The Gaming Den

I'm starting a thread to work on my project to bring advanced rules to the very cute and awesome "rpgKids" by Enrique Beltran. One thing that I decided was that as a foundation for introducing the advanced rules, I was going to incorporate them into a gentle parody of "Keep on the Borderlands," as a bit of a parental bonus.



So, since I am waiting to hear back from Enrique on matters of licensing, I'm not going to post much fluff. And of course as I mentioned in the previous thread, it's hard to post much about the rpgKids system without giving it all away. I'd like some advice on the balance of my "prestige classes", especially as I begin to work more on things like potions and magic items. I worked on the feats associated with these classes not so much with an eye towards power balance, but more towards giving different things to do for the littl'uns.

System basics- as mentioned in the other thread, combat is opposed d12. There are some opportunities for bonuses on this from things like flanking or generic magic items. So, please take a look, let me know what works and what doesn't. I'll be glad to entertain ideas about things to include, and of course if there are things people would like to see in the Keep Castle and the Caves of Chaos Calamity, speak up.

CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT:

A quick word on the structure of these... rpgKids characters each have three MTP skills, two of which are class specific and a generic Search skill that everyone has. These don't have specific numerical effects or anything. I've decided that as a way to prevent option paralysis for young players is to key advancement off the skills. The NPC who handles advancement will ask what their favorite skill is, or which one they use the most. This suggests a prestige class. For example, if an Archer uses the Tracking skill a bunch, then she would advance into the Ranger class. This would also apply to the feats for each class- the initial skill choice will grant the feat that is associated with the skill, and further feats can be gained at advancement if their skills were used in the previous adventure.

SWORD FIGHTER ADVANCEMENT

BARBARIAN: “Wild warrior of the wasteland, eh? Hmm, that's catchy! I should write that down...”

HURLING: Once per combat, the Barbarian may pick up a boulder, wagon, unconscious enemy, or other large object, and throw it as a Ranged attack at an enemy. If it hits, that enemy takes 2 damage, and any adjacent enemies take 1 damage.

RAGE: The Barbarian no longer takes a -1 penalty from being Hurt.

RUSH: When the Barbarian ends his move adjacent to an enemy, even if not attacking, the Barbarian may push the enemy back one square in the direction of his choosing.

KNIGHT: “Welcome to the Castle, Sir Mr. Knight. Make sure to get that armor polished.”

I'M INVINCIBLE: Once per combat, the Knight may ignore all damage for one round.

NONE SHALL PASS: Once per combat, the Knight may challenge an enemy to a duel. For the rest of the combat, that enemy may only attack the Knight.

HAVE AT YOU: Once per combat, the Knight may cause all enemies to suffer a -1 penalty.

SWASHBUCKLER: “Looks like you've learned some fancy footwork!”

DISARM: On a successful attack the Swashbuckler may, instead of inflicting damage, keep his opponent from attacking for one round.

RIPOSTE: If the Swashbuckler knocked out, they automatically inflict one damage on their opponent.

ACROBATICS: The Swashbuckler ignores obstacles during their move. This feat also allows attacks on Flying enemies.

***
WIZARD ADVANCEMENT

ENCHANTER: “Watch out for the vendor in the East Tower- his magic weapons tend to fall apart.”

DISENCHANT: The Enchanter may permanently remove the bonus from a magic item and give all allies +2 for the duration of the next battle.

RUNECUTTING : Once per adventure, the Enchanter may enchant themselves or one ally with a single damage type immunity. This lasts until that character takes damage from any source.

SPIKE: At any time the Enchanter may change their Magic attack to Melee, at +1.

SORCEROR: “Be careful not to blow too many things up.”

HEARTSPELL: The Sorceror may opt to make a normal Magic attack at double damage- if it succeeds, the Sorceror takes 1 damage.

BOLT FROM THE BLUE : Once per combat, the Sorceror may forgo all movement that round to automatically hit an enemy.

DISINTEGRATE: Once per adventure the Sorceror can completely remove a single obstacle such as a trap or terrain feature.

SUMMONER: “If we're under siege, I hope I can count on you to summon a tarrasque or something.”

RISE FROM YOUR GWAVE: If any enemies are knocked out adjacent to the Summoner, he may place a “Summon” token in its place. Beginning next round, the Summon will fight as an ally. The Summon takes only 1 damage before being removed.

