (Create Maps with No Blanks)
The Dark Crystal Adventure Games by Janet Forbes and Jack Caesars (Create a Sense of Finality)

> Drinkin' The Game Away; or; The New Year's Resolution Mechanic Challenge / Archons March On

The Writer propose a new mechanic where the players get a shot glass with several marks.
Player could ask:

How much the glass will filled up, but the drink was picked by the DM; OR
What kind of drink they wants, but filled how much the DM wants.

The mechanism of the dice and the drinks are a little bit confusing for me, but the last two sentences on the particular paragraph,"the amount..." is eye catching : "if you pass out, your character dies. If you puke, you have to clean it up."
There is also a bonus mechanism provided by the Writer called "Overflow" where the player could take a 1/2 max result on your next roll instead of drinking.
The thing is, I don't drink. So I don't understand about any of this mechanism but also on the other hand, I want to try it with another kind of drinks.

> CAPSULE GAMES - PART 2 : Player Characters / A Knight At The Opera

The idea of capsule games are minimalist in preparation but full-fledged on the story. The Writer wants to dive into the design of Playable Character / PC and how to make them interesting and memorable without relying on complex rules or extensive backstory.
The Writer suggests that:

using archetypes to quickly establish the PC's roles and personalities;
by using Traits to add uniqueness to the PC (appearance, personal goal, flaws, etc.);
using relationshop to create connection and conflicts between PC and NPCs (Allies, enemies, rivals, lovers, etc.);
utilizing random tables to generate or inflicting creativity and improvisation.

> Implied Magic, No Magic, Low Magic, Fake Magic / Monsters and Manuals

The Writer exploring the usage of magic in several fiction novels and they able to seperate it into four different and distinguishable types:

Implied Magic: the magic is present in the world, but it's subtle, mysterious and rarely seen, even the the characters didn't know how to handle them. It's a natural thing that came from the World itself;
No Magic : no such things called magic or even it does exist, they are so rare or hidden somewhere in the world;
Low Magic : the magic is exist but limited and dangerous - both from magical abilities and/or from an magical items. PCs will be asked to use them wisely;
Fake Magic : the thing called "magic" was actually an advanced technology or alien intervention or psychological manipulations.

> Terrain, Terrain, Terrain / Seeds of Worlds

Enjoyin and inspired by Baldur's Gate 3, The Writer had some ideas:

Jump is a bonus action
Shoving is also a bonus action, not an attack.

Quoting from the Writer,"Verticality is more prevelent... and coupled with chasm (shove it and fall in and die)... makes it an interesting opportunity."

Shoving people / enemies off heights will inflicts fall damage and also potentially slows them down from getting back to action / contact.

Coverage will be provided by ledges and height differences. Also by utilizing terrains available, players could create a choke-points / ambush point by using spells and consumables.
Writer also trying to implement or suggesting this method for 5e.

> D6x6 Thriving Thanoi / Archons March On

Thanoi is a barbarian race of walrus-folk.
This is my Thanoi:

This Thanoi pierce thick rings through their noses and their fattier parts of their flesh;
This Thanoi dwell in tubes of stitched seal-skins inflated into long houses by channeled wind;
This Thanoi traverse the waves from below, alongside tamed whales they can hitched themselves to when they tire of swimming;
This Thanoi's kagog (Spiritual Leader) has prophesied a coming ice age, and has gathered an army under their banner in preparation;
This Thanoi wield enchanted club made from the baculums of their heroic ancestors;
This Thanoi are serving as hired muscle for a lich who wants to hide their phylactery in the remotest corner of the world.

> Resolutions in the Flame Imperishable / Rise Up Comus

The titular system was an answer for tht Writer to Prismatic Wasteland and also Writer's next capsule game system.
The concept : if the Player had Time, Gear and Skills, they can overcome almost any obstacle. On the contrary, if even one aspect they lack off, they must test their fate with the rolls.
Quoting the Writer,"When you test fate, roll a pool of six-sided dice. This pool starts at 0, and you add 1 to the pool for each one of the following you have.."

Fellowship : add a dice if someone helps you with the task;
Lore : add a dice if you have a lore that is relevant to the task;
Attribute : add a dice if one of your attributes would be helpful;
Magic : add a dice if you use one of your magical abilities to accomplish the task;
Equipment : add a dice if you have the right tool for the task.

After rolling the dice, the results are categorized into three types:

(1) or (2) : Miss
(3) or (4) : Near Miss
(5) or (6) : Hit

if the Player get at least 1 hit from all dice they had to roll, they will be considered succeed the task.
For every additional hit, add one detail to Player's accomplishment.
There are possibilities of turning the Near Miss into a Hit by stressing one of the assets rolled. Stress rolls will be refreshed during downtime.

> 1949 River City Crime Table / Elfmaid & Octopi

I took the liberty to roll and imagine what kind of River City I will visited by the Writer's d100 tables.

