[03-Jan-21 07:32 PM] Jarrett#3967
Hi, my name is Jarrett Perdue and I’m half of Fearsome Games, along with my chum, Josh Zusmer. Trained in anthropology and a gamer since the tender age of seven, I’ve been a public school teacher for the past 15 years.
[03-Jan-21 07:33 PM] Jarrett#3967
Tonight we’ve come out to talk a little about one of my favorite things: Olde School Wizardry, our very first contribution to table top role playing games.
[03-Jan-21 07:34 PM] Jarrett#3967
Olde School Wizardry is a game about bumbling and limited neophyte spellcasters who have to team up to make it in a big, harsh world.
[03-Jan-21 07:36 PM] Jarrett#3967
Informed by the sensibilities of Brit-crime-capers, Firefly, and WEG’s Paranoia, the game system features a system for cooperative spell casting, magic mishaps, a robust approach to meta-magic, and “The Doom of Wizards” … a game epilogue system.
[03-Jan-21 07:37 PM] Jarrett#3967
The “crunch” is focused on spellcasting and the rules weigh in at 60 pages (with art on nearly every page). The following 300+ pages of our chunky tome is “fluff” and world-buiding.
[03-Jan-21 07:38 PM] Jarrett#3967
Our Kickstarter has funded fully and is creeping toward $10k of support. The campaign ends Wednesday (6th), but you can still get in on the discounted KS rate.
[03-Jan-21 07:40 PM] Jarrett#3967
Finally, this project is complete. All writing, editing, layout, art are done. Proof copies have come in from Lulu, our printer, so backers won’t be waiting months to get the game in hand. (done)
[03-Jan-21 07:40 PM] saintnexan#6715
Thanks, @Jarrett! The floor is open to questions!
[03-Jan-21 07:41 PM] saintnexan#6715
Can you describe the setting as a whole?
[03-Jan-21 07:41 PM] saintnexan#6715
Specifically, is it a “standard” fantasy setting?
[03-Jan-21 07:43 PM] Jarrett#3967
Absolutely! This is a world where humankind has shaken off the shackles of those ancient and wicked elvenfolk, “The Auld”. Through the efforts of Brand the Smith, Math the Mage, and the Third Man, humanity has been free of those ageless despots for some centuries.
[03-Jan-21 07:45 PM] Jarrett#3967
Now, humanity is on the cusp of an age of exploration and innovation. Steam barges ply the deep waters of Lake Muiris, naphtha cannon see off the raids of Plukish pirates, and everywhere there is magic.
[03-Jan-21 07:45 PM] Jarrett#3967
At least … it would be a golden age if those in charge of things weren’t so bloody stupid 🙂
[03-Jan-21 07:46 PM] saintnexan#6715
Interesting! And not at all what I was expecting. 🙂
[03-Jan-21 07:46 PM] Jarrett#3967
You won’t see PCs who are elves, dwarves, or things with tails.
[03-Jan-21 07:47 PM] Jarrett#3967
The technology level of the world is late Renaissance, leaning into the Age of Exploration and The Age of Reason.
[03-Jan-21 07:47 PM] Jarrett#3967
(Or what the West calls those things anyway)
[03-Jan-21 07:48 PM] Jarrett#3967
A new power, The Ancient and Revered Order of Smithies and Artificers has risen to challenge the hopelessly hidebound “goode olde boy system” of wizards and the sprawling bureaucracy of their Estates Arcanum.
[03-Jan-21 07:50 PM] Jarrett#3967
Despite the name, and their insistence on tracing the lineage of their order clear on back to Brand the Smith, the Artificers aren’t an ancient order at all, but represent an effort by the “unschooled” to tease apart the threads that connect the hereditary, feudal leadership from the ranks of wizards.
[03-Jan-21 07:51 PM] Jarrett#3967
They are one of many “foils” for the PC wizards suggested in the game’s fluff.
[03-Jan-21 07:52 PM] Jarrett#3967
Another common adversary, apart from hunger and debt collectors coming to collect on those student loans, are those wizards who secretly conspire to form a Magocracy.
[03-Jan-21 07:52 PM] Jarrett#3967
If you’ve ever met a wizard, you know right away why this is a BAD IDEA.
[03-Jan-21 07:53 PM] Jarrett#3967
But some insist on using their magical aptitude to try and establish a shadow-cabal to pull the strings of nations and noble houses from the shadows. The “Schooled” know better of course, having learned the lesson of Tyrannus the Overlord … that boogey-man mage of ages past who tried to use his power to dominate the world.
[03-Jan-21 07:55 PM] Jarrett#3967
So, PCs might be pulling a Scooby-Doo to unravel a cabal plot, embarrass the Artificers who insist that magic is passe, or simply scrape out a living.
[03-Jan-21 07:55 PM] Jarrett#3967
(done)
[03-Jan-21 07:56 PM] saintnexan#6715
Do all the standard fantasy monsters exist in this setting?
[03-Jan-21 07:56 PM] Jarrett#3967
No indeed!
[03-Jan-21 07:56 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
I recently described the setting as “if Monty Python and Terry Pratchett had decided to work on a fantasy setting on neophyte wizards of questionable competency, this may provide a source.”
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[03-Jan-21 07:57 PM] Jarrett#3967
So, wizards argue long and hard over exactly where magic comes from (and what it is). If you have three wizards in the room, you’ll get at least six theories and probaby one unseemly fist-fight.
