[IF/OSR] Narrative Dungeoncrawling

So I've been reading up on hexcrawling and pointcrawling and dungeon and adventure design in anticipation of running an Iron Falcon game. I've looked at random generation, including online generators, of which there are many very nice ones. I've looked up the various bloggers out there who are mapping, and even looked at some tutorials about doing my own maps. Sadly I have very little artistic talent, and I can't even begin to compare myself to some of the talent out there. To sum up, I felt defeated.

But then I realized I need to just do what I do best, and write. I don't need a map, and in fact I prefer not to play with miniatures or maps. I don't need a random generator, as I ran most of my games from the seat of my pants up until recently when I started looking at crawls and frameworks and the like. So I'm just going to go with it, and use what I know.

Some folks won't like this, as they are more visual, and that's cool. Some folks won't enjoy it because it might feel like railroading and too predetermined. That's also cool. I'm doing this for me. I hope you enjoy it, and that it sparks some ideas as all the wealth of information out there has for me.

Narrative Dungeoncrawling

The idea is simple. Make up a bunch of cards that are little more than narrative seeds. Some can be specific, some can be general and reusable. When it is time to get out there and adventure, pick a card, randomly or not, and get there. Here is a sample card:

With a stack full of chamber, connection, and encounter cards I would be able to quickly run a game with very little prep, which is my ultimate goal. Of course it will take time to make the cards, but once that is done I can run many games with very little further work.

I'm sure I'm reinventing the wheel here, but I'm going to go ahead with this anyway.

[IF] Starting a house rules document

So, as it says on the can, I have started a house rules document for Iron Falcon, to make an attempt to bring some more materials in. Not that I will use them, but as an exercise. So far all I have is the Half-Orc race, but I plan on adding the Assassin class, and then we'll see what happens. Want to take a look?

[Edit] Rather than doing a separate doc, I'll just post my ideas here and collect them at a later date if anyone wants me to.

Half-Orc

Half-Orcs are those characters having a Human and Orc parent. A Half-Orc may be a Fighter, Cleric, or Thief, or may choose to be a combination of Cleric/Fighter, Cleric/Thief, or Fighter/Thief. Half-Orcs may not be Magic-Users.

Half-Orc Level Limits

Fighters 

Strength up to 16 - 8th Level

Strength 17 - 9th Level

Strength 18 - 10th Level

Cleric - 4th Level

Thief - No Limit

Half-Orcs always gain a bonus of +1 on rolls to hit and damage with melee weapons, and gain an additional +1 Hit Point Bonus per level in addition to any gained from their Constitution. Due to their Orc nature, they suffer a -2 penalty to their Loyalty Base for all but Orc Men-At-Arms.

Half-Orcs speak Common and Orc, as well as the languages of Hobgoblins and Gnolls. They may still learn additional languages in the normal way.

Half-Orcs have Infravision, granting them the ability to see up to 60’ in the dark.

If a Half-Orc is a Thief, they have the have the following adjustments to their Thief Abilities:

Open Locks +5%

Remove Traps +5

Pick Pockets +0%

Move Silently +0%

Hide in Shadows +0%

Hear Noise +1

And another new game enters the list...

Just picked up Iron Falcon, a very concise and well written retroclone. And as always the creative juices are flowing. Such is the curse of ADRD. More to come...

[F/AGE] Cross Class Magic Specializations

I want a little Mage in my Rogue or Warrior, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. So here are some possibilities of Cross Class Magic Specializations:

Shadow Walker

Rogue or Warrior Specialization
You have developed a connection to the shadows, and have learned or been gifted with the ability to control them to some extent...
Novice: You gain 7 + Willpower Magic Points and learn the spells shadow dagger and shadow's embrace.
Journeyman: You gain 6 + Willpower Magic Points and learn the spell veil of darkness.
Master: You gain 8 + Willpower Magic Points and learn the spell shadow slip.

The formula is simple. Learn the spells for the appropriate level, gain enough MP to cast them once + Willpower. If a spell has a variable casting cost, go with the lowest cost, so as not to outclass the Mage. Here is another example:

Vessel of Life

Rogue or Warrior Specialization
You are blessed with the ability to heal others, either through some connection to the essence of life or as a gift granted by some deity...
Novice: You gain 6 + Willpower Magic Points and learn the spells healing touch and revival.
Journeyman: You gain 3 + Willpower Magic Points and learn the spell healing aura.
Master: You gain 15 + Willpower Magic Points and learn the spell restoration.

Fantasy Age is in the House!

Okay folks, I just picked up Fantasy Age, and I gotta say, I've been waiting for this since the first Dragon Age boxed set came out. Yeah you could (and I did) hack DA into your own setting, but I love how they have streamlined and updated an already streamlined system. I can't wait to start using this, and as I do, I'll try to be more active here with my thoughts and ideas.

If you haven't looked at Dragon Age you might want to consider Fantasy Age.