Initiative

Determining the order of actions in an abstract combat system seems to be the topic du jour. Here's yet another idea to throw on the pile.

In most situations, use the To-Hit Roll to determine the order of action resolution. In melee, d20 rolls are being generated by each attacking character every round. Why not have them perform this double-duty and save the need for an additional roll. The need to establish “who-goes-first” might not be necessary until action is actually being taken in this case. As a T&T fan, my preference is to keep my combat abstract and quick, and I am used to determining how things are resolved after rolls have been made for the round. It could be easier to obtain the order of events when all the actions are out there (only instead of ordering things by declaration and having to deal with the "I changed my mind" or "But the guy I wanted to hit is dead" issues, this relies on a random factor).

This still might work better with Declaration-based, Phasic Combat situations. Since Spell Use does not necessarily result in a d20 roll, maybe Spells could be automatically assigned a number based on level/complexity, maybe they are just a modifiable (see below) "1" or "10" or just resolved last, to offer an opportunity for interruption (something I've always liked but found difficult to implement consistently). My gut feeling is that Ranged weapons don't necessarily need to have iterative resolution, but in any case you might want to refrain from resolving damage until the end of the round when using a system like this (another technique for embracing the abstract).

Here are some options/elaborations:

Use the Unmodified d20 roll to Determine Order of Resolution

You could go lowest to highest one round, and then highest to lowest the next to keep things random. Or if the first d20 roll is even, resolves High to Low. If it's odd, Low to High resolution. For side-based initiative, have Evens/Odds serve as a stand-in to determine if the Players or Monsters resolve first. There won't be ties this way.

Use the Final Modified Attack Roll

This will lead to higher level/HD individuals having their actions resolved first consistently, and could effectively makes any Strength Ability Score bonus a bonus to initiative as well, but this option could reflect experience, expertise and potentially even size (for large HD creatures) getting the first swing in more often. This seems pretty deadly (the Dragon's attacks are resolved first each round, meaning the parties actions are primarily reactive), maybe useful for a gritty/grim style of gaming. 

Modify the roll by Something Else

Modify it by Dexterity bonus or apply an Intelligence or Wisdom modifier (this might be sub-optimal for monsters, as their statistic blocks usually don't incorporate ability scores). Apply a bonus for longer/faster weapons versus shorter/slower weapons. Give certain Classes/Monster Types a bonus (one-time or level/HD based). Modify the roll for heavy encumbrance. armor type worn, or Movement Rate. Using modifiers like these might keep the order a little more randomized, and the best hitters will not necessarily be as likely to go first. I kind of like the idea of giving a bonus to Unarmored Swashbucker/Thief Types. Have a place for an individual's total Initiative Modifier on the Character Sheet.

Have the roll take place on a die drop sheet to track order-of-actions

I imagine a bulls-eye or race-course type situation, with rolls closer to the center/finish line going first. Probably pretty complicated without a constrained rolling surface (players love to throw those d20s).

Thoughts or glaring omissions/issues? Want me to work up some Examples? Again, these options heavily embrace the abstract nature of combat and wait for intention to become action before determining an order of resolution. The results will probably be pretty chaotic. I'll have to run this with my group a few different ways to kick the tires.

Ability Score Tags

Ability Scores that are high or low enough to engender a bonus or penalty can also be assigned Tags. Tags are six-letter words used to emphasize a specific facet of an Ability Score. 

These tags can be chosen/determined initially or developed during play. The original intention was solely to help mitigate the effects of a low ability score, or accentuate certain qualities of a high score by providing some exposition/justification.

Ability Score Tags provide explanations for Ability Scores outside the normal assumptions (for example: Low Strength doesn't necessarily mean one is Weak, they could just suffer from ASTHMA). Negative Tags can also sometimes be used in a positive fashion with a little ingenuity and creativity. The converse is also true. 

