Underworld Day - Dave Bunnel's photos (2/3)

Another set of Dave Bunnel's cave pics.

One year!

One year has passed since I started this blog. It attracted over one hundred followers and had over 25 thousand pageviews. I suppose that it could me more than that if it would be more posts during half-year hiatus. However, thanks to all of you who keeped me active - your interest and kind comments allowed me to not give up :)

It wass too bad that I was unable to complete work on Underworld Kingdom campaign setting during this year. I hope that I will be able to release it during next months, especially that large portion of PDF is ready. Keep your fingers crossed!

Answers to another set of questions

Answers to Brendan's questions. Any questions? :D

Ability scores generation method?

3d6 in row but some of my current players are yellow-bellied sissies so I allow them to roll 3d6 and arrange them freely (except rolling for Tech Level). I don't care about it as stats do not prolong their lifespan.

How are death and dying handled?

PCs are unconscious when HP drops to zero. When HP is down for (level+1), PC is dead. Treating wounds can restore 1d4 HP but no more than amount lost in the last combat. Drinking bottle of booze (wound binding or drinking only, once per session) can restore 1d6 HP but if "6" is rolled PC loses one HP.

What about raising the dead?

Raise Dead is unavailable in my campaign but there are three other (more dangerous to use) spells that can raise dead: Soul Graft, Hands of Sethra and Infernal Return.

Also, check out my Death Experience table.

How are replacement PCs handled?

Sometimes they simply appear out of nowhere :D For many years I was very focused on "realistic" aspects of adding new PCs to the party but now we simply do not care.

Initiative: individual, group, or something else?

Individual and determined by Referee. No rolls. Armor heaviness, weapon reach, agility and heaviness of the weapon can affect the initiative, as well as millions of other factors.

Are there critical hits and fumbles? How do they work?

Critical hit - maximum damage (6 in most cases). Fumble - many possible fuckups - dropping the weapon, falling prone, hitting a friend etc etc etc.

Do I get any benefits for wearing a helmet?

Anti-critical hits + possible damage reduction for stone blocks hitting one's head.

Can I hurt my friends if I fire into melee or do something similarly silly?

Yes, definitely.

Will we need to run from some encounters, or will we be able to kill everything?

Sometimes you may be killed in one, two rounds if you decide to stay and try to kill the "random spawn".

Level-draining monsters: yes or no?

Yes, but they are rather rare.

Are there going to be cases where a failed save results in PC death?

Yes. Poison, effects of player's (not PC's) stupidity, dragon breath, wrath of god etc.

How strictly are encumbrance & resources tracked?

Encumberance - only common sense is a factor, resources - yes, definitely.

What's required when my PC gains a level? Training? Do I get new spells automatically? Can it happen in the middle of an adventure, or do I have to wait for down time?

Level gaining occur automatically but all XP is given at the end of each game session. PCs must to obtain new spells in some way.

What do I get experience for?

Carousing, killing monsters, wasting cash, sacrifices, discoveries, stupid ideas, great ideas, luck, Referee's whim.

How are traps located? Description, dice rolling, or some combination?

Description.

Are retainers encouraged and how does morale work?

Morale works mostly in role-playing way but most retainers are rather courageous (or maybe stupid?), at least during their first fight :D Easiest way to encourage henchmen is good payment and fair treating.

How do I identify magic items?

Lol, I don't know. Easiest way is to pay someone to do it in the city. Potions may be identified by tasting them, magic weapons and armor may be automatically id'd after several "uses".

Can I buy magic items? Oh, come on: how about just potions?

Yeah, potions may be bought but they are rather pricey. Also I think about adding non-magical +1 weapons as master-crafted and ridiculously overpriced stuff.

Can I create magic items? When and how?

Yes but it requires high level and epic deeds or huge ammount of cash, knowledge and luck.

What about splitting the party?

No problems with that. I can handle it even if there are three, four groups :D

Another progress report

Well, aren't you bored with all that crap about writing progress? I consider it as both motiation for me and presentation of some features that will be available in the game. Things made during another week of (not very) hard work:

• Added short info about availability of some of the basic character classes (demi-humans and thief);
• Added one table connected with players' "survival skills";
• Still working on descriptions of the locations (will it end one day? :D);
• Still working on rumors, facts and legends;
• Added basic ideas about experience awards;
• Added two short tables (20 entries each) with weird (or maybe not so weird) encounters for both surface and the Underworld.

