Post by Malcadon on Sept 23, 2014 7:02:14 GMT
I have been looking through some old AD&D settings from the 1990s. They got me thinking "Hay, they got some neat ideas, but I'm not content with the execution." I posted the first two on another forum, but I added a third. I came up with the following outlines:
Please don't mistake this for an actual project. I have more creativity then the energy or writing skills necessary to draft an entire rulebook based on my ideas. This is more of a wish-list of what I would love to accomplish if I had the ability to do so.
A retro-clone to the old Masque of the Red Death and Other Tales book.
For those who don't know, MotRD was a supplement to the Ravenloft setting. Instead of taking place in the world of Ravenloft, it took place on Earth, in the Victorian Age of the 1890s. They replaced all the classes with modern equivalences (Soldier = Fighter, Adept = Mage, Mystic = Cleric, Tradesman = Thief). Non-Weapon Proficiencies that was an optional system and precursor to the Skill and Feat system of the 3e era, was an integral part of the overall system. Percentage-based Thieves' Ability were removed and folded into NWPs. Vancian spellcasting gave way to Spellcraft and Spiritcraft tests. The system downplays the need for Medieval weapons and armor by making guns powerful, and limiting the knowledge of archaic weapons to a more specialized art. They made all sorts of changes to the core rules to better reflect the era. The problem with this rulebook is that it is not a standalone rule set, but a rule supplement -- playing with two core rulebooks is a bitch!
On top of changing the name and a number of key details (like renaming "Non-Weapon Proficiencies" to "Skills"), I would make the game into a complete, standalone rulebook. I would merge Adepts and Mystics into a singe class, with some more class options. I would likely remove the THAC0-based to-hit system, in favor of a 3e-styled AC system, as armor is that that prominent. I might make Hit Points static akin to Gamma World, with a few bonus HPs per level.
I would change the setting to have The King in Yellow (less H P.Lovecraft, and more Robert W. Chambers) in place of the iconic The Red Death figure. Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed (aka "The Blood Countess") or Carmilla (a largely overlooked vampiress by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu) would be a prominent vampiric figure in the book, akin to how Count Dracula (Vlad III the Impaler of Wallachia) is always the go-to-guy for everything vampiric. Not being bound by Hollywood's views of what Vampires are, they will not die if you stab them with a wooden tent stake (that only pins them to the earth) and are free to walk out in the sun (the disintegration Vampire was started in Nosferatu - an early knockoff of Dracula) but are largely powerless in direct sunlight.
In a nutshell, it would be a revised and complete version of Masque of the Red Death, but with stuff that would make it feel like its not a complete ripoff of it.
For those who don't know, MotRD was a supplement to the Ravenloft setting. Instead of taking place in the world of Ravenloft, it took place on Earth, in the Victorian Age of the 1890s. They replaced all the classes with modern equivalences (Soldier = Fighter, Adept = Mage, Mystic = Cleric, Tradesman = Thief). Non-Weapon Proficiencies that was an optional system and precursor to the Skill and Feat system of the 3e era, was an integral part of the overall system. Percentage-based Thieves' Ability were removed and folded into NWPs. Vancian spellcasting gave way to Spellcraft and Spiritcraft tests. The system downplays the need for Medieval weapons and armor by making guns powerful, and limiting the knowledge of archaic weapons to a more specialized art. They made all sorts of changes to the core rules to better reflect the era. The problem with this rulebook is that it is not a standalone rule set, but a rule supplement -- playing with two core rulebooks is a bitch!
On top of changing the name and a number of key details (like renaming "Non-Weapon Proficiencies" to "Skills"), I would make the game into a complete, standalone rulebook. I would merge Adepts and Mystics into a singe class, with some more class options. I would likely remove the THAC0-based to-hit system, in favor of a 3e-styled AC system, as armor is that that prominent. I might make Hit Points static akin to Gamma World, with a few bonus HPs per level.
I would change the setting to have The King in Yellow (less H P.Lovecraft, and more Robert W. Chambers) in place of the iconic The Red Death figure. Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed (aka "The Blood Countess") or Carmilla (a largely overlooked vampiress by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu) would be a prominent vampiric figure in the book, akin to how Count Dracula (Vlad III the Impaler of Wallachia) is always the go-to-guy for everything vampiric. Not being bound by Hollywood's views of what Vampires are, they will not die if you stab them with a wooden tent stake (that only pins them to the earth) and are free to walk out in the sun (the disintegration Vampire was started in Nosferatu - an early knockoff of Dracula) but are largely powerless in direct sunlight.
In a nutshell, it would be a revised and complete version of Masque of the Red Death, but with stuff that would make it feel like its not a complete ripoff of it.
Another one I have been considering, is a setting inspired by Dark Sun, with some Barsoom-ness and Den of Neverwhere thrown in.
