Classic Traveller Session Report #4 - Vanders Dub-Step

The last time I got a chance to run a session in my Original(Own) Classic Traveller Universe (OTU) was April 2018. It was the third session of the second group I was able to get together online and ended like any role-playing session with more to do then when we started. 

If you are a game referee you know the "space" I'm in. That of more than one play group gaming in the same campaign. Which is fucking cool. You want to game the world more because the actions of the PC's keep on expanding the field of play. And different groups in play generate even more event horizons which make future game prep immensely challenging and rewarding. I want to see what becomes of the beast! 

So I've pushed further sessions when I know I can run and nothing really lined up again until today. With another group of new players. No one, if my listening ears were on, had ever played Traveller before. And as a referee I've only run Traveller for seven-twelve? total sessions. If you are a fan of OSR play Classic Traveller will work for you. Actually let me say if you are a PC who loves OSR play and have no problem with using an instant character generator to produce a character a game can get off the ground quicker than D&D!

This came together with such little planning that I caught one of the players saying "Feels strange to be called my real name." We didn't have any avatars, just are naked selves. Which made it more difficult for me to recognize each player as what "type" of character they were, but this is kind of a bonus. Everyone had to roleplay. Like here is what I want to do cause I don't know what my PC is good at so I'm going to do this. Throws you back on what is important during live play; be involved, be interesting. Do stuff! and then let the dice decide. 

Here is the stuff the PC's did:

All were ex-army, out of work and looking for a way to pay for water and air under the dome.I threw out relative rumors tangential to previous adventures and hit the crew straight up with a patron; Sader Z. an old, emaciated and bitter loan shark. He hangs out at the Body Double coffee shop taking bets on the underground fight scene. Mon-Fay, an Omni-Sun cop owes 30,000 in gambling debts and Sader Z. can't find him. Bring the dead-beat Mon-Fay to him alive and he'll split the debt with you all. 15 for Sader 15 for the PC's. Sader Z knows Mon-Fay has a pumped cube over in the Starsky block. Unit 420 above the ultra-mart. He has a month on as part of security at the Oh-Rif facility outside the dome and then a month off at home here in the dome. Sader reminds the PC's he wants Mon-Fay brought to him alive. He can't make a corpse pay up.

The PC's case the block and start asking ultra-mart employees if Mon-Fay has been around lately. Their questions spook Scuffy the janitor in charge of the floor-wax robos to run out the back. The PC's try and catch the poor bastard but they lose him in the tight, busy thoroughfare outside. The PC's search the janitor's office and don some maintenance uniforms (Starsky Property Management) and force the door to the upper level apartments all the while taking careful note of the video surveillance in abundance for such a low-rent complex. The auto-lift is out, of course so the stairs it is. On the third floor landing three dudes in overcoats (Gang=Bung Monkeys) ask "what is up?" I guess they were not expecting an unscheduled maintenance call for the fourth floor cause the PC's rolled snake eyes on their reaction roll and the gang members immediately attack. One overcoat took to the stairs going up. Talker pulled a cattle-prod while Back-Up pulled a body pistol. Everyone and I mean everyone rolled for shit in the stairwell. Electricity and firearms were discharged willy-nilly. The PC with the cudgel actually cleared the room. The party was then able to force access into 420, catching the runaway overcoat dude gathering some data chips from Mon-Fay's wall comp. "Mon-Fay hasn't been around. You know he can be on duty for a month or more man. He said if anyone come around while he gone burn his deck. That's what I'm doing man. Here take the chips man just let me go." 

The PC's head back to the Body Double and show Sader Z what they got. He gladly takes the data chips from them and lets them know he is pretty displeased they show up with no money and no Mon-Fay. "Find him dam it!" They don't let the loan shark in on the sealed Huron seed package they found hidden in Mon-Fay's apartment. Huron and Omni-Sun run Oh-Rif, the ag research facility where Mon-Fay works. The PC's naturally suspect they are holding the acid-rain resistant seed promised colonists for the last three years. Probably money and the recent terrorist attack on self-same facility wasn't just for fun.

