Sunday, June 28, 2020

Avatar GLOG I guess?

Not the blue people, the good one. With the platypus-bears.

The Base Adventurer
LevelXPHPTemplatesAttack/DodgeSave
1010 + Body1+015
2200+22+114
3400+23+213
4800+24+312
51200+14+311
62000+14+310
73000+14+39
84000+14+38
95000+14+37
+1+1000+14+36

You have 3 ability scores - Body, Spirit, and Luck. You add Body to mundane attack and to dodge; Spirit to bending attack and as a penalty to Saves vs your bending; and Luck as a bonus to your Save rolls. These are determined like your preferred GLOG hack (4d4, 3d6, 2d6 + 3, whatever). You get 100 XP for visiting a notable location and 10 XP per HD/level of enemy defeated, four times that if you have a significant emotional connection to them.

Classes 


Bender

Equipment: A backpack, a bedroll, and equipment befitting your bending type (a glider staff, a waterskin, etc.) or a weapon.

A: Bending, +1 BD
B: +1 BD
C: +1 BD
D: +1 BD

Bending: You are one of the four types of bender - water, fire, earth, or air. You start with 1 Bending Die (BD, it's a d6), and have an extra Bending Die if you aren't wearing armor. Bending Dice can be used for attack, defense, or mobility (more on this in the Combat section). They're depleted on a roll of 6, and regained with a good night's sleep. Minor non-combat uses of bending may not require a BD roll for effectiveness and depletion depending on how significant they are. You need at least one limb or a weapon free to bend, unless you are an air or fire bender, in which case you can use your mouth. Some bending may require specific motions at DM's discretion. Each type of bender also has a benefit from their type:
  • Water: You have a +1 to BD rolls at night.
  • Fire: You have a +1 to BD rolls in the day.
  • Earth: You have +1 to BD rolls to defend.
  • Air: Your jump distance is doubled, and you only take half fall damage.

Warrior

Equipment: A backpack, a bedroll, light armor, and two weapons or a weapon and a shield.

A: Armored, +1 Attack, +1 HP
B: +1 HP
C: +1 Attack, +1 HP
D: +1 HP

Armored: Your dodge penalty for armor is reduced by 1.

Acrobat

Equipment: A backpack, a bedroll, a rope and grapnel, and a weapon.

A: Acrobatic, +1 Attack, +1 Dodge
B: +1 Dodge
C: +1 Attack, +1 Dodge
D: +1 Dodge

Acrobatic: While not wearing armor, your jump distance is doubled, and you only take half fall damage. You can jump off of walls and wallrun without making a check.

Rogue

Equipment: A backpack, a bedroll, a rope, lockpicks, and a weapon.

A: Sneak Attack, +1 Attack, +1 Stealth
B: +1 Stealth
C: +1 Attack, +1 Stealth
D: +1 Stealth

Sneak Attack: Your attacks deal double damage if your target is unaware of your presence.

Combat


Generally, on your turn you can move and act - acting is attacking, bending, or other miscellaneous things. You can jump 25 feet up, jump 50 feet horizontally, or run 75 feet on flat ground. More complicated movement may require a Body check. Initiative is individual initiative on a d20 modified by either Body or Luck.

Mundane Combat

Mundane combat works by opposed rolls. The attacker rolls Attack, and the defender rolls Dodge. Melee weapons have 5 foot range, or 10 foot range if they have reach. You can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who leaves your range if you're using a melee weapon. You can use ranged weapons without penalty within the given range and with a -4 penalty to hit within twice that range. You can't attack a target outside that range, and you have a -4 penalty to hit a target within melee range.

Bending Combat

When you use bending to attack in combat, you can roll any number of BD you have to attack, dealing [sum] damage. Your opponent can either defend with bending - rolling any number of BD to negate [sum] damage, or can attempt to dodge. If they dodge, the procedure is the same as for a mundane attack. Dodging a bending attack should involve a significant amount of motion (doesn't count against movement on your turn). Bending doesn't have a specific range - that depends on common sense and how you describe your attack.

Gear

WeaponDamageSlotsProperties
Polearm 1d10 4 Reach, two-handed
Sword 1d8 1 -
Spear 1d6 3 Reach, thrown 25 ft.
Dagger 1d6 1/3 Thrown 25 ft.
Unarmed 1d4 - -
Bow 1d6 2 Ranged 200 ft.
Thrown* 1d4 1/3 Thrown 50 ft. 
*Boomerangs, darts, shuriken, etc.

