Back To The Megadungeon

 

I'm currently playtesting a brand-new megadungeon in the works, that will be the main feature of book 3 in the Cha'alt trilogy.  

The megadungeon is called Cremza'amirikza'am, of course.

The Lost City is a ruin on the surface of the planet.  Below the eroded city walls and crumbling buildings is the entrance.  

After attacking several small, robed humanoids and driving them down into Cremza'amirikza'am, the PCs went in after them.  The staircase went on for what seemed like hours, descending down into the bowels of Cha'alt.

Meeting an ooze along the way, the PCs eventually came to the first floor of the dungeon, an octagonal chamber with a door ajar.  A magenta-violet light saturated the atmosphere and little aquatic insects and jellyfish looking creatures swam through the lurid illumination.

The second battle of the session was with a trio of monks wearing vials around their neck - the vials contained a glowing yellow-green liquid.

In both battles, the PCs came out victorious.  Neither battle lasted more than 3 rounds.  Even though it waited patiently in the wings, Crimson Escalation did not come into play.  Another playtest thumbs-up, in my opinion.  When creating a fresh mechanic or sub-system, you don't want it constantly making demands.  Occasionally, such things should remain in the background.

As mentioned in my latest video, I'm channeling Buffy the Vampire Slayer, From Beyond, and Event Horizon... along with all my other influences and pop-culture references.  Cha'alt is still a gonzo parody, after all.

A couple interesting tidbits of note...

• There was a surprise round where a PC shot an arrow at the diminutive humanoids.  I counted that as round zero for purposes of Crimson Escalation.
• A pixie-fairy sorceress cast sleep on the monks after a couple rounds of combat.  Since casting that spell brought her down to zero and made her unconscious, I decided to give the monks a saving throw.  Only one made it, and he quickly fled out of the octagonal chamber.
• After the first (surprise round) arrow, the humanoids took cover, giving the shooter Disadvantage, unless circumstances changed.  I think that's a good way of doing it, so just wanted to share.
• One of the PCs ate/drank a bit of the periwinkle slime they encountered on the infinite stairway.  I asked for a saving throw, and he did really well, though didn't quite make his 1st level's 19+ threshold.  So, I told him he got lucky, that several periwinkle splotches appeared on his body and face - much better than becoming a slime oneself.
• The monks of Cremza'amirikza'am told the PCs that the megadungeon was an entrance to another world.  When one of the PCs asked "What world is that?"  I immediately replied "Hell".  That's just an example of spontaneous remarks becoming worldbuilding concrete.  Yep, that's set in stone.

Another playtest session tomorrow.  Wonder what'll happen?

VS

p.s.  I've still got luxurious hardcover Cha'alt and Cha'alt: Fuchsia Malaise books for sale right here.  And I'm also running an old-school, OSR, and traditional RPG convention next July in Madison, WI.  It's called VENGER CON. 

Immersion Revelation

 

Where to start with my very recent (as of this morning) revelation?

Ok, so apparently there are two distinct types of immersion...

The old-school immersion uses the player-character as an alter-ego to experience the game world as yourself, but with a sword, blaster, spells, etc.  Let's call this "me with an axe" immersion.

The new-school or modern immersion uses the player-character as a role, totally separate from oneself, that one can inhabit like an actor.  Let's call it "me as someone else".

That's why, when I'm talking about immersion and how old-school systems and play-styles facilitate immersion better than modern D&D (3rd and 4th editions specifically), lots of gamers get bent out of shape.  To them, immersion means something completely different.

For modern D&D gamers, immersion is fostered by giving you a character in which to lose yourself - heavy background, lots of lore, character options, and death is (and should be) rare.  According to them, old-school D&D is not ideal because it creates the other kind of immersion.

Both immersions are a type of escapism, self-discovery, and fun... but they go about it in entirely different ways.

If you want to watch my video about all this immersion stuff it's right over here - please like, comment, share, and subscribe!

Thanks,

VS

p.s. This is how you order your very own luxury hardcover Cha'alt and Cha'alt: Fuchsia Malaise books. That link takes you to VENGER CON, my old-school RPG convention next July in Madison, WI. 

Crimson Escalation

 

The full title of this blog post should be Crimson Escalation while playtesting the Cremza'amirikza'am megadungeon, but I think that might break the internet.

Speaking of internet breakage, I didn't want to overpromise on this little mechanic until I had properly playtested it.  