The PC's decide to go check out Mon-Fay's place of work, the Oh-Rif facility on the eastern edge of the Skalvil Sea. They bribe their way on a supply boat from Halo Shipping but once out on the water the skipper says he can't take them all the way in. "Since the terrorist attack a few days ago security is really tight." He can drop the PC's off at Javon Musk's farm. It is just outside the facility and he rents ATV's for hunting parties looking for sport on Skalvil's tainted, acid-rain surface. So that is what they do. Musk is a farmer and animal trainer. He lives comfortably outside the dome cause he is a popular wilderness guide for the wealthy out of Kazawan City. The PC's use the cover of a hunting party to rent ATV's and observe the research facility through scopes. Lot of security. Lot going on. The PC's decide there is no way they are going to get in without getting caught so take their fustration out on nearby Skalvil Rabbits. Lanky, fast vermin the size of large house cats, it doesn't take long for their accurate shooting to bring down dinner as well as a VTOL from Oh-Rif.

The party is informed they are trespassing on restricted property and to wait for ground security forces approaching. They will be then identified and escorted off restricted property. The PC's were like fuck, we should have gone and tried to sell these seeds to the Vanders Labor Union back under the dome.... 

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PURSUIT AND EVASION OF PURSUIT (DMG 1e p.68)

There are two cases of pursuit and evasion of pursuit. The first is in underground situations, and the second is in outdoor settings. There are various special circumstances which pertain to each case so each will be dealt with separately.

Pursuit And Evasion In Underground Settings:

When player characters with attendant hirelings and/or henchmen, if any, elect to retreat or flee from an encounter with a monster ar monsters, a possible pursuit situation arises. Whether or not pursuit will actually take place is dependent upon the following:

1. If the matrix or key states that the monster(s) in question will pursue, or if the MONSTER MANUAL so states, then pursuit will certainly occur.

2. If the monster or monsters encountered are semi-intelligent or under, hungry, angry, aggressive, and/or trained to do so, then pursuit will be 80% likely to occur (d10, 1 through 8).

3. If the monster or monsters encountered are of low intelligence but otherwise suit the qualifications of 2. above, then pursuit will occur with the following probabilities:

A. If the party outnumbers the potential pursuers, then pursuit is 20% likely.

B. If the party is about as numerous as the potential pursuers, then pursuit is 40% likely.

C. If the party is outnumbered by the potential pursuers, then pursuit is 80% likely.

D. If condition C. exists, and furthermore, the potential pursuers conceive of themselves as greatly superior to the party, then pursuit is 100% certain.

Pursuit will have 3 separate cases:

1. The pursued are faster than the pursuers: Unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as a ranger NPC ar an invisible stalker or a slithering tracker pursuing, then pursuit will end as soon as any one of the following conditions is met:

A. The pursued are in sight but over 100' distant; or

B. The pursued are out of sight and were over 50' distant when they so left the perception of the pursuer(s); or

C. Pursuit has continued over 5 rounds, and the pursuer has not gained perceptibly upon the pursued.

2. The pursued are of equal speed to the pursuers: As in case 1. above, pursuit will end as soon as any 1 of the following conditions are met:

A. The pursued are in sight but over 150' distant; or

B. The pursued are out of sight and were over 80' distant when they left the perception of the pursuer(s); or

C. Pursuit has continued over 1 turn, and the pursuer has not gained perceptibly upon the pursued.

3. The pursuer is faster than the pursued: The pursuit will be broken off only if one of the following occurs:

A. The pursued are out of sight and were over 200' distant when they left the perception of the pursuer(s); or

B. The pursuer is unable to continue due to reasons of physical endurance.

Modifiers To Pursuit: There are several circumstances which will affect the pursuer. These are:

1. Barriers: Physical or magic barriers will slow or halt pursuit, i.e. or locked portal, a broken bridge, a wall of fire, etc.

2. Distractions: Actual or magic distractions will be from 10% to 100% likely to cause pursuit to falter or cease altogether. For example, a dancing lights spell moving away from a fleeing party which has extinguished its light sources might distract pursuers, just as a phantasmal force of a strong helper joining the pursued might cause the pursuers to cease pursuit. Similarly, if the pursued passed through or near some other creatures which would be hostile to the pursuing force, or at least not friendly to the pursuers, then it is quite possible that the creatures passed through and the pursuers would become embroiled. N.B.: The likelihood of any distraction being successful is a matter for individual adjudication by the DM, using ADBD principles and common sense as they apply to the particular circumstances prevailing. There are also 2 sub-cases here:

A. Food: Food, including rations and/or wine, will be from 10% to 100% likely to distract pursuers of low intelligence or below, providing the food/wine is what they find palatable. Roll a d10 to find the probability, unless you have a note as to how hungry or food oriented the creatures are. Add 10% to the result for every point of intelligence below 5, and give a 100% probability for non-intelligent creatures pursuing. If probability is under 100%, roll the d10 a second time, and if the result is equal to or less than the probability determined, then the pursuers break off pursuit for 1 round while the food/wine is consumed.

