House Rules - Combat Tempo - Swinging Two Weapons

Many PLAYERS attempt to gain an advantage by swing two weapons at once. The various sets of rules accommodate this in one of two ways:

1) the character is simply swinging two weapons very fast, like a skill-less boxer.
2) the character is high level and receives extra attacks.

The first has a significant penalty, while the second does not.

My house rules handle these events slightly differently. Unarmed characters, who are not monks, can punch or kick twice per round. They receive no penalty unless they are making a last attack after losing a morale check. Failing a morale check removes any strength bonuses as the character is panicked. They are kicking and punching to get away, not to do damage.

By the way, punches do 1d2 points of damage per hand and kicks do 1d3.

Having established that it is natural to attack with both feet or hands and that panicking is bad, we move to the next scenario: Weapons. If a player has a weapon and a free hand, they can attack with the weapon and punch or kick at the same time. There is no penalty, as being unshielded is a penalty enough.

Characters may use a shield as a weapon, but they operate paradoxically. Bucklers do 1d3 points of damage plus strength bonus, while larger shields are relatively ineffective as weapons and do not do damage. A large shield, although it does no damage, it can disrupt a spell casters ability to cast and can foil a missile attack against another character. To hit someone in this fashion with a shield, one must normally be able to use a shield. Fighters, clerics, assassins, etc.

Now let's add in that second weapon. A character with a long sword and a dagger, 1d8 damage and 1d4 respectively, can use the tempo of combat to strike or threaten with both weapons each round. Only one attack roll is made. The effect is that the damage is shifted to a point between the two weapons: 1d6. Maybe they hit lightly with both weapons or perhaps they used one to force an opponent into dropping their guard for a single attack with the opposite weapon. Which one happened is not important, we are merely empowering players to act out realistic scenarios as they see their characters behaving. If a character is using two equal weapons, say two short swords or a mace and short sword which do 1d6 each, there is no change to the damage. It is simply a 1d6 roll.

In the AD&D rule set, there are significant penalties to swing both weapons at once. These rules should remain in effect when a character is unskilled, panicked or otherwise unwilling to be subtle in their attacks. Given the choice of using combat tempo or taking a big penalty, when would a character desire the penalty? Attacking massive creatures that can't strike back, attacking from behind, attacking creatures where a little damage is worse than no damage.

The last scenario, when a fighter gains multiple attacks can be handled either by the combat tempo rule which reduces damage, OR they pick one weapon to swing OR they can do the crazy "two at once" swing with a penalty. The player should choose based on the needs of the situation.

Did you know I have a little book called Zero to Hero: Uncommon Commoners, over at DrivethruRPG? It contains all kinds of rules you can use in your campaign. Give it a try, it's pay what you want.

House Rules: Oh, no you don't!

I've always liked the idea of countermagic. On several occasions, I have thought of implementing it into my campaigns.

For a dirty hack applicable to most game systems, I would use the following system:

1) Magic-user knows the spell being cast at them,
2) Is not prepping a spell themselves,
3) Makes a save vs. magic,
4) Enemy spell is disrupted and fails to function.
5) Enemy spell caster does not lose the spell.

1) Magic-user knows the spell being cast at them,
2) Magic-user has the exact spell memorized,
3) Is not prepping a spell themselves,
4) Makes a save vs. magic,
5) Enemy spell is reflected on to them.
6) Both spell casters lose that spell.

1) Magic-user knows the spell being cast at them,
2) Magic-user has the exact spell memorized,
3) Magic user chooses to prep that spell themselves.
4) Target Magic-user makes a saving throw vs. magic, Spell is reflected back at the enemy caster,
5) Enemy makes a saving throw vs. magic. If passed, the spell is reflected back at the original target.
6) Cycle repeats until the spell strikes either caster.
7) Every cycle adds 1 to damage, this is always applicable meaning a caster could be physically damaged by a light spell or a silence spell in addition to the main spell effect. 
8) Whoever is hit by the spell loses the spell, the other caster does not lose the spell.
9) Magic users hit by a spell will experience subduing damage, meaning that they can't be killed outright in this fashion. 

A couple of other thoughts. The subduing damage is there to encourage players to use this ability. Being a magic user effectively allows you to shield the rest of the party. The magic users, friendly and enemy casters attract spells meant for other targets while countering magic. A magic user struck by a spell with an area of effect is a barrier to that magic. The effect of the spell will not pass a plane defined as a wall 90 degrees to the angle of the spell's path. People standing between dueling magic users can be hit by an area of effect spell, but those standing behind either caster are unaffected as the Magic-user absorbed or threw that power back at an opponent.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

52 Weeks of Magic - 11 of 52 - Armilla Carna

My campaign setting is based off of the Roman Empire. The common tongue is spoken by all cultures and is the true lingua franca of the Peninsula of Plenty. It is rendered as modern English. Demi-humans each have their own language and humans speak Latin.