(88) Rival gangs selling bad drugs and killing each others;
(63) Bomber has been blowing up witness and jurors to influence court cases;
(38) Gang of Snooty-masked, suit-wearing art thieves, claim to be saving art from Philistines;
(21) Gang running criminal lottery racket with kids for runner;
(86) Desperate war vets living on streets, being recruited into gangs but have to commit a violent robbery and murder to get in;
(62) Journalist have gone into hiding from a gang of killers they seek to expose;
(77) Plan to steal a famous collection of artefacts passing through the city by rail;
(83) Two gangs feuding are sold military weapons including BAR adn Tommy Guns and granades. Violance will promptly explode;
(48) Troubled young addict goes on stabbing spree in the streets and wants police to shoot them for insane;
(93) Prison governor is working with gang leaders inside to take over gangs outside.

> New Year's Resolution Mechanic : Taking Your Time / A Knight at the Opera

Following up Prismatic Wasteland's challenge, the Writer came up with a system that involving realistic usage of time and the of players doing the action in the available time slots.
When a Player trying to attempts an action that have 1) non-trivial chance of success; 2) non-trivial chance of failure; 3) meaningful consequences, they will be asked to roll a dice. This are the foundation of a lot of RPG, and sometimes the main interesting thing to be anticipated was the meaningful consequences that many players want to create as interesting as possible - "dramatic, fun, non-boring" consequences.
There is a term called "Taking 20" that I believe tickled the Writer to create a better mechanism regarding this matter.
The Writer also reminds us about the "Base Time Unit" (which until now, I haven't found the unversal or general rules about this base time unit), and using it as the foundation, the Writer proposing a mechanism that rather than Declare and Roll for how long will the player will doing something, the player roll n dice for n turns instead. n is for number of turn / roll they want to do.

They put two different scenario regarding this system:

When a player (let's say) declaring they want to create a potion that need 3 turns to be completed, and on the third turn, there is a commotion happens outside that breaking their potion making action. They will only get 2 turn instead of 3 (thanks to the commotion), which means the action won't be as effective as players wanted. Interuptions inflicts a penalty.
When a player want their action is giving out the outcome they want to be, and there's no consequences on re-attempting the action, they will keep re-rolling the dice until they get the outcome they preferable / desire to be happen. Hence, why the Writer makes re-attempts are at a penalty. Means on every re-attempts, the player will receive disadvantage, and it might stacks / multiplying everytime they re-attempts. A single dice rolls representing PCs best effort at doing something.

The Writer also proposing another alternate mechanism called "Shifting Time Scales". In example, the player want to brew potion that usually takes 1 turn to do. They can take a single turn to make the potion OR add another turn (2 turns) to make a little bit potential potions that maybe giving them some oomph. Or in other examples, when trying to lock picking that usually takes 5 turns to successfully pry it, the player was faced with the situation that in the next 10 turn, the Guard will come up from the corner. Will the Player do 5-5 turns while hopping the lock opened in their first try? or commiting full 10 turns to opening the door just right before the Guard sees them?
Quoting the Writer,"Compromise; player chooses if they'd rather make a risky attempt to succeed quickly with plenty of time left over, or they take time to get an advantage but they spend the whole turn on it. Why not just keep making (several) quick attempts in a row? Because each one (will) increase the re-attemps penalty."

> d100 Tavern Tables in Shadelport / Elfmaid & Octopi

What is Shadelport? It's a setting that created by the Writer.
Let's see what kind of experience that these taverns in Shadelport provide me with:

(59) Clerks from shipping companies meeting for a meal;
(43) Weapons makers discussing the prospects of war and work;
(78) Drunken student out to party and dance and get loaded and vomit everywhere;
(60) Street vendors having break from wheeling and dealing with pushcarts;
(71) Drunken students, some getting drunk for first time ever.

> Young and Unafraid : Wizard & Witches / Traverse Fantasy

My Wizard and Witch tower had 3 stories...with the other floor might be a (4) recreational room;
Something's always happening inside the tent (6) washing cat in a couldron;
The ingredient might look like (5) magic mushroom (that might grow in a forest or cave;
Current Wizard experiement (8) Paleolithic Park, with 11 person who lived on the property.

> Weird Crimes for Heroes 1949 / Elfmaid & Octopi

One day while strolling down the lovely street of River City, you see:

(76) newspaper chief shot after declaring mystery man and vigilantes should work for the goverment or go to prison life. Crowds believe the editor's wild claims;
(69) foreign spy found murdered in hotel room;
(77) newspaper magnate was found strangled in the car while the driver went to fetch a newspaper. Supporters claim he was silenced for speaking the truth;
(22) cult-like family head is furious at members for leaving and marrying outsiders, now tje family want to kill them and cover up their weird ways;
(74) during an angry mob riot, a politician was shot and injured;
(18) millionaire offers a reward for finding their sweetheart who disappeared while travelling.

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Monday, January 15, 2024

I Read This in 2024 - Week 2