MAGIC CIRCLE: Once per adventure, the Summoner can create a 3x3 square centered on themselves. Melee enemies may not attack into this square, and no enemies may move through it. The circle disappears once the Summoner leaves the combat map.

CHARM MONSTER: Once per combat, the Summoner may forgo all attacks to cause a single monster to become an ally. If this monster is knocked out, the Summoner takes 1 damage.

***
ARCHER ADVANCEMENT

BEASTKEEPER: “Maybe you can take care of those Giant Rats down in the dungeon.”

SOOTHE: Once per combat, the Beastkeeper may cause one enemy to stop attacking.

TRAPPER: If the Beastkeeper knocks out an enemy, replace it with a “Trap” token. If an enemy moves over or adjacent to this token, it takes 1 damage.

MONSTER MANUAL: Once per combat, the Beastkeeper may copy the attack type and special abilities of an enemy until the end of the combat.

RANGER: “The bustle of the city might keep you awake, wanderer.”

FAVORED ENEMY: Once per adventure, the Ranger may pick one type of enemy. This enemy only requires one hit to knock out. (Some boss enemies may be immune to this.)

COVERING FIRE : If the Ranger attacks an enemy, in lieu of damage they may pin the enemy to the nearest terrain feature.

QUICKDRAW: The Ranger no longer suffers a penalty for short range attacks.

EXPLORER: “There are quite a few creepy crypts around that need mapping.”

HAWKEYE: The Explorer's first shot of every combat gets two attack rolls.

CAMOUFLAGE: At the beginning of each round, the Explorer may choose to ignore damage in lieu of taking an attack.

TRAPFINDING: the Explorer is never affected by traps, and may spend a round to deactivate an adjacent trap.

***

HEALER ADVANCEMENT

SAGE: “Our library probably isn't the biggest in the world, but you should talk to the Archivist.”

TALLY: The Sage may ignore any attack type that successfully hit them in the previous round only. This effect does not last beyond a single combat.

WELL-READ : Once per adventure, the Sage may give their allies +1 for an entire combat.

CONFUSION: Once per combat, the Sage causes a single monster to attack another monster until one of them is knocked out.

MONK: “I hear there's a whole city of hermits to the north.”

FLURRY: Once per combat, the Monk may make a two simultaneous Surge attacks with normal penalties.

DODGE: Once per adventure, the Monk chooses either Ranged or Magical attacks, and is immune for the rest of the adventure.

RESOLVE: Once per adventure, the Monk may skip being knocked out, instead going to -2, -3, etc. as he is damaged, until the end of the combat.

ALCHEMIST: “Wonderful, we're always running out of potions around here.”

FLASK FLING : Once per combat the Alchemist may use his Surge attack centered on an enemy of his choice.

REVIVE : At the beginning of a combat, the Alchemist can designate a single ally to have the Revive power. This ally will wake up from being knocked out after 1 round.

POTION OF HEROISM : Once per adventure, the Alchemist may use one of his ally's feats as his own.

ADVANCED MONSTERS, PART 1:

Some monsters have special defenses that affect how they perform in battle. Here are some special defenses that might be encountered. These are balanced towards all the different types of attacks, though you can easily rename the different types if you want to match a different type of monster. For example, instead of “Flying”, you could have an ooze monster be “Slippery” and unaffected by melee attacks.

FLYING:
Aerial monsters cannot be hit by Melee attacks. (if you are using the Advanced character options, heroes with the “Acrobatics” feat can hit Flying monsters)

SWIMMING:
Aquatic monsters can only be hit by entering the water and making a Melee attack at -1.

RUNE:
These enemies have been enchanted and are unaffected by Magic attacks.

PHANTOM:
Ghostly monsters that are not quite of this world. They can only be affected by Magic attacks, at -1.

CHAOS:
These shifting foes are hard to aim at, and cannot be hit by Ranged attacks.

SWIFT:
These creatures move so fast that they can only be hit by a careful Ranged attack at -1.

CREEPY:
These extra weird monsters are unaffected by the Healer's Surge attack.

DARK:
Shadowy undead that are only banished by the Healer's Surge, at -1.

Creative ways to get around these defenses should be encouraged. Perhaps the “Disenchant” feat can remove the “Rune” defense, or “Bolt From The Blue” could shock a “Swimming” monster. Remember, this can go both ways- a careless sorceror might shock his allies if they are in the water too! (See the Character Advancement section for more information on feats.)


