53 – gg no re:view: Deep Carbon Observatory

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Our discussion & review of Deep Carbon Observatory, text by Patrick Stuart and art by Scrap Princess. MAJOR SPOILERS.

tl;dl: it’s a work of superlative imagination. It refreshes the underdark and specifically the drow, and contains some structural/mechanical experiments you can lift for other purposes. It’s a no brainer purchase. However, needs a second edition that focuses on the “presentation layer”—how the ideas are to be communicated to the players, both in the maps and in the room contents.

Here’s the character generation episode we did for the module, and here’s the first episode of the module proper.

“Lewis and Dekalb” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Soundcloud player background image by Scrap Princess, from the module.

52 – Let’s Play Deep Carbon Observatory (Part 13) – Last Session

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We wrap up the campaign.

Our next episode is the recap & review, here: https://ggnorecast.com/53.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (aff link): get it on Amazon

ggnore052_ep_img

“Lewis and Dekalb” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Soundcloud player background image by Scrap Princess, from the module.

51 – Let’s Play Deep Carbon Observatory (Part 12) – Cover Yourself in Those Tiny Little Doors

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We continue to explore the observatory.

A comedy of errors.

Situations grotesque, risible, & fantastical—all for you.

“Lewis and Dekalb” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Soundcloud player background image by Scrap Princess, from the module.

50 – Let’s Play Deep Carbon Observatory (Part 11) – Supportive Play Culture

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Bickering and exploring. Mostly bickering.

A quick note here from Daniel re: module design: don’t have multilevel treasure tables for generating finite treasures. If there are going to be XdY treasures of properties that you need to generate by rolling yet further, save the DM the trouble and pre-generate the most interesting ones. You’ll see what I’m talking about in this episode. I could have pre-rolled them, but why not save the end-user some work?

Update: our confusion over “Sense Nearby” was just cleared up by the writer of Into the Odd. The character starting package doesn’t indicate that you can “sense nearby” (whatever that means) and also get an Arcanum. “Arcana” should be read as the object of the sensing: “sense nearby Arcana,” like detect magic. I (Daniel) hadn’t looked at the entry until now, but I see that its being split up over two lines is what caused the confusion for us.

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History: http://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-series/

“Lewis and Dekalb” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

“Pixelland” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Soundcloud player background image by Scrap Princess, from the module.

49 – Let’s Play Deep Carbon Observatory (Part 10) – The New Meta

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We enter the observatory and behold its wonders.

Follow dungeon SOP, achieve expected results.

This didn’t go as planned or desired at all, but ya gotta kill yer darlins. Or have them exploded.

Thank you, bone magnet. 

Also, I (Daniel) am not sure at all that I ruled correctly re: the climactic moment here. I think I was interpreting metaphorical language in the text too literally. But it was a magical anatomy judgment made the heat of the moment. Perhaps Patrick can find it in his heart to forgive me.

“Lewis and Dekalb” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Soundcloud background image adapted from Scrap Princess’s illustrations for the module.

Blood & Bronze Mechanics

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crossposted from Detect Magic, Daniel’s RPG blog that hasn’t been updated in a thousand years but has tons of mostly useless stuff on it

Someone on G+ was asking about Blood & Bronze, a newish fantasy adventure D&Dish game set in the Ancient Near East.

TL;DR: if you like the historical setting, worth a buy. If you like Apocalypse World / D&D mashups, probably also worth a buy. Mechanical callouts in bullet points below.

The ANE is my jam; so of course I’d already purchased the book. (Note that links to drivethrurpg are affiliate links for my podcast, gg no re.)

You can get it here: Blood & Bronze @ drivethrurpg. Here’s the website for the game: https://bloodandbronze.com/. Proper review by Swords & Stitchery here: http://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/2016/02/review-and-commentary-on-blood-bronze.html.

For D&D remixes like this, I usually buy if they have some sort of interesting simplification of the typical mechanics or if they mash up the old school formula with new tech. B&B does both, but not really in a way that I care to adopt.

  • Stats: 2d6  to generate ability scores, from which you consult a table for a rating from 1-6. Scores are for checks and saves (roll under); ratings are for skills. Fighting uses skills.
  • Skills: use your ability ratings to determine how many d6 to roll. You need at least 1 die to have a 5-6. The effects are Apocalypse World style, with bad stuff happening on misses. There’s quite a few, and you gain more by leveling.
  • HP: set by your class. Used both as trad hp and as a stat that other mechanics interact with.
  • Character generation: AW style character gen (hard eyes, young eyes, etc.), with rolled stats as Gygax would have wanted, starting gear, and a selection of skills (AW-style moves) per class.
  • Encumbrance: endurance/hp stat is softcap. For each 3 items past your endurance (round up), +1 point fatigue.
    • Fatigue: temporarily reduces all stats 1:1. When a stat hits zero, you’re weary.
    • Weariness: If you’re hit when you’re weary, you’re out.

Very barebones though written apparently for beginners (lots of talk about having paper, dice, how to roll and calculate things). However, not enough procedural stuff and thorough examples to really be suited for beginners. Organization unintuitive to me.

Nevertheless, the game has a ziggurat on the cover; so I love it.

47 – Let’s Play Deep Carbon Observatory (Part 8) – DECEASED

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This episode is an example of what can happen when you follow your random encounter procedures to the bitter, bitter end—and don’t flinch at the dice.

It’s great!

“Lewis and Dekalb” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Soundcloud background image adapted from Scrap Princess’s illustrations for the module.

46 – Let’s Play Deep Carbon Observatory (Part 7) – Have You Seen My Brother?

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We explore the dam, and something terrible happens.

And you get a sense of the death & dying rules of Into the Odd!

Actual play starts @ 9:42.

Links

Bloodshades

Ashes of Ariandel

For the record, Tim is playing it now and enjoying it, TOLD YA
—Daniel

Destiny

Episode image background sketch by Scrap Princess, from the module.

“Lewis and Dekalb” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

45 – Let’s Play Deep Carbon Observatory (Part 6) – All 16 Animate at Once

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We enter the dam; and, don’t worry, everything’s fine, and nothing’s bad!

monster image by Scrap Princess: http://monstermanualsewnfrompants.blogspot.com/

featured image: Complete set of canopic jars, circa 900 and circa 800 BC.[4] The Walters Art Museum. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canopic_jar#/media/File:Egyptian_-_A_Complete_Set_of_Canopic_Jars_-_Walters_41171,_41172,_41173,_41174_-_Group.jpg

“Lewis and Dekalb” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/