ArmorDRSlotsDodge
Light 1 2 -1
Medium 2 3 -2
Heavy 3 4 -3

Shields take up 2 slots and give +1 Dodge.

Techniques


Techniques are the meat of Avatar GLOG. You get 1 technique automatically at 1st level. All others must be learned from someone who already knows the technique or from a repository of knowledge, such as an ancient scroll. Learning a technique may be a full quest or adventure in and of itself. I'm not going to make a comprehensive list or anything; you get to make those yourself. I'll provide a couple of examples.

Air Sphere
Prerequisites: Airbender A
You summon a ball of air to move around on. Your movement speed is multiplied by [dice] + 1 and you can move along walls.

Vibration Sense
Prerequisites: Earthbender A
You can sense anything moving while touching the ground or any underground structures within 200 feet. 

Lightning Redirection
Prerequisites: Firebender B
If an enemy makes a lightning attack against you, instead of dodging, you may Save. On a success, the attacker must dodge or take the damage instead.

Healing Hands
Prerequisites: Waterbender B
You can lay your hands (and water) on a wound, healing it on a [dice]-in-6. All BD used on this technique are automatically expended.

Metal Bending
Prerequisites: Earthbender D
You may bend metal as well as earth with your earthbending abilities.

Lightning Bending
Prerequisites: Firebender D
When you make a bending attack, you can choose to make it a lightning attack - it can't be defended against by bending, only by dodging, and it deals a minimum of half maximum damage. However, your BD deplete on a 2 or below for this technique, and if you roll a 1 on any of your BD, your attack fails and you take [dice] damage.


Blood Bending
Prerequisites: Waterbender D
If it's a full moon, you can seize control of [dice] enemies' bodies. You can't make use of their techniques or abilities, any attacks you force them to make have a -4 penalty, and their movement speed is halved. Waterbenders may Save to be immune to this ability.

Energy Bending
Prerequisites: Any 4 bender templates
If you spend a minute in contact with an incapacitated or restrained bender, you must make a contested Spirit roll against them. The loser of the contest loses all their bending abilities permanently.

Boomerang Master
Prerequisites: Warrior, Acrobat, or Rogue A
If you throw a boomerang, it will return to you no matter what. If you hit with a boomerang on a modified roll of 20 or above, the target must Save or be incapacitated for a round.

Thrown Weapon Master
Prerequisites: Warrior, Acrobat, or Rogue A
You have an effectively infinite supply of hidden thrown weapons. If you hit a thrown weapon attack against a target adjacent to a wall, you can pin one of their limbs.

Expert Swordsman
Prerequisites: Warrior C
You have +1 Attack and +1 Dodge in melee while wielding a sword.

Chi-Blocking Strikes
Prerequisites: 4 total templates of Warrior, Acrobat, and/or Rogue
When you hit someone with an unarmed strike, they must Save or lose control of a limb for a minute and deplete one BD.

Friday, June 19, 2020

GLOG: Weapons, Armor, and Combat

In this post I'm going to set out the rules for combat in my Carolingia GLOGhack. It's probably overcomplicated and is certainly unplaytested.

Edit: This post has been significantly edited as of 9/1/20

Weapons

Classes have specified damage dice. All weapon attacks a character of that class makes use their damage die (multiclass characters just take the highest, and this is why I'm aiming to make class capstones really good - so people don't just dip Fighter to get that sweet sweet d10). Primary fighters get a d10 damage die (Fighters, Cavaliers), spellcasters get a d6 damage die (Chanters, Mages, Witches), and anything in between gets a d8 (Scout, Wanderer).

Because classes determine damage, weapons have certain to-hit bonuses and other properties to distinguish them.