This week's Magic item is reflective of this. The Armilla Carna is a magic charm carried by followers of the goddess Carna, the embodiment of health and heart. These charms are not magical in and of themselves, but contain a magical concoctions prepared on the feast day of Carna. Most people will call them "heart lockets" or "Carna's Charms" in common. Priest of Carna always refer to them as "Armilla".  

The most common style of charm is a locket containing a tiny amount of beans and pork prepared on the feast day. This small portion of food imbues the charm with the ability to heal the wearer when their hit points are at 1 or less. When a character hits one hit point via any kind of damage, the charm will heal one point per hour to a maximum of 4 hit points. 

If, by some chance, a person dies while wearing one of these charms it will char. Not only won't it work again, it is considered to be very bad omen. Typically, this occurs when someone dies by murder, drowning and poison. The small charm is not able to overcome the damage done by these kinds of incidents. It is a tradition to create a new charm as a burial gift. Taking one of these gifts from a grave is common law crime and the punishment is stoning or exile.  

The discharge of magic from the locket's consumption of the food stuffs will cause the device to warm and glow faintly while working. When the healing is complete, the wearer will find the locket has been completely cleaned and appears new.  

Anyone can create one of these lockets, however it must be blessed by a priest or priestess of Carna. Once blessed, it can be filled by anyone on the feast day of Carna to regain it's power. A priest of Carna can recharge the items if they have preserved foodstuffs from the feast day. Temples to Carna will do this for a small donation, usually an amount necessary to put on a small, simple feast on the holy day. 

The charms tend to be very rustic and primitive in nature, being made of string and large hollowed out beans. Traditionally, family member will make one for their children, cousins, parents, etc. to celebrate their first attendance of the feast. 

These items are very popular with soldiers. Their lockets tend to be more ornate and sometimes very valuable. Manufactured charms tend to be metal copies of the simple string and bean construction of commoners, despite being made of higher quality materials.  

Navigation:
Week 1 of 52 - Magic Lamps
Week 2 of 52 - The Rat Bag
Week 3 of 52 - Emulous Cursed Sword
Week 4 of 52 - The Cloak of Peaceful Repose
Week 5 of 52  - The Cowl of Death
Week 6 of 52 - Scimitar of Smiting
Week 7 of 52 - The Symbol of Sol Invictus
Week 8 of 52 - The Equi Phalera
Week 9 of 52 - Libertatem
Week 10 of 52 - Sorrow
Week 11 of 52 - Aemilla Carna
Week 12 of 52 - The Obice Cardeam
Week 13 of 52 - The Gnollish Rattlebone

Now, the commercial. I have a little book called Zero to Hero: Uncommon Commoners, over at DrivethruRPG. I am obviously thinking of writing another and Gnolls might be the subject. Please let me know what you think in the comments. 

Disney Panoramas

I love amusement parks. My sense of wonder and adventure is fueled by the novelty of pure fantasy made real. I don't have a great camera, only my Moto x4 phone. When combined with Google Photos, sometimes a phone can create some wonderful images.

Today, I would like to share all of the panorama images I captured at Disney this Christmas time. It was a wonderful trip and these images really captured the magic.

The Leave a Legacy at Epcot

Future World? at Epcot

The pylons for Skyliner at Christmas 2018.

The Magic Kingdom at Christmas

More fun at Magic Kingdom

Outside Be Our Guest

The moat around Be Our Guest.

Reflecting pond at Epcot

Hollywood Studios, I think. Beautiful, in any case.

Epcot again 

Epcot view from the edge of the International Showcase

The paths and gardens in UK, World Showcase

The countdown to New Years in Epcot.

In between Future World and International Showcase

The Bay at Disney Boardwalk, steps from Trattoria al Forno

52 Weeks of Magic - 10 of 52 - Sorrow

This week's magic item is a sword with a terrible curse. The sword's name is Dolorem, but anyone witnessing it's power will it render it's name in the common tongue: "Sorrow".

The sword is both a defensive and offensive weapon. Merely having the weapon in ones possession conveys a -1 to AC. Offensively, it is a +2 weapon and when drawn, immediately confers the same bonus as bless spell upon the wielder and his or her compatriots within the range of the spell (5"x 5" square). All opponents within the area of effect will be afflicted with a reverse of this blessing (blight), a -1 to hit and a -1 to morale. Everyone except for the wielder is entitled to a saving throw vs. this effect. The wielder effectively has a weapon which is +3 to strike and +2 to damage.