Even though I've only tested it once, I believe this could be the single greatest combat-related system improvement since 5e came out with Advantage and Disadvantage.

I'm calling it Crimson Escalation.  In the simplest terms, it's a progressive critical-hit range.  The first round, crits happen on a natural 20.  The second round, crits happen on a natural 19 or 20.  Third round, it's a natural 18-20, etc.

Some optional fiddly-bits could be added, but that's the basic premise.  As I theorized, here are the results...

• Combat was shorter - without it, combat would have dragged on longer.  More misses and lower damage leads to longer combats.  Boring!
• Combat was more brutal - I think we can all agree, watching someone whittle away at the trunk of a tree is less satisfying than seeing it chopped in twain with a battle-axe. 
• Combat was more tense - as combat continued, the stakes grew higher because every round it became easier to hit with a higher probability of greater damage.

I assumed that last one (heightened tension) might be the case, but as mentioned, I didn't want to promise it before seeing for myself.

When I was asking for feedback on social media, a couple people wondered if PCs would delay their action in order to attack later in the battle, which didn't make any sense to me then and still doesn't now.  

Another point was raised about reinforcements - if a couple fresh goons rush into the battle halfway, how do you account for that, regarding crits?  Personally, I'm not going to track multiple crit ranges during combat, so everyone's at the same range.

As soon as the Cha'alt After Dark PDF is released, I'm asking my layout team to include Crimson Escalation in Crimson Dragon Slayer D20.  I'm not going to wait for next year's revision - it's that good.

I'm not going to go into detail about delving into the Cremza'amirikza'am megadungeon below The Lost City, but I'm going for a mix of Stuart Gordon's From Beyond and my Metebelis III interpretation of Lovecraft's dreamlands.  It's still very much a work-in-progress.

However, the session culminated in an epic battle between a local warlord death-priest and his guards versus the two 3rd level PCs (both fighters).  It lasted 5 rounds, which is kind of the max for a routine (but still thrilling) combat, according to my sensibilities.  As you'd expect, there were multiple crits.  It was an exciting battle as we anticipated the outcome - the longer combat lasted, chances increased that it would get exponentially bloody!

By the way, the two PCs won the battle.  They were both injured, but survived thanks to being 3rd level.

A short combat is usually a round or two (usually over in 10 minutes).  Medium combat is somewhere between three and five rounds (somewhere around 15-25 minutes).  Anything more than five rounds is long (at least a half-hour) and considered too much, unless it's some kind of major boss battle.  

A primary reason I enjoy old-school D&D is shorter combats.  That leaves more time for adventuring... and even more battles each session!  Dear God, when I think back to my time running 4e and 60-90 minute combat [shuddering].  Never again.

Anyway, my mind blew-up (in a good way), and this is my life going forward - Crimson Escalation now and forever, hoss!

VS

p.s. Want the deluxe Cha'alt and Cha'alt: Fuchsia Malaise hardcovers?  Boom!  Want to attend VENGER CON next July?  Shazam!

VENGER CON

 

It's something I've been thinking about for a few years and just kept putting it off, waiting for the right time...

Well, it's time.

Next year (2022) on Friday July 22nd, Saturday July 23rd, and Sunday July 24th will be the first ever Venger Con!

Here's the link with all the details.  It's my first time using the Tabletop Events platform, so if I made a mistake, let me know and I'll rectify it.  

It's going to focus on old school, OSR, and traditional RPGs - without politics or "safety tools".  My goal is to not only provide space for excellent gaming, but also to foster gaming excellence.  There will be morning workshops on how to do everything (such as GM, be a player, and write adventures) like a fucking boss.

I considered lowering the age requirement to 16, but for right now, it's 18+.  Each standard admission badge (100 max) is $100 and that's for the entire weekend.

The hotel is nice and conveniently located.  We have a large room, a medium-sized room that can be divided in half, and a smaller room for all of our gaming needs.  

There might be a handful of vendors and special guests, but primarily Venger Con is about gaming - getting the most out of our games, making incremental improvements, and showing the world just how awesome old-school gaming can be!

Thanks for checking it out, asking questions, commenting, and continuing to support me and my work.

Venger As'Nas Satanis
High Priest of Kort'thalis Publishing

p.s. I'll have several books available for purchase at the convention, but if you want your luxury Cha'alt and Cha'alt: Fuchsia Malaise hardcovers sooner than later, you can order them here!