I can't wait until I start to write (and rewrite) hex descriptions but I want to make things in particular order - this method keeps me from leaving things to be finished "in the future". Hex descriptions will be one of the last part of writing with only one-page dungeons and gap filling left to do (and I know that there is many, many gaps to be filled :D). Next update - as usual - next thursday.

Coat of Arms generator

Do you need some shield or Coat of Arms to be created in the short time and you don't need anything as sick as my disturbing standards? Check out this link - you may find it useful.

Underworld Day - Dave Bunnel's photos (1/3)

Absolutely great photos of caves by Dave Bunnel.

Mordor 1.1 maps

Bunch of inspiration - dungeon maps from uber-awesome Mordor - Depths of Dejenol. Images created by members of Braindead's Mordor Site.

Evolution of the campaign

Brief timeline of the evolution of the campaign setting. It's real fun for me to recall all the details but I can't be sure that dates are 100% exact.

1997

Beginning of my RPGing. Started writing something in june/july - it was named "Legends of Rangor" and it really sucked. However, some elements of that world survived to this day and I still use them (i.e. ruins of Targin and many magic items).

1998-1999

Started new campaign from scratch (along with my friend) but Legends of Rangor was still developed. New thing was 100% improv with world (my friend named it "Narilvatar") generated in "real time". No game mechanics was used, we didn't even used char sheets :D. Time of really hardcore gaming - during holidays we played 10-12 hours per day for two months.

2000-2001

Longer break, although I still wrote something for LoR (but I knew that it was completely unplayable world and game mechanics). During that years I played mostly WFRP and CP 2020.

2002-2004

Again gaming in the "Narilvatar" world (I was the only one person who was still interested in developing of that world), still without any gaming mechanics. Conception of the Underworld Wilderness was born (under the influence of Exile cRPG series, not FR Underdark).

2005-2006

Death of "Narilvatar". Started to work on some creepy, new-school techno-fantasy cyberpunk-ish game in the shattered, multi-planar world. It was really interesting conception but I had big problems with myself and dev team was too big (10 persons!) and too lazy to complete it. The only thing that survived until today are awesome graphics by Sourine. Also many ideas from that "era" were later used by me in the Underworld Kingdom and Battlestation Omega (or maybe even in Terminal Space, I don't remember :D).

2007-2009

Dark Heresy era and workingwith my girlfriend on another, still incomplete new-school game. In 2009 I discovered old school gaming and 21 november of 2009 idea to create Terminal Space came to my mind.

2010-2012

Underworld Kingdom era, creation of this blog and so on. We are here :D

PDF background - what do you think?

First version of the background image for PDF:

What do you think about it? And don't worry - I plan to add "printer-friendly" version of PDF, without graphic frills and toner-killing shit :D

0% Creative Content?

Yeah, it seems that this blog sucks :D

As you can see, lately I am not posting much creative stuff, such as random tables, maps and shit here. To be honest, I'm not posting anything except game session reports, Underworld-related pics, meaningless progress posts and other worthless shit. No yummy useful stuff, not even flamebait posts (I'm not good at it tho), not even naked ladies! Why?

Mostly because I'm currently tryin' to make Underworld Kingdom PDF. I simply want to put this to an end. I'm writing this stuff for too long - I was able to write entire Terminal Space during maybe eight days (with about three-month-long gap between them, but shhh) and now I'm struggling with Underworld Kingdom for over twenty months... It's not good for me.

So you can imagine that I have craploads of stuff that I might post here, possibly to fill up posting queue for maybe three or four months ahead. But this time I want to (or at least try to) earn some money. Guys, the truth is that I must eat :D It doesn't mean that it's the end of creative content on this blog. Be patient - I promise you that it will change soon (or in worst case during April AtoZ Challenge :D). I'll try to post something about my second campaign project, Battlestation Omega, or maybe try to finish and post Banditz & Battlecruiserz...

Progress...

Yeah, this is a Progress :D

Not much done this week - was busy preparing some stuff for Xsection Mapbook (still very far from being complete) and watching Dragon Ball episodes.

• Added one missing demon description;
• Changed HD / level and xp needed for Dead One;
• Added few house rules;
• Added list of fifty drunkards;
• Table for randomly determined deity (may be handy);
• About 40 (of 200) rumors and legends;
• Still working on descriptions of locations.