WeaponTo-HitCostSlotsProperties
Unarmed-2--Grapple, 1 damage
Dagger-12 d.1/3Grapple, thrown -2 10/25
Handaxe02 d.1Close, thrown 0 10/25
Club07 p.1Close
Shortsword04 d.1/3Close
Javelin03 d.1/3Close, thrown +1 45/90
Sword+17 d.1Close, horseback
Spear+12 d.3Reach, horseback, thrown 0 20/40
Battleaxe+12 d.2Close, horseback
War Club+11 d.2.Close, horseback
Greataxe*+210 d.4Close, two-handed, +1 vs shields
Hewing Spear**+210 d.4Reach, two-handed
Lance***+22 d.3Reach, horseback only, shatter
Hunting Bow03 d.2Two-handed, ranged 100/300
Sling+11 d.1/3Ranged 100/1000
Bow+17 d.2Two-handed, ranged 200/600

* The greataxe, often known as the Dane axe, only came into use around 900 CE, and only became widespread outside of Scandinavia around 1050 CE, towards the end of the Early Medieval Period.
** There is dispute over the actual existence of the hewing spear, also known as the
atgeir or the "Viking halberd". No archaeological evidence has been uncovered.
*** A lance, in this context, is just a spear when used from horseback.

Properties:
What does all of the stuff in properties mean? Every melee weapon has a range: grapple, close, or reach. Grapple weapons are usable in a grapple or at 5 foot range. Close weapons are usable at 5 foot range, and reach weapons are usable from 5 feet to 10 feet. Next, some melee weapons are throwable. The modifier next to the thrown property is that weapon's to-hit modifier when thrown, and the numbers after that are the close and maximum range in feet. Horseback weapons are usable from horseback, and no others are. Two-handed weapons, as is probably self-evident, may only be wielded with two hands. Ranged-only weapons have the ranged property, and the two numbers following are the close and maximum range in feet. Unarmed attacks, the greataxe and lance have unique properties as well - unarmed attacks deal 1 damage regardless of your class damage die, the greataxe has +1 to hit vs. enemies with shields, and the lance may only be used as a practical weapon from horseback. The lance also has a 3-in-10 chance of breaking when hitting an enemy, and must be dropped on a hit even if it doesn't shatter.

Armor and Shields

Base AC is 10. In addition to your armor's AC bonus, AC is also modified by your Dexterity modifier. You cannot cast spells while wearing armor other than a helmet.

ArmorACCostSlotsStealth
Leather Helmet +1 5 d. 1 -
Helmet +2 15 d. 1 -
Lamellar Leather* 11 200 d. 3 -
Mail Shirt 12 30 d. 4 -2
Scale/Lamellar* 13 400 d. 4 -2
Mail Hauberk14100 d.5-2

* These types of armor are as expensive as they are because they're from Far Away and aren't common in the slightest in the usual areas of play in my setting.

Shields increase your AC by their AC modifier while you're wielding them. You can't use that arm for anything else or cast Witch or Mage spells while wielding a shield. If you take damage from an enemy's attack while wielding a shield, you can choose to sunder the shield, breaking it irreparably, to negate the damage.

ShieldACCostSlots
Small Shield +1 1 d. 1
Shield +2 1 d. 3


How To Use It All

Combat is pretty standard (add Str to melee and Dex to ranged, one attack per round, etc), other than a couple of things. Death & dismemberment is standard GLOG.

Critical Hits and Misses

On a critical hit (natural 20 on the attack roll), you automatically hit and deal double damage. On a critical miss (natural 1) you automatically miss and mark a notch on your weapon. If you reach 3 notches the weapon breaks. If an enemy gets a critical hit against you, in addition to the double damage, you mark a notch on your armor - helmet if you have one. If you reach 3 notches the armor breaks.

Fighting From Horseback

Fighting from horseback generally works like combat on foot. However, you cannot use a non-thrown ranged weapon from the back of a horse unless you're stationary. If you charge an enemy (move at least 20 feet before making a melee attack against them), you get +1 damage if you hit. You can only fight from a trained horse.

Initiative

First, each side rolls 1d20 + the Wis of the combatant with the highest modifier (NPCs generally have +0 Wis). Second, each side declares their intended actions. The side who won initiative declares their actions after the side who lost. Third, you go through the following order and resolve:
  1. Check morale for monsters and hirelings if appropriate.
  2. Movement (30 ft base)
  3. Ranged weapon attacks
  4. Melee attacks with reach weapons
  5. Melee attacks with close weapons
  6. Melee attacks with grapple weapons
  7. Any other actions
  8. Spellcasting
 Every action within each segment takes place simultaneously. Repeat to taste.