ADVANCED MONSTERS, PART 2:

Some monsters have special attacks that make them more dangerous in battle. Here are an assortment of common ones, but feel free to add new ones or modify these to suit the tone of your campaign or theme of your own monsters.

PETRIFY- An attack that turns its victim to stone. A monster with PETRIFY uses it in place of a melee attack, and it is an instant knockout that can only be healed with a Surge. Some monsters such as Ghouls have a similar attack that paralyzes the victim, and a more challenging option would be to give a monster a gaze attack that inflicts Petrify at a magic attack distance.

TRAMPLE- Monsters with this attack don't stop for anything. To trample, the monster takes a move action in a straight line, and gets attack rolls at any heroes in the way.

CONSTRICT- A grappling attack often seen in Giants Snakes and Spiders. When the monster makes a successful melee attack, the hero who has been Constricted must then make a successful melee attack before they can do anything.

SHRIEK- The monster releases a piercing cry that makes everyone around suffer -1 for the rest of the combat. Other monsters make similar attacks such as fungus spore clouds or blinding lights.

LASH- This attack- found in monsters with many tentacles or the like- performs exactly the same as the Healer's surge attack, though the penalty caps at -1.

As with the ways to overcome Special Defenses, creativity is encouraged when the heroes deal with Special attacks. A hero with Strength could use that skill to escape being Constricted in a spiderweb, or something similar.

OBSTACLES,TRAPS AND HAZARDS

One of the ways to create more challenge in combat for advanced players is by adding things to the map- apart from monsters!- that will require a little extra thought to get around. The easiest addition to a map is an Obstacle such as a terrain feature that will impede movement, but otherwise not directly affect the characters. Common Obstacles are trees, boulders, walls, gates, rubble and the like. The next step up would be adding terrain features that are actually dangerous- these Hazards could include things like hot lava that causes damage each round a hero stands next to it, raging rivers that wash characters away to another point on the map, or briar patches that cause damage if the heroes pass through. Always encourage creativity in figuring out these Hazards. Perhaps heroes can hack their way through the brambles with a successful attack, or ignore lava with a magical item such as the Cap of Frost. Remember, these Obstacles and Hazards are intended to challenge the players and get them thinking, not to frustrate them or keep them from interacting.

The final category of map dangers are Traps. These are a classic addition to any dungeon- the bane of archaeologists and treasure-hunters alike! Several of the advanced classes have abilities that interact with Traps, so if you opt not to use them in your game, you may want to replace those abilities. One thing to consider when using Traps is how they are going to be placed. Some truly evil Game Masters since the beginning of RPGs liked to make every dungeon as deadly as possible, with traps on every corner. Even if your game isn't very focused on 'realism', a bit of thought will help make the placement of Traps more organic. Would the Orc chieftain place a trap right in front of his throne? Probably not, but he might put one at the door to his treasure room. Traps don't always have to be intentionally placed, either. A wooden bridge with crumbling boards could make an excellent Pit Trap, or the haphazardly placed chemicals in a mad wizard's lair may inadvertently become a Fire Trap.

Here are some basic traps to sprinkle your dungeons with. Feel free to create your own or modify as necessary.

GLUE TRAP- The victim of this trap must make a successful attack roll to escape the sticky mess. Could also represent webs, rope snares, tangled brush, etc.

PIT TRAP- Inflicts 1 damage and causes the victim to lose a turn climbing out. Once a hero has fallen in, the trap is no longer effective.

GAS TRAP- A cloud of choking fumes inflicts -1 on the victim of the trap until they are healed by a Surge.

MONSTER PERFUME- Sprays the victim with a substance that attracks monsters. Enemies will only attack the victim for the duration of the combat.

FIRE TRAP- A fiery explosion that makes an attack roll against everyone adjacent, dealing 1 damage.

I am terrified by the fact that you're doing a better job at this than the goddamn Wizards of the Coast. I am inclined to play this with my nephew. And I personally would like to play a ranger, so that tells me you're doing something differently.

The thing I noticed is that some of the abilities are probably too tactical for kids to grasp. The Knight's Challenge for example, might sound like a really dumb move to a kid. The Alchemist could seem confusing. In general, it looks great about all the way through, but on occasion you may be overestimating 4-year-olds.

My intention is that this will be slightly older kids- as in, they've gone through the five existing rpgKids adventures and already have a handle on the combat and movement. Haven't quite decided a recommended age for this supplement, but definitely above the minimum 4yo.

