5th Edition Hit Points & Grievous Wounds

Damage and healing is a polarizing issue among the 5e crowd.  We have one camp believing hit points should be fatigue/stamina while another believes hit points are actual injuries.  For those somewhere in the middle, who don't want to house-rule away the HD healing and total refresh after 8 hours of sleep baked into the system's core rules, I propose this...

Instead of the standards double damage crit, the DM may elect to apply a grievous wound instead (not counting bludgeoning damage).  Grievous wounds do not heal at the same rate as other hit points.  They represent an arrow to the gut, slash upside the head, or taking a morning star to the spine.  The kind of physical devastation that won't disappear after a good night's rest.  Such damage takes 1 day to heal 1 hit point, unless supernatural healing is proffered such as cure light wounds, a healing potion, etc.

For instance, a slathering beast with orange and aqua scales lunges at the party's warrior.  The creature normally does 1d10 damage.  GM rolls a natural 20 and chooses to make this a grievous wound rather than doubling the damage.  He rolls a 7.

The fighter loses 7 hit points which will take 7 days to fully heal without magical means.  Whatever the fighter's hit point total, he can eventually self-heal that number minus 7 until tomorrow, at which point his total available hit points will be the usual number minus 6.  The day after it's minus 5 and so on...

Grievous wounds are not cumulative.  If that fighter took another critical and grievous wound for 5 points later in the day, his total aggravated damage would still only be 7.  However, if the damage rolled was 11 instead of 5, then the fighter's grievous wound would be at 11.

I thought about the difficulty some 5e gamers are having with healing damage quickly.  Rather than shouting, "This is terrible!" or sweeping it under the rug with justification after justification, I decided to try and fix the problem.  Some of us oldschoolers enjoy the deadlier aspects of D&D when players were somewhat afraid for their characters' lives.  But, if you prefer the modern approach, enjoy your coddling.

On the way home from work yesterday, I remembered aggravated damage from one of my favorite old school RPGs, 1st edition Vampire: the Masquerade.  Those who know V:tM will remember that being chewed up by a werewolf doesn't go away after drinking a little human blood.  Aggravated wounds are persistent.

Though it will only happen approximately 5% of the time (not counting advantage), I think this is a reasonable compromise for those, such as myself, who feel that not all injuries should alleviate swiftly.  Disagree?  Send me your feedback.  I want to know what you think?  Is this something you might use?  Why or why not?


VS


p.s.  Or you could simply use exploding dice for all damage (again, excluding bludgeoning).  Just as lethal but without the extra bookkeeping.

Giving 5e D&D a try

The day is here (one of them, at least), the hour almost upon us (or way past if you're not reading this immediately after I post it).  The online, free, basic Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition has arrived!

It's HERE!!!

Even though I've been or mirrored a mix of emotions about this latest iteration, I'm still excited to see, run, and tinker around with it.  The following is my 5e schedule so far...

• On July 17th, I'll be running two back-to-back demos at the Madison Central Public Library using the Starter Set intro adventure.
• On July 26th, I'm running 5e for my home game group (which I haven't seen much of, let alone gamed with in months).  Not sure if I'll use Lost Mine of Phandelver or something else... probably something else since I've got a ton of unused modules and it would be cool to see how she flies using an OSR scenario.
• Sometime in September, I'll be starting my weekly home game up again.  Not sure what system will be the core of this campaign but 5e will surely play a part.  If there are empty seats at the table, well, there's no better way of finding players than to run D&D.
• There's a new (this will be their 2nd year) tabletop gaming convention in my home town, Madison, WI - Game Hole Con.  November 7th - 9th.  I ran a bunch of Liberation of the Demon Slayer games last year and this year I'll be doing a single session of The Islands of Purple-Haunted Putrescence, Saturday at noon for six hours!  Originally, I had posted the event using Swords & Wizardry, but since D&D 5e can be scaled down to an old school flavor, I reckoned D&D would be more inviting.  And this time I'll take pictures, damn it!

During all those D&D games, I'll do what I do with every roleplaying game I Game Master - experiment!  I'll try out new and very familiar house rules, swamp one game mechanic out for another, modify little bits here and there, and just see what happens, improvising as best I can.  The library demos will probably be the purest form of "basic" 5e because each session is only 2 hours; it will be a true test of the new system both for myself and all the casual RPG or 5e noobs who signed up to play.