The rules would largely be the same, but I would change things to make them work better or speed-up gameplay. As I what to downplay the need for hot, bulky armor, I would add a progressive defense system built on Dexterity and level bonuses - basically, one gets better at dodging blows. I would rather have magic work like the Psionic system, where the characters use points and to-hit rolls, and Psionic powers (if I use them at all) would be innate abilities then as acquired spell-like abilities. I would remove the Elementalists form the game. Like in Dark Sun, everyone would be at least a first level fighter, while characters start at 3rd level, as the world is a tough place to live.
Instead if it being a generic D&D world that was ruined by overuse and abuse of magic, it was once a high-tech world that fell into decadence and the overuse and abuse of natural resources. The technology from the past could control the enviroment and even convert matter into energy like the replicators in Star Trek: TNG. Over time they were careless with it, and they misused it for their own comforts. As consequence, they ruined the planet's delicate ecological and geological systems until the world turned into dying earth! And when civilization collapsed, humanity stands on the edge of extinction, in a harsh desert world.
All "magic items" found are actually high-tech devices of a bygone era, but they are so strange and alien in appearance, they are seen as supernatural in nature. There are powerful god-like entities in the form of strange glowing orbs (think Loc-Nar from Heavy Metal the movie). They are machine brains form the past who were built to serve man, but over the years, they rule over people like insane god-kings. (They effectively replace the Sorcerer-Kings form DS.) They are formed around temples and use their priests to control the people. By themselves, they are defenseless, but they grant powers to those who serve them well. Those who are granted their powers are called Sorcerers.
You will not see any Tolkienesque races or mythological creatures in this world. Creatures would have a Barsoomian look about them, with striking skin colors, multiple limbs (maybe) and almost alien features. People would travel outside bundle themselves up like Star Wars Jawas and Tusken Raiders to escape the deadly rays of the sun. Likewise, homes and communities are built in to escape the intense heat. They are build mostly underground and only appear above ground as thick earthen structures. Insulated form sun light and the hot air, buildings and burrows are remarkably cool compared to the extreme heat of the outdoors. Once inside people remove their grimy, dusty, sun-baked robes to reveal nude bodies covered in Barsoom-styled battle harnesses, with leather straps, pouches and loops to hold their gear. Like with Barsoom, dueling and honor are normal ways of life. Personal combat is geared around highly agile maneuvers and elaborate swordplay.
In a nutshell, this would be an mature Dark Sun clone, but without all the shoehorned high fantasy elements, and would have a lot less magic to rely on. Oh, and casual nudity in the artwork.
The rules would largely be the same, but I would change things to make them work better or speed-up gameplay. As I what to downplay the need for hot, bulky armor, I would add a progressive defense system built on Dexterity and level bonuses - basically, one gets better at dodging blows. I would rather have magic work like the Psionic system, where the characters use points and to-hit rolls, and Psionic powers (if I use them at all) would be innate abilities then as acquired spell-like abilities. I would remove the Elementalists form the game. Like in Dark Sun, everyone would be at least a first level fighter, while characters start at 3rd level, as the world is a tough place to live.
Instead if it being a generic D&D world that was ruined by overuse and abuse of magic, it was once a high-tech world that fell into decadence and the overuse and abuse of natural resources. The technology from the past could control the enviroment and even convert matter into energy like the replicators in Star Trek: TNG. Over time they were careless with it, and they misused it for their own comforts. As consequence, they ruined the planet's delicate ecological and geological systems until the world turned into dying earth! And when civilization collapsed, humanity stands on the edge of extinction, in a harsh desert world.
All "magic items" found are actually high-tech devices of a bygone era, but they are so strange and alien in appearance, they are seen as supernatural in nature. There are powerful god-like entities in the form of strange glowing orbs (think Loc-Nar from Heavy Metal the movie). They are machine brains form the past who were built to serve man, but over the years, they rule over people like insane god-kings. (They effectively replace the Sorcerer-Kings form DS.) They are formed around temples and use their priests to control the people. By themselves, they are defenseless, but they grant powers to those who serve them well. Those who are granted their powers are called Sorcerers.
You will not see any Tolkienesque races or mythological creatures in this world. Creatures would have a Barsoomian look about them, with striking skin colors, multiple limbs (maybe) and almost alien features. People would travel outside bundle themselves up like Star Wars Jawas and Tusken Raiders to escape the deadly rays of the sun. Likewise, homes and communities are built in to escape the intense heat. They are build mostly underground and only appear above ground as thick earthen structures. Insulated form sun light and the hot air, buildings and burrows are remarkably cool compared to the extreme heat of the outdoors. Once inside people remove their grimy, dusty, sun-baked robes to reveal nude bodies covered in Barsoom-styled battle harnesses, with leather straps, pouches and loops to hold their gear. Like with Barsoom, dueling and honor are normal ways of life. Personal combat is geared around highly agile maneuvers and elaborate swordplay.