Roll or Choose	Low Strength Tags	Roll or Choose	High Strength Tags
1	SVELTE	1	BIGGER
2	PAUNCH	2	BRAWNY
3	ASTHMA	3	VEINED
4	FEEBLE	4	BICEPS
5	ANGINA	5	MUSCLY
6	PETITE	6	LIMBER
7	DAINTY	7	STURDY
8	SPRAIN	8	VIRILE
9	HERNIA	9	METTLE
10	ANEMIC	10	ACTIVE

Roll or Choose	Low Dexterity Tags	Roll or Choose	High Dexterity Tags
1	OAFISH	1	NIMBLE
2	CLUMSY	2	ADROIT
3	THUMBS	3	SPRYLY
4	KLUTZY	4	REACTS
5	JINXED	5	POISED
6	BUMBLE	6	LIVELY
7	FIDGET	7	SUBTLE
8	BUM-LEG	8	FASTER
9	RUSHED	9	TIPTOE
10	MAIMED	10	SPEEDY

Roll or Choose	Low Constitution Tags	Roll or Choose	High Constitution Tags
1	PAINED	1	RUGGED
2	FEVERS	2	STURDY
3	SICKLY	3	HEARTY
4	SMOKES	4	IMMUNE
5	PALLID	5	LOPING
6	NAUSEA	6	ROBUST
7	ADDICT	7	INURED
8	COUGHS	8	GRITTY
9	EFFETE	9	HUNGRY
10	FAINTS	10	STOCKY

Roll or Choose	Low Intelligence Tags	Roll or Choose	High Intelligence Tags
1	SAVAGE	1	PEDANT
2	OBTUSE	2	GIFTED
3	MISLED	3	SAVANT
4	NITWIT	4	CLEVER
5	VACANT	5	GENIUS
6	MYOPIC	6	SHREWD
7	BORING	7	MATURE
8	DROWSY	8	DEBATE
9	QUIRKY	9	DIRECT
10	ARGUES	10	MENTOR

Roll or Choose	Low Wisdom Tags	Roll or Choose	High Wisdom Tags
1	PANICS	1	MUSING
2	RUEFUL	2	CALMED
3	PRISSY	3	POLITE
4	PHOBIA	4	MELLOW
5	CHOLER	5	SOLEMN
6	SHAKEN	6	STABLE
7	STINGY	7	STEADY
8	STOLID	8	DARING
9	VOICES	9	FRUGAL
10	TEMPER	10	HUMANE

Roll or Choose	Low Charisma Tags	Roll or Choose	High Charisma Tags
1	DEMURE	1	CHUMMY
2	CHILLY	2	HONEST
3	ORNERY	3	FLIRTY
4	BIASED	4	EXOTIC
5	MOROSE	5	URBANE
6	SHIFTY	6	BLITHE
7	SHRILL	7	BEAUTY
8	SLEAZY	8	CHATTY
9	VULGAR	9	CHEERY
10	COARSE	10	EYEFUL
11	CRABBY	11	FORMAL
12	DOWNER	12	HAIRDO
13	HOMELY	13	COMELY
14	EGOIST	14	IMPISH
15	LECHER	15	JOCOSE
16	IRKING	16	KINDLY
17	KOWTOW	17	JOVIAL
18	LAPDOG	18	LEADER
19	ABRUPT	19	LOOKER
20	SCOWLS	20	FRIEND

I usually stick with a single Tag per Ability Score, but you could just as easily allow a Tag for each +1/-1, or even a Tag for each point above or below 10 for really colorful characters.

Note: Ability Score Tags also come in handy when generating Henchmen, Hirelings and other non-player characters. 

Ability Score Tags Subsystem: 

The fact that all Tags are six-letter words allows for a simple Tag Improvement/Replacement/Removal subsystem that utilizes a d6. 

For example: Say an individual with the PHOBIA Wisdom tag would like to overcome their fear. At certain intervals (each time the object of the PHOBIA is encountered, the Tag comes up in play, each session, or what-have-you) the player can roll 1d6. If a six is rolled, then the player can mark through a letter and next time the interval arises, they will be able to mark on a 5-6, and so on. Once all the letters are marked out, the PHOBIA has been overcome. Invert this for low-rolling = good d6 resolution. 