Anyway, it's good feedback- and thanks. I want to ferret out what parts of it may be clunky or overcomplicated. I hope to make some more art for these too, to have a visual representation of what the moves look like.

The traps also sort of bother me; are there a lot of them and approximately how do they work? If they're as frequent as in an average Indiana Jones dungeon, the trap-oriented option (trap option?), the Explorer that is, can be pretty exclusive, meaning, they get to dodge them and even interact with them, but the vast majority of characters will be murderated. If they're infrequent, being a trap specialist makes your character option be useless.

The Beastkeeper is something most kids will want to be - look at the success of Pokemon and such. Perhaps they could have or gather animal companions, who'd operate at 30-40% of an actual character's efficiency. Like, attack with a -2 penalty and get KO'd with a single strike. Perhaps have a variety of different companions, of which one is like an attack dog, one can track or sense enemies, one could fly the party across ravines and so on. Not knowing the mechanics very well makes it hard to give clear suggestions.

Also, the barbarian doesn't seem strong enough. I mean, someone will want to play the Hulk or whatever. The Shout ability should probably go and be replaced with a knockback effect or Great Cleave-type of an effect.

All good ideas. I've come up with some ideas for traps... a few of the classes can interact with them on a general level, like the Explorer, Sorceror, and Beastkeeper(kind of). Maybe I can make the different trap types each have a certain "weakness" so that if the party doesn't have an Explorer or whatever, they can still get around them. And so far, none of them are particularly deadly. But I'll be working more as well on the maps and such. Pretty much anything out of combat is MTP, so your ideas for summoning a pterodactyl to ride over a canyon or whatever is something that I'd have to come up with a mechanic for.

GLUE TRAP: Victim must make successful attack roll to escape.

PIT TRAP: Inflicts 1 damage. Ineffective if a character has fallen in that trap before.

GAS TRAP: Inflicts -1 until healed by Healer.

MONSTER PERFUME: Causes enemies to only attack the victim for rest of the combat.

FIRE TRAP: Makes attack roll against anyone adjacent, for 1 damage.

You might want to put a limit on Sage's tally... just in case.

Swash's riposte is worded funky. Who gets knocked out? The swash or NPC?

Is the magic circle permanent?

Does camo negate damage not yet taken or damage taken prior?

Typo in revive 'all' is 'ally'? Anyhoo is revive administered before KO or after?

This is adorable. I need to sit my son down with his xD.

How long does the penalty for Shout last for?

Don't have my notes on me, but I'll see if I can address a few things...

TALLY: I may have to reword it, but it shouldn't be a problem, as I was intending that it only carries forward 1 round. I suppose if you were only dealing with Melee monsters in a single combat, then the Sage ends up invincible after his first wound. I'll clarify that it doesn't last beyond a single combat.

RIPOSTE: This occurs when the Swashbuckler is knocked out.

MAGIC CIRCLE: I'll word this to reflect that the circle lasts for a single combat.

CAMOUFLAGE: Not sure. I don't want to be too restrictive on the little sprouts, but maybe I will word this so that the choice must be made at the beginning of the round.

REVIVE: Will fix typo and word it better.

SHOUT: This would only last a single combat. Per RA's suggestion above, I may swap this one with the Knight's RUSH feat.

JigokuBosatsu wrote: SHOUT: This would only last a single combat. Per RA's suggestion above, I may swap this one with the Knight's RUSH feat.

That's a tough call, I like SHOUT, it's basically intimidation. But I could see a Barbarian sending people flying with an attack (aside from actually throwing them).

While on the OTHER hand a Knight being able to shield-bash makes sense, too. >_>

I also renamed the Knight's feats to be Monty Python jokes. Any suggestions for funny/cute names for other feats will be entertained.

Do you, or do you plan to, print the 'abilities' out on 'cards' or anything?

I was thinking of making class-specific character sheets, with the feats all written out.

I'll post up some of my advanced monster abilities tonight.

JigokuBosatsu wrote:I was thinking of making class-specific character sheets, with the feats all written out.

I'll post up some of my advanced monster abilities tonight.

Have you seen http://sidekickquests.com/, btw?
I ran across Stowe because of his awesome character sheets, actually. (Which is why I bring it up)

That's cute! I really like his character sheets. It'll be interesting to see what his RPG looks like. I did notice this in one of the comments on his page. It even has a similar barbarian "Rush" power. (To be honest, I was 'inspired' by Summoner Wars for that particular ability.)