As you can see, I suck at writing - it's really hard to write something big in non-native language, especially because I was lazy ass in highschool (and before) and my English grammar is really, really bad :D

EDIT: PDF now has 89 pages and I suppose that with graphics, maps and stuff it may be over 200...

"Here Lies the Ancient Guardian of Knd'Glk"

Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Dramatis Personae:
Galia - Dead One.
Bakly Satuk Tybdo - rude Fighting Man.
Brick - Fighting Woman, fugitive slave with golden teeth.
Torgren - Magic User.
Medlek Hako - Minotaur Fighting Man (replacement for Bakly).
Maeron - Goat Man fighter (replacement for MU).

Meatshields and Mercenaries:
Apti - L1 Fighting Woman (almost a friend of PCs).
Sssss - L3 yellow-skinned Lizard Man fighter, also named as Sssson of a Bitch.
He - meatshield, sister of She, in incestous relationship with her brother.
She - meatshield, brother and lover or He.
Karrad - long-bearded meatshield scout, armed with Longbow.
Ardak - one-eyed meatshield, fellow of Holga.
Holga - Ugly Big Lady, meatshield, fellow of Ardak.
Fat Derik - L1 Magic User.

PCs bought cart, mule and pile of equipment, hired their henchmen and went north of Aglor in search for rogue priest which must be slain by Bakly Satuk Tybdo to fulfill a will of his god. During their first rest stop they spotted giant Black Hen which wounded Bakly but later was put to sleep by Torgren and later decapitated by Ssss. Unfortnately, after one more day of travel, party was surprised by seven cave goblins while preparing their camp. In the very beginning of this epic clash Bakly Satuk Tybdo was hit by three arrows (19, 19, 20) and killed instantly. Moments later Torgren clashed with three ferocious goblins, killed two and disemboweled third one, but vile monster managed to strangle him to death with its own entrails before its death by blood loss.

With Bakly Satuk Tybdo dead and buried they had no intrerest in searching for the renegade priest, but Brick had 50000gp debt to pay - she and Bakly waked up naked in the Forbidden Temple of Aglor and "were charged fee" to avoid being sacrificed for desacration of the holy place (Jeff, I love your carousing table :D). After short consultation they decided to go back to the ancient graveyard site west of Aglor to plunder rest of the tumuli.

They managed to go there without any accidents and after short investigation they noticed that no one came there after their first expedition. They managed to destroy seven undead lizardmen skeletons discovered in one tumulus during their first visit but He was killed by monsters. After burial of their henchman party retrieved huge clay pot filled by strange, triangle gold pieces and went to explore one of the tumuli previously left untouched. Fat Derik used his Read Magic spell to read signs on the strange, conical gravestone:

HERE LIES THE ANCIENT GUARDIAN OF KND'GLK

Galia, only person in current party that was part of the previous expedition, explained that Knd'Glk was huge undead lizardman who kept artifacts "ordered" by necromancer. Against common sense PCs decided to open the grave.

Undead Animated Tyrannosaurus Skeleton managed to kill Brick, She, Ardak and Holga and put everyone else except Ssss and Galia to unconsciousness before it was finally destroyed.

If the party will continue to lose henchmen at this rate there will be probably no one willing to go with them :D

Loot: 5000 gp.

One note: at the end of last game session Apti used her share (1000 gp) to hire an assassin to kill her husband.
One more note: Satuk Tybdo is anagram for Kutas Odbyt, Polish terms for Cock and Anus :D

Terminal Space print 20% cheaper

For several days Terminal Space print will be available 20% cheaper, for $9.60. 

LINK

Underworld Day - glaciers

Set of awesome photos of glacier caves. Enjoy!

Photos by Jason Gulley.

Game report!