In a nutshell, this would be an mature Dark Sun clone, but without all the shoehorned high fantasy elements, and would have a lot less magic to rely on. Oh, and casual nudity in the artwork.
The whole "D&D IN SPACE!!!" was kind of a dumb-ass idea. Spelljammer was a neat concept on paper, but in the end, a poorly executed setting. The underlining issue is how it address atmosphere in space in a haphazard way, the presence of two dimensions in a three dimensional enviroment, the need for whole planets, or to ever limit the ships to just sailing ships.
What I would change about it, is that the game takes place on an Earth-size gas planet. The planet has no ground, but instead lot of floating rocks adrift on open sky. The floating rocks are like islands. They would drift in formations like archipelagos. A number of them are as big as small continents. The islands would have their own wildlife, and possibly their own people. The islands could still have mysteries and strangeness form the past! Ships are built around chunks of those rocks, and devices are used to alter the altitude at which the rocks float. Unlike the Spelljammer setting, you don't need to be a wizard to control ship, much less, to actively control it with a "Spelljammer device."
The focus on the setting would be to explore the world like a seafaring adventure, with pirates, savages and the random giant ship-eating monster. Another element I would add would be a powerful wizard king akin to Ming the Merciless to give the setting a good Evil Warlord for the players to tackle, and to make rebel pirates characters more heroic.
The world was once whole, but something split it apart. Characters and people are not indigenous to this world. Tears in reality formed form the brake-up of the world's crust pulls people in and close before they can return home. Wizards, scientists, psychic mutants and unearthly beings (demons and the like) form other realities have opened "gates" into this world. People who are not marooned on this world, are the children of those who were. The people you can find on this world are made up of Tolkienesque races from magical worlds (basically, any D&D setting), mutants form a once high-tech post-apocalyptic wasteland (Metamorphosis Alpha, Gamma World, Mutant Future, et al.), android and aliens form a galactic-spanning civilization (Traveller, Star Wars, Star Frontiers*, et al.), and the ever ubiquitous human. Powerful magical and technological artifacts are carried over by the brave/foolish souls to crossed the gates, but they are extremely rare, and are highly coveted heirlooms.
When you consider that space operas like Flash Gordon, fantasy adventures like The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, and pulp fiction in general are largely interchangeable, one could play in a world with flying sailing ships, rocket ships and old bush planes flying to strange, out-of-the-way locals, to find all sorts of thrills and adventures.
Basically, this would be a single, microcosmic world of pulp-styled, high-seas adventures, with lots of hidden "gates" to other worlds for a strange mix of magic and science.
*Yes, I'm well aware that the races for this game are in Spelljammer.
What I would change about it, is that the game takes place on an Earth-size gas planet. The planet has no ground, but instead lot of floating rocks adrift on open sky. The floating rocks are like islands. They would drift in formations like archipelagos. A number of them are as big as small continents. The islands would have their own wildlife, and possibly their own people. The islands could still have mysteries and strangeness form the past! Ships are built around chunks of those rocks, and devices are used to alter the altitude at which the rocks float. Unlike the Spelljammer setting, you don't need to be a wizard to control ship, much less, to actively control it with a "Spelljammer device."
The focus on the setting would be to explore the world like a seafaring adventure, with pirates, savages and the random giant ship-eating monster. Another element I would add would be a powerful wizard king akin to Ming the Merciless to give the setting a good Evil Warlord for the players to tackle, and to make rebel pirates characters more heroic.
The world was once whole, but something split it apart. Characters and people are not indigenous to this world. Tears in reality formed form the brake-up of the world's crust pulls people in and close before they can return home. Wizards, scientists, psychic mutants and unearthly beings (demons and the like) form other realities have opened "gates" into this world. People who are not marooned on this world, are the children of those who were. The people you can find on this world are made up of Tolkienesque races from magical worlds (basically, any D&D setting), mutants form a once high-tech post-apocalyptic wasteland (Metamorphosis Alpha, Gamma World, Mutant Future, et al.), android and aliens form a galactic-spanning civilization (Traveller, Star Wars, Star Frontiers*, et al.), and the ever ubiquitous human. Powerful magical and technological artifacts are carried over by the brave/foolish souls to crossed the gates, but they are extremely rare, and are highly coveted heirlooms.
When you consider that space operas like Flash Gordon, fantasy adventures like The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, and pulp fiction in general are largely interchangeable, one could play in a world with flying sailing ships, rocket ships and old bush planes flying to strange, out-of-the-way locals, to find all sorts of thrills and adventures.
Basically, this would be a single, microcosmic world of pulp-styled, high-seas adventures, with lots of hidden "gates" to other worlds for a strange mix of magic and science.
*Yes, I'm well aware that the races for this game are in Spelljammer.
Please don't mistake this for an actual project. I have more creativity then the energy or writing skills necessary to draft an entire rulebook based on my ideas. This is more of a wish-list of what I would love to accomplish if I had the ability to do so.
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