There's no doubt I'll incorporate my critical hit table from Purple, dark secrets from Liberation, several awesome innovations from 13th Age, perhaps something from Dungeon World (amazon doesn't know where the fuck it is at the moment!), spells from Space-Age Sorcery, and that idea I had about outside-the-box combat stunts.  Probably lots more in varying degrees...

That's how I game.  As soon as the world and characters take shape, they change from what's written down in some book or on some character sheet.  It's purely subjective, moments of another reality.  Just as real as our everyday experiences... occasionally more so.

VS

p.s.  Probably goes without saying, but I'll be blogging about my experience after every 5e session listed above.  Stay tuned!

The Enthusiasm War

Something strange is brewing just below the surface of D&D's upcoming 5th edition.  I don't know if it's a backlash or some kind of mutant rebound backlash reverberating through the RPG echo-sphere.  Anyway, the effects are being talked about even though only a few people are addressing the problem itself.  And it is a problem, in my estimation.  Not because I have a particular view and others aren't agreeing with it, but that many gamers are fighting some invisible edition war over a set of rules which doesn't even exist yet.  It's not even a war of editions - it's a war of enthusiasm (or lack thereof).  Why?

Below are the eight camps I've seen.  Chances are, you're in one of the categories below or a hybrid of multiple categories.  Again, I don't care who is where or why... I would just like everything on the table so that maybe some civility can prevail, if not transcendent introspection.


1.  So, we've got people who are loving the promise of 5e and what it represents.  

2.  People who are tentatively optimistic but skeptical.  

3.  Those who just don't care.

4.  Those who think 5e is doing far too little, too late and are unhappy about one thing or another.

5.  A few cranks who absolutely loath 5e and what it represents.

6.  5e lovers who are sick and tired of what they perceive to be 5e hating trolls.

7.  Those disenchanted by what they've seen of 5e who just want the 5e lovers to shut up already.

8.  Cautious, intrigued skeptics who feel harassed or threatened by all the 5e love.

9.  Oops, forgot this one: individuals who are mad that 5e isn't being heralded as the awesome-est version of D&D ever!


Maybe the gaming community just needs to work this stuff out on its own by constantly arguing back and forth.  I don't know.  However, I will say that in certain corners of the internet, the trolling, flaming, petty bickering, and "threadcrapping" looks pretty ugly.

Perhaps we can agree on a few things... our very own Geneva Convention?  If one side refrains from using the phrase "OSR Taliban" and projecting that the other side "hates 5e" even though they're only skeptical or ambivalent, the other side can stop this: "Your 5e super-fandom is threatening my cautious appraisal of what I've seen so far; now I'm going to go off on it - and you!"  Sound fair?

Even though I'm pleased about what I've seen from all the articles, interviews, forum discussion, and playtest documents regarding 5e (yes, I've done the research), that's not why I'm on the + side of the debate.  Just to be clear, I'm not against debate.  In fact, I love it... when it's constructive.  Another reason I'm pro D&D is because our hobby is shrinking and could eventually die off if we're not passionate about its progression.

Now, there are many routes to rejuvenation.  5e isn't the answer to everything and, for you, it might be the wrong answer.  But at least it's something.  A step in the right direction.  Want to go a different route?  Awesome.  Do it.  Grow paper & pencil tabletop roleplaying in your own way. Just know that if you decide to do nothing, then 5e might be the only reason ordinary people know what a roleplaying game is five years from now.  "You know, like Dungeons & Dragons."

As a community, we can be critical while still being supportive; we can like what we like while understanding those who don't.  I propose we approach further discussion consciously.  Hopefully, that's not too much to ask.


VS

Unification Through Diversity

Can you imagine a two year delivery?

The creation of fifth edition was like childbirth.  I imagined those frustrating early stages, glimmers of hope and dread, small victories but miles and miles to go before anyone gets to sleep.  The screams, crying, shouting, pain, blood... everything.  Where in the fuck is my wife's epidural?  I wanted to be a part of it, to be there from beginning to end.  I wanted to know, and yet I didn't want to put myself through all that.  Not for two or more years.

