Feats of Hexploration for Old School Revelries

I’m still running DCC peons through Tegel Manor, but the usual DCCRPG Experience Point doling is a bit too slow for us, as we only play two to three hours a week. Thus, I’ve added these achievement-based XP rewards.

The game is pretty much RAW, but it doesn’t hurt to add this system a nd some MVP votes on top of it to wrap up the session with the feels goods.

If you want more ideas, try out Arduin XP, which I posted about here.

Achievements:

• Talked in character multiple times to other characters (roleplayed): 5×LVL extra XP. Maybe 10 for a damn fine job.

• Did a risky job or carried out a foolish plan:5×LVLextra XP.

• Got a killing blow: 5×LVL extra XP 

  or 15×LVL XP extra XP if it was a crit.

• Can claim you did a deed never seen in the campaign: 20×LVL extra XP.

• Have a prime ability score of 15 or higher (for instance, a Warrior needs high STR or DEX): 5×LVL extra XP.

• Found one or more treasures: 5×LVL extra XP for everyone.

• Figured out a puzzle or riddle: 10×LVL extra XP.

• Found and took a secret door or passage: 5×LVL extra XP.

• Friendly fired (spell misfires fit here): 5×LVL extra XP to you and the person you shot.

• Went down to 1HP but no lower: 5×LVL extra XP  

• The party would have been cooked if it wasn’t for your action: : 20×LVL extra XP.

• Spellburned, cast a reversed spell, or used a spell in a novel manner: 5×LVL extra XP.

• Got downed (0HP), corrupted, disapproved, cursed, or mutated (permanent potions and spell effects count): 10×LVL extra XP.

• Used a magic item or potion for the first time: 5×LVL extra XP.

• Came back after successfully attempting a long-ass casting time spell: 5+spell level×LVL extra XP.

• Defeated a worthy foe mano a mano: : 5×LVL extra XP.

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Share good posts with good goblins. Claytonian at the gmails.

Rolling all saves to escape the megadungeon (DCC or any other three-saves D&D)

If you end the session still in the megadungeon, as opposed to civilization,  roll a single d20 + your Fort, Dex, and Will separately. For instance, if you roll an 11 and have  Fort+1, Dex-1, Will+3, you end up with 12, 10, and 14.

Of course you may burn Luck on this roll.

There will be a DC set by the game judge. An easy way for them to set it is to make the DC be 10+dungeon level*. Any of the three numbers you rolled that failed to meet this DC spell out your travails as you try to leave.

• Failed Fort? d6 exploding damage; you may die on your way out.
• Failed Ref? Lost an important item somewhere in the dungeon; 10% chance it is in a given area you visit next time.
• Failed Will? You are lost in the dungeon! There is a 10% chance per area entered that another party finds your PC. If you aren't found in a number of sessions equal to your level you are lost forever!

Failures are cumulative, so if you failed Fort and Will and were found, you would be d6 or more damage down and maybe they find your moldering corpse. If you were a baddie, you definitely are an undead thing that needs to be put down.

A DCC way to do random encounters

You enter a few spaces, take some time searching for secret doors, or make a lotta noise busting down a door. Time to make a check, but you are playing DCC, so let's put some mustard on that check.

Game judge, ask the Luck score of the PC that made that choice (go for the lowest luck if multiple people are about to find out).

Roll a d20. This is one of the times you are allowed to roll secretly in DCC, but you must swear to Bobugbubilz that you will not fudge the results unless things are getting boring. If it rolled that PC's Luck or less, frown, ask if they have gloves or if their mother is still alive or if they brushed their teeth this morning, but there is no random encounter.

Maybe throw spoor at the PCs if the roll just squeaked by.

If it failed, there will be an encounter (or anything else from hunger to lantern oil being used up). If you think the party is getting desperate, maybe say, "Would you like to burn some luck?"

Can they know how much? Nope. If they opt in, they have to pay the difference between the roll and their Luck score, but the bad thing does not happen. This time.

If they roll a natural 20, bring out something that could really wreck their shit. It won't necessarily want to kill them (what care have giants for ants?), but say the immortal words, "Roll for initiative."

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I've made this post in anticipation of venturing into Tegel Manor once again using DCC RAW. Would you like to join the dead? Click on this link to Dungeoncrawlers Discord, which expires in seven days.
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Share good posts with good goblins. Claytonian at the gmails.

Rhyming Boxed Text

Remember when Homer fought the giant spider?

Some people hate boxed text, and others find it useful (I met one of my players when they reached out to complain Wizardarium had no boxes). Others point out that many players zone out when they hear the boxed speech starting.

What if we could spice it up in a fun way that everyone likes? Rhyming room descriptions! I just think they're neat.