B. Treasure: Treasure, including precious metals, gems, jewelry, rare stuffs such as ivory or spices, valuable items, and/or magic will be 10% to 100% likely to cause pursuers of low or greater intelligence to be distracted. Pursuers of low intelligence will have an additional 10% per 10 items (regardless of actual value) dropped, i.e. 20 copper pieces have a 20% additional probability of causing a distraction. The value of items dropped, known or presumed or potential, will likewise cause pursuers of average or greater intelligence to be more likely to be distracted. For each 100 g.p. value or potential value, add 10% to base probability. Roll the d10 a second time to see if potential and actual interest are the same, just as is done when food is used as a possible distraction. (Note, however, that very small items of value - notably, gems and the like - would have a chance of going completely unnoticed in the heat of pursuit.) If success occurs, the pursuer will be distracted for 1 round, or the length of time necessary to gather up the treasure, whichever is the greater.

3. Multiple Choice: It will mast often come to pass that the pursued take a route which enables them to cause the pursuer(s) to have to make decisions as to which direction the pursued took in their flight. Thus, at a branching passage where there are 3 possible ways which could have been taken, there is a basic 2 in 3 chance that the pursuer(s) will take the wrong passage. Likewise, if there are a door and a passage, there is a 1 in 2 chance of wrong choice. This base chance assumes that the pursuer cannot see the pursued when choice is made, that sound does not reveal the direction of flight, that smell does not reveal direction of flight, nor do any other visual, audial, or olfactory clues point to the escape path. As DM, you will have to adjudicate such situations as they arise. The following guidelines might prove helpful:

Light: Straight line of sight is near infinite, any corner cuts distance to 60'.

Noise: Characters in metal armor can be heard for 90', hard boots can be heard at 60', relatively quiet movement can be heard at 30'.

Odors: Normal scent can be detected by creatures hunting or tracking by scent for several hours - even in a dungeon setting. Scent can be masked with various things - mustard powder, oil of citronella, crushed stinging nettle, etc.

Building Interiors: Treat these settings the same as one underground, as applicable.

Procedure For Determination Of Evasion Underground: If it is discovered that a pursuit situation exists, and the player-party elects to evade rather than confront pursuers, then record the relative speeds of pursued and pursuer. Move the pursued party as many l o ' s of feet as their slowest member is able to travel, and likewise move the pursuing party as many 10's of feet as its fastest member can travel, noting positions of slower members, if any, as well. This movement is accomplished on the map, of course. Three such movement phases are (for game purposes) equal to 1 round. At the end of any movement portion where any number of the pursued party is within 10' or less of any number of the pursuing party, confrontation must take place between the concerned members of the parties. (At this point the remainder, if any, of the pursued party may elect to stop flight or continue evasion attempts as they wish.) Also, at the end of each movement portion it is necessary to check the 3 SEPARATE PURSUIT CASES and any PURSUIT MODIFIERS to see if the pursued party has succeeded in evading the pursuers. Keep track not only of the route of flight, but also of the amount ofgame time so spent, as some pursuit will automatically cease after a set period without confrontation.

Mapping During Flight: No mapping is ever possible. Give no distance measures in moving the pursued. Give no compass directions either!

Deluxe USR Sword & Sorcery Cover Concept

Work continues on exploring what a game publisher and creator is like. This. is. a. lot. of. work. I'm approaching it like an art project. And my process is building things out and see what I find, throw out what doesn't work, and hope to Hades I stumble upon a legitimate aesthetic. Working with Jeremy Hart's commissioned illustration I've come to this basic "blocking" of the book's cover to date.  I've added an additional block of text on the back cover (left side of image) with the game's elevator pitch. 