Attacks of Opportunity

You may make a free attack against an opponent who leaves the reach of your melee weapon if they are not wielding either a melee weapon or a shield.

Melee

Melee combat works straightforwardly. You can attack an opponent in range once per round (unless you've got the Fighter D template), dealing damage on a hit. Grappling works somewhat differently - you can use your reaction to initiate grappling. Your opponent makes a free melee attack against you. Now neither combatant cannot attack each the other or move. Instead, during the other melee phase of initiative, both combatants roll 1d20 + Str + wrestling skill, if any. The winner of this contest (ties are a loss for both sides) can leave grappling or can inflict damage with a weapon of grappling range, if they're wielding one and if their grappling roll beats the loser's unshielded AC. If you win three grappling contests in a row, your opponent is pinned and is at your mercy.

Monday, June 15, 2020

GLOG: The Scout and the Wanderer

What is a Scout? 

Scouts are the eyes and ears of armies, the rangers of the wilderness, and the ambushers in the night. They can travel through the mountains and fens quickly and silently, attack their foes as they lie at rest in camp, and fortify their own positions against such attacks. They're sort of an amalgamation of rangers and rogues, in D&D terms.

Edit: Buffed the Scout with +1 to-hit per template rather than every other, 10/30/2020  

Starting Equipment: A leather helmet, any two weapons (3 javelins count as one weapon, ranged weapons come with 20 ammunition), a small shield, and a leather pouch of salt beef. 

Skills: Scouting and 1d3: 1. Stealth, 2. Horsemanship, 3. Bushcraft

Damage: 1d8

The Scout gains +1 HP and +1 Skill every other template, starting at A, and +1 Attack per template.

A: Bushwhacker, Concealed
B: Ambusher 1d6
C: Pioneer
D: Ambusher 2d6, Constant Vigilance

Bushwhacker: If you're traveling in the wilderness alone or only with other Scouts, you can travel at full speed despite slower and more difficult terrain.

Concealed: You're well practiced at avoiding detection while scouting. You have advantage on checks to hide in natural areas.

Ambusher: If you attack someone from an advantageous situation (while concealed, from high ground, etc) you deal an additional 1d6 damage. At Scout D, you instead deal an extra 2d6 damage.

Pioneer: You've become skilled at constructing field fortifications, roads, and other military engineering. In addition to being knowledgeable about these subjects and experienced in their construction, you have advantage on all checks involving military engineering.

Constant Vigilance: You can't be surprised, and you act in the initiative section before you would otherwise act (post on initiative coming but the tl;dr is like B/X initiative but long weapons go first).

What is a Wanderer?

Wanderers are my replacement for the rogue/thief, which are boring and don't really make sense in this setting. They get a bunch of disparate abilities and many, many skills compared to the average character. They also get benefits for visiting interesting or significant locations across the setting. The Wanderer steals quite heavily from Squig's Sage and Lexi's Traveler.

Starting Equipment: A leather helmet, any weapon (3 javelins count as one weapon, ranged weapons come with 20 ammunition), a dagger, a leather pouch of salt beef, and a sturdy walking stick.

Skills: Any two skills of your choice

Damage: 1d8

The Wanderer gains +1 Skill every template and +1 HP every second template.

A: Well-Traveled
B: Wanderer's Trick, +1 Attack
C: Keen Linguist
D: Constant Vigilance, Wanderer's Trick

Well-Traveled: Roll 1d8 on the following table. If you visit one of the locations listed in-game, you gain its benefit as well. Your DM may also grant you benefits from other significant locations you visit at their discretion. Obviously, if you're using this for your own game, you'll want to replace the locations with ones significant in your setting. Bonus points if you can tell which real-life locations I stole most of these from.
  1. The Imperial Palace at Aquis: You have +1 on reaction rolls with nobility and monks. You understand court etiquette, chivalrous values, and imperial politics.
  2. The Great Holy Grove at Urbs Aeterna: You have +1 on miracle checks for the common polytheism of the North (I'll write a proper post about religion at some point, and also come up with better names for these religions).
  3. The Fens of Edinshire: You can't get lost in wetlands, and can operate small watercraft with ease.
  4. The Stave Temple of NiĆ°amark: You have +1 on miracle checks for the bitheism of the South.
  5. The Caves of the Dwerrow: You can see faintly even in complete darkness, and have a good sense for quality metalwork, as well as some skill at the forge. There's an air of the fey about you.
  6. The Woods of the Elves: You can't get lost in woodlands. Elves will deign to speak with you. You're very hard to deceive or mislead, and you have +2 on Saves vs Illusion and Charm. There's an air of the fey about you.
  7. The Walls of Nova Aeterna: You can scale any man-made surface, although it may take significant time. You understand basic principles of architecture and military engineering.
  8. The Depot of Adeby: You can sail large watercraft and are a skilled oarsman. You can predict the weather with 70% accuracy while at sea.