JigokuBosatsu wrote:That's cute! I really like his character sheets. It'll be interesting to see what his RPG looks like. I did notice this in one of the comments on his page. It even has a similar barbarian "Rush" power. (To be honest, I was 'inspired' by Summoner Wars for that particular ability.)

I've never seen that before! Yet ANOTHER thing to look at, sweet. xD

Though often considered unsavory in rpgs, I think for children the option to change character on the fly could be pretty important. And that shit should go right in the rules.

In addition, I think what your daughter so very viscerally pointed out, the very uncontrolled imagination of kids probably leads them to play visual archetypes, instead of ability archetypes. Meaning, to your daughter, being a bat was a lot more important than being able to do damage to the opponents from a distance. Monster classes are going to be a massive hit. Perhaps monsters could operate on an LA-basis where the monster class abilities replace character class abilities. If the bat was to become a barbarian, she'd replace one barbarian ability with the bat ability. That would require a large amount of creatures for the players to choose from, but writing them would be easy - finding or making a stimulating picture of the creature would be the big ordeal.

Physical prizes are awesome. The production value of your game would multiply, but getting even reward cards, something you can hold in your hand, would really be exciting, if you ask me. Perhaps like one-shot ability cards you can play when you feel like it.

Well, rpgKids comes with an assload of printable tokens- 1 of each gender for each class, and then every monster in every module. It was totally visual- she saw the bat token while I was sorting through them, and that was that.

I like the idea of reward cards. That's very cool.

For any of you who may have been interested. I finished preliminary versions of re-imagined profiles based off of JB's concept.

This is adorable and sweet what the titties is it doing on the DEN.

DEAR LORD WHAT HAVE I DONE




I've got a bunch more done in my portable hipster notebooks, will try to type it up soon.

INTRODUCTION:

Greetings, Heroes of Springwell, and new friends from the trail. A grand adventure awaits– your greatest challenge yet! Danger, treasure, excitement– fierce rivals and unexpected allies, in a world of exploration. Graduate to the next level of fantasy adventure, and solve the mystery of THE CASTLE ON THE EDGE OF THE MOON!!!

As noted before, this module requires the basic rpgKids rules to play, as well as some 12- and 6-sided dice. Pencils and paper are great as well, and it is recommended to print out extra copies of character sheets. The wisdom of experience has taught us that it's easy to destroy these sheets by spilling soda pop on them.

A basic assumption of this module is that your gaming group has gone through at least the first rpgKids adventure, “The Lair of the Frog Wizard”. Further play through the stories in the “Adventure Pack” will have given your group a familiarity with the rules, and hopefully a thirst for more adventure! If this is your first time playing, it is highly recommended that you run through a couple of the basic adventures. This will not only give younger players a chance to get comfortable with their d12s, but also give their characters a reason to be sent from the town of Springwell to the great Castle!

THE CASTLE:

It will be easy to drop some hints about the Castle if you're running the basic adventures. Have an NPC mention that they wish they could go to the Castle to pick up a rare potion they had ordered, but the roads are out after a landslide. Or have another NPC mention the Castle in the same breath as some other bustling cities- Elftown, South Jenoodle, Caramelham, or any other places you'd like from your own campaign world. If your group has completed the other adventures, you can skip straight to the first adventure hook.

When the heroes have convened at the Frothy Goat Cafe, ready for their next quest, suddenly the door bursts open. It's the Sheriff, and he looks scared. He doesn't say anything immediately, but instead appears to be listening. And Deputy Rufus is nowhere to be found! (The PCs can use the Listen or Animal Friendship skills to find that there is the faint howling of wolves in the distance.)

Read the following aloud to the heroes:

“Ah, Heroes, I'm glad I found you! The roads to the highlands have finally cleared, and we need to send a caravan to the Castle. I have some important messages to send.” He wrings his hands and tries to give a brave grin. Any of the heroes may use Search to notice that there is something the Sheriff isn't saying... If they ask what's wrong, or if they inquire about Deputy Rufus, he breaks down crying.

“Oh, it's terrible! Deputy Rufus is sick, and takes medicine every month. But he accidentally ran out, and we couldn't get any more with the roads out! Rufus didn't want to wait for the caravan, and went off alone. I'm afraid he may be lost on the way! If you could make sure they get his medicine ready, and maybe find him along the way, I would be so relieved.”