Shorter, Brutal Combats

 

An idea formed after posting and reading comments on one of my vacation videos here.  Rob Couture had the original idea, FYI.  His YouTube comments were lost when merging his two accounts.

Basically, every round of combat increases the critical-hit range by one.  I've decided to call this Crimson Escalation!

On the first round, the vast majority of PCs and monsters [Yes, this benefits both PCs and their opponents!] will only crit on a natural 20.  On the second round, they'll crit on a 19 or 20.  On the third round, the crit range is 18-20.  Fourth, 17-20 and so on...

Critical-hits do the usual double damage, and it also means you definitely hit the target.  This is useful especially for high AC opponents when, on the fifth round, you will hit on anything that's a roll of 16+.

If you're fortunate enough to have a higher than normal crit range, then good for you.  You get to keep your +1 crit range bonus, that just makes you a more efficient killer!

Regardless of the crit range, if a natural 20 is rolled, that character may also perform some sort of stunt, special maneuver, or epic deed based on present circumstances, described by the player (if he wishes), and adjudicated by the Game Master. 

This will shorten combat and also make it more deadly.  Two things the OSR usually prefers over modern D&D.  I'm going to officially add this to Crimson Dragon Slayer D20 soon.  Until then, I'd like you guys to help me playtest it.  

I don't see a potential downside, assuming fast and brutal battles is what you want, but you never know.  Additionally, this should help balance out non-sorcerer classes, as well.  Suddenly, those wading into melee are slightly more awesome than they were before.  Take that, fireball spamming wizards who's best friends with a cleric!

Thanks,

VS

p.s. We're between Cha'alt kickstarters at the moment, but if you want your luxury supreme hardcovers, Order them right now!

Sandbox D&D Campaign (part 3)

 

Ok, we've gone through part 1 and part 2.  Let's dive into part 3...

At this point, you've been running the game for awhile, somewhere between 7 and 10 sessions.  It's time to gear up for the climax.  Yeah, I'm assuming this campaign will last until session 20.  That's a Herculean effort, be proud of that!  

If you're a beginner DM, I wouldn't try to go over... not until you've been doing this for years.  And even then, I feel like a 20-session campaign is a good place to stop.  One day, I'm going to run a campaign that continues for years, but even I'm not ready for that - too many responsibilities!

  

     I. Bring Together

          A. Story Forge - As the GM, you didn't craft a story (plot) before the adventuring took place.  Now that the PCs are mid-level, the half-told story can start to be understood.

          B. Tying disparate threads together - The thing your 3rd henchman said about the azure spider might have something to do with the blue webbed caves of Aza'akeen.  Find patterns and sew seemingly random elements together.

          C. PC backstory - Up until now, I hope you've mostly ignored whatever history the player-characters have been yammering about.  But this is when it starts to matter - use something from their past to either complicate the present or make it more dramatic.

     II. Godlike Power

          A. Special Abilities - As the PCs have reached mid-level, it's time they started REALLY kicking ass!  Don't feel you need to go all-out "new school" with feats, prestige classes, and class-based talents up the wa'azoo.  Nevertheless, as the GM, you should dole out something kind of awesome to reward players and their characters for sticking it out this long.

          B. Artifacts & Relics - Somewhere in the realm, or outside of it, there's got to be an unbelievable magic item, piece of high-tech, or super-science contraption.  The PCs can quest for it before they invade the Big Bad in his lair.

          C. Evil has its own ultimate weapons - The monsters and deadly NPCs pitted against the adventurers also have godlike powers.  Unleash them upon the PCs, or at least threaten to rip into them.

     III. New Is Always Better

          A. Non-standard - If you've been relying on stuff you've read, watched, or stolen from other campaign settings, that shit ends here.  It's time to create your own content - new monsters, new traps, new magic items, new treasure, new places, new NPCs, etc.

          B. Shocking reveal - There's something that's always been nagging you from the very beginning about this campaign setting.  Remember the waterfall mist and time/space doorway from Land of the Lost?  That's what I'm talking about. Time to turn things on their head - what the PCs accepted as true suddenly proves to be an utter lie!  Revel in your revelations!!!

          C. Big Bad in his lair - The final confrontation is just around the corner.  Gearing up for that confrontation will take a couple sessions and then actually storming The Beast's black fortress (or whatever) will probably also take multiple sessions.