Feel free to rip this to shreds:) No, any design advice you want to throw my way while I share the layout journey is glad and well accepted. This cover design is my attempt to get to "know" the tools I have at my disposal. For the cover it is a b/w illo large enough to wrap-around. What you see here is a close-up of the image, not the whole thing. The full drawing will get a suitable splash page inside the book. Title/text is the other tool and bands of color the final. Trying to draw limits. I'm shit with time management so if I give myself a limited palate I hopefully shorten the wandering around in the woods lost period which I looove and get some product eventually pushed out.

Stupid, Simple Way to Convert Hit Die to BRP Skill Level

The DIY-OSR scene has the best adventure content but I like to play with Chaosium's BRP brand of d100 mechanics for the systems approach to combat and skills. D&D and BRP have an identical approach to Character Attributes, Hit Points are close enough to not matter, but Armor Class and the Monster Attack Table don't port over to the BRP d100 resolution mechanic without some thought.

Here is what I do; the Monster Attack Table is the easiest to convert out of the two. Armor Class 9 (or 12 for ascending) is an unarmored opponent. WarHammer Fantasy Roleplaying has your basic scrub getting a 35% to hit, so for a 1 HD Monster chance to hit is 35%. I'm going to grab the Monster Attack Table from Mutant Future and just add 5% for each row of Hit Dice which improve the character's chance to hit. So a 1+ and 2 HD creature has base line combat (or any primary skill/ability) of 40%. 2+ to 3 HD creature is 45%, etc. Following this progression you top out at 75% chance to hit/primary ability at 9+ to 11. OSR Creatures/Characters at these higher HD will most likely also have some unique attack abilities which will compensate for the flattening out at 75%. But that is all I have been doing for establishing a relation between Hit Dice and a Primary Skill Ability. 

AC is not as easy. Armor Class in D&D represents how hard it is to not only hit your target but to hit decisively enough to actually deliver damage. BRP is less abstract. How difficult one is to hit is not tied to how much damage one would necessarily receive if hit. This is where the creature/monster/character description is important. Not that it shouldn't be anyways regardless of system. I bring it up because as a gamer I can't but help and look at NPC's as just a pile of stats so I can adjudicate action quickly. I find trying to stat creatures out for another system makes me look for what makes the Leech-Man different than the Kobold. 

So looking at the common Kobold. With AC 7 a 1st level character(scrub) needs a 12 or better to hit, or 40% or less. The description of your average Kobold (from B/X) leaves me to believe they don't wear any armor so their improved AC over unarmed will come from their small stature and quick movement. Based on their HD their base combat ability would be 35%. Makes sense to me. Their improved armor class will come from an improved Dodge skill. Say boost 35% up to 45% (5% per each AC better than 9). HP stay the same. So your average OSR B/X Kobold quickly translates into Attack/Parry skill of 35% with a Dodge of 45% and no armor protection to reduce damage if hit!

FGU's Space Opera Combat Tables

All my current Space Opera charts in PDF are found on the Summonings page of this blog.

Your typical one-on-one close, personal combat rules in Space Opera are called (section) 8.0 Ground Combat. This is to cover the fact you are supposed to be able to run small party combat actions as well as large mass battles involving thousands of troops. The rules make no bones about the fact they are a continuing treatment of their rules for miniature mass combat Space Marines. It is also a continuing treatment of the shit editing job which went into the rule book. It starts hard and fast; the first action in the turn sequence is to toss for “move or countermove.” WTF happened to “Initiative”, one of the basic characteristics which “all” in-game action is usually resolved? Maybe we will find out, but yeah, your Initiative score doesn't apply here. Or you could drop this step. Space Opera is cool with you jettisoning whole mechanics. Do it, you won't break it. The game sometimes even offers two different methods to resolve the same action. Yes, instead of move/countermove each side writes down their moves and the moves are revealed and played out simultaneously. This is code for Game Masters everywhere that “yeah you will have to wing it”. Just plow through this crap. You know what the rules really mean. Turn sequence 1. Play a hex-map-based-wargame first. This will take at least one other interested player and like forty hours of your time.

So if you are like me this means you turn to the players and say “Your side lost, bad. What do you want to do?”