When pressed about what is wrong with Rufus, he will not say anything. Asked about the Castle, the Sheriff will make this speech:

“It's a grand old fortress, the size of a city! It began long ago as a mining camp on top of a plateau, but over the years it grew and grew as they kept going deeper. Now it's in charge of keeping the whole area safe. Not just from bandits and things, but also monsters from the... CATACOMBS OF CALAMITY! They take guarding seriously, and it may be hard to get in unless you know someone.”

If the heroes ask for help getting admitted to the Castle, the Sheriff will give them a letter of introduction to his old buddy The Captain, who he fought with in the Great Golem War in the Year of the Lizard. (This handout is included- print it out for fun!)

THE SHERIFF'S LETTER TO THE CAPTAIN:

Buddy,

You would not believe who I talked to the other day- Dr. Macklemaugh. You remember, that stuffy old healer from our first adventure? I'll never forget that time he ripped the bandage off your leg and took all your leg hair off with it. How many times did you throw him in the lake? I told him he should swing by the Castle and visit, but he said he was going the opposite way. That was silly- there's a tribe of giant spiders the other way!

Anyway, I hope everything is fine with you. Say hi to Elonna and the kids. And please keep an eye out for Deputy Rufus- we're all worried about him, and I hope he doesn't cause much trouble.

T.S.

Oh, I almost forgot. These folks with the letter are here to help look for Rufus and get his medicine. They're pretty much heroes around here in Springwell. I realize that may not seem like much in the big city, but try not to yell at them too much.

JOURNEY TO THE CASTLE:
Allow the heroes to resupply in Springwell if necessary- they should have a full complement of Medicine. When they are ready, they take off with the caravan- a half dozen merchants who are clearly nervous about something. Allow the heroes to try to get information out of the merchants- Intimidate and Listen are obvious skill choices. Once the merchants talk, they will reveal that they are scared of a monster who comes out at night, but do not know much about the nature of the monster. If the heroes question them about other matters, roll a d6 for a result on this rumor chart:

RUMORS 1:

The Castle is full of Giant Frogs.
The Captain of the Guard has a girl's name.
Spinach, sardines, and chocolate sauce are delicious!
There is a giant's treasure buried beneath the gates of the Castle.
The merchant who sells pencils has a dark secret.
The lady who is in charge of the castle is actually a robot.

Note that only results 1 and 2 are true, though not particularly useful. (There will be a more useful set of rumors available from merchants at the Castle gates)

The journey itself is uneventful- it's a beautiful day, with bright sunshine and mist on the mountains. As the heroes and their caravan head through the valley, they at last can see the plateau with the Castle on top. Something is wrong, though... even though the sun is out, the moon is out as well, and seems to be sitting on one of the Castle's towers! Find Magic will reveal that there is powerful magic happening, but not much more detail than that.

As the journey continues, it becomes clear that the group will not reach the Castle before nightfall. They will have to make camp, but the merchants in the caravan are very frightened about that. Once it becomes dark, the group camps out within sight of the plateau. Read this aloud to the heroes:

“I wish we had gotten closer to the Castle so the guards could protect us from the monster,” says Big Red, one of the oldest of the merchants. “No offense, heroes. I'm sure you're quite good at battles and things. But- wait, did you hear that?”

At that moment, the campsite is attacked by a gang of Wights- one for each of the heroes. Wights are ugly dirt-covered undead monsters, with Magic attacks, and they have the “Phantom” special defense- the first advanced monsters the heroes have encountered.

The Wights are going to be a tough battle for the heroes- the caravan merchants will be unable to help- but don't worry. After 1 round, or 2 if the heroes are doing well, announce that everyone is suddenly frozen in their tracks by an echoing howl. A huge Werewolf appears, and begins fighting the Wights. He is a “Swift” monster, and the Wights are unable to hit him. Once the Wights are defeated, the Werewolf will howl sadly and run away.

The heroes may use Tracking or Animal Friendship to notice that the Werewolf is limping as it runs away. They may also use Search to look for any funny details- if so, they notice that the Werewolf is wearing a tattered deputy's hat. Yes, the Werewolf is Deputy Rufus! They'll have to find him again once they get his medicine.

After the combat is done, everyone settles back down for the night. (the Wights fade away into a stinky mist) Once morning comes, everyone hits the road again, and before long they are up the winding road that leads to the Castle gates!

AT THE GATES:

The caravan bids goodbye to the heroes, and give them a piece of Treasure in gratitude, before going off to join the other merchants in the makeshift market town that surrounds the Castle's outer walls.