I'm currently running the Dragon Magazine version of The Dancing Hut (Baba Yaga). What could I say about the first room?

Tho it appears an old woman's hovel to be
It is filled with an air of mystery.

Upon the rude table, flickering weakly
A lantern is set to help you see

The floor is of beaten earth
Six timber walls give small berth

In one corner of this small hexagon
be a basin under a table, no dinner, just the lamp, thereupon

A wood burning stove with chimney rising to the room's center
And a straw mattress with a worn quilt o'er 'er.

There is a door standing opposite... here and there a bit of brick-a-brack:
Pegs, shelves, boxes, combs, and sewing supplies... dare you enter, or go you back?

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Share good posts with good goblins. Claytonian at the gmails.

Oracular Kanji Card Improv for Elfgames

Sometimes a DM has no idea what to do. One trick you could try is turning to a random page in a book and finding a random word to inspire you. But I usually have kanji study cards at hand.

Example from a recent game. The players got interested in the fact that there were itinerant barbarians in town and wanted to hire one, so I had to come up with a guy on the fly. The card I drew had the kanji 介, which triggered the word 介護 for me, which can be used for care-giving. 

One English word I associate with that is nurse, because care-givers for the elderly are often called that. So I came up with a nurse-barbarian. He is into taking care of the wounded. For his name, I took the reading of the kanji, kai, and made him Kai the nursebarian.

In the same session, I let the players world-wank up some rumors about the house they were going to rumble. One player was like, "I dunno, I got nothing," and I assured them it was fine to pass on the question, but I also showed them the next kanji card in my box which was the kanji for other, and that got some creative-release.

You could use kanji to answer many kinds of questions. What does the prophesy say? What kind of trick is in this room? If you don't feel joy sparking, go to the next card in the box.

I looked a bit for some online random kanji generators, but frankly I like these cards (translations are on the back side) much better, as the example combo words are really what gets the juices flowing, and a kanji without a friend is often a half-baked idea--unless you happen to know a good wago word that uses it.介 is not such a kanji, so yeah, the card is helpful.

You could try a random English word generator, of course.

Like I said, there are a million ways to randomize ideas, like dictionaries. Sometimes, when I need a treasure, I turn to the kanji cards, but often I turn to a copy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's catalogue.
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Share good posts with good goblins. Claytonian at the gmails.

Pregame Warmup Worldwanking

I’m pretty particular when it comes to the demihumans of my world, but besides that, I think maybe my group could really get into the game setting and roleplaying mindset if they had a hand in describing some of the other features and rumors of it. So here’s what I’m gonna try:

At game start, I recap the last session with Spencer Crittenden music. Then I pose a question such as:

• What dangers await in the purple hills?
• What factions vie for control of the wastes?
• It is said that a miracle occurred in Gropecuntelane. What is it?

I do not ask any one person in particular. I tell the group to think for just a second, while I have them roll initiative. The person at the top of initiative gets the first game turn, which consists of them saying something their character heard, and how they heard it--if they want. The second person does this as well, spouting their own take on the answer. After these two, I then ask if anyone heard a different tale or rumor about the thing.

That’s it, that’s the process. I as the GM have to decide which answer is true, if any of them are, and to what degree. If I’m not sure, I could consult a die to see which is the rumor I want to focus on and its veracity. d6: 1) this answer is spot on, 2~5) this answer is somewhat true, 6) this answer is ironically quite false.

Addendum:
Those cheesy scripts that started WEG Star Wars modules? That was the only time I got a certain player to speak in any sort of accent or funny voice. Those things may bear some revisiting by GMs and designers.

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Share good posts with good goblins. Claytonian at the gmails.

A List of Dungeon-world Style Bonds I’ve been needing

I like the bonds in DW, even if I rarely play that one. I never seem to have them at hand, so Imma blog my own version and bookmark it. Also, it’s a d12 list. The best kind of list in the OSR.

1. BLANK has stolen something and they think they got away with it.
2. BLANK is a figure of the prophesy. The signs are all there, right down to their birthmark.
3. In a pinch, BLANK can/cannot be relied on to save my hide.
4. BLANK is a great big phony! 
5. BLANK is burdened by their past; but I know the way to cheer them up.
6. BLANK is like a bull in a pottery shop. 
7. The wisdom of BLANK is rivaled only by their QUALITY.
8. I need to protect BLANK because REASON.
9. BLANK matches the description of the guy that shot my pa…
10. It’s easy to seduce BLANK, so I’mma keep an eye on them.
11. BLANK is a bully… and I hang out with them. What does that make me?
12. I’ll never doubt BLANK after THE INCIDENT.