No Violence!

Just about to type up my notes for converting the Shukenja (the healing religious guy) from 1E OA to Labyrinth Lord, via 2E and 3E.

Currently, it's looking like: no armour, restricted weapons, restrictions on equipment carried, code of conduct, turn undead, lift curses, cast spells (mixture of cleric and druid).

The shukenja originally had a set of restrictions on how it could gain XP: you actually gained no XP for killing opponents, but gained a lot of XP for healing random people you met. There were others as well, but I think I won't fiddle with the XP, but instead build into the code that the shukenja shouldn't initiate violence, and try to avoid killing. This is D&D, after all.

POW vs POW contest

Against a disease spirit. Losing.

OK, I have a stinking cold.

Wu Jen Spell List (Labyrinth Lord)

I've put together the spell list for the wu jen. You can get it HERE . The schools are: Earth, Fire,  Metal, Water, and Wood. These are derived from 3E OA's division of spells; the original 1E OA divided them into Air, Earth, Fire, Nature, Water. I might go back and create an Air and Nature school as well at a later date. An asterisk denotes spells from 1E OA, and 3E denotes ones from 3E OA.

Asinine Adventure Contest

Kingdom of Maldev. Yesterday.

In Search of the Fane of the Forgotten Mage came joint second in the Hill Cantons adventure contest! Thanks to Chris K for running this fun distraction; I can't wait to see the other entries. That and my friend Rosey of Drama, Dice, and Damsons also came in joint second! Well done to all who took part.

Wu Jen (Labyrinth Lord)

(The following is a conversion of the wu jen from Dragon #229 originally for 2E, and the original wu jen from 1E Oriental Adventures, both by the fantastic David "Zeb" Cook)

Wu Jen

Requirements: Int 9, Con 12

Prime Requisite: Int

Hit Dice: 1d4+1 at 1^st Level; 1d6 thereafter

Wu Jen are spellcasters from a very different tradition to the standard magic-user. Each studies a particular school of elemental spells under a lone master, often in a remote location. Wu Jen train their bodies and minds to be as one. They are able to meditate, 1 hour of which is as restful as 2 hours of sleep. They remain aware of their surroundings and take no surprise penalty for being asleep. They can react as if awake to any threats. Wu Jen have frequent dealings with spirit creatures, and can speak the languages of oni and tengu.

Wu Jen are unable to use shields or wear any kind of armor. They are able to use any weapon. They are people who study the changing forces of nature, and cannot be of Lawful alignment

Wu Jen use the Magic-User experience table. They use the combat progression, and saving throws of magic-users. Each Wu Jen must choose a school of spells; once chosen, it cannot be changed, and no spells can be chosen from other schools. Each time a wu jen gains a new experience level he can only learn 1 new spell (of any level he can cast), but they have no need to memorise their spells, nor do they use spellbooks. 


In order to cast a spell, the Wu Jen spends triple the spell's level in HP; thus, casting a magic missile costs 3 HP. A Wu Jen can never cast a spell requiring more HP than he currently has. Because of their reliance on their body's own power, wu jen only receive half the benefit (rounded up) of healing spells; e.g. if a cure light wounds spell would normally heal 4 HP, the wu jen is only healed for 2 HP).

Certain taboos must be abided by in order for the Wu Jen to sustain his magic. Examples include:

• Cannot bathe
• Must bathe frequently (at least every other day)
• Cannot sit facing a certain direction
• Cannot touch a dead body
• Cannot wear shoes
• Cannot drink alcohol

The DM and player should feel free to create their own taboos, as long as they are as restrictive as the examples above. Taboos should relate to purity or cleansing of the body. At 1^st Level, the Wu Jen must choose 1 taboo, and then another at every fifth level. Failure to abide by taboos results in the loss of spell-casting ability for 2d4 days.