[03-Jan-21 07:58 PM] Jarrett#3967
But … most put some credence in the idea that Math the (first) Mage was taught the NINE ANCIENT RUNES OF MAGIC by a dragon.
[03-Jan-21 07:59 PM] Jarrett#3967
Dragons are extinct of course, so there’s no way to verify this claim.
[03-Jan-21 07:59 PM] Jarrett#3967
Some wizards insist that it is merely alagorical.
[03-Jan-21 07:59 PM] Jarrett#3967
So … there aren’t dragons …
[03-Jan-21 07:59 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
It’s a fairly unique setting in that regard – there are, in over 30 examples of unique monsters and creatures in the book, with game stats, a detailed description, behaviors, and a solid plot hook included for each.
[03-Jan-21 08:00 PM] Jarrett#3967
Yes, you’ll meet the enigmatic Mmung, Dimensional Hares, and Bell Golems ….
[03-Jan-21 08:00 PM] Jarrett#3967
Josh, would you like to post a monster example?
[03-Jan-21 08:00 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
{Attachments}
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/780948065367490590/795471793237524510/143_-_Dungeon_Eel.jpg
[03-Jan-21 08:01 PM] Jarrett#3967
Because magic is unpredictable, especially in the hands of a novice, quite a lot of “monsters” are actually unique chimera … the result of an attempt to CREATE a living thing when the caster lacks enough expertise.
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[03-Jan-21 08:02 PM] saintnexan#6715
“It seemed like a good idea at the time…”
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[03-Jan-21 08:02 PM] Jarrett#3967
So you can get goats that are composed partially of stone or cheese, serpents that are made partially of fire, and ducks that are composed partially of time.
[03-Jan-21 08:03 PM] Jarrett#3967
Ooh! Look! The Dungeon Eel!
[03-Jan-21 08:03 PM] Jarrett#3967
This is a good pull–thanks, Josh.
[03-Jan-21 08:03 PM] Jarrett#3967
It shows a couple things:
[03-Jan-21 08:03 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
{Attachments}
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/780948065367490590/795472507427094548/Chimerae_-_Paper_Sheep.jpg
[03-Jan-21 08:04 PM] Jarrett#3967
- monster stat blocks are short-short …. though the magic system has lots of unique bits going on, the rest of our resolution systems are rules-light to keep the focus where it should be (a lesson I learned from Pendragon).
[03-Jan-21 08:06 PM] Jarrett#3967
- Our friend the Dungeon Eel also shows off some of the book’s artwork. This is a work by a pair of gamers who love play. We are reaching back to the feel of J. Eric Holmes Basic D&D and the B&W work in the DM’s guide
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[03-Jan-21 08:06 PM] saintnexan#6715
“I once knew a shepherd of paper sheep… His business folded.”
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[03-Jan-21 08:06 PM] saintnexan#6715
Looks fantastic!
[03-Jan-21 08:07 PM] Jarrett#3967
- Do you see scenario seed in our Dungeon Eel entry? That’s not a one-off … every single monster and magic item and NPC has one or more story seeds …. there’s over 100 of them in the book!
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[03-Jan-21 08:07 PM] Jarrett#3967
I LOVE the paper sheep.
[03-Jan-21 08:08 PM] Jarrett#3967
Josh showed us the Paper Sheep there as an example of a chimera … and it hits another point about the artwork
[03-Jan-21 08:09 PM] Jarrett#3967
About 50% of it is by us, and about 50% of it is public domain work by Gustave Dore
[03-Jan-21 08:10 PM] Jarrett#3967
That was actually really important to me. Anybody out there read Dragon Magazine in the late 80s?
[03-Jan-21 08:10 PM] saintnexan#6715
Indeed.
[03-Jan-21 08:11 PM] Jarrett#3967
Well there was an issue 123 … with a single article about “The Mystic College”
[03-Jan-21 08:12 PM] Jarrett#3967
The piece of art that the editor pulled to open that brief piece was a Gustave Dore from Orlando Furioso.
[03-Jan-21 08:13 PM] Jarrett#3967
I couldn’t really remember anything much else about the article … I think there was a pyramid and a building with no windows or something … but that one image of wheezing old codgers arguing just really grabbed me.
[03-Jan-21 08:13 PM] Jarrett#3967
It became our cover 🙂
[03-Jan-21 08:14 PM] Jarrett#3967
(Maybe Josh will hit us with that image again in a second)
[03-Jan-21 08:14 PM] Jarrett#3967
(done)
[03-Jan-21 08:14 PM] AimlessMind#8816
@Jarrett What type of niche or play type is this trying to fill and reach? Any other systems that you think might be an easy jumping point from to your system?
[03-Jan-21 08:14 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
{Attachments}
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/780948065367490590/795475285889908756/Olde_School_Wizardry_eBook.jpg
[03-Jan-21 08:16 PM] Jarrett#3967
That’s a great question. Olde School Wizardry is informed more by Terry Pratchett then by Avengers. It’s a thinking person’s game. Your PC is created to be lopsided by design …. only through “table-talk” and cooperation can you work out how your PCs can become effective together.
[03-Jan-21 08:17 PM] Jarrett#3967
Josh and I were talking and a lot of the themes in the book are about how organizations become hidebound and end up serving themselves rather than their original mission, so PCs are created to be outsiders and underdogs.
[03-Jan-21 08:17 PM] saintnexan#6715
To what degree is this a comedy game? And if it is, what type of comedy is it?