And if the players know the rules they will say “covering fire.” But that is sequence #5. Ignore them. Your players are just trying to make you forget sequence #2. Indirect Fire. This is a whole world of random hurt the StarMaster can literally rain down upon the players. Tough talk breaking down at the local spacer bar? PC's smoothly going for their hardware to blast their way out of trouble? Sorry, StarMaster needs to resolve sequence #2. Full salvo of APROBDIF Projectors coming in from the unisex! Oh yeah, the effects are not resolved until sequence #7. Does that mean between sequence #3. and sequence #6 the PC's could move away? On space ships? On power cycles? Humping ass burning Wind? Yes it does. The whole sequence will work to give you hair-breath escapes, but should only be used when you and the players need to drill down to that level of detail cause that is where the game has taken the action. Space Opera is not going to work for newbies. Folks using this game are going to have to be confident gamers and know when to role-play and when to get out the rulebook.

Seriously, it takes a judgmental asshole like myself to run Space Opera. You need to be able to look your players in the eye and say “roll initiative” and get them not to scramble to the rulebook looking for a way out. Because the rules are so poorly edited they will find it.

What I remember from running Space Opera in the early 80's was constantly jettisoning combat rules to get to a “roll to hit” situation. And this is one table and a percentile number. That is it. Again, dead simple. For Direct Fire/Ranged Attacks you roll 1D100 on the Range to Target Table. Shooting someone at Short Range 80% chance or less to hit. Long 15% chance, etc. Now there are six separate tables of DMs to the Direct Fire Roll, I get that. But use my PDF sheets attached and you will have the information you want at your fingertips at the table. Hand-to-Hand, Close Combat is a base 35% to hit for any attack, subject to a very small set of DMs. No, in Close Combat Initiative; deciding who strikes first, has all the multiple DM tables! Space Opera makes a big production out of producing your Hand-to-Hand Capability. But once you have this number, and you need compute it for thirteen different weapon categories, you only use it for establishing strike order for each combat turn! I can see where many folks turn their head, hand out in the universal symbol of “No thank you” and pass on trying to run the game. In this instance it asks you to crunch simple, but time consuming formula for a number which again gets multiple DMs to consider every time you use it. But it does give a sharp distinction between Direct Fire Combat. You don't use the same resolution method for either one of these combats and in real life these are two very different methods of combat. I will have to go with this as a feature of Space Opera and not a bug. Embrace it. And you are going to have to embrace the Penetration Tables. (p. 43-51) Which means rolling on the Hit Location chart. But who doesn't love Hit Location charts?!? Put the tables on a sheet durable enough to last at the actual game table and everyone should get dialed into their Penetration numbers quickly.

Both these methods of combat funnel back into the same method of resolving damage once a penetrating hit has been won. In fact, all weapons do the same damage! Regardless of weapon/attack used damage in Ground Combat is resolved the same way, roll for severity and apply the corresponding amount of damage to the character. There are additional degrees of complexity you can add in from the rules or just as well leave out. You have two described methods of achieving an initiative/turn order for Pete's sake! You can take the Combat Turn Sequence in its entirety or you can trim it down to only the steps you wish to execute in a given combat. In each sequence, each step in the combat “turn” can have additional DMs to add in. The key to using however many combat mechanics you want is having these DM tables not in the book but out on the table to use. And with this reread so far I see nothing which would stop you from scaling the combat mechanics when considering large engagements of troops. The resolution mechanics can be both applied to an individual character as well as an individual combat “unit”. Need to know the rate of fire of your gun in Close Combat? They have rules for that. Don't need that level of detail. No worries. Toss the rule entirely and combat still works.

The attached PDF file is to make generating these numerous DM tables for use in one place easier. I believe once these tables are removed from the book and made more accessible as a two-sided, laminated sheet the game would become remarkably easy to run.

FGU's Space Opera Resolution Mechanics Examined

Space Opera has the reputation of being poorly organized (agreed) and unplayable (not agreed). I recently purchased the perfect-bound copy of the game so I could revisit Space Opera and see if there is a fun, playable game here. I think there is. Nothing groundbreaking, but the game has a voluminous equipment section and the game is a complete science fiction gaming system with a great deal of options available for detailed levels of play per where the StarMaster and PC's want it. Unlike Traveller the game doesn't break with the exclusion or inclusion of many of its rules systems.

Space Opera Resolution Charts PDF FILE 

I will be paraphrasing from the RAW, but I've included relevant page numbers from Volume 1 so you can look this information up if you like.