Reaching 6^th Level: Wu Jen gain the ability to enhance any one of Strength, Dexterity or Constitution by 1d4 points for 2d4 rounds. The effort required costs the wu jen 1d6+2 hitpoints. Ability scores cannot be increased beyond racial maximums, and any adjustments are applied immediately. They are not retroactive (e.g. increasing Constitution does not increase hitpoints). This ability can be used multiple times, but only once per round.

Reaching 10^h Level: The Wu Jen gains 1d4 pupils, all 1^st Level Wu Jen. When each pupil gains a level, there is a cumulative 5% chance that he or she will leave to pursue their own study. Each that leaves is replaced by a new 1^st Level pupil (unless the pupil leaving was mistreated).

Reaching 12^th Level: By spending 1 HP, the Wu Jen can leap up to 30' in any direction. The Wu Jen can perform a series of leaps in a round, up to his normal movement rate.

LS1 In Search of the Fane of the Forgotten Mage

The first draft of this quite daft 1 page adventure has been scribbled down. Nearly got it all by hand! Now to type up. EDIT: in the end, I submitted my first stream if consciousness draft. I was in the headspace of 12 year old me, so it seemed fitting.

Wu Jen 2

In the course of my ruminations regarding the conversion of the OA classes, I remembered David Cook's re-imagined version of the Wu Jen in Dragon 229. It's this version I'm going to be working on. It was originally for AD&D 2e but it is totally workable in LL.

Dragon Fist reborn?

Just seen this Dragonsfoot thread about a possible simulacrum of Dragon Fist, Chris Pramas' martial arts rpg based on AD&D 2E. Exciting news - I loved this game when it was released on the WotC website years ago. I never got to play it, mind you, but it had some nifty ideas and a fun kung-fu setting. Pramas has been saying that Dragon Fist will be revived but, to my knowledge, it hasn't seen the light of day yet. I've only just joined Dragonsfoot (after lurking for years), but good luck to Lord Gywdion on his conversion work!

Wu Jen 1

Whilst feeding my son his breakfast milk, I was thinking about wu jen. Not that I'm obsessed or anything. So, the idea behind them is of a dynamic, slightly tougher, wizard. They have better weapons and more hp than a magic-user, but still cast spells. Who does that sound like? Elves!

I'm going to work from what we have in 1e and format it as per LL and AEC; then I'll see how it stacks up against the elf.

Wu Who?

For a lark, I asked Rev Rosey (of Drama, Dice and Damsons) to roll up (3d6 in order, of course) a PC for Lords of the South by way of a playtest of qualifying for the races and classes. I hadn't really noticed before that entrance to nearly every class is like trying to be a paladin. The result was that the only thing she was really qualified to be was a human wu jen, as her PC's Str score is... 7.

So, looking over my copy of OA 1E, we can see that a wu jen has a magic-user's spell progression, a faster experience rate (until hitting Level 11), a larger weapon selection, 1d4+1 hp per level, and the following powers: +1 to hit with 1 weapon, +3 to init once per day, enhanced effects of elemental spells (if the wu jen knows all the spells of an element), meditation (doesn't need to sleep, doesn't take surprise penalties for being asleep), and at 4th Level, they can (once per day again) make a spell 3 levels below their level take maximum effect. Even if I gave the wu jen an increased xp cost per level, that's still a heck of a lot. Why play a magic-user? Apart from the magic-user just needs Int 9 and the wu jen Int 13.

Yeah... Here's my quandary: My goal is to make the old OA classes a seamless fit into LL. They all need their powers trimmed if that's to happen. Otherwise, I keep all the powers, and it becomes its own thing, a separate game if you will; one that uses the LL rules, but is not easily mixed with LL. The other option is to use the classes as inspiration, and just use the basic ideas behind them. Then it becomes less of a conversion, and more of a re-imagining.

Rambling now. Keep your blade sharp!