So, that's why I only started paying attention these last couple months, finally allowing myself to get excited about what was just three pushes away from arrival.  Dungeons & Dragons s is coming!

Just to recap, this has been the OSR consensus regarding fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons, based on the feedback from my last couple blog posts...

• The OSR had an enormous impact on 5e.  This makes sense because there probably wouldn't have been an OSR (as we know it today) without the missteps of 4th edition.
• The OSR isn't going anywhere.  It still has meaning and value.  It's a type of gaming, a style, an aesthetic... a feel.  It's many things to many different people.  A new version of D&D isn't going to eradicate it, but 5e will undoubtedly have an influence.
• Since 5e is pretty darn old school (at the very least, OSR compatible) the majority of OSR gamers plan on trying 5e at some point (especially since the basic version will be available for free online) and from there will decide on one of the following:  1) incorporating bits and pieces from 5e into their established RPGs (like S&W, DCC, LotFP, AS&SH, etc.).  2) adoption: switching over to the point where their primary RPG of choice is 5e (while possibly incorporating bits and pieces from the aforementioned OSR games).  3) decide against continuing with 5e in any form. 

My personal belief is that roughly half the gamers who try 5e will fall into one of the first two camps.

For those who ask, "Why would I want, let alone need, another edition of D&D if I'm happy with what I already have?  Isn't 5e supposed to be like AD&D 2nd edition minus Thac0, plus feats?"  Good question(s).  If you haven't been keeping on Next news, it's easy to be swayed to one side or the other based on rumors and hearsay.  

I've been reading Mike Mearls' articles on the game design process for Next / 5e.  This new version of the game will be radically different than what we've known while still feeling like home. Sure, it incorporates a lot of things that we love about all the previous editions (yes, including a few bits from 4th) while ditching odds and ends that hold the game back.  And 5e does a great job of that.  However, it brings a lot of fresh, innovative choices to the table (choices, options, and support for DM cherry picking are huge in 5e).  Things that D&D fans have never seen outside of home-rules and Dragon magazine!

Here's a brief rundown of what I've found...

• Magic item attunement.  Appendix N readers may recall some of their favorite fantasy characters possessing magic items which are somehow tied to them.  That's in 5e.
• Backgrounds.  Character history, including contacts, ties to places and NPCs, ideals, and flaws was an important part of the 80's 90's gaming sessions I was involved with... but a small part, unfortunately.  From a rules-standpoint, backgrounds were definitely in the background (no pun intended).  Writing out a personal history on the backside of a character sheet isn't the same as having options hardwired into the core rules.
• Armies battling.  D&D has its roots in miniature wargaming.  Admittedly, I don't know too much about how D&D handled large forces fighting each other on the battle field in the last couple of decades but its being addressed now.
• A smarter, more intuitive option for leveling the party.
• Rolling 2d20 and taking the lower of the two when at a clear disadvantage and the higher when at a clear advantage.  This replaces all the +1 bonus for this, -2 penalty for that, and +3 bonus for the other thing.
• Concentration for magic-users (it's cool, but I'm not going to explain it here).  And an option for using spell points instead of the traditional Vancian magic!
• Apprentice feel for 1st and 2nd level characters for either campaign introduction or system noobs, as well as, rules for starting established characters and veteran players at 3rd.
• Inspiration:  in-game bonuses for good roleplaying!

There will be more, of course, when 5e is released.  This is just a taste based on Mearls' Legends and Lore column.  A fascinating read!  I'm still waiting on a friends' last playtest material for more info on how 5e will look and feel.

Am I excited for D&D?  Oh, Hellzzz to the yeah!  It means I can easily run or play in an old school kind of D&D session which can handle a Tiefling alienist sorcerer or a Warforged warlock/fighter who loves tactical combat while accommodating a Halfling thief who performs shadowy murders for the city's high priest of K'tulu because of his sordid past. Or keep things as fundamental as possible by allowing only wizard, rogue, fighter, and cleric.  All this without having to remember what true roleplaying is about from a prior edition or slavishly adhere to a thousand fiddly rules that are supposed to counterbalance each other into infinity.

Those who don't share my eager anticipated are free, as always, to hate (or simply ignore what's coming).  It's cool.  Alternatively, those who want to bathe in the afterbirth may do so as well.  Either way, I'm interested in reading whatever it is you want to say.  Speak!