[03-Jan-21 08:19 PM] Jarrett#3967
The comedy runs dry and sardonic in the book, but spell mishaps (spell burn) creates a 40K-ork level of unpredictability for the reckless caster that can turn slapstick. The fluff of the world emphasizes the stupidity of ethnocentrism for instance. That said, I have run it effectively for 12-year-olds in a summer games camp.
[03-Jan-21 08:19 PM] Jarrett#3967
(In addition to my lineup of awesome adult play testers and friends)
[03-Jan-21 08:20 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
I wouldn’t say it is an entry system into Roleplaying Games, but if you’re already versed in how a numbered initiative system works and you have that trust at your table with your players and your GM to discuss and play openly, then you’re ready to delve into our game.
[03-Jan-21 08:21 PM] Jarrett#3967
I think we have several players and alum here with us, so they can also weigh in on the comedic notes if they like.
[03-Jan-21 08:21 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
There’s a definite sense of the dry British comedy of Monty Python
[03-Jan-21 08:22 PM] Jarrett#3967
That’s a good point Josh. The game emphasizes rulings over rules and requires a GM with a steady hand and quick wit (though we’ve provided a ton of random charts to spark inspiration and confidence on the spur of the moment)
[03-Jan-21 08:22 PM] Jarrett#3967
We don’t have a “this is role-playing” section and we assume that everyone knows how to use the funny dice.
[03-Jan-21 08:23 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
Absurdity amongst serious themes. An example I like is that characters roll for their Science (the thing upon which they can focus the Nine Ancient Runes of Magic
[03-Jan-21 08:23 PM] Jarrett#3967
I would agree on the Brit-comedy tone … and in a prior interview we were told that it really does come across in the tone of the writing.
[03-Jan-21 08:24 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
If a player rolls low, they may be a humble “Stew” mage, or hold domain over “Shoes”
[03-Jan-21 08:24 PM] Jarrett#3967
or Lint!
[03-Jan-21 08:24 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
This character will likely do well in their studies, or at least in their pursuit of a teacher.
[03-Jan-21 08:25 PM] Jarrett#3967
Which at first blush sounds terrible, right? Like, “what the heck am I supposed to do if my area of magical expertise is Lint?!”
[03-Jan-21 08:25 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
Should a character roll high and score “Fire” science (a pyromancer!) – what master will want to take on such a student and be upstaged? Unacceptable!
[03-Jan-21 08:26 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
We posted several “Challenges” over on the Kickstarter – one of which was a Pumpkin and Hat wizard faced with traveling aboard a sinking ship
[03-Jan-21 08:27 PM] Jarrett#3967
Again … with those limitations, what’s a wizard to do?
[03-Jan-21 08:27 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
There were answers that included “Creating” pumpkins that were then “Enchanted” to becoming enlarged and sticky. Another was for the wizard to order all ship’s staff and passengers to tack their hats to the sides fo the ship, and then “Enchanted” those hats to repel water – creating a hovercraft.
[03-Jan-21 08:28 PM] Jarrett#3967
Exactly …. so the game is about starting with sharp limitations, and working out creative solutions.
[03-Jan-21 08:28 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
He continued to ask those same folk to place anything else they could on their head to potentially rule them as “hats,” to prepare for future issues.
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[03-Jan-21 08:30 PM] Jarrett#3967
So … let’s set up an example …
[03-Jan-21 08:31 PM] Jarrett#3967
Let’s imagine that my novice wizard wants to learn a new magic Formula, right? But of course he’s got to do a favor for the old buzzard what knows it.
[03-Jan-21 08:31 PM] Jarrett#3967
That’s what finds him down a hole and trying to avoid the attention of a pack of Verminites (rat-folk).
[03-Jan-21 08:32 PM] Jarrett#3967
Of the Nine Ancient Runes … he only knows a bit of CREATE and ENCHANT. As for his magical Sciences? Butter and Wheels.
[03-Jan-21 08:33 PM] Jarrett#3967
When he’s trying to slip past the verminites to fetch the Thing for the senior wizard, they sniff him out! What to do? Not going to get chewed into little bitty bits, that’s for certain!
[03-Jan-21 08:34 PM] Jarrett#3967
He could ENCHANT a Wheel to roll over the rats and squish them, only he hasn’t got a big wheel just sitting about.
[03-Jan-21 08:35 PM] Jarrett#3967
Ah, but perhaps he can CREATE enough Butter to both sate the rats and leave them slipping and sliding if they give chase!
[03-Jan-21 08:35 PM] saintnexan#6715
Yeah, he’d butter do that.
[03-Jan-21 08:35 PM] Jarrett#3967
(or just to coat himself and so stay slippery)
[03-Jan-21 08:36 PM] Jarrett#3967
(there needs to be a face-palm emoji)
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[03-Jan-21 08:37 PM] Jarrett#3967
So, our wizard opens up the CREATE Rune … nice … then he rolls to try and link that open Rune to a Science …
[03-Jan-21 08:38 PM] Jarrett#3967
… but he’s not guaranteed of success! In fact, if he can’t manage to link the Rune (think of it as a live, magic grenade of sorts) to a Science by the end of the action round … it will be wild cast! SOMETHING will get CREATED, just not something that the wizard has any control over!
[03-Jan-21 08:38 PM] Jarrett#3967
Dan, will you kindly roll me a D20?