Wanderer's Trick: Roll 1d12 on the following table. Roll again at Wanderer D, and if you roll the same option pick the option above or below.
  1. Excellent Stimulants: When you make a pot or cup of your stimulant of choice (tea, coffee, or mate), anyone who drinks it hot gains 1d6 hitpoints. You can only regain hitpoints from this once per day. Honey, for tea or mate, or milk, for coffee, grants an additional +1 hitpoint.
  2. Fine Tinder: You can light a fire under any conditions.
  3. Magical Chicanery: You can use the cantrips of 2 Mage or Witch spell lists of your choice.
  4. Arcane Secrets: You learn one Mage or Witch spell of your choice and gain +1 MD.
  5. Learned Loremastery: You learn one Chanter Epic of your choice and gain +1 MD.
  6. Silver Tongue: You are truly excellent at convincing people of your point of view, winning arguments, and lying.
  7. Inspiring Leader: Your hirelings get +1 + your Charisma modifier (if your Charisma is at least +0) to morale checks and your allies get +2 to Saves vs Fear when within 20 feet of you. There aren't hireling limits, but you can definitely manage an unruly band of mercenaries or raiders than, say, a wizard.
  8. Renowned: Scholars and fellow wanderers have a 4-in-6 chance of having heard of you, 3-in-6 for spellcasters or nobles, 2-in-6 for commoners. Roll 1d6 for what they've heard: 1. Something bad, 2-3. Something neutral or negative and positive things, 4-5. Something good, 6. Something fantastic. These may be true or they may be rumors. Bad things give -1 on reaction rolls, good things give +1, and fantastic things give +2.
  9. Uncanny Mimic: You can mimic any sound you've ever heard perfectly, and can do perfect impressions of anyone you've heard talk.
  10. Dextrous Hands: You're very good at any small task requiring manual dexterity, such as picking locks or pockets.
  11. Person of Faith: You gain +1 on all miracle checks for a religion of your choice.
  12. Brewmaster: You know how to make one Witches' Brew (not the broomstick or cloud-pine sprig) and know how to brew one type of alcohol (spirits, beer, mead, cider, or wine).

Keen Linguist: Whenever you encounter a language you don't already explicitly know, you have a 4-in-6 chance of being able to understand that particular phrase, inscription, or the like. You have a 2-in-6 chance of also being conversant, although not fluent, in that language.

Constant Vigilance: You can't be surprised, and you act in the initiative section before you would otherwise act.


Tuesday, June 2, 2020

GLOG: The Fighter and the Cavalier

This post is just a simple adaptation of my earlier Fighter and Cavalier classes to GLOG because I've decided to make Carolingia into a GLOG hack.

What is a Fighter?

A Fighter is not your normal run-of-the-mill person waving around a weapon and hitting things while wearing tons of armor. A Fighter is a leader of men, a beacon of hope and glory, a standard of blood and steel. Importantly, Fighters fight on foot. They may ride horses to get to their destinations, but they do not do battle from the backs of other creatures (this isn't a moral prescription, it's just how they fight).

Starting Equipment: A leather helmet, a mail shirt, any two weapons (3 javelins count as one weapon, ranged weapons come with 20 ammunition), and either a shield or a small shield.

Skills: Wrestling and 1d3: 1. Sailing, 2. Poetry, 3. Farming

Damage: 1d10

Fighters get +1 HP and +1 Attack per template

A: Weapon Specialization
B: Inspiring Leader
C: Weapon Specialization
D: Intimidating Foe, Extra Attack

Weapon Specialization 

You get Weapon Specialization once at Fighter A and once at Fighter C. You can either specialize in two weapon types, or specialize doubly in one.