This accommodates character improvement that is not necessarily level-dependent. I suppose it would also be possible to tie this improvement to ability score advancement (if applicable, ability score inflation is not everyone's cup of tea), to divorce that from level-based increases as well. 

I tend to prefer the frequency this generates, tying it to a random roll makes improvement considerably less predictable, and more special, as well as encouraging the player to put the character in situations where their Tags are applicable. But it could also be tinkered with by adding or subtracting level to the roll to insure more consistent improvement.

I wouldn't suggest that the Tags themselves amount to additional bonuses or penalties to accomplish specific tasks (as the Tags come from a bonus or penalty), but they could. For instance: an individual with the STURDY Strength Tag might receive a bonus to prevent them from being knocked down. Fair Warning: using the Tags in this fashion could lead to bonus inflation and optimization.  

I tend to lean toward using Tags to provide a little more customized rationalization for a character's high and low ability scores, and potentially using them for Ad Hoc role-playing rewards (although with the Subsystem, using them becomes it's own reward). Let me know if you find a use for this subsystem or the Ability Score Tag tables in your game.

Random Wizard Questions

Random Wizard: Top Ten Troll Questions for Your Game

1. Race (Elf, Dwarf, Halfling) as a class? Yes or no? I prefer Race as Class to differentiate demi-humans from Humans. Most of the class features/abilities of the four Human classes are not culturally relevant to the demi-human races (no concept of religion for Elfs, taboos on Magic for Dwarfs, I don't normally use Halflings), demi-humans also have a different alignment axis than Humans (instead of the standard Neutral, Lawful, Chaotic). Class merely defines initial character capability though, so it is still possible to subvert these arch-types through character development in play.


2. Do demi-humans have souls? Sort of. Elfs are human babies stolen and raised in the Elflands, usually their soul is owned by another Elf. If they manage to get it back and spend too long away from the Elflands, then they can potentially become Human again. If they stay Elf, as they grow older in seasons or more experienced they sometimes go through the metamorphic process that begets Dwarfs. The question seems to be geared more to whether or not they can be raised from the dead. I don't typically include Raise Dead/Resurrection magics in my Classic D&D games, so that aspect doesn't really apply.


3. Ascending or descending armor class? I prefer Descending Armor Class (9 to 2), but can cope with Ascending as long as there isn't too much bonus inflation. My players typically prefer Ascending. We sometimes compromise with TARGET 20.


4. Demi-human level limits? Traditionally yes, but I don't think I've ever had a demi-human player in a game that reached them. They are important for determining at what point an Elf character might start transforming into a Dwarf, and start over with a new Class progression.


5. Should thief be a class? It's available to Human characters in most of my games, I sometimes rename or remove it for cosmetic reasons (Clerics are also victims of this). Thief Abilities are treated as Saving Throws.


6. Do characters get non-weapon skills? A character's background might grant them some professional abilities to differentiate them from other members of the same Class. Characters can learn useful and marketable skills through play. Skills are only adjudicated through die rolls if there's a potential for failure and only advance through use (they are not level-dependent).


7. Are magic-users more powerful than fighters (and, if yes, what level do they take the lead)? Player Skill is the only thing that typically determines this. I don't think Class balance is particularly important when Player Skill can level the playing field.


8. Do you use alignment languages? Yes, and there are also Class languages. If a Player selects an Alignment for a Human character than they can learn the language through play (or choose it as a bonus language if they have a high Intelligence and begin play with it) and converse in it freely with other Humans of the same alignment that know the language. Same goes for the Class languages. Speaking an Alignment language in the presence of other alignments can invoke hostility. Both have written forms and function as normal languages (it is theoretically possible to learn more than one, if you can get someone to teach it to you. You don't forget it or change it if your Alignment shifts). The Alignment of Demi-humans serves as their Racial/Class language. Monsters work this way too, so Amoral Lizardman is a different language than Neutral Human and a Disciplined Dwarf doesn't automatically speak Lawful Werebear.