[03-Jan-21 08:39 PM] saintnexan#6715
!1d20
[03-Jan-21 08:39 PM] DiceParser#0764
# 11
Details:[1d20 (11)]
[03-Jan-21 08:39 PM] Jarrett#3967
Swell!
[03-Jan-21 08:39 PM] Jarrett#3967
That comes up as “Air”
[03-Jan-21 08:40 PM] Jarrett#3967
So our hapless wizard ends up CREATING a wind gust in lieu of the Butter he’d intended.
[03-Jan-21 08:40 PM] Jarrett#3967
Now … here’s where the beauty comes in …
[03-Jan-21 08:40 PM] Jarrett#3967
What if our wizard-lad isn’t alone? He’s brought a chum.
[03-Jan-21 08:41 PM] saintnexan#6715
He was just margarinely successful.
[03-Jan-21 08:41 PM] Jarrett#3967
(oh …. you were waiting with that one)
[03-Jan-21 08:41 PM] saintnexan#6715
(Actually, no. These things just come to me. It’s an illness.)
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[03-Jan-21 08:42 PM] Jarrett#3967
Let’s imagine that a second PC is a school chum from the Collegium Mysterium. This second wizard knows the RESTORE Rune only, but has some skill in the Sciences of Ice and Waterfowl.
[03-Jan-21 08:42 PM] AimlessMind#8816
(I can’t believe it’s not planned)
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[03-Jan-21 08:44 PM] Jarrett#3967
Now wizard 1 (who really needs a name at this point … can somebody roll me 2d20 please?) can handle opening the CREATE Rune while his mate adds ICE as the Science … if the dice cooperate, presto! They’ve made a wall of Ice to seal off their attackers.
[03-Jan-21 08:46 PM] saintnexan#6715
!1d20
[03-Jan-21 08:46 PM] DiceParser#0764
# 4
Details:[1d20 (4)]
[03-Jan-21 08:46 PM] Jarrett#3967
There’s nothing, of course, to say that the wizards will have their coordination down pat. Perhaps they both try to apply their chosen Science to the open Rune before it goes off.
[03-Jan-21 08:47 PM] saintnexan#6715
!2d20
[03-Jan-21 08:47 PM] DiceParser#0764
# 12
Details:[2d20 (9 3)]
[03-Jan-21 08:47 PM] Jarrett#3967
That can result in more nutty outcomes.
[03-Jan-21 08:47 PM] saintnexan#6715
(Sorry, had to step away for a minute there.)
[03-Jan-21 08:47 PM] Jarrett#3967
Eustach Barc
[03-Jan-21 08:47 PM] saintnexan#6715
Oh, nice name generator!
[03-Jan-21 08:47 PM] saintnexan#6715
That’s a real time-saver.
[03-Jan-21 08:48 PM] Jarrett#3967
Part of the comedy of the setting is having wizards with properly wizardly names.
[03-Jan-21 08:48 PM] Jarrett#3967
Josh, can you pull Appendix B?
[03-Jan-21 08:49 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
Coming right up
[03-Jan-21 08:49 PM] Jarrett#3967
I pay him with salt herring.
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[03-Jan-21 08:49 PM] Jarrett#3967
Gives him monstrous breath, but keeps him happy.
[03-Jan-21 08:50 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
{Attachments}
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/780948065367490590/795484156367994980/Appendix_B.jpg
[03-Jan-21 08:50 PM] Jarrett#3967
The text intro there is very typical of the game’s sense of humor.
[03-Jan-21 08:51 PM] saintnexan#6715
So I see. 😄
[03-Jan-21 08:51 PM] saintnexan#6715
You guys are quite witty. 🙂
[03-Jan-21 08:51 PM] Jarrett#3967
Jim Holloway was a big influence too.
[03-Jan-21 08:52 PM] Jarrett#3967
You should see us when we are wearing pants!
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[03-Jan-21 08:52 PM] saintnexan#6715
Do you have a character sheet that we can see?
[03-Jan-21 08:52 PM] Jarrett#3967
Indeed!
[03-Jan-21 08:52 PM] Jarrett#3967
Josh … fishy!
[03-Jan-21 08:53 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
Do you want a demo sheet or a blank?
[03-Jan-21 08:53 PM] saintnexan#6715
Hmm. Let’s go demo.
[03-Jan-21 08:53 PM] Jarrett#3967
How many fish do you want?
[03-Jan-21 08:53 PM] saintnexan#6715
Um… 3?
[03-Jan-21 08:54 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
{Attachments}
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/780948065367490590/795485183070699550/Timl.jpg
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[03-Jan-21 08:54 PM] Jarrett#3967
Nice!
[03-Jan-21 08:54 PM] saintnexan#6715
Very nice character sheet, that. 🙂
[03-Jan-21 08:55 PM] Jarrett#3967
🐟
[03-Jan-21 08:55 PM] saintnexan#6715
Now, using this character, can you illustrate the basic task resolution system?
[03-Jan-21 08:55 PM] Jarrett#3967
Absolutely!
[03-Jan-21 08:55 PM] Jarrett#3967
Every round in Olde School Wizardry is divided into 9 steps.
[03-Jan-21 08:56 PM] Jarrett#3967
Young Timl here acts on Step 6 …. counting down to Step 1
[03-Jan-21 08:57 PM] Jarrett#3967
So let’s imagine that Timl has taken a shady contract from a restaurateur …
[03-Jan-21 08:57 PM] Jarrett#3967
He is going to CONJURE Stew (one of his Sciences) from a rival business during the dinner hour.