The expectation is PC resolution revolves around Characteristic Rolls (CRs). Usually a roll-under statistic, but not always. These CRs are to be made only in 'hairy' moments where there is a chance of being injured, killed, losing gear or fixing something where failure has grave consequences. (p.3)

Shock Resistance CR is our first example of this mechanic in action. (p.18) Your SR target number is derived from your Constitution. Roll your SR or lower on a 1D20 to avoid the effects of shock. The book goes on to describe each individual Characteristic's CR mechanic. Each Characteristic CR method is described and they are not identical. Intelligence and Intuition CR rolls are base on achieving a 11 or less on a 1D20 with the target number modified by DM's per the character's Characteristic score. (p.23) The Bravery CR is rolled with 2D6 (p.24) while checking a Surprise CR is rolling your Agility or less on a 1D20. (p.24) PC Initiative is a 1D20 roll plus the character's Dexterity with an additional list of modifiers to consider. (p.26)

Resolving actions by applying a character's Skills follows a similar path; a distinct method of resolution per skill. It is difficult to see a relationship between a character's Skills and Characteristics because of these numerous subsystems as well as the whole employment and reenlistment procedure for the character's background is placed between these two topics in the book. (p.26-42) Reenlistment is completely optional and is resolved with a 3D6, rolling the target number or greater for success.

But the numerous subsystems are not complex. The implementation of roll your stat plus/minus with modification is not foreign to any roleplayer. So it follows a better organization of the game's resolution mechanics would make this easier to play. As a modular system designed to be used in whole or part for your own vision of a space opera game universe it is worth using. I like the game for its fairly simple mechanics with a great character creation system, world generation tables and exhaustive gear list. I cannot speak to its starship combat rules as I have never run them. These rules will get their own look at some point and I may be able to generate a blog post on what I think of this important part of the game.

Careful look at Skills reveals Space Opera takes philosophically different approaches to resolution with whole branches of skill-orientated tasks. Applying your Combat Skills in play is done differently than applying your Scientific Research Skills which is different yet again from how Technical Skills are resolved! Once sorted though these different methods define the fun which can be had with Space Opera. Unified mechanics across the board in a game can get dull. If everything is resolved the same way, nothing you do in the game is truly unique. While the game offers players a chance at custom builds the simple Class system makes playing an Armsman different than playing a Technician or an Astronaut. Want to experience something new in the game for your PC, have your Armsman try and fix a radio. Learn how the other side lives! So I think the diverse subsystems, for this game, work.

Scientific Skills are also used to do Scientific Research. For routine information gathering there is a flat 71%, plus Intelligence and Skill Level, chance or less to make the correct observation. (p.47) To successfully complete Scientific Research requires having the right number of sciences to overcome the research subject's complexity. The chance of success is found by adding all of the success Dms and then subtracting the problem complexity Dms. (p. 48) There is also a table which will give the amount of time required to be spent before a success throw can be made.

The Medical Scientist and Physician have additional subsystems for the application of advanced medicine and healing abilities. Routine forms of medical research have a 75% plus 3% per skill level chance of success. (p. 46) Making the correct diagnoses of known diseases is 40% plus 5% per skill level without computer access. The chance is greater/modified if advanced consultation is available making diagnoses by a Medical Scientist almost certain. (p. 46) Physicians can increase healing rates (p. 47) as well as manufacture drugs (30% chance of success plus 3% per skill level plus 3% per Mk of the Medi-Computer. (p. 47) Engineers follow the same procedures Scientific Research while the Technician has its own unique subsystems.

Tech Skills and training (p. 57) are for the operation and repair of equipment. The rule book here offers a fine example of the numerous misleading typos which need to be faced while reading Space Opera. “The procedure to be followed for repairing breakdowns are described in the 5.0 Equipment Maintainance section, ...” No, there is no such thing. Single-system and Multi-system Breakdowns are resolved per section 4.22 and 4.23. Equipment Maintainance & Repair is described in section 4.21.

Fixing a single-system and multi-system breakdowns are resolved by rolling the target number or less on a 1D20. (page 76-77) Tech level skill can both increase chance of success as well as decreasing time needed for repairs. There is an alternate subsystem for the MediTech as well as fixing battle damage.

The MediTech can diagnose known diseases 20% plus 5% per skill level. (p. 58) A correct diagnoses will allow a MediTech to use medical equipment to treat with a chance of success.