The cursed nature of this sword becomes apparent when combat begins. Anyone under the effect of the blessing or blight is consumed with a bloodlust for whoever they were arrayed against. They will find themselves unable to stop attacking opponents, until they are all dead. Combatants will strike at even unconscious or helpless foes. Sheathing Sorrow, being disarmed or otherwise losing the sword does not change this status until all opponents are dead or removed from the battlefield.

If someone is forcibly removed from combat, knocked out, completely restrained or otherwise prevented from fighting, they will becomes sick for 8 hours. All of their abilities drop by 1 for this time. Being teleported away from combat could end the curse, but this separation must be far enough to make rejoining the battle impractical. For example, being teleported into a cage, to the top of a cliff or tower, or into a significant body of water will all end the curse. Remember, the people affected by the curse will immediately become sick and weak when forced from combat. Being stuck in a web or paralyzed will also cause the curse to end.

The curse is limited to those within a 5" x 5" square when the sword is drawn. Anyone outside of this area will not understand the nature of the problem, unless they have encountered it themselves. The sword causes mayhem, as some people in combat will not be affected by the curse.

If a character has been previously witnessed the curse (but not necessarily affected by it), they are entitled to a +2 on their saving throw, but this is a choice of the player in question, not a requirement. Anyone affected by the blight will certainly invoke this bonus.

If the sword is drawn and sheathed multiple times in a single combat, nothing further happens. It cannot effect more people by sheathing and redrawing or force another saving throw. However, if one combat ends and new opponents appear later, the sword can be drawn again to invoke the curse again.

Sorrow does not compel the owner to draw it, nor does it compel the owner to use the sword in combat. If a person is helpless, sleeping, unconscious, etc. when Sorrow is drawn, the are not subject to the compulsion to fight when they wake nor does anyone with the bloodlust see them as a valid target so they do not gain a bonus to strike. Sorrow cannot compel people unwilling or unable to fight, nor does it allow the bloodlust to be used against them.

If the owner attempts to draw the sword against the helpless, not only will the curse fail to trigger, their companions may think less of them. Much less. Retainers, hirelings and followers may end their relationship with the owner if this happens.

Sorrow has empathic and telepathic powers, but is not intelligent. The owner will immediately be aware of the curse, so the invocation of curse cannot be an accident. Sorrow's curse may only be invoked by the owner and only if the owner desires a fight. Merely unsheathing the weapon for cleaning, inspection, appraisal, etc. does nothing. The owner must have an intelligence greater than 5 to invoke the curse.

In the unusual circumstances that someone other than the owner draws the sword with the intention to strike anyone, not only will they be unable to invoke the curse, they will lose 1 point from every ability for 24 hours. They need to make a saving throw vs spells to avoid passing out. Sorrow's curse cannot be invoked if the owner is charmed or otherwise compelled to draw the weapon. Characters struggling over the weapon cannot invoke the curse, unless the owner draws it to defend themselves. Having the sword unsheathed by magic spells or powers also does not invoke the curse.

If remove curse is cast upon Sorrow, it is demagiked for 1 hour and the bloodlust immediately for all involved. This does not cause weakness like being prevented or removed from a fight. The owner is not compelled to use the weapon, so a remove curse spell will not cause them to set it aside. Any time the weapon is sheathed, the owner can choose not to use it.

Sorrow's sheath is not special in any way and any proxy for a sheath can be used, such a wrapping the sword in a cloth, putting it away in a backpack, a chest, etc. If Sorrow is found without a sheath, anyone picking the weapon up will still be affected by the weapon's benefits, but cannot trigger the curse until one of the conditions above occur. The owner will also know this limitation.

Navigation

Week	Item	Week	Item	Week	Item	Week	Item
1	Magic Lamps	2	The Rat Bag	3	Emulous Cursed Sword	4	The Cloak of Peaceful Repose
5	The Cowl of Death	6	Scimitar of Smiting	7	The Symbol of Sol Invictus	8	The Equi Phalera
9	Libertatem	10	Sorrow	11	Aemilla Carna	12	The Obice Cardeam
13	The Gnollish Rattlebone	14	Bands of Roland	15	Shape of Memory	16	Defender's Boss
17	Missile Mirror	18	Stone Horse	19	Staff of Eyes	20	Helm of Aware Airs
21	Potion of the Lionhearted	22	The Unnamed Potion	23	Whispering Wings	24	Monk's Bane
25	Token of Infi	26	Coming Soon	27	Coming Soon	28	Coming Soon

Now, the commercial. I have a little book called Zero to Hero: Uncommon Commoners, over at DrivethruRPG. I am obviously thinking of writing another and Gnolls might be the subject. Please let me know what you think in the comments.