[03-Jan-21 08:58 PM] Jarrett#3967
Timl has 1 die (1d6) in Conjure.
[03-Jan-21 08:58 PM] saintnexan#6715
(How does CONJURE differ from CREATE, by the way? Is the former bringing forth something that already exists from somewhere else, maybe?)
[03-Jan-21 08:59 PM] Jarrett#3967
So beginning on Step 6, he can attempt to open the Ancient Rune CONJURE …
[03-Jan-21 08:59 PM] Jarrett#3967
(precisely)
[03-Jan-21 08:59 PM] saintnexan#6715
(go me!)
[03-Jan-21 08:59 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
Yes – Create: “I make [Science].” Conjure: “I call [Science] into my presence for a limited time.”
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[03-Jan-21 09:00 PM] Jarrett#3967
any d6 roll of 4+ is a success …. like in WEG Ghostbusters (remember that one?)
[03-Jan-21 09:00 PM] saintnexan#6715
(I do!)
[03-Jan-21 09:00 PM] Jarrett#3967
So …. on Step 6, Timl tosses his d6 … go ahead anyone
[03-Jan-21 09:00 PM] saintnexan#6715
!1d6
[03-Jan-21 09:00 PM] DiceParser#0764
# 4
Details:[1d6 (4)]
[03-Jan-21 09:00 PM] Jarrett#3967
lovely
[03-Jan-21 09:00 PM] saintnexan#6715
Woohoo!
[03-Jan-21 09:01 PM] Jarrett#3967
SOMETHING will be CONJURED!
[03-Jan-21 09:01 PM] Jarrett#3967
That sounds good, right? But Timl has just ignited the magical fire that gives the universe it’s motion and being … he’s got to get ontop of this thing FAST!
[03-Jan-21 09:02 PM] Jarrett#3967
Otherwise, he could actually CONJURE his own teeth out of his head, CONJURE that passing doxy’s flesh off her bones or any other nasty thing!
[03-Jan-21 09:02 PM] saintnexan#6715
Yikes.
[03-Jan-21 09:02 PM] Jarrett#3967
(or gold … you never know)
[03-Jan-21 09:03 PM] Jarrett#3967
So … with 5 steps remaining, Timl has to nail down the Science.
[03-Jan-21 09:03 PM] Jarrett#3967
Fortunately he has 3 dice in Stew! He clearly hit the books pretty hard at the C.M.
[03-Jan-21 09:04 PM] Jarrett#3967
So … go ahead and roll to link the open (and dangerous) Rune to Stew
[03-Jan-21 09:04 PM] saintnexan#6715
!3d6
[03-Jan-21 09:04 PM] DiceParser#0764
# 14
Details:[3d6 (5 4 5)]
[03-Jan-21 09:04 PM] Jarrett#3967
Brilliant!
[03-Jan-21 09:04 PM] saintnexan#6715
bows
[03-Jan-21 09:05 PM] saintnexan#6715
(When it comes to stew, I’m no chowderhead.)
[03-Jan-21 09:05 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
(but never Gold on purpose. Olde School Wizardry tells us the following regarding Auromancy:
For reasons not understood, Auromancy (Gold Science) does not function with the Create or Transmute Runes.
Then again, perhaps it does work with them, but Auromancers are clever enough to realize that if they ever do Create gold ex nihilo it will almost certainly mean living out their days imprisoned by greedy lords, doomed to work the same spell over and over to the point of exhaustion, the demands upon them limited only by the avarice of mankind.)
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[03-Jan-21 09:06 PM] Jarrett#3967
So in step 5 the Science is linked. We know that Stew will be the thing CONJURED …. not lightning or lint. But which Stew and how much of it? And for how long?
[03-Jan-21 09:06 PM] Jarrett#3967
(Dan, there is no emoji strong enough….)
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[03-Jan-21 09:07 PM] Jarrett#3967
So this is where Timl’s magic Formulae come into play.
[03-Jan-21 09:07 PM] Jarrett#3967
Formulae answer the questions “how much/which one, how long, with what effect?”
[03-Jan-21 09:08 PM] Jarrett#3967
They come in 4 “periods” or categories. “Spatial” obviously governs matters of distance and quantity.
[03-Jan-21 09:08 PM] Jarrett#3967
“Temporal” is pretty obvious.
[03-Jan-21 09:10 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
(There are over 150 Formulae organized in the book)
[03-Jan-21 09:10 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
{Attachments}
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/780948065367490590/795489411600089089/304_-_Thaumic_Wizards.jpg
[03-Jan-21 09:11 PM] Jarrett#3967
You will perhaps see that he has something called “The Monolith Method” listed under his Temporal Formulae known.
[03-Jan-21 09:11 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
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https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/780948065367490590/795489564100657172/290_-_Spatial_Odd_Flower.jpg
[03-Jan-21 09:11 PM] Jarrett#3967
The description is “until moved”
[03-Jan-21 09:12 PM] Jarrett#3967
In this context, that means that whatever he CONJURES will remain CONJURED until it is moved.
[03-Jan-21 09:13 PM] Jarrett#3967
He has 5 dice in his “Formula Pool” … Monolith Method requires 3 successes, being a tricky bit of magic to perform.
[03-Jan-21 09:13 PM] Jarrett#3967
Go ahead and give it a whirl someone.