Battle damage is repaired at a rate determined by the Tech's skill level. (p. 78)

That is all you are going to get on how to adjudicate success and failure outside of combat. Combat, both close and ranged, will be covered in another blog post. For now I am going to try and put this list of game mechanics in an easy-to-read PDF format for use at the table. The tools a StarMaster needs to referee are admittedly poorly organized for use in the original rulebook, but being able to see them laid out in front of you can eliminate much of the confusion and allow resolution and saving throws to be decided and rolled quickly. Just like you would want in any roleplaying game.

2018 Clockwork & Cthulhu Campaign in Review

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Aww, The Vanishing Tower now has a holiday tradition! Reviewing the past year's blood-soaked saga of Clockwork & Cthulhu!

What were the top 5 hits of this past year for the longest running roleplaying game I've ever tried? There is so much to choose from, so much ground covered, consequences consummated and reckless adventure pursued... I'm just having a hard time deciding!

#5 You Tube! I know I am real late to the party here and this sure is some low-hanging fruit, but this is a recent development for my group and it has had an immediate impact on my enjoyment of our play. The live streaming and the resultant upload of the video for later review lets me remember important events, catch witty things my players are saying I otherwise miss and appreciate the effect of pacing on everyone's enjoyment of any given session. How else will I never forget -6 Hit Points is not considered being "softened-up" by the players?

#4 PC Death! Not once, but twice! The Scottish outlaw Creigh disappeared through a hole in the wall and Cousin Ralph Norton, a beast of a man, went down during a whirling knife and pistol fight. Player Characters can take more of a beating than the NPC's in my Renaissancegame but I am truly surprised this was the limit of the PC body count for 2018. Dice favored the players more than naught when life and success held in the balance. This puts two regular players on their third character each while everyone else is still on their original. In a long running campaign PC death changes the dynamic of the PC group. Comfortable niches are all but upturned and Players have to reinvent a game personality. I believe it is just enough work to make a player want to keep their existing character. I know as the Keeper I have to make not inconsequential choices on the fly for the introduction of a new character. It is important to not restrain from killing a PC when the dice roll against them just because I got invested in some story elements involving the stand out character. No plot armor allowed!

#3 Splitting the Party! One player went one way, one another, and still others clutched their wounds and looked for a place to lie low. The old OSR maxum of keeping your player group all together during the session must surely be tossed on the junk-heap of gaming history by now. 2018 saw the campaign enlivened with the players finding themselves making split-second decisions and getting cut off from one another. This spawned a couple of bonus sessions and overall made a greater campaign world. This doesn't mean a Keeper does not need to work extra hard on pacing and keeping everyone involved. I did have to schedule seperate sessions and find time for them, but it shouldn't be shied away from in session either. Zak's Frostbitten & Mutilated has a nifty adventure which gives any Game Master an example on how tension and interest can be maintained while splitting the party.

#2 The Birth of the Side Quest into a major Campaign Event! The PC's have gotten up in all manner of conflict with cosmic and local forces that the adventure ground literally squirms with the snakes of complications. Whether or not the PC's pursue their enemies, trouble with an agenda is sure to find them. The Keeper's most useful tool for handling PC's going in unknown directions are random encounter tables customized for the current adventure location. The running and gunning the players did in the streets of Old Yarmouth against alien antagonists and political rivals was all spawned from the fallout from a previous mission. The proper mix of success and setback with random encounters and prepared site locations gave the players complete agency against a backdrop of a responding campaign world. Did I say random encounter tables are essential? You know what fuels great tables? Great adventure content. Involved side quests come across better when you have interesting third party content to use. It is hard to constantly foster entertaining encounters so a smart Keeper will use quality content from others as solid footing to riff off of during live play.

And #1 is the Consummation of the Picaresque.  Sailing to the New World in pursuit of their ever-elusive initial adversary is kind of a big deal. Because it fit for the time period the voyage and the destination continued the campaign world-building. How the PC's arranged passage to the New World was an engaging adventure arc in its own right! The PC's jumped from Yarmouth, Norfolk, on to King's Lynn and then Africa. Each stop gave the PC's a chance to interact with the NPC's and they worked with their environment as they saw fit. Unique outcomes along the way, a hallmark of the picaresque,  will then plant the seeds for future, new adventures.

And that is what has stuck with me for this past year's play. There is one more session of 2018, this Sunday morning. No matter what occurs on the last day of this year 2019 feels like a year of reckoning. For the PC's, for the campaign long unanswered threads- some will be answered. This is right an just and the group has made it so. I wonder what this will bring the body count to?