Too bad that I've forgotten about writing report from last two game sessions, during which PCs were on their way to ancient graveyard to retrieve two magic items requested by mighty (and possibly evil) wizard. Here you are: 

• All meatshields but one (Apti- L1 Fighting Woman) were slain by encountered giant beetles;
• Two PCs (Atus and Father Andrews) were slain by giant Cave Wyrm, but as dragon was heavily wounded by TNT (owned by Old West priest) it left to heal wounds;
• PCs managed to rob several tumuli and retreived items "ordered" by the necromancer who hired party in exchange for "repairing" Galia the Dead One. They grabbed about 6k gp in jewelry and +3 spear (but they didn't knew about abilities of the weapon);
• As usual, the most dangerous place in the whole Lower Kradia was... the city of Aglor! After selling loot to the Explorers Guild appraiser (who charged 20% fee as PCs weren't members of the guild), two PCs were polymorphed into pigs, but they managed to dispell the curse (losing +3 spear in exchange) and kill the wizard who cast the spell. Now they may have powerful enemies in the Upper City and probably must flee from Aglor ASAP;
• Ah, one more thing - as another effect of carousing save failure one new PC (replacement for dead Atus) now must perform a Quest for his deity - he has one year and one day to find and kill the evil priest who defiled his temple and his god.

As you can see, shit has hit the fan :D

Today is another game session so I'll try to post something more in the evening.

Part One

Part Two

Xsection Mapbook contents preview

As I mentioned yesterday, I want to create not really big booklet containing inspirational cross-section maps, suitable for sci-fi and fantasy games. Here is preliminary list of its contents (maps that I have already sketched or sitting comfortably in my mind :D):

1. Abandoned Prison
2. Alien Observatory
3. Ancient City
4. Ash’kari bio-ship
5. Asteroid #1 - Hidden Base
6. Asteroid #2 - Graveyard
7. Asteroid #3 – Nest of Horrors
8. Black Rift Mine
9. Bunker
10. Buried Alien Spaceship
11. Crypt Tower
12. Defensive Satellite
13. Desert Chasm
14. Domed Temple of the Worm God
15. Dungeon of Thousand Rivers
16. Floating Hiveship
17. Floating Mortuary
18. Fungal Spire
19. Giant Ant-invaded Underground Stronghold
20. Glacial Stronghold
21. Golem Factory
22. Great Ossuary
23. Haunted Mansion
24. Lab Tower
25. Levitating Fortress
26. Magma Shrine
27. Mining Ship
28. Nomad Ark Ship
29. Old Dead Tree
30. Old Lighthouse
31. Power Core
32. Pyramid of Doom
33. Raven’s Inn
34. Reactor Shrine
35. Ruined Space Stronghold
36. Spider Caves
37. Sunken City
38. Temple Ship
39. Tomb of the Living Crystal
40. Trap Tunnel
41. Tumuli
42. Underground Arena
43. Underground Excavations
44. Underwater Palace
45. Volcanic Forge

If you have more ideas I will be pleased to make cross-section map of it :)

Most inspirational RPG products

Yesterday M.P. asked a question - what are your most inspirational rpg products? It's my attempt to answer this question. It will be rather short list as the most of my inspirations do not come from RPG stuff.

 
Castle Drachenfels - probably the last module-like adventure for Warhammer FRP. Sick, lethal and full of great ideas (animated dinosaur skeletons!). I was 14 when I grabbed it and it was something I needed. Too bad that I don't own it anymore :-(

 

MERP - great stuff for Tolkien fan. Great critical hits, cool locations. Awesome inspirations for 15-year-old geek :D

 

Disciples of the Dark Gods - Dark Heresy sourcebook. I grabbed it as soon as it was released. It's almost overloaded with ideas of evil cults, blasphemous artifacts, sorcery etc etc etc.

 





Dreamlands - need I say more?

Cross-sections for the win!

Quick question - would you be interested in cheap PDF filled with cross-section maps of fantasy and science fiction locations, ruins, ships and even location-sized, "explorable" monsters? At the moment I have ideas about thirty seven maps and probably there will be more. So tell me, do you find it interesting? I may make such PDF in about two weeks :D

Underworld Kingdom progress #3

Effects of another hard week of work:

• Three missing descriptions of the main deities;
• Brief descriptions of five minor deities;
• 12 additional unique spells for the followers of the Thirteen Gods;
• 67 additional alternate spell names;
• Ideas about six different eras or alternate version of history of the surface world;
• My girlfriend made new artwork - two awesome pics of monsters;
• I've done basic outlines of the cover art.

Currently I'm working on descriptions of almost fifty locations of both surface and the Underworld and at least six places "lost in time and space". Next step will be at least two hex maps, encounter tables and hex descriptions.

And it will be almost done :)

Underworld Day - Jungle Caves

Themed Underworld Day - Hang Son Doong - Vietnam Mammoth Cave. I didn't even suspected that there is a real Jungle Cave somewhere! Photos by Carsten Peter.