[03-Jan-21 09:13 PM] saintnexan#6715
!5d6
[03-Jan-21 09:13 PM] DiceParser#0764
# 7
Details:[5d6 (1 1 3 1 1)]
[03-Jan-21 09:13 PM] saintnexan#6715
Oh dear.
[03-Jan-21 09:14 PM] saintnexan#6715
So much for my hot streak.
[03-Jan-21 09:15 PM] Jarrett#3967
Right-o! So by the end of the round, Timl will successfully CONJURE Stew, but the effect (quantity and duration) will be limited to that Rune’s defaults …
[03-Jan-21 09:15 PM] Jarrett#3967
In this case, a tiny amount of it for d6 rounds.
[03-Jan-21 09:16 PM] Jarrett#3967
Now two things could prevent Timl’s efforts from being for naught
[03-Jan-21 09:17 PM] Jarrett#3967
- If he had a fellow wizard helping him, that other wizard could take on the task of applying a Spatial Formua
[03-Jan-21 09:17 PM] Jarrett#3967
*Formula
[03-Jan-21 09:17 PM] Jarrett#3967
Even if Timl fails, his chum can still try rolling his own Formula Pool
[03-Jan-21 09:18 PM] Jarrett#3967
- Just because a spell has been triggered, it doesn’t mean that a wizard can’t continue mucking about with it.
[03-Jan-21 09:19 PM] Jarrett#3967
So, to illustrate this second point, look at Round 2 … Timl now has a blob of magically purloined Stew on the tip of his finger.
[03-Jan-21 09:19 PM] Jarrett#3967
But using the Science of Spellcraft, he can re-open the spell and attempt to apply Formulae again.
[03-Jan-21 09:20 PM] Jarrett#3967
He’s got to race against time, however, because if he is successful in reopening the spell, it will only stay that way for the remainder of the round.
[03-Jan-21 09:20 PM] Jarrett#3967
(done)
[03-Jan-21 09:21 PM] saintnexan#6715
Nice!
[03-Jan-21 09:21 PM] saintnexan#6715
So how are non-magical actions handled? I notice that there are no mundane skills on the character sheet.
[03-Jan-21 09:21 PM] Jarrett#3967
Correct!
[03-Jan-21 09:21 PM] Jarrett#3967
I love King Arthur Pendragon … one of my all-time favorites.
[03-Jan-21 09:22 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
(Olde School Wizardry offers the following Wizardly Wisdom: “Magic can seldom, if ever, achieve what a dozen semi-skilled laborers with the proper tools can’t just as easily accomplish.” – Cantlett Prop Grade Two Supervising Engineer The Ancient and Revered Order of Smithies and Artificers)
[03-Jan-21 09:22 PM] Jarrett#3967
That game taught me that mechanics which are peripheral to the focus of the game should likewise be peripheral and light.
[03-Jan-21 09:23 PM] Jarrett#3967
So. Olde School Wizardry has no levels, nor non magical skills.
[03-Jan-21 09:24 PM] Jarrett#3967
If you want to take a flying leap across a chasm to escape the Carnomites (teeny-tiny bugs that make beautiful latticework nests out of bone), roll d20 and add your stat modifier against the DC set by the GM.
[03-Jan-21 09:25 PM] Jarrett#3967
Lost in the woods and trying to find town before the slavers catch up with you? Wits roll.
[03-Jan-21 09:25 PM] Jarrett#3967
Actions take place on that character’s Step.
[03-Jan-21 09:27 PM] Jarrett#3967
There is no level mechanic, instead, PC growth or decline is measured by changes to the 6 stats, which cascade down to the derived, secondary stats (such as Step, or Magic Pool).
[03-Jan-21 09:27 PM] Jarrett#3967
(done)
[03-Jan-21 09:27 PM] saintnexan#6715
How does combat work?
[03-Jan-21 09:29 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
(as well as learning new or improving their skill in Runes, Sciences, and Formulae)
[03-Jan-21 09:29 PM] Jarrett#3967
If a wizard is any good at his trade, people are afraid to hit him! The best real-world analog would be a clergyman.
[03-Jan-21 09:30 PM] Jarrett#3967
In fact, every character starts with a wizard’s robe, distinctive because it is a wizard’s robe.
[03-Jan-21 09:31 PM] Jarrett#3967
A footpad would have to be off his nut to try and shank a wizard. And there is an entire Branch of he Estates Arcanum, “The Mundane Branch” that investigates crimes against wizards.
[03-Jan-21 09:32 PM] saintnexan#6715
But presumably, monsters don’t have that same fear?
[03-Jan-21 09:32 PM] LaSquida#1355
“‘side ‘es a student! ‘e ain’t got any money, like as not!”
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[03-Jan-21 09:33 PM] Jarrett#3967
What’s more, wizards are clear in their Lore that they can’t really be fully killed by normal means anyway. Stab a wizard and his spirit will come back to make your cow go dry.
[03-Jan-21 09:33 PM] Jarrett#3967
(This a lie of course … but wizards agree that it’s a good one)
[03-Jan-21 09:33 PM] Jarrett#3967
Yes, so, outside of civilized lands where folk know better …
[03-Jan-21 09:34 PM] Jarrett#3967
A wizard facing impending physical calamity will usually hitch up his robes and run away!
[03-Jan-21 09:34 PM] Jarrett#3967
Or do a bit of lethal magic to save his skin.