VS

What's Next for the OSR?

Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition is coming...

As most of us know (or have been told) this iteration of the world's first, most popular, and possibly greatest fantasy roleplaying game is supposed to cater towards grognards, noobs, and everyone in between who favors streamlined, innovative, and nostalgic D&D as opposed to the math-heavy, rule-bloated, video game aspects of 3rd and 4th editions.  This will undoubtedly be a new beginning for paper & pencil tabletop roleplaying in general, but what about the nostalgia niche?

If the rumors and playtest packets are true, D&D will be more like the 70's and 80's but with a few key enhancements from the last three decades.  I wonder what this means for the old school renaissance.  Will is bolster RPGs like Swords & Wizardry, Labyrinth Lord, and Dungeon Crawl Classics?  Could it replace or bypass them to some degree?  How about OSR modules, maps, gaming aids, and campaign books?  Boon or bust?

Show of hands, how many OSR devotees are willing to jump ship if 5e turns out to be all we hope?  If 5e gobbles up the majority of old school market share, then what's to become of it?  Will those who obstinately continue to play original Red Box D&D, AD&D, or 2nd edition be viewed again as throwbacks who refuse to evolve?  Will the OSRIC or Castles & Crusades (shudder) holdouts become even more ghettoized, misanthropes who simply refuse to join the party because D&D is awesome and popular again?

Personally, I won't make up my mind about 5e until I read it and either run or play it (at least twice).  However, if it's what I think it'll be, then many of my core books and boxes will go to the back of the gaming closet.  Even though I naturally eschew that which is fashionable, I'd rather join the party than lurk in the shadows - especially when those shadows are a pale reflection of what they used to be.

Have an opinion or something to say?  I want to hear about it!  So, post... get it off your chest.

VS

Will 6th Edition Have Open Art-Testing?

Hmmm... I've been reading a number of fantasy RPG blogs (most of them OSR, probably) about the D&D Next covers.  One guy said they were badly cropped.  I don't disagree.  Another chap liked them overall but couldn't, in all honesty, say that he loved them.  Can't blame him.  And some dude did THIS!

Art is a subjective thing.  We won't all nod our heads in unison that one piece of artwork is superior to another.  Nevertheless, I think many of us can weigh in on what we like and why, as well as, what we loathe and who should be held responsible and smacked in the head with rotten tomatoes.

What I really want to know is this - did anyone even bother approaching Erol Otus?!?

I'm sure the gaming ghetto of the internet is buzzing with comments about the subject.  So, that begs the question... if the rules were aired out and mulled over for a couple years before being published this summer, why not the artwork?  After all, isn't that part of the D&D experience?  Don't we care about what's on the outside almost as much as what's within?  Sure, a cover is just the surface of a book, the tip of the iceberg... however, the tip is so very, very important.  Why leave it up to a handful of professionals?

Additionally, the same aesthetic standards of indie RPG companies and publishers do not apply to Hasbro / Wizard of the Coast.  We don't expect our product to make millions of dollars.  We won't reach an audience of hundreds of thousands.  The future of the RPG industry is not in our tiny hands.

That brings me to another question - should game design be democratic?  Each decision based upon a popularity contest?  Is that effective or even healthy?

Personally, I think the 5th edition covers are fairly decent.  Unfortunately, "fairly decent" doesn't really cut it, does it?  I care about roleplaying in general, Dungeons & Dragons in specific.  Even if I don't plan on playing Next, I have skin in the game.  This is my hobby, my passion, my life.  I'm not going to climb a clock tower with a rifle because there aren't enough tentacles or I dislike fire engine red.  But let's face it, it matters to me just as the next generation of roleplaying matters to me.

I didn't paste the new covers in this blog post because chances are you've already seen them dozens of times and that was probably plenty, unfortunately.  So, enjoy some truly amazing RPG artwork: the basic D&D "magenta box" by Erol Otus.  In my mind, the greatest RPG cover art ever!  It has all the basics - a dragon in a dungeon being attacked by more than one adventurer - magic and martial prowess working together in hopes of acquiring a treasure chest of precious gemstones!  Yes, it's a bit dated.  The dragon doesn't inspire the level of fear I'm sure the DM would like, yet, whole captures an otherworldly tone sorely lacking in most RPG art.  Second place - the AD&D Player's Handbook by David A. Trampier!