Staying faithful

No, not like that... I'm looking at the frankly bonkers classes in Oriental Adventures (1E), and examining them compared to the classes adapted to Labyrinth Lord in Advanced Edition Companion. The requirements for the OA classes are steep, but the powers they get for the amount of xp they need to earn are really quite powerful. They fall into two broad groups: "Go batshit crazy once per day to wipe out everyone around you" or "dodge attacks like you're made of greased mercury". I'm falling down on the side of toning down their power level, even though that takes away from their baroque wonderfulness. It'll be worth it in the end.

And what is that end? Mike D has already released the awesome Ruins and Ronin; the more I read it, the more I appreciate its elegance and imagination. What I want to do is use my old OA material in Labyrinth Lord seamlessly. Whether I release it as a pdf eventually, I don't know. I'd need to bone up on the OGL and wotnot.

Would I adapt Kara-Tur or have any setting at all? I think I'd leave it setting-less, bar some broad strokes, such as the Spirit World, and the Celestial Bureaucracy.

Bonus features

Just because, you know what players are like (and as I haven't converted any classes yet...), here are some suggestions for allowed classes from AEC for the Lords of the South races.

Korobokuru

Class..................Level Limit

Fighter...............Unlimited   

Ranger...............10

Thief..................10

Hengeyokai

Class..................Level Limit

Druid.................8

Fighter...............Unlimited

Magic-user........9

Ranger..............8

Spirit Folk

Class..................Level Limit

Druid.................10

Fighter...............Unlimited

Ranger...............12

Spirit Folk - Lords of the South

Spirit folk, the 'elves' of Oriental Adventures are an interesting bunch; they embody the idea of a non-human character who is connected to the natural world better than most in D&D.

Spirit Folk

Requirements: DEX 9, INT 9

Ability Modifiers: None

Ability Min/Max: STR 6/18 (17), DEX 12/18, CON 6/14, INT 12/18, WIS 9/18, CHA 14/18

Spirit folk are the offspring of matings between humans and various nature spirits. There are three separate races of spirit folk: bamboo, river, and sea spirit folk. They have ties to the societies of both sides of their heritage. Spirit folk approach the ideal of human beauty in the surrounding society. Their skin is very pale or golden and they cannot grow facial hair. Spirit folk have slender eyes and small mouths, and all radiate a love of life and nature.

Spirit folk can see in the dark with infravision up to 60 feet.

Bamboo spirit folk

Bamboo Spirit folk normally live near forests or jungles as their life force is tied to a specific bamboo grove deep within the forest. If the grove is damaged, so too is the spirit folk; if it is destroyed, the spirit folk dies. Bamboo spirit folk have a 75% chance to identify normal plants, and a 50% chance to identify normal animals. When in woods or forests, a bamboo spirit folk can Hide in Shadows (as per the Thief skill) with a 75% chance.

When a bamboo spirit folk enters his or her grove, he or she is cured of all wounds and diseases. The grove cannot be transplanted to another location, nor do any shoots taken away have any special effect. Bamboo spirit folk gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws versus wands, and spells or spell-like devices involving the elements of wood or earth. Bamboo spirit folk speak the court language, and the trade language, Each time a bamboo spirit folk gains a level, he or she can learn the language of a particular forest animal of the his or her choice.

River spirit folk

The life force of a river spirit folk is tied to a particular river or stream and they often live somewhere near this. They can breathe normally in fresh water, and can swim in any type of water at their normal movement rate. Any items carried whilst swimming remain completely dry.

River spirit folk can lower water (p36 AEC) once per day in rivers and streams by a depth of 10 feet. They gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws versus wands, and spells or spell-like devices involving the element of water. They suffer a -1 penalty to saving throws versus fire-based attacks.

A river spirit folk who bathes in his or her river is cured of all wounds and diseases, but likewise any drought or damming will weaken, and perhaps eventually kill him or her. River spirit folk speak the court language, the trade language, and the language of fishes.

Sea spirit folk

Perhaps the most common of the spirit folk, sea spirit folk can breathe normally in salt water, and can swim in any type of water at their normal movement rate. Any items carried whilst swimming remain completely dry. They have a 75% chance (once per day) of being able to predict the weather for the next 24 hours. Sea spirit folk gain a +1 bonus to all saves versus fire-based attacks.