The heroes must push through all these merchants and peddlers to cross the drawbridge and reach the gates. They may want to make note of this, in case they want to buy anything with treasure later. The merchants are also a good source of rumors, and you can use them to give the heroes quests later as well. Roll d12 and consult the chart below to see what people are talking about:

RUMORS 2:

The Healers from the Temple of Jerks are not what they seem.
The Caves of Calamity are home to some friendly monsters.
An evil magician is plotting to steal the moon!
Blah, blah, blah, blah!
There are Werewolves in the hills.
There is a musical trap in the Zombie cave.
There is a musical Werewolf cave.
The Captain will throw you in jail if you make trouble!
An Elf Princess is here in the Castle. She is looking for someone.
The Wizard in the East Tower can teach you new spells.
There are a bunch of guard posts in some parts of the Caves.
Look for a Magic Mouth. It can reveal treasure.

Once at the gate, the heroes are stopped by the Captain of the Guard, Captain Marion. He is a tough customer (see sidebar).

SIDEBAR: CAPTAIN MARION

The Captain is a tough cookie. The heroes should not fight him, but if they make fun of his name without apologizing, or break the law (stealing, brawling, etc.) in his presence, then they are in for a nearly unwinnable battle. The Captain attacks as a Melee monster, but instead of doing damage, he will handcuff the characters. This is treated as a knockout, though Medicine will not help. Captain Marion can take as many hits as there are heroes, plus one, and he will revive from knockout after one round. Additionally, if the Captain is hurt, he will begin summoning reinforcements. One guardsman will appear each round, either a Bowman (Ranged) or Spearman (Melee). If all heroes are defeated, the party will be jailed, losing all treasure, and their brass pins confiscated. If the heroes lose their pins to the Captain (or the Castellan, see her entry) they will not be able to advance until they do their community service. To do this they will be sent on a mission such as retrieving stolen goods from bandits, or clearing an area of skeletons. When this is complete, the heroes may return to get their pins back. Any treasure or magic items gained on the mission must be donated to the Home for Polymorphed Guardsmen.

“Halt,” he says. “I am Captain Marion. State your business!” If the heroes were given a letter of introduction by the Sheriff of Springwell, they should present it now. If they do, the Captain will be much nicer, and will give them a coupon for a free potion before they enter the Castle. Regardless, he will quiz the characters about their occupations. As they answer, he will make notes on a tablet and grumble. When they are done, he smacks himself in the forehead. “CIVILIANS! This is a mighty fortress, not a playground! I can't have you running around getting in the way. Do you have any useful skills, or are you just a bunch of greenhorn bumblefoots?”

Here the players should choose their favorite skill. Check the advancement chart for their class to see what class upgrade this indicates, as well as some suggested dialogue for the Captain. This skill choice will also select the hero's first Technique. Alternately, you can allow the players to just choose their new class.

Once this is done, the Captain will seem satisfied and demand a vigorous handshake. He will then give them a brass pin in the shape of the horned helmets that the guards wear. “You're honorary members of the Guard now. So stay out of trouble! Check in with me after your adventures, or talk to one of my Lieutenants at an outpost. Maybe you'll get promoted.” If the heroes do so later, either at the gate or resting in an outpost, then they will be able to upgrade to new Techniques.

Now the heroes enter the Castle...


INSIDE THE GATE

It was busy outside the gate, but inside it's even worse! Not only are there merchants and their customers yelling about supplies and prices, but there are guards, workers, and visitors everywhere- even little kids!

If the heroes wish to buy any sort of normal supplies, they can do so here. They'll have to ask around if they wish to buy anything more substantial- such as magic items or potions, and they will need to find Deputy Rufus' medicine as well.

The heroes can ask around for more results on RUMORS 2. If they made a good first impression with Captain Marion, he will cheerfully direct them anywhere they need to go. Consult the map for locations in the area of the Castle just inside the gate. Here are the descriptions of some locations and people that the heroes may encounter in this area:

TRAINING HALL: This wooden longhouse appears to belong at the heart of a barbarian village, but inside it is a finely appointed chamber for warriors and adventurers to practice their skills and exercise. If your players do not wish their heroes to join the guards, they can spend time at the Training Hall and upgrade their Techniques. The master of the Training Hall is an ancient Monk named Brother Tengu. He is a melee fighter, but is able to use a pressure point attack to Paralyze his opponents.