If you have any thoughts on D&D Next - good, bad, ugly, awesome, weird, not weird enough, etc., please feel free to speak your mind.  I shall not denigrate you in public.  Just in my fevered imagination.  ;)


VS

VSd6, a System for Narrative Leverage

For years, I had players roll a variable amount of dice (2d6 for easy, 3d6 for average, 4d6 for difficult, etc.) trying to hit their character's ability score or lower.  If they did, success.  If they didn't, failure. Not very dynamic.  

What I've created here - influenced by what must be over a hundred different d6 game mechanics - is a system of narrative leverage.  Instead of pass/fail, there are interesting shades of grey which a competent GM can use to his advantage, improving the roleplaying experience for all.

The VSd6 system can be used anytime an action is attempted outside of conventional combat maneuvers.  That means if a character wants to use a skill, lift a portcullis, or kick the sorcerer's wand out of his hand before he blasts you again, this can be your go-to game mechanic...
___


 Roll a dice pool of d6’s.  Only take note of the single highest number rolled, except in cases of critical success. The GM and relevant player(s) should calculate each dice pool together.  Traditionally, the lion's share of calculation falls upon GM shoulders but players are encouraged to negotiate their dice pool based upon prevailing conditions.  Excessive whining, bitching, and complaining, however, may provoke a -1d6 penalty [cue Evil Laugh!].

 If the highest number rolled is a 6 that means “complete success”. 5 means “mostly successful” or “success but with a minor complication or catch”. 4 means “partial or half success”. 3 means “mostly failure” or “failure but with a silver lining”. 2 means "unsuccessful", the attempt did not succeed. 1 means “Disaster!"; not only does the attempt fail but, additionally, something unexpectedly bad occurs.  Multiple 6's means "critical or outstanding success!"

To put things in simple terms, let me present the system's essence:  if a character should have an excellent chance of success, have the player roll 3d6; if a character should have a moderate chance of success, then 2d6 should be rolled; if a character only has a slim chance of success, then reduce the player's dice pool to 1d6.  That's it.  However, if you want more - subtlety, nuance, intricacy, and options - everything that follows should suffice...


• If there are two 6’s rolled in the dice pool that means a critical success: you make it look easy, accomplish it in record time, or do it with stylistic flourish. Three 6’s means super-critical success: above and beyond expectations resulting in more than you thought possible. Four 6’s means hyper-critical success: all of the aforementioned benefits plus the next time you attempt the same action under similar conditions, you get an automatic 6 in your dice pool.

• Take 5! Characters with a dice pool of 4 or more can accept a result of 5 instead of rolling. 

•  1d6 is standard.  The average character attempting an ordinary action under normal circumstances without any special skill, training, background, experience, or aptitude will only have 1d6 to roll. Characters who find themselves with an empty dice pool (0d6) must work a little harder to at least have something to roll. Ingenuity! 

[Optional rule #1] If the action is exceptionally innovative and well described, GMs may grant characters a 1d6 minimum dice pool to at least have a chance at success.

[Optional rule #2]  A character with a zero dice pool may roll 2d6, discarding the greater of the two. 

• If a character attempts something having relevant skill, training, background, and/or experience, then add a d6 to the dice pool.

• If the character has a relevant ability score of 7 or lower (well below average), then subtract a d6 from the pool. If he has a relevant ability score of 15 or higher (well above average), then add a d6.

• If the character is being aided by someone (or something), then add a d6... provided that aiding character has some skill, training, background, and/or experience relevant to the task at hand.  Same goes for characters aided by an appropriate tool, device, or apparatus.  Normally, these bonuses are not added together or "stacked", but the GM is the final arbiter in this matter.

• Awesomely imaginative/inventive actions that are outside the box and described by the player add a d6.

• Relatively easy actions add a d6.

• Subtract a d6 if there’s overwhelming force working against the character.

• Subtract a d6 if the attempted action is particularly challenging.

• Subtract a d6 if the character is in a debilitated state, handicapped in some way, or is suffering from a major wound.