9. XP for gold, or XP for objectives (thieves disarming traps, etc...)? XP for Gold Pieces spent.


10. Which is the best edition; ODD, Holmes, Moldvay, Mentzer, Rules Cyclopedia, 1E ADD, 2E ADD, 3E ADD, 4E ADD, Next ? I play a heavily hacked version of D&D that probably most closely resembles the Rules Cyclopedia (with some LYB Arduin thrown in), so that would probably be my preference, followed by Holmes. I don't really think any edition is intrinsically better, some are just more suitable to the style of games I run.

Bonus Question: Unified XP level tables or individual XP level tables for each class? XP level tables by Class.

Random Impedimenta (d100) PDF

I've converted the Random Impedimenta (d100) table to a two-page landscape PDF for easy printing. I find myself using this table all the time to generate all sorts of things, and my players seem to like rolling on it, and often try to assign far too much importance to or find ingenious uses for any "free stuff" they are given as part of character creation.

Here's a direct link to the file.

I usually provide 4 free rolls on the table as part of character generation, and include slots for these items on my Quick Equipment & Encumbrance Sheet.

As I mentioned before, these items can be used in a variety of ways. Some of my favorites:

• Spell Component Pouch Contents
• Dungeon Dressings (Stuff on an "Empty" shelf, in a Chest, etc)
• Items Received on a Pickpocket Failure
• Things in Monster Gullets/Gizzards
• Alchemical Lab Jar contents (think B1 - In Search Of The Unknown)
• What's left in your pockets the morning after using Jeff's Carousing Rules

Let me know how it works out for you or if you can think of any other creative uses for this table.

Quick Equipment & Encumbrance Sheet

NOTE: An updated version of this is available here.

Hello again OSR blog-sphere,

I've been running more Basic D&D pick-up games lately to acquaint my players with the beautiful simplicity of the 0e Systems. We're having quite a bit of fun.

I thought I would share something that has been very useful in our games. As I'm sure many of you know, the portion of Character Generation that can take the longest amount of time, irrespective of system, is the purchasing of equipment. Even with multiple copies of the equipment lists and calculators, the process still adds quite a bit of time onto the process of character creation. With player death being a relatively common occurrence, the need to generate new characters on the fly quickly is also important.

Inspired by the genius of the “Ye Fast Pack” at the end of B4 – The Lost City, Jeff's Merry Merwik’s Prepackaged Provisions and another pick-and-choose Equipment system I can't seem to find right now, I wanted something that provided a little more customization, while still keeping the process quick and on a single sheet.

Here's the Sheet (direct link)

Some Thoughts and Elaborations:

• My players typically just end up using this sheet to track most of their basic equipped items by highlighting or marking the items they choose. This eliminates the need to transfer items to their Character Sheet, which cuts down on even more character generation time.
• Although I'll always have a soft spot for using coins (cns) as the weight measurement for character encumbrance, we're currently using a slightly modified version of Raggi's LotFP system to track gear in "slots" rather than strictly by weight. The column containing a number or fraction next to each item represents it's encumbrance. The values are very general, and I've tried to take into account how bulky an item is or how carefully packed it must be to be stored safely.
• Players seem to start with a little bit less equipment and currency than if they would have rolled their 3d6 x 10 and went shopping at “Bloodbath & Beyonde.” I'm fine with this, as I tend to start my adventurers a little more pauper-ish. I suppose some extra Miscellaneous picks could make up the balance.
• The Random Impedimenta table is available in a previous post (it's my intention to convert it to PDF, as I always like to have a printed copy for pick-up games).
• Some combinations of equipment are impossible to acquire initially, while other entries are repeated throughout. This is by design and tends to lead to interesting player choice's for their equipment. Platemail armor is too expensive to show up on the Armor list.
• We currently do not limit weapon or armor use by Class as all weapons do damage based on Class HD. Only Fighters, Clerics, Elfs and Dwarfs are trained to use heavier armor. Thieves, Magic-Users and Goblins may have penalties to Thief Skills or have issues retaining spells. (We're using Untimely's Spell Retention house rule)
• The Scrolls present in the Weapon Columns are usually randomly determined (for spell and level). The Magic-User Scroll could also be for a spell already present in the caster's Spellbook that the caster had the foresight to scribe prior to adventuring. I allow Clerics to call miracles from Scrolls even if they do not possess any spell casting ability.