Once per year, a sea spirit folk can receive one favour from the ocean – rain, recovery of a lost item from the sea bed, fair winds, a tempest etc. The request made must be specific. Should another sea spirit folk request a conflicting favour, neither request is granted, and the favours for the year are spent.

Sea spirit folk speak speak the court language, the trade language, and the language of fishes.

SPIRIT FOLK CLASSES AVAILABLE

Class...........Level Limit

Bushi..........Unlimited

Kensai.........9

Samurai......12

Monk..........Unlimited (17)

Hengeyokai - Lords of the South

One of my favourite races in any edition of D&D, hengeyokai are, to my mind, the best incarnation of the strange, magical non-human in the game. Moreso than elves or dwarves, they exemplify the spirit of creatures who exist outside human civilisation. The above image (by Storn Cook) is how I see the drake hengeyokai; I was torn between whether they were drakes (male ducks), or drakes (small dragons). I went with the latter (We'll save ducks for a Runequest post.) :D

The list below includes all the original types from 1E as well as the badger and weasel from 3E. Overkill?

Hengeyokai

Requirements: STR9, CON 9

Ability Modifiers: (see below), -1 WIS

Ability Min/Max: STR 12/18 (17), DEX 9/18, CON 12/18, INT 12/18. WIS 12/18, CHA 12/17

Hengeyokai are intelligent animals who can change shape into a human form. There are many different types, but all regard themselves as one people. They are as varied in their appearance as humans, but all hengeyokai display some indication of their animal type when in human form e.g. a sparrow hengeyokai may have a very pointed nose, a hare hengeyokai large ears etc. They are a secretive race who shun the civilisation of mankind. Benign hengeyokai sometimes take on the role of protector for a human village.

Hengeyokai are much more fixed in their alignment than humans, and the alignment of each type is well known in human folklore. Thus a carp hengeyokai's presence would be construed as a sign of good fortune, whereas a fox hengeyokai would be regarded with suspicion.

Each hengeyokai has 3 forms it can turn into: human form, animal form, and a hybrid form of human stature but with animal features. When in animal form, a hengeyokai's hitpoints are halved, and any damage taken is carried over into the other forms. If a hengeyokai has 0 hp or fewer in human or hybrid form, it cannot change shape to animal form.

Hengeyokai can see in the dark with infravision up to 60 feet in animal form and hybrid form. In all three forms, hengeyokai speak hengeyokai (all types share the same tongue); in human and hybrid form, they can speak the trade language; in hybrid and animal form, they gain the language of normal animals of their type.

Abilities.

Animal..............Alignment..AC........Move...............Fly..................Swim

Carp...................Lawful........6..........--......................--....................120

Cat.....................Neutral........8..........120...................--....................--

Crab...................Any.............7..........30.....................--....................60

Crane.................Lawful........8..........60.....................120....................--

Dog....................Lawful........8..........120....................--....................--

Drake.................Lawful........6..........60.....................120................. 90

Fox.....................Chaotic.......5..........150....................--....................--

Hare...................Lawful........4..........180....................--....................--

Monkey..............Neutral........5..........120...................--....................--

Racoon dog........Chaotic.......8..........90......................--....................--
/Badger

Rat......................Chaotic......4...........90......................--....................--

Sparrow..............Lawful.......2...........30....................150...................--

Weasel................Neutral.......3...........90....................--....................--

HENGEYOKAI CLASSES AVAILABLE

Class............Level Limit

Bushi...........Unlimited

Kensai..........6

Shukenja......8

Wu Jen.........9

Korobokuru - Lords of the South

So, here it is, the first draft of one of the races for this Labyrinth Lord conversion of 1E Oriental Adventures. Some of the physical description is adapted from the 3E OA book. I've extrapolated the save vs breath attacks bonus from the gnome and dwarf in AEC. I'm undecided whether or not to change the 66% chance to identify natural thingies to a 1-4 on d6 to fit in with the other races special abilities.