• If the active character wishes to make a quick, fast, simple, or minor action (one that doesn't require its own roll), in addition to the one he's attempting in a single round, he must declare his intention before rolling his dice pool, as 1d6 should be taken away to allow for the extra, albeit brief, action.  Quick actions might entail: drinking a readied potion, dodging a bullet, parrying a sword thrust, shouting for help, moving 5', or taking the safety off a handgun.  

A standard action (standard in length of time and scope of tactics, yet effortless or reflexive to perform) should reduce an active character's dice pool by 2d6 - this is no different than two quick actions in the same round.  Standard actions might include swinging a sword, casting a spell, firing an arrow, firing a laser pistol, reading a scroll, or moving more than 5'.

Actions substantial enough to require a dice pool calculation reduces a character's dice pool by 3d6 (also equal to a standard action and a quick action or three quick actions in the same round).  The player may decide how to allocate his 3d6 reduction between both actions.  For instance, a PC who wants to bullwhip a thug around the throat and throw a ruby the size of a monkey's head across a chasm in the same round might have dice pools of 3d6 and 4d6 respectively.  The player could choose to reduce his whip action by 1d6 and his throw by 2d6 leaving him with dice pools of 2d6 for each. 

• Characters can save up their dice for a rainy day!  Simply keep a d6 or more of your dice pool in reserve until you really, really need it.  However, a dice pool modified by reserved dice cannot be more than double the original dice pool.  Furthermore, reserving dice cannot reduce the current dice pool below 1d6.

Let's say a PC is about to shoot a phaser at the mirrored surface of a black pylon in order to hit an enemy hiding for cover behind an Ancient Wyrm skeleton.  Based on the GM's calculations, he has a dice pool of 4d6.  However, the player feels that's over-kill, so decides to only roll 3d6 and keep 1d6 in reserve.  Later in the session, the PC tries to figure out the symbols on a high-tech scrying device.  He gets a 2d6 dice pool, but isn't really that interested enough to give it his all.  He decides to roll 1d6 and save 1d6.  Finally, at session's end, the PC attempts to hurl his sword into a cyclops' eye.  In this case, the dice pool is set at 2d6, but the player wants to "cash in" that extra 2d6 for a total of 4d6 (giving him the option to "take 5"). 

If the player wanted to improve his character's last action to 5d6 (assuming he had enough dice in reserve), he wouldn't be able to because the original dice pool cannot exceed twice that amount.  GMs should watch out for "juicing".  Intentional or not, players might have their character attempt an inconsequential action just so dice can be saved for later.  If the action attempted is relatively meaningless, then forego rolling, simply have the inconsequential action succeed.  No dice pool, no opportunity for juicing.  

Also, at the end of a session, any unused reserve dice are divided in half (round down) in expectation of the following session.
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The above is still in its workshop phase, but I like how it's evolving.  What's it for?  Ideally, I want it to support all the RPGs with awkward, clunky, or inefficient task resolution mechanics... giving the GM his much needed narrative leverage and the PCs a decent chance to do something original which any given set of rules couldn't begin to imagine, let alone cover.  

Maybe the VSd6 system is right for your own RPG?  Even if game rules could be copyrighted, I wouldn't care to with these.  Everyone is free to use VSd6 or modify it as they wish (as if I'd be able to stop them - Ha!).  Some small credit or attribution would be nice, assuming you include them in your own published work, but not required.  Do as thou wilt!

There must be literally a thousand different paper & pencil, tabletop roleplaying games in existence.  Does the world really need a new one?  Sometimes, I feel that my efforts are better spent improving the RPGs that already exist, either thematically or mechanically.  Nevertheless, I'm working on a gonzo scifi-fantasy mashup with Mike Berkey in the spirit of Encounter Critical, Extreme Vengeance, and Gamma World.  VSd6 will be the core mechanic... possibly in conjunction with a percentile-based skill system. How that's going to work I have no idea!  Additionally, VSd6 will be included in The Islands of Purple-Haunted Putrescence.

One last thing... your feedback is appreciated - especially if you're one of the few, the brave, and the awesome who actually sit down and use this in your game.  If you do try it, please let me know your findings.


VS



p.s.  By now, there's a long and winding list of individuals who improved VSd6 with their comments, questions, criticisms, and suggestions.  Thank you!