__________

Hope you enjoyed all 3 parts, hoss.  Thanks for reading, commenting, and sharing!  

VS

D&D Sandbox (part 2)

 

Sandbox play is one of the greatest styles of D&D (or any other RPG) campaigns because it relies on self-governance, rather than the GM making all major decisions.

Create your own sandbox campaign using this outline along with my follow-up here...

     I. Traveling 

          A. Wandering monsters - create a random table for PCs traveling from place to place

          B. Hazards - come up with some sticky situations the PCs might encounter in their travels.

          C. NPCs - who will the PCs meet along the way?

     II. Noteworthy NPCs

          A. Flesh out prominent NPCs in the realm - King, Queen, other royalty and nobility.

          B. Lower-class patrons, mentors, merchants, and faction leaders who the PCs may interact with on a regular basis.

          C. Nemeses!  The PCs will have enemies pitted against them and their causes, thwarting PC goals, and possibly trying to kill them.

     III. New Details

          A. More information about places the PCs already know, like the small dungeon you told them about in the 1st session.

          B. Further reaches - what's over the mountain or beyond the barrier or below the surface?

          C. Weird shit!  Now that the PCs feel rather comfortable and "at home" with the campaign setting, it's time to throw in a few curve balls.  What gives that giant floating crystal the right to mind-control everyone who steps foot inside the obsidian labyrinth?

_________

That's it for now.  I might come up with part 3 in a few days.  If you have a suggestion, question, or comment, please post something below.  

Thanks,

VS

p.s. I made a video where I talk about this blog post.

DIY Sandbox D&D Campaign

 

The following is just a quick tutorial on making your own D&D sandbox.  What's presented her should give you the bare bones to jumpstart a long-term campaign.

     I. Locations

          A. Starting location such as a city, village, settlement, etc.  Wherever the PCs come from.

          B. Handful of small locations of interest - temples, dungeons, tombs, towers, castles, swamp, forest, valley, hills, etc.

          C. The Big Bad location, this is where the PCs aspire to go... eventually.

     II. Factions

          A. Good guys vs bad guys.

          B. Shades of gray (no one is all good nor all evil).

          C. Directly relate to the PCs' background and/or goals.

     III. What's The Deal?

          A. Rumors, myths, and legends.

          B. The immediate micro-hook that initially draws the PCs outside their comfort zone.

          C. The far off, long-term goal or macro-hook that can be pursued when the PCs are ready.

Ok, that's it.  If you want to hear me talk about it, here's the link to my YouTube video.

VS

p.s. Here's the link to part 2.

Open Letter To Gaming Conventions

I've been tasked as the spokesman for a plurality of traditional and OSR gamers to ask conventions a very important question in light of Gencon and Origins banning the new TSR over Ernie Gygax Jr.'s interview.  Maybe you aren't aware of it, but it's been all over social media lately.  

I have to ask if your convention will be accepting of non-woke, non-SJW gamers, gamers who reject that particular ideology, who are openly conservative, who are sick and tired of being harassed by the radical-left and labeled racists, bigots, nazis, whatever phobes and ists, white supremacists, etc. just because we don't subscribe to recent, reality-warping theories of gender identity, critical race theory, and anything having to do with cultural Marxism.

As an example, if you'd allow someone to wear a Black Lives Matter t-shirt, but not a MAGA hat... that's a serious problem. Similarly, if individuals such as Ben Shapiro and Jordan Peterson would not be allowed to attend, that speaks volumes about the egregious levels of gatekeeping in the gaming community.

If politically moderate, old-school liberal, libertarian, right-leaning gamers and just normal people who want to game without politics (including leftist politics) aren't welcome, then there's no reason for my continued presence at your gaming convention until mainstream, middle-America values are tolerated once again.

Hundreds of us (soon thousands, I hope) are sick and tired of being excluded from our beloved hobby by those championing (in name only) inclusion, diversity, and equity.  The culture of RPGs has always been welcoming, decent, and law-abiding, but our past seems to be continually altered by revisionists to make it seem like everyone in Lake Geneva, WI circa 1974 owned slaves!  

I'm sure you have been around long enough to know our hobby was pretty darn great back in the good old days, even though there have always been and will always be exceptions.  Now... well, we're not so sure.

Sincerely, 

Venger As'Nas Satanis

High Priest of Kort'thalis Publishing