[03-Jan-21 09:34 PM] Jarrett#3967
Barring all that, combat is resolved by simple d20 rolls.
[03-Jan-21 09:35 PM] LaSquida#1355
How competent do wizards in play get, or is the assumption that as long as they’re PCs they’re a bit rubbish?
[03-Jan-21 09:36 PM] Jarrett#3967
High Step goes first. Attack = d20 + any DEX modifier. Defense = 10 + any DEX modifier. Hits do damage based on STR …. generally 2d6 or so if weapons are involved. Hit Points = CON.
[03-Jan-21 09:36 PM] Jarrett#3967
@LaSquida Stellar question!
[03-Jan-21 09:37 PM] Jarrett#3967
So … this is a game about bumbling neophytes trying to get a leg up in a world where the fat and cozy establishment wizards have all the plum contracts sewn up, right?
[03-Jan-21 09:38 PM] Jarrett#3967
So it encourages shady dealing and taking risks. Very Firefly or Lock-Stock-and-Two-Smoking-Barrels in that regard.
[03-Jan-21 09:38 PM] saintnexan#6715
“Your PC is not The Man. He is not even The Boy.”
[03-Jan-21 09:38 PM] Jarrett#3967
That said, when the hungry young mages DO start to succeed, they begin to acquire Prestige.
[03-Jan-21 09:39 PM] Jarrett#3967
(Josh, think you can pull page 184?)
[03-Jan-21 09:40 PM] Jarrett#3967
Prestige is glory and renown among the Schooled.
[03-Jan-21 09:41 PM] Jarrett#3967
When a wizard has earned at least one point of Prestige … he has earned the right to roll on The Doom of Wizards … an Epilogue mechanic that tells a sort of short story.
[03-Jan-21 09:41 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
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[03-Jan-21 09:42 PM] Jarrett#3967
When, however, the wizard has earned TWENTY points of Prestige … the roll becomes compulsory.
[03-Jan-21 09:42 PM] Jarrett#3967
(Ah, Josh, that is the lovely Mant …. another new monster … but not quite the page I had in mind. NO FISH FOR YOU!!)
[03-Jan-21 09:42 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
(sorry about that – here it comes)
[03-Jan-21 09:43 PM] saintnexan#6715
(I was wondering what he Mant by that.)
[03-Jan-21 09:43 PM] Jarrett#3967
(pain …. so much pain …)
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[03-Jan-21 09:44 PM] Jarrett#3967
@LaSquida So … the game stays focused on wizards who are still working their way toward awesome power.
[03-Jan-21 09:44 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
(I appear to be lagging in the upload department – if 184 comes up a few times, I apologize)
[03-Jan-21 09:44 PM] Jarrett#3967
That said … PCs who have survived 70 sessions are pretty bad-ass
[03-Jan-21 09:44 PM] LaSquida#1355
I really like the mants!
[03-Jan-21 09:45 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
{Attachments}
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/780948065367490590/795498011156676679/184.jpg
[03-Jan-21 09:45 PM] Jarrett#3967
Thank you–the Mants are sublime.
[03-Jan-21 09:45 PM] Jarrett#3967
One mechanical aspect I haven’t touched on yet is the “Specificity Principle”
[03-Jan-21 09:46 PM] Jarrett#3967
Remember when Dan rolled 3 successes with Stew Science?
[03-Jan-21 09:46 PM] saintnexan#6715
nods
[03-Jan-21 09:47 PM] Jarrett#3967
So, each success beyond the first (which is all it actually takes to link the Science to an open Rune) allows him to specify an adjective regarding that spell’s Science.
[03-Jan-21 09:48 PM] Jarrett#3967
So, in Dan’s case, with the CONJURE Rune linked, he could have specified two things about the Stew that was brought to his location (though they do have to be one-word adjectives).
[03-Jan-21 09:48 PM] Jarrett#3967
This would actually allow him to pull things to his location that aren’t merely the nearest sample of that substance.
[03-Jan-21 09:49 PM] Jarrett#3967
“Hot, spicy, stew”
[03-Jan-21 09:49 PM] saintnexan#6715
Cool. 🙂
[03-Jan-21 09:49 PM] Jarrett#3967
Or … if he takes a contract as a food-taster for a Plukish merchant house …. “poisonous stew”
[03-Jan-21 09:50 PM] saintnexan#6715
(This is putting me in mind of the magic system in Murphy’s World, in which all magic takes the form of wishes to Ludo, the magical sun with a wicked sense of humor. “Wizards” are people who can include extra disclaimers in their wishes.)
[03-Jan-21 09:51 PM] Jarrett#3967
If he sees that his employer’s bowl diminishes in quantity however slightly, he knows that a speedy warning is in order!
[03-Jan-21 09:51 PM] Jarrett#3967
@saintnexan I don’t know that one!
[03-Jan-21 09:51 PM] Jarrett#3967
Oh … yeah … it creates quite a clever mini-game at the table.
[03-Jan-21 09:52 PM] Jarrett#3967
I’ll give you an example from this Sunday’s game.
[03-Jan-21 09:52 PM] Jarrett#3967
So the lads are trapped inside a giant Dune-style worm , right? Because why wouldn’t they be?
[03-Jan-21 09:53 PM] Jarrett#3967
One of them has become quite adept in Moon Science. He also knows the CREATE Rune.
[03-Jan-21 09:53 PM] saintnexan#6715
(They’re Dune for!)