For an alternative take on this lively race of oriental dwarves, please see: http://osrlibrary.blogspot.com/2011/07/ruins-and-ronin-korobokuru-wildman-race.html

Korobokuru

Requirements: CON 9

Ability Modifiers: STR +1, CON +1, INT -2

Ability Min/Max: STR 8/19 (18), DEX 6/18, CON 12/19, INT 3/15, WIS 3/17, CHA 3/16

Korobokuru are most often compared to dwarves thanks to their short height and pugnacious attitude. They are about 4 feet tall, but their limbs are slightly longer in proportion to their bodies than a human's would be. On average, they weigh about 130 pounds. Most are bow-legged, with thick hair of a blond or light brown colour. The men have short, sparse beards. Their large bright eyes are usually blue, green, or brown. Due to their height, korobokuru cannot use two-handed weapons, longbows or greatbows. They can use any other weapons or armour allowed by their class.

Korobokuru can see in the dark with infravision up to 60 feet. They have a 66% chance to identify natural plants and animals. A tough race of wilderness dwellers, korobokuru have a reputation for being primitive, boastful and rude. They speak their tribal tongue, the trade language, spirit-folk, and hengeyokai. They never learn alignment languages.

Korobokuru receive the following saving throw bonuses:

+2 save vs breath attacks

+3 save versus poison

+3 save versus wands

+3 save versus spells or spell-like devices

Korobokuru are hardy beings, resistant to magic and poison, and as such they receive bonuses to defend against these effects. In addition, their small size grants them a bonus to finding cover and avoiding breath attacks.

Korobokuru may select from the following classes, with the indicated level limits.

KOROBOKURU CLASSES AVAILABLE

Class Level.....Limit

Barbarian........10

Bushi..............Unlimited

Samurai..........6

Wu Jen...........7

Yakuza..........10

Please let me know what you think!

Dragonlance + Runequest = Runelance?

Spurred on by discussions on the Mongoose forum, I'm brainstorming a conversion of Dragonlance to MRQ2 or Openquest. Yeah, as well as the Oriental Adventures thing... I should really not have such Gamer ADD.

Kamas and Katanas

Weapons list slowly coming together. Managed to slim it down and will have a second pass to slim it down further (collapsing all polearms back into AEC's generic entry). Damage ratings should be easy, as should weight. Costs will be fiddled with a bit, basing them on looking at the equipment lists in 2e and 3e, as OA doesn't use the gp monetary system. Slow progress due to health issues. Katanas? They're just swords, people.

Drama, Dice and Damsons: I've spent a large amount of time lately trying to...

A post from my friend and colleague:

Drama, Dice and Damsons: I've spent a large amount of time lately trying to...: I've spent a large amount of time lately trying to hunt down a suitable play for a summer school next year. This is pre-emptive. A friend ...

Update

Started work on weapons table for LotS. It's long... and I've started a new job. Slow progress...

4E Kara Tur!

On the WotC website: Have a look at "Upcoming Themes"

Can't wait. :)

No, honestly. 

I love 4E.

Seriously.

And so it begins...

Welcome to the first follower, RevRosey!

Oriental Adventures for Labyrinth Lord

I have been reading a lot of my supplements for previous editions of D&D, and my collection of Asian setting RPG supplements. Provisionally titled as a project "Lords of the South", I'm wondering where I'll ultimately go with this. My initial goal is to re-present the classes and races in a streamlined manner in order to use old supplements like "Kara-Tur" and "The Horde" in Labyrinth Lord. So, an NPC, such as Chan-li "spirit folk bushi 12" can be used directly without having to be translated into some other race or class..

At the moment, I'm toying with converting over the weapons and armour to the much more straightforward LL presentation. This will then carry over into the classes and their weapons/armour restrictions.

The races seem fairly straightforward, though there will be several judgement calls e.g. Hengeyokai - one set of stat adjustments or different ones for each animal type (as per the original book).