MERCHANT'S GUILD: This wooden building has steeply sloped roofs, and all the woodwork is intricately decorated. It contains the offices of the Merchant's Guild. The front room is a sumptuously appointed lounge, with soft cushions and iced drinks for the Guild's guests, but beyond this area it is a frenzy of activity. If the heroes have a grievance with any of the merchants outside, they will need to take it up with Guildmaster Dalyo, if they can make it through the storm of shuffling papers and shouting administrators. The Guild is also a source of further adventure, as many of their trade caravans will need guards.

THE THUMPER: Easily identified by its sign, featuring a skull and crossbones with bunny ears on the skull. The Thumper is an inn located near the main entrance to the Castle proper. Its common room is always bustling with all types of people, including a great number of off-duty guards, and its rooms are small but comfortable. The owner, Long Joe, has very little to say and does not deal in rumors. The heroes can certainly find leads for adventure here if they ask around.

THE IVORY SWAN: Another inn, this one is identified by its carved ivory sign in the shape of a swan. Almost the exact opposite of The Thumper, the clientele is definitely of an unsavory character. The Ivory Swan is located about as far from the Castle entrance as possible and its interior is murky and dangerous. The publican, Don Trujillo, is charming and friendly, but deals with smugglers and bandits on a regular basis, and has the full abilities of a Swashbuckler. There are adventure opportunities here, but they are quite risky.

WAYFARER'S CLUB: The headquarters of a group dedicated to mapping and exploring the wilderness. If the party of heroes contains an Archer(or one of the advanced Archer classes) they will be admitted for free- if not, they require a donation of 1 treasure. The Wayfarer's Club offers information and accommodation to its members, and are always looking to stage missions of exploration. This Club is managed by Gorthan Willick, an Explorer, who maintains a stable of exotic animal companions. These can be borrowed for a single adventure by members of the club. Note- the Wayfarers are one of the few groups in the Castle who are aware of the true nature of the “monstrous” tribes in the wilderness around the Caves of Calamity.

REFUGEE CAMP: The Castle is always taking in needy people from the surrounding countryside, but worsening conflict in the wilderness has pushed the facilities to their limits. The Camp is a series of large canvas tents and storage huts. The tents are full of cots, with communal cookfires, and almost all of the available spaces are taken by families on the run. Most of the refugees will be angry towards the tribes that drove them here, but some of them know that the tribes are not evil and have figured out that something else is going on. If the heroes do not find a place to stay in the Castle, they can sleep in the Camp for free, but they will very quickly feel bad about taking up valuable bed space from people who aren't brave adventurers.

DESTROYER MERCENARY COMPANY: This small building has just opened up to a new business- a company that specializes in hiring out warriors. If the heroes need some extra muscle or are looking to hire themselves out, they may be directed here. The Company is administrated by a pair of irate Dwarves, but is owned by Amelia the Destroyer. Any expedition of sufficient danger (especially into the Caves) will interest her, and she may decide to accompany the heroes. For the Destroyer's stats, see her sidebar.

SIDEBAR: AMELIA THE DESTROYER

The story of The Destroyer is a strange one. Amelia is not very forthcoming about her past, and for good reason. She is the heir to a distant throne, technically making her a princess. She has rejected this destiny, and traveled far to the last place that people that people would look for a little girl princess: at the head of a ruthless mercenary company. The life of an administrator is not what she imagined when listening to the particularly violent legends that served her as bedtime stories, so she will jump at any chance to join an adventure. Appearance-wise, she looks every inch the little girl she is. Tall for her age, The Destroyer is nonetheless about the same size as a halfling. Her hair is cut short (from the fancy braids she wore as a princess) and she wears frilly dresses over her suit of tiny black plate armor. Amelia wields an enormous battle axe that would be heavy for a grown man, and she has the unique Destroyer class, with the following feats: Hurling, Rage, Rush, Acrobatics, Flurry and Revive.

ARDLER'S WANDS: True to its name, this small, low shop sells magic wands, along with a few other minor magical items. The proprietor, Ardler, is an Enchanter who never quite made it in the big leagues of wizardry. Apart from the small selection of magical items and alchemical ingredients, there is very little of interest here, and the heroes will likely not want to hang around such a depressing location.

I'll try to read this while stuck in the plow tonight. xD

I really like this.

I have to say, though, that I'm not really sure why Rufus needs medicine. He still seems to be entirely himself (i.e. friendly to friends) and "wight-killing badass" seems a pretty decisive step up from "victim of every evil plot ever."