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[03-Jan-21 09:54 PM] Jarrett#3967
(I’m going to go floss with sandpaper to try and kill the pain … )
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[03-Jan-21 09:55 PM] Jarrett#3967
Having no less than 4 dice in Moon Science … he rolls to CREATE a “hungry, swift, vermivorous moon”
[03-Jan-21 09:56 PM] Jarrett#3967
So they can focus on not getting crushed while the hungry moon chews its way out of the worm.
[03-Jan-21 09:56 PM] Jarrett#3967
(Ha! I found a situation for which @saintnexan has no pun at the ready!)
[03-Jan-21 09:57 PM] saintnexan#6715
(I know, right? It’s lunacy.)
[03-Jan-21 09:57 PM] Jarrett#3967
(You are trying to get me to say, “There is no God”, aren’t you?)
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[03-Jan-21 09:57 PM] Jarrett#3967
MORE QUESTIONS!!!!
[03-Jan-21 09:58 PM] saintnexan#6715
Actually, I need to wrap things up for the evening, but I do have one last question… What we like to call @danhunsaker’s Favorite Question(TM).
[03-Jan-21 09:58 PM] Jarrett#3967
Ah
[03-Jan-21 09:58 PM] saintnexan#6715
Ready?
[03-Jan-21 09:58 PM] Jarrett#3967
Y-yes?
[03-Jan-21 09:58 PM] saintnexan#6715
Okay!
[03-Jan-21 09:59 PM] saintnexan#6715
What is your least favorite aspect of Olde School Wizardry?
[03-Jan-21 09:59 PM] Jarrett#3967
Hmm … okay …
[03-Jan-21 09:59 PM] saintnexan#6715
(Mind you, this is “least favorite”, not “most disliked”.)
[03-Jan-21 10:00 PM] Jarrett#3967
This has been a passion project for 8 years with nobody’s standard to meet but our own, so things I didn’t love were left on the cutting room floor long ago.
[03-Jan-21 10:00 PM] Jarrett#3967
That said …
[03-Jan-21 10:00 PM] Jarrett#3967
I can actually think of two least favorite aspects …
[03-Jan-21 10:01 PM] Michael Harmon Art#5910
Timl the Enchanter
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[03-Jan-21 10:04 PM] Jarrett#3967
One is that it works best with a bit of cynicism … a little world-weariness. I think there is DEEP potential for comedy there, but you probably have to have lived a bit and seen some of the profoundly foolish things that intelligent and well-meaning folks get up to, to really access the tone of the game fully. It works best with souls that have some callouses … and that can describe people of all different ages of course.
[03-Jan-21 10:04 PM] Jarrett#3967
… but that won’t reach everyone’s inner chuckle.
[03-Jan-21 10:04 PM] saintnexan#6715
Good observation!
[03-Jan-21 10:06 PM] Jarrett#3967
The second is that I love sitting down with people and playing this game. I will always be, first and foremost, a pencil and paper in-person gamer. Covid has changed a lot for us ….
[03-Jan-21 10:06 PM] Jarrett#3967
… that has meant that to help people access Olde School Wizardry, we realized (with help and advice) that we would need to step up our digital game.
[03-Jan-21 10:08 PM] Jarrett#3967
See? For me, a 370 page hardback with 100 adventure ideas for $40 is just a great value … I want to hold that big chunky book … in fact, I’ve got mine beside me right now …
[03-Jan-21 10:08 PM] Jarrett#3967
… but that may not be the reality for people we want to reach. So, good, searchable pdf ….
[03-Jan-21 10:09 PM] Jarrett#3967
… character sheets with fillable fields …
[03-Jan-21 10:09 PM] LaSquida#1355
So, how soon is the pdf fulfillment intended?
[03-Jan-21 10:09 PM] Michael Harmon Art#5910
When you mentioned Terry Pratchett, I conjured up images of MP’s Holy Grail naturally. Then when you named your sample wizard Timl, I couldn’t help myself, I had to post the above illo.
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[03-Jan-21 10:09 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
VERY shortly after the close of the campaign
[03-Jan-21 10:09 PM] Jarrett#3967
… those are things outside of my wheelhouse (but fortunately in Josh’s) that we know we have to offer.
[03-Jan-21 10:10 PM] Jarrett#3967
Campaign closes Wednesday.
[03-Jan-21 10:10 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
So certainly within the week
[03-Jan-21 10:10 PM] saintnexan#6715
Thanks very much for joining us, guys!
[03-Jan-21 10:10 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
I’m already settled the properly numbered and searchable pdf
[03-Jan-21 10:10 PM] saintnexan#6715
Usual reminder: If you’ve enjoyed this Q&A and would like to treat me to a coffee or two, you can do so at https://www.ko-fi.com/gmshoe. Anything’s appreciated! 🙂
[03-Jan-21 10:10 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
and we’re in the process of building a series of player aids for the fillable character sheets
[03-Jan-21 10:10 PM] Jarrett#3967
Yes, Lulu orders going in within a week of Wednesday.
[03-Jan-21 10:11 PM] FearsomeGames#7239
(or at least starting right after Kickstarter completes all of their transactions and we get our surveys back)
[03-Jan-21 10:11 PM] saintnexan#6715
If you’ll give me just a minute here, I’ll get the log posted and link you. 🙂
[03-Jan-21 10:11 PM] Jarrett#3967
Thank you @saintnexan