Suggestions or Constructive Criticisms? Questions? Let me know in the comments. I'd also like to know how it works out for you if you end up getting any mileage out of it.

Random Impedimenta (d100)

Update (05/2019): Formatting on the table below leaves a lot to be desired for direct usability. Here are some PDF versions:

Landscape| Single Page Vertical (includes an online generator)

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Slowly returning to blogging life, I’ve been making an effort to catch up on a few things. Over on Trollsmyth’s I mentioned a d100 table that I’ve been finding very useful during my recent games. Jeff requested that I share the chart. I believe he uses a similar method of distributing random items to characters (but with the added benefit of incorporating Index Cards). So without further ado, here’s the d100 chart of Random Impedimenta to foist upon foolhardy adventurers:

1. Apple Core	51. Mummified Finger or Toe
2. Small Ball of Wax	52. Nails or Tacks (d12)
3. Berries (Dried or Fresh) (Blackberry, Blueberry, Cranberry, or Mulberry) (d12)	53. Nuts (Acorns, Cashews, Pecans, Walnuts)
4. Bones (Bird, Mammal, Reptile, Humanoid)	54. Palm Fronds, Pine Needles, or Cedar Shavings
5. Bottle or Flask (Empty)	55. Patch (Fabric, Hide, Leather, or Skin)
6. Broken Buckle, Brooch, Clasp or Fibula	56. Pebbles or Small Rocks (2d12)
7. Broken Glass or Beads (Colored or Clear) (d12)	57. Petals or Dried Flowers
8. Butter Knife (Bone, Pewter, Silver or Wood)	58. Piece of Antler or Small Horn
9. Buttons (d12)	59. Piece Of Charcoal
10. Chess Piece (Bone or Wood)	60. Piece Of Fruit (Apple, Melon, Orange, or Pear)
11. Chipped Cup or Mug (Bone, Clay, Tin, or Wood)	61. Piece of Tree Bark (Birch, Oak, Pine, Yew)
12. Chunk of Algae, Fungus, Moss, or Lichen	62. Pieces of Candy or Sweets (d6)
13. Claws, Fingernails or Toenails (d10)	63. Pinch of Salt
14. Clump of Brimstone	64. Plum Pits, Pine Cones, Coconut Shell, or Cherry Stones (d6)
15. Clump of Sand	65. Metal Shavings or Powdered Rock
16. Corks (d4)	66. Reed Flute or Harmonica
17. Crude Bowl (Bone, Clay, Tin or Wood)	67. Roots or Bulbs (d4)
18. Crude Pipe (Bone, Clay, Corncob or Wood)	68. Scrap of Cloth (Linen or Wool)
19. Cubit of Wire (Copper or Tin)	69. Scrap of Lace or Silk
20. Dead Amphibian (Frog, Toad, Newt or Salamander)	70. Seven Dried Herbs or Spices
21. Dead Arthropod (Crab, Insect, Scorpion or Spider)	71. Sewing Needle or Pin (Bone, Copper, Silver, Wood)
22. Dead Mammal (Bat, Mouse, Shrew, or Vole)	72. Shards of a Broken Mirror
23. Dead Reptile (Lizard, Snake, Tortoise or Turtle)	73. Simple Hairbrush or Comb (Brass, Bone, Tin or Wood)
24. Ear (Elf, Human, Gnoll, Other)	74. Single Cloth or Leather Glove or Mitten
25. Ear (Ox, Rabbit, Pig or Wolf)	75. Single Stocking or Sock
26. Edible Shoots or Leaves (d12)	76. Skeleton Key
27. Eggshells or Egg (Bird or Reptile)	77. Skin (Mouse, Rabbit, Rat or Snake)
28. Feathers, Hair or Scraps of Fur	78. Small Ball of Tar or Resin
29. Few Feet of Thread (d4)	79. Small Chunk of Cheese
30. Fish or Reptile scales	80. Small Fossil or Shell
31. Fishing Hooks (d4)	81. Small Knife (Skinning or Whittling)
32. Greenstone, Flint, Shale or Chert Shard	82. Small Pumice Stone
33. Foot of String, Twine or Yarn	83. Small Shard of Petrified Wood
34. Fork (Bone, Pewter, Tin, or Wood)	84. Soiled Handkerchief, Bandanna, Rag or Scarf
35. Glass Vial (Empty)	85. Some Fruit Peels or Rinds
36. Handful of Barley, Couscous, Oats, or Rice	86. Spool (Bone, Clay or Wood)
37. Handful of Dried Peppers or Peppercorns	87. Spoon (Bone, Wood or Pewter)
38. Handful of Flour, Grain, Meal or Spelt	88. Stale Heel of Bread, Biscuts, or Crackers (d4)
39. Handful of Seeds (Flower, Fruit, Tree or Vegetable)	89. Stamp, Quill, Nib Pen or Chalk
40. Incense Cones, Herbs or Sticks (d4)	90. Stub of a Candle or Wicks (d4)
41. Iron Arrow or Spear Head	91. Teeth (d12)
42. Jermlaine, Pixie or Sprite Skull	92. Thimble (Bone, Clay, Silver, Tin, Wood)
43. Ladle (Bone, Tin or Wood)	93. Tiny Bell (Brass, Tin or Silver)
44. Leather or Hide Cord	94. Tiny Ingot Of Metal (Iron, Pewter, Steel, Tin)
45. Length of Ribbon	95. Tiny Lead Figurine
46. Little Box (Bone or Wood)	96. Torn Vellum, Papyrus, or Parchment with Notes or Drawings
47. Lock Pick (Elfnose, Faeriefork, Spiderlimb or Wyverntail)	97. Twigs, Kindling or Slivers of Wood
48. Lump of Tree Sap	98. Two Dice (Bone or Wood)
49. Morel Mushroom, Vanilla Bean or Cinnamon Stick	99. Un-worked Strap or Belt of Leather or ide
50. Morsel of Meat, Strip of Jerky	100. Whistle (Bone, Tin or Wood)

