erik@resonex.UUCP (06/07/84)
Looking for more in gaming is a reasonable thing. Assuming its avenues of
possibility are as broad as the imaginations of those who play it, a great
deal of creativity can be invested and rewards returned. My own experiences
with frp have been very good, especially in the way my game has developed with
the input of a group of enthusiastic artists.
There are artists I know who paint scenes, characters, events... as part of
their gaming. There are writers who use the situations and concepts developed
in the game as direct inspiration for their writing, or their writing is part of
their campaign.
One thing that I have enjoyed most has been the development of rules which
are more exciting, realistic and satisfying than those we started with, seven
years ago. I am not interested in convincing anyone of their superiority. I
would like to throw them out there, though, because maybe you'll have fun with
some of these ideas.
The time system that I use is not based on out-of-combat movement. It is a
linear time scale, so that time starts at "0 seconds" at the beginning of a
"melee" and progresses. Each action, or move, requires time to perform. The
time to move is based on the distance moved and the rate. An individual moving
at 12" would move (by my reconing of 6 second melee turns (time scale) and 1"=1'
(distance scale)), 120' in six seconds at a full sprint. This would mean that
an unarmored human would run at 13 and a third miles per hour. Granted, this is
a little fast, but this speed could hardly by maintained very long. Armor and
other encumbering factors subtract from this speed.
So, if a dragon wanted to move 250' at 24" it would take him/her (250/240)*6
seconds or 6.2 seconds. This is a very simply way to determine not only how
long any given move will take, but it allows one to know where, at any given in-
stant, an individual is. This leads to amazing situations of people getting
caught in crossfire while moving, and it allows you to figure out questions
like "Does s/he get caught in the dragon breath, or did s/he run fast enough
to be out of range?"
To figure out the time a character or monster takes to act, I use a curve
my friend Ethan Karp created. The TAQ (acronym for Timed Attack Quotient) is
based on a character's dexterity. A character's dexterity is cross referenced
with a TAQ, and the result is the number of tenths of seconds it takes to act.
A melee then can be a sequence of time counted in seconds rather than abstractly
defined as rounds or turns.
This is quite useful for precise or mathematical applications in the game.
It also allows you to solve many time related problems logically, rather than
in the terms of jargon. For instance, one may say that a Magic Missile takes
10 seconds to cast -.3 seconds per level, and so forth.
TAQ is an arbitrary curve on a graph. We have play-tested it for years
and like a particular correspondence of dexterity to TAQ. You may have a diff-
erent preference to the scale in this or the above rate-suggestion. If you find
it too fast, use a different ratio. Our TAQ chart looks a bit like this:
Remember: 1 TAQ = 0.10 seconds.
dex: 30 -----> 20 TAQ dex: 16 ----> 56 TAQ dex: 9 ----> 112 TAQ
24 32 15 60 8 124
22 36 14 66 7 140
20 40 13 76 6 160
19 44 12 80 5 180
18 48 11 90 4 210
17 52 10 100 3 240
WIN!
ta ta Zen-La,
Erik Guttmanerik@resonex.UUCP (Erik Guttman) (06/12/84)
Time is such an interesting subject, and one meager spell "TIMESTOP" does
it an injustice. Here's a bunch of time spells I use in my campaign, (good
for specialty mages and the like...):
Casting time is whatever standard you use per level of spell, with the
exceptions noted below.
Level 1:
Then Threading: (PROJECTION) Range: sight, Duration: 1 melee turn per level.
The caster can see a tenth of a second into the future, ( as a blur
of probabilities,) and hence can see oncoming weapon's paths. This
gives him/her +2 defense in general, +4 against a particular opponent
and +6 versus a particular attack if 100% attention is focused on it
for the entire melee round.
The Withering Moment: (EXPEND DURATION) Range: self, duration: 1 minute.
Any one spell effecting the caster with a duration is used up at twice
the normal rate +1x per three levels of user, (i.e. a 4'th level mystic
would use up the duration 3x as fast, etc.)
Spell of Brief Ancientness: (TEMPORARY AGING) Range: 30', duration: 1 second
per level. Target must be non-magic and not alive, of less than 15
lbs./level and less than 5 cubic inches/level. The said object acts
as if it were 1d6 years older per level of caster. Absolute concen-
tration is required. This spell is useful for breaking weapons, making
dead wood brittle, rusting locks, etc. for just enough time to ...
Decay: Range: 120', duration: permenant, saves: normal. The victim takes 2d4
damage, as part of his body becomes dead, as if for a long time. Half
of the damage is poison, half is deterioration.
Leaving No Tracks: Range: 3' radius per level. Duration: Permenant.
The caster erases up to 1 individual per level's traces of passage,
putting all as it was before the space was traversed. At higher levels
it erases: caster is level (1) physical traces, (4) psychic impressions (7) magic impressions, (13) the soul/spiritual impressions [complete.]
The mage must be one of the individuals whose tracks are being erased,
and the erasing must be within the specified radius. The erasing can
be done up to 10 mins./level.
Clocking: Range: Self, Duration: 10 minutes per level squared. The caster has a
time sense accurate within 10%, which allows him to know elapsed time.
This is very good for precision countdowns or synchronizing attacks.
Level 2:
Decreasing the Difference: (EXTINGUISH) Range: 30', duration: 1 melee turn per
level. The object enchanted will decrease its expendature of energy
over time by one dice per three levels. This spell works 60% of the
time, + 5% per level one is above the object, -5% per level below. This
is useful to extinguish flaming swords, etc. If used on a living being
they get a save. It may also be cast on magical processes, like a
"WALL OF FIRE."
Basic Recursion: (ECHO) Range: 45', duration: 1 action. A particular event is
written down and the mystic begins to cast his spell. After 3 times the
standard amount of time to cast a spell he begins to wait for that it to
happen. If it does, it will recur a second time 1/10'th of a second
later. For instance, one may wait for a certain warrior to hit a
certian demon with a certian sword...
Spheres of Synchronicity: Range: up to 1000' per level, duration: 1 hour per
level. The mage creates 1 black shere (3 inches across) per level.
These spheres are linked, so that if any one is destroyed, the others
will be simultaneously, the SAME WAY. This is a terrific way to sig-
nal one's friends or to tell if (and how) a buddy bit it.
Restraining the Moment: (SPELL TRAP) Range: 10', duration: 1 minute per level.
The mage may create a black circle 3' across, which will store any one
of his/her other spells for up to the prescribed (user defined-preset)
duration, then release it. A sort of time-bomb spell.
Dating: Range: touch, duration:instant. The caster becomes aware of the age of the object he is touching. This is accurate to within 10%.
More? I've got a lot where that came from. I'd really like to hear
your favorite additions to the genre.
Until again,
Erik Guttman
do_alot_of thinking | playtesting | group_responce | cool_feedback > progressmr-frog@sdcsvax.UUCP (06/12/84)
>
Most of those spells sound pretty nice, but I'd like to know the
level you rate them. And yes, I'd like to hear more!
Dave Pare