Javelin 1: You get +1 to hit versus enemies with at least 15 AC when throwing this weapon.
Javelin 2: If you've moved at least 5 feet towards your target this round, you deal an additional 1d4 damage to them when throwing this weapon.
Sword 1: You get +1 to hit versus enemies with less than 16 unshielded AC.
Sword 2: If you hit with a modified roll of 20 or greater, you cut off one of the enemy's body parts (if applicable), 1d10: 1-2 left hand, 3-4 right hand, 5 left arm, 6 right arm, 7 left leg, 8 right leg,  9 head, 10 reroll.
Spear 1: You can attack an enemy entering your range once per round.
Spear 2: You deal 1d4 additional damage when you hit an enemy who you attack with your Spear 1 feature.
Axe 1: You get +2 to hit versus enemies using shields.
Axe 2: You deal x3 instead of x2 damage on a critical hit.
Club 1: If you miss an enemy with unshielded AC greater than 10 by less than 2, you still deal 1d4 damage to them.
Club 2: If you hit with a modified roll of 20 or greater, your target must Save vs Paralysis (No, I haven't decided how I'm doing saves yet. This might be a Con save.) or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
Hewing Spear 1: Once per round, when you attack, you can make an additional attack with the butt of your spear, dealing 1d4 damage on a hit.
Hewing Spear 2: Once per round, if you miss an attack, you can instead attack another target within range.
Sling 1: If you miss an enemy with unshielded AC greater than 10 by less than 2, you still deal 1d4 damage to them.
Sling 2: If you hit with a modified roll of 20 or greater, your target must Save vs Paralysis (or a Con save.) or be stunned until the end of your next turn.
Bow 1: If an enemy has approached you by at least 20 feet this round, you deal an additional 1d4 damage on a hit.
Bow 2: You deal x3 instead of x2 damage on a critical hit.

Inspiring Leader

Your hirelings get +1 + your Charisma modifier (if your Charisma is at least +0) to morale checks and your allies get +2 to Saves vs Fear when within 20 feet of you. There aren't hireling limits, but you can definitely manage an unruly band of mercenaries or raiders than, say, a wizard.

Intimidating Foe

When you attack an enemy, they must make a Save vs Fear or become frightened of you for 1 minute. Whether they saved or not you cannot use this ability on them again during this combat.

Extra Attack 

When you make a weapon attack, you can instead attack twice with the same weapon.

What is a Cavalier?

Cavaliers, like Fighters, are leaders as well as warriors. They survey the battlefield from their commanding position atop their mount, then deliver a resounding charge, the thunder of hooves echoing into the histories and myths. Cavaliers aren't incompetent on foot - in fact, they're still better than anyone who isn't a Fighter - but they still aren't necessarily the best for a campaign focused on dungeon delving. Cavaliers are also not horse archers. Horse archers are from Far Away in the areas I'm focusing on currently, but I'll make a separate class for them at some point.

Starting Equipment: A horse (specifically a rouncey, a fast general-purpose horse often used as a relatively cheap warhorse), a leather helmet, a mail shirt, any weapon (three javelins count as 1 weapon, ranged weapons come with 20 ammunition), a shield or small shield, and 2 lances.

Skills: Horsemanship and 1d3: 1. Herding, 2. Wrestling, 3. Scouting

Damage: 1d10

Cavaliers get +1 HP and +1 Attack per template.

A: Charge 1d4
B: Charge 1d6, Inspiring Leader
C: Charge 1d8
D: Charge 1d12, Terrifying Onslaught

Charge

When you are mounted on a horse or similar mount and have moved at least 20 feet this round, you deal an additional 1d4 damage to your target with a melee weapon attack (instead of the +1 damage a mounted charge already gives for all characters). This damage increases to 1d6 at Cavalier B, 1d8 at Cavalier C, and a whopping 1d12 at Cavalier D.

Inspiring Leader

Your hirelings get +1 + your Charisma modifier to morale checks and your allies get +2 to Saves vs Fear (or Wis saves vs being frightened) when within 20 feet of you. There aren't hireling limits, but you can definitely manage an unruly band of mercenaries or raiders better than, say, a wizard.

Terrifying Onslaught

When you use your Charge on an enemy, you can force them to check Morale. You cannot use this ability against the same opponent twice in the same combat.