The Parenthetical Materials and Serving-Size Suggestions are by no means exhaustive, just brain food. I usually give each player a few rolls on the chart at the end of character creations (post equipment) and maybe a bonus roll or two for high Wisdom scores. I’d imagine the average value for items from this chart weighs in at around half a copper piece, and I’ve tried to keep encumbrance negligible.
Many of the items are only as useful as the adventurer chooses to make them and some even become mini-McGuffins in their own right. Maybe my players are just suspicious of “free stuff,” but I’ve found that frequently, they make a concentrated effort to incorporate these tiny, inconsequential things into the adventure, attempting to distract a spider with a dead insect, using a piece of string to monitor activity on a dungeon door, et cetera.
Naturally, I’m sure a list like this could have other uses (Spell Components, Dungeon Dressings, maybe even Gullet Contents), so let me know if and how you end up using it!

They certainly don't make them like they used to...

I've been lax with the posting as of late. RC Hacks will continue eventually. In the meantime I've been playing as much as I possibly can, and the good news is it's mostly Classic.

One of my co-workers found out that I play Dungeons & Dragons. She also played quite a bit of OD&D and 1st Edition in the mid-to-late seventies.

She brought in all the miniatures that she still has, most of which she painstakingly painted and kindly let me photograph for posterity.

If you can identify any of the figures, please don't hesitate to comment. Wherever possible I have included any intelligible markings I found on the bases.

For Scale is an old Quadrille Pad (6 squares per inch).




Enjoy! The Slideshow skips some Amazon warriors that were